Author Topic: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs  (Read 5182 times)

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Tr011

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Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« on: July 31, 2011, 10:37:26 AM »
We all know the big wizards of diffrent stories allways carry a great stuff with them, greater than themself, enchanted with powerful magic.
For example our Gandalf:
[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

But since quarterstaffs are two-handed weapons how is it possible to cast non-still spells? With only one hand? Wouldn't this disallow you from using enchantments like Deflecting (CWar). How does it work?

Mixster

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2011, 10:51:47 AM »
I'm pretty sure that when not attacking, you can hold your quarterstaff one-handed.

The good thing about a quarterstaff is that it is a double weapon, so you can do that, then you can enchant both ends of it with Warning and Eager, and put a Wand Chamber with Nerveskitter in each end. Should be about +15 to initiative, which is good for rocket tag.
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weenog

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2011, 11:04:58 AM »
Even when you are attacking, you can use a quarterstaff and most other double weapons one-handed... you just can't use both ends to TWF with it that way.  But your powerful mage types aren't lugging a quarterstaff around anyway.   They use a magic staff or rod, which can serve as an improvised club in a pinch but is actually there to augment their magical abilities in some way.
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #3 on: July 31, 2011, 11:07:52 AM »
But your powerful mage types aren't lugging a quarterstaff around anyway.   They use a magic staff or rod, which can serve as an improvised club in a pinch but is actually there to augment their magical abilities in some way.
What?  :twitch Magic staves are staves... Who said they can't also be a weapon (specifically, a quarterstaff)? Some of them even explicitly say they are in their descriptions.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

Tr011

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #4 on: July 31, 2011, 01:24:39 PM »
Even when you are attacking, you can use a quarterstaff and most other double weapons one-handed... you just can't use both ends to TWF with it that way.  But your powerful mage types aren't lugging a quarterstaff around anyway.   They use a magic staff or rod, which can serve as an improvised club in a pinch but is actually there to augment their magical abilities in some way.
Thought about clubs, too, but Deflection (Complete Warrior Weapon Enchantment) works only on Two-Handed Weapons (or oversized one-handed, but that's not as cool).

I'm pretty sure that when not attacking, you can hold your quarterstaff one-handed.

The good thing about a quarterstaff is that it is a double weapon, so you can do that, then you can enchant both ends of it with Warning and Eager, and put a Wand Chamber with Nerveskitter in each end. Should be about +15 to initiative, which is good for rocket tag.
Holding will be ok, but using it? Anyone got a rules quote mby on this issue?

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #5 on: July 31, 2011, 03:49:58 PM »
There have been contradictory guidelines from WotC on this. For the longest time, the "official" interpretation (from the FAQ, IIRC) was that it was a free action to both take one hand off and put it back on your weapon. So you could easily cast spells while wielding a two-handed weapon, and gain all the benefits of the weapon while not casting (i.e. during everyone else's turns).

Then later on in 3.5, one of the "Rules of the Game" articles contradicted this by saying that they "thought" it should be a move action to re-grip a weapon in two hands...

So basically, there are no rules addressing this, and WotC's suggestions have varied. So pick your poison.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

nijineko

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2011, 06:06:25 PM »
i would think that it would be a non-action or a free action. making the gesture (and necessarily taking your hand off of the weapon) is part of the spellcasting action, hence non-action in-and-of itself. putting the hand back on would be a free action. the act of taking one hand off of a double ended weapon is likely to signal that you cannot use it effectively and might get you attacked, but spellcasting normally provokes aoo anyhow, so that is covered too.
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altpersona

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2011, 03:18:36 PM »
also, gandalf is a 235% real shadow craft illusion created by the Intelligent Sword (Glamdring).

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2011, 09:50:31 PM »
i would think that it would be a non-action or a free action. making the gesture (and necessarily taking your hand off of the weapon) is part of the spellcasting action, hence non-action in-and-of itself. putting the hand back on would be a free action. the act of taking one hand off of a double ended weapon is likely to signal that you cannot use it effectively and might get you attacked, but spellcasting normally provokes aoo anyhow, so that is covered too.

And a Wizard standing next to a Barbarian provoking Attacks of Opportunity whilst casting is doing something wrong and probably dump stat'd Intellect.

nijineko

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2011, 09:25:27 PM »
did you just say sorcerer? ;D
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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #10 on: August 15, 2011, 01:23:52 AM »
For fighting with one hand or two hands or TWF with double weapons:
Linky

Specifically, this:
Quote from: SRD

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #11 on: August 15, 2011, 01:29:35 AM »
For fighting with one hand or two hands or TWF with double weapons:
Linky

Specifically, this:
Quote from: SRD
A creature wielding a double weapon in one hand
Yeah... this part is weird. I think in the 3.0 rules, it specifically was talking about creatures using inappropriately sized double weapons (like a large giant using a two-bladed sword for a medium creature in one hand). I think they dropped that part of the description with the 3.0 to 3.5 conversion.

So basically, you can wield the double weapon in one of three ways: as a double weapon (Two-weapon fighting style), as a one-handed weapon, or as a two-handed weapon.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

Tr011

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #12 on: August 15, 2011, 02:20:15 AM »
So basically, you can wield the double weapon in one of three ways: as a double weapon (Two-weapon fighting style), as a one-handed weapon, or as a two-handed weapon.
That's true (the FAQ states the same) but the important part is what action it is to change the "fighting style". It won't be swift or immediate since it's a core rule question, so it's either free, move or no-action (and since move action would be kinda wierd it will be ok imo to assume it's free or no-action).

Shiki

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #13 on: August 15, 2011, 02:43:31 AM »
IIRR, the thing from a RotG's article says it's a free action. Also IIRR, DM quoted it in his Duskblade Handbook somewhere.
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Tr011

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Re: Question about mages and Quarterstaffs
« Reply #14 on: August 15, 2011, 03:30:39 AM »
IIRR, the thing from a RotG's article says it's a free action. Also IIRR, DM quoted it in his Duskblade Handbook somewhere.
Awesome, I found it and that really states it as a free action (also checked the source):
About Two Handed Weapons: You need to provide the gestures required to channel a spell. Somatic Weaponry normally covers that. You can save a feat though by following this ruling here:

Quote from: wizards.com
Although the rules don't mention it, letting go of a two-handed weapon with one hand or putting a free hand back on the weapon is a free action for you.