Utility of Rods, Wands

Cauldron · June 22, 2009, 18:10

Just how useful are wands/rods of (insert damage type here) bolts/balls? I've seen how some folk like to stack them up and blast away. I've always eschewed their use, and having enough to be useful and of the right type to actually damage critters is problematic at best (with the possible exception of Rods of Light). I usually play mages, and tend to rely on arrows and my character's spells. I've collected rods to sell for cash, and used them while carrying them, but I typically dump them in the town once I get there.

Am I making an error?

Pete Mack · June 22, 2009, 18:48

It depends on the rod. If it does 70+ damage/shot, it is likely to be better than arrows. I often carry them until I've got enough mana to get through a decent fight without running low. And Rods of Light are a valuable tool for more than combat.

Atarlost · June 22, 2009, 19:21

I wonder if rods have the same problem as arrows. Perhaps a "device quiver" that can hold eg. 10 of any mix of rods, staves, and wands in a single slot would make them see more use.

will_asher · June 22, 2009, 19:34

Usually, the only ones I use are Rods of light, acid, and fire.
Rods of light because they beam and are useful for lighting hallways. Rods of fire because they have the highest damage output of any bolt wand or rod. Rods of acid because they have the second highest bolt damage and less monsters resist. IMO, If you can get a couple of any of these rods then they are worth using, but I usually ignore any others that I find except maybe carrying them for a few turns.
Wands/rods of Annhilation or ball spells usually have too high a fail rate for my characters, but you shouldn't have that problem as a mage.

Marble Dice · June 22, 2009, 19:42

Bolt/ball rods usually recharge in 7-12 turns so if you've got more than one you can get decent mileage out of them each fight. Most rods do decent damage, but I usually skip lightning bolts. Note the other elemental rods have the same damage:

DL20 Rod of Lightning Bolts = 6d6 (21)
DL25 Rod of Frost Bolts = 12d8 (54)
DL30 Rod of Fire Bolts = 12d8 (54)
DL40 Rod of Acid Bolts = 12d8 (54)
DL55 Rod of Lightning Balls = 64
DL60 Rod of Cold Balls = 100
DL70 Rod of Acid Balls = 120
DL75 Rod of Fire Balls = 144

Bolt wands are less useful because they do less damage. The ball wands do the same damage as the rods though, and since you can use them in consecutive turns, they can be great burst damage. I hold onto ball wands, empty them into tough monsters, and drop them if I need the room before I make it back to town to sell the empty husks.

DL35 Wand of Lightning Balls = 64
DL40 Wand of Cold Balls = 100
DL50 Wand of Acid Balls = 120
DL50 Wand of Fire Balls = 144
DL50 Wand of Drain Life = 150
DL50 Wand of Dragon's Frost = 160
DL50 Wand of Dragon's Flame = 200
DL60 Wand of Dragon's Breath = 120 (Pois), 160 (Elec/Cold), or 200 (Acid/Fire)
DL60 Wand of Annihilation = 250

RogerN · June 22, 2009, 19:43

Quote:

I wonder if rods have the same problem as arrows. Perhaps a "device quiver" that can hold eg. 10 of any mix of rods, staves, and wands in a single slot would make them see more use.

That would make inventory management rather trivial, wouldn't it? Then players would be calling for a scroll quiver, just to be consistent... and we'd end up with level 50 warriors running around carrying 20+ devices and 20+ scrolls, behaving like mages for all intents and purposes.

Magnate · June 22, 2009, 19:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerN

That would make inventory management rather trivial, wouldn't it? Then players would be calling for a scroll quiver, just to be consistent... and we'd end up with level 50 warriors running around carrying 20+ devices and 20+ scrolls, behaving like mages for all intents and purposes.

... except that when I've finished torturing the fail rate algorithm level 50 warriors aren't going to be able to activate anything more complex than a wand of magic missile ....

(j/k)

Cauldron · June 22, 2009, 20:09

Thanks, this is very helpful.

will_asher · June 22, 2009, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marble Dice

Note the other elemental rods have the same damage:

DL20 Rod of Lightning Bolts = 6d6 (21)
DL25 Rod of Frost Bolts = 12d8 (54)
DL30 Rod of Fire Bolts = 12d8 (54)
DL40 Rod of Acid Bolts = 12d8 (54)

When I said Rod of fire bolts had the highest damage output, I probably should have mentioned that I was looking at Angband 3.0.9 code, but I didn't expect that to be changed.

Pete Mack · June 23, 2009, 01:32

Right. I'd forgotten the 3 better beam rods had been nerfed in 3.1.x. (A mistake IMO.) There should be at least some incentive to carry stacks of these.

June 22, 2009, 18:10	#1
Cauldron Apprentice Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 62	Utility of Rods, Wands Just how useful are wands/rods of (insert damage type here) bolts/balls? I've seen how some folk like to stack them up and blast away. I've always eschewed their use, and having enough to be useful and of the right type to actually damage critters is problematic at best (with the possible exception of Rods of Light). I usually play mages, and tend to rely on arrows and my character's spells. I've collected rods to sell for cash, and used them while carrying them, but I typically dump them in the town once I get there. Am I making an error? __________________ I miss autoscum... but not that much.

June 22, 2009, 19:21	#3
Atarlost Swordsman Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 441	I wonder if rods have the same problem as arrows. Perhaps a "device quiver" that can hold eg. 10 of any mix of rods, staves, and wands in a single slot would make them see more use. __________________ One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to bind them. One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness interrupt the movie.

June 22, 2009, 19:34	#4
will_asher DaJAngband Maintainer Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 1,124 Donated: $10	Usually, the only ones I use are Rods of light, acid, and fire. Rods of light because they beam and are useful for lighting hallways. Rods of fire because they have the highest damage output of any bolt wand or rod. Rods of acid because they have the second highest bolt damage and less monsters resist. IMO, If you can get a couple of any of these rods then they are worth using, but I usually ignore any others that I find except maybe carrying them for a few turns. Wands/rods of Annhilation or ball spells usually have too high a fail rate for my characters, but you shouldn't have that problem as a mage. __________________ Will_Asher aka LibraryAdventurer My old variant DaJAngband: http://sites.google.com/site/dajangbandwebsite/home (defunct and so old it's forked from Angband 3.1.0 -I think- but it's probably playable...)

June 22, 2009, 20:09	#8
Cauldron Apprentice Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 62	Thanks, this is very helpful. __________________ I miss autoscum... but not that much.

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June 22, 2009, 18:48	#2
Pete Mack Prophet Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 6,768 Donated: $40	It depends on the rod. If it does 70+ damage/shot, it is likely to be better than arrows. I often carry them until I've got enough mana to get through a decent fight without running low. And Rods of Light are a valuable tool for more than combat.

June 22, 2009, 19:42	#5
Marble Dice Swordsman Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Portland, OR, USA Posts: 412	Bolt/ball rods usually recharge in 7-12 turns so if you've got more than one you can get decent mileage out of them each fight. Most rods do decent damage, but I usually skip lightning bolts. Note the other elemental rods have the same damage: DL20 Rod of Lightning Bolts = 6d6 (21) DL25 Rod of Frost Bolts = 12d8 (54) DL30 Rod of Fire Bolts = 12d8 (54) DL40 Rod of Acid Bolts = 12d8 (54) DL55 Rod of Lightning Balls = 64 DL60 Rod of Cold Balls = 100 DL70 Rod of Acid Balls = 120 DL75 Rod of Fire Balls = 144 Bolt wands are less useful because they do less damage. The ball wands do the same damage as the rods though, and since you can use them in consecutive turns, they can be great burst damage. I hold onto ball wands, empty them into tough monsters, and drop them if I need the room before I make it back to town to sell the empty husks. DL35 Wand of Lightning Balls = 64 DL40 Wand of Cold Balls = 100 DL50 Wand of Acid Balls = 120 DL50 Wand of Fire Balls = 144 DL50 Wand of Drain Life = 150 DL50 Wand of Dragon's Frost = 160 DL50 Wand of Dragon's Flame = 200 DL60 Wand of Dragon's Breath = 120 (Pois), 160 (Elec/Cold), or 200 (Acid/Fire) DL60 Wand of Annihilation = 250

June 23, 2009, 01:32	#10
Pete Mack Prophet Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 6,768 Donated: $40	Right. I'd forgotten the 3 better beam rods had been nerfed in 3.1.x. (A mistake IMO.) There should be at least some incentive to carry stacks of these.

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