New Design: Wizards...

[Raven Crowking]

In my homebrew, I made the athame and staff the general tools of the magician. The athame was used to direct spells (provide "to hit" bonus when needed, or as a conduit for touch spells), while the staff held magical energy (i.e., a reserve of spell levels allowing the caster to avoid using his memorized spells).

So, I have mixed feelings.

When I read the OP, the first thing that popped into my head was the wizard in Dungeon.....You know, "Green elf needs food, badly." However, the later flavour text ameleorates this somewhat.

Are this fluff going to be in the SRD, though? If not, how will that affect third-party developers?


RC

 

[WhimsyTheFae]

There are plenty of good implements it could be replaced with: Familiar, Amulet and Pouch-o-stuff jump to mind.

I hope that it wouldn't be a Familiar, since they already have specific benefits.

Amulet isn't bad.

I'd rather use a Wizard's Hat, than a Pouch-o-Stuff...but, both would work for conjurations and summonings...think Presto from the D&D cartoon.

 

[DaveMage]

Weird!

What I don't like is that, as with much of the info we're getting, we don't know the whole picture. Therefore, it's hard to comment on whether or not I like the change. The announcement just leads to more unanswered questions. (I know, I know, they want us to buy the preview books.)

Of course, since the write up seems to be morphing as we speak, it's hard to know what to believe!

 

[Charwoman Gene]

Holy Carp!!!!!!

The orb is favored by the Iron Sigil and Serpent Eye traditions. Serpent Eye cabalists use orbs to focus powers of enchantment, beguiling, and ensnaring. The mages of the Iron Sigil, on the other hand, employ orbs to guard themselves with potent defenses when invoking spells of thunder or force.

The staff is best suited to the disciplines of the Hidden Flame and the Golden Wyvern. Servants of the Hidden Flame wield fierce powers of fire and radiance through their staves. Golden Wyvern initiates are battle-mages who use their staves to shape and sculpt the spells they cast.

The wand is a perennial favorite for wizards who favor accurate, damaging attacks. Emerald Frost adepts use wands to help channel powers of cold and deadly acidic magic, while Stormwalker theurges channel spells of lightning and force through their wands.

 

[Charwoman Gene]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

NOT WOD SPLATS AAAAAAARRRGH!

4e is now dead to me.

 

[Wormwood]

I'm quite happy with it, so long as they don't make a big attempt to define it all. The one-off mentions of Vecna, Kas, Dahlver Nal, etc. were some of the best bits in the 1E DMG, and what I think really gives it its enduring appeal. If they feel obligated to give us a two paragraph write up of each college, though, they've blown it, IMO.

Whoa---I really, REALLY agree with you on this point.

I remember reading my 1e DMG and marveling at such mysterious figures as "Lum the Mad" and "Vecna".

You're definitely right: allow *me* to define the Iron Sigil and I think this is a great step in the right direction.

 

[Mercule]

I hope that it wouldn't be a Familiar, since they already have specific benefits.

Amulet isn't bad.

I'd rather use a Wizard's Hat, than a Pouch-o-Stuff...but, both would work for conjurations and summonings...think Presto from the D&D cartoon.

Something like this:

Wizard's Hat +1
Description: This jaunty hat aides in swaying people's opinion. Add a +1 to all Charm and Compulsion spells and power words.

 

[Celebrim]

*chuckle*

I love the irony of the article changing completely.

I'm sure that I look ridiculous over here with my, "The sacred cows are falling! The sacrew cows are falling!", but I hope we can maintain a good sense of humor about this, because from where I'm standing the, "I don't know anything about 4e, but I'm sure it is going to be awesome!!!!", crowd looks pretty funny juggling its expectations too.

"Any class, any level, just works... as soon as we work out the details."
"4e, we are going for 1e edition feel to the crunch with 3e edition feel to the fluff....or did I get that backwards?"
"4e, more streamlined, and lots more options too"
"4e, kills all your sacred cows but will still stay the same."
"4e, less dependence on magic items, plus lots of phat bling for the MMORPG crowd"
"4e, we are going to completely overhaul the game, and leave it perfectly balanced"
"4e, rigorously playtested and available 2nd quarter next year"
"4e, listening to all fan input with the same degree of attention that clouds flying overhead pay to you"
"4e, faster leveling for the 20% of the market that has demanded it."

Got to love it.

 

[Glyfair]

What I don't like is that, as with much of the info we're getting, we don't know the whole picture. Therefore, it's hard to comment on whether or not I like the change. The announcement just leads to more unanswered questions. (I know, I know, they want us to buy the preview books.)

They do, but I don't think that's it. They don't want to give us everything now so that, next May, the reaction when the PHB is released is "seen it all, I'll wait a bit." They want to keep a pretty steady anticipation over the next 8 months.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

I also think that this thing with implements will really set apart a wizard from a sorcerer or warlock. It'll be a lot easier to tell how they are thematically different.

And really I never had anything against foci in Mage: the Ascension, as I liked it when players tried to come up with creative ideas for foci, using not only wands and staffs, but other ideas like their government agency badge, pistol, DJ equipment or whatever...

Anyways we've only seen a small part of the picture. I'm guessing that one of the implements might make at will abilities like fiery burst, acidic splatter or hurricane breath (I'm using Complete Mage reserve feats as sample names) better to use...

Anyways I've noticed the article changed since the last time I read it. Now with traditions mentioned and only wand, staff and orb described as implements.

Well more evidence that they're basing ideas off of ToB, with magic traditions = martial disciplines. Could they be changing around the schools? Maybe, but there's still many iconic spells around, and some might be regulated more to per day and per encounter abilities.