4ed magic foci [Archive] - Wizards Community

4ed magic foci [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Suin Bahhar
09-17-07, 06:58 PM The old DDI (later edited) article about wizzies in 4th edition mentiones the relience of wizards wielding foci to enhance certain magic types. Staffs could control defense and telekinesis-like strikes, orbs control perception and invisibility, tomes control spells with long casting times like summonings, bindings and polymorphing and wands control instantaneous magic effects with a lot of distance. The 'new mages' utilize arcanestrikes, power words and spells to overcome obstacles or foes (my guess these are the per encounter, at will and der day spells).

stolen from the CHarOp boards: New Article:
(Orb) Serpent Eye: enchantment, beguiling, and ensnaring
(Orb) Iron Sigil: potent defenses, thunder or force.
(Staff) Hidden Flame: fire and radiance
(Staff) Golden Wyvern: shape and sculpt spells they cast
(Wand) Emerald Frost: cold and acidic magic
(Wand) Stormwalker: lightning and force
I must say this has intrigued me. This could be a defining difference between wizards before the Spellplague and wizards after. Mechanicly speaking they are implementing the removal of the traditional schools of magic.
Zandilar
09-17-07, 07:23 PM Heya,

I must say this has intrigued me. This could be a defining difference between wizards before the Spellplague and wizards after. Mechanicly speaking they are implementing the removal of the traditional schools of magic.

Great... So spellcasters (do we know if this is just wizards?) will have to start carrying a golf bag around with all their foci in them. Especially since some of them seem to be rather bulky items.
Suin Bahhar
09-17-07, 07:40 PM Aye, it seems so. The article seems to be talking solely about wizzies. I have to point out that the foci are only there to enhance the spells, a stripped wizard could still cast his spells but at lesser power. Makes them a bit more item dependant like other classes are. Remember the quote in a blog about +6wands? As I understand it these would thus give a caster that much more "attack power" with instantaneous ranged spells...
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
09-17-07, 07:42 PM I thought the 4E designers were making the classes less item-dependent...
Dark Wizard
09-17-07, 07:54 PM The wizards don't need the items to cast their spells, but the items help enhance the spell. It's optimal to have the item, but doable without.
Suin Bahhar
09-17-07, 08:17 PM There is also speculation that most spells (per day abilities) will be tied to tomes (the good old spellbooks). Phew! So this will look mostly like vancian casting.
The new at will abilities and per encounter abilities could be the only abilities benefitting from specialization items a wizard carries.
Karsus the Mad
09-19-07, 12:57 AM Heya,

Great... So spellcasters (do we know if this is just wizards?) will have to start carrying a golf bag around with all their foci in them. Especially since some of them seem to be rather bulky items.
This gave me a mental image of my father on the 19th hole.
Creepy.
Mr_Miscellany
09-19-07, 01:09 AM The article doesn't say whether these will replace schools of magic or not, so assuming this will be teh case is a bit premature.

The notion that the introduction of foci somehow violates the statement about making characters less (magic) item dependent is not true (IMO). On the contrary, it shows the possibility for a principal magic item that a character may very well be able to purchase or start play (or start with at a certain level) with, to use continuously over time, as opposed to lucking into (or crafting) a magic item.

These items may also be prerequisites for following skill/feat trees or similar.
selunatic2397
09-19-07, 09:13 AM I just see the wands and such as a blatant attempt to steal from, and tie into the Harry Potter fever...:P
Suin Bahhar
09-19-07, 09:18 AM Yeah but our D&D wands would not be required to cast fortunately. So when Potter is a useless commoner when you disarm him of his wand, your personal kickass magicuser will just smile and disintegrate his opponent with an (Magic)AoO spellstrike. See I think the mechanics for 4ed will have to be inspiringly good; enough to counter all the destruction it will bring.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Suin Bahhar 09-17-07, 06:58 PM	The old DDI (later edited) article about wizzies in 4th edition mentiones the relience of wizards wielding foci to enhance certain magic types. Staffs could control defense and telekinesis-like strikes, orbs control perception and invisibility, tomes control spells with long casting times like summonings, bindings and polymorphing and wands control instantaneous magic effects with a lot of distance. The 'new mages' utilize arcanestrikes, power words and spells to overcome obstacles or foes (my guess these are the per encounter, at will and der day spells). stolen from the CHarOp boards: New Article: (Orb) Serpent Eye: enchantment, beguiling, and ensnaring (Orb) Iron Sigil: potent defenses, thunder or force. (Staff) Hidden Flame: fire and radiance (Staff) Golden Wyvern: shape and sculpt spells they cast (Wand) Emerald Frost: cold and acidic magic (Wand) Stormwalker: lightning and force I must say this has intrigued me. This could be a defining difference between wizards before the Spellplague and wizards after. Mechanicly speaking they are implementing the removal of the traditional schools of magic.
Zandilar 09-17-07, 07:23 PM	Heya, I must say this has intrigued me. This could be a defining difference between wizards before the Spellplague and wizards after. Mechanicly speaking they are implementing the removal of the traditional schools of magic. Great... So spellcasters (do we know if this is just wizards?) will have to start carrying a golf bag around with all their foci in them. Especially since some of them seem to be rather bulky items.
Suin Bahhar 09-17-07, 07:40 PM	Aye, it seems so. The article seems to be talking solely about wizzies. I have to point out that the foci are only there to enhance the spells, a stripped wizard could still cast his spells but at lesser power. Makes them a bit more item dependant like other classes are. Remember the quote in a blog about +6wands? As I understand it these would thus give a caster that much more "attack power" with instantaneous ranged spells...
Rinonalyrna Fathomlin 09-17-07, 07:42 PM	I thought the 4E designers were making the classes less item-dependent...
Dark Wizard 09-17-07, 07:54 PM	The wizards don't need the items to cast their spells, but the items help enhance the spell. It's optimal to have the item, but doable without.
Suin Bahhar 09-17-07, 08:17 PM	There is also speculation that most spells (per day abilities) will be tied to tomes (the good old spellbooks). Phew! So this will look mostly like vancian casting. The new at will abilities and per encounter abilities could be the only abilities benefitting from specialization items a wizard carries.
Karsus the Mad 09-19-07, 12:57 AM	Heya, Great... So spellcasters (do we know if this is just wizards?) will have to start carrying a golf bag around with all their foci in them. Especially since some of them seem to be rather bulky items. This gave me a mental image of my father on the 19th hole. Creepy.
Mr_Miscellany 09-19-07, 01:09 AM	The article doesn't say whether these will replace schools of magic or not, so assuming this will be teh case is a bit premature. The notion that the introduction of foci somehow violates the statement about making characters less (magic) item dependent is not true (IMO). On the contrary, it shows the possibility for a principal magic item that a character may very well be able to purchase or start play (or start with at a certain level) with, to use continuously over time, as opposed to lucking into (or crafting) a magic item. These items may also be prerequisites for following skill/feat trees or similar.
selunatic2397 09-19-07, 09:13 AM	I just see the wands and such as a blatant attempt to steal from, and tie into the Harry Potter fever...:P
Suin Bahhar 09-19-07, 09:18 AM	Yeah but our D&D wands would not be required to cast fortunately. So when Potter is a useless commoner when you disarm him of his wand, your personal kickass magicuser will just smile and disintegrate his opponent with an (Magic)AoO spellstrike. See I think the mechanics for 4ed will have to be inspiringly good; enough to counter all the destruction it will bring.