Wizard Staff

With this spell, the wizard crafts a staff and imbues it with magical energies linked to his soul. A wizard can create only one staff at a time and suffers great pains if it is destroyed. The material cost is 1,000 gp per caster level, plus any unusual materials (e.g., an adamantine staff requires sufficient adamantine), plus a minimum of 2 points of spellburn per caster level to properly bond the staff. One point of this spellburn never heals; it is permanent ability loss. Additionally, the caster must have the requisite spells that will be placed into the staff, and be able to utilize them without rest during the casting period. The casting period is ongoing with brief spurts of restless sleep, and the caster does not heal spellburn (or other wounds) during this time. The staff’s efficacy is much greater at higher caster levels, and thus the time and material cost rises as the wizard progresses in power level. In the descriptions below, “original caster level” refers to the level at which the wizard crafted the staff – if he advances in level after creating the staff, abilities associated with original caster level do not increase.

Effect

1	Lost, failure, corruption, and patron taint!
2 - 11	Lost. Failure.
12 - 13	Failure, but spell is not lost.
14 - 15	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion.
16 - 19	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion. During the casting time, the caster may attempt a single casting of one other spell he knows. If it succeeds, the staff’s wielder receives a +1 bonus to spell checks when casting that spell or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher.
20 - 21	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion. During the casting time, the caster may attempt a single casting of one other spell he knows. If it succeeds, the staff’s wielder receives a +1 bonus to spell checks when casting that spell or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. The staff also grants a +1 bonus to saving throws or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher.
22 - 25	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion. During the casting time, the caster may attempt to cast two other spells he knows. If a casting succeeds, the staff’s wielder receives a +1 bonus to spell checks when casting those spells or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. The staff also grants a +1 bonus to saving throws or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher.
26 - 29	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion. During the casting time, the caster may attempt to cast two other spells he knows. If a casting succeeds, the staff’s wielder receives a +1 bonus to spell checks when casting those spells or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. The staff also grants a +1 bonus to saving throws and armor class or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher.
30 - 31	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion. During the casting time, the caster may attempt to cast three other spells he knows. If a casting succeeds, the staff’s wielder receives a +1 bonus to spell checks when casting those spells or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. The staff also grants a +1 bonus to saving throws and armor class or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher.
32 - 33	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion. During the casting time, the caster may attempt to cast three other spells he knows. If a casting succeeds, the staff’s wielder receives a +1 bonus to spell checks when casting those spells or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. The staff also grants a +1 bonus to saving throws and armor class or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. Additionally, the caster can imbue the staff with fixed charges associated with the three spells he casts. For the first spell, he makes a spell check. If it succeeds, he makes another spell check for the same spell, a number of times up to his caster level. For example, a level 4 caster could make up to 4 checks if each succeeds. Then he repeats this process for the second and third spells. For each check that succeeds, he imbues the staff with 1 charge of the relevant spell. For example, the level 4 caster could put up to 12 charges in the staff if every check succeeded (3 spells x 4 castings per spell = 12 charges). Thenceforth, the caster may burn those charges to cast the three spells stored in the staff, making a normal spell check to cast the spell, modified by the +1 or +2 bonus associated with that spell. Once expended, the charges are lost unless renewed. Renewal requires a modified casting of this spell, with a casting time of 1 week and no materials or spellburn required; if this modified version succeeds at DC 30 or better, the caster can repeat the process above to restore the castings, but cannot exceed the original number of charges. For example: a level 4 caster attempts to burn the spells sleep, spider web, and strength into his staff. The minimum successful check result for sleep (a level 1 spell) is DC 12. His check results are 14, 16, 12, and 9. The first three checks succeed, so he imbues three charges into his staff. For spider web (a level 2 spell with minimum check result of DC 14), his first check is a 19 but his second check is a 12. He manages to imbue only one charge into the staff. Finally, he casts strength (minimum check result of DC 14) and rolls 20, 19, 17, and 18 – four successes! The final tally is a staff with 8 charges: 3x sleep, 1x spider web, and 4x strength. Because he was CL 4 when casting, each of these spells is cast with a +2 bonus.
34+	The caster succeeds in crafting a simple staff, which is linked to his soul. If the staff is ever destroyed, he immediately takes damage equal to 1d4 hit points per original caster level. The staff counts as a +1 magical weapon and inflicts damage equal to 1d4+1 + caster level (plus Str modifier). The staff also emits light in a 20’ radius, which can be turned on or off and vary in intensity from candlelight to full daylight, at the caster’s discretion. During the casting time, the caster may attempt to cast three other spells he knows. If a casting succeeds, the staff’s wielder receives a +1 bonus to spell checks when casting those spells or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. The staff also grants a +1 bonus to saving throws and armor class or a +2 bonus if the original caster level is 4 or higher. Additionally, the caster can imbue the staff with fixed charges associated with the three spells he casts. For the first spell, he makes a spell check. If it succeeds, he makes another spell check for the same spell, a number of times up to his caster level. For example, a level 4 caster could make up to 4 checks if each succeeds. Then he repeats this process for the second and third spells. For each check that succeeds, he imbues the staff with 1 charge of the relevant spell. For example, the level 4 caster could put up to 12 charges in the staff if every check succeeded (3 spells x 4 castings per spell = 12 charges). Thenceforth, the caster may burn those charges to cast the three spells stored in the staff, making a normal spell check to cast the spell, modified by the +1 or +2 bonus associated with that spell. Once expended, the charges are lost unless renewed. Renewal requires a modified casting of this spell, with a casting time of 1 week and no materials or spellburn required; if this modified version succeeds at DC 30 or better, the caster can repeat the process above to restore the castings, but cannot exceed the original number of charges. For example: a level 4 caster attempts to burn the spells sleep, spider web, and strength into his staff. The minimum successful check result for sleep (a level 1 spell) is DC 12. His check results are 14, 16, 12, and 9. The first three checks succeed, so he imbues three charges into his staff. For spider web (a level 2 spell with minimum check result of DC 14), his first check is a 19 but his second check is a 12. He manages to imbue only one charge into the staff. Finally, he casts strength (minimum check result of DC 14) and rolls 20, 19, 17, and 18 – four successes! The final tally is a staff with 8 charges: 3x sleep, 1x spider web, and 4x strength. Because he was CL 4 when casting, each of these spells is cast with a +2 bonus. Finally, the caster may grant the staff one unique ability. For example, the ability to wither an opponent’s limbs or the power to transform into a serpent. These unique abilities require research, practice, and special materials. They should be determined with the aid of the judge.

Side/Secondary Effects

Corruption

Roll 1d8: (1-4) minor; (5-6) major; (7-8) greater.

---

Misfire

N/A

Manifestation

One staff to be crafted by the caster, of any wood, metal, bone, or other material.

Related Discipline

Arcane

Effect Duration

Permanent

Effect Casting Time

1 Week per Caster Level

Range

Self

Level

2