Attacking with a staff of healing [Archive] - Wizards Community

Attacking with a staff of healing [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
ehrin
03-12-05, 10:23 AM My character just received a staff of healing. Being proficient with staves, and having that as one of his preferred weapons, can he actually attack with it? If so, are there any bonuses? It must be at least masterwork, correct? Is it "magical" as well, and can overcome SR for magic items?

Any help on the stats is appreciated.
JiobiValen
03-12-05, 10:33 AM From the SRD
Physical Description: A typical staff is 4 feet to 7 feet long and 2 inches to 3 inches thick, weighing about 5 pounds. Most staffs are wood, but a rare few are bone, metal, or even glass. (These are extremely exotic.) Staffs often have a gem or some device at their tip or are shod in metal at one or both ends. Staffs 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.

Going by that, they are quarterstaffs but are not magical or masterwork unless you use a masterwork piece to begin with. (Which then could be enchanted on its own) I have also seen a few staves that count as magic weapons from the start but a specific example doesn't come to mind, hope this helps.
ehrin
03-12-05, 10:43 AM Thanks.. i read that in the DMG too, but it didn't help much.

A staff of healing is magical, and so it should be at least masterwork, shouldn't it?

THe DMG states "Unlike other sorts of magic items...", so the DMG considers them to be one sort of magic item. "All magic weapons are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality." So, magical, weapon, must be masterwork at least... Maybe?
Callista
03-12-05, 11:19 AM I'm not so sure... see, they might be designed in a fashion that allows them to do magic, but not in such a way that allows them to be a masterwork weapon...
wolf_mage
03-12-05, 11:32 AM No, they aren't masterwork. (magic) Staff != weapon, in that items must be masterwork to receive weapon enhancements, but items don't need to be masterwork to receive other magical enhancements (such as staves.)
ehrin
03-12-05, 11:47 AM So a staff like this can't be used in melee? I would simply carry it around, banging into things, along with my other staff (the one that can be used as a weapon)?
Heron_Marked_Blade
03-12-05, 01:45 PM It CAN be used as a normal quarterstaff, but it's not a magic weapon, or even a masterwork weapon. You'd do just as well cutting a length of wood from the nearest tree and using it instead. That way, if it breaks when you thump someone with it, you haven't wasted 30k+gp.
dog_mu
03-12-05, 02:12 PM The time to use it as a weapon is when you're fighting undead, especially undead with low ACs. You can cast a Cure spell out of it and deliver it with a damaging attack, hurting the undead twice.
ehrin
03-12-05, 07:50 PM thanks. I just hate the thought of hauling around TWO six foot staves through tight cramped places, caves, etc..
DM Zoc
03-12-05, 08:25 PM You can get a magical staff (as in spell-casting) which is also a masterwork and/or magical weapon, but you have to pay the cost of a +1 Quarterstaff (2300 per end) in addition to the cost of the healing staff. If you just have this staff show up in front of you, then there's a very small chance that it's also a magical weapon (about the same chance that a +2 shield of heavy fortification is also a +1 weapon).
Razoreface
03-12-05, 09:56 PM Cast GMW on it. :)

If you have one made you can have it done as a masterwork staff on either end, you don't have to do both.
DM Zoc
03-13-05, 01:07 AM Cast GMW on it. :)

If you have one made you can have it done as a masterwork staff on either end, you don't have to do both.
Unless you want to use it as a double-weapon or enchant both ends separately, in which case it costs 600 GP for the two separate masterwork weapons.
Razoreface
03-13-05, 11:34 AM I'm talking from a realism and practicality standpoint... How many mages use TWF? :)
ehrin
03-13-05, 07:47 PM I guess i will just shove it in my pack carrier, and keep my regular quarterstaff. Would be nice to have a masterwork or magical weapon someday, just in case i have to hit some BBEG.
Odin_666
03-14-05, 05:43 AM if you look on table 7-32 page 284 in the dmg you see that for creating a staff you need a masterwork quarterstaff (300gp)
therefore i would say all staffs are masterworked...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ehrin 03-12-05, 10:23 AM	My character just received a staff of healing. Being proficient with staves, and having that as one of his preferred weapons, can he actually attack with it? If so, are there any bonuses? It must be at least masterwork, correct? Is it "magical" as well, and can overcome SR for magic items? Any help on the stats is appreciated.
JiobiValen 03-12-05, 10:33 AM	From the SRD Physical Description: A typical staff is 4 feet to 7 feet long and 2 inches to 3 inches thick, weighing about 5 pounds. Most staffs are wood, but a rare few are bone, metal, or even glass. (These are extremely exotic.) Staffs often have a gem or some device at their tip or are shod in metal at one or both ends. Staffs 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. Going by that, they are quarterstaffs but are not magical or masterwork unless you use a masterwork piece to begin with. (Which then could be enchanted on its own) I have also seen a few staves that count as magic weapons from the start but a specific example doesn't come to mind, hope this helps.
ehrin 03-12-05, 10:43 AM	Thanks.. i read that in the DMG too, but it didn't help much. A staff of healing is magical, and so it should be at least masterwork, shouldn't it? THe DMG states "Unlike other sorts of magic items...", so the DMG considers them to be one sort of magic item. "All magic weapons are automatically considered to be of masterwork quality." So, magical, weapon, must be masterwork at least... Maybe?
Callista 03-12-05, 11:19 AM	I'm not so sure... see, they might be designed in a fashion that allows them to do magic, but not in such a way that allows them to be a masterwork weapon...
wolf_mage 03-12-05, 11:32 AM	No, they aren't masterwork. (magic) Staff != weapon, in that items must be masterwork to receive weapon enhancements, but items don't need to be masterwork to receive other magical enhancements (such as staves.)
ehrin 03-12-05, 11:47 AM	So a staff like this can't be used in melee? I would simply carry it around, banging into things, along with my other staff (the one that can be used as a weapon)?
Heron_Marked_Blade 03-12-05, 01:45 PM	It CAN be used as a normal quarterstaff, but it's not a magic weapon, or even a masterwork weapon. You'd do just as well cutting a length of wood from the nearest tree and using it instead. That way, if it breaks when you thump someone with it, you haven't wasted 30k+gp.
dog_mu 03-12-05, 02:12 PM	The time to use it as a weapon is when you're fighting undead, especially undead with low ACs. You can cast a Cure spell out of it and deliver it with a damaging attack, hurting the undead twice.
ehrin 03-12-05, 07:50 PM	thanks. I just hate the thought of hauling around TWO six foot staves through tight cramped places, caves, etc..
DM Zoc 03-12-05, 08:25 PM	You can get a magical staff (as in spell-casting) which is also a masterwork and/or magical weapon, but you have to pay the cost of a +1 Quarterstaff (2300 per end) in addition to the cost of the healing staff. If you just have this staff show up in front of you, then there's a very small chance that it's also a magical weapon (about the same chance that a +2 shield of heavy fortification is also a +1 weapon).
Razoreface 03-12-05, 09:56 PM	Cast GMW on it. :) If you have one made you can have it done as a masterwork staff on either end, you don't have to do both.
DM Zoc 03-13-05, 01:07 AM	Cast GMW on it. :) If you have one made you can have it done as a masterwork staff on either end, you don't have to do both. Unless you want to use it as a double-weapon or enchant both ends separately, in which case it costs 600 GP for the two separate masterwork weapons.
Razoreface 03-13-05, 11:34 AM	I'm talking from a realism and practicality standpoint... How many mages use TWF? :)
ehrin 03-13-05, 07:47 PM	I guess i will just shove it in my pack carrier, and keep my regular quarterstaff. Would be nice to have a masterwork or magical weapon someday, just in case i have to hit some BBEG.
Odin_666 03-14-05, 05:43 AM	if you look on table 7-32 page 284 in the dmg you see that for creating a staff you need a masterwork quarterstaff (300gp) therefore i would say all staffs are masterworked...