Originally Posted by Der Wanderer

- A staff requires two hand = no gestures = only spells that require no gesture!!!

Originally Posted by Lupo

Is that official?
I never interpreted it that way - spells that require gestures actually require one free hand?

Originally Posted by Der Wanderer

I also allow one handed gestures BUT for a Staff to be ready for parrying it must be hold in TWO hands (One handed it would use the spear skill), so unless the mages has more than two hands he cannot make gestures. That of course is my interpretation...

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

We've always allowed gesture ritual requirements to be filled by the staff movement for spells cast through the staff.

Originally Posted by trooper6

But that house rule isn't logical. Only bladed weapons get the damage bonus for increased materials. Even having a Fine Staff won't increase damage.

So you are a ST-9 Mage...with say, DX 10...because you've spent all your points in IQ and HT. You are not spending your points on weapon master...you've got Magery and all sorts of spells to get. Let's say you only put 1 pt in the skill, as someone mentioned upthread.

So you have Staff - 9 (DX-1) [1]
Damage thrust/cr 1d, swing/cr 1d+1
You have a Staff parry of 9. And that isn't a Fencing Parry.

This Staff-wielding mage is not Uber.

Now a Staff-wielding Weapon Master Ogre with a ST20...that is something I'm pondering considering that my little Rapier fighter may have to fight one in Wrathchild's play by post Arena fight on rpol...

Here: http://rpol.net/game.cgi?gi=35464&date=1236651857

All you GURPS fighters...join!

Originally Posted by Der Wanderer

- A staff requires two hand = no gestures = only spells that require no gesture!!!

Originally Posted by Witchking

Ummm...no reason a wizard cannot ground his staff, take one hand off, make the gesture, and then put the hand back on the staff.

Originally Posted by talonthehand

Sure there is. Switching from a one handed grip to a two handed takes a ready maneuver unless you have Grip Mastery (MA 50).

Originally Posted by Der Wanderer

And even with Grip Mastery he cannot ground his staff cast a spell (which by itself takes at least 1 second) and ready it again for parrying in less than 3 seconds (1 ready to stick the staff into the ground (dropping would be free), cast the spell, 1 ready to take the staff back into his hand and ready it), which means no parry for at least 2 combat rounds...

Originally Posted by roguebfl

given the frac all yo are do in effectively dropping it with one hand is a free action (contrate that turn) But what you then have is an unready staff.

you do need a ready action to either go to a proper one handed grip or back to 2 hand grip