Staff Wand and......

[Goobermunch]

Rods have always struck me as more of something a Cleric or Warrior (Warlord?) would want to use. They're less spell batteries and more special ability batteries than staves or wands. Also, think about it this way, if the three implements were rod, staff, and wand, it would be kind of lame, since basically you'd get to choose the size of your stick (we're all going to pick staffs then ). With orbs, they capture a wider range of source flavor and do a better job of showing the variety of items that one can make into an implement.

It's not the size of your stick, it's how you cast your spells.

--G

 

[Mercule]

Dev 2: Well, we could call it an Orb instead.

You know, I thought of the phallic thing, too. Orb, though, struck me as definitely a female thing. Anyway....

I don't care what the wizardly implements are called. My big concern is that if the term "foci" is ever attached (as it was on the Gleemax boards), that people remember that "foci" is plural and "focus" is singular.

I went through that with Mage. While I can accept less than perfect grammar (I don't baulk at people ending their sentences with prepositions), "a foci" drove me batty. It was like listening to a redneck: "And this one is my favorite cars. This cars is faster than all my other cars."

 

[Voss]

Rod, Wand... isn't that a bit... Artificial as a separation, really?

Wand and staff are a fairly artificial separation as well. Both in magical traditions and linguistics. A small stick of wood and a larger stick of wood, a trade of finesse for power.

If you want a reasonable selection of implements that are actually thematically different:

Staff (or wand for more delicate work)
Athame (dagger)
Cup (or chalice or whatever)

substitute tome, pentacle or orb for any of the three. Or reserve pentacles for rituals, tome for a general class theme (notes and research) and flip cup for orb.


In general D&D terms, rods should just go. They aren't really anything special in and of themselves. In 3e terms, they're either really wands or staves, weapons with specific abilities or some form of wonderous item. (Of course some other things need to go as well, like the arbitrary difference between potions and elixirs).

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Staffs, wands, and orbs are all nice.

Tomes should definitely be in, though. If they've destroyed book ased mahgic, I'll be severely disappointed.

Athames or chalices would be an out-of-the-box bonus.

 

[Cbas_10]

I'm still looking forward to introducing magical implements based on the four suits of the Tarot: swords, staves, chalices and pentacles. Hopefully the rules will be flexible enough to make that and other modifications relatively easy.

WOW. Until now, all of my thoughts about 4E have been apprehensive...lots of changes...funky classes...meh-feh powurz....still d20, but different for different sake

But, Thank You, Elphilim. Finally there is something about 4E that inspires my imagination! I hadn't made that leap from the wizards' tools to something adaptable. But, now...awesome...at least I have something positive to think about and latch on to through this until the game comes out (or...maybe more stuff will come down the line and inspire...).

 

[WhatGravitas]

Tomes should definitely be in, though. If they've destroyed book ased mahgic, I'll be severely disappointed.

Well, while tome are classics, I see them less of a "focus" device, as staffs and orbs are. Sure, they have symbolical meaning and should be either full of forbidden/arcane knowledge or have some magic on their own, but I don't really see book-toting wizards in combat.

I prefer them as a ritual, plot or learning device, not as way to channel power in the heat of combat - books simply have some slower, more careful, more ritualistic nature, at least for me.

Though a book, where you scribble the scribble changes to reality in, sounds pretty neat.

Cheers, LT.

 

[Gundark]

I'll be adding guns so i can make a gunmage from the Iron Kingdoms

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Well, while tome are classics, I see them less of a "focus" device, as staffs and orbs are. Sure, they have symbolical meaning and should be either full of forbidden/arcane knowledge or have some magic on their own, but I don't really see book-toting wizards in combat.

It'd be a nice prop for an NPC order, though.

I'm curious if the necromancer and illusionist core classes will have anything like these foci, or whether they'll be something distinct.

 

[TwinBahamut]

Well, while tome are classics, I see them less of a "focus" device, as staffs and orbs are. Sure, they have symbolical meaning and should be either full of forbidden/arcane knowledge or have some magic on their own, but I don't really see book-toting wizards in combat.

You have obviously never played the Fire Emblem series of videogames, then. In that game series, Mages use magic tomes the way that other characters use bows or swords. Every tome has a single spell, and a mage must equip a tome in order to use magic. Well, destructive magic, at least. Healing and support magic is based on magic staves in that series. I guess Seid magic is an exception in that series, though (it is focused through song and dance).

I think I have seen other places with similar uses of tomes to Fire Emblem, as well. Final Fantasy Legend 2 and the Gargoyles animated series, at least.

 

[erf_beto]

I think I have seen other places with similar uses of tomes to Fire Emblem, as well. Final Fantasy Legend 2 and the Gargoyles animated series, at least.

Charlotte, in Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, uses magic books to attack enemies (tome of arms summons weapons into melee) and to recite magic spells (the longer you charge, the more powerfull the effect). Just love her.
And Giles, in the latest Buffy: the vampire slayer Season8 comic just did an awesome trick using a tome. Good stuff