Example of a Bright Wizard's Staff
The Wizard's Staff is an item that performs a variety of functions. The tradition of bearing staffs goes back to the time before the Colleges of Magic were founded, and a number of different reasons are given for their use. Some associate them with the sorcerers and hedge wizards who practised magic when it was outlawed.[2a]
In the days before the Colleges, magic was mostly self-taught or earned through a long apprenticeship. Magicians of any notable skill were therefore often old and infirm by the time they achieved their true potential, and often carried a staff just to help them get about. Others point to the elder races. The Dwarf Runesmiths carry staffs that double as useful tools and the Elven wizards have used enchanted staffs from time immemorial.[2a]
In the Empire, wizards usually bear staffs. These items act as symbols of office, but often are also enchanted to aid the wizards in the casting of spells.[1a]
Staff Utility & Attunement[]
The utility of a staff often comes down to the fact that it can be employed as a weapon without arousing the same alarm as an unsheathed blade. It can also describe magical sigils in sand or earth, carry charms and talismans, provide a rule of measurement, and carry enchantments that provide it with arcane properties.[2a]
A wizard always keeps his staff close at hand. When an apprentice is first accepted into an order he will be provided with one, and it will often be attuned to him, acting as a personal badge of membership to his Order, as well as assisting with spellcasting. As a wizard progresses in his Order the artificers of his college may add further embellishments to his staff if the college authorities see fit.[2a]
This may mean that when a wizard advances into his career the College takes his staff from him for a short time (assuming the new wizard does not protest too loudly) and returns it with some additional enchantments laid upon it to increase it’s effectiveness as an attuned item. A particularly assertive wizard showing the proper initiative and affinity for his wind may decide to attune his staff personally. This is best done under the tutelage of someone who has more experience with the process, or perhaps could become the focus for a personal quest or adventure for the wizard.[2a]
