Every RPG game, regardless of whether it's played on a tabletop, console, or computer, awards characters with special items they can use to enhance their power. In a fantasy game, wands are usually one item players can loot, find, buy, or receive as a reward for completing a quest. In the Pathfinder universe, wands have the same magical abilities as scrolls or learned spells. Only certain characters can use them, and they have a limited amount of charges that can be used until they disappear.
The second installment in the video game side of the growing Pathfinder franchise, Wrath of the Righteous, has a variety of wands available. Most will appear as random loot that players can pick up from slain enemies or containers, but others are important artifacts essential for parts of the story. The ones below are the most powerful and useful wands the game.
Updated on March 13, 2022, by Kristy Ambrose: Two big updates, a DLC, and a whole lot of bug fixes later, and Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous still has a lot for gamers to find and discover. Now that Pathfinder is available on the Xbox and PS4, console gamers can also enjoy the magical items of RPG lore. Even if the protagonist isn't a spell caster, there are wands they can use to make their boss fights and side quests go more smoothly, even giving them abilities and powers that the character doesn't normally have. Even a Fighter can use some of these simple wands to take over crowd control, defense, or even healing if the situation calls for versatility.
13 Wand Of Glitterdust
This wand is a lot more useful than it sounds. The name calls to mind a harmless toy or tiresome prank, but the Wand of Glitterdust is an essential tool for fighting any creature with the power of invisibility. Most of the enemies in Pathfinder are demons, undead, or cultists — enemies that have various ways of staying out of the player's line of sight using magic.
When the player suspects a creature is hiding from them, they can use this wand to cover a 10-foot radius of the suspicious area with a cloud of golden particles, causing any hidden or invisible creatures to become blinded and revealing their outline for one round. This will affect both friends and enemies, so use it with caution.
12 Wand Of Call Lightning
When it's time to fight the big boss and the party needs all the firepower that it can muster, or in this case electrical energy, it's time to equip the Wand of Call Lightning. This targets one creature within medium range, which takes 3d6 of electrical damage depending on if the caster can pass a skill check.
Any class can use this wand, but how skilled they are at it depends on their Use Magical Device ability and skill check roll. Luckily, this wand invokes a six-foot-wide bolt of lightning, so it's difficult to miss.
11 Wand Of Protection From Acid
This is a level four wand, so players typically won't come across it until at least the road to Drezen. It grants protection from one type of element, which is chosen when used. This can be acid, cold, fire, sonic, or electric damage. The wand grants all allies within a 25-foot radius temporary immunity to that type of energy.
Demons and bugs are the main antagonists in Wrath of the Righteous, so players need all the resistance that they can get. Fighting bugs, especially demon bugs, is dangerous for a variety of reasons, one of which is that bugs tend to use poison and acid damage. With that in mind, Acid is likely the best element to pick for this wand's resistance effect.
10 Wand Of Divine Favor
The Wand of Divine Favor is ideal when those classes aren't present in the party, or if they're in need of rest and out of spells. This wand has an ability usually reserved for Paladins or Clerics. If the party gets caught in a surprise encounter, it's this wand to the rescue.
Divine Favor invokes the power of a deity. This effect gives the caster a boost to Luck on attack and weapon damage rolls for every three levels the caster has, from a minimum of +1 to a maximum of +3.
9 Wand Of Expeditious Retreat
Sometimes roll for Initiative isn't so great, and players need to find a way to live to fight another day. When it's time to make a hasty getaway, make sure one of the characters in the party has this handy wand equipped.
The Wand of Expeditious Retreat only works on the caster, which is a drawback, but still useful if a character needs to move quickly for any reason. It increases their base speed by up to thirty feet and lasts one minute for every one of the character's levels.
8 Wand Of Fireball
It's not fair that only Wizards get spells like this, so it's nice there's a wand that lets everyone in on the action. The Wand of Fireball is also a handy way to give Clerics or martial classes some area of effect damage abilities.
What makes this wand even better than some conventional fire spells is that the damage dealt scales to 1d6 for each of the caster's levels. Careful when putting it to use, however, as it burns friend and foe within a thirty-foot radius.
7 Wand Of Prayer
If the party's Paladins, Shamans, and Oracles are fresh out of Bless spells, pull out this handy wand and give the whole party a similar benefit. The Wand of Prayer not only buffs the party but also deals a serious blow to enemies.
The caster and all of their allies gain a +1 bonus for each of the following: Luck, attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saves, and skill checks. Meanwhile, each enemy takes a -1 penalty on the same rolls. The duration is one round for each of the caster's levels.
6 Wand Of Boneshaker
This wand's effect is both fun and gruesome, so it is a must-have for players who happen to find it. It uses a spell from the school of Necromancy, but it only works on living creatures that have some kind of inner bone structure. That means players won't have much luck using it on insects or zombies.
The caster can target one enemy creature within range and take possession of their skeleton, causing it to rattle within their body and causing 3d6 points of damage initially. This stacks with an additional 1d6 points of damage for every two of the caster's levels.
5 Wand Of Bless
This wand has a lot of benefits in addition to the actual spell it uses. It's a level one wand, so it can be equipped and used early in the game. Plus, it benefits the whole party, not just the caster. The Wand of Bless has the same effects as the spell of the same name, which is common in spellbooks used by Paladins, Oracles, and other healing classes.
Each ally within a 30-foot radius, whether they're in the adventuring party, gains a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls and on saving throws against Fear effects. The spell also counters and dispels Bane, another spell commonly used by demons and the undead.
4 Rod Of Mysticism
A rod, as opposed to a wand, this item is equipped in the same slot and grants the wielder its benefits just by nature of being equipped. It is a class-specific item, and can only be used by Clerics or Oracles and on spells no higher than level 6.
Instead of dealing damage or improving a character's defenses, this wand gives an Oracle or Cleric three maximized spells per day as if they were using a Metamagic ability. Handy if the party needs extra healing or restoration spells.
3 Wand Of Cure Light Wounds
Every party has its designated healers, but there are times when they need backup. A Wand of Cure Moderate Wounds can give the party extra emergency healing in a pinch since a variety of classes can use this wand. When the caster uses this wand on any living creature, they cure 2d8 points of damage and a bonus of one point for each caster level to a maximum of ten.
Creative players understand this wand isn't just for healing, either. Certain types of powerful undead creatures can only be damaged by positive energy. If healers need to save their spells or don't have any left, this wand makes an ideal substitute.
2 Wand Of Mirror Image
This wand can only be used by Wizards, which is just as well since its ability is one of their most common defensive spells. It can be used if those slots have already been spent, or if the Wizard wants to conserve the spells they have.
Using this wand generates up to eight mirror images of the caster depending on their level. Each illusion mimics the caster's movements and is intended to trick attackers into striking the images instead of the spell caster.
1 Wand Of Zacharias
The Wand of Zacharias in Pathfinder might have the name but isn't a wand in the conventional sense. This is an intrinsic part of one of the Mythic Paths available to the main character. It's a special item that the player will come across in Leper's Smile, one of the more important encounters on the road to retake Drezen.
When found, the player can make the choice to destroy it or keep it, and each choice will depend on the character's moral alignment. Should they choose to keep it, they can return the Wand of Zacharias to its original owner, the Lich Zacharias when they meet him at the Lost Chapel. It seems like a simple errand, but it's essential to unlock the Lich Mythic Path.
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous is available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.