Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lasrifriir 06-15-04, 01:20 PM	The specialist wizards in Unearthed Arcana were lacking in one thing that I have been searching for: A wizard whose power relies on his staff and not his spellbook. How would you stat it out? One possible variant that I thought of: The wizard no longer has a spellbook, but rather a library in some fixed location. By visiting his library of magical tomes, the wizard chooses what spells are going to be in his per day spell slots until the next time he visits his library. As long as he has his staff in his possession, he may cast his spells per day (but not change them). He need not spend an hour preparing his spells, since they are already imparted into his staff and are refreshed every 24 hours. Example: Bob Fiddlebender, a 1st level gnome wizard, has access to 3 level 0-spells and 1 1st level spell per day, plus any his Intelligence bonus while provide him with (not likely with a name like that). After visiting his arcane library, he chooses to have 2 Ray's of Frost and 1 Message as his level 0 spells, and 1 Magic Missile spell for his single 1st level spell. So long as he has his staff in his possession, he may cast these spells, but no others. It's far from balanced however, and would be quite limiting with the wizard having to return to his library whenever he wants a change in his daily spell list. I'm sure that you guys have some better ideas, care to share them?
jagggar 06-15-04, 01:42 PM	Yep, it's called kingdomwide wizard's Guild. It doesn't have to be his library, it can be any library. I'm kind of thinking that he could also take a small spellbook if he wanted with him and be able to change the spells in case he was going on a long journey.
Moonstonedragon 06-15-04, 02:56 PM	I know in 2nd ed. Those dinosaur things (dont know name). The triceratops one used staffs like spellbooks. Im sure if you talk to your dm you can use a staff instead of your spellbook.
Kintara 06-15-04, 03:56 PM	I'm curious if you've read Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed. The Magister class' staff plays an important role as a focus for his spells, and I don't think it needs to worry about a spellbook. Of course, the magic system isn't exactly 100% compatable with D&D, so it might not be a perfect fit. Still, it might give you some good ideas (and so might the magic system, now that I think on it). One thing to consider is to just make the staff INTO the "spellbook." The books state flatly that a "spellbook" doesn't need to really be a book. Just say it's covered from top to bottom in compact runes, for instance. You might want to make it out of adamantium, or something, though. You wouldn't want to have an important rune get chipped off in a brawl. ;)
Lasrifriir 06-15-04, 04:35 PM	Originally posted by Moonstonedragon I know in 2nd ed. Those dinosaur things (dont know name). The triceratops one used staffs like spellbooks. Im sure if you talk to your dm you can use a staff instead of your spellbook. Well, I am the DM, so I guess that solves that problem ;) . My players tend to stick to cookie-cutter type characters, but I like to experiment with variants myself, they could end up as interesting NPC's someday. Originally posted by KintaraI'm curious if you've read Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed. The Magister class' staff plays an important role as a focus for his spells, and I don't think it needs to worry about a spellbook. Of course, the magic system isn't exactly 100% compatable with D&D, so it might not be a perfect fit. Still, it might give you some good ideas (and so might the magic system, now that I think on it). Hmm, I'm afraid that I haven't, what would be your opinion of the book? I have some money lying around that's burning a hole in my pocket. I actually got the idea for the staff variant after watching all three LoTR movies in one day and contemplating Tolkien's views on magic after a final :D. Originally posted by KintaraOne thing to consider is to just make the staff INTO the "spellbook." The books state flatly that a "spellbook" doesn't need to really be a book. Just say it's covered from top to bottom in compact runes, for instance. I must have missed that. What page? I have also seen some rune and tattoo based mages before, but they slipped my mind while trying to design this. Originally posted by KintaraYou might want to make it out of adamantium, or something, though. You wouldn't want to have an important rune get chipped off in a brawl. Sounds like an idea to me. Maybe whenever the staff takes sundering damage from a melee attack, 1d4 of the stored spells are released on either the wielder or the attacker? (50% chance for each)
Nazzareth 06-17-04, 06:55 AM	In one of my games I had all the wizards store their spells it crystal balls just for somthing different. They could also keep their familiars in them in a spirit form. The crystal ball was like link to material plane for the familiars if it was broken the familiar was banished to the astral plane untill a new one was formed. I actually had one player smash his own crystal ball to aviod his familiar getting permanently killed. Anyway this is a sidetrack but I like your idea
Thelon Fairblade 06-17-04, 07:55 AM	Suggestion #1 (already made): Just call the staff his spellbook. I recently adventured with a wizard whose "spellbook" were jewlery charms on necklaces and earings and bracelets. The level of the spell determined the material of the charm (crude wood for cantrips, refined mithril for high level spells), and a jeweler with Knowledge/Arcane and Spellcraft was required to make new charms. Another caster had all his spells keyed to certain cards in a playing card deck. 2 of Clubs = Magic Missile; 3 of Hearts = Sleep, etc. Maximum of 52 spells... Your wizard's staff could simply be imbued with magical "reminders" that the wizard uses to prompt his memory, or carved with sigils that represent the spells, etc. Suggestion #2: Using other Unearthed Arcana (and Arcana Unearthed!) variants (where the wizards becomes a "daily sorcerer"), the wizard might have his whole spell knowledge on the staff, but spends time each day empowering only a handful of the spells. He can only use the spells which are empowered that day, but can use them in any quantity desired (i..e. 2 Rays of Frost aren't required; just empower the Ray of Frost sigil and it is available all day). Suggestion #3: Reverse the "Knowledge" and "power" aspects of the concept. The Wizard *knows* all his spells, but can only cast those which are tied to his staff, which in turn is tied to the source of magical Power (the Weave, in FRCS). Regardless of what method of wizardry you use (preparation, sorcery, some hybrid), only the spells carved into the staff for that day are available.
JoshRodriguez 06-17-04, 01:59 PM	Bah. Forget your silly staff or gaudy jewelry. A true wizard keeps his spells etched on the ears of those who have fallen before him. These ears are "stored" around his neck, arms, waist or in some other manner befitting one who wields such arcane might. I had one player who kept his spells carved into the bones of his skeletal followers. The size of the bone determined the level and 9th level spells were etched all over their skulls. They followed him around, did his menial labor, but never engaged in combat. He kept a couple of back-up skeletons stored in bags of holding. It was a pretty nifty idea and was pretty intimidating.
Tjaeden 06-17-04, 01:59 PM	Hmmm... Well, 1. With Craft Wonderous Item, I would allow a wizard to tack on Alter Self or even Polymorph on to his spellbook. He could then pick a form (or more if he wanted to spend more XP and gold) to change the book into a staff and vice-versa. I like this because low level wizards will still have to have books, but higher level wizards get to have the cool staff. 2. I like the "use the staff as a spellbook" (those charms were a real good idea, too). Maybe made of darkwood, then use the Craft Skill to inlay runes with mithril, gems, etc. Make it look cool. With Craft Staff (or even better, Craft Magic Arms and Armor) the weapon would gain more Hp's and Hardness. Plus, the spell Hardening from MoF IIRC would help too. 3. Skip all of that and just let the wizard do it. He still needs to meditate and spend 100gps to put a spell "into" the staff. That's my 2pp. :D
DM Zoc 06-24-04, 02:04 AM	I currently play a Halfling Magister in an otherwise normal-PHB campaign. The deal is that I have to worry about all of the differences and be honest about it. As far as I can tell, there's technically nothing incompatible between using the variant PHB and the regular PHB, though it becomes a pain trying to do a few things. For example, I'll never qualify for Archmage because AU doesn't have the concept of "arcane" or "divine" magic.
Norseman 06-27-04, 10:00 AM	One option might be to have a wizard "attune" his staff, such that it "remembers" spells from the spellbook. You could set it to remeber a maximum number of spells per level equal to the number of spells of that level the wizard could cast per day (and of course for bonus spells from specialization, one remembered spell of each level would have to be of his school). To put the spell in the staff, you need to succeed on a DC 10 + Spell Level X 2 skill check for either Spellcraft or Concentration (these are underused in my opinion). To recall the spell from the staff you need to succeed on a DC 5 + Spell Level X 2 skill check for one of the aforementioned skills. Thus, before a wizard leaves home he consults his library, chooses which spells he wants to bring with him, and attunes his staff to hold his spells for him. If he can put a spell in, he'll certaintly be able to get that spell out (since the DC is 5 points lower), though high level spells might take extra time to insert or withdraw (because you'd have to take a 20 if your skill check is low). Another alternative would be use the staff as an item familiar, hence the staff is the familiar and the spellbook all rolled into one. It might open wizards up to sunders on their staves, but it sure would be handy to have the spellbooks and the familiars all rolled into one compact package. [Clarification: When you "withdraw" a spell, you are simply getting the information, hence you can withdraw any given spell as many times as you like.]
sren 06-27-04, 04:48 PM	Boccob's Blessed Staff When a wizard firmly grasps this six-foot long adamantine staff and concentrates on it, it telepathically reveals its true power. In addition to being a masterwork melee weapon, its is a memory device that can store 1,000 images, with each image limited to oe typical spellbook page in size. Storing an image takes several hours of concentration, and once an image is stored, it cannot be changed, ever. Typiclly used as a spellbook, storing the image of one or more pages of a spellbook (one spell's worth) takes one full day's work. For each image stored in the staff, there is a corresponding rune etched onto the surface of the staff. A knowledge (arcana) or spellcraft check (DC 25) can be made to identify spells based on the runes, or the general nature of a non-spell image (is it a short story or a family picture). Cost: The cost of a boccob's blessed book, plus the cost of a masterwork adamantine staff, plus 2,000 GP (dual purpose item, plus its cooler than a spellbook). [I'm too lazy to look up the cost of an adamantine staff).
abraham 06-29-04, 06:57 PM	how about incense with each incense serving for each spell?