So, I'm working on a concept character. This particular character would be a ranger and have the Eldritch Heritage feat (for a staff). I believe that allows him to enchant it both as a quarterstaff and as a spell-storing staff, but that's beside the point of the question I have.
A magical stave would allow a ranger to cast ranger spells from it. So far, so good. Is there actually a practical way to restore those 10 charges it has, though? It takes a very long time for a ranger to gain higher-level spell slots, and I'm not even sure NPCs would be able to, given that the staff is only magical for the owner of the Arcane Bond.
If it's an enchanted stave, anyone with spellcasting should be able to add a charge. The only restriction is one charge per day.
I'm not entirely sure how recharging would work either as it only works for the owner as per Arcane Bond, but I personally would rule it in my game as others could put in a charge even if they couldn't cast from it. If others are able to add a charge then all you would need to do is also put a common cantrip on the stave as well; in order to charge a stave the charger needs to know one of the spells on it and spend a spell slot equal to the highest spell on the stave. So pay an extra 150 gold in creation costs and put Light as an option, and any full caster in your party would be able to charge it for you easily.
Also note that with Eldritch Heritage you would need to be level 13 to enchant it yourself as per Create Staff, which would mean that you have access to 4th level ranger spells if you have 18 wisdom... so that might render the previous musings moot.
I'm not entirely sure how recharging would work either as it only works for the owner as per Arcane Bond, but I personally would rule it in my game as others could put in a charge even if they couldn't cast from it. If others are able to add a charge then all you would need to do is also put a common cantrip on the stave as well; in order to charge a stave the charger needs to know one of the spells on it and spend a spell slot equal to the highest spell on the stave. So pay an extra 150 gold in creation costs and put Light as an option, and any full caster in your party would be able to charge it for you easily.
Also note that with Eldritch Heritage you would need to be level 13 to enchant it yourself as per Create Staff, which would mean that you have access to 4th level ranger spells if you have 18 wisdom... so that might render the previous musings moot.
The deeper problem is twofold. One, i was planning on multiclassing, so I wouldn't see much beyond 2nd level spellslots, and possibly not that even. Second, I'd completely overlooked the actual requirements for Create Staff, which would make it unfeasibly late in the character's career. Drat!
PS. Create Staff is listed as requiring Caster Level 11, which is marginally better - but not by a whole lot. Hrmph :)
You have to be able to cast the highest level spell on the staff. They dont have to be ranger spells and if you are yourself making the staff simply only put spells that you can recharge. If you are ranger 4 wizard 11 and put both ranger and wizard spells on the staff you could recharge it with your wizard spells if they are the highest level spells on the staff.
You do know though that you have to have the staff out to cast /any/ spells right? not just to use it as a staff?
You CAN still cast spells, it just requires a concentration check to do so. The real question is... how is a staff suupposed to fit in with your ranger's combat style? Or are you just taking those ranger levels for the BAB and hit dice?You have to be able to cast the highest level spell on the staff. They dont have to be ranger spells and if you are yourself making the staff simply only put spells that you can recharge. If you are ranger 4 wizard 11 and put both ranger and wizard spells on the staff you could recharge it with your wizard spells if they are the highest level spells on the staff.
You do know though that you have to have the staff out to cast /any/ spells right? not just to use it as a staff?
The idea was to build a ranger/horizon walker that used the staff as part of the TWF (or TH) fighting style. The rugged explorer with a walking stick seemed pretty iconic to me, and I didn't want to totally give up on the spellcasting, so... It seems tricky to make it work, though.
I guess I could consider a ranger 1 / druid 7 / horizon walker, but that would have issues as well, since some of the nicer ranger spells aren't on the druid list, and the ranger wouldn't have a caster level of it's own, yet. And I really don't like Samsarans.
I'm not entirely sure how recharging would work either as it only works for the owner as per Arcane Bond, but I personally would rule it in my game as others could put in a charge even if they couldn't cast from it. If others are able to add a charge then all you would need to do is also put a common cantrip on the stave as well; in order to charge a stave the charger needs to know one of the spells on it and spend a spell slot equal to the highest spell on the stave. So pay an extra 150 gold in creation costs and put Light as an option, and any full caster in your party would be able to charge it for you easily.
Also note that with Eldritch Heritage you would need to be level 13 to enchant it yourself as per Create Staff, which would mean that you have access to 4th level ranger spells if you have 18 wisdom... so that might render the previous musings moot.
The deeper problem is twofold. One, i was planning on multiclassing, so I wouldn't see much beyond 2nd level spellslots, and possibly not that even. Second, I'd completely overlooked the actual requirements for Create Staff, which would make it unfeasibly late in the character's career. Drat!
PS. Create Staff is listed as requiring Caster Level 11, which is marginally better - but not by a whole lot. Hrmph :)
Withe Eldritch Heritage, your caster level is equal to your character level minus two.
Ah, thank you for that correction, Durngrum. I'll need to muse over the idea of a worldwalker druid as an option, although I really was hoping for a more martial and less full-caster build.