Wands


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The Exchange 5/5

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John Compton wrote:
As for using an arcane bond class feature to make a wand with a higher CL, my initial thought is "no." Beyond allowing a wizard to use item crafting prices, the rules for acquiring an item are the same. Mike and I meet at least once a week to discuss campaign minutiae, and I'll bring it up then and see if there's any merit to doing otherwise.

Thanks for considering it, hope the discussion goes well.

Its a little vague in the Upgrading Bonded Objects FAQ currently (just for wands really), since wand creation and staff creation aren't covered in it. They just point to adhering to Access and Fame limitations. With no actual guidelines written in the Guide, since crafting is a corner case restricted to those with Bonded Items; except for Scrolls, Potions, and Wands section, which only covers wands purchased, and stipulates that they're always purchased at minimum CL and are always 50 charges when new.

Wands can end up being rich in role play for new players ( hogwarts... ), but have little actual benefit to them as they mature as players and characters and reach higher levels.

otherwise their choices are :
1. craft a minimum caster level wand at a discount ( which they can't usually afford when they get access at 5th, and can't use in level appropriate encounters at later levels, since the minimum becomes so low as to be auto fail on SR and Saves at level appropriate encounters ). ( ex. wand of fireball cl 5th, saves them about 5,000gp for a 5d6 fireball, +5 for penetration, DC 14 for save. not something most 5th level characters can afford on a charged item, and by the time they can afford it at 7th,8th or 9th, its a lot less useful. )

2. bond a wand with a higher CL casting, costing them the full price of the wand, as well as 200gp / level to change their bond. which nets them nothing, since they gain no benefit with their item other than in crafting with it, but costs them the 50% discount crafting would have saved them, and costs them at least 200gp / level extra as a uselessness tax.

Even if you don't allow the player to set the caster level, if you allow access on a chronicle to mean that the caster can use Arcane Bond to craft it if they meet the requirements, similar to how access to a scroll on a chronicle means a wizard can scribe it to his spellbook, then a 10th level wizard finding a CL 9 wand of magic missile is happy: the wizard with a bonded wand can suddenly craft their own CL 9 wand of magic missile, instead of being stuck crafting a CL 1st wand of magic missile as their bonded object.

Wand already sucks in that its useless for several levels ( until the character is high enough level to access Craft Wand as a phantom feat ), allowing them to set the CL of the spells they put into their own personal wand ( which they cannot share with anyone else ever ), is the least that can be offered to a wizard that chooses bonded Wands.

thanks for considering the implications.

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