Bonded Staff and making staves

[Briang315]

When I add powers to my bonded staff do the powers need to follow a theme?
When I create a staff, do I need to replicate one from the books?

[Tiny Coffee Golem]

Briang315 wrote:

When I add powers to my bonded staff do the powers need to follow a theme?

When I create a staff, do I need to replicate one from the books?

Technically no on both counts Though most follow themes for flavor reasons. Of course your theme could be that it's building up to eventually be a staff of hte magi.

[Northron]

Briang315 wrote:

When I add powers to my bonded staff do the powers need to follow a theme?

When I create a staff, do I need to replicate one from the books?

No, if you are creating the item you can add powers as you see fit. You may find a theme presents itself at some point, or you could just build a "Staff of Wonder" all your own.

[Briang315]

Ok, thanks.
I also need to know what number limit on powers.
Is it just limited to what I can pay for?
Remember this is for my bonded staff.

[Northron]

Briang315 wrote:

Ok, thanks.

I also need to know what number limit on powers.
Is it just limited to what I can pay for?
Remember this is for my bonded staff.

The section on bonded items in the Wizard description puts no limit on the abilities your item can possess, except the usual: you must be of sufficient level to add the abilities, and you have to pay for them.

Your best bet is to read the section on item creation carefully, and talk with your GM about any campaign issues he may have.

[Briang315]

Thanks again.
I've read about bonded items and making staves several times. It didnt make it clear to me whether or not themes were required or a limit other than expense on number of powers.
I posted these questions because my GM and I disagreed on themes. Of course, I fully remember and respect one of the first rules I read when I first played AD&D that went something like "these rules are guidelines to be applied, altered or ignored...."
My GM has the final say, and believes themes are required, so I was just looking for ammo to try to sway him to my side.

[David Thomassen]

I would go with the building it up over time - first power (And basic Intelligence) and try for an organic growth. Also point out that most of the staves cannot be built by a single caster, as they are based on clasic items and the spells have changed who can cast them.

[wynterknight]

What staff, exactly, are you looking to give the staff? Is there some sort of theme that you could apply to those spells?

For instance, Charm person and Dimension door seem unrelated, but would work for a Staff of the Nymph (tm). And a demonic or celestial staff could have all sorts of random spells on it, drawing from the lists of spell-like abilities of various outsiders. A Staff of Cats could have Darkvision, Silence, Spider Climb, Jump, Obscuring Mist, and some sort of bad-luck-type spell like Doom or Confusion or something. A spider-themed staff could have Spider Climb, Poison, and Web. Etc, etc.

Not that you necessarily have to have a tight theme (see the Staff of Power, for instance), but personally, I like themes. Sometimes the trick is just figuring out what sort of themes fit your character.