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So, I'm confused on casting from staves. I have a 4th level cleric with a Staff of Healing and I know that they can put 2 charges on the staff during daily preparations and that it's only a single charge to cast a spell from the staff. When casting from the staff, is it just like any other time that you cast a spell and can use however many actions you want/need? Specifically can I do a 3 action heal from the staff if I wished to? I read that you need to have the materials if the spell needs them, so does that mean that a multi-action spell casting is possible? I can't help but feel I'm missing something VERY obvious here and would appreciate the help.
So, I'm confused on casting from staves. I have a 4th level cleric with a Staff of Healing and I know that they can put 2 charges on the staff during daily preparations and that it's only a single charge to cast a spell from the staff. When casting from the staff, is it just like any other time that you cast a spell and can use however many actions you want/need? Specifically can I do a 3 action heal from the staff if I wished to? I read that you need to have the materials if the spell needs them, so does that mean that a multi-action spell casting is possible? I can't help but feel I'm missing something VERY obvious here and would appreciate the help.
The action cost of casting from a staff is exactly the same as casting normally, with the possible exception of Trick Magic Item. (Can't recall if that works on a staff.)
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So, I'm confused on casting from staves. I have a 4th level cleric with a Staff of Healing and I know that they can put 2 charges on the staff during daily preparations and that it's only a single charge to cast a spell from the staff. When casting from the staff, is it just like any other time that you cast a spell and can use however many actions you want/need? Specifically can I do a 3 action heal from the staff if I wished to? I read that you need to have the materials if the spell needs them, so does that mean that a multi-action spell casting is possible? I can't help but feel I'm missing something VERY obvious here and would appreciate the help.
Basically, take what a spell slot would normally need to cast, and that's what it would take to cast from a staff. The only difference is that the level of the spell equals the number of charges needed to cast it. So if you're casting a 2nd level 3-action Heal, you need a hand free (due to Material components), and it costs 2 charges from your staff to do so in addition to the 3 actions. (The nice thing is, if you are holding the staff in two hands, it just takes a free action to drop grip on it to fulfill the component.)
The "single charge" rule is only for Spontaneous Spellcasters, where they can expend 1 charge from the staff, plus a requisite level spell slot, to cast a spell from the staff of the appropriate level that the staff can cast that they otherwise could not from their known spells. So if a Staff has a Heal spell that the Spontaneous Spellcaster can cast, but doesn't have it known, they can expend both their spell slot, and a single staff charge, to cast it as if it were a known spell.
When you prepare a staff during your morning preparations, you automatically get charges in the staff equal to your highest spell level of spell slot. So that would be 2 charges as a 4th level Cleric.
You can additionally add one spell slot of your choice into the staff. You lose the spell slot as though you had cast a spell, and the staff gains more charges equal to the spell level of the spell slot used. So if you imbue a 1st level spell slot, that would put the staff up to 3 charges, and if you imbue a 2nd level spell slot, that would put the staff up to 4 charges.
Requirements for casting from the staff are that you have the spell on your tradition list - though you don't have to have it prepared, and you have the staff in hand, and that it has enough charges left.
When you cast from the staff, it is the same as casting from your spell slots directly - including actions needed, casting components, spell attack and DC. The spell level is set by the staff though and just like spontaneous spellcasters, you don't get to automatically heighten the spell. If the staff has the spell as a 1st level spell only, you can't cast the 2nd level version of the spell from the staff.
And for charges used - it is equal to the spell level of the spell cast. So casting a 2nd level spell will cost 2 charges.
The action cost of casting from a staff is exactly the same as casting normally, with the possible exception of Trick Magic Item. (Can't recall if that works on a staff.)
TMI would work only to cast the cantrip on a staff. Slots need to be “filled” by preparing (requiring spell slots) and only the one who prepared a staff can use the charges from it.
TMI would work only to cast the cantrip on a staff. Slots need to be “filled” by preparing (requiring spell slots) and only the one who prepared a staff can use the charges from it.
The action cost of casting from a staff is exactly the same as casting normally, with the possible exception of Trick Magic Item. (Can't recall if that works on a staff.)
And as far as actions go, the casting time of the spell being cast doesn't change, but Trick Magic Item is itself an action that has to be used first.