Wands and their sudden usefulness

Vinin · Post by **Vinin** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 6:09 pm

I've discovered after playing through BG2 and ToB, that through BG1 and Totsc wands are sooooo much more useful. With the low levels here and the lack of high lvl summoning and atack spells, wands are one my main staples in fights. After all a wand of frost and one arrow took out mulhany(sp) and i was at lvl 2-3 all! Wands are awesome in BG1.

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 6:42 pm

A wand of frost, I found, was the one of the best wands to use in the game. Next to it was the wand of fire. I never found the wand of animal summoning.

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 7:53 pm

I rarely use wands. Dynaheir is carrying around a Wand of Lightning right now, I think; but I'll probably never use it. I've sold all the other wands I've found.

Promise · Post by **Promise** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 9:22 pm

Wands are very handy in boss fights in BG1, esp. the frost one. The other wand I like is the magic missle one, coz non-mage can also use it for spell interruption. However, some wands just suck: wand of sleep, fear, etc..

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Sat Sep 29, 2001 9:34 pm

Originally posted by Promise:
Wands are very handy in boss fights in BG1, esp. the frost one. The other wand I like is the magic missle one, coz non-mage can also use it for spell interruption. However, some wands just suck: wand of sleep, fear, etc..

Having 5 ranged fighters, spell interruption is rarely a problem for me. How does the frost one help in boss fights?

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Sun Sep 30, 2001 3:40 pm

Sleep rocks in BG1!

I never used wands much, except for the Wand of the Heavens (since Clerics have bad offensive abilities otherwise). Most party members were too occupied wreaking havoc in other ways.

Then again, I also never used potions other than the occasional Healing Potion or Antidote...

Aegis · Post by **Aegis** » Sun Sep 30, 2001 3:46 pm

the Wand of frost was a very powerful wand indeed. I believe using it saved my ass many times large battles.

Vinin · Post by **Vinin** » Sun Sep 30, 2001 4:36 pm

Hey, wand of sleep I useore often than my wand of frost even. Whenever I'm traveling and Iron throne dudes inturrupt me or bandits one sleep spell or wand burst puts em all to sleep and easy picking my me melee-ers. Doesnt waste arrows that way. Wand of fear sucks though.

ThorinOakensfield · Post by **ThorinOakensfield** » Sun Sep 30, 2001 6:38 pm

Wand of fire is really usefull for all the cheese players. You can just keep on blasting an enemy party like the guys in the Undercity with it and they won't come forward, usually...
And wand are helpful because you don't get to memorize too many fireballs. And ofcourse the mages in the ice island in TotSC

BTW where was that ice island? In the trackless sea, or somewhere in the southern hemisphere where nobody's been before?

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Sun Sep 30, 2001 9:28 pm

Originally posted by Xyx:
I never used wands much, except for the Wand of the Heavens (since Clerics have bad offensive abilities otherwise). Most party members were too occupied wreaking havoc in other ways.

I don't even use that wand. My Cleric kicks some major @$$ with her Sling +1 and Ashideena(War Hammer +2).

Originally posted by Xyx:
Then again, I also never used potions other than the occasional Healing Potion or Antidote...

That's the way I am with potions too. I don't like to buy things that are disposable, except for bolts, bullets, and arrows because those are so cheap, though I don't buy the +1, +2, etc. ammo. The only healing potions I use are ones I find and I usually only use them when I've run out of healing spells and need healed imediately.

Magior · Post by **Magior** » Mon Oct 01, 2001 12:54 am

Originally posted by Sailor Saturn:
That's the way I am with potions too. I don't like to buy things that are disposable, except for bolts, bullets, and arrows because those are so cheap, though I don't buy the +1, +2, etc. ammo. The only healing potions I use are ones I find and I usually only use them when I've run out of healing spells and need healed imediately.

You've never bought arrows of dispelling, biting or detonation (not sure if any merchants sell these)? Potions of Speed, Storm Giant Strength?

These (and wands) are some of the things that give ultimate power to a single character. It's *so* nice when you can shoot arrows to get rid of mage protections. Biting arrows not only disrupt spellcasting efficiently: they slow enemy melee types from closing to you. Detonation arrows fire 3 fireballs a round. Speed potion works like the Haste spell but is faster to use to a single character. Giant Strength Potions are the ultimate melee power. Anything lower than Drizzt falls to multiple hasted Str 24 fighter-types

As for wands: I never memorize Fireballs, I use the wand of fire. Same goes for Lightning. I even use Monster Summoning wands much more than the actual spells. I assure you, a Flamestrike (from Wand of Heavens) kicks butt far more efficiently than any +1 sling

When you solo, you'll come to appriciate this sort of things much more than when using a party. Never soloed through BG1? I recommend: really enhanced my playing skills and will probably enhance yours!

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Mon Oct 01, 2001 1:33 pm

Originally posted by tram:
You've never bought arrows of dispelling, biting or detonation (not sure if any merchants sell these)? Potions of Speed, Storm Giant Strength?

Nope, they cost too much. The only arrows/missiles I use that are not regular arrows/missiles are the ones I find. The only potions I use are healing potions and those not very often. I sell the rest.

Originally posted by tram:
These (and wands) are some of the things that give ultimate power to a single character. It's *so* nice when you can shoot arrows to get rid of mage protections. Biting arrows not only disrupt spellcasting efficiently: they slow enemy melee types from closing to you. Detonation arrows fire 3 fireballs a round. Speed potion works like the Haste spell but is faster to use to a single character. Giant Strength Potions are the ultimate melee power. Anything lower than Drizzt falls to multiple hasted Str 24 fighter-types

The arrows/missiles and wands, imo, cost too much for something that is only useable a limited amount of times.

Originally posted by tram:
As for wands: I never memorize Fireballs, I use the wand of fire. Same goes for Lightning. I even use Monster Summoning wands much more than the actual spells. I assure you, a Flamestrike (from Wand of Heavens) kicks butt far more efficiently than any +1 sling

I would to use a wand or spell scroll to cast Monster Summoning because my mage is Dynaheir, but I don't buy those because they cost too much for something that is only useable a limited number of times. Flamestrike may be more effective than a sling +1, but it is cheaper to go with a sling +1. My Cleric can also animate up to 18 skeletons and my Mage can cast Lightning Bolt, Fireball, and Magic Missile. This plus all the attacking of the rest of my party is plenty to take down opponents.

Originally posted by tram:
When you solo, you'll come to appriciate this sort of things much more than when using a party. Never soloed through BG1? I recommend: really enhanced my playing skills and will probably enhance yours!

I've never soloed through BG1. This is my first time through BG1 at all. I played IWD previous to this and I didn't use wands, potions, and spell scrolls in it either, except for the occasional priest spell scroll. I'm always too busy trying to gain GP to buy certain weapons/armor/items/etc. for my party members that I sell a lot of what I gather.

Magior · Post by **Magior** » Mon Oct 01, 2001 2:25 pm

Originally posted by Sailor Saturn:
I've never soloed through BG1. This is my first time through BG1 at all.

Wouldn't have guessed... You seem to have very enlightened opinions for a first-timer. You know, I used to have opinions just like yourself prior to my soloing experience.. ..never buying wands and like. Anyhoo, good luck to your journey!

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Mon Oct 01, 2001 7:34 pm

Originally posted by tram:
Wouldn't have guessed... You seem to have very enlightened opinions for a first-timer. You know, I used to have opinions just like yourself prior to my soloing experience.. ..never buying wands and like. Anyhoo, good luck to your journey!

Hehe, I'm not sure if that is sarcastic or not...

Anyway, I do plan to solo, though I'll probably still be reluctant to purchase wands and such.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Tue Oct 02, 2001 2:37 am

One neat trick I learnt only after playing BG2 for some time is that you can...

attack a couple of times

and

fire a wand

in the same round!

Same goes for drinking potions and casting spells. You get your normal number of attacks every 6 seconds, but on top of (or next to, depending how you look at it) that, you get to use one item, spell or ability.

If I ever go through BG1 again, I'll certainly load up every party member with a wand, even if only a Wand of Magic Missiles. That way, they'll still have something to do after they've made their allowed number of attacks in a round.

Originally posted by tram:
You've never bought arrows of dispelling, biting or detonation (not sure if any merchants sell these)? Potions of Speed, Storm Giant Strength?

Me neither... Never needed to. The only time I ever used any of that stuff was in the final battle against Sarevok.

It wasn't because I wanted to save money either... I ended up with 100K before TotSC, and 200K before the final battle.

I guess I should solo.

Gruntboy · Post by **Gruntboy** » Tue Oct 02, 2001 5:52 am

I found I unless I used the stuff I picked up (wands and potions) I was swimming with the darned things. You don't have to buy them - there are enought lying on corpses.

Sure, you could fight your way through, then heal lots. But why bother? Any fight larger than a skirmish and I gulped potions and let fly with sleep/fear/fire/electricity wands, cleaning up with my fighters - that's what they're for. Anytime I needed the cash, I sold a wand.

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Tue Oct 02, 2001 9:50 am

Originally posted by Gruntboy:
I found I unless I used the stuff I picked up (wands and potions) I was swimming with the darned things. You don't have to buy them - there are enought lying on corpses.

I didn't buy arrows during all of Chapters 2&3 and often had to dump 60-100 arrows on the ground to make room for other loot because every member of my party would be loaded up with all the arrows I'd found on bandits and kobolds and such.

Originally posted by Gruntboy:
Sure, you could fight your way through, then heal lots. But why bother? Any fight larger than a skirmish and I gulped potions and let fly with sleep/fear/fire/electricity wands, cleaning up with my fighters - that's what they're for. Anytime I needed the cash, I sold a wand.

By selling the 'perishable' items, I quickly gained enough gold to buy the expensive weapons and armor and such.

I don't see a point in carrying wands of missiles because my Dynaheir can cast Magic Missiles 5 times and fires 3 missiles each time. IIRC, the wand of missiles only shoots one missile.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Tue Oct 02, 2001 1:18 pm

Originally posted by Sailor Saturn:
I don't see a point in carrying wands of missiles because my Dynaheir can cast Magic Missiles 5 times and fires 3 missiles each time. IIRC, the wand of missiles only shoots one missile.

It's no good on Dynaheir, but your tanks can use it as well (contrary to most other wands). They can make 2-3 attacks and fire one of those missiles. Sure, one tiny missile is unimpressive, but it's an extra and will disrupt spellcasters.

Sailor Saturn · Post by **Sailor Saturn** » Tue Oct 02, 2001 4:02 pm

Originally posted by Xyx:
It's no good on Dynaheir, but your tanks can use it as well (contrary to most other wands). They can make 2-3 attacks and fire one of those missiles. Sure, one tiny missile is unimpressive, but it's an extra and will disrupt spellcasters.

Uh-huh. I'm not sure that would work with my fighting style. I have the initial attack where my ranged fighters attack while Minsc charges in sword swinging. Then, while Minsc, Imoen, Elysia(Me), Viconia, and Coran attack, Dynaheir begins spellcasting. Sometimes, Viconia does some spellcasting, too(i.e., Animate Dead, Silence, Hold Person). My fighting style varies slightly with each individual encounter, but that is the basic method.

Xyx · Post by **Xyx** » Wed Oct 03, 2001 10:41 am

Originally posted by Sailor Saturn:
Uh-huh. I'm not sure that would work with my fighting style.

Why not? Give it a try; you'll be surprised.

Anyone that...

hasn't used a spell, item or ability in the previous 6 seconds
won't need to use a spell, item or ability in the next 6 seconds
has already made their allowed number of attacks this round

can use a wand with no loss of efficiency whatsoever.