rogue weapon information please

[rogueone]

I have a 19th level rogue (3.5e) with a +2 rapier (keen, wounding) that has a wand chamber built into it (Dungeonscape). I use a Wraithstrike wand in the chamber. Questions from the other players and DM have arisen about the use and effectiveness of this wand/weapon combination. Touch attack each attack round? Touch attack every other round? Poor choice of wand for a rogue--use another wand? Do any of you have experience or opinions?

 

[Walking Dad]

As per the official rules regarding wands, it looks most like every other round (spending the rounds in-between to activate the wand).

Activation

Wands use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a wand is usually a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 standard action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a wand.) To activate a wand, a character must hold it in hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures) and point it in the general direction of the target or area. A wand may be used while grappling or while swallowed whole.

 

[Herzog]

Activating a spell trigger item takes the same amount of time as the casting time of the spell that the item stores,​

Wraithstrike has a casting time of one swift action. Therefore, you can cast wraithstrike every round and (full?) attack as well.

As wands go, I would suggest getting wands of Golem Strike and Grave Strike to allow you to sneak attack Constructs or Undead.

 

[Pinotage]

I have a 19th level rogue (3.5e) with a +2 rapier (keen, wounding) that has a wand chamber built into it (Dungeonscape). I use a Wraithstrike wand in the chamber. Questions from the other players and DM have arisen about the use and effectiveness of this wand/weapon combination. Touch attack each attack round? Touch attack every other round? Poor choice of wand for a rogue--use another wand? Do any of you have experience or opinions?

First, welcome to the boards! Hope you enjoy it here.

It'll help to know a little more about the character as the effectiveness will depend on the stats of the character - attack bonus and damage with weapon, for example.

If damage output is low in any case, then getting the definite hit with wraithstrike might not be better than say using shocking grasp through the weapon or something similar. If you setting up for a sneak attack and you absolutely must hit, then it might be a good choice. Either way, it strikes me that you're burning through wands quite quickly, and I'd not imagine this is a cost effective way to work. A spell like Wracking Touch might be even better as you automatically deal sneak attack damage.

Pinotage

 

[Pinotage]

Wraithstrike has a casting time of one swift action. Therefore, you can cast wraithstrike every round and (full?) attack as well.

As wands go, I would suggest getting wands of Golem Strike and Grave Strike to allow you to sneak attack Constructs or Undead.

Complete Arcane always used to state that wands with swift spells still took a standard action to activate. Was this changed in Rules Compendium?

Pinotage

 

[Herzog]

Mmmm. I can't find that entry in the Complete Arcane.

Do you have a page reference?

As far as 'changed' goes: this is what the Rules Compendium states. Not sure if it was ever clarified before that.

 

[Walking Dad]

This is complicated.

The core books say that they have always pre relevance. According to them, it is at least a standard action to activate a wand.

The rules companion says that it has always pre relevance. According to it, it would be a swift action to activate a wand in this case.

 

[Dandu]

Rules compendium, the most recent version of the rules, states that it is a swift action to activate.

 

[Pinotage]

Mmmm. I can't find that entry in the Complete Arcane.

Do you have a page reference?

As far as 'changed' goes: this is what the Rules Compendium states. Not sure if it was ever clarified before that.

My mind is slipping. Complete Arcane introduced swift actions, but the Core books mentioned that 'Spell trigger items take a standard action to activate'. A wand being a 'spell trigger' item is activated by a standard action (with the caveat that it can take longer for spells with a longer casting time). Hence the swift action wands also being activated by standard action only.

It appears though, that the Rules Compendium has gone and dealt with that, so it's a swift action.

Pinotage

 

[rogueone]

Thanks for all of the comments. Although the Wraithstrike wand does allow easier to-hit, there are other wands that I will consider. I do have some augment crystals for undead and constructs. How about Wand of Enervation?