New Design: Wizards...

[Tharen the Damned]

Hmm, the dependence of Spellcasters on Implements is not a new idea. The Magister (Wizard equivalent) from Arcana Evolved/unearthed by Monte Cook needs his Staff to cast Spells properly. Otherwise it takes more time and is harder to cast.
I guess WoC took some inspiration from Montes idea.
I gererally like it

BUT

If there are four implements that can give casting bonuses (eg. the wand +6), they might become the new "great 4" for every wizard PC.
Generic magic items you simply have to have. And a Tome +3 or a Staff +1 is generic as can be.
That worries me a little bit.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

*off topic*
I think people are misinterpreting the comment on "less magic items". At least one designer has said that the magic level is going UP across all classes.

They've just said that you don't NEED magic items to do well. It means that, if you are level 20 and attack an enemy with a non magic sword, the enemy's AC is low it enough to still hit it, and you can do enough damage with just your class abilities to be useful. However, I'm fairly certain you'll still see a lot of magic items all over the place. It'll just be that you had a 50 percent chance of hitting the enemy without your +5 sword and a 75% with it. It's useful, but not required.

My interpretation of less reliance on magic items, is that you don't have to have Gauntlets of Ogre Strength, Headbands of Intellect, Bracers of Armor, Rings of Protection and Cloaks of Resistance to be competitive anymore. Instead your class/race abilities will provide those bonuses, and those items might be removed from game or made redundant.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Weird idea...

I don't dislike it, but I'd prefer much more if these orb-staff-wand-tome wizardry tools were totally optional. And I don't mean optional in the sense "can choose which one to have" but instead "can choose also to have none, and be equally effective".

I guess you could. But you'd have to live with the major/minor division (if there is one). And to bear staffs, orbs, wands, and tomes being abstract ideas rather than physical tools.

 

[Li Shenron]

So what happens when someone wants to multiclass into a wizard then? Do you throw away the flavour text in those circumstances, or require someone multiclassing into a wizard to go off and spend some time with an accomplished master or what?

No, it will be the usual, get 1st level in Wizard and optionally make up your own explanation.

Something might be different than before, because they want 1st level characters stronger, but at the same time they probably don't want each 1st level from different classes to give more than any further level (otherwise multiclassing would be better than single-classing). So probably the boost is at 1st character level only (e.g. triple HP). Maybe proficiencies will change as well, so if you become a Fighter later you don't get all of them at once.

 

[Elphilm]

Care to elaborate, cause I'm not seeing the "videogame" in this.

Ha! I was just commenting Lurks-no-More's post. It was definitely not a slight against anything.

 

[fuindordm]

If there are four implements that can give casting bonuses (eg. the wand +6), they might become the new "great 4" for every wizard PC.
Generic magic items you simply have to have. And a Tome +3 or a Staff +1 is generic as can be. That worries me a little bit.

This is the main thing that worries me as well. Down with generic magic items! Let's get rid of the +x weapons and armor too, while we're at it.

Party: "We cast detect magic!"

DM: "You find a sword, a ring, and a book."

Wizard: "Ooh, a spellbook? I open it. What's it about?"

DM: "It's a tome of magic."

Wizard: "Yeah, about what?"

DM: "It's a +3 Tome."

Wizard: "???"

Other than this annoyance, it's a pretty good idea and easy to tweak for campaign flavor. I would hope at least that any magical implement is associated with specific spells as well as a general school. For example, the tome could be a Book of Names, and focus on summoning spells--perhaps allowing the wizard to summon a specific creature every time--but it would also provide a minor bonus to other spells purely for its symbolic value as a magical implement.

 

[Moon-Lancer]

Oh, and did anyone catch this:



The text specifies physical enhancements; does that mean no mental enhancement spells like Fox's Cunning? If so, it kind of reminds me of AD&D where you only had the Strength spell...

Or am I reading too much into it?

think about it. If you have implements to boost your mental stats think of the attack dc. It would be way to high unless defense in turn was also kindof high. This might also mean their is no mental boosting magic iteams and attack dc must be increased with implements.

 

[Baby Samurai]

I'm loving this new direction for wizards, it is about time they got rid of the Gygaxian magic/spell system, that was basically a cut & paste from previous editions.

 

[Anthelios]

Complete Mage, in the fundamental section of the book, has a section of wizard archetypes. Now, these archetypes actually sync up great to the tools. This is probably part of their inspiration for putting them into the four categories.

A wizard’s orb grants better access to powers of terrain control and manipulation (such as clouds and walls), as well as retributive effects, detection and perception effects, and invisibility.

Spy and Stategist

The staff is best suited to powers that forcefully project powers from the wizard, such as lines of lightning and cones of fire; however, a staff also has resonances with effects related to flight and telekinesis (pushing, pulling, or sliding creatures or objects).

Blaster, Generalist

A tome is tied to powers that reduce or neutralize an enemy’s capability in combat in some fashion, whether by slowing the foe, dazing, or through some other fashion. Tomes are also often important for spells of teleportation, summoning, shapechanging, and a few physical enhancement effects.

Booster, Summoner, Necromaster, Controller

The wand is a perennial favorite, as it is an ideal conduit for powers that create effects well away from the wizard’s physical position, effects which include explosions of fire, bursts of cold, and other long-range effects that can affect several enemies at once. In addition, personal protections and countermagic effects may lie in wands.

Sniper, Warrior

 

[AllisterH]

My interpretation of less reliance on magic items, is that you don't have to have Gauntlets of Ogre Strength, Headbands of Intellect, Bracers of Armor, Rings of Protection and Cloaks of Resistance to be competitive anymore. Instead your class/race abilities will provide those bonuses, and those items might be removed from game or made redundant.

This is the one feature of 4E I don't understand honestly. How can one make it so that a character is less dependent on magic items and yet at the same time, have it so that actually getting a magic item is an actual REWARD?

Anyone want to help me out here?