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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AbdulAlhazred" data-source="post: 4708216" data-attributes="member: 82106">Look at it overall like this:Wand Wizard- You get a +DEX to one attack roll/enc. Assuming you can take that after you know the defense of the target we'll (slightly generously) assume you get one extra hit per encounter. Before 5th level the best attack you can make is Acid Arrow at 2d8. Most attacks are 1d6 +INT, so figure optimistically you'll do an extra 4-5 points per encounter, and that is optimistic. In return you've scuppered both your Will and Fort defenses since both your good stats are on reflex. At higher levels it will of course be MORE beneficial, but you still have the same problem with defenses, and on top of that magic wands are inferior, so you may actually on the whole be worse off. Going first is nice, but if your party has decent teamwork it is not essential. You will probably have a slightly better AC than the orb wizard, but at best that only puts you even with the staff wizard.Orb Wizard- You have potentially one of the most lethal capabilities in the game which with the right orb can completely permalock ANY monster, even Orcus. It is certainly arguable that being able to fail a monster on a save or extend an at-will effect can be as good as a to-hit bonus. On top of that you get to have a much better will defense and a much better selection of magic implements. At the cost of a feat you can easily make up any initiative difference as well if you want.Staff Wizard- The +1 AC bonus makes up on AC for a lower dex and you get good Fort, which is often the defense of choice for the nastier types of effects. The staff con defense bonus is an immediate interrupt, you can usually use it to turn one hit on you into a miss per encounter. There are also some pretty darn good magic staves, and as a bonus it is a pretty usable weapon.I would say at say 1st level the wand wizard MAY have a slight edge implement for implement on the orb wizard, but the staff wizard has the edge starting out overall. At higher levels orb wizard definitely gains the upper hand. Wand wizard probably WOULD equal staff wizard, if there were better wands available at higher levels, but there are not, so far. In any case none of them is radically different in power than the others, but the dex/int pairing really is rather a handicap for wand wizards at all levels.</blockquote>

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