Used wands?

[Primitive Screwhead]

IMC you need to gather info to find magic items for sale in the first place, but once you find someone willing to sell a wand you seek there are two options:

Commission a new wand
Buy a used wand

Of course, I also use a HR called 'wands of diminishing returns'. Instead of a set number of charges the wand has a die type from D4 {almost out} up to D20 {fully charged}. The base price of a used wand depends on what die type the wand is at. Most wands for sale are at the D8 or lower step.

{each charge used from a wand gets a roll on the die. A result of 1 drops the wand to the next die type down. This system averages near 50 charges but you can never be sure when it will run out. The die type can be determined with the combination of Kn: Arcana and Appraise. Wands can be 'recharged' in a process very similar to the original creation.}

 

[Claudius Gaius]

That would give roughly the same result, albeit averaging about 60 charges rather than 50 (unless you skip the d10, since its not a platonic solid). Of course, we can counter that with the unreliability factor. I presume that the die size is fairly readily detectable - probably by a L0 spell - since its a much steeper step function than number of charges?

Secondarily, what sort of price structure do you use? (I'd tend to guess d20: Full, d12: 4/5'ths, d10: 1/2, d8: 1/3'rd, d6: 1/5'th, and d4: 1/12'th unless the d10 is skipped, in which case you could get d20: Full, d12: 3/5'ths, d8: 1/3'rd, d6: 1/5'th, and d4: 1/12'th.

Now, which mage will be the first to develop the advanced feat that starts with a d30 even a d100? Let the arms race begin!

 

[akbearfoot]

We're allowed to buy partially charged wands in the 2 games I play in...

We have always been able to, and it's never seemed abusive.




It's already been pointed out that all wands the PCs will ever encounter are used unless they comission a full one or make it themselves.

It seems just as likely to me that a wizard could find wand of XXX spell with low/mid/high number of charges in a large city. When a fighter can just as easily walk in and go shopping for a +2 dragonbane greatsword when the party knows they are hunting a dragon.

Do all the wands that adventurers encounter disappear into the aether when they sell them at 'ye olde magic item emporium'? (maybe if an artificer bought it).


I don't call that meta-gaming. I call that forethought/preparation.

Seems equally strange to me to arbitrarily charge more per charge for a wand if its partially used.

Also, it's adds a lot more variety IMO....I can buy a wand with 10 charges of knock to help when we really need to open a door or chest, or to really make the barbarian looks silly when he tried to break down the door and rolls a 1! Or, I can scribe a scroll with 10 fireballs on it Ho-hum. we get into combat....fireball....fireball...fireball.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Claudius Gaius, I lost the link to the HR thread that debated it all the first time, but feel free to ressurect the discussion here

Here are the complete rule as I use it: [sblock]
Instead of having a flat 50 charges, wands are charged by Die..

When you use a wand, roll the die type. On a roll of ‘one’ the die type decrements down the following scale:
20-12-8-6-4

Expended wands cannot be recharged, but they can be re-enchanted

Cost in the Market:

All five charges still in: 100%
d20 gone: 60%
d12 gone: 36%
d8 gone: 20%
d6 gone: 8%
d4 gone: 8%
Expended:

Re-enchanting a wand cost the % of the step you are going to, so d8 wand re-enchanting one step costs 36% of the normal cost.

The die type of a wand can be determined with the combination of Kn: Arcana and Appraise
[/sblock]
And no, there are no arms races for a 'D30 wand', just like the the RAW you don't have arms races to develop wands that have more than 50 charges.

But back to the OP...

 

[Vegepygmy]

Do you, as DMs, allow used wands to be purchased in your games?

No. While they are theoretically available for sale (after all, the PCs sell them), the amount of time I rule it would require to track down the right wand at the right caster level with the right number of charges left makes it practically impossible to do.

 

[Claudius Gaius]

And no, there are no arms races for a 'D30 wand', just like the the RAW you don't have arms races to develop wands that have more than 50 charges.

Why not? The RAW don't really have anything to say about researching new items, types of items, or variations on items, but somebody must have done it some time. In fact, by the RAW, I can "add new magical abilities to a magic item with no restrictions" and no price increase as long as the item doesn't occupy a particular slot. Anybody want a wand of Cure LIght (100 Ch), Floating Disc (50 CH), and Shocking Grasp (50 Ch)? Think how you can make that badly-wounded fighter wonder about your intentions...

Back on topic, the used wands that get sold have to go somewhere, and we've had at least one Druid who made at least two new Cure Light wands for every adventure. Perhaps, at least in the heavier magic worlds, a grab bag deal; so much for the bag of partially-used cheap L1 wands under the counter? Perhaps used wands are only handled by priests with the Magic domain, who can cast "Identify" without spending 100 GP to check the charges on a wand that might not be worth much? Maybe they can be offered to the God of Magic in exchange for blessings on the city, and thus get rapidly used up?

Maybe Druids plant them, and then use mighty rituals to make them grow into staves so that they can sell them and use the money to set up nature preserves.

Maybe they're not worth the trouble to identify, since most of them are either used up or nearly so, so people just sell them to artificers and other rummagers in the magical junk heaps.

All of those could generate some interesting plot lines anyway.

 

[darthkilmor]

No. While they are theoretically available for sale (after all, the PCs sell them), the amount of time I rule it would require to track down the right wand at the right caster level with the right number of charges left makes it practically impossible to do.

Instead of just saying "the merchant has these 6 used wands available,blah blah blah". Do your pc's always just go into a magic item shop and demand what they want to buy instead of seeing whats actually for sale ? <does not parse>

 

[Vegepygmy]

Instead of just saying "the merchant has these 6 used wands available,blah blah blah". Do your pc's always just go into a magic item shop and demand what they want to buy instead of seeing whats actually for sale ? <does not parse>

We don't (normally) play out shopping trips. If a PC wants to buy a +2 flaming longsword and he has the funds to do so, we just assume that given a little time and effort, he can find one for sale somewhere. Similarly, if he wants a wand of magic missile (CL7), he can commission a wizard to craft one for him (with 50 charges).

But "I shop around for a wand of magic missile (CL7) with 20 charges left on it"? No, I'm not going to extend the "magic K-mart" expedient to that length. (You have to draw your arbitrary line somewhere, and that's where I draw mine.)

 

[Psion]

Do you, as DMs, allow used wands to be purchased in your games? They're found as treasure often enough, but how do you handle the used wand market?

Pretty much the same.

There are no magical wal-marts. Unless an item is custom commissioned, what is available is whatever (randomly determined) lot has come into the merchant's possession.

So any wand available for immediate purchase has a random number of charges IMC.

 

[Werebat]

I see a lot of people asserting that they allow used wands to be purchased, but what if someone seems to be deliberately taking advantage of this? For example, the frontline fighter with a few levels of rogue and maxed UMD who bulks up on 1-charge wands because they are a lot cheaper than scrolls? Would a player purchasing a sack of 50 1-charge wands of different spells make you change your ruling on this, or no?

- Ron ^*^