Magic Staff - Can it have a metal endcap?

[Black Leviathan]

Originally Posted by Polkageist

I mean, is the player trying to do something cool or are they trying to sneak an extra scoop of ice cream?

I think in this case, and in a lot of cases, the player wants an extra scoop of ice cream, but that ice cream is cooler than they know. As a GM I want to find a way to have zapping mage staffs in my game.

[Plane]

I guess the main issue is there could be a lot of in-betweens spanning from the 6ft wood staff with a 6-inch endcap to the 6-inch wood handle with a 6ft steel "endcap". So maybe there could be some gradual handicap which results the more steel there is between the end of your wood and whatever it is you want to touch-cast, if touch-casting is still allowed through a metal tip?

[Anthony]

I would assume that a metal clad endcap is like delivering a touch through gauntlets (may or may not work). And attaching solid metal endpoint, such as a spear point, is like delivering a touch through a dagger (does not work).

[Pragmatic]

For coolness factor, I say allow it.

If it's abused, have the staff get destroyed in the middle of a battle.

[Polkageist]

"I added some bling and metal to make my staff shiny!" - pass
"I added some gubbins to make my staff do not-staff things!" -fail

[Gumby Bush]

There's the RAW answer, which seems to have been covered, but there's also the balance and worldbuilding question: does it really hurt if wizards can enchant Staff on a broadsword?

Given the squishiness of wizards, a true staff (with its +2 to parry) is often the best choice anyway, especially if the wizard knows Deflect Missiles to make a shield less necessary. So I doubt it would really hurt much to allow all manner of metal if it fits how you want things to be.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Plane

The thing about metal fixation is I'm just picturing a mage casting "Staff" on a wooden handle of a sword (caling it his "wand") and then affixing the blade of a sword to it, and then using the metal tip of the sword to touch-cast or convey flaming spells.

While its out of stereotype, I don't know that its a problem exactly. Especially not in DF where the caster templates are what they are. If a mage wants a weird shaped staff to make melee combat a slightly less bad idea, its not really a big deal. Engaging in close range melee at all is normally vastly less useful to the party than back line spell casting would be. If the player really wants to play a melee wizard, might as well let him. It's not like GURPS magic wasn't designed to support sword and armor wielding wizards