Magic Staves got the shaft.

[Destil]

Does this mean that if I were palying an archaic mage and took another's staff that I gain all the spells contained by that staff, much like stealing another wizard's spellbook?

You first need to make spellcraft checks, and if you succede you can transfer the magical pattren into your own staff. Just like a spell book.

Something else I should of pointed out: a normal wizard can use spellcraft to study the magical patterens of an archaic mage's staff, and vise versa. The spellcraft DC is increased by 4 to do so. Likewise they can learn spells from scrolls [again +4 DC], or a wizard can learn them from imbued spells if he gets a staff [also +4 DC].

Unlimited spell storage... I wonder how many spells a staff would have if it had been infused for 10 years by a high level mage.

How many scrolls would expect a wizard of that level to have on him

 

[ValarX]

Just had a funny thought. Would be interesting to provide an arachaic mage with a suggestion to disintegrate his own staff. (Not that this would be an easy task to accomplish, but would be funny to have the mage standing there as the destruction of his own source of magic.)

 

[mmadsen]

One interesting magic variant is to make "preparing" a spell mean charging your staff with that spell. Thus, a wizard can be disarmed by taking away his staff (as in the Lord of the Rings).

 

[Otterscrubber]

Just out of curiosity, why is that? As a DM, I do not like the idea of magic items being craftable by powerful wizards, but when a PC in my group reaches high-level to have to tell him that "No, you can't create it"...

I do agree that staves are a bit lame, being only higher-level wands... I like the idea of being able to burn one's spell slots to cast a spell present in the staff. Like you don't ever need to memorize that spell again, since you can simply forget one of the spell you prepared to cast it from the staff. It defeats the purpose of the sorcerer a bit, but then I never like sorcerers much, preferring the versatility of the wizard...

Actually this would help sorcerers gain access to spells they otherwise would not have. In my case however I have an 18th level sorcerer who has a Staff of Power, and I happen to already know all the spells so basically all I get from it is a +2 to my save. But a staff of fire would be great as I dont have fireball or wall of fire.

***Edit***

Nevermind, I re-read your post and now understnd what you meant about defeating the purpose of sorcerers

 

[Beholder Bob]

Staff, Rod, and Misc Item

Item creation is flawed. Why take any type other then misc. magic item? A Brilliant Helm (misc. item) is better then a staff. A necklace of missiles is similar to a wand that anyone can use (X charges fireball), feather tokens are similar to potions (minor spell, anyone can use), and misc. items overlap rings and rods easily. Suggestion: magic item crafting should be done with 5 feats: 1st feat (craft item 500 GP or less), 2nd feat (2500 GP), 3rd feat (12,000 GP), 4th feat (60,000), 5th feat (200,000). Require a skill to be had in order to craft each type of item (fine metal work for jewelry, weaponsmith, rod, staff, etc.) with the # of ranks limiting the maximum caster LV of the item. You want to make magic boots, you need 1+ feats and some ranks in craft (leatherwork) or (cobbler). You have 3 ranks, then the maximum caster LV for making magic boots is 3rd. Use spell craft for scrolls, alchemy for potions.

Working within the current feat system instead - ask yourself, why do I have to be such a high LV PC in order to get these feats (12th LV just to make a ring, even if it only holds a 0th LV spell)? Balance it by making a staff and ring’s DC’s = 10+2*LV, and grant it a +4 roll to resist being dispelled. You had to wait so long to make it because it’s potent. Perhaps even throw in a +4 to pierce spell resistance. Staves are ungodly expensive for multi-function wands. Yes, they can exceed the wand spell LV limit, but you pay for that feature by spending threw the nose for its power already.

Just a suggestion

 

[Silver Griffon]

Check out the description of the Magister class in Monte Cook's upcoming Arcana Unearthed.

http://www.montecook.com/diary8.html

It vaguely reminds me of the importance of the staff in Ursula K. LeGuinn's Earthsea books.

 

[Dr.Dan]

Anyone else felt that staves are a bit lame? They are nothing more than a big wand. Based from various novels I've read staves seem a bit more than a use and forget items for the wizards who own them, they seem to grant them powers or abilities they normally dont have. And they also seem to keep them for a long time, this is not in keeping with they way they are presented in the D&D game.

I’ve toyed with the idea of making staves rechargeable. If the cost of doing so were less than the cost of making a new one than characters would have the economic incentive to do so. In addition, you’d see characters using the same staves over long periods of time just as wizards in literature do. Recharging, it seems to me, would bring the Craft Staff feat up to a power level commensurate with its prerequisite level, and no longer would staves be simply ‘big wands.’

 

[Dr.Dan]

Re: Staff, Rod, and Misc Item

Item creation is flawed. Why take any type other then misc. magic item?

. . .

Suggestion: magic item crafting should be done with 5 feats: 1st feat (craft item 500 GP or less), 2nd feat (2500 GP), 3rd feat (12,000 GP), 4th feat (60,000), 5th feat (200,000). Require a skill to be had in order to craft each type of item (fine metal work for jewelry, weaponsmith, rod, staff, etc.) with the # of ranks limiting the maximum caster LV of the item. . . .

Bob, you’re right. Under the official system, there is no need to take any Craft feat other than Craft Wondrous Item. You’re ideas go a long way toward solving the problem, but lack a little flavor IMO. IMC I’ve taken the 5 feats and divided them up by function rather than by form. I’ve also made an effort to bump up the costs of some of those pesky permanent magic items (Boots of Striding & Springing, for example). Perhaps when I get back to my other PC I’ll post them here.

 

[Thresher]

The biggest gripe about most staves is the normally horrible DC's the spells have in them, for utility type spells theyre alright I guess but theres not a lot in there for offensive power.

 

[Purzel]

Staff as familiar replacement

Hi!

I've made up a Wizard Staff as replacement for familiars. With the help of
people from the messageboard i set up a customizable personal magic
item for wizards and specialists.

PDF-Version:
http://www.heim1.de/~purzel/staff_v2.pdf

HTML-Version:
http://www.heim1.de/~purzel/staff_v2/