New Design: Wizards...

[Thornir Alekeg]

From a design standpoint, this simply ensures that both wand and staff wizards will have access to some blasting spells.

If they all came from wands, then 95% of characters would have wands, so you might as well not have wands at all. This way you get an interesting choice--do you want your blasting spells to be linked to RAW POWER (TK, flight) or to defense and counterspelling?

It's vaguely analogous to the choice faced by fighters between a 2H weapon and a finesse weapon.

Are people assuming that wizards will choose a single implement? I'm not sure if that is the case based upon the WotC report (emphasis added):

Each implement focuses magic of a particular class slightly better than the wizard would be able to accomplish bare-handed. Thus wizards are rarely without wand and staff, orb and tome, or some other combination thereof.

 

[sidonunspa]

With this new information I was re-reading some of the playtesting reports. So, we have this about the staff: and then there is this from the Tomb Under the Tor playtest report: From this it sounds like a wizard using a staff will be able to strike a foe with an arcane attack that can affect more than one foe and have a bull rush effect - and this is for first level PCs. If this is the "at will" ability, possible since it was used twice in one encounter, I can see why they would be saying you won't see the wizard pulling out a crossbow anymore.

It does make me wonder how this will scale at higher levels.

Well maybe it has something like that +1/2 level to damage from Star Wars? that with a +X staff.. maybe even a +X staff of greater wizard strike or something like that?

 

[sidonunspa]

I have experience too (18 years worth), but I don't preface my posts with a self congratulatory statement to try to give my opinions more weight.

Good Point, I'm sorry I came across like an ass then

Just a thought, but perhaps the +6 wands and such are NOT items, and more of a class feature.

Wow, didint think of that... that changes a lot

 

[Imaro]

Yep, just like I'm sure AC (or Ref defence etc) will scale with level, because as it is now, a 20th level naked fighter with a 16 Dex has an AC of 13, and so does a 1st level naked fighter with a 16 Dex…lame and unrealistic.

Isn't that what ability increases and feats are for? Basically if you spent your adventuring time honing your reflexes and getting better at dodging things...then you should raise your Dexterity, take Combat Reflexes, Dodge, etc. Just because a characters a fighter doesn't mean he should automatically get better at dodging blows than a person with higher natural talent.

 

[Baby Samurai]

It does. Hit points, man, hit points. It's not just meat.

Yeah, yeah, I know that hp are abstract and do not represent X amount of flesh etc, but I still think characters should get an AC bonus besides their Dex and items (experience/training should count for something besides hp).

 

[Baby Samurai]

Good Point, I'm sorry I came across like an ass then

Actually, while I stand by my intention with that statement, I worded it like a wanker – my apologies.

 

[sidonunspa]

Actually, while I stand by my intention with that statement, I worded it like an – my apologies.

Accepted and I hope you accept mine, so lets get back on topic

Rugger's the idea of the items "focus power" being a class feature does fix the focus on magic items.

If they did that, it would all work out, I have a feeling that Rugger hit the nail on the head.

 

[Baby Samurai]

Just because a characters a fighter doesn't mean he should automatically get better at dodging blows than a person with higher natural talent.

With 10 years of fighting the evils of the multiverse he should.

 

[Mercule]

Could be good. Could be bad.

It sounds a lot like the foci for Mage:the Ascension/Awakening. Unfortunately, those tools often come off a bit contrived. Hopefully, that won't be the case for 4E.

Maybe magic staves and wands will give bonuses to certain, specific spells or (narrow) types of spells. So, a +3 Staff of Fire adds +3 to fireball, scorching ray, etc. and little/nothing to cone of cold. I'd be okay with that. It's a bit of both worlds.

 

[F4NBOY]

Yeah, yeah, I know that hp are abstract and do not represent X amount of flesh etc, but I still think characters should get an AC bonus besides their Dex and items (experience/training should count for something besides hp).

Unless that defense bonus per level stacks with armor bonus, it would make armor useless in the game, like in SWSE.
But as you said, characters already gain a defensive bonus each level, called Hit Points.