Staves
Table: Staves
| Medium | Major | Staff | Market Price |
|---|
| 01–15 | 01–03 | Charming | 17,600 gp |
| 16–30 | 04–09 | Fire | 18,950 gp |
| 31–40 | 10–11 | Swarming insects | 22,800 gp |
| 41–55 | 12–13 | Size alteration | 26,150 gp |
| 56–75 | 14–19 | Healing | 29,600 gp |
| 76–90 | 20–24 | Frost | 41,400 gp |
| 91–95 | 25–31 | Illumination | 51,500 gp |
| 96–100 | 32–38 | Defense | 62,000 gp |
| — | 39–45 | Abjuration | 82,000 gp |
| — | 46–50 | Conjuration | 82,000 gp |
| — | 51–55 | Divination | 82,000 gp |
| — | 56–60 | Enchantment | 82,000 gp |
| — | 61–65 | Evocation | 82,000 gp |
| — | 66–70 | Illusion | 82,000 gp |
| — | 71–75 | Necromancy | 82,000 gp |
| — | 76–80 | Transmutation | 82,000 gp |
| — | 81–85 | Earth and stone | 85,800 gp |
| — | 86–90 | Woodlands | 100,400 gp |
| — | 91–95 | Life | 109,400 gp |
| — | 96–98 | Passage | 206,900 gp |
| — | 99–100 | Power | 235,000 gp |
A staff is a long shaft that stores several spells. Unlike wands, which can contain a wide variety of spells, each staff is of a certain kind and holds specific spells. A staff has 10 charges when created.
Physical Description: A typical staff measures anywhere from 4 feet to 7 feet long and is 2 inches to 3 inches thick, weighing about 5 pounds. Most staves are wood, but an exotic few are bone, metal, or even glass. A staff often has a gem or some device at its tip or is shod in metal at one or both ends. Staves are often decorated with carvings or runes. A typical staff is like a walking stick, quarterstaff, or cudgel. It has AC 7, 10 hit points, hardness 5, and a break DC of 24.
Activation: Staves use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a staff is usually a standard action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast has a longer casting time than 1 standard action, however, it takes that long to cast the spell from a staff.) To activate a staff, a character must hold it forth in at least one hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures).
Special Qualities: Roll d%. A 01–30 result indicates that something (a design, inscription, or the like) provides some clue to the staff 's function, and 31–100 indicates no special qualities.
Using Staves: Staves use the wielder's ability score and relevant feats to set the DC for saves against their spells. Unlike with other sorts of magic items, the wielder can use his caster level when activating the power of a staff if it's higher than the caster level of the staff.
This means that staves are far more potent in the hands of a powerful spellcaster. Because they use the wielder's ability score to set the save DC for the spell, spells from a staff are often harder to resist than those from other magic items, which use the minimum ability score required to cast the spell. Not only are aspects of the spell dependent on caster level (range, duration, and so on) potentially higher, but spells from a staff are also harder to dispel and have a better chance of overcoming a target's spell resistance.
Staves hold a maximum of 10 charges. Each spell cast from a staff consumes one or more charges. When a staff runs out of charges, it cannot be used until it is recharged. Each morning, when a spellcaster prepares spells or regains spell slots, he can also imbue one staff with a portion of his power so long as one or more of the spells cast by the staff is on his spell list and he is capable of casting at least one of the spells. Imbuing a staff with this power restores one charge to the staff, but the caster must forgo one prepared spell or spell slot of a level equal to the highest-level spell cast by the staff. For example, a 9th-level wizard with a staff of fire could imbue the staff with one charge per day by using up one of his 4th-level spells. A staff cannot gain more than one charge per day and a caster cannot imbue more than one staff per day.
Furthermore, a staff can hold a spell of any level, unlike a wand, which is limited to spells of 4th level or lower. The minimum caster level of a staff is 8th.
Staff of Abjuration
Aura strong abjuration; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Usually carved from the heartwood of an ancient oak or other large tree, this staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, dismissal, dispel magic, lesser globe of invulnerability, repulsion, resist energy, shield; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of Charming
Aura moderate enchantment; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 17,600 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Made of twisting wood ornately shaped and carved, this staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, charm person, charm monster; Cost 8,800 gp
Staff of Conjuration
Aura strong conjuration; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This staff is usually made of ash or walnut and bears ornate carvings of many different kinds of creatures. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, cloudkill, minor creation, stinking cloud, summon monster VI, summon swarm, unseen servant; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of Defense
Aura strong abjuration; CL 15th
Slot none; Price 62,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
The staff of defense is a simple-looking polished wooden staff that throbs with power when held defensively. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, shield, shield of faith, shield of law, shield other, creator must be lawful; Cost 31,000 gp
Staff of Earth and Stone
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 11th
Slot none; Price 85,800 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This staff is topped with a fist-sized emerald that gleams with smoldering power. It allows the use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, move earth, passwall; Cost 42,900 gp
Staff of Divination
Aura strong divination; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Made from a supple length of willow, often with a forked tip, this staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, detect secret doors, locate creature, locate object, prying eyes, tongues, true seeing; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of Enchantment
Aura strong enchantment; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Often made from applewood and topped with a clear crystal, this staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, crushing despair, hideous laughter, mass suggestion, mind fog, sleep, suggestion; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of Evocation
Aura strong evocation; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This smooth hickory or yew staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, chain lightning, fireball, ice storm, magic missile, shatter, wall of force; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of Fire
Aura moderate evocation; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 18,950 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Crafted from bronzewood with brass bindings, this staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, burning hands, fireball, wall of fire; Cost 9,475 gp
Staff of Frost
Aura moderate evocation; CL 10th
Slot none; Price 41,400 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Tipped on either end with a glistening diamond, this rune-covered staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, cone of cold, ice storm, wall of ice; Cost 20,700 gp
Staff of Healing
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 29,600 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This white ash staff is decorated with inlaid silver runes. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, cure serious wounds, lesser restoration, remove blindness/deafness, remove disease; Cost 14,800 gp
Staff of Illumination
Aura strong evocation; CL 15th
Slot none; Price 51,500 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This staff is usually sheathed in silver and decorated with sunbursts. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, dancing lights, daylight, flare, sunburst; Cost 20,750 gp
Staff of Illusion
Aura strong illusion; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This staff is made from ebony or other dark wood and carved into an intricately twisted, fluted, or spiral shape. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, disguise self, major image, mirror image, persistent image, mislead, rainbow pattern; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of Life
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 11th
Slot none; Price 109,400 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
A staff of life is made of thick polished oak shod in gold and decorated with sinuous runes. This staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, heal, raise dead; Cost 79,700 gp
Staff of Necromancy
Aura strong necromancy; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This staff is made from ebony or other dark wood and carved with images of bones and skulls mingled with strange spidery runes. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, cause fear, circle of death, enervation, ghoul touch, halt undead, waves of fatigue; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of Passage
Aura strong varied; CL 17th
Slot none; Price 206,900 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This potent item allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, astral projection, dimension door, greater teleport, passwall, phase door; Cost 115,950 gp
Staff of Power
Aura strong varied; CL 15th
Slot none; Price 235,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
The staff of power is a very potent magic item with offensive and defensive abilities. It is usually topped with a glistening gem that often burns from within with a flickering red light. The staff allows the use of the following spells:
The wielder of a staff of power gains a +2 luck bonus to AC and on saving throws. The staff is also a +2 quarterstaff, and its wielder may use it to smite opponents. If 1 charge is expended (as a free action), the staff causes double damage (×3 on a critical hit) for 1 round.
A staff of power can be used for a retributive strike, requiring it to be broken by its wielder. (If this breaking of the staff is purposeful and declared by the wielder, it can be performed as a standard action that does not require the wielder to make a Strength check.) All charges currently in the staff are instantly released in a 30-foot spread. All within 2 squares of the broken staff take points of damage equal to 20 × the number of charges in the staff, those 3 or 4 squares away take 15 × the number of charges in damage, and those 5 or 6 squares distant take 10 × the number of charges in damage. All those affected can make DC 17 Reflex saves to reduce the damage by half.
The character breaking the staff has a 50% chance of traveling to another plane of existence, but if he does not, the explosive release of spell energy destroys him. Only certain items, including the staff of the magi and the staff of power, are capable of being used for a retributive strike.
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, cone of cold, continual flame, heightened fireball, globe of invulnerability, hold monster, levitate, heightened lightning bolt, magic missile, heightened ray of enfeeblement, wall of force; Cost 117,500 gp
Staff of Size Alteration
Aura moderate transmutation; CL 8th
Slot none; Price 26,150 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This staff of dark wood is relatively more stout and sturdy than most magical staves, with a gnarled and twisted knot of wood at the top end. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, enlarge person, mass enlarge person, mass reduce person, reduce person, shrink item; Cost 13,075 gp
Staff of Swarming Insects
Aura moderate conjuration; CL 9th
Slot none; Price 22,800 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Made of twisted darkwood covered with knots and nodules resembling crawling insects (which occasionally seem to move), this staff allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, insect plague, summon swarm; Cost 11,400 gp
Staff of Transmutation
Aura strong transmutation; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 82,000 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
This staff is generally carved from or decorated with petrified wood or fossilized bone, each etched with tiny but complex runes. It allows use of the following spells:
Construction
Requirements Craft Staff, alter self, baleful polymorph, blink, disintegrate, expeditious retreat, polymorph; Cost 41,000 gp
Staff of the Woodlands
Aura strong varied; CL 13th
Slot none; Price 100,400 gp; Weight 5 lbs.
Description
Appearing to have grown naturally into its shape, this oak, ash, or yew staff allows use of the following spells:
The staff may be used as a weapon, functioning as a +2 quarterstaff. The staff of the woodlands also allows its wielder to cast pass without trace at will, with no charge cost. These two attributes continue to function after all the charges are expended.
Construction
Requirements Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Staff, animate plants, barkskin, charm animal, pass without trace, speak with animals, summon nature's ally VI, wall of thorns; Cost 50,500 gp
