Wand of Lightning Bolt - how good is it really?

[Raif]

Thank you for sharing your experience and welcome to EN-world!. I'm honored that you would make your first post on my thread. Here is some XP

Thanks! And of course!

Felt I had some extreme topic relevant information as I've had this exact thing as a player 3 or 4 times already (oddly enough always a wand of fireballs, and not the lightning bolt). Always around level 5-7 and it always felt good and in line with the martial weapons people where getting (I pretty much always play a sorcerer), and never unbalanced things (or felt like it did).

Put it this way, the 2 people who've DM'd for my group haven't complained or taken it away or changed them

 

[Satyrn]

Do you? From your recount you didn't actually use it much...

Heh.

I actually did use it a lot when I first got it. Like, every round that I could in every fight in the session. It was so much stronger than every other option my moon druid had at the time (5th level) when it came to dealing damage, even if I was just hitting one foe.

Edit - and I'm still using it occasionally, but picking times when it will be narratively fun rather than using it for damage in combat. Last session, for example, I blasted it down a hole after sone retreating monsters who had angered me by ambushing the group. I was just recklessly launching the bolt after them even though they had already escaped.

 

[FrogReaver]

Thanks for the clarification. Do you think it would have felt nearly as powerful at level 7 as it was at level 5.

Even with my stance that it's generally not much to worry about I would still be concerned giving it out at level 5.

Heh.

I actually did use it a lot when I first got it. Like, every round that I could in every fight in the session. It was so much stronger than every other option my moon druid had at the time (5th level) when it came to dealing damage, even if I was just hitting one foe.

Edit - and I'm still using it occasionally, but picking times when it will be narratively fun rather than using it for damage in combat. Last session, for example, I blasted it down a hole after sone retreating monsters who had angered me by ambushing the group. I was just recklessly launching the bolt after them even though they had already escaped.

 

[jgsugden]

Thank you for sharing your experience - and I agree with you that it's definitely an iconic item. Your analysis was quite convincing. My main concern is about too powerful for level 7 or not...

In my opinion, no. It will be powerful and defining for the character that wiels it, but not something that breaks the game.

 

[Satyrn]

Thanks for the clarification. Do you think it would have felt nearly as powerful at level 7 as it was at level 5.

Even with my stance that it's generally not much to worry aboutI would still be concerned giving it out at level 5.

I don't know yet for sure since I just hit 7th level with the character. But I'm probably gonna wait another level before I go back to wanting to use it. It still significantly overshadows every damage dealing option that my druid can do. And until the party's cleric realizes what he's got in spirit guardians, it still feels like it overshadows everyone else except the sorcerer when he fireballs.
[MENTION=12731]CapnZapp[/MENTION] is right when says the most effective use of the wand is giving it to the character who's got nothing like a lightning bolt.

So, I guess that kinda suggests my advice to the OP would be the wand'll be fine if at least half the party can manage the same amount of damage a few times each.

 

[Ancalagon]

I don't know yet for sure since I just hit 7th level with the character. But I'm probably gonna wait another level before I go back to wanting to use it. It still significantly overshadows every damage dealing option that my druid can do. And until the party's cleric realizes what he's got in spirit guardians, it still feels like it overshadows everyone else except the sorcerer when he fireballs.
[MENTION=12731]CapnZapp[/MENTION] is right when says the most effective use of the wand is giving it to the character who's got nothing like a lightning bolt.

So, I guess that kinda suggests my advice to the OP would be the wand'll be fine if at least half the party can manage the same amount of damage a few times each.

I think that what I will do is give one with fewer charges, maybe 5 with a d4 refresh rate.

Re spirit guardian, best way is to have enemy cleric use it on the party

And I too agree that it has the most impact in the hands of someone without area of effect spells..

 

[CTurbo]

Did anybody mention giving it to the Tempest Cleric for a couple of max damage bolts a day? hehe

 

[jgsugden]

In economics there is a concept called the "opportunity cost". Essentially, you compare a potential course of action to the course that would have otherwise been taken to determine the true benefit of the course. In other words, you offset the benefits of a course of action with the cost of not taking the next best path of action.

So, if we give a wand of lightning bolts to a ranger, we have to ask what the ranger might otherwise be doing and ask, "how much better is a lightning bolt?" You'll find that it isn't always cut and dried that a lightning bolt is better... and even when it is, it isn't often going to be significantly better. Using those 3 to 6 bolts per day at the right time will make a difference, but it isn't going to be huge, and it won't always be easy to get a large number of enemies on it.

It is fine. At 7th level it is strong, but not outrageous.

 

[Unwise]

I'm not a huge fan of it in games at that level. A caster has invested a great deal in being able to do 2-3 lightning bolts in a day. It seems wrong that somebody with a stick can do it 3-6 times. Lightning bolt and fireball are pretty defining characteristics of a caster and a cool achievement to get at level 5. It seems wrong to overshadow that until it looses its luster. At later levels, they could get the wand and it would free them up to spend their spell slots on more interesting things.

 

[5ekyu]

That is an interesting idea. Using a wand or other item to essentially get additional spells known could be a great addition to the game. Much in the same way that the magical words, movements, and materials channel the casters spellpower, the wand could channel their spell power into a lightning bolt spell.

I do a lot of this with items in my games. "More slots" hits a lot of power issues but more "prepared/known" imo much more manageable while very useful and desirable.

I use expendable cheap and reusable expensives.