How to use Staff Abilities in Crystal Hunt

Confused on why nothing you do seems to make the staves work? Want to be like Gandalf and fight enemies with a big magic stick? Pick up a tier 1 staff and absolutely baffled at how to make it work? This is for you!

TLDR;

Staves have 2 active abilities and a hidden effect. They are;

• Smacking the base/tip of the staff into a surface.
  
• A spell effect when the spell button is held down.
  
• A decrease in spell charge speed in your other hand.

The spell effect must be unlocked by getting 3 of the same crystal core from Hector at Dalgarian Ruins. This means you must have defeated at minimum 2 ruins (+ starting crystal) before you can use the spell effect. I don't know why, but almost nowhere seems to mention this.

Alongside that, all staves will decrease the time it takes for the spell in your other hand to charge, similar to wearing sorcery armor. This happens only to the same spell that is imbued in the weapon and even if you haven't unlocked the spell ability.

Higher tier staves will hold charge for longer and can use the smacking abilities more times before they need to be re-imbued. I am unsure, but I think higher tier staves also have higher damage but I can't confirm that.

Even if the spell effects are unlocked, staff-wielding enemies will never use the active abilities, relying completely on their spells charging faster instead. I'm sure you have noticed how laughable this makes them as foes. Don't be like that. If you're going to use a staff, also remember that it is, in fact, a big blunt stick. They double as quarterstaves perfectly fine.

Specific Staff Abilities

Fire

Slam: A spray of fireballs fly from the point of impact, homing in on nearby enemies.
Active: A flamethrower spews from the staff. This generates lift. (You can fly with 2 fire staves)

Electricity

Slam: An arc of electricity stuns every nearby enemy around you.
Active: An electric whip spews from the staff, cutting and stunning anyone it hits.

Gravity

Slam: All nearby objects and enemies become weightless for a few seconds.
Active: Powerful telekinesis, which can grab things further away and manipulate living enemies.

Sword of Naa

The Sword of Naa, which is obtained through doing the secret ending, functions identically to a staff when imbued.

It will also take on the properties of other weapon imbues as well, such as tapping something with a gravity imbue causing it to become weightless, and the flaming sparks flying off when swung while imbued with fire, which are unlocked in the fire skill tree.

This, without a doubt, makes the Sword of Naa the most powerful weapon in the entire game, since it takes on the properties of so many others. Almost to the point of making the rest of the crystal runs silly easy to max out once it's obtained.

[Serj]

very helpful, thanks

[PlusVera]

Corrected! Thank you.

[jsalois]

the lightning tether is not only on Sword of Naa, it is a tier 3 lightning ability that can be used on all weapons