Sage Advice's ruling on staves

[Felon]

My take is that I'm more than happy to interpret flavor text as flavor, and I'm willing to make guesses based on what I think is a reasonable interpretation of author's intent.

(It's why I don't tend to engage in long discussions in the rules forum.) .

Oh, I think you have the right of it. I don't know know why Hype is having this literal-minded hang-up with semantics at this particular moment in time. I thought it was bad when folks' obsessed on the word "away" in the description of the scout's skirmish ability, but at least then we were talking about a word used in the course of laying down rules. In this case, "several" is not part of a rule for making staves, just part of what's clearly a general description.

When the descriptions states that most staves are made out of wood, while a few are made out of bone, metal, or glass, should that description be taken so literally that those comprise the only substances a staff can be made from?

 

[Hypersmurf]

In this case, "several" is not part of a rule for making staves, just part of what's clearly a general description.

Right. It's not part of a rule for making staffs; it's describing what a staff is once you've finished making it.

"A casting time of less than one minute" is not part of a rule for making potions, but it's part of the description of what a potion is, and if you try to make a potion of a spell with a casting time longer than that, you don't end up with a valid potion.

If you try to make a staff that doesn't store several spells, what you end up with isn't a valid staff.

-Hyp.

 

[mvincent]

I don't know know why Hype is having this literal-minded hang-up with semantics at this particular moment in time.

'This' particular moment?!

 

[Slaved]

I prefer rods myself.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

Clearly imaginative staff construction got the, er, shaft?

Especially since there've been published staves not made of wood. The only one I can recall off the top of my head right this second was the "four rods of adamantine twisted together" one in, I think, Complete Arcane, or maybe Complete Divine.

Brad

 

[mvincent]

there've been published staves not made of wood.

The Shadowstaff

 

[mvincent]

Just noticed, this:
"A staff is a long shaft of wood that stores several spells."

... is contradicted by this below it:
"Most staffs are wood, but a rare few are bone, metal, or even glass."

That might make one question just how literally the first sentence should be taken.

 

[Slaved]

Just noticed, this:
"A staff is a long shaft of wood that stores several spells."

... is contradicted by this below it:
"Most staffs are wood, but a rare few are bone, metal, or even glass."

That might make one question just how literally the first sentence should be taken.

There is also the staff of transmutation in the core which can be made from petrified wood, which is not really wood anymore.

 

[Legildur]

Basic descriptions from the SRD:

Abjuration - Usually carved from the heartwood of an ancient oak or other large tree.
Charming - Made of twisting wood ornately shaped and carved.
Conjuration - This staff is usually made of ash or walnut.
Defense - The staff of defense is a simple-looking staff.
Divination - Made from a supple length of willow, often with a forked tip.
Earth and Stone - This staff is topped with a fist-sized emerald.
Enchantment - Often made from applewood and topped with a clear crystal.
Evocation - Usually very smooth and carved from hickory, willow, or yew.
Fire - Crafted from bronzewood with brass bindings.
Frost - Tipped on either end with a glistening diamond, this rune-covered staff....
Healing - This white ash staff, with inlaid silver runes.
Illusion - Made from ebony or other dark wood.
Illumination - This staff is usually sheathed in silver and decorated with sunbursts.
Life - Made of thick oak shod in gold.
Necromancy - This staff is made from ebony or other dark wood.
Passage - no description.
Power - It is usually topped with a glistening gem, its shaft straight and smooth.
Size Alteration - Stout and sturdy, this staff of dark wood.
Swarming Insects - Made of twisted dark wood.
Transmutation - This staff is generally carved from or decorated with petrified wood.
Woodlands - Appearing to have grown naturally into its shape, this oak, ash, or yew staff.

If a material is specified, then it is wood. But there are a few examples of either no material specified, or it is conditioned with a 'usually/generally'.

So there is no way to reconcile the conflicting statements mvincent has highlighted.

 

[hong]

This thread is giving me wood.

Or taking it away. One of them, anyway.

. . .

In practical terms, does anyone actually take Craft Staff? Or buy staves, as opposed to picking them up off dead bodies?

The comparison to wands is flawed, since you can't put spells > 4th level in a wand. Maybe allowing staves to be like super-wands wouldn't be that bad. The quadratic pricing formula means a staff of 9th level spells is going to cost the earth anyway.