Staff in your corner
 

Staff III has no penalty to strike behind the wizard.

Does the staff have eyes? Can you use it to peek around a corner?

Re: Staff in your corner
 

I've been visualizing the occult strike is more like a static discharge blast than a targeted bolt of arcane energy.

Re: Staff in your corner
 

ITL148: "The wizard must be holding or wearing the staff for it to be useful."

Useful here is "used to zap" or just "used as a battery"?

Re: Staff in your corner
 

I would think both, right?

Re: Staff in your corner
 

So you're happy to not see the target two yards behind you that you zap with the wand in your front pocket?

Re: Staff in your corner
 

So first off, I would drop the "or wearing" language because that's just confusing. The wizard must be holding the staff/rod/wand in order to use any of its abilities.

Second, the wizard must be aware of anyone they want to target with the 'occult strike'. I would expect that the rules assume you can see a target in your rear hexes by quickly glancing over your shoulder, right? That simple action should be sufficient to then unleash an 'occult strike' against said opponent I think.

Re: Staff in your corner
 

That is the language in the source.

But not a thrown or missile spell, or a weapon attack, or any other use of a magic item other than a creation spell?

Re: Staff in your corner
 

This sounds very good and looks like some of the pictures in TFT Legacy.

That seems good, but also, you can hear behind you. So if you're just using sound as a guide, I would give a DX penalty to it you would combat in darkness.

Re: Staff in your corner
 

A spell can be cast into adjacent side or rear hexes.

So since Staff III reads:This doesn't seem like a huge stretch to accept what the spell description says, without having to rationalize that the staff also becomes a viewing device.

I do think it's an unfortunate spell ability in that it is a bit peculiar and unclear what it implies for roleplaying situations - it does seem to require an ability to sense who is within 2 hexes of you in any direction, even if there were a wall or shadow or complete darkness or the caster is blind or something, which in an RPG wants more than a combat rule in terms of what that power is and whether you can use it to understand who is where around you for other purposes, or not, and in what circumstances it works or not, etc.

Personally, I would tend to want to reduce it to targets you could cast a spell on because you know they are there from your own senses, and to not let it zap through walls or other figures, etc.

But if it does intend a 2-hex sphere of awareness, then I'd want to flesh that out and maybe apply it to invisible and astral figures, etc. But as with most of the new staff powers, I'd tend to want those to be their own spells rather than bonus abilities you get just for having an already great-and-needed power the staff gives you (i.e. staff mana).

Re: Staff in your corner
 

Yes, but that doesn't make it right. How do you 'wear' a staff?


My impression is that the 'occult strike' works like none of those spell types (which is one my issues the the Staff spells as currently implemented TBH).

Re: Staff in your corner
 

No ma'am, I just got a wand in me pocket.

Re: Staff in your corner
 

Madam Zap's staff is a hairpin.

Blogvo has a strap on his staff and tends to carry it slung on his back.

Slicem the Wizard's staff is a sword which is often worn in a scabbard.

Pokem's staff is a dagger which also has a sheath, concealed under his arm.

But I think the wording may be a holdover from Steve's previous version, which IIRC allowed the staff to be jewelry.

Re: Staff in your corner
 

And I would not allow the wizard to use the powers from his staff for any of these scenarios. Direct physical contact (flesh-to-wood) should be required IMO.

Re: Staff in your corner
 

What if you strap your wand to your upper arm under your robe? Would you need to point the arm at the target behind you?

Re: Staff in your corner
 

Would that work for Harry Potter? I don't think so.
;)

Re: Staff in your corner
 

So the magic flows through your fingertips and not through your toes?

Re: Staff in your corner
 

Exactly... like reiki!

Joking aside, there are numerous quasi-mystic traditions where spiritual energy is focused thru the palm of the hands so it's not much of a stretch thematically to presume that a wizard's staff would require a similar connection point.