Brand on a Staff?
 

Can a wizard have a staff that is also a Brand?

ITL 158 says Brand may be created on stick of wood about 2' long. It also says anyone with 7-Hex Fire spell may create the Brand at the cost of 4 ST.

I see no reason a small sized wooden staff couldn't be a brand. But layering magic item creation on top of magic item creation usually comes at a cost. I know Staff spells and Brand creation in this case are even lesser than lesser magic item creation. It would do torch damage if used as a club or staff damage if use for the occult attack. If the fire is put out, then it still retains the Staff enchantment.

I was just going to allow it, but wanted to see if anyone had a reason that this shouldn't allowed or have extra costs or restrictions that I just did not think about.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

If it gets consumed, then you may not want to do that. Otherwise, I don't see a problem.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

Also the economics of the Brand enchantment is way off as I've noted.

BTW what happens if you cast Staff to Snake on your flaming staff?

I've usually had an ordinary maul staff with a brand tied to the end for the 2-hex jab.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

Regarding the snake: it is no longer a piece of hardened wood thus breaking the brand enchantment. This means when it switches back from snake to staff it will not be on fire.

Interesting idea about essentially tying a torch to a club. I would penalize the staff-maul for tying stuff to it making it clumsier.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

The brand stays lit forever without consuming the wood. Unless it gets put out or broken. Then it becomes a piece of charred wood. ITL 158, "When it goes out it’s just a burned stick, worthless for anything..." So, yes you are correct in that putting it out will destroy the staff.

Until then it serves as a torch and a staff. But not a club/maul.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

Of course real wizards use Light or Dark Vision and toss unlit molotails on foes who themselves carry torches or just need a Fire spell cast on them. This way 18s on throws just leave the wizard herself damp but not hot.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

I thought that it was possible to make the staff into a brand but wouldn't want to do that because of the possibility of it being consumed. What wizard wants to intentionally harm their staff? I wrote the response from my phone and didn't have ITL up and running for reference. So, I didn't know if such a spell consumed the item upon which the spell is cast.

Light spell is far more economical at 1 ST for 24 hrs and it doesn't consume the item upon which it was cast. A wizard can cast it on an item for each member of a party, rest for an hour or so, and be full ready to enter a dark labyrinth for the next 22-23 hours.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

Hi Bill,
Yes, I liked your point that it does consume the staff, if it goes out. I only looked closer at this after you brought it up. Exactly the kind of thing I was asking about. Thanks.

Yes, Light spell is better than Brand when looking for light alone. No risk to losing the staff (although, putting out a Brand won't happen often). But the Brand has the upside of being able to light things: molotails, petards, grenades, pipes, campfire kindling, etc.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

Clever if they are close enough for the Fire spell. Fireball is not.

Of course, throwing a lit molotail saves your wizard the cost of the fire/fireball spell and does a small explosion of 2 point damage to adjacent hexes. Lighting an oil soaked person, I would not do the explosion affect.

Re: Brand on a Staff?
 

Carrying a "torch equivalent" lights up your path for 5 yards around you, and hence enables shots from any distance against anybody inside that radius at no penalty for darkness.
(If you do ignite a friend then cast Darkness, unless you need the light.)