Does it matter who uses a wand?

[RandomOG]

Subject says it all really. Do wands do the same damage whoever uses them or do the user's stats contribute? If so how?

 

(Some of the wands say BASE damage ... )

 

Thanks

[Alorael at Large]

We think so, but there's been some argument recently. I don't think it's actually firmly established.

 

—Alorael, who on the other hand doesn't think the difference was marked enough that everyone was very certain of it. He, for one, doesn't use wands often enough to know.

[Jerakeen]

It seems to me that offensive wands were fairly useless until A6 anyway.

[Ceiling Durkheim]

Who was it that referred to the Wand of the Inferno and Sparkling Wand as Wand of 40 Watt Bulb and Wand of Wasting 5 AP, respectively? S/he had the right idea. The sparkling wand is decent in mid-game, but almost all the others are pointless. They may have slight advantages over spells, but not enough to justify losing the money you would get by selling them.

 

Unless you play Anama. All bets are off, then.

[Micawber]

I think it was Randomizer (the real McCoy, not the OP).

 

My impression is that wands were better in Geneforge than Avernum. Corrupting Batons rule in G5.

[Aoslare]

That was Student of Trinity, in beta testing, BEFORE Jeff apparently boosted their power somewhat.

[Randomizer]

I sold my wands as fast as I found them except for lightning and terror wands, then Jeff improved them.

[Ceiling Durkheim]

Some of them are actually quite good in A6. They're terrible in 4 and 5. Their effects are fairly powerful in the Geneforge games, but they tend to be a liability in the late game because they take up the weapon slot, thus depriving the user of various bonuses that high level melee weapons like the Guardian Claymore and Tek's Spectral Dirk provide.

[Lauren CW]

The only time I ever used wands in Spiderweb games was the corrupting batons and the inferno ones, before I learned these spells.

Also, they're quite useful in Nethergate if you're min-maxing and don't have access to spells yet because you're waiting on training.

[Erebus the Black]

Only time I used a wand was with a disruptive(anti undead) against the runed skeleton in the soul taker's pit with my slith warrior and he constantly missed

[Mutant Lizard]

When they cast 'rays' or 'bolts' wands are subjected to the defensive skills of the target PC, such as parry. If a PC is dextrous enough, he can swing/deflect the effect of the wand. When wands affect an area around them, the defensive skills of targets are ineffective, but not their specific defense against their effects, such as protection from fire against a wand of inferno (if I recall exactly the names). So charging all your party - that is all your PC not able to do great damage with their current weapons - with wands effective against a particular target may result in a rate of damage higher than that done by the target on you. (you may keep one well armored warrior and/or some NPCs to keep engaged it in the meantime. Mirco.

[Trenton.]

*never got that far and never seen a wand.* i have the demo version. where can i loot them at?

[Earth]

from chests etc around avernum (if marked at not yours then check that no1 sees party before taking those) and sometimes as a reward. you might get some basic wands at demo area, not sure.

[Trenton.]

hmm. to bad they got rid of all the cool summoning spells and capture soul with sicarlum(spelling?) those were cool

[Earth]

some summoning still exists but you can't anymore summon legion of demons to help you on battle.

[Trenton.]

Originally Posted By: Earth Empires

some summoning still exists but you can't anymore summon legion of demons to help you on battle.

ahh the good old days of exile. just cast summon host. majer sommuning. daemon. those were quite fun. and the capture soul and sicarulum spells. i used to alwase copy solberg and let him do all the work for me

-sasuke's servile.

[Txgangsta]

I liked copying Dark Wyrms. I would make one every turn, if not 2 every turn, when in a serious battle.

[Trenton.]

or just copy erika when you get an insane level. cause i hear its almost impossible to capture her

[Mutant Lizard]

I think the highest number of PC/NPCs that can fight with you is in the quest for Lysstack the Beast (or some name like): your party plus an escaped soldier from Harking's Landing, a tamed mouse, and possibly up to two beasts/spirits summoned by your mages/priests. That's all in Avernum 5, I think. If your party is left with few magical points to launch spells or summon aid, wands may help something. Mirco.

[The Mystic]

Originally Posted By: loyal servile of sasuke uchiha

or just copy erika when you get an insane level. cause i hear its almost impossible to capture her

It probably is impossible to capture Erika. I cast Scry Monster on her once in E3; she's immune to magic there, and presumably is similarly immune in the Avernum series.

[Trenton.]

no ive meet people who acctualy captured her. be like level 500 though and you have a 1/100 chance

[Earth]

Originally Posted By: Mutant Lizard

I think the highest number of PC/NPCs that can fight with you is in the quest for Lysstack the Beast (or some name like): your party plus an escaped soldier from Harking's Landing, a tamed mouse, and possibly up to two beasts/spirits summoned by your mages/priests. That's all in Avernum 5, I think. If your party is left with few magical points to launch spells or summon aid, wands may help something. Mirco.

Lysstak might had high resistances on some spells, i think i used lightning strike on him every round (if casters didn't have to renew hastes etc or heal and had mana left)

[Lilith]

Originally Posted By: The Mystic

It probably is impossible to capture Erika. I cast Scry Monster on her once in E3; she's immune to magic there, and presumably is similarly immune in the Avernum series.

Being immune to magic doesn't actually prevent Capture Soul from working, although there are other special properties that can apply to a creature that do prevent it.

[Trenton.]

but still. some people on here actually said they captured erika. it is possible

[Alorael at Large]

Erika doesn't have any of those special properties that make capturing her impossible. The one that comes to mind is splitting: you can't have doomguards in your soul crystal.

 

—Alorael, who isn't actually convinced that Erika is even worth capturing. If you're going to use abusive magic, there are better options.

[Trenton.]

ofcourse shes worth it! she was only voted best most powerful mage in all of avernum!

[Brocktree]

Originally Posted By: Randomiser

Subject says it all really. Do wands do the same damage whoever uses them or do the user's stats contribute? If so how?

(Some of the wands say BASE damage ... )

Thanks

Yes, it matters.

Thrown weapons increases wand damage.

Sharpshooter, dexterity, and bows do not.

[Aoslare]

I don't think I've heard Thrown Weapons suggested as a boosting mechanism before. Are you absolutely sure about this, Brocktree? If I test it, will I find this is accurate?

[Brocktree]

Originally Posted By: CRISIS on INFINITE SLARTIES

I don't think I've heard Thrown Weapons suggested as a boosting mechanism before. Are you absolutely sure about this, Brocktree? If I test it, will I find this is accurate?

I'm 100% sure about my results. I boosted thrown weapons to 30 with the editor, and received a very pronounced damage increase when using jeweled wands. Dex and SS did not have the same effect.