charges for wands (quick answer please) [Archive] - Wizards Community

charges for wands (quick answer please) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Xanphia
10-29-06, 01:19 PM I'm having a difficult time searching for some description of how many charges a wand should recieve with a certain spell. I know it says they all start out with 50 charges, but I'm pretty sure you won't get a wand with 50 charges containing a 10 lvl spell. (just an example) Does anyone know where in the PHB I can find more on this, or someone's thoughts on this? Thanks for the help.:)
katarl
10-29-06, 01:24 PM ? Rules for wands are detailed in the DMG, not PHB.

All wands may be of a spell level up to 4th and may be of any caster level (eg. a wand of 10th level shout is okay, but cone of cold isn't). All wands begin with 50 charges when created.

Market price is spell level x caster level x 750gp for 50 charges.

If the spell is higher than 4th, its not a wand, it's either a sceptre (FR) or a rod.
Xanphia
10-29-06, 01:30 PM ? Rules for wands are detailed in the DMG, not PHB.

All wands may be of a spell level up to 4th and may be of any caster level (eg. a wand of 10th level shout is okay, but cone of cold isn't). All wands begin with 50 charges when created.

Market price is spell level x caster level x 750gp for 50 charges.

Sorry, I accidentally put PHB. I really meant DMG. Like I said, I understand that they start with 50 charges, but I'm not really making a wand. I have an adventure and someone will be recieving it. Back to the question, is it right to have a 4th spell lvl wand recieves 50 charges and a 1st spell lvl wand recieve 50 charges?

To the real point, how many charges do I give a wand with a 4th lvl spell?
DarkNick
10-29-06, 01:42 PM 50 - unless the current owner has used some of it.

I think what is bothering you is that you see a wand as only being able to hold so much 'power' and that a 4th level spell is more 'powerful' and therfore should take up more room in the wand. But by the RAW a wand is created with 50 charges.
If you want less then just make a house rule or rule that the wand has less charges - say 50 charges for 1st lev spells, 40 for 2nd, 30 for 3rd, and 20 for 4ths. Maybe a wand could be considered to have 50 spell level slots i.e. 50 1st levels, 25 second, 16 3rd, 12 4ths. Just make sure you adjust their cost accordingly, otherwise you will be screwing the players.
Dark Stryke
10-29-06, 06:57 PM I wand with a fourth level spell in it, freshly created or otherwise unused, has 50 charges, same as a wand with a first level spell. Keep in mind, the fourth level spell wand cost the maker more XP and gold to make, so it comes with a higher market price.

This is how a more powerful wand is 'balanced' against a weaker one. They both can shoot the same number of times before running out of charges, but the fourth level one is more expensive, and thus, out of the price range of most lower level parties.
Lankin the Mad Mage
10-29-06, 07:47 PM Indeed, ANY wand, no matter which spell level it holds, has 50 charges when newly made. No matter what.

Whether or not other owners have used up those charges before you get it is another matter.

[QUOTE=katarlIf the spell is higher than 4th, its not a wand, it's either a sceptre (FR) or a rod.[/QUOTE]
Actually no.

A device which holds a spell of 5th level or higher and has 50 charges is a Staff, not a rod. A rod is a quite different magical item, usually holding abilities not easily likened to spells, and rarely using charges of any type besides the 'once per day' variety.

As for Sceptres, I've never heard of them. In which FR book are they detailed, and how do they work? I confess I'm mightily curious about this.
Platonix
10-29-06, 11:33 PM If it makes you feel better about a level-1 wand and a level-4 wand holding the same number of charges, remember that the DMG describes wands as being "6 to 12 inches in length". You could house-rule that level-1 wands are 6", L2 wands are 8", L3 wands are 10" and L4 wands are 12". Thus, higher-level wands have more room to hold more power.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xanphia 10-29-06, 01:19 PM	I'm having a difficult time searching for some description of how many charges a wand should recieve with a certain spell. I know it says they all start out with 50 charges, but I'm pretty sure you won't get a wand with 50 charges containing a 10 lvl spell. (just an example) Does anyone know where in the PHB I can find more on this, or someone's thoughts on this? Thanks for the help.:)
katarl 10-29-06, 01:24 PM	? Rules for wands are detailed in the DMG, not PHB. All wands may be of a spell level up to 4th and may be of any caster level (eg. a wand of 10th level shout is okay, but cone of cold isn't). All wands begin with 50 charges when created. Market price is spell level x caster level x 750gp for 50 charges. If the spell is higher than 4th, its not a wand, it's either a sceptre (FR) or a rod.
Xanphia 10-29-06, 01:30 PM	? Rules for wands are detailed in the DMG, not PHB. All wands may be of a spell level up to 4th and may be of any caster level (eg. a wand of 10th level shout is okay, but cone of cold isn't). All wands begin with 50 charges when created. Market price is spell level x caster level x 750gp for 50 charges. Sorry, I accidentally put PHB. I really meant DMG. Like I said, I understand that they start with 50 charges, but I'm not really making a wand. I have an adventure and someone will be recieving it. Back to the question, is it right to have a 4th spell lvl wand recieves 50 charges and a 1st spell lvl wand recieve 50 charges? To the real point, how many charges do I give a wand with a 4th lvl spell?
DarkNick 10-29-06, 01:42 PM	50 - unless the current owner has used some of it. I think what is bothering you is that you see a wand as only being able to hold so much 'power' and that a 4th level spell is more 'powerful' and therfore should take up more room in the wand. But by the RAW a wand is created with 50 charges. If you want less then just make a house rule or rule that the wand has less charges - say 50 charges for 1st lev spells, 40 for 2nd, 30 for 3rd, and 20 for 4ths. Maybe a wand could be considered to have 50 spell level slots i.e. 50 1st levels, 25 second, 16 3rd, 12 4ths. Just make sure you adjust their cost accordingly, otherwise you will be screwing the players.
Dark Stryke 10-29-06, 06:57 PM	I wand with a fourth level spell in it, freshly created or otherwise unused, has 50 charges, same as a wand with a first level spell. Keep in mind, the fourth level spell wand cost the maker more XP and gold to make, so it comes with a higher market price. This is how a more powerful wand is 'balanced' against a weaker one. They both can shoot the same number of times before running out of charges, but the fourth level one is more expensive, and thus, out of the price range of most lower level parties.
Lankin the Mad Mage 10-29-06, 07:47 PM	Indeed, ANY wand, no matter which spell level it holds, has 50 charges when newly made. No matter what. Whether or not other owners have used up those charges before you get it is another matter. [QUOTE=katarlIf the spell is higher than 4th, its not a wand, it's either a sceptre (FR) or a rod.[/QUOTE] Actually no. A device which holds a spell of 5th level or higher and has 50 charges is a Staff, not a rod. A rod is a quite different magical item, usually holding abilities not easily likened to spells, and rarely using charges of any type besides the 'once per day' variety. As for Sceptres, I've never heard of them. In which FR book are they detailed, and how do they work? I confess I'm mightily curious about this.
Platonix 10-29-06, 11:33 PM	If it makes you feel better about a level-1 wand and a level-4 wand holding the same number of charges, remember that the DMG describes wands as being "6 to 12 inches in length". You could house-rule that level-1 wands are 6", L2 wands are 8", L3 wands are 10" and L4 wands are 12". Thus, higher-level wands have more room to hold more power.