Magic Staffs and Jet Spells

[Dalren]

Based on GURPS: Magic, the benefits of using a Magic Staff are as follows:

•Touching a subject with your staff lets you cast spells on that subject
at no distance penalty. This is useful in situations where you must cast a
spell on a subject you cannot touch with your hand (e.g., a healing spell
on someone trapped under rubble). This also allows a wizard to tap a
Powerstone set into his staff.

• Pointing with a staff reduces the range to a distant subject by the
length of the staff. This is valuable for Regular spells, as a one-yard wand
shaves -1 off distance penalties, while a two-yard quarterstaff eliminates
-2! You can point as part of the ritual to cast a spell. Tell the GM you are
pointing at the subject when you start concentrating. (This might warn
an unwilling subject!)

• A staff can carry Melee spells. This gives them more reach, letting
you strike and parry without putting your hand in harm’s way.

How does this interact with the various jet spells (i.e. Air Jet, Sand Jet, Flame Jet, etc)? Normally, the range of a jet spell is limited by the amount of energy put in (usually 1 to 3). I can't find a description of how Jet spells are actually intended to work, so I assume they work basically the same as an Innate Attack with the Jet modifier. That is, "Your attack is a continuous stream, like a flamethrower. Treat it as a melee weapon with a very long reach rather than as a ranged weapon. Do not apply penalties for target range and speed".

The question is, does the length of the staff increase the range of the jet as a result of issuing from the end of the staff instead of from your hand? For example, a 3pt Flame Jet usually has a range of 3 yards. That is, the jet is 3 yards long and issues from your hex. If you were using a magic staff that measures 2 yards, would you be able to use a 3pt Flame Jet at a range of 5 yards (3 yards of jet issuing from a 2 yards staff)?

[Anthony]

Yes, but you'd be unable to use it at less than the normal reach of your staff; you'd have to choke up to use it at 1 hex and probably couldn't use it at all in close combat.

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Yes, but you'd be unable to use it at less than the normal reach of your staff; you'd have to choke up to use it at 1 hex and probably couldn't use it at all in close combat.

Well if you have already cast the Jet spell through the staff and they have entered your hex...on your turn just step back and blast him again.

If he has attempted to Step and Grab you can parry that attempt (Basic 370) an even at mage skill levels staves are pretty good at parrying...heck I would parry and retreat.



If you have not yet cast the spell, and the target is in your hex you could step and cast...and attack next turn. If you have not cast the spell yet and you are grappled you are in serious trouble as (Basic 371) you cannot take a Concentrate Maneuver while grappled.

As a GM I might allow the casting of 1 rd spells if they are known at 20+ skill (no ritual), but that would depend on circumstance.

If the casting were allowed there would be no reason that the mage could not take 1 hand from the staff and throw the jet with that hand...it might make him easier to disarm but other than that...

[CoyoteGestalt]

I've wondered, too, whether the caster can extend his staff to the side and fire the jet from there - not aiming at an opponent to the side, aiming forwards, but with the jet originating from one hex off to the left or right of the caster. (e.g.while the mage is hiding behind a wall, tree, or heavily armored friend, or to confuse opponents who would fire back at the point the attack come from)

Would this work? What would be the effects on aiming, etc.?

(The same question could apply to Powers-based attacks with the Jet and gadget modifiers.)

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by CoyoteGestalt

I've wondered, too, whether the caster can extend his staff to the side and fire the jet from there - not aiming at an opponent to the side, aiming forwards, but with the jet originating from one hex off to the left or right of the caster. (e.g.while the mage is hiding behind a wall, tree, or heavily armored friend, or to confuse opponents who would fire back at the point the attack come from)

Would this work? What would be the effects on aiming, etc.?

(The same question could apply to Powers-based attacks with the Jet and gadget modifiers.)

Probably the same rules for aiming a gun around/over cover.

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by CoyoteGestalt

I've wondered, too, whether the caster can extend his staff to the side and fire the jet from there - not aiming at an opponent to the side, aiming forwards, but with the jet originating from one hex off to the left or right of the caster. (e.g.while the mage is hiding behind a wall, tree, or heavily armored friend, or to confuse opponents who would fire back at the point the attack come from)

Would this work? What would be the effects on aiming, etc.?

(The same question could apply to Powers-based attacks with the Jet and gadget modifiers.)

I have used this (Projecting missle spells via staff) and snappy use of step, interspersed with an occasional turn of full Move while Invisible to keep a dozen or so opponents from figuring what hex I might be attacking from. (extend staff out 2 hexes to the left, fire, move right, etc)

I also did a number of AoA with the staff. I would do the AoA (usually at full 2 hex range) and then use the half move to get out of dodge.

They attacked a number of times...but they never did guess the right hex. ;->

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by CoyoteGestalt

I've wondered, too, whether the caster can extend his staff to the side and fire the jet from there

Jets are pretty specific about where they can come from, generally a pointed finger, so I'd say a jet from a staff has to come out from the tip, along the axis of the staff.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Jets are pretty specific about where they can come from, generally a pointed finger, so I'd say a jet from a staff has to come out from the tip, along the axis of the staff.

I believe he means holding the staff at arm's length, instead of directly in front of himself.

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

I believe he means holding the staff at arm's length, instead of directly in front of himself.

I was speaking of holding out to the side, at arm's length w/staff at full extension. I was also speaking about casting a missile spell, although I see no reason why a jet could not be cast in a similar manner. The only potential drawback I could see might be the application of a targeting penalty...perhaps.

YMMV.

[CoyoteGestalt]

Either way, really; I've never been clear on whether the default assumption was that Jet spells used with a staff fired like a firearm, or were just projected in some more abstract manner. After all, with missile spells, I can imagine a mage gesturing as though he were flinging the missile from the tip as though it were a staff sling, since that would be a more intuitive motion to a TL3 caster than pointing a stick at someone and having something come out the end. Flinging a Jet wouldn't really make any sense, though....

Jets in GURPS occupy an odd intermediate point between ranged and melee attacks (appropriately so, for the most part), and I'm never sure which set of assumptions to approach them with.