So it's generally accepted knowledge that 1st-level wands are an excellent deal, 2nd-level wands are priced just about fair (if a little on the high side), while 3rd and 4th level wands are overpriced.
1st level wand: 750 gp
2nd level wand: 4,500 gp
3rd level wand: 11,250 gp
4th level wand: 21,000 gp
So, for 1st level wands there are some standouts like infernal healing, mage armor, protection from evil, and lesser restoration (via the paladin list; wands must use the lowest possible spell level and caster level available to any class that can cast the spell to determine the market price, hence why wands of hold person cost 4,500 gp).
For 2nd level wands, not many are that great. The only real contender here is resist energy, which, with a total uptime of 25 hours divisible in 30-minute chunks, compares very favorably to the ring of minor energy resistance, which must have the energy type set ahead of time and would cost 24,000 gp if it were slotless.
For 3rd-level wands, I can't think of any spells you would want to have available in quantities a few scrolls couldn't take care of, yet that don't rely on caster level or save DC. And at 11,250 gp, many of the magic items that often get overlooked start to become serious contenders.
And 3rd and 4th level wands cost so much that they don't become chump change until long after the spell remains effective in wand form.
Also, there's not much point to a wand you don't use every single adventuring day, because the price and high number of uses is supposed to represent a major investment of capital.
So, what pricing scheme would be better for wands than the current one?
I'd honestly overhaul prices of "spell-in-a-can" items, but that would be a monumental task as many items in the game are based on those numbers.
Sean K Reynolds made a good article about wands. For my campaign, I'm seriously considering removing wands entirely and reducing the price of potions so they're about the cost of a single charge of a wand. This would...
1) Reduce the price of consumable, non-expertise magic, making higher level spell consumables more viable.
2) Eliminate the tired notion of stockpiling CLW wands.
3) Potions have many mechanical and physical restrictions, such as action economy and encumbrance, that would help keep them in check.
4) Nerf the cleric as the action economy restrictions of potions would force them to use spells and channels more. Likewise, wand-using cohorts and familiars would suffer as well.
5) Makes a dedicated healer less necessary since anyone can use potions while at the same time making healing classes more valuable since they can burst heal with way better action economy.
6) Buffs Brew Potion.
7) Scrolls still retain their value since they don't have the target restrictions as a potion.
8) Help mitigate the abuse cases of wands that make skills obsolete since oils have to be physically applied.
9) Makes sense, in-world-wise. It makes more sense to buy a jug of healing potion than stockpile a bunch of magic sticks.
|
... wands must use the lowest possible spell level and caster level available to any class that can cast the spell to determine the market price, hence why wands of hold person cost 4,500 gp).
I just wanted to point out that both this part and your pricing list are not entirely correct. http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/magicItems/wands.html#wands goes into detail on this.
For PFS, wands are always at lowest caster level, and always made by a Cleric, Druid, or Wizard, using the lowest spell level of the three (thus following the prices you included above). If it isn't on any of those lists, it defaults to the lowest spell level. That means a 2nd level Bard-only spell, for example, costs 6,000, not 4,500. Lesser restoration is likewise a 4,500 level 2 wand in this context (as it uses the Cleric/Druid level).
Outside of PFS, all of this will vary quite a bit depending on magic item availability. You may be able to find wands of all different caster levels around, including early access stuff on the Paladin and Summoner lists, maybe not. Perhaps the temple to a LG deity will sell you the paladin version of a spell, but the CG temple across the street probably wouldn't.
But yes, at levels 3-4, scrolls or potions are probably more cost-effective than wands, except in limited, campaign-dependent situations (I can see a wand of Daylight being useful).
