Single-spell staffs

[Edhelras]

I need to enable a minor Thayan villain to cast Baleful Polymorph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/balefulPolymorph.htm) on his prisoners, so I wanted to give him a spell storing device to perform this, as the spell is above his level.

Unfortunately, he cannot use a simple wand since the spell is lvl 5. So I checked the Staff of transmutation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/staffs.htm#transmutation). But it has so many other functions that I didn't want my villain to have.

So my question - is there any particular reason that I haven't thought of, why staffs have multiple spells, instead of being dedicated to one spell like wands are? And are there any objections (balance issues, for instance) why I shouldn't create a staff with the single spell of Baleful Polymorph?

[Mishkov]

If you're the DM, I don't see why not. It's your game, you can just rename is Staff of Minor Transmutation. Also the text does state that it GENERALLY has those spells...

Just think of the implications of your PCs getting that staff and being able to cast that spell and block them if you don't want that happening if they are able to take out your minor villain.

Alternatively, you could make it an intelligent weapon and give it that power.

[urandom]

You can make staffs with any number of spells. If I recall correctly the cost for a staff is (caster level)*(spell level)*750/(number of charges for spell) + .75*(caster level)*(spell level)*750/(number of charges for spell) + .5*(...)

[Clistenes]

I need to enable a minor Thayan villain to cast Baleful Polymorph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/balefulPolymorph.htm) on his prisoners, so I wanted to give him a spell storing device to perform this, as the spell is above his level.

Unfortunately, he cannot use a simple wand since the spell is lvl 5. So I checked the Staff of transmutation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/staffs.htm#transmutation). But it has so many other functions that I didn't want my villain to have.

So my question - is there any particular reason that I haven't thought of, why staffs have multiple spells, instead of being dedicated to one spell like wands are? And are there any objections (balance issues, for instance) why I shouldn't create a staff with the single spell of Baleful Polymorph?

I can't see why not. It would be cheaper and faster to create than a regular staff, so there is a good reason for such item to exist. It would cost 375x5x9 = 16875 gp. It would cost only 10125 if it is useable only by evil characters with some skill points in spellcraft

You could also use a rod that allows him to cast Baleful Polymorph 3/day. I think the cost would be 1800x5x9x3/5 = 48600 gp, less, if is useable only by evil characters with some skill points in spellcraft (29160 gp)

A villain my character once fought had an Eternal Wand that allowed to cast Animate Dead 1/day. He was a low level evil cleric, but animated (or killed and animated) everything with bones he found in the countryside, not bothering to control them and allowing them to run amock. The peasants were convinced they were facing a Zombie Apocalypse/End of the World, and cowered in their homes. My low-level paladin found and killed the crazy cleric, and gained and undeserved reputation as undead hunter that put him into all kinds of trouble (since people asked him to kill powerful undead).

[Vaern]

Based on the forumla given in the DMG for creating staves, a staff containing a single spell is the same as the formula given for creating a wand, plus 300 GP for a masterwork staff. There is no reason why you can't do it.
The reason staves usually contain multiple spells is for convenience. A wizard/sorcerer can have it equipped at all times and have access to its spell list at a moment's notice if necessary. Also, keep in mind that they are two-handed weapons that weigh several pounds, which are most likely going to be used by the character in the party with the lowest strength score.

[Edhelras]

Thanks for the response. The idea with the Intelligent weapon was particularly intrigueing, I have to think about that one considering the greater plot here.

My problem was exactly that I didn't want neither the PCs nor the villains to get access to Disintegrate and the other spells in the Staff of transmutation, all I really wanted was to provide an explanation for why the prisoners had been turned into small birds and furry animals. Since this is Thay, "a wizard did it", but I wanted a more solid in-game explanation...

I'm still puzzled, though, why the DMG focuses so heavily on staves having multiple spells, and why there is a limit at lvl 4 spells for wands. I presume it must have something to do with trying to restrict the ability to use spell-trigging items with the off hand or something? Making it more difficult to cast really high lvl spells just by the flick of a wand?

BTW after reading through the entire Harry Potter series (simply because I wanted to check out what my two kids are getting into when they learn to read in a few years) makes me want to restrict, forcibly and cruelly, any and all abilities to solve whatever problem (be it the most potent evil spellcaster in the world, or breadcrumbs soiling the table) with a flick of the wand.

[ericgrau]

The FAQ says single spell staffs are both legal and not unbalancing. They have one big disadvantage that keep everybody from doing 1 spell staffs: Switching staffs is not easy. You need 2 move actions, which is almost never worth it. With quick draw you can reduce this to 1 move action but this costs a feat and there is no "quick store". Gloves of storing can reduce it to 2 free actions for a single staff but at 20,000 gp it isn't cheap so any money you saved on the staff is probably gone.

Using up the many charges is another lesser issue on single spell staffs (contrary to popular fears, the opposite is rarely a problem), but technically you could just specify a very high charge cost. OTOH technically any staff not in the DMG is custom and subject to DM approval, and the guidelines only specify 1 or 2 charges. As the DM you might require staffs to be thematic and cap the charge cost, for example. Up to you.

When giving an NPC an expendable don't forget to multiply its price by 5 when calculating NPC wealth. You might also give him one with fewer charges.

Capping wands at 4th level is probably more thematic than anything. It also forces 2 item creation feats. And it protects the player: without save DCs, without a decent caster level and with a huge price level 5 wands would rarely be worth it. Level 4 wands are already pushing it. I rarely go above 2 even on a high budget.

[Edhelras]

I can't see why not. It would be cheaper and faster to create than a regular staff, so there is a good reason for such item to exist. It would cost 375x5x9 = 16875 gp. It would cost only 10125 if it is useable only by evil characters with some skill points in spellcraft

You could also use a rod that allows him to cast Baleful Polymorph 3/day. I think the cost would be 1800x5x9x3/5 = 48600 gp, less, if is useable only by evil characters with some skill points in spellcraft (29160 gp)


The reason I was unsure whether I could fill a Staff with only one spell, was this phrase from the SRD: "A staff is a long shaft of wood that stores several spells. Unlike wands, which can contain a wide variety of spells, each staff is of a certain kind and holds specific spells."
So, it seemed to emphasise that the spells available to Staves was more restricted than for Wands. But I couldn't figure out why this ought to be so, either for game purposes or for in-game magic realism.

The Rod variant was really what I was most looking for, but the description of rods in the DMG seemed to be different than that spellstoring function I was looking for. So, I might use this suggestion then.

[ericgrau]

That's the general use of staffs which might imply that it's the only use, but apparently the FAQ says otherwise. The second part seems to imply that you can't just put together a staff with random spells; it must be a specific set like existing staff. That gives a good reason for DMs to only allow thematic staffs when a custom one is made.

A use per day item might make more sense for long term prisoner harassment, though I wonder if unlimited (after enough days) foe polymorphing might be abusable somehow.

You might also make a thematic staff with baleful polymorph and other jailer related spells of level 4 and lower. Resilient sphere comes to mind.

[Edhelras]

@ericgrau, again thanks for good advice. I'm concerned about the potential for abuse and the impact on subsequent game if the PCs get their hands on this item. A jailor themed staff might be an appropriate choice, preferably if I make a mix of spells not necessarily too useful for combat etc.

The plot is that Evil clerics capture outsiders like genasi and the such, balefully polymorph them and imprison them in the shape of animals. Then they kill them, and eh... the focus here is some ill-contrived plan that nefarious knowledge may be gained from performing various evil rituals upon polymorphed outsiders in the moment they are killed and reverts to their original form.

[nedz]

You can put uses per day on any old item, well almost.

How about the idea of a mad (or evil) intelligent item with several functions, but which requires its wielder to (using its) balefully polymorph some one in order to access its other functions. It ought to be thematic: snakes, frogs or even donkeys perhaps ?

[Edhelras]

Hm. I'm thinking about whether to make this a religious artifact, perhaps. But really the polymorphing thingy was at first though just to be a way to decapacitate and imprison. After thinking more about it, I've come to think that there might be some in-game rationality to this thingy; that the death of a native outsider might be something "special" that necromantics might be interested in.

BTW this is something I struggle with: Where goes the boundary between DnD magics and more "real-world" religious fantasy? How to incorporate the multitude of quasi-religious "unholy rituals" of pop-culture into DnD-style magics? It's off-topic to the staff-thread, though.

Anyway, maybe I might create a religious articfact that has the (powerful, reality-changing and limited/restricted) effect of balefully polymorphing native outsiders in such a fashion that their souls are marked in a way - so that when they are killed, the soul can be captured and retrieved for some nefarious studies or experiments?

Then I could link this ability to the altar at the depth of the evil temple, so that it could not be brought along by the PCs, and I wouldn't have to deal with it afterwards (maybe they would have to return at a later point to destroy the altar, possibly to retrieve the slain outsiders soul).

As I said, my problem is that I like these things to be at least partially in line with the rules of the DnD game, not just make everything up to fit my purpose and thereby strain the rules.

[ericgrau]

non-combat jailer spells: ~detect secret doors, arcane lock, detect thoughts, lesser geas, ~bestow curse (slow speed + always glowing and easy to see), ~prying eyes. I like #2-4.

Custom magic items aren't horrible either as long as they don't have an abusable ability, especially certain abilities once made unlimited use or permanent. They also shouldn't be abused with cost reductions that don't have a real drawback. They aren't just tolerable they're often a good idea once you get creative. Stick to the guidelines without looking for loopholes but most of all make it about as strong as similarly priced item. Then you'll have a unique item that will be fun for players for a long time to come. Besides a bunch of spells you may look into other thematically related abilities and fluffing a nice (but brief) description for the item.

[Edhelras]

Very good suggestions! I need to be more liberal and creative on this, while staying within the general scope of the rules. Feel insipired now!

[Arbane]

non-combat jailer spells: ~detect secret doors, arcane lock, detect thoughts, lesser geas, ~bestow curse (slow speed + always glowing and easy to see), ~prying eyes. I like #2-4.

Faerie Fire might be another good one for this.

[ksbsnowowl]

The other option is to make a Scepter, via the Craft Scepter feat from Lost Empires of Faerun.

Scepters are sort of a cross between a wand and a staff. It can hold one or two spells, of up to 7th level. Any spell above 4th level costs two charges to activate.

[AdamT]

The other option, given what your wanting to do, is to make it a special power of an alter (unmoveable and utterly evil) to polymorph anyone on it during a 30 minute ceremony to *evil god of choice*.

PCs wont use it then... unless they are evil too.

[Edhelras]

The other option, given what your wanting to do, is to make it a special power of an alter (unmoveable and utterly evil) to polymorph anyone on it during a 30 minute ceremony to *evil god of choice*.

PCs wont use it then... unless they are evil too.

I think this is the most useful and self-limited solution to my issue.

Is there any way to describe this special power with in-game mechanics? Or should I just say that "It does baleful polymorph (A wizard did it, actually)" ?

For instance, I was unsure what caster level to give this effect.
Would this make the altar into an artifact?

[ericgrau]

You could make it a magic item but with an ad hoc price reduction for being immobile, or price it as a magical trap which is also lower. But to avoid the infamous infinite trap abuse give it a reasonable limit on uses per day or a large reset time. Either way tie it to the location so that it doesn't function elsewhere even if the altar is moved.

[nedz]

You should also plan on the players spending at least half a session in trying to remove it as loot, or else in trying to destroy it, depending upon their inclinations.