Staff crafting question

[Hogeyhead]

To craft a spell into a staff do you need to have the spell as a spell known or can you just add +5 to the DC to craft and craft anyways. I'm considering the feat for a sorcerer cohort I level (I'm the GM so I just control the build)

[Ravingdork]

Hogeyhead wrote:

To craft a spell into a staff do you need to have the spell as a spell known or can you just add +5 to the DC to craft and craft anyways. I'm considering the feat for a sorcerer cohort I level (I'm the GM so I just control the build)

You need to know the appropriate spell before you can put it into a spell completion item (such as a scroll), a spell trigger item (such as a staff or wand), or a potion/oil.

If you have an ally who can cast the spell, I think they can cast it on your behalf as well.

[Hogeyhead]

K, so craft staff is useless for sorcerers on an adventure. Oh well.

[seebs]

I'm not quite sure of that. I interpreted that rule as saying you had to have it, as in "it is a prerequisite", but that wording is pretty much the same as the wording used for other items that produce spell effects and need a prerequisite spell.

Staff:

Quote:

The creator must have prepared the spells to be stored (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) and must provide any focus the spells require as well as material component costs sufficient to activate the spell 50 times (divide this amount by the number of charges one use of the spell expends). Material components are consumed when he begins working, but focuses are not. (A focus used in creating a staff can be reused.) The act of working on the staff triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the staff 's creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)

Wondrous item:

Quote:

If spells are involved in the prerequisites for making the item, the creator must have prepared the spells to be cast (or must know the spells, in the case of a sorcerer or bard) but need not provide any material components or focuses the spells require. The act of working on the item triggers the prepared spells, making them unavailable for casting during each day of the item's creation. (That is, those spell slots are expended from the caster's currently prepared spells, just as if they had been cast.)

But we have definite rulings that you can skip those prerequisites with +5 to DC.

FWIW, the benefit of craft staff would mostly be collaborating with someone else during downtime, and then having a source of spells outside your normal list.

[Cuttler]

Don't forget Seebs the restriction on spell-trigger items (such as a staff):

CRB page 549 wrote:

"...The DC to create a magic item increases by +5 for each prerequisite the caster does not meet. The only exception to this is the requisite item creation feat, which is mandatory. In addition, you cannot create potions, spell-trigger, or spell-completion magic items without meeting their spell prerequisites."

So I don't think you can skip the prerequisite with a +5 DC in this case.

[seebs]

Ah-hah! That helps a lot. I'd missed that one somehow, even though I thought it was a rule at one point, then couldn't find it.

I guess I was thrown off by the term "the only exception".

[Hendelbolaf]

Just like RavingDork said, for potions, spell completion, and spell trigger you canNOT add the +5 DC and ignore the requirement but you CAN have an ally provide the spell or provide it off an item, etc.