Staff Use Question

[LordSeurek]

Silly question as I should know this but I forget, can any class use a staff (such as the Staff of Life in d&d or Staff of Ressurection in c&c) or does the class have to be a magic user?

Thanks, Rob.

 

[Beckett]

Anyone can use a staff, provided the spell they're trying to use is on their spell list (knowledge of the spell is not necessary, nor is have casting ability; cure light wounds is on the paladin spell list, so even a first level paladin could cast CLW from a staff).

 

[Thikket]

Beckett has the right of it.

A staff is a spell trigger item. Here's the relevant rules text for 3.5E D&D (I don't know about C&C). For questions like this, oftentimes you can just check www.d20srd.org and search for the answer -- I love that site.

Spell Trigger

Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.) The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

 

[LordSeurek]

Anyone can use a staff, provided the spell they're trying to use is on their spell list (knowledge of the spell is not necessary, nor is have casting ability; cure light wounds is on the paladin spell list, so even a first level paladin could cast CLW from a staff).

The character that has the staff is a fighter, hence wouldn't have any access to spells at all...

I have read the details listed in d20 site as well as the DMG and it just makes reference to the wielder and not specifically the magic-user.

 

[irdeggman]

The character that has the staff is a fighter, hence wouldn't have any access to spells at all...

I have read the details listed in d20 site as well as the DMG and it just makes reference to the wielder and not specifically the magic-user.

Correct.

From staff entry (SRD):

Activation: Staffs use the spell trigger activation method, so casting a spell from a staff is usually a standard action that doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity. (If the spell being cast, however, has a longer casting time than 1 standard action, it takes that long to cast the spell from a staff.) To activate a staff, a character must hold it forth in at least one hand (or whatever passes for a hand, for nonhumanoid creatures).

From using magic items section:

Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it’s even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Anyone with a spell on his or her spell list knows how to use a spell trigger item that stores that spell. (This is the case even for a character who can’t actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin.) The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

So since nothing in the staff section contradicts (or supercedes) the general requirements for a spell trigger activation item - those rules still apply. Hence in order to use a staff a character must have the spell on his class list. Unless of course he is using UMD to get around that nasty restriction.

I think you were sticking to the section under staves that talks about the saving throw determination. They are the "exception" to the rule for saving throws.

SAVING THROWS AGAINST MAGIC ITEM POWERS
Magic items produce spells or spell-like effects. For a saving throw against a spell or spell-like effect from a magic item, the DC is 10 + the level of the spell or effect + the ability modifier of the minimum ability score needed to cast that level of spell.

Staffs are an exception to the rule. Treat the saving throw as if the wielder cast the spell, including caster level and all modifiers to save DC.

Most item descriptions give saving throw DCs for various effects, particularly when the effect has no exact spell equivalent (making its level otherwise difficult to determine quickly).

 

[LordSeurek]

Correct.

From staff entry (SRD):


[So since nothing in the staff section contradicts (or supercedes) the general requirements for a spell trigger activation item - those rules still apply. Hence in order to use a staff a character must have the spell on his class list. Unless of course he is using UMD to get around that nasty restriction.]

What does UMD stand for and how can I get around it......?

 

[Masquerade]

What does UMD stand for

The Use Magic Device skill.

 

[irdeggman]

Correct.

From staff entry (SRD):


[So since nothing in the staff section contradicts (or supercedes) the general requirements for a spell trigger activation item - those rules still apply. Hence in order to use a staff a character must have the spell on his class list. Unless of course he is using UMD to get around that nasty restriction.]

What does UMD stand for and how can I get around it......?

As Masquerade pointed out it is Use Magic Device skill - and that is exactly why the skill exists in the first place - to provide a means around spell list (and other similar things) restrictions.

Everyone can take, although it usually a cross-class skill (and charisma based, and you can't take 10 or 20 on it, unless you have a specific class feature - like the warlock or artificer does)

 

[LordSeurek]

Cool, thanks for all your help. Unfortunately we playing Castle and Crusades and not 3.5 errrr. I'll check with the CK to see if he will allow the Ugse Magic Device ability.

 

[irdeggman]

Cool, thanks for all your help. Unfortunately we playing Castle and Crusades and not 3.5 errrr. I'll check with the CK to see if he will allow the Ugse Magic Device ability.

Ahh.

C&C is actually 2nd ed with a d20 mechanic.

In 2nd ed fighters could not use staves.