Alternative Spell Trigger Items

[Ranged Ranger]

So I know that Dragon Magazine and Complete Arcane provide options for spell books that aren't actually books... I'm wondering if there are similar alternatives for staves and wands?

[Stealth Marmot]

I don't recall anything about wand or staff alternatives, but I do remember alternatives for potions and scrolls. They had items like tiles that could be snapped (with a picture of a woman with her head tilted back that I'm betting was traced from porn).

I once played with a DM who made a very good point. I was playing an artificer (Eberron one shot) and he explained that he was okayw ith magic items being anything you really wanted so long as mechanically they worked the same. So he suggested instead of a cure light wound potion I could have cure light wounds gum, which I found amusing. Being a gnome I could have pulled that off rather easily.

To me, if you are going to go through the trouble of getting an item creation feat, then you should have the right to add your own personal touch to the items. so long as your personal touch isn't meant to be an exploit of any sort. If instead of a wand you wanted say, an orb made of glass the size of a baseball, that still had the same requirements for use as the wand. Instead of a wand it could be a cure light wounds glass olive branch that you plucked leaves off of, but you still have to be a caster to use the leaves correctly (Or UMD).

This sort of thing could only ADD to the flavor of the game, so long as the mechanics of how it works stays the same.

[TheCorsairMalac]

I don't know if there's anything official from Wizards of The Coast, but this happens all the time in my groups. (At least for potions.)

As long as the mechanics(Charges, action required, hands filled, slots taken, etc.) are the same just about any Dungeon Master will let you do this.

My one friend likes to give magic dust as loot. A tiny box with 50 pinches of dust that imitates some spell. Those are essentially wands.

I played a down-to-earth sorceress once, and the Dungeon Master let me enchant her broom as a staff.

My group's monk has "Sensu beans" instead of potions of healing.

[Troacctid]

Yes. Conveniently also in Complete Arcane, on page 137.

[inuyasha]

I'm not the OP, but can someone tell me what dragon magazine article has the alternative spellbooks, and anything similar? That interests me greatly.

[Deophaun]

While the rules in Complete Arcane focus on potions and scrolls, the language is broad enough that you can apply them to any item as long as you follow these principles:
a) they have the same general restrictions/use requirements and
b) you have the Craft Wondrous Item feat in addition to the feat needed to normally craft the item.

So, if you want your staff to be in the form of a sword, you can do that. If you want a wand to be a book, you can do that.

[Vogie]

While the rules in Complete Arcane focus on potions and scrolls, the language is broad enough that you can apply them to any item as long as you follow these principles:
a) they have the same general restrictions/use requirements and
b) you have the Craft Wondrous Item feat in addition to the feat needed to normally craft the item.

So, if you want your staff to be in the form of a sword, you can do that. If you want a wand to be a book, you can do that.

I would say yea to the WandBook, but less so on the swordstaff, as swords are their own known quantity with their own crafting requirements. Unless it was something like a Wooden sword, or bokken.

Having a wand of Ray of Enfeeblement (or magic missile) that looks like (but cannot not function as) a pistol or other small firearm would be kind of awesome.

[Ranged Ranger]

Thanks everyone for the great information.

Related question, what about wands staves for creatures without arms... say something to be attached to antlers/horns and triggered by a command word?

[Deophaun]

I would say yea to the WandBook, but less so on the swordstaff, as swords are their own known quantity with their own crafting requirements.
So are quarterstaves and clubs, which have Craft Weapons and Armor as their prereq. Yet there's still Craft Staff and Craft Rod.

[Cruiser1]

They had items like tiles that could be snapped (with a picture of a woman with her head tilted back that I'm betting was traced from porn).
Ha ha, here's the image if we want to consider the sources of its inspiration! :smallwink:
http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll48/frenathakore/Character%20pics/potiontilesfromcompletearcane.jpg

[Stealth Marmot]

That is indeed the one.

I feel like I should avoid it while at work.