Staff of Power 5e Guide

Staff of Power 5e Guide – the Defensive Offensive Weapon

You found it in a dragon’s hoard. At first, the Monk had thought it was a new Quarterstaff they could strap to their back (you think they might have an addiction to collecting Quarterstaffs), but with a quick Identify, they discovered it was anything but.

Instead, this powerful D&D weapon went into your hands. Filled with 20 Charges, this Staff was overflowing with crackling magical energy. Even when you bopped an enemy on the head with it, that magic discharged at your will, dealing just slightly more damage than it should have.

You came to love it and the spells it spewed with every fiber of your being but eventually, you were backed into a corner. Only a few Charges remained in the magic quarterstaff that we’re going to talk in this Staff of Power 5e guide, and you didn’t know where your party was.

Your hands trembled as you watched the enemies, more powerful than you could handle now, close in on you. Instinct took over. You knew this would come eventually, but that didn’t make you dread it any less. Closing your eyes tightly, you raised your Staff and slammed it into the wall.

You hear the cracking of the wood and then too much silence. Time moved at a snail’s pace before the flood of magic rushed over you. When you opened your eyes again, in its last remaining bit of magic (and a bit of hope), the Staff of Power transported you to safety in the Feywild. It had the chance to take you to any Plane of Existence, and there were much worse options, really. Although you did not have your Staff of Power, you had your life, and that mattered more than anything.

The Short of this Long Quarterstaff

  • Can be used by Sorcerers, Wizards, and Warlocks
  • Requires Attunement
  • Can cast spells or be used as a Melee Quarterstaff
  • 20 Charges, 2d8+4 Charges refresh at dawn
  • Best used as a defensive weapon and to conserve spell slots

It’s Definitely a Weapon

Stats

Quaterstaff

The Staff of Power is an incredibly rare item, requiring Attunement by a Sorcerer, Warlock, or a Wizard. It can be wielded as a magic Quarterstaff, granting a +2 to Melee Attack and Damage rolls made with it.

While holding it and Attuned to it, the user gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class, Saving Throws, and Spell Attack Rolls.

Charges

The Staff maintains 20 Charges. These Charges are expended when using the spells it is loaded with. You can regain 2d8+4 expended Charges at dawn every day. If you expend the last Charge on the Staff, you must roll a d20.

On a 1, the Staff retains its +2 for Attacks and damage rolls but loses every other property. On a 20, the Staff regains 1d8+2 Charges. On any other roll, nothing else happens, and the Staff is “empty” until dawn strikes. It’s best not to run the Staff dry, however. Although you may save yourself spell slots, you risk losing the power the staff grants entirely by running it dry, however slight that chance may be.

Melee Abilities

When you hit a target with the Staff using a Melee Attack, you can expend a single charge to deal an extra 1d6 Force damage on top of the standard Quarterstaff Damage (1d6 + Strength) plus the additional two damage if your Staff has not been emptied of Charges and subsequently lost all of its properties.

If desired, you can use an action to break the Staff in two. This destroys the Staff and releases whatever magic remains in an explosion with a 30-foot radius. When breaking the Staff, you will have a 50% chance to travel to a random Plane of Existence to avoid being caught in the explosion.

If you don’t travel, you take damage worth sixteen times the number of Charges that had been in the Staff before breaking. All other creatures must make a DC 17 Dexterity Saving Throw. A creature will take one of the damage amounts below on a failed save. On a successful save, the creature will take half as much damage.

10 feet or less Eight times the number of Charges left
11 to 20 feet away Six times the number of Charges left
21 to 30 feet away Four times the number of Charges left

For most spellcasters, who generally have low health, breaking the Staff would be an instant kill, so this would certainly be a last resort. At the very least, if you are going to do it, you could attempt to leave only one or two charges remaining. It won’t do much damage to you or those around you, but it will hopefully keep you alive.

Regardless, if you’re breaking the Staff, it’s likely a “desperate times call for desperate measures” moment, so maybe keep as many charges as possible and go out with a bang. There’s a chance you will live, and all will end well (for you, at least), but there’s also a chance you just end up a puddle on the ground in the explosion, so proceed with caution.

Spells

Spells

The Staff of Power comes loaded with a variety of spells. These spells use your Spell Save DC and your Spell Attack Bonus. While Attuned to the Staff, you can use an Action to expend one or more Charges to use one of its spells.

Cone of Cold 5 Charges
Fireball 5 Charges
5th-level Fireball
Globe of Invulnerability 6 Charges
Hold Monster 5 Charges
Levitate 2 Charges
Lightning Bolt 5 Charges

 

5th-level Lightning Bolt

Magic Missile 1 Charge
Ray of Enfeeblement 1 Charge
Wall of Force 5 Charges

Unless mentioned otherwise, the Staff of Power only casts spells at their lowest level. So, you only get three darts of magic for spells like Magic Missile. As tempting as it is to use Fireball for each attack with the Staff of Power, you would only get four uses, and the other spells in the Staff genuinely do have a bit of use depending on your situation.

Most are meant to do a serious amount of damage, but a fair few of these spells are intended to play defensive instead. Globe of Invulnerability, Hold Monster, Levitate, Ray of Enfeeblement, and Wall of Force are all built to provide protection and defense while your party plays offensive.

Other spells, like Fireball and Cone of Cold, allow the magic-user attuned to the Staff to deal serious damage without using their spell slots. With the +2 the Staff of Power grants to AC and the multitude of defensive spells it has, however, I would argue that the Staff of Power thrives as a defensive weapon.

Who Would Benefit from Power

Staff of Power

Of the three classes that can fuse the Staff of Power, it needs to be asked which class would benefit most. In that right, I present to you two options for two different reasons: the Wizard and the Warlock.

Wizards typically have low AC due to their non-existent armor. Give them the Staff of Power, and they can obtain a slightly higher AC and conserve their spell slots. Plus, with the defensive spells that the Staff of Power is loaded up with, it is practically built to keep even the squishiest of Wizards friendly and safe. Sorcerers could theoretically fit into this category for the same reason, but I would argue that they’d be better off without it than the Wizards would be.

Yes, both have low ACs, but Sorcerers can technically recover spell slots on the fly using Sorcerery Points. Wizards don’t have the same benefit and must be more careful with their magic expenditure. Regardless, it will work for either class (just be more beneficial to Wizards)

For Warlocks, however, the Staff of Power conserves their spell slots. A Warlock can and will face the most limiting factor is the number of spell slots they have and can use. Pair that alongside their lack of an extended spell list, and the Staff of Power suddenly becomes a god-like item. At most, Warlocks can get up to four spell slots (even at level 20!), so pair them alongside the Staff of Power, and suddenly, they’ve got a couple more “spell slots” that they can freely expend.

Sure, they may get their spell slots back after a short rest, but when you’re in the heat of battle and suddenly out of spells you can sling, the Staff of Power can come to the rescue and make sure you win the battle. In terms of Armor Class, Warlocks usually have more armor than Sorcerers and Wizards due to their Light Armor proficiency, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have a high AC. So in a way, the Staff of Power is even better for a Warlock than a Wizard or Sorcerer.

Powerful Appearances

You don’t technically have to have the Staff of Power be a Quarterstaff. There are homebrewed options that allow for a Staff of Power to give it a reskinned appearance. This will usually make the item “homebrewed,” but everything should be fine if all is worked out with your Dungeon Master. Considering that it’s a weapon, I recommend changing the appearance to something that can be carried rather than worn. Although, the idea of clicking your ruby red heels together three times and having a Fireball shoot out of your toes instead of being transported home is deeply amusing.

If you don’t want to become a much more dangerous Dorothy Gale, consider changing the appearance to something like an umbrella or, if you’re daring, a fork. These items are far less inconspicuous than a Quarterstaff, and depending on your campaign’s mood, a reskinned Quarterstaff may end up fitting it better.

Sure, on sunny days, you may get odd looks here and there, but more often than not, people would just brush you off as paranoid about the rain. For example, if you’re playing a Dungeons and Dragons campaign set in a more contemporary situation rather than a medieval fantasy one, an umbrella would likely stand out far less than a Quarterstaff. If an umbrella doesn’t suit your aesthetic, perhaps something like a handbag or messenger bag would fit better. Simply open your bag, let the Lighting Bolt arc out, and strike your enemies down.

Out of Charges

Sword

The Staff of Power is undoubtedly a weapon that I have always wanted. It is so irresistible, yet I’ve never managed to get my hands on one during my Campaigns. Perhaps my DM knew that the power would be too much for my feral little Wizards and me to handle, or maybe it just always ended before the DM could justify bringing a Staff of Power in. Regardless, if you get your hands on a Staff of Power, take it and never let go of it.

Just make sure that you don’t run out of charges. If you run out of Charges, it becomes the equivalent of a normal Quarterstaff, which isn’t as fun. Even if you were to break it at that point, there would be no grand explosion or teleporting. You’d just be breaking a stick at that point.

When it does have Charges, however, the name is well deserved. It is a very powerful staff that I wouldn’t want anyone else to get ahold of, and I hope you wouldn’t want them to either.

FAQ

Question: What does Attunement Mean?

Answer: Attunement means you must form a bond with them before they can be properly used. Generally, this can be done over a short rest, and afterward, the item can be used as intended. Some items, like the Staff of Power, will specifically state which classes (or even races) will be able to attune to them and use them. Items can only attune to one creature at a time. If another attempts to attune to the item, it will lose its bond to the original creature. Attunement can be lost if the wielder loses the prerequisites to use it, is more than 100 feet away from more than 24 hours, or if they die.

Question: How do I determine my Spell Save DC?

Answer: Spell Save DCs are determined with a simple math equation: 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Your Spellcasting Ability Modifier. This Spellcasting Ability Modifier is determined by whatever Modifier is used to cast spells. For Warlocks and Sorcerers, this is your Charisma, and for Wizards, it is your Intelligence.

Question: How do I determine my Spell Attack Bonus?

Answer: Your Spell Attack Bonus is determined by your Spellcasting Ability Modifier + Your Proficiency Bonus.

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