Shadow_Elf
2009-01-04, 06:20 PM
One thing that has really bugged me about 4e is that the wands don't have the same flavour or utility that they did in 3.5e. I think that the old way of making UMD checks and wands having charges was great. But I see those wands as weapons, not really fitting in to the new Implement system.
So, witness the return of the Use Magic Device check and the Charged Wand!
Charged Wands:
-TAB-Each wand has an enhancement bonus, as a normal wand. A Charged Wand's Enhancement bonus only applies to the spell it contains. Depending on the Wand's Enhancement bonus, it will have a certain number of "Upgrade Points" to spend on adding spells to the wand and augmenting the spells a wand contains.
-TAB-A Wand has a number of Upgrade Points equal to Enhancement Bonus -2. You Upgrade a wand by spending "Upgrade Points" on different upgrades (listed below). You can add detrimental effects, or Downgrade a wand to get more "Upgrade Points" to spend in other areas. Any spell that either has both the Arcane and Implement keywords, or has the Implement Keyword and is also a utility power, is eligible for use in a Charged Wand.
-TAB-When using a Charged Wand, the user must make a Trained Arcana Check. The DC for the check is equal to 5 + Spell Level (see below) + The Charged Wand's level. A success means that the power works as normal. A failure results in the wasting of the action used to activate the wand and a charge of the wand. The level of the wand (for the purposes of calculating DCs and cost) is:
Enhancement Bonus * 5. Subtract 1 from the level if it is an encounter, subtract two for a utility and subtract 3 for an at-will. Do not subtract any for a daily. (These Masteries are with reference to the original Frequency of the Spell, not counting any points invested in Mastery).
These are the types of Upgrades available:
1. Augmentation
The Damage Dealing capabilities of the Spell - Upgrading this allows for more damage output from weaker spells. These upgrades are only applicable to attack spells.
2. Spell Level
The Original Power Level of the Spell contained within the Charged Wand - more powerful Wands can hold powers of a greater Spell Level.
3. Mastery
How often the wand can be used. Once per day, once every five or so minutes, or once every few seconds.
4. Casting Time
How long it takes to unleash a spell. This is normally a Standard Action, but Spells can be Quickened in order to cast faster.
5. Metamagic
These upgrades to a spell let you alter the spell slightly in order to make it better suit your purposes. These upgrades are only applicable to attack spells.
6. Charges
How many times a given Charged Wand can be used before it burns out.
Augmentation:
{table=header] Augmentation | Cost
-3 Dice Size | -3
-2 Dice Size | -2
-1 Dice Size | -1
Normal Dice Size | 0
+1 Dice Size | +1
+2 Dice Size | +2
+3 Dice Size | +3[/table]
You can Augment past Dice Size +3 or Degrade past Dice Size -3. It follows the same pattern.
Dice Size Progression:
1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 2d4 > 1d10 > 1d12 > 2d6 > 2d8 > 4d4 > 2d10 > 2d12 > 4d6 > 4d8
You cannot degrade a spell below 1d4 damage.
If a spell base damage does not appear in the progression above, break it down and augment it separately (i.e. 5d10 is 2d10 + 2d10 + 1d10, so it augments to 5d12. 7d8 is 2d8 + 2d8 + 2d8 + 1d8, so it augments to 14d4).
Spell Level:
{table=header]Spell Level | Encounter | Daily | Utility
1 | 1 | 1 | 2
2 | 3 | 5 | 6
3 | 7 | 9 | 10
4 | 13 | 15 | 12
5 | 17 | 19 | 16
6 | 23 | 25 | 22
7 | 27 | 29 | --[/table]
{table=header] Enhancement Bonus | Cost 0 | Cost -1 | Cost -2 | Cost -3 | Cost -4 | Cost -5
+1 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A
+2 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A
+3 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A
+4 | Spell Level 4 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A
+5 | Spell Level 5 | Spell Level 4 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A
+6 | Spell Level 6 | Spell Level 5 | Spell Level 4 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 [/table]
Mastery:
{table=header]Base Mastery | New Mastery | Cost
At-Will | At-Will | 0
At-Will | Encounter | -3
At-Will | Daily | -6
Encounter | Encounter | 0
Encounter | At-Will | 3
Encounter | Daily | -3
Daily | Daily | 0
Daily | Encounter | 3
Daily | At-Will | 6[/table]
A Wand that is usable At-Will is still only usable once per round.
Casting Time:
{table=header]Base Speed | New Speed | Cost
Minor | Minor | 0
Minor | Move | -3
Minor | Standard | -6
Move | Move | 0
Move | Minor | 3
Move | Standard | -3
Standard | Standard | 0
Standard | Minor | 3
Standard | Minor | 6[/table]
Metamagic:
{table=header]Metamagic | Cost | Effect
Illusory | 1 | The power gains the Illusion and keyword, and now targets Will defence.
Chilled | 1 | The power gains the Cold keyword and deals Cold damage in addition to existing damage types.
Icy | 1 | The power gains the Cold keyword and deals entirely Cold damage. It now targets Fortitude defence.
Hot | 1 | The power gains the Fire keyword and deals Fire damage in addition to existing damage types.
Flaming | 1 | The power gains the Fire keyword and deals entirely Fire damage. It now targets Reflex defence.
Psywarped | 1 | The power gains the Psychic keyword and deals Psychic damage in addition to existing damage types.
Psionic | 1 |The power gains the Psychic keyword and deals entirely Psychic damage. It now targets Will defence.
Expand | 1 | A Close or Area Attack gains +1 to the Burst/Blast.
Shrink | -1 | A Close or Area Attack loses 1 to the size of the Burst/Blast (minimum Blast 2 / Burst 1)[/table]
More Metamagic to come - and more Metamagic ideas are always welcome.
Charges:
A Wand by default has 60 Charges and a Charge cost of 0. It can gain one "Upgrade Point" by reducing the number of Charges to 30. Each 30 Charges above 60 cost one "Upgrade Point". Charges must be bought (or "sold") in groups of 30.
EDIT: Added pretty tables and changed augmentation.
EDIT 2: Increased the overall value of Mastery (Frequency) and Quickening. Cleaned up some of the mechanics and tables.
EDIT 3: Added some sample Metamagic "Upgrades".
So, witness the return of the Use Magic Device check and the Charged Wand!
Charged Wands:
-TAB-Each wand has an enhancement bonus, as a normal wand. A Charged Wand's Enhancement bonus only applies to the spell it contains. Depending on the Wand's Enhancement bonus, it will have a certain number of "Upgrade Points" to spend on adding spells to the wand and augmenting the spells a wand contains.
-TAB-A Wand has a number of Upgrade Points equal to Enhancement Bonus -2. You Upgrade a wand by spending "Upgrade Points" on different upgrades (listed below). You can add detrimental effects, or Downgrade a wand to get more "Upgrade Points" to spend in other areas. Any spell that either has both the Arcane and Implement keywords, or has the Implement Keyword and is also a utility power, is eligible for use in a Charged Wand.
-TAB-When using a Charged Wand, the user must make a Trained Arcana Check. The DC for the check is equal to 5 + Spell Level (see below) + The Charged Wand's level. A success means that the power works as normal. A failure results in the wasting of the action used to activate the wand and a charge of the wand. The level of the wand (for the purposes of calculating DCs and cost) is:
Enhancement Bonus * 5. Subtract 1 from the level if it is an encounter, subtract two for a utility and subtract 3 for an at-will. Do not subtract any for a daily. (These Masteries are with reference to the original Frequency of the Spell, not counting any points invested in Mastery).
These are the types of Upgrades available:
1. Augmentation
The Damage Dealing capabilities of the Spell - Upgrading this allows for more damage output from weaker spells. These upgrades are only applicable to attack spells.
2. Spell Level
The Original Power Level of the Spell contained within the Charged Wand - more powerful Wands can hold powers of a greater Spell Level.
3. Mastery
How often the wand can be used. Once per day, once every five or so minutes, or once every few seconds.
4. Casting Time
How long it takes to unleash a spell. This is normally a Standard Action, but Spells can be Quickened in order to cast faster.
5. Metamagic
These upgrades to a spell let you alter the spell slightly in order to make it better suit your purposes. These upgrades are only applicable to attack spells.
6. Charges
How many times a given Charged Wand can be used before it burns out.
Augmentation:
{table=header] Augmentation | Cost
-3 Dice Size | -3
-2 Dice Size | -2
-1 Dice Size | -1
Normal Dice Size | 0
+1 Dice Size | +1
+2 Dice Size | +2
+3 Dice Size | +3[/table]
You can Augment past Dice Size +3 or Degrade past Dice Size -3. It follows the same pattern.
Dice Size Progression:
1d4 > 1d6 > 1d8 > 2d4 > 1d10 > 1d12 > 2d6 > 2d8 > 4d4 > 2d10 > 2d12 > 4d6 > 4d8
You cannot degrade a spell below 1d4 damage.
If a spell base damage does not appear in the progression above, break it down and augment it separately (i.e. 5d10 is 2d10 + 2d10 + 1d10, so it augments to 5d12. 7d8 is 2d8 + 2d8 + 2d8 + 1d8, so it augments to 14d4).
Spell Level:
{table=header]Spell Level | Encounter | Daily | Utility
1 | 1 | 1 | 2
2 | 3 | 5 | 6
3 | 7 | 9 | 10
4 | 13 | 15 | 12
5 | 17 | 19 | 16
6 | 23 | 25 | 22
7 | 27 | 29 | --[/table]
{table=header] Enhancement Bonus | Cost 0 | Cost -1 | Cost -2 | Cost -3 | Cost -4 | Cost -5
+1 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A
+2 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A
+3 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A
+4 | Spell Level 4 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A | N/A
+5 | Spell Level 5 | Spell Level 4 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 | N/A
+6 | Spell Level 6 | Spell Level 5 | Spell Level 4 | Spell Level 3 | Spell Level 2 | Spell Level 1 [/table]
Mastery:
{table=header]Base Mastery | New Mastery | Cost
At-Will | At-Will | 0
At-Will | Encounter | -3
At-Will | Daily | -6
Encounter | Encounter | 0
Encounter | At-Will | 3
Encounter | Daily | -3
Daily | Daily | 0
Daily | Encounter | 3
Daily | At-Will | 6[/table]
A Wand that is usable At-Will is still only usable once per round.
Casting Time:
{table=header]Base Speed | New Speed | Cost
Minor | Minor | 0
Minor | Move | -3
Minor | Standard | -6
Move | Move | 0
Move | Minor | 3
Move | Standard | -3
Standard | Standard | 0
Standard | Minor | 3
Standard | Minor | 6[/table]
Metamagic:
{table=header]Metamagic | Cost | Effect
Illusory | 1 | The power gains the Illusion and keyword, and now targets Will defence.
Chilled | 1 | The power gains the Cold keyword and deals Cold damage in addition to existing damage types.
Icy | 1 | The power gains the Cold keyword and deals entirely Cold damage. It now targets Fortitude defence.
Hot | 1 | The power gains the Fire keyword and deals Fire damage in addition to existing damage types.
Flaming | 1 | The power gains the Fire keyword and deals entirely Fire damage. It now targets Reflex defence.
Psywarped | 1 | The power gains the Psychic keyword and deals Psychic damage in addition to existing damage types.
Psionic | 1 |The power gains the Psychic keyword and deals entirely Psychic damage. It now targets Will defence.
Expand | 1 | A Close or Area Attack gains +1 to the Burst/Blast.
Shrink | -1 | A Close or Area Attack loses 1 to the size of the Burst/Blast (minimum Blast 2 / Burst 1)[/table]
More Metamagic to come - and more Metamagic ideas are always welcome.
Charges:
A Wand by default has 60 Charges and a Charge cost of 0. It can gain one "Upgrade Point" by reducing the number of Charges to 30. Each 30 Charges above 60 cost one "Upgrade Point". Charges must be bought (or "sold") in groups of 30.
EDIT: Added pretty tables and changed augmentation.
EDIT 2: Increased the overall value of Mastery (Frequency) and Quickening. Cleaned up some of the mechanics and tables.
EDIT 3: Added some sample Metamagic "Upgrades".