Craft Staff - Opinion

[da_deadman]

Am I correct in thinking that Staffs with multiple spells is a bad deal?

100% of cost for 1st spell.
75% of cost for 2nd spell.
50% of cost for 3rd spell.

While you do get 3 spells in the item, there are a number or drawbacks.

1. 50 charges vs 150 charges for 3 staffs.
2. 225% of cost for 50 charges (see #1).
3. If the item is broken (sunder or otherwise) you are out big time vs 1 spell staffs.
4. The cost for lower level spells suffers because you have to use the minimum of the highest level for the top spell for all spells.

So, does the versatility of multiple spells justify the cost?

 

[Jack Simth]

Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't. An Epic level Sorceror with Master Staff just LOVES staves with lots & lots of spells in them - he can emulate charges, so he never uses the thing up, and (for many purposes - can't metamagic them unless they are enchanted that way into the staff) gets spells added to his list that way - one of the few ways it can happen. For a Wizard or Cleric that uses the staves to store non-combat spells which, when needed, are needed before a night's rest, but aren't normally useful enough to be worth preparing (e.g., Restoration) the flexibility of three spells in one staff is useless, while the delay from switching out staves isn't an issue. Those are just two extremes; what about an Evoker's Staff that has four different elemental attack spells of the same level? If you prepare spells, and are going to be facing critters with different elemental immunities, but don't know how many of each, or what order, that staff is really useful, if more expensive per use, than four single-spell staves for each element.

 

[Crothian]

carrying around 3 staves is not going to be easy

 

[Jack Simth]

Not too difficult; the lowly Staff of Charming costs 16,500 gp, while 1,800 for an effiecient quiver can specifically hold 6 without difficulty. The 2,000 Handy Haversack can potentially hold 16 in the main portion alone (Staffs are listed as 5 lbs, main compartment in a HH is listed as 80 lbs). Not really an issue, outside of combat.

 

[moritheil]

Am I correct in thinking that Staffs with multiple spells is a bad deal?

So, does the versatility of multiple spells justify the cost?

Uh, before you try asking this question, ask yourself, "Do I have a choice?"

There was a fairly recent thread on this, and the wording of the rules of staff creation suggests to many that you must have multiple spells in a staff. Talk to your DM and see if he or she allows staffs with only one spell before proceeding.

 

[Bad Paper]

Uh, before you try asking this question, ask yourself, "Do I have a choice?"

There was a fairly recent thread on this, and the wording of the rules of staff creation suggests to many that you must have multiple spells in a staff. Talk to your DM and see if he or she allows staffs with only one spell before proceeding.

For example, I, as DM, would mock you (not you, moritheil) for not taking Craft Wand or Craft Wondrous Item, which sound more like what you're lookin fer.

A staff is a long shaft of wood that stores several spells. Unlike wands, which can contain a wide variety of spells, each staff is of a certain kind and holds specific spells.

I take issue with this definition, since I don't quite think that all staves are wooden. However, they all store several spells. Of course, all dictionaries I can find seem to describe "several" as being "more than two," and many example-staves have exactly two. That last phrase, about "certain kind" and "specific spells" seems kinda useless.

So hey, maybe staves *can* hold only one spell, but I think you would be a fool to do it. Multiple spells are a feature, not a bug! The extra time/money/xp is well-spent, and it's only "half" the money, anyway.

 

[da_deadman]

For example, I, as DM, would mock you (not you, moritheil) for not taking Craft Wand or Craft Wondrous Item, which sound more like what you're lookin fer.



Wands only go to 4th level and Items are (generally) not used for spell duplication (casting) so this is not good advice.

In any respect, I was not trying to compare Staffs to any other magic item.

 

[Hypersmurf]

For example, I, as DM, would mock you (not you, moritheil) for not taking Craft Wand or Craft Wondrous Item, which sound more like what you're lookin fer.

The save DCs on spells from Wands and WIs tend to suck, of course.

-Hyp.

 

[Thanee]

The important advantage of staffs is not the multiple spells, but rather that you use your own spellcasting ability and caster level.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Lonely Tylenol]

The versatility is actually pretty nice if the spells are mid to high level or utility spells that you either can't cast or don't want to bother preparing. And compared to wands, you really just cannot beat using your own caster level to power them.