Keeping track of wand charges

[Haladir]

As far as I can tell, there's no way to discern the number of charges left on a wand (aside from analyze dweomer, a 6th-level spell!). So, when PCs acquire wands that they did not themselves create, they have no idea how many charges remain. (e.g. they capture a wand from an enemy NPC.)

Given that "a wand that runs out of charges is just a stick," how do other GMs play this?

Currently, I just tell my players how many charges are left on a wand and trust them to keep track. However, I'm starting to re-think that. Knowing how many charges remain definitely changes the dynamic, especially given that the characters don't actually know.

What do you do in your game?

[ShadowcatX]

I've always been a "let the players do as much of the book keeping for their characters as they possibly can" in an effort to make my job easier type of DM. (Ie. I tell them the charges and trust them.)

[Adamantine Dragon]

Depends. I will usually say something like "the wand seems to have about 1/2 of the intensity of a fully charged wand." But I don't give them exact numbers.

[James Jacobs]

Yeah. The GM has enough to do already without tracking every charge in play.

Let the PCs track the charges. And let them determine the amount of charges in a wand whenever they successfully identify it, regardless of how they ID the wand int he first place.

[Doug's Workshop]

Identify doesn't work? If Pathfinder changed that, I'd just go back doing it that way.

[Jorda75]

I sometimes make small charts, just 50 small boxes, on a page and then just have the PC cross a box off each time they use the item. Put the name of the item at the top and it's stats for easy access to the info, not recommended for potions ^_^

[Nephril]

it is nto really game altering or over powering to just identify the wand and number of charges at the same time. id just tell them.

[Jeraa]

Doug's Workshop wrote:

Identify doesn't work? If Pathfinder changed that, I'd just go back doing it that way.

Identify was changed in Pathfinder. It doesn't work like it did in 3.5.

Quote:

This spell functions as detect magic, except that it gives you a +10 enhancement bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify the properties and command words of magic items in your possession. This spell does not allow you to identify artifacts.

Spellcraft can identify the properties of a magic item when you examine it with Detect Magic or Identify. If the number of charges remaining is considered a property, then Spellcraft can determine that.

[Drejk]

I follow with letting the players bother with keeping track of charges. I also provide them with information about current number of charges when they identify the wand because they often prefer to sell it anyway.

[Haladir]

Thanks, folks. I feel better about how I've been playing it.

[cibet44]

Jeraa wrote:

Doug's Workshop wrote:

Identify doesn't work? If Pathfinder changed that, I'd just go back doing it that way.

Identify was changed in Pathfinder. It doesn't work like it did in 3.5.

Quote:

This spell functions as detect magic, except that it gives you a +10 enhancement bonus on Spellcraft checks made to identify the properties and command words of magic items in your possession. This spell does not allow you to identify artifacts.

Spellcraft can identify the properties of a magic item when you examine it with Detect Magic or Identify. If the number of charges remaining is considered a property, then Spellcraft can determine that.

Yup, identify works just like detect magic in PF. It's a cone-shaped emanation that detects magic auras and everything. Weird, but true!

[pathar]

Hm. I make my players track charges because I'm lazy. But I'm watching them horde charges and I'm wondering if it might be better to not let them know--would they use wands up accidentally or be even more paranoid? It might be worth experimenting.

[Haladir]

pathar wrote:

Hm. I make my players track charges because I'm lazy. But I'm watching them horde charges and I'm wondering if it might be better to not let them know--would they use wands up accidentally or be even more paranoid? It might be worth experimenting.

That's entirely the reason I was contemplating switching.

But like JJ said, I have enough to keep track of already.