The quarterstaff deals 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage. Now, if you're crazy (or have a cool concept), yes, the quarterstaff is a double weapon, so you can strike with each end for 1d6 damage. With the two-weapon fighting penalties, of course.
A club is more or less any big stick you can wield in one hand, doesn't need any major description. The modern equivalent is a baseball bat. While it's not optimal for hitting home runs, you can use a bat one-handed. A staff is meant to be used with two hands. There have been some threads talking about wielding double-weapons one-handed roaming around that you might want to dig up. A quarterstaff is 6' or thereabouts, a club, maybe half that.
Staves may or may not be bound in metal; many are described as iron-shod. A rod, however, can certainly be made of pure metal, as a rod is smaller than the typical quarterstaff by several feet. Whether or not you can make a 6-foot or longer pole of adamantine (adamantium is what Wolverine's bones are bonded to) is up to your GM. I imagine it would weigh more than the 4 pounds that a quarterstaff does, as metal has a higher density than wood.
As for wizard weapon limitations, wizards typically spend their youth reading books and practicing cantrips and other arcane things. They don't get much time for weapons practice, so they only learn to use weapons that are so simple to use that nearly anyone can figure them out.
One thing gets me is wizards can use a Quarterstaff, yet this is a 2 headed weapon.
I don't get the objection to using a two-handed weapon. The wizard list is not simply limiting them to itty-bitty weapons. It's intended to limit them to common simple weapons that require very little training or practice - wizards have other things on their minds.
A staff is really quite simple to use. (Sure, like any weapon, practice and training and dedication can make a huge difference, but any village idiot can figure out the basices in no time).
Anther thing is it ways wizards can use clubs. the book shows what a club looks like and list stats. but it doesn't talk about them in the description part.
Yes, you're right, that seems to be a missing entry. Assume it says something like "This is a big heavy stick. You hold one end and bash your enemies with the other."
I am making a wizard with arcane bond to a staff (not QS) and I was wondering what kind of damage does it do?
A "staff" and a "quarterstaff" are mechanically exactly the same thing. OK, sure, a staff might have a crook on the end, or fancy stuff like Gandalf or Saruman in the Lord of the Rings movies. Quarterstaves are usually just smooth long straight sticks, often with metal tips. So conceptually there might be minor differences, but mechanically they are the same.
Don't be confused by the word "quarter" - it doesn't mean the length is 1/4 of the length of a staff (but I'm sure you knew that). Staves and quarterstaves are the same length (quarterstaves were 6'-8' long historically, but only 5' long in Pathfinder) and same weight and same usage - the terms are really interchangeable, although for magic items, we think of magical quarterstaves as being weapons (e.g. a +2 flaming oozebane quarterstaff) and staves as casting spells (e.g. Staff of the Magi).
But used as weapons, they are the same.
Also could a wizard's staff be made out of metal, say adamantium? I was wondering for sake of crafting rods later.
Anything you want.
Of course, there are costs involved. Adamantiumis not cheap. And some special materials (like cold iron, adamantium, etc.), can have added benefits in combat - this is all detailed in the book.
And for what it's worth, rods and staves tend to be two different things. Staves in melee are big two-handed double-weapons, while rods are light maces or clubs in combat:
They range from 2 feet to 3 feet long and are usually made of iron or some other metal. (Many, as noted in their descriptions, can function as light maces or clubs due to their hardy construction.)
The rules for staves say that a staff can be a walking stick, quarterstaff, or cudgel. The rulebook doesn't say, but I thought a "cudgel" was the same as a club -- so you could have a staff that works mechanically as either a quarterstaff or a club at your option.
A wizard who takes 2 weapon fighting to fight with both ends of his staff is either really stupid or Up To Something; they really just get quarterstaff because wizards in fiction carry staffs, I suspect.
First of all, the text under Bonded Item states that a wizard's item is always masterwork quality but never made of a special material, so you'd need to replace the item at cost, later.
Items without metal parts cannot be made from adamantine. An arrow could be made of adamantine, but a quarterstaff could not.
Quarterstaves can't be made out of special metals because they are not made out of metal.
I would suspect that clubs can't be made of metal, either, although it doesn't specifically say can't be. However, I think that would make them light maces. (Since otherwise club and light mace are exactly the same except clubs can be thrown.)
However,
Rods weigh approximately 5 pounds. They range from 2 feet to 3 feet long and are usually made of iron or some other metal. (Many, as noted in their descriptions, can function as light maces or clubs due to their hardy construction.)
The word "usually" implies exceptions, so you could carry a wooden rod that functioned as a club. Depending on what rod you wished to enchant it as later, this might or might not be helpful; a number of the rods specifically say they're made out of some metal. Metamagic rods do not, and I'd argue those are probably what you'd most want to carry around all the time.
Remember, you can wield anything you want, proficient in it or not. If you're not proficient, you take a -4 to attack rolls with it, but as a wizard that will probably not be an issue.
Items without metal parts cannot be made from adamantine. An arrow could be made of adamantine, but a quarterstaff could not.Quarterstaves can't be made out of special metals because they are not made out of metal.
Hah. Didn't even know that was in there.
It is, of course, utterly ridiculous. What in the world stops someone from making a 5' long metal rod out of copper, bronze, iron, steel, or even adamantium if they wish, and then wielding it like a quarterstaff?
The Japanese did. Google Tetsubo.
Besides, as written, "an arrow could be made from adamantine". Note that it doesn't say "an arrowhead". So the whole arrow, including the (usually) wooden shaft can be made from adamantine? If that's true, then so could a spear (not just the spearhead). And if that's true, then a spear without a head coudl be fashioned (or for the ruleslawyers, the head could be sundered off). Leaving a quarterstaff.
I have no idea why they put this rule in there. It's silly and nothing is gained by it except a bad jolt to verisimilitude.
I say, "Rule 0" to the rescue...
VRDragon doesn't want to enchant his bonded item as a staff, but as a rod. The problem is that the arcane bond must be to an "amulet, ring, staff, wand, or weapon." So, actually, there's no way it should work no matter what material it's made of; either it's a wizard's staff and therefore enchants as a staff, or it's a weapon, and therefore enchants as a weapon. I don't know why they don't list rods as allowable bonded items, but they don't.
Man, I really didn't mean to rain on your parade. But I don't think what you're trying to do is legal by the rules. I'd suggest just asking your DM if you can bond with a rod. At least that way, you won't be surprised later when you're bonded to a weapon or item you don't want. (And if your DM does allow you to bond to a rod, I'd say using the club or light mace stats would be more appropriate than quarterstaff, anyway.)
But, more on staffs, quarterstaves, and special materials:
An actual staff made out of metal is either really heavy, or thin enough to damage your hands -- outside of what the rules are, I'd say a mithril quarterstaff would be a reasonable weapon but an adamantine or iron or steel one wouldn't be. As to metal Japanese staffs, they got shorter and smaller and more club-like as they turned from wooden with metal studs to all-metal. Also, they were used by particularly strong samurai (fighters) or by Oni, so if I were designing them for in-game, they'd be martial or possibly exotic. (Is there already a double greatclub or a double heavy mace?)
I do like the idea of metal spears. (Have you seen the movie Musa? It's chock-full of lovely polearms, but the metal spear is awesome. These are definitely weapons for warriors, though, not for wizards.)
If you're going to be rules-lawyery, a spear with the head sundered off is just a (broken) spear with -2 to hit and damage. :)
Ughbash: I didn't think of that. Though, I would argue that's open to interpretation. "Most" staffs are wood, and "typical" staffs are like quarterstaves. The "exotic" bone, metal, or glass ones would not be "typical," and therefore not necessarily quarterstaves.
Personally, I'd have no problem with a wizard saying, "My staff is glass! It looks cool!" so long as he didn't try to get anything extra out of the decision. (He could even hit things with it because hey, it's magic glass.) But if he wants to say, "My staff is adamantine! I overcome DR!" I'd say, "And you're not proficient with it!" Which, honestly, is probably going to be less an issue than the extra gold, and possibly worth it for the extra hardness.
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Well, first off, it can't be a club unless you house rule the arcane bond choices to include clubs.
You need to use the stats from the quarter staff. 1d6/1d6. You don't have to enchant both sides, OR use it as a double weapon. You can use it 1d6 as a two handed weapon.
Second off, make sure your dm will allow you to make intelligent magic items. Since intelligent magic items can act on their own, it effectively gives the player extra actions per round and can be unbalancing. Especially if you're using it to get off an extra spell each round.
Actually, looking at what you're planning to do with this weapon, you're not even creating a staff. Staves use charges to cast spells, have a maximum of 10 charges, and allow the caster to use their level instead of the caster level for the spell if they so choose.
Your item isn't using the craft staff stuff at all.
You're basically just crafting a magical weapon, and then letting the intelligent item stuff handle the rest.
Since you can't make an at will magic missile, or constant effect shield, from the intelligent item powers, those effects will need to be added on via the craft wondrous items feat onto your weapon.
It's a +3 Shocking Burst, Spell Storing Quarterstaff with two spells at will.
Just the base of that is going to be a total of +6 plus the two extra abilities.
The +6 is 72,000g.
Magic missile command word activation would be 1 x 9 x 1800 = 16200 x1.5 (multiple different abilities) = 24300
Plus
continous shield 1x1x2000=2000x2(duration multiplier)=4000x1.5 (multiple different abilities) = 6000
72000+24300+6000
=102300
which means a bump of +8 to the ego modifier of your item.
your items ego is going to be:
19
So anytime you want to do one thing, and the item wants to do the other, it's a dc 19 will save.
Now we take the 102300 and add the cost for the intelligent item stuff.
20 int 8000g
16 wis 2000
telepathy 1000
senses 1000
darkvision 500
light at will 1000
perception 2500
base price increase of 500
that total is:16500
16500*1.5 multiple different abilities
= 24750
Grand total of 127050
half that would be cost to create, 63525
Which means if you did nothing but save, you should be able to afford the complete thing just into level 11. Of course, you'd be hurting everywhere else.
More likely, you'd work on this a bit at a time. With the CRB guide of no more than 50% wealth in a single item, you'll probably finish the item up somewhere between 13th and 16th level.
This requires Craft Wondrous items, Craft Magic Arms and Armor, and some way to craft intelligent items which might require a feat and at least will require dispensation from the dm :)
This is *as* legal as I can make your item. Just be careful not to change alignments, or your staff will start giving you a negative level :p
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As far as making it intelligent all I can say on that one is maybe you can do something along the lines of "taking 20" but for the sake of the roll the check for an intelligent item. Only a result of 01 results in an intelligent item by chance... idk, purposefully making an intelligent item by yourself would require one hell of an RP investment for my games, not to mention the ego score on that thing would be INSANE.
You would have to count for the spell storing ability, the fact that it would know you are crippled with out it, all of the incidental enchantments you put on it, enhancements, all that.
You can just use the statblock for a quarterstaff man, it doesn't need to be that difficult. Yea it's a little shorter but no other weapon (That I am aware of) is meant to be used as a walking stick/aid.
Edit for example:
I have a staff written up for a 4th level wizard that is his bonded item. He spent a great deal of gold into the item, between an alchemical silvering process, and various wondrous qualities. I am going to calculate what its ego would be minimally here below.
Eversmoking Bottle (Pyrotechnics effect - 3/day) +1
Hand of the Mage (Mage Hand - At will) +1
Rope of Climbing (Animate rope - 3/day) +1
Universal solvent (Acid Arrow - 3/day) +1
Stone of Alarm (Alarm - 3/day) +1
Purpose of some sort +2
Cost to create 6775 +2
That is with all 10's in stats, no extra gold investment into the item enhancement beyond what is done purely from wondrous item effects. Plus you (should) have to add at least +1 or +2 ego for the fact that you can barely cast spells without it on hand. Another +2 for the spell storing effect it has (Mages lubrication is a 5th level spell technically not even capable to put into an intelligent item but hey)
There we have an ego of 11-12 without even further working on the item further to enhance it. This all available at level 4
Of course much of this is open to interpenetration but the basic moral of the story is the item should have an ego commensurate to it's abilities. Giving it an enhancement or special weapon qualities will ramp it up WAYYY fast, and soon you have an item that thinks it is better than you.
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Yah, the thing about intelligent items is that they play to their alignment 100% of the time. Even when it comes to possibly contesting their makers/owners decisions. It really depends on your dm how much this will come up, but it could be especially irritating :p
Rough because players often make the occasional decisions that stray from their usual alignment and the intelligent item would feel that it had to correct them. It could also cause trouble with the other players.
I grin to myself at the thought of the cane casting magic missile on someone else's weapon to break it so they can't do something it thinks is wrong :)
Good memories there :D
On the one hand, the dm might say *it's fine, it'll do what you want it to*
On the other hand, the dm might constantly have it interfering in things. You can get an estimate on that from how your dm has handled cohorts in the past.
You can get some good 3/day spells as special powers for the item for a pretty good price, though giving it the ability to sprout limbs and move with a speed of 10 can make for some really entertaining scenarios.
Hmm... I'll need both hands for this.. *tosses cane down. cane stands up and follows behind*
Yeah, uncommon characters are the rule in my group as well. Heck, we had one guy who played monster creature. His creature basically hated his own people and made a flesh golem *body* to pretend to be human. He pulled it off so well, that we were more than halfway through the campaign before anyone found out he wasn't human :p
Another fellow is playing a character who's basically a dnd version of ricky from trailer park boys. The first few sessions were GREAT! until the other players realized that letting him make decisions got them in more and more trouble.
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To be honest I have never seen anyone have an intelligent item in any of my years of playing. What I posted would be an end result after my PC is lvl 18 or 20? its not a thing I just drop loads of money at one time on and say okay I have it.
That is all well and good if you can find someone with the expertise to make it, you have the downtime for the entire crafting process and are willing to pay the market price. If you have the appropriate feats to make an item and want to dump the required gold... cool! Just make sure your party isn't out there waiting 3 weeks for you to get this puppy enchanted.
I know it's a long way off, but when you make the staff try to have a very specific idea in mind for its purpose, like why its listening to you and what it wants to do(assuming the DM lets you pick it). If it wants only to protect you, what will it decide to do once it realizes you are going to die someday? Will it try to turn you into a Lich or a Vampire? If its got a big enough ego it might even try to make you build a large easily defensible castle to sit in for the rest of your life while unseen servants farm and bring you food.
Besides, as written, "an arrow could be made from adamantine". Note that it doesn't say "an arrowhead". So the whole arrow, including the (usually) wooden shaft can be made from adamantine? If that's true, then so could a spear (not just the spearhead). And if that's true, then a spear without a head coudl be fashioned (or for the ruleslawyers, the head could be sundered off). Leaving a quarterstaff.
Nope. If you sunder the head off of a spear, it's a broken spear. Same damage, only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Break a bowstring and it's same damage only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Take a longspear, break it in half. Same damage, reach, only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Saw a quarterstaff in half? Club? No! Broken quarterstaff. Only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Unscrew a greataxe's head. Broken! Same damage, only crits on 20. Even though it's a club. -4 to use it.
Very silly rules.
I think the simpler thing is to simply fashion a rod to be used as a cudgel.
1. There are magic rods that are used as weapons. Rod of Python - Quarterstaff, Rod of Viper - Heavy Mace.
Then use is as a club - you're proficient in club.
For a slight homerule change - I'd have no problem with it being a morningstar - slightly better damage & damage type while still a simple weapon.
You could play that you are proficient in this particular morningstar or simply add morningstar to the wizard proficiency list. Seriously a big metal head on a club makes it far more durable and gives you something to put runes into plus they're dead simple to make\use.
sigurd
I've heard of other wizards having elven curved blades as their bonded weapons. Sure they're not proficient with them now but for the character plan its the best choice.
Nope. If you sunder the head off of a spear, it's a broken spear. Same damage, only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Break a bowstring and it's same damage only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Take a longspear, break it in half. Same damage, reach, only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Saw a quarterstaff in half? Club? No! Broken quarterstaff. Only crits on 20. -4 to use it.
Unscrew a greataxe's head. Broken! Same damage, only crits on 20. Even though it's a club. -4 to use it.
Very silly rules.
You are completely right, if it happens in battle and your character is improvising. If you are out of battle and you are crafting an item with your dm then logic and agreement always trump rules.
I can easily see a stout quarterstaff for one being made into 2 emergency clubs for 2. The difference is that they would go into battle as 2 irregular clubs.
Sigurd
I suggest not arcane bonding a weapon or any other item that you hold in your hand. Primary problem being is you always have to be wielding that item in order to cast spells, which gives you 1 free hand to cast spells with somatic components. If you pull out a metamagic rod you can't actually use it on any spell requiring somatic components because you don't have a free hand.
There used to be a feat in some 3.5 book allowing you to cast spells with somatic components while holding a light weapon such as a dagger, but unless your GM allows you access to that feat going for an item that you wear is the best bet, keep your hand free.
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I suggest not arcane bonding a weapon or any other item that you hold in your hand. Primary problem being is you always have to be wielding that item in order to cast spells, which gives you 1 free hand to cast spells with somatic components. If you pull out a metamagic rod you can't actually use it on any spell requiring somatic components because you don't have a free hand.
There used to be a feat in some 3.5 book allowing you to cast spells with somatic components while holding a light weapon such as a dagger, but unless your GM allows you access to that feat going for an item that you wear is the best bet, keep your hand free.
Somatic weaponry...actually it let you cast spells with both hand full...didn't actually matter what you held in hand.
Quick factoid since I read here and somewhere else about someone wanting a metal quarterstaff. A steel quarterstaff 6ft. long and 1 inch think would weight 22 lbs. (left off the rounding). So a mithral one would weigh around 11 lbs. I don't see very many mages being able to haul one of these around.
If I might pop into the Thread somewhat late, Ezren the Human Wizard is listed as using a 'Cane' as his melee weapon ... effectively a Club as far as the rules are written, so effectively a 'Cane' would be a shorter version of the Quarterstaff, long enough to hold in two hands in a pinch but not long enough to fight with both ends like a proper 'staff'.
Incidentally I used something similar for my own Wizard two campaigns ago, eventually took the Craft Rod feat, rather than my usual Craft Staff, and turned it into a 'Red Dragon Cane', capable of spitting a Scorching Ray 5 times per day at 9th Caster Level. Ended up one of the more memorable weapons in the game and saved my ass numerous times.