How does a Wizard's Staff work in game terms?

[Otaku-sempai]

The Istari all seem to carry Staves that are invested with a certain amount of their power. These Staffs seem to be more than just symbolic as the destruction of one can have a significantly negative effect on its owner. I assume that each Wizard normally crafts his Staff, himself, and invests it with a certain amount of his power, possibly storing magical energies for later use. Is that about right? Am I right that a Wuzard's Staff does not store individual spells?

The questions that I've been leading up to is: Can Mannish Sorcerers (or Mages or Witches) learn to create their own Staffs? What would be the properties of such an item in terms of TOR and exactly how would it be used? This is the sort of thing that a Loremaster needs to know.

Or is this topic being reserved for a future suppliment?

[Mim]

You raise a question that troubles me as well.

Considering the way they're handling magic in the game, I'll be very surprised if we see this is a future supplement.Their release concerning Rivendell doesn't even discuss Gandalf - you'd think they would with such a popular character.

They've covered Radagast the Brown more than once (pp 116 of the Loremaster's Guide or 87 of Tales from Wilderland, for example), & they don't even cover his staff. They assign abstract spells to him & he intervenes in the background. This is in keeping with the books (Wizards behind the scenes, etc.), but rather frustrating.

[Robin Smallburrow]

Otaku

Officially there are no guidelines on this (or on magic in general!), and IMHO not likely to be in the near future. Two fans have addressed this question already:

From the1whowas 'Magic for The One Ring', Reward: Magician's Staff:

Requirement: The hero must have the Magician calling.
A Magician’s Staff serves as a focus and aid for casting Spells. It also identifies the bearer as a Magician to all those he meets, for good or ill as determined by the Loremaster.
The staff holds Hope points equal to one-half (rounded down) the Magician’s Wisdom or Valour rank, whichever is higher. A Magician trained in at least one Spell-craft may spend the staff’s Hope points instead of his own to cast a Spell he knows. A Magician not trained in any Spell-crafts may spend the staff’s Hope points to allow himself to cast any Spell that does not include a Shadow point in its Toll; he must also spend one of his own Hope points to cast the Spell. Both Magicians must still pay the Spell’s Toll. The Magician may replenish the staff’s Hope points by visiting an inspiring place of personal significance during the Fellowship Phase and engaging in restful meditation, represented by a TN 16 Inspire roll; if the roll fails, the Magician may not try to replenish the staff again until the next Fellowship Phase.
The staff may be used as a weapon, and its bearer gains a rating of 1 in the Staff Weapon skill (Damage 3, Edge Gandalf-icon, Injury 16, Encumbrance 1, 1- or 2-handed).
If the staff is destroyed or irretrievably lost, the hero receives 1 Shadow point. A mentor or another patron might be able to provide a replacement, though the Loremaster may require the hero to complete some task to acquire it.

From Robert Cooper (Kaltharion) the Dwimmer-Road, Reward: The Staff of the Wise:

When casting a spell and the Dwimmer-Crafter gains a Great or Extraordinary Success, a wielder of the staff gains the following benefits:
Great Success - reduce Spell's Endurance cost by 1 ( to a minimum of 1)
Extraordinary Success - reduce Spell's Endurance cost by 3 OR Pillar Rating of Spell, whichever is higher (to a minumum of 1)

I am yet to decide which of these I like the best, although neither address my basic rule regarding Magic Items (which I will have ready in my version next year hopefully!), which is that ANY PERMANENT ENCHANTMENT REQUIRES THE PERMANENT LOSS OF ENDURANCE - this represents the intrinsic loss of power from the individual into the item - as per The One Ring itself!

Robin S.

[Otaku-sempai]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Robin S: I definitely agree about the need for some sort of spell rules beyond what we have for Cultural Virtues. I also agree that a permanent loss of Endurance should be part of the cost of creating a permanent magical item; the greater the amount of Endurance spent, the more powerful the item. Sauron must have spent at least half of his Endurance in creation of the Master Ring.

I suggest that when a Spell-caster is in possession of a permanent magical item of his own creation, he gets the benefit of the Endurance that he invested into the item. However, if it is destroyed he/she feels the loss of that Endurance as though it was directly delivered to him/her.

[Valarian]

I suggest that when a Spell-caster is in possession of a permanent magical item of his own creation, he gets the benefit of the Endurance that he invested into the item. However, if it is destroyed he/she feels the loss of that Endurance as though it was directly delivered to him/her.

"Saruman, your staff is broken." ~ Gandalf (The Two Towers, Book 3, Chapter 10)
Ouch. That must have hurt.