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Dungeons & Dra.. 4e Character Optim.. Why don't I see any wizard optimization threads...
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Why don't I see any wizard optimization threads taking advantage of keyword staves?
2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 7:07AM #1
Morikal
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 07/07/07
I'm wondering if I am missing something as to why no one's wizard optimization faqs seem to include this:

For non WoST, who are not dual wand/orb, pick up a staff of storms or a thunderwave staff. Pick up resounding thunder & solid sound (& lightning arc if you want and are using staff of storms). According to the text on page 226, when you use a magic item as part of a class or racial power, the keywords of any powers of that item are added to the power you use. In other words, if you are channeling through a staff of storms, all your powers now have the lightning & thunder keywords, and split any damage among those as well.

The benefit? All your blasts and bursts increase in area by 1. You get a +2 to one defense every time you use a power through your staff. You can arc lightning with any power on a crit.

Similarly, for any WoST build, you could hold such a staff in one hand and grab a frost longsword in the other, picking up lasting frost & wintertouched. Now you can choose whether to use lightning & thunder with your spells, or cold for the vulnerability & CA.


Anyway, I've read through TreantMonklvl20's excellent guide, as well as Squirreloids excellent guides, and I haven't seen mention of this. Is there some rule I'm missing that prevents what I described?
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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 7:47AM #2
Pandexander
Posts: 846
Date Joined: 06/19/08

Morikal wrote:

I'm wondering if I am missing something as to why no one's wizard optimization faqs seem to include this:

For non WoST, who are not dual wand/orb, pick up a staff of storms or a thunderwave staff. Pick up resounding thunder & solid sound (& lightning arc if you want and are using staff of storms). According to the text on page 226, when you use a magic item as part of a class or racial power, the keywords of any powers of that item are added to the power you use. In other words, if you are channeling through a staff of storms, all your powers now have the lightning & thunder keywords, and split any damage among those as well.

The benefit? All your blasts and bursts increase in area by 1. You get a +2 to one defense every time you use a power through your staff. You can arc lightning with any power on a crit.

Similarly, for any WoST build, you could hold such a staff in one hand and grab a frost longsword in the other, picking up lasting frost & wintertouched. Now you can choose whether to use lightning & thunder with your spells, or cold for the vulnerability & CA.


Anyway, I've read through TreantMonklvl20's excellent guide, as well as Squirreloids excellent guides, and I haven't seen mention of this. Is there some rule I'm missing that prevents what I described?


There are a few threads/builds. This one for example => http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1052557

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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 12:13PM #3
LightBear
Posts: 165
Date Joined: 11/07/07
Mine is placed under character development as I actually gave him some back ground :D

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1050457

Best yet, a WF can use a staff as an Implement so he can keeps his hands free for something else!

But the question realy is if the staff is a weapon yes or no?
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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 1:12PM #4
Morikal
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 07/07/07
What difference does it make if the staff is a weapon? On page 266 it doesn't say it has to be a weapon... it just says if you use an item as part of a class or racial power...
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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 2:26PM #5
LightBear
Posts: 165
Date Joined: 11/07/07
Yes, but only the keywords stack. Have you found a staff with a keyword that's at will or that's both a property and a keyword?
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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 2:41PM #6
Morikal
Posts: 200
Date Joined: 07/07/07
I don't really know what you mean...
Staff of Storms has a power on it that has the Lightning and Thunder keywords.

When I use this staff as part of a class power (by using it as the implement), the keywords from the staff's power (Lightning & Thunder) are added to the keywords of my class power. Thus, any class power I channel through the staff gets Thunder & Lightning.
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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 3:58PM #7
Lodestone7
Posts: 246
Date Joined: 05/16/08
Staff of Storms has the needed keywords (lightning and thunder) as part of a daily power. When you use that daily power, then it works as you've described. If you don't use that power, then the staff does not provide those keywords to your powers.
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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 4:03PM #8
Dudelander
Posts: 268
Date Joined: 06/13/08

Morikal wrote:

Anyway, I've read through TreantMonklvl20's excellent guide, as well as Squirreloids excellent guides, and I haven't seen mention of this. Is there some rule I'm missing that prevents what I described?


There is no rule in the PHB that prohibits this, and many have already pointed out that this is a good way to go. The problem is that even though it is RAW, the jury is still out on wither or not it is merely a theoretical approach to Wizard building or if it works in practice. Most people on the boards agree, or come around fairly quickly, that implements add the keywords of their powers to spells cast through them. However, the rules are obscure enough that many DM's will not allow it in their campaign - even if they agree that's what the rules actually say. I think as more supplements come out it will become more clear if the rule is here to stay, or if it will be cleared up in a future errata. Right now it is probably a little too iffy to put in a general character building guide - except maybe as a brief aside.

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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 5:56PM #9
zgrose
Posts: 505
Date Joined: 04/05/04

Morikal wrote:

According to the text on page 226, when you use a magic item as part of a class or racial power, the keywords of any powers of that item are added to the power you use. In other words, if you are channeling through a staff of storms, all your powers now have the lightning & thunder keywords, and split any damage among those as well.


Wow, way to misquote a rule. According to the text of page 226, "When you use a magic item as part of a racial power or a class power, the keywords of the item's power and the other power all apply."

So to get thunder and lightning out of your Staff of Storms, you need to invoke the daily power. When you cast your At-Will Thunderwave, once per day you can tack on the staff power for some extra kick. You do not inherit thunder and lightning keywords simply because you're holding a Staff of Storms.

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2 years ago  ::  Jul 01, 2008 - 6:08PM #10
Dudelander
Posts: 268
Date Joined: 06/13/08

zgrose wrote:

You do not inherit thunder and lightning keywords simply because you're holding a Staff of Storms.


Not just by holding, but by using it as an implement. The keyword trick works in RAW, and has been verified by customer service several times. This thread explains everything in detail.

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