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Old 03-26-2019, 06:36 PM   #1
Gumby Bush
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Default Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

By default, to enchant an item with Staff it must be no longer than 2 yards and made of once-living material.

I have concluded that the once-living requirement serves largely to keep a staff from serving as too good of a weapon (I point my sword at him and cast fireball!), while the length requirement obviously limits how much the staff can benefit distance modifiers.

Given that one can fasten powerstones in a staff, am I right in assuming that some of the staff can be non-living? How much metal would interfere?

I am curious what alterations to these two requirements others have tried and found successful.

I am also curious what unusual items people have enchanted Staff on--the jutte seems valid if it's made of wood, for instance, and it looks like the sodegarami could take it--and how those have worked out.
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Old 03-26-2019, 06:48 PM   #2
Anthony
 
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

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Originally Posted by Gumby Bush View Post
Given that one can fasten powerstones in a staff, am I right in assuming that some of the staff can be non-living? How much metal would interfere?
My assumption is that the staff enchantment doesn't apply to the parts that aren't a contiguous chunk of once-living material, and staff must be exposed.
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Old 03-26-2019, 06:59 PM   #3
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

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Originally Posted by Gumby Bush View Post
I have concluded that the once-living requirement serves largely to keep a staff from serving as too good of a weapon
"Once living" also has it's roots in folklore and tradition, where wands are traditionally made of wood or bone.

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Originally Posted by Gumby Bush View Post
Given that one can fasten powerstones in a staff, am I right in assuming that some of the staff can be non-living? How much metal would interfere?
Real "walking staves" would almost certainly have some sort of metal endcap, probably brass or bronze, just as canes today usually have a rubber foot. This is to protect the end from damage and wear.

As Anthony said, and IMO, the Staff spell applies to the "once living" portion of the staff. Any significant modifications to the staff, beyond basic ornamentations, endcaps, and jewel mounts would tend to dissipate the enchantment. Magic is fickle.
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Old 03-26-2019, 07:02 PM   #4
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

I'm with the add your embellishments, just dont replace sections camp.
I had a character use the Staff spell on a whip once,I doubt I'm the only one.
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Old 03-26-2019, 07:05 PM   #5
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

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Originally Posted by Refplace View Post
I
I had a character use the Staff spell on a whip once,I doubt I'm the only one.
It's an item in Magic Items 3.
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Old 03-26-2019, 07:06 PM   #6
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumby Bush View Post
I have concluded that the once-living requirement serves largely to keep a staff from serving as too good of a weapon (I point my sword at him and cast fireball!), while the length requirement obviously limits how much the staff can benefit distance modifiers.

Given that one can fasten powerstones in a staff, am I right in assuming that some of the staff can be non-living? How much metal would interfere?

I am curious what alterations to these two requirements others have tried and found successful.

Part of the point is to increase your reach, but in RAW it's used on sticks from short wand- to staff-sized--the height of a human.

Note, though, that a Giant giant could wield a Staff staff 10 yd long with equal validity (at a cost multiplier of 1 x the number of 2-yd (human-height) lengths).

The use of 'living material only' is a setting limitation based on extending the touch of the wielder magically, using Correspondence magic. A GM could change this, and so could an enterprising enchanter.

The amount of metal or other non-living material you could attach while still having it be usable would be the point where it changes from 'a wooden/bone/boiled-leather staff with metal and gem bits' to 'a metal and gem staff with a wooden core'. So, very generally, about 1/2 the weight or volume should be ex-living material.

It has, in published material, been used on at least one leather whip and been mentioned as a possible addition to a wooden shield.
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Old 03-27-2019, 03:47 AM   #7
scc
 
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gumby Bush View Post
By default, to enchant an item with Staff it must be no longer than 2 yards and made of once-living material.

I have concluded that the once-living requirement serves largely to keep a staff from serving as too good of a weapon (I point my sword at him and cast fireball!), while the length requirement obviously limits how much the staff can benefit distance modifiers.
Not quite, if you make the sword out of valuable materials like gold it's quite permissible to make it a Staff. And in a fantasy setting materials such as aluminum or titanium are also permitted.
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Old 03-27-2019, 04:19 AM   #8
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

I once had a character with a thrusting bastard sword for a "staff". The sword was a gift (created in collaboration with the GM) from a god, and I only had one spell that benefitted from using the sword.
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Old 03-27-2019, 05:13 AM   #9
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

I once had a mage with a spear as a his Staff. When he was done enchanting it, it was legendary.


No Powerstones on it though. I don't remember exactly why I went that route.
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Old 03-27-2019, 09:00 AM   #10
Fred Brackin
 
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Default Re: Staff Spell Item Prerequisites

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Originally Posted by scc View Post
Not quite, if you make the sword out of valuable materials like gold it's quite permissible to make it a Staff. And in a fantasy setting materials such as aluminum or titanium are also permitted.
That sounds more like a Dungeon Fantasy Power Item than Magic's Staff Spell.
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