Would you use this weapon?

[Caliban]

So it basically turns the spellcaster into a crappy fighter who can only cast two spells, once each? Where do I sign up!!

 

[Umbran]

Reading the DMG closely, there's actually a question on this, but the standard interpretation is that a Spell storing item holds a spell 1st through 3trd level spell, and if you hit you get to cast it on the target simultaneously. And then the item is empty, and you need to store another spell in it.

If you can't cast spells while you posess the thing, you can't refill it. In fact, I'd probably rule that you have to "possess" it in order to refill it. Which means after it's creation, nobody can ever refill it again! Talk about useless. Just buy a darned wand.

 

[Twowolves]

Reading the DMG closely, there's actually a question on this, but the standard interpretation is that a Spell storing item holds a spell 1st through 3trd level spell, and if you hit you get to cast it on the target simultaneously. And then the item is empty, and you need to store another spell in it.

If you can't cast spells while you posess the thing, you can't refill it. In fact, I'd probably rule that you have to "possess" it in order to refill it. Which means after it's creation, nobody can ever refill it again! Talk about useless. Just buy a darned wand.

Like I said, I was assuming you could store a spell without holding it, just set it on the table and cast away. Otherwise, yeah, it is useless. But seeing as how the Spellsword PrC won't let you do the same thing until something like 4th level, I could see a 1st lvl SpellSword using it. Since it's a double weapon and each end has the spell storing ability, you can put two spells in it.

Is it great, obviously not! It wouldn't be "cursed" if it were. My questions were A) is it totally worthless and B) if not worthless, how much less than the uncursed list price of 16,600 gp should it be? Yeah, anyone can just BUY a wand or whatever, assuming that the campaign is one where magic shops are on every corner like Starbucks. Nowhere did I postulate that this would be hot-"stuff"-on-a-stick, just how much less than the list price should it go for, assuming the characters want to sell/trade it away.

Sheesh, nevermind.

 

[Umbran]

Like I said, I was assuming you could store a spell without holding it, just set it on the table and cast away.

The problem is that if "posession" is equivalent to just holding it, it isn't much of a drawback - as worded, it is not a restriction on spellcasting, but on the use of the staff.

You can always drop an item as a free action, so the restriction doesn't stop you from casting. Having dropped it, you need to spend a move action to pick it up again - so, in effect, the restriction is on using the staff after spellcasting. It's a bit slow, is all.

I could see a 1st lvl SpellSword using it.

That's... a very restricted market. How many first level Spellswords are there in the world?

Nowhere did I postulate that this would be hot-"stuff"-on-a-stick, just how much less than the list price should it go for, assuming the characters want to sell/trade it away.

Depends on exactly how that restriction works. It is either so restrictive as to be worthless, or not much of a restiction at all. Selling price may also depend upon the market - if they have a Spellsword academy around, they might pay a whole lot more for it than others.

 

[griff_goodbeard]

My Hexblade might find a use for it.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

My Hexblade might find a use for it.

Tell us how.

I think prices for cursed items are kind of silly, actually. I guess they're there for game balance purposes, but virtually no adventurer would willingly pay the cost. Sometimes I think they should just have a CR, like a trap, and overcoming the challenging would require resources like a quest or a remove curse spell.