Staff casters

[Blue Sky]

I was wanting a way to emulate the Magister from AU, but just as an option for wizards to take.

I was thinking of a feat or special rule that would give a small bonus, either to DC's or caster level, to any wizard who "stored" their prepared spells in a staff. This would leave them vulnerable to theft or breakage of their staff, causing the loss of their spells.

Another option, closer to the Magister, would be to allow wizards to prepare 1-2 more spells per level. They couldn't cast more per day than they would normally, but they would have a little more flexibility.

Well, any opinions?

Oh yeah, arrrgh!

 

[Havoc]

I was wanting a way to emulate the Magister from AU, but just as an option for wizards to take.

I was thinking of a feat or special rule that would give a small bonus, either to DC's or caster level, to any wizard who "stored" their prepared spells in a staff. This would leave them vulnerable to theft or breakage of their staff, causing the loss of their spells.

Another option, closer to the Magister, would be to allow wizards to prepare 1-2 more spells per level. They couldn't cast more per day than they would normally, but they would have a little more flexibility.

Well, any opinions?

Oh yeah, arrrgh!

I guess you want to give reasons to spell casters for carrying staves?
If that is the case, you can browse these in your rpg store
The Path of Magic (FFG)
The Quintessential Wizard (Mongoose)
They both give rules to transform the staff into a magic tool.

 

[Nellisir]

I was wanting a way to emulate the Magister from AU, but just as an option for wizards to take.
...
Another option, closer to the Magister, would be to allow wizards to prepare 1-2 more spells per level. They couldn't cast more per day than they would normally, but they would have a little more flexibility.

I like this one, provided it required a feat to access it. maybe prepare +1 spell at each level, or a number of spell levels equal to the caster's Int bonus.

Cheers
Nell.

 

[Ubermeister Kevguy]

I'm currently working on a regional variant style of Arcane caster - tentatively calling them "Staff Magi"; they fit seamlessly within Alkabong's posted Mage
class but substituting in a few "Class Abilities" in the place of the listed feats, that ultimately evens it out...
The staff would be a substitute for any spell books, etc.; ...it's not finished yet, but my inspiration was the R.A. MacAvoy novel's "Damiano" & "Damiano's Lute".
There we have an "Italian" (southern Europe as a whole) style that relies on their staff as a device, as well as a Northern European "Sorcerous" style that is seen as foreign but stylistically fits as the core class.
I'll post again if I come up with something particularly innovative...
good luck!

 

[Nifft]

Here's what I'm thinking:

1) Charged Staves require a Focus (expensive gem or something similar) which determines their "theme". Spells stored in Staves must conform to the theme.

2) Staves can be enchanted as magic weapons (using Craft Magic Arms & Armor), charged items (Craft Staff), and slotless wonderous items (Craft Wonderous Item). These costs do NOT invoke the "secondary power" +50% penalty UNLESS the item contains multiple Wonderous effects. All effects must conform to the "theme".

3) Staves can be enchanted as Rods (Craft Rod). The cost is doubled and limited to a single Rod type.


So, what kind of "themes" am I thinking of?


Persuasion (Focus: 5,000 gp Sapphire)
- Wonderous Effect: Detect Thoughts at will (as Medallion of Thoughts) (+24,000 gp)
- Stored Spell/Charges: Suggestion/1, Charm Monster/1, Dominate Person/1 (9th level, +32,063 gp)
- MW Staff (+301 gp)
= 61364 gp Total


High Necromancy (Focus: 5,000 gp Black Pearl and 5,000 gp Diamond)
- Rod Effect: acts as a Rod of Withering (+50,000 gp)
- Stored Spells/Charges: Undeath to Death/2, Circle of Death/2, Enervation/1, Vampiric Touch/1 (11th level, +82,750 gp including material components)
- Wonderous Effect: unnamed +4 Fortitude bonus (+16,000)
- MW Staff (+301 gp)
= 159,051 gp Total


Winter (Focus: shrunken heart of a White Dragon, worth -- surprise! -- 5,000 gp)
- Wonderous Effect: acts as Boots of the Winterlands (+5,000 gp)
- Stored Spells/Charges: Wall of Ice/1, Cone of Cold/1, Otiluke's Freezing Sphere/1 (15th level, +66,094 gp)
- Weapon: +2 Frost/+1 Icy Burst (+36,601 gp)
= 112695 gp Total

-- N