Author Topic: Runestaves...How good are they really?  (Read 10511 times)

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pfooti

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Re: Runestaves...How good are they really?
« Reply #20 on: June 02, 2008, 02:14:34 PM »
I like runestaves for spells that you only sometimes want. Dimension Door and Teleport are a good example there. I also like the Runestaff of Evocation, especially since it uses your caster level when you power it up, so you can get decent damage out of it. I find that evocation blasts are not often needed, but on occasion are exactly what you want in some quantity. Spells that fall into that category are great for wizards to have on a runestaff. For a sorcerer, OTOH, runestaves that mimic useful spells are all-around great, since you can get past the whole spells known limitation that way. They're all great, and if you can custom-design one, they're amazing. The one problem is they're nigh-impossible to craft yourself (craft staff is a lousy feat otherwise, and you have to know the entire spell list of the staff, which kind of defeats the purpose). That means no discount on the staff, which is sad.

Sunic_Flames

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Re: Runestaves...How good are they really?
« Reply #21 on: June 02, 2008, 03:35:12 PM »
Craft Staff is a bad feat? :confused
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[spoiler]
Sunic may be more abrasive than sandpaper coated in chainsaws (not that its a bad thing, he really does know what he's talking about), but just posting in this thread without warning and telling him he's an asshole which, if you knew his past experiences on WotC and Paizo is flat-out uncalled for. Never mind the insults (which are clearly 4Chan-level childish). You say people like Sunic are the bane of the internet? Try looking at your own post and telling me you are better than him.

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[/spoiler]

pfooti

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Re: Runestaves...How good are they really?
« Reply #22 on: June 02, 2008, 03:43:43 PM »
Not a fan of it myself, as I generally don't like magic staves. Far too expensive to be expendable. If Craft Staff and Craft Rod were lumped together, then things would be different, and I'd make runestaves and metamagic rods. Are there other staves that wizards use that aren't charged?

Since you can only ever use one runestaff at a time due to the 24-hour acclimatization period, it seems to be asking a lot to spend a feat just to make a runestaff.

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Runestaves...How good are they really?
« Reply #23 on: June 04, 2008, 09:07:39 PM »
You don't have to know the spells in the staff yourself.  You just have to know someone who knows the spells.
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Sunic_Flames

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Re: Runestaves...How good are they really?
« Reply #24 on: June 05, 2008, 11:43:34 AM »
Well the point of staves is to cover spells you will need often but cannot afford to prepare that many times as you need other stuff. Say... Greater Dispel Magic is something I could easily see a wizard making good use of in staff format as there are other useful 6th level spells, and there is a definite appeal to having Greater Dispel on hand as needed. Unlike wands, you can use your CL instead of its own if higher so it doesn't get left behind, and it also uses your stats to set save DCs making it useful for the real spells (save or die, save or suck, etc). Compare to Wands, which are really only useful for buffs and the odd Orb spell on a Blastifiscer with very few exceptions.
Smiting Imbeciles since 1985.

If you hear this music, run.

And don't forget:


There is no greater contribution than Hi Welcome.

Huge amounts of people are fuckwits. That doesn't mean that fuckwit is a valid lifestyle.

IP proofing and avoiding being CAPed OR - how to make characters relevant in the long term.

Friends don't let friends be Short Bus Hobos.

[spoiler]
Sunic may be more abrasive than sandpaper coated in chainsaws (not that its a bad thing, he really does know what he's talking about), but just posting in this thread without warning and telling him he's an asshole which, if you knew his past experiences on WotC and Paizo is flat-out uncalled for. Never mind the insults (which are clearly 4Chan-level childish). You say people like Sunic are the bane of the internet? Try looking at your own post and telling me you are better than him.

Here's a fun fact: You aren't. By a few leagues.
[/spoiler]

SorO_Lost

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Re: Runestaves...How good are they really?
« Reply #25 on: June 06, 2008, 06:06:08 PM »
Tap dancing? I'd make the dragon do the robot.
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Tiers explained in 8 sentences. With examples!
[spoiler]Tiers break down into who has spellcasting more than anything else due to spells being better than anything else in the game.
6: Skill based. Commoner, Expert, Samurai.
5: Mundane warrior. Barbarian, Fighter, Monk.
4: Partial casters. Adapt, Hexblade, Paladin, Ranger, Spelltheif.
3: Focused casters. Bard, Beguiler, Dread Necromancer, Martial Adapts, Warmage.
2: Full casters. Favored Soul, Psion, Sorcerer, Wu Jen.
1: Elitists. Artificer, Cleric, Druid, Wizard.
0: Gods. StP Erudite, Illthid Savant, Pun-Pun, Rocks fall & you die.
[/spoiler]