What do you like for implements for a wizard?

[DM-Rocco]

I get a rare chance to play and I am thinking of either a Ranger, see my other post, or a Wizard. What do you guys like for Wizard Implements?

I dismiss the Orb almost right away becuase it only extends the duration of at-will powers. However, since I haven't really played, maybe is better than I think. What are your thoughts?

I like both the wand and the staff but I lean more towards the wand since bonuses to hit are hard to come by.

Also, what are your thoughts on feats and powers too?

 

[Storminator]

I get a rare chance to play and I am thinking of either a Ranger, see my other post, or a Wizard. What do you guys like for Wizard Implements?

I dismiss the Orb almost right away becuase it only extends the duration of at-will powers. However, since I haven't really played, maybe is better than I think. What are your thoughts?

I like both the wand and the staff but I lean more towards the wand since bonuses to hit are hard to come by.

Also, what are your thoughts on feats and powers too?

I haven't played a wizard yet, but I'm impressed with the ability of the wand wizard. Getting that +3 to hit when you blow a daily is pretty nice. I wonder how many people that complain about their wizards always missing with the dailies are playing orb wizards?

In our game the wizard is a staff wizard, which has yet to actually impress me. Maybe that's because it's not my PC getting saved by the defense bonuses, but I'd rather see him hitting more often.

If I were to play a wizard it would be wand all the way!

PS

 

[DM-Rocco]

I haven't played a wizard yet, but I'm impressed with the ability of the wand wizard. Getting that +3 to hit when you blow a daily is pretty nice. I wonder how many people that complain about their wizards always missing with the dailies are playing orb wizards?

In our game the wizard is a staff wizard, which has yet to actually impress me. Maybe that's because it's not my PC getting saved by the defense bonuses, but I'd rather see him hitting more often.

If I were to play a wizard it would be wand all the way!

PS

I did play a wand wizard when we tested out Keep on the Shadow Fell and I did like that.

 

[MerricB]

In our game the wizard is a staff wizard, which has yet to actually impress me. Maybe that's because it's not my PC getting saved by the defense bonuses, but I'd rather see him hitting more often.

The staff wizard in my game has been really impressive; he just keeps using the staff to defend himself against my best attacks!

Cheers!

 

[amysrevenge]

I dismiss the Orb almost right away becuase it only extends the duration of at-will powers.

Most people take Orb for the second power, the one that gives a penalty to saves.

 

[Caliber]

Don't neglect to notice that Wand uses Dex, which is a score of almost no use to Wizards; Int will give you your AC and Ref, so all Dex gives you is the Init and the Skills; not that great.

Still, the Wand bonus is per Encounter, which is a pretty sweet deal, really. I just lost a Wand Wizard and always felt he was a little sub-par. But truly, I think more of that was because of a bad setup for ability scores (as my second character, I hadn't quite figured out how to allocate my point-buy very effectively yet ...)

 

[Plane Sailing]

The wizard in my game chose the Orb, but hasn't used its save reduction power at all yet for some reason (!)

I think I'd lean towards the staff because I just like staffs (staffs say to me "Gandalf" and "Ged", wands say to me "Harry Potter"!)

Certainly the Dex bonus to hit once per encounter is a worthwhile one. It is something you are guaranteed to use each encounter. Would the staff benefit be used each encounter? I don't know. I imagine that the staff wizard focus on Con would probably help them to be that much more survivable from the beginning though.

Cheers

 

[Plane Sailing]

so all Dex gives you is the Init and the Skills; not that great.

Do you not think Initiative is so useful nowadays? It still seems a good benefit (and it is key to at least one of the damage enhancing feats too, no? Astral Fire or something?)

Cheers

 

[DM-Rocco]

Do you not think Initiative is so useful nowadays? It still seems a good benefit (and it is key to at least one of the damage enhancing feats too, no? Astral Fire or something?)

Cheers

Depending on how you do stats, rolling or point buy (I prefer rolling), I think Initiative is key. From my limited experience playing a wizard in 4e, you really need to go first to make sure everyone else is out of the way, otherwise you are hitting friendlies.