My wizard intends to make a "Staff of Utility" which will have 1 to 4 spells in it at first, and that will have as many as 20 spells thrown into it as he progresses and earns more gold to throw into the project (in the same manner you would make a +1 dagger into a +3 dagger).
What I want to know is: What spells would you put into it and why? What are some great utility spells from the wizard list? What is likely to see a lot of use in an adventure party?
Things to keep in mind before spamming your suggestions: I want the spells to be generally low level (4th or lower if you can) so as to keep the daily recharge cost on the low side. I am willing to accept non-wizard spells, but please keep in mind I am a wizard. Said non-wizard spells better be extra useful utilities in order to make any potential UMD investment worth it.
Any help brainstorming for ideas is most appreciated.
What I want to know is: What spells would you put into it and why? What are some great utility spells from the wizard list? What is likely to see a lot of use in an adventure party?
As a player my choice would be a single spell, Mnemonic Enhancer. As a DM however, I'd be wary of allowing such a staff, as it would essentially be giving the owner extra spell slots on days they needed it, and then recharging during downtime.
What I want to know is: What spells would you put into it and why? What are some great utility spells from the wizard list? What is likely to see a lot of use in an adventure party?As a player my choice would be a single spell, Mnemonic Enhancer. As a DM however, I'd be wary of allowing such a staff, as it would essentially be giving the owner extra spell slots on days they needed it, and then recharging during downtime.
Uh, not to be pedantic or anything, but that's what every staff does. Giving extra spell slots when you need them and then recharging them during downtime, that is.
Uh, not to be pedantic or anything, but that's what every staff does. Giving extra spell slots when you need them and then recharging them during downtime, that is.
No, most staves allow you to carry around extra castings of a few specific spells at a substantial cost in terms of GP. Mnemonic Enhancer on a staff would give you an extra 3 levels of any spell you wanted. There is a significant difference in power between having an extra Fireball when the situation is right, and having an extra anything you want 3rd level or lower.
It's that versatility I was saying would make me wary of allowing it as a DM.
Umm.. no.
It takes 10minutes to cast the damn thing!
Not from a staff it doesn't. Staves are spell trigger, not completion, so they always take a single standard action to activate.
My character's current staff:
Resist energy (I also prepare this but a large party can take a lot of castings. it gets so much better past 11th level so having a wand of it would be too expensive.)
Greater slide (spell compendium, terrific spell if your DM allows 3.5 books. Lets you move an ally 20 feet without provoking any attacks of opportunity, great for pulling people out of the fire or for moving a melee character in so they can full attack.)
Dispel magic (sometimes, you just can't prepare this spell enough)
Snakes swiftness, mass (spell compendium, I cannot think of many better spells DPS wise if your party is melee heavy.)
Scorching ray (my main blasting spell.)
These are just mine, I play a party buff/counter mage specialist.
Well if they had meant to make that change, then they really should have changed the earlier paragraph in the section that reads:
"Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item
description indicates otherwise. However, the casting time
of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in
an item, regardless of the type of magic item, unless the item
description specifically states otherwise."
That's the general rule, and applies (mostly) to spell completion items, but not spell trigger items.
Here's the full text of each:
Spell Completion: This is the activation method for scrolls. A scroll is a spell that is mostly finished. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting. All that's left to do is perform the finishing parts of the spellcasting (the final gestures, words, and so on). To use a spell completion item safely, a character must be of high enough level in the right class to cast the spell already. If he can't already cast the spell, there's a chance he'll make a mistake. Activating a spell completion item is a standard action (or the spell's casting time, whichever is longer) and provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.
Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Note that unlike spell completion items, spell trigger items (such as wands and staves) never take longer than a standard action to activate.
Let's compare to the 3.5 wording and rulings, shall we, to see if we can determine A) if there was a change, and B) if there was a change, was the intent of the change to make spell trigger items always a standard action.
Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise. However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, regardless of the type of magic item, unless the item description specifically states otherwise.
The four ways to activate magic items are described below.
Spell CompletionThis is the activation method for scrolls. A scroll is a spell that is mostly finished. The preparation is done for the caster, so no preparation time is needed beforehand as with normal spellcasting. All that’s left to do is perform the finishing parts of the spellcasting (the final gestures, words, and so on). To use a spell completion item safely, a character must be of high enough level in the right class to cast the spell already. If he can’t already cast the spell, there’s a chance he’ll make a mistake. Activating a spell completion item is a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.
Spell TriggerSpell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.) The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
OK, the only real change is that Spell Completion Items lacks the specific "or the casting time of the spell" clause. The same text is present in both 3.5 and PF referring to "casting time of the spell is the time required to activate the same spell in an item, unless the item specifically says otherwise" (we'll get back to that bolded statement later).
So, what was the 3.5 ruling on the activation times of wands?
How long does it take to activate a scroll with an identify spell on it? How about a scroll with any of the summon monster spells or a wand of summon monster? This has been a serious debate for some of us. Page 213 of the DMG, under Using Magic Items, says “Activating a magic item is a standard action unless the item description indicates otherwise. However, the casting time of a spell is the time required to activate the same power in an item, whether it’s a scroll, a wand, or a pair of boots, unless the item description specifically states otherwise.” Yet, the very next section (spell completion items) states: “This is the activation method for scrolls . . . Activating a spell completion item is a standard action and provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does.” The PH section on scrolls also says it’s a standard action, yet the DMG spell storing weapon ability on page 225 says “This special ability is an exception to the general rule that casting a spell from an item takes at least as long as casting that spell normally.” Which set of rules is correct?
Activating any magic item is a standard action, unless the item duplicates a spell effect that has a longer casting time or unless the item description specifies a different casting time. The sections on spell completion and spell trigger items should include the caveat that activating the item takes as long as casting the stored spell would take. Thus, it takes 1 hour to activate a scroll with an identify spell on it. A scroll or a wand with any of the summon monster spells in it takes a full round to activate, just as casting a summon monster spell does.
A command word item takes a standard action to activate, no matter what the casting time of the spell it duplicates. In general, command word items don’t duplicate spells with long casting times.
Use-activated items typically don’t have any activation times (because they function continually or because you activate them automatically as part of the action you take to use the item). Like command word items, use-activated items usually don’t duplicate spells with long casting times. Activating a scroll (or any other spell completion item) is “like casting a spell for purposes of arcane spell failure (such as from armor)” (see “Activation” on page 238 of the DMG). An armored rogue who activates a scroll with Use Magic Device suffers the normal arcane spell failure chance.
Now, we just have to decide whether Pathfinder intentionally changed that ruling or just failed to completely apply the updated text. I'm betting heavily on the latter.
The other consideration is that 3.5 (and, by extension, Pathfinder) are exception-based design. That means that the flow of rules goes from the more general to the more specific. "casting time of the spell is the time required to activate the same spell in an item, unless the item specifically says otherwise" is extremely specific, more so than "the activation time of a generic spell trigger item is a standard action". Thus, the more specific text applies, meaning that spells cast from spell trigger items take a standard action or their base casting time, whichever is higher.
Fair enough, you've got me convinced that using the staff would mean taking a few extra minutes at the beginning of the day. I hadn't seen that section in the 3.5 faq.
That said, "exception based design" was one of the buzzwords applied to 4th edition, not 3rd or 3.5. (In fact, it was used to specifically contrast the new rules vs. the old prior to the 4th edition release). 3.5 (along with all the older editions of D&D) were not explicitly designed to follow an exception based model. (Although there are plenty of places where the rules ended up working that way anyways just to save space).
The extra time at the beginning of the day is pretty minor though, compared to the effect. A 7th level wizard, for example, could easily double the number of 3rd level spells they get each day, and keep it up for long enough (at least in most campaigns) to complete their current objective and get the downtime to recharge.
3.5 (along with all the older editions of D&D) were not explicitly designed to follow an exception based model. (Although there are plenty of places where the rules ended up working that way anyways just to save space).
Better to say that 4E refined the model that 3.0 started. I've done some research on the subject and 3.0 was where the term "exception based design" started appearing in the RPG industry, as a crossover from Magic: the Gathering, which is where it basically started as a game design concept. WotC, of course, owns M:tG and were behind the design of 3.0.
It's just that they never explicitly called it "exception-based design" in 3.0. The label's not important; the form is. 3.0 and 3.5 follow the exception-based design form.
Anyway, that's enough of me being a game design geek.
Better to say that 4E refined the model that 3.0 started. I've done some research on the subject and 3.0 was where the term "exception based design" started appearing in the RPG industry, as a crossover from Magic: the Gathering, which is where it basically started as a game design concept. WotC, of course, owns M:tG and were behind the design of 3.0.
I'm fairly certain the term was used in a number of pre-release articles about 4th edition to highlight the differences between 4th edition and 3rd/3.5.
That implies that the creators of the game (or at least of 4th edition) felt that exception-based design was not the design philosophy of 3rd edition or it's descendants.
I do agree with you that there are quite a few places in 3.5 that seem to follow the same model, I'm just trying to point out that you can't assume the intent was always to follow that model.
What I want to know is: What spells would you put into it and why? What are some great utility spells from the wizard list? What is likely to see a lot of use in an adventure party?
here are some wizard spells that fit my definition of "utility" (are mainly useful outside of combat) and are likely to be useful most days:
rope trick: always useful for any adventuring party when you are caster level 8 or above. used every day.
phantom steed: if you want this style of wizard, it keeps getting better as you get better
alter self: low level means of getting some useful buffs (swim speed, darkvision, scent, small size gives bonuses to stealth, ranged touch and AC)
dancing lights: several useful effects, cantrip
glitterdust and grease: yes, they are combat spells, but they have so many uses! and the save DC and duration are important
detect secret doors - self explanatory, but maybe better as a wand.
gust of wind, obscuring mist - lots of uses in and out of combat, but better as a wand
wind wall - very useful but situational defensive spell
make whole - this spell is very good if your GM likes to sunder things, or you have a pet construct, other wise probably pass
false life - its utility is that it keeps you alive and you will want to cast it every day at least once
fly and dimension door - so many uses. more than once a day easily
there are some others that may be great or meh depending on your style of play: silent image and unseen servant come to mind.
Typically I wouldn't put anything into a staff I would regularly want to cast. If I do I'll eat up charges that I would on spells that would be just as well with me casting.
Staves with their limited charges are best used on spells that you'll really want when you want them, but don't want to have prepped all the time AND that would benefit significantly from using your caster level and DC.
This is because you don't want to have to recharge the staff regularly during an adventure, but you want to be able to rely on it when you have a chance. With its limited charges that presents a challenge if you use it on a spell you cast each day -- you're simply changing one spell slot for another (the staves charge for the actual slot).
Clockwork pickle made some good suggestions. I'll add to those Floating Disk, Secure Shelter, Shrink Item, and Remove Curse.