Staff of the Magi

[Pickaxe]

If I may play devil's advocate here:

Are these DCs really that bad? Sure, they're not that hard to overcome, but consider:

1) Is the DC for a regular fireball much better? Only by virtue of the presumably higher intelligence of PC wizards. Why should the staff of the magi shoot fireballs that are so much better than what wizards normally cast?

2) It's a save for half damage, so even if they make it, they're taking 5d6.

3) Even if it seems underpowered for a high level character, it's still an item with a unique combination of spells that can be recharged by any wizard, without an item creation feat, so it's still very powerful in the eyes of lower level characters.

(Aside: Can any character use this item fully? Since it's not specifically described as a staff, but as an artifact, is there no requirement to have spells on your spell list in order to use it?)

Devil's advocate arguments aside, I'd recommend changing the DCs with some rationale. For instance, one simple idea is to assume that the creator(s) had a high intelligence (at least 18) whose modifier is added to the DC. Or you could say that all spells cast from a staff of the magi are considered to have Spell Focus.

(Another aside: I can't find any rule specifying the DC of a wand or staff. Does it actually say somewhere whether the DC for a spell cast from a wand is the same as if it were cast by its creator, or by its wielder, or simply the minimum DC for any caster?)

--Axe

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'm pretty sure wands and staves in general either loose all power when brought to zero charges, or at least they have to have at least 1 remaining to be recharged. course with a minor artifact especialy one could rule it any way you want. the 3e staff of the magi just needs an overhaul

In 3E you can't recharge staffs and wands, with the exception of the Staff of the Magi, which doesn't really act like a staff in a lot of ways.

A normal wand brought to zero charges is a magic stick. A Staff of the Magi brought to zero charges gives its wielder SR 23, functions as a Rod of Absorption, and can use any of the zero-charge powers.

-Hyp.

 

[Christian]

For Pickaxe:

Magic items produce spells or spell-like effects. For a saving throw against a spell or spell-like effect from a magic item, the DC is always 10 + the level of the spell or effect + the ability bonus of the minimum ability score needed to cast that level of spell. Another way to figure this number is to multiply the spell’s level by 1.5 and add 10 to the result.

(SRD Magic Items: Saving Throws Against Magic Item Powers)

I think the complaint against the DC's is just the perceived absurdity ... "Let me see, should I cast the fireball spell I have prepared, or should I instead throw a fireball from my immensely powerful artifact? ... Wow! I'd best use my own-the one this 'immensely powerful artifact' throws sucks!"

 

[Merlion]

In 3E you can't recharge staffs and wands, with the exception of the Staff of the Magi, which doesn't really act like a staff in a lot of ways.

A normal wand brought to zero charges is a magic stick. A Staff of the Magi brought to zero charges gives its wielder SR 23, functions as a Rod of Absorption, and can use any of the zero-charge powers.

-Hyp.

Theirs gotta be rules for recharging stuff somewhere. if you've got the feat and you've got the spell theirs no reason you cant recharge a staff or wand. I mean the DMG says you can add new powers to magic items(making an existing +1 sword Flamming etc), so I find it hard to believe you cant recharge spell storage items. I know I remember some referencs in some sourcebook or other to that being one of the good points of an item creation feat like craft wand...you can recharge em.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Theirs gotta be rules for recharging stuff somewhere. if you've got the feat and you've got the spell theirs no reason you cant recharge a staff or wand.

That's not recharging, that's making a new wand using the same stick.

When you craft a wand, it has 50 charges. You spend 750xSLxCL (split into XP and GP). If you have a wand with no charges, you can't put 10 charges back into it... you have to start over and make it with 50 charges again.

-Hyp.

 

[drnuncheon]

Theirs gotta be rules for recharging stuff somewhere.

Nope, although a lot of people houserule that you can recharge by paying the proportional cost - for example, you could add 25 charges to a wand for half the cost of the full thing.

J

 

[Merlion]

Uhh yea which is basicaly what I said already. but if its got 1, or 10, or 25 charges in it why cant you add more if you have Craft Wand and the right spell?

 

[Tiberius]

Uhh yea which is basicaly what I said already. but if its got 1, or 10, or 25 charges in it why cant you add more if you have Craft Wand and the right spell?

Mostly, well rather entirely, because the rules don't say you can. There exists no provision for recharging items, and I don't really see a need for one. What's wrong with just making a new wand or staff?

-Tiberius

 

[Caliban]

Uhh yea which is basicaly what I said already. but if its got 1, or 10, or 25 charges in it why cant you add more if you have Craft Wand and the right spell?

Because you can't recharge a wand or a staff in 3e.

If you could, there would be little reason to create potions, since wands are cheaper on a per-charge cost.

A wand of cure light wounds costs 15 gp per charge, while a potion is 50 gp.

It's the fact that you have to shell out 750 gp at once for the wand that balances it: You have to pay a lot up front to get the price break.

That balancing factor goes away if you can do partial charges on wands. The party cleric would just recharge the same wand over and over again.

 

[Merlion]

hmmm...sounds to me like another balance factor that doesnt make a lot of sense. of course I guess as cheap and readily avaible as magic items are now a days when your wand runs out of charges you can just go to the corner store and buy another one.
Magic items are another area that could use a few tweaks here and there IMO