[Wizard] What's the purpose of my quarterstaff?

[✨ZV✨]

I don't get it. Is the quarterstaff always under-powered is there anything I should know about https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3195073291

[TaKo]

as a wizard, many enchanted ones grant bonuses to spell casting, you are not supposed to use them for attacks, you either use up your spell slots or use cantrips for dmg dealing

if you want to be doing dmg with staves you'd want to be a monk, a fighter or some other martial class, which is a wholly different can of worms

for a wizard, generally at least, weapon attacks are not only a waste of time(your chances to hit are gonna be very low and dmg, as you already know, also very low) but it also puts you, a squishy wizard, in melee range of people who can use melee weapons way better than you

[Cool Cereal]

If you ever have to use the melee, as your action, there is a serious problem most of the time.

[eRe4s3r]

Normally in 5e mages, clerics, and warlocks need a focus of some kind. Not present in BG3 for some reason, but for example present in Solasta (Where mages do in fact, need material puch a FOCUS and spellbook only) you can make a staff a focus, making it possible to cast without holding (the focus) offhand.

[Detective Costeau]

Yeah, to quote a build guide for wizards for 5e I read some years ago regarding weapons:
"Put that away, you'll hurt yourself."
They're basically there to give bonuses to your magic, not to actually hit things with. If your wizard ever needs to use a staff as a melee weapon something has gone very wrong.

[Taifun_Vash]

Outside of buffing you spells, there is none.

[TaKo]

as a wizard, if you want a decent source of dmg that doesnt rely on spell slots and are willing to use up a feat for it: eldritch blast is the best ranged dmg cantrip, even without invocations to boost it

you can possibly get it with spell sniper feat, which gives u a small selection of cantrips to choose from(including EB) and increases your crit range with attack roll spells by 1(you make 3 attack rolls with EB at level 10, so with just that feat thats 3 chances at a 10% chance for a crit)

alternatively, if you are REALLY keen on being a weird melee wizard whos not actually good at melee still: use a feat to learn Shillelagh from Magic Initiate: Druid instead, makes quarterstaves and clubs use your spellcasting modifier for dmg and attack rolls, again tho, you are still gonna suck at melee compared to proper martial classes and you will remain super squishy

[Luke TasRook]

For knocking people unconscious whenever your melee character misses. (You'll miss too though...)

[AnonymousWizard]

Originally posted by Cool Cereal:

If you ever have to use the melee, as your action, there is a serious problem most of the time.

Even if you do you'll want to cast Shocking Grasp. Which every spellcaster who can should take, it allows your squishy caster to still deal meaningful damage while escaping from melee (and then everybody focuses fire on the enemy who got too close to the artillery). Yes Misty Step/Dimension door is better, but they take spell slots you might not be able to spare.


If you want an alternative to staves for casters there's a mods on the Nexus that adds a bunch of wands to various vendors, with actual effort put into keeping them balanced to the point in the game they turn up. Not everybody wants their sorceress to look like she's compensating for something.

[TaKo]

Originally posted by AnonymousWizard:

If you want an alternative to staves for casters there's a mods on the Nexus that adds a bunch of wands to various vendors, with actual effort put into keeping them balanced to the point in the game they turn up. Not everybody wants their sorceress to look like she's compensating for something.

theres also four elements monks, they get to use staves well and have some spell casting, granted they arent very good lol at either and theres better gish options(tho i spent a day making my own personal mod to make those avatar-wannabes good)

[Hobocop]

Staves are mostly stat sticks for spellcasters that aren't druids, though they also have extra castings of spells or additional cantrips.

[Old General Crash]

Act 1 staffs (with one of two exceptions) are not good for spellcasting.

Act 2 is where it starts to be good, and act 3 is where you get a lot of choice.

[AnonymousWizard]

Originally posted by TaKo:

Originally posted by AnonymousWizard:

If you want an alternative to staves for casters there's a mods on the Nexus that adds a bunch of wands to various vendors, with actual effort put into keeping them balanced to the point in the game they turn up. Not everybody wants their sorceress to look like she's compensating for something.

theres also four elements monks, they get to use staves well and have some spell casting, granted they arent very good lol at either and theres better gish options(tho i spent a day making my own personal mod to make those avatar-wannabes good)

If you really want to whack people with a stick and cast spells the solution is Eldritch Knight (which I really appreciate Lae'zel not defaulting to, it's a nice hint to how unimportant she is). I was more going the other way with that comment, 'I want to be a backline caster without carrying around a weapon bigger than a longsword'.

[Scheneighnay]

If you put 4 of them together and place them in the adamantine forge, you get a staff

[TaKo]

Originally posted by AnonymousWizard:

If you really want to whack people with a stick and cast spells the solution is Eldritch Knight

actually its pact of the blade warlock or some multiclass that involves it and CHA casting, EK is more about utility self buffs and throwing your boomerang weapon around/having improved extra attack

[raymond]

i had that spell (ensnare) go off with an opportunity attack after a successful strike to an enemy leaving range.