This isn't an incredibly important question, but ... Rod of the Viper is a mace? It sure looks more like a staff. I'm only asking because a friend of mine has made a homebrew character with a power related to staffs (staves?), so in normal gameplay not a big deal, I think. But I was just wondering if there is any reason, maybe from the RPG or something, why it should have the Mace trait instead of the Staff trait? I suppose it depends on how you would wield it...
Looking at the SRD, mace seems correct.
From higher up on that page:
Physical Description: 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.)
So, not all rods would seem to get the mace trait in PACG, but the ones that function as maces will. If anything, you might wonder why "rod" isn't a trait. But I suppose there has to be a limit somewhere.
Ah cool. Thanks for the link!
Interestingly for comparison, on that same website and from the page on staves:
Physical Description: A typical staff measures anywhere from 4 feet to 7 feet long and is 2 inches to 3 inches thick, weighing about 5 pounds. Most staves are wood, but an exotic few are bone, metal, or even glass. ... A typical staff is like a walking stick, quarterstaff, or cudgel.
So length is an important distinction. And going purely by the illustration on the card, that would be a pretty small viper head if it were only 2-3 feet long! Difficult to say though. I think it could go either way.
That's because Rod of the Viper is not a standard rod, it's a special one:
"This rod strikes as a +2 heavy mace."
And that's why it has the Mace trait rather than the Staff trait.