My take on Staff "Familiars"

[Asmor]

I've always loved the idea of a wizard's staff being an important and intrinsic item to him, but sadly the D&D rules don't have anything to really take care of this... I know there's been a few different rules for this, including an article in Dragon magazine for Staff Familiars (which I personally found terrible since they're costlier, more risky, and just not that great).

Anyways, here's my idea. Sorcerers and wizards can give up a familiar and get a staff instead (or another item appropriate to the character I s'pose, but a staff is the default assumption).

As long as the staff is firmly gripped in both hands (you can use the staff itself for somatic components), you gain the following benefits:

Specialist Wizards: Designate one spell from your school of specialization per level, which you must have scribed in your spellbook as well, which you may spontaneously cast as a cleric spontaneously casts cure spells (i.e. by losing a prepared spell of equal or higher level). These choices are permanent.

Sorcerers: Learn an additional spell of each level, which is tied to the staff. The extra spell may not be cast when you don't have your staff.

Does this seem good or too powerful?

 

[Obrysii]

Seems way too powerful. Wizards ultimately end up getting twenty spontaneously-cast spells?

 

[Draxo]

I would prefer it to give something more.. personal and less powerful than more spells.

I would have it act identically to how a familiar works now, but instead of having combat attacks and movement etc, i would have it impart some protection to the wielder. Something like:

Starting at first level and every four levels therafter the sorcerer gains 1 temporary hit point a +1 to his saving throw vs spells, these temporary hit points regenerate at a rate of 1/hour. The staff additionally gains this bonus to its hardness and hit points.

The staff would probably gain HD as a construct.

 

[WhatGravitas]

Seems way too powerful. Wizards ultimately end up getting twenty spontaneously-cast spells?

Unless he meant per spell level. Then it's still a costly piece of equipment (compare to runestaffs)... but not so bad. Add some hefty loss... and it may be balanced.

 

[Asmor]

Seems way too powerful. Wizards ultimately end up getting twenty spontaneously-cast spells?

When I say per level, I meant spell levels. So wizards get one spell of each level they can cast spontaneously with the staff, and sorcerers get one extra spell level.

 

[Asmor]

Okay, so what if I required a feat to take this option? Think it would be balanced then?

Or, alternatively, a cost to "inscribe" a spell into your staff. Starts off with a 0-level spell for free, and you can scribe up to one extra spell per spell level, at the cost of (level^2)*X (where X is some number to balance... 1000 seems good at lower levels, but does 81,000 sound good for a 9th level spell? Costs 285,000 total to completely fill the staff).

 

[Technik4]

Seems fine if it costs a feat and disallows you from having a familiar.

 

[Nellisir]

casters without their staff take a -2 caster level penalty.

 

[Slapzilla]

Why not just switch it out straight across. No feat, no extra spells. I love the idea of it advancing as a construct. You can still link and deliver touch spells with it, no problem. Since familiars can run around and do stuff (like keep an eye out while you study up) and staves cannot, how about then it being the focus for spells that require one. Not components certainly but things like 'strip of leather' or 'prism'. Including it as a part of the somatic components is, I think, automatic. Wizards and Sorcerers can each benefit from that.