Why doesn't Vaarsuvius use a wizard's staff?

[Finagle]

Given that Vaarsuvius is so dedicated to arcane power, why doesn't he have a wizard's staff? Other wizards have been seen with them. Malack makes very good use of his cleric's staff. Heck, how do you get to level 15 without finding one in loot at the very least?

I know that Vaarsuvius has a quarterstaff in his inventory that has never been seen, but I mean a magical staff.

[Silverionmox]

IMO D&D has devalued the idea of magical items to the point that people think it's abnormal if characters don't have a Walmart worth of stuff by the time they're level 15.

[dps]

It's about V's ego and outlook that everything can be solved with arcane power, remember? It's all about the power of V's mind. A staff isn't arcane power, it's a physical object.

[Kareasint]

It's about V's ego and outlook that everything can be solved with arcane power, remember? It's all about the power of V's mind. A staff isn't arcane power, it's a physical object.

Probably about as good an explanation that is possible. V would view the staff as casting the spell, not him. He also tends to fly a lot which would result in him needing to carry it. Given his recent change of mind concerning arcane power, it is possible that we may see him using a wand in the future since it is easier to carry.

[Morty]

Because he couldn't get his hands on one. Or he couldn't afford it. Sometimes it's that simple.

[Laughing Dragon]

Staves also have a certain masculine inplication ... for the sake of ambiguity, I don't think we will ever see V's hands around one.

[Silverionmox]

V does use a ring of wizardry.

The simplest explanation is that they never encountered one. The things aren't mass-produced, after all.

[NerdyKris]

IMO D&D has devalued the idea of magical items to the point that people think it's abnormal if characters don't have a Walmart worth of stuff by the time they're level 15.

We've seen other characters make regular use of multiple magical items. Nale and Tarquin in particular. Kabuto had magical armor and a ring as well. Xykon has multiple items granting him immunities to positive energy and his favorite area of effect spells.

I'd go with the explanation that V just doesn't believe in using a staff. A ring of wizardry increases your spell slots. A staff is saying "I can't cast this spell myself, so I'll use a staff to do it for me." To V, one increases your own power, the other shows a weakness.

[Bulldog Psion]

Well, I'd say it's precisely because it would be useful, and V seems to have set himself up to be as useless as possible most of the time.

[factotum]

We've seen other characters make regular use of multiple magical items. Nale and Tarquin in particular. Kabuto had magical armor and a ring as well. Xykon has multiple items granting him immunities to positive energy and his favorite area of effect spells.

The one thing all those people have in common is that they're the antagonists. There's never been an instance of any member of the Order being shown to have a dozen useful magical items on their person.

[theinsulabot]

Xykon has an ass load of magical items because he has actually lamented that he is only allowed 8 hours a day to make magical items. Most people don't have that much time or XP to spare.

[Dr.Epic]

It's about V's ego and outlook that everything can be solved with arcane power, remember? It's all about the power of V's mind. A staff isn't arcane power, it's a physical object.

But a soul splice with three of the most evil and powerful casters to have ever lived, that's real power.

[FlawedParadigm]

Because it's not necessary. Rich already has to write V out of half the fight scenes so that V doesn't utterly dominate them in 1-2 rounds. V can solo entire encounters that would wipe the floor with the rest of the order combined excepting maybe Durkon. Malack? Quickened Dispel Magic, Sunburst, take 32d6 (16d6 for being undead, x 2 for being a sunlight-vulnerable creature after QDM removes Protection from Sunlight.), and chances are that's that. Note Durkon had to get into touch range and make an attack roll to do significantly less damage. V would take one round (to reduce Malack to gaseous, anyhow; obviously a little extra work goes into actually destroying a vampire.)

All it would require is V preparing Sunburst itself, since a QDM is useful enough to expect s/he'd have at least one available anyhow. Sunburst is an Evocation so I see no reason unspliced V wouldn't have it (we've only seen it used spliced) and knowing they're expecting to run into Xykon at some point while there, V could well have it prepared.

Spoiler

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V is in fact likely to save the Order's bacon pretty soon - most spell slots should still be sitting there unused as soon as V stops guilt-tripping. I imagine you're about to see exactly how unnecessary it is to give V any more magic items.

[Bird]

I like the explanation of it not fitting in with V's personality.

I also find it likely that the Giant prefers the look of V not having a staff.

[Finagle]

Oh, right. I forgot that it's too difficult to come up with challenges so constant party-splitting is the only remaining alternative. Not like Silence or tanglefoot bags or anything else like that.

[Devils_Advocate]

IMO D&D has devalued the idea of magical items to the point that people think it's abnormal if characters don't have a Walmart worth of stuff by the time they're level 15.

That is the context of the question, yes.

High level stuff seems to be relatively rare in this story. The random encounters have mostly been with with relatively low-CR foes unlikely to have powerful magic items, I think. Certainly I find that preferable to "Your characters are capable of plowing through loads of low-level mooks, but that doesn't matter, because encounters are going to be proportionate to party level regardless of whether that makes sense. Might as well not be leveling up at all really, so far as winning fights is concerned."

[Magdela]

Oh, right. I forgot that it's too difficult to come up with challenges so constant party-splitting is the only remaining alternative. Not like Silence or tanglefoot bags or anything else like that.

That's a failure of imagination. Blame yourself for that one. Just because The Giant doesn't cater to your specific way of playing the game doesn't mean he's original.

[snikrept]

Magic staves seem rare.

Leeky activates a staff here http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0344.html . Given his surname, he's probably earned a reputation in the world for "that guy who uses the staff," which suggests staff ownership might be something unusual.

Malack activates a staff, but it's been established he custom made the thing himself an he's one of the most powerful casters in the world.

Have we seen anyone else activate a magic staff? I can't recall. Others have been shown carrying them, but those might be nonmagical walking sticks or +1 quarterstaves or something.

[Necris Omega]

Staves are for old bearded men too lazy to walk and too lazy to cast on their own strengths!

... Honestly, given V's attitude towards the concept of even a familiar, it might well just be a matter of taste. Moreover, I think Rich probably doesn't want to bog down the story with too much obsession over -stuff-.

Yeah, it's D&D based, and thus an element of "stuff" will always be there, and it honestly should be, but I think the real question isn't so much "why doesn't V have a staff?" or "what staff would be good for V?", but more "would having a staff benefit V in a way that enhances the story?"

Roy's sword is a central plot device. Elan's sword was part of a major character arc. Haley's Bow was the same. When we get back around to focusing on something V-centric, maybe a staff will work its way in.

[FlawedParadigm]

That's a failure of imagination. Blame yourself for that one. Just because The Giant doesn't cater to your specific way of playing the game doesn't mean he's original.

Well the funnier thing is he's complaining about V having to be written out of fights and...suggesting other ways that would write V out of fights. It's not V's physical presence that needs to be curbed to keep challenges to the Order as challenges, it's V's (and to some extent, Durkon's) spells. I mean, you saw not too long ago what a single Holy Word did to the ENTIRE LINEAR GUILD, barring Tarquin, and him only for being higher level. When you can accomplish that kind of upheaval of an engagement in a single standard action, you're a fearsome beast in your own right.

Consider Fireball: a third level spell, and yet by tenth level, even hitting a lousy three creatures, it can do more damage (30d6 total between all three targets) it can do more damage than some melee builds will do in Epic levels. V can throw 20-odd spells of that or better power level around per day. While flying completely out of bow or melee range, if outdoors. http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Fireball

[Morty]

Staves are for old bearded men too lazy to walk and too lazy to cast on their own strengths!

... Honestly, given V's attitude towards the concept of even a familiar, it might well just be a matter of taste. Moreover, I think Rich probably doesn't want to bog down the story with too much obsession over -stuff-.

Yeah, it's D&D based, and thus an element of "stuff" will always be there, and it honestly should be, but I think the real question isn't so much "why doesn't V have a staff?" or "what staff would be good for V?", but more "would having a staff benefit V in a way that enhances the story?"

Roy's sword is a central plot device. Elan's sword was part of a major character arc. Haley's Bow was the same. When we get back around to focusing on something V-centric, maybe a staff will work its way in.

That's the best way to put it, really. What would the story gain if V started using a staff? Other than satisfying those readers who can't stop reading the comic as if it was a D&D campaign?

[Finagle]

Being "written out of a fight" and being neutralized by the enemy's combat tactics are two different things. I just find it bizarre that in the entire realm of possible thought, there can not exist a situation, contrived just for such a purpose, that a wizard can't finish off in 1-2 rounds. No, let's just split the party, again, because that never gets old.

[FlawedParadigm]

Being "written out of a fight" and being neutralized by the enemy's combat tactics are two different things. I just find it bizarre that in the entire realm of possible thought, there can not exist a situation, contrived just for such a purpose, that a wizard can't finish off in 1-2 rounds. No, let's just split the party, again, because that never gets old.

No, for the purposes of effect on difficulty/plot challenges, being neutralised or physically removed are not at all different. So long as the caster can't cast, the result is the same. Consider the Miko fights - V had to be written as to barely get any spells off, because otherwise a single failed save on Miko's part would most likely have lost her the fight. Which, if this were tabletop D&D and not a story in a webcomic, could have ruined the entire plot. The Order would have had no particular reason to go looking for Azure City, would never have found out about the Gates and Miko might not have been around to destroy the Azure City Gate. The comic might be over by now and the world doomed if V had won that fight.

Also, if you find it difficult to imagine situations that Wizards can't finish off in 1-2 rounds, then you lack vast amounts of familiarity with the Wizard spell list. Mind you, this is the kind of power V has as one of the LEAST efficient possible Wizard builds. If V were a powergamed Wizard, s/he would have utterly ruined Team Evil single-handedly (barring MAYBE whatever MitD is) while s/he was spliced.

Any time you think you can out-write Rich though, I'll be glad to read your work and see how it stands up though. 'Cause you know what else never gets old? Complaining.

[Stormlock]

It is kind of odd that V is seemingly the poorest member of the order. I suppose she blew some money on researching spells to find Haley, but even so, you'd expect more magical items than just a single ring. Everyone else has at least a couple, barring maybe Durkon who has had to spend crazy amounts on diamonds and such.

I mean, look at Halley. Magic bow (what is that thing, effectively +7 or something? +5 icy burst is crazy) magic dagger, magic boots, potions... oh and a giant sack of gold. Roy has a similarly overpowered weapon, and previously had the bag of tricks, and now a belt of giant strength. Belkar had the ring of jumping and those daggers have got to be magical. Looking at the geekery thread I'm forgetting a ton of stuff too. But all V has is the ring and a headband of intellect (which she doesn't seem to wear any more and was only inferred by casting too many spells for an 18 int character.)

But yeah, if V had a staff to cast stuff for him, he'd be even more overpowered. Even some scrolls would pretty much just ruin the plot. Can you imagine if V got her hands on a scroll of Shapechange? Let alone a Staff of Passage to teleport the order around all day long.

[Vinyadan]

Plottity plot.

I think it is because of narrative reasons. If you have a character having to use too often a magic item, the item becomes boring. In the end, it's just as if he cast the spell, but with a longer, boring procedure.
It's like with the reserve feats: I read of people who hate them, because they actually reduce character options and make them prevedible and boring.

Also, if the protagonists don't have many magic items, opponents become quickly much stronger if they have some. The fights become much more difficult and suspence is increased. And opponents don't get so much screen time, thus not becoming prevedible.

I mean, if Rich wanted to make things easier for the Order, he could have had a pure neutral cleric, a wizard who could teleport and a ranger able at tracking and not crazy evil, a beguiler instead of a bard... If you have a disfunctional party, things get much more interesting for a bystander.

[AngryHobbit]

Why doesn't Belkar wear Armor?, Why doesn't Vaarsuvius use a wizard's staff?
Why doesn't Roy wear helmet?

[Vinyadan]

Why doesn't Roy wear helmet?

http://www.goblinscomic.com/11182005/

[zimmerwald1915]

But all V has is the ring and a headband of intellect (which she doesn't seem to wear any more and was only inferred by casting too many spells for an 18 int character.)

It's still there, it's just serving as a hair tie now. Where it went during the whole soul splice episode is another question entirely...

[Flickerdart]

IMO D&D has devalued the idea of magical items to the point that people think it's abnormal if characters don't have a Walmart worth of stuff by the time they're level 15.

It's not that "people think" it's abnormal. It is abnormal, because the system requires magic items to function as intended, and is very explicit about the fact.

[King of Nowhere]

Because it's not necessary. Rich already has to write V out of half the fight scenes so that V doesn't utterly dominate them in 1-2 rounds. V can solo entire encounters that would wipe the floor with the rest of the order combined excepting maybe Durkon. Malack? Quickened Dispel Magic, Sunburst, take 32d6 (16d6 for being undead, x 2 for being a sunlight-vulnerable creature after QDM removes Protection from Sunlight.), and chances are that's that. Note Durkon had to get into touch range and make an attack roll to do significantly less damage. V would take one round (to reduce Malack to gaseous, anyhow; obviously a little extra work goes into actually destroying a vampire.)

All it would require is V preparing Sunburst itself, since a QDM is useful enough to expect s/he'd have at least one available anyhow. Sunburst is an Evocation so I see no reason unspliced V wouldn't have it (we've only seen it used spliced) and knowing they're expecting to run into Xykon at some point while there, V could well have it prepared.

Spoiler

Show

V is in fact likely to save the Order's bacon pretty soon - most spell slots should still be sitting there unused as soon as V stops guilt-tripping. I imagine you're about to see exactly how unnecessary it is to give V any more magic items.

I don't know about that. dispel magic caps at +10 to dispel check, so it would be unlikely to have an effect against malack. And even if it works, if malack succeeds in the saving throw (and i think he should have quite strong bonuses here, I'm no expert but a template giving +8 to cr should give some boost to saves too) he will survive and heal himself the next round. And V is equally vulnerable to a cleric wide selection of save or die spells targeting his weak fortitude.

Anyway, I never understood one thing about staffs. wizards are supposed to do gestures with their hands when they cast a spell, so how the hell do they manage to cast a spell whiole wielding a weapon? seems to me they would have to let it fall every time they want to cast, and retrieve it after casting. bloody annoying.