Will all spells be attacks?

[Unlogic]

Does this mean that a mage can cast his daily Bigby's Hands at the beginning of the day and have them all day?

I think yes... but this means the wizard could never rest. So they'd never get any encounter powers back all day.

Assuming there's no additional caveats or corrects about it.

 

[Cadfan]

I think this is a "the rules of the game aren't laws of physics" moment.

D&D is fight-porn, ok? Its always been fight-porn. Its always going to be fight-porn. If you don't want fight-porn, well... I'd say go find a different game, but you know what? They're all fight-porn too.

This is why D&D has elaborate rules for killing monsters and taking their stuff, but no rules for a cost effective magical way to improve barley yield per acre.

 

[Rechan]

This is why D&D has elaborate rules for killing monsters and taking their stuff, but no rules for a cost effective magical way to improve barley yield per acre.

Because a magical way to improve barley yeild per acre is really what I'm implying.

 

[Cadfan]

Because a magical way to improve barley yeild per acre is really what I'm implying.

It does seem to be, yes.

 

[tafkamhokie]

If there is one edition of D&D where the Fighters are definitively not rubbish once the spell casters get 3rd level spells it is 3.X. 2 handed Power Attack never losses it effectiveness, we all know that attack bonuses outstrip AC, and at high level those 4 attacks never have to suffer a saving throw.

Wizards on the other had, can cast one spell for the most part, attack spells in 3.5 all have damage caps, their best Save Vs Death spells will for the most part not work at high levels due to the fact that most creatures have insane saves (Look at the Titan in the MM), which means Finger of Death is best use on Mooks than Bosses. This is why the Orb line of Conjuration spells are popular, no Save, no Spell Resistance...of course the damage output is never going to be the same as a Fighter.

Again I have to ask what game are people playing? Is this the parroting of conventional misinformation? Do people not play long running campaigns anymore, but more pickup style of game where everyone designs their character at a higher level, tailoring equipment and feats etc to some specific design plan that will have maximum effectiveness for the small time they expect to play? Where does this lack of knowledge of 3.x come from.

People go read Piratecat's campaign blog. I have not read it in years, but from cursory glance....no Wizard. It is fine to be a 4e supporter, booster, advocate, fanatic, but please do not be a spreader of false information.

I'm with you. Yes, magic in 3ed is powerful. But when it comes time to just dish out tons of damage, I still don't see a high level caster keeping up with a high level bruiser of some sort.

My current game started at 4th level and is now at about 17th. The casters are the ones who gather information, teleport, and cast all the buffs that help make the party devastating. And casters are much better mookinators than bruisers ever could be. But against competent and comparable opponents, you would lose most every fight without a couple of good bruisers in the party.

The monk, duskblade, and paladin in my game routinely dish out 150+ hp of damage per round with a full attack action. Even a direct hit from a meteor swarm only does an average of 84 hp of damage.

 

[FadedC]

That's not what I was implying. I wasn't suggestiong Wizards should Do Everything, but they are more than "Click boom".

Simply put: why would someone want to be a wizard if they don't want to get into combat?

For instance using telekinesis/Bigby's hands to build things.

Keepi n in mind too that wizard is a class for PCs, not a class for NPCs. PCs are assumed to always be getting in combat. So the question of why you'd want to be one if your not getting in combat is moot.

But like people have said there are going to be rituals with non combat uses.

Edit: Yeah and on the fighter/wizard thing fighters are still witout question the best damage dealers in high level 3e. Wizards were strongest at controlling the battlefield or hitting mutilple targets. Many thought wizards were still superior to fighters, but certainly not in terms of damage.

 

[Rechan]

It does seem to be, yes.

No. Magic is supposed to be able to bend reality, but it seems to be regulated to just blowing up. What happened to making floating castles? Creating monsters (Owlbear, etc) and other Wizardly Experiments? Magic allows for creative uses, especially when creating a campaign world.

Is everything that doesn't have an attack regulated to Rituals?
t.

Keepi n in mind too that wizard is a class for PCs, not a class for NPCs. PCs are assumed to always be getting in combat. So the question of why you'd want to be one if your not getting in combat is moot.

On the one hand, you have a point.

On the other, if there is Ye Stereotypical Wizard School and only three members there are/will be PCs, what are the others exactly doing? And, does this mean that they just Cast Magic Differently, or just don't have all the boom that the PCs do?

But like people have said there are going to be rituals with non combat uses.

Does this mean that Phantom steed/rope trick/animate rope are rituals too? Given that light/mage hand/ghost sound aren't, and they aren't exactly Combat spells.

Hell. Where are our non-attack battlefield control spells? Fog cloud/Obscuring Mist/Grease/etc?

 

[FadedC]

Does this mean that Phantom steed/rope trick/animate rope are rituals too? Given that light/mage hand/ghost sound aren't, and they aren't exactly Combat spells.

Hell. Where are our non-attack battlefield control spells? Fog cloud/Obscuring Mist/Grease/etc?

For ritual vs. ability I'd guess it's a question of if it's something you need to cast on the fly or in a 10 minute ritual. Phantom steed seems like a perfect 10 minute ritual spell (and we have heard reference to it). Ghost sound on the other hand would be kind of useless if it took 10 minutes to cast.

For non-attack battle field control spells, see wall of ice in the list of wizard spells. Presumably there will be more.

 

[keterys]

The cantrips mentioned are class features, so they get to sidestep the whole combat equation.

Not that Mage Hand isn't useful during combat

 

[FitzTheRuke]

On the other, if there is Ye Stereotypical Wizard School and only three members there are/will be PCs, what are the others exactly doing? And, does this mean that they just Cast Magic Differently, or just don't have all the boom that the PCs do?

At Ye Wizard School the PC wizard majored in Combat Magic, becasue his chosen career on graduation was to become an ADVENTURER. If he was going to specialize in rare magical research or animate sweeping broom construction, he'd have taken other classes.

Fitz