Which spells do you usually imagine linked to an orb, staff or wand? (Tome optional)

[Driddle]

[edit: TOME IS NO LONGER MENTIONED AS A PRIMARY WIZARD CASTING IMPLEMENT. THE CHANGE WAS MADE AFTER THIS THREAD BEGAN.]

When you think of a wizard casting spells using an key item such as a staff, wand or orb (or book), what affects are usually associated with each?

* In my mind, a wizard uses a wand for almost any spell that requires pointing at a specific target -- energy zaps, transformations, etc.

* Orbs are obviously divination devices, as well as for communication and maybe mind-to-mind coercion/enchantment effects.

* A staff, with some some sort of bauble (not necessarily an "orb") at the top, is dandy for area effects, big sweeping gestures and the like.

* And I can imagine the need for a tome for very elaborate key names and words of bonding for summoning spells.

But after those personal interpretations, the specifics of other spells gets sort of vague. Is an electric bolt something that would be pointed out of a wand, for example, or called from the sky via a staff? If I were a mage, would I cast an illusion on my adventuring party by poring over a book or focusing the spell through my staff?

It all seems so very arbitrary and interpretive. What are your thoughts on spells and casting types associated with each of the three (or four) implements?

 

[CleverNickName]

It all seems so very arbitrary and interpretive.

True, but also "fun."

I've always imagined wands being used for ranged touch attacks. I really like the idea of a wizard using a wand +3 that grants a bonus to ranged attack rolls, for example. But then I started reading Harry Potter, and now I imagine a wizard using a wand for everything. ("Get out of my head Rowling!")

Tomes, I think, would be great for summoning spells. In Hollywood anyway, whenever a wizard/witch/oddly-dressed man/sorcerer is summoning a nasty creature, it is usually done with a book. And candles, for some reason.

Orbs? I think these would be good for divination, sure, but maybe good for sensory spells. Perhaps the orb would glow, or vibrate, or get cold whenever a certain monster or magical effect come within range (detect undead and detect magic, respectively.)

I like to think of staffs being used for wizard vs. wizard combat...blocking incoming spells, throwing bolts of force at their opponents, etc. To that end, I think that anything involving melee combat or abjuration effects would look good with a staff.

But as you said, it is all arbitrary.

 

[Chris_Nightwing]

It's difficult to say.

I definitely associate tomes with summoning and necromancy, but I could also see fun divination uses.

Orbs, aside from scrying, I struggle a bit. I could go for illusions though. It would be interesting to be able to throw an orb and have it create an explosive effect, or maybe a large warding effect, or just produce a grand illusion, so lots to work with.

Staves and wands are sort of similar. I could agree with wands being ranged and staves being close, a lightning bolt would be a staff effect for me for instance. But then I think wands would definitely cover both self and other buffs.

Trying to pigeonhole the four with the current schools is probably not sensible, but if we had to, I'd say Conjuration/Necromancy for Tomes, Illusion/Divination for Orbs, Evocation/Abjuration for Staves and Transmutation/Enchantment for Wands.

 

[Pygon]

Without trying to remember the article:

Orb: Divination, caster-centered area-protection effects
Staff: Big, flashy, violent displays
Wand: Small scale targeting effects, surgical and tactical
Tome: Uh, hmm... information based spells, but that falls under divination, doesn't it. Perhaps conjuration?

 

[Driddle]

Related follow-up: I've already seen some references (in other threads) to casters sticking an "orb" at the top of a staff. But the orb I envision isn't really staff-mountable -- it's larger and pretty heavy, larger than a softball but no bigger than a bowling ball; it would make a staff unwieldy. And anything on a staff becomes part of the staff, and thus a an implement for a different group of spells (as I noted earlier). ... Again, a very personal, arbitrary detail.

The Harry Potter books and movies did a real whammy on the way I imagine wizards casting spells now. From that paradigm, almost any spell could/must require a wand.

 

[Klaus]

Orb - Clairvoyance, telepathy and other divinations that affect/create senses

Wand - Point and shoot spells, like rays and bolts

Staff - Large-scale weather and terrain control (Control Weather, Call Lightning, Volcano, Hurricane, Meteor Swarm, Earthquake)

Tome - Information-based divinations (identify, etc), geas- and word-based spells (geas, quest, power words, command, etc) and monster-summoning (including gate, palar ally, etc).

 

[Snapdragyn]

I like their break-down for staff.

I would probably put illusions into wands - I just see waving a wand & having a flow of effect come out of it, coating everything around in glamour. Maybe transformations, too.

I'd put mind-controlling effects (daze, geas, etc.) into orbs, thx Tolkein.

I definitely like summoning for tomes.

 

[Nightchilde-2]

I'm thinking that all arbitrariness (is that even a word?) could be taken care of simply by one line in the spell's writeup..

Arcane Implimentation: Wand (or orb, or staff or tome).

Obviously, for spells shared between arcane and divine casters, you'd need a Divine Implimentation line.

 

[freyar]

Hmmm, I think I'd agree with your interpretation, which is a bit different than the one WotC is using, IIRC. This does seem to be a different kind of breakdown than schools. I'd guess that we're looking at some kind of "universal focus" or maybe the end of material components.

Regarding the lightning example, maybe the difference is between lightning bolt and call lightning?

 

[Sun Knight]

I don't see this as fun. However, I often see orbs as divination. Wands being used for instantaneous spells, often combative in nature. Tomes are where spells are stored, to be referenced by a spell caster. Staffs are items of power, often have multiple uses.