Runestaff of Power / Item familiar

[schreier]

I am starting a level 10 campaign, and am thinking of using a beguiler. WBL gives me 49k to spend, and I am seriously considering a Runestaff of power. This basically mirrors a traditional staff of power in terms of spells available, +2 quarterstaff, and +2 luck to ac and saves, but does not have the retributive strike. Each spell can only be used once per day unlike a staff and it costs spell slots to use. Normally you need to have the spell on your class list, but most rule you can use "use magic device" with DC of 20+ spell level.

This is a big portion of available funds (38.3k), but significantly increases spell versatility while providing luck bonuses to ac and saves.

If you take it as your item familiar:
1. Can you add weapon enhancements as powers (lvl 10, 14, 18)? Smoking, Defender, and eager look prettu sweet.

2. It mentions in item familiar that you can improve it without the feats. Can you add other spells that way? Can you increase the number of castings per day? If so, do you use the regular costing?

Thanks in advance,
schreier

[Deophaun]

Normally you need to have the spell on your class list, but most rule you can use "use magic device" with DC of 20+ spell level.
You can UMD it with a flat 21 once-per-hour. The class list is available at level 1, and that's what you're emulating:

By expending a prepared arcane spell or arcane spell slot, the wielder can cast a spell of the same level or lower from the runestaff’s list, as long as that spell also appears on the wielder’s class spell list.

If you take it as your item familiar:
1. Can you add weapon enhancements as powers (lvl 10, 14, 18)? Smoking, Defender, and eager look prettu sweet.
Yes, although keep in mind that you must add the cost of the masterwork weapon component to the item's cost before it's enchanted and before it's an item familiar; otherwise it's just a fancy stick and not suitable as a magic weapon.

2. It mentions in item familiar that you can improve it without the feats. Can you add other spells that way? Can you increase the number of castings per day? If so, do you use the regular costing?
Yes, although you will factor in the price of all further enhancements into the cost (for determining if you pay an extra 50% or not).

[Thurbane]

You can UMD it with a flat 21 once-per-hour. The class list is available at level 1, and that's what you're emulating:

That's an ...interesting... reading of UMDing runestaffs. In all the many debates of how to do it, I don't think I've seen that solution mentioned before.

[schreier]

You can UMD it with a flat 21 once-per-hour. The class list is available at level 1, and that's what you're emulating:


So ... if you make the check once, you can use any spells on it for that hour?




Yes, although keep in mind that you must add the cost of the masterwork weapon component to the item's cost before it's enchanted and before it's an item familiar; otherwise it's just a fancy stick and not suitable as a magic weapon.

Yes, although you will factor in the price of all further enhancements into the cost (for determining if you pay an extra 50% or not).

The item is already listed specifically as a "+2 mastercrafted quarterstaff" in its item description, so that is already included in the original 38.3k magic item cost.

[Deophaun]

That's an ...interesting... reading of UMDing runestaffs. In all the many debates of how to do it, I don't think I've seen that solution mentioned before.
It's the only thing that the runestaff bothers to check for. If you have it on your class list, then the runestaff allows you to use your arcane spell slots to cast the spell. It doesn't care where those arcane spell slots come from. A Warmage 19/Wizard 1 can use any appropriate Warmage slot to cast any spell from a runestaff that is on the Wizard's spell list without a UMD check at all.
Edit:

So ... if you make the check once, you can use any spells on it for that hour?
You know, I'm wrong on this as I was thinking knowstones (and maybe that's what Thurbane was referencing). The activation is listed "as spell used," so that means you must emulate it each time you cast.

[schreier]

It's the only thing that the runestaff bothers to check for. If you have it on your class list, then the runestaff allows you to use your arcane spell slots to cast the spell. It doesn't care where those arcane spell slots come from. A Warmage 19/Wizard 1 can use any appropriate Warmage slot to cast any spell from a runestaff that is on the Wizard's spell list without a UMD check at all.
Edit:

You know, I'm wrong on this as I was thinking knowstones (and maybe that's what Thurbane was referencing). The activation is listed "as spell used," so that means you must emulate it each time you cast.

That makes sense actually ... so each spell, but only DC 21

BTW - does the runestaff of power seem overpowered to anyone, or is it just me? +2 luck to saves and AC, lots of spells, +2 weapon, and even smiting ability ... for 38k? The regular staff of power is over 200k.

[AlbertEinstein]

That makes sense actually ... so each spell, but only DC 21

BTW - does the runestaff of power seem overpowered to anyone, or is it just me? +2 luck to saves and AC, lots of spells, +2 weapon, and even smiting ability ... for 38k? The regular staff of power is over 200k.

This does seem really powerful, especially compared to the Staff of Power. Using spell slots as charges seems really useful for a caster as opposed to the limited number of charges for the Staff of Power.

[Deophaun]

That makes sense actually ... so each spell, but only DC 21

BTW - does the runestaff of power seem overpowered to anyone, or is it just me? +2 luck to saves and AC, lots of spells, +2 weapon, and even smiting ability ... for 38k? The regular staff of power is over 200k.
I think runestaves in general are underpriced, which is why I generally do not allow custom versions in my games.

That said, would you buy a staff of power for 200K? I sure as heck wouldn't. That's overpriced. And the +2 enhancement is worthless considering that by the time you can start to think about maybe saving up for it any random branch you pick up can become a +4 weapon.