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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Falling Icicle" data-source="post: 4302418" data-attributes="member: 17077">Both wand and orb mastery are only 1/encounter and only affect one target/attack roll. These are clearly not features that help with the controller role, of which AoE attacks are supposed to be a big part.The more I've been thinking about it, the more I'm coming to the conclusion that they really didn't know what they were doing when they made the Wizard. The "controller" role is the most poorly defined of the roles, IMO. All other classes have area attacks, many of which are superior in range, damage, or usability to Wizard spells. Every single cleric AoE spell, for example, hits only enemies, so they can freely blast away without fear of harming their friends. Wizards, on the other hand, have few such spells, and have to wait until level 21 to get Spell Accuracy (and have a really good Wis to benefit from it).Also, many Wizard spells are single target. Is a Wizard that takes several of these spells effectively gimping himself at his role? It's not like a Warlock or Ranger that take an AoE attack become a less effective striker, or a Cleric that takes an AoE spell becomes a less effective leader. The strikers' curse/quarry abilities will still ensure that they do good damage to single targets even when using AoE attacks. But a Wizard that takes single target spells arguably becomes a much less effective controller. Really, a Wizard that specializes in such spells is just a gimp striker. Sure, some of these spells have debuffs, but then, so do the Warlock, Ranger, Rogue, etc powers.Wizards just seem to be in a strange limbo with a poorly defined role. The end result of this lack of focus and direction is that they end up getting outshined by other classes, not only in their supposed role, but in general. They don't do the most damage. Heck, their damage is often the weakest of ANY class. They don't have the best AoE spells by any means. And they don't have the best zones or debuffs either (with the exception of Sleep, probably the best "controller" spell they have, and ironically it's at level 1).I think the answer to this is to greatly improve the arcane implement mastery features with house rules. For example, maybe wand mastery gives bonus damage to any area affect attack at a range, staff mastery gives a bonus to any close area attack, and orbs give a penalty to monster saves. Rather than being 1/encounter, they could be any time you attack with that kind of implement. I'd also make Spell Accuracy either a class feature, or available at much lower levels. Some may cry "overpowered" at this, but I don't think so. In my experience, Wizards are horribly underpowered, and it will take something like this to make them balanced.</blockquote>

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