Magic Staff Creation

Magic Staffs
Wizards and Priest can create magic or holy staffs  (note the items do not have to be staffs in particular it should however be something personal to the caster. (A blade singer could imbue a sword, a crotchety old wizard could not).  Multi-classed characters choose to make both OR a single item that performs as both.

The primary ability of the staff is to store spells. A Caster can store spell levels at half their level rounded down. Priests do not apply bonus spells and specialists do not get increased storing abilities. A 10th level wizard can store one third, two second and 4 first.

The spells must still be memorised normally and  to store each spell takes a full round in addition to the basic casting time. All material components are consumed at the time the spell is stored in the staff.

Spells cast from the staff have a casting time of one and cannot be interrupted. A successful dispel magic on the staff will erase all stored spells. But the dispelling character has to beat the wizards level as per the dispel magic against each spell (the dispelling wizard must roll against each spell.) It is therefore difficult to destroy a wizards stored spells with a single spell but a powerful wizard could likely render a lesser wizard powerless..

If a Casters staff is stolen – the thieving wizard may use any spells stored.To do so the character must have possession of the item and must make a saving throw vs spells modified by the difference in cast levels every time they attempt to use the other wizards staff. The caster will lose access to these spells until the staff is returned or destroyed.

If the staff is destroyed the wizard regains his spells.

The items chosen required requires at least one month of preparation and should require no less then 1000 gp in materials. If the item is an existing relic –a holy champion consecrating his maul or a blade singer consecrating his sword etc. the preparation cost is still the same. It is an improvement on the original. Based on what additional powers the staff will have or may have in the future the DM may require specific materials or ingredients, quests or achievements. Mithril to etch the blade or ruby dust, perhaps the blood of a thousand pixies. A priest wishing to make a magic staff does not require sanctified ground (in this campaign such areas are somewhat rare). Only the stored spells may be used by others - not unique abilities.

Basic Abilities
1st level

A wizard may use his staff to create cantrips at no cost. Gandalf drawing a mark on the door or making puffs of smoke do weird stuff. A priest using his staff to turn grants a plus one bonus to turning/control and may use the staff to cast bless/curse once per day. Beneficial spells cast on the staff - i.e a light spell centered on the staff, protection from evil, etc. doubles the duration of these spells when the staff is the focus.

3rd level

The caster can cast touch spells through his staff on a successful strike. The caster must still choose to cast the spell  All other effects remain the same. At 9th level, the caster need not be touching the staff. 5th level the priest or wizard knows can locate his staff as per a Locate object spell The wizard/Priest may choose to convert stored Spells into damage. Smiting opponent causing an additional 1d4 pts of damage per stored spell level Save vs. Staves and Wands for half. Priests can chose to convert the damage into healing instead. The character must land a successful attack. This sounds powerful, however when you think about it, a 10th level wizard could burn off 4 first level, 2 second level and one third level spell dealing 9d4 damage. The same wizard could have cast a 10 dice level lighting bolt and not sacrificed half his spells to do so. This allows desperate wizards or priests with the wrong spells stored to sacrifice them for a quick strike or heal.

Replace low value components. By adding a casting time of 3 the wizard can use the staff to cast spells and ignore any components worth less than 50 GP.

Other spells may now be cast from the wizards staff - lighting bolt. Only touch spells can still be combined with physical attacks. However, the character could emit a lighting bolt from the tip of his staff.

7th level Spell recall. Once per day a caster can use his staff to recall any one spell from their books or for priests available spells. This is extremely taxing exhausts the caster. When they memorise spells next they lose twice that many spell levels. In other words a 7th level wizard that uses his staff to recall a 3rd level Lightning Bolt spell will lose 6 spell levels the next time the wizard memorises spells. More over the spell levels lost will always be taken from the level spell that was cast FIRST. I.e. the wizard loses spells of third level, if no more are present he loses a combination of lower level spells.

At seventh level the The caster can send telepathic messages to any creature touching the staff. It does not provide them with a way to communicate back. An additional aspect of this allows the caster to cast spells without a verbal component.

By increasing the casting time of spells by 5, the caster can ignore the verbal components of the spell. If the casting time is longer then a round it the casting time is doubled.

9th level A caster can call to their staff at 9th level will fly to his hand if within 5ft per level of the caster. This requires the wizards concentration during that round to pull the item to their hand.

Ignore higher value components. At 9th level or higher the caster may add 5 to the casting time and forgo any components less then 100gp

The caster can add 7 to the casting time of a spell and ignore the somatic components. This can be combined with earlier abilities. A wizard now wishing to forgo the somatic + verbal components + low value spell components could do so but would add a casting time of 5+3+3 = 11. It would take a while At this stage the item may be made suitable for enchantment and the character may begin to develop into a magic item. However, it will require additional quests, costs and research and spells 11th level 

The caster can Scry on his staff at all times by meditating on it as per a Crystal Ball.

Past this any new abilities should be specific to the wizard.

Sample Additional Abilites
The caster, through prayer or research can develop some of the following upgrades or additional abilities - these are just samples and anything is possible.

Focus Spells

When used in conjunction with a wizard’s spell can enhance certain favourite spells. The caster choose one spell per Spell level to be his focus. When cast from the staff these spells receive a bonus determined by the DM when the focus is chosen. The spells should be the favoured spell of the castle. For example a wizard that uses a color spray spell frequently should not be permitted to focus his sleep spell which he has never cast.

These can be changed at a later date but the process of focusing a spell takes a full week with the costs below. Effects include increase damage per die, chance to hit, duration, area and range. The character can make reasonable requests as to what the focus should be and should be aware of the focus before choosing. A weak blades singer could use his spell sword as the focus of a strength spell and increase its duration. Mertin the magic Missilist could increase the damage of his favourite spell. Focus spells require a modification to the weapon of 100 gp per spell level and more depending on the bonus. The DM might rule that a special rite or task is required in certain instances.

Saving throw penalty

Spells cast from the item result in a -1 penalty to saving throws.

Skill Bonuses

The item could grant special bonuses to proficiencis such as spell craft or arcane lore etc.

Intelligence

A item could be granted sentience and/or the ability to communicate. Maybe a necromancer binds a soul to the item, a summoner possesses it with an elemental spirt etc. or a druid be friends a powerful spirit. Bonus Spells The item could grant additional spells or spell recall abilities.

Contingencies

The staff could be designed to trigger when certain effects occur. If plunged into darkness cast light. If submerged it could cast water breathing or in the presence of undead it might trigger a Negative Plane Protection Spell. Exceptional Craftsmanship

The item could be exceptionally crafted item granting bonus to hit or damage. Saving Through Bonus

It could grant bonuses to saves or resistance to certain types of spells. Stat Bonuses It could grant ability bonuses to strength or intellegence.

Current Magic Staff Examples
Two such items exists, the Darkenstaff posessed by Lady Hepzibah Blackthorn and a Holy Relic created by the Dwarven Champion DonDarian.