[4E] Some Love for the Quarterstaff... [PEACH]

[CarpeGuitarrem]

"Would you part an old man from his walking stick?"
...
"I told you to take the wizard's staff!"

Okay, so I look at this Quarterstaff dealie. 1d8, +2 proficiency, and wielded in two hands. You know what? This really needs some help. Now, I don't really believe that the weapon itself needs to be augmented, simply because staffs can be used as both implements and quarterstaffs. However, I do think that the quarterstaff could use a bit of a boost...so let's use feats.

Quarterstaff Proficiency
Prerequisite: Proficiency with the quarterstaff, Dex 13
Benefit: Your base proficiency bonus for any staff you wield becomes +3, and it gains the "defensive" property.

Lightning Staff
Prerequisite: Quarterstaff Proficiency, Dex 15
Benefit: Any staff you wield gains the "high crit" property when used for melee attacks.

Deft Parry
Prerequisite: Quarterstaff Proficiency, Dex 15, you must be wielding a staff
Benefit: When an enemy misses you with a melee attack, you may shift 1 square.

I'm also thinking of writing up a martial paragon path for quarterstaff users. What think ye? (Also want feedback on the power level of these, especially Lightning Staff)

[Ceiling009]

In martial power, there's a feat to treat the quarterstaff as a dual weapon and it gains the defensive property. But I think it needs a whole multi-class set of feats.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Ah, I hadn't known that...

[Thanatos 51-50]

How about something more in line with the "Weapon Mastery"-style feats?

~~~
Quarterstaff Training [Multiclass]
Pre-requisites: Dex 13, any Martial Class OR Dex 13, quarterstaff used as impliment
Effect: You gain proficency with the quarterstaff if you do not already have it. Increase the Proficency bonus to +3. You may treat the quarterstaff as a double weapon (1d8/1d8) and as if it had the defensive property.
~~~

Then make a Encounter, Utility and Daily power, and have each one grantable by a power-swap feat.

EDIT:

In martial power, there's a feat to treat the quarterstaff as a dual weapon and it gains the defensive property. But I think it needs a whole multi-class set of feats.

O RLY?
I see no such quarterstaff love in my copy of MP. What page are you looking at?

[Ceiling009]

Hmm... maybe it wasn't in Martial Power, but I know it's a feat somewhere... I'm suscribed to DDI so I don't exactly peruse the books that heavily.

Note: It is in Dragon 368, and it lets you treat the weapon as a double weapon, with the whole off hand, defensive and the two damage head (1d8/1d8).

But I do want the quarterstaff to have more Weapon Mastery feats, (which a few are multi-class) with new powers and options.

I'm not really being mean or anything, but it's definitely something you might want to think about doing.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

~~~
Quarterstaff Training [Multiclass]
Pre-requisites: Dex 13, any Martial Class OR Dex 13, quarterstaff used as impliment
Effect: You gain proficency with the quarterstaff if you do not already have it. Increase the Proficency bonus to +3. You may treat the quarterstaff as a double weapon (1d8/1d8) and as if it had the defensive property.
~~~

Actually, couldn't I just say "Dex 13" and leave it at that? I mean, outside of martial classes and the wizard, it won't really be useful, because it doesn't grant implement proficiency.

I definitely like that, and I'll look into those Weapon Mastery Feats again. I also think a Paragon Path wouldn't be out.

[Shadow_Elf]

There's a Staff-based Paragon Path in the homebrew link of my sig. It is appropriately named the "Staffmaster". It helps one use the noble staff as a fighter, since staves have no support yet whatsoever.

[Alteran]

This is certainly a useful line of feats for melee warriors, but it likely won't be very useful for wizards or others who use staves as implements. I don't believe it's spelled out in the rules, but the general consensus is that you must "wield" a quarterstaff in two hands to use it as a weapon, but you can hold it in one hand to use it as an implement. This doesn't necessarily mean wizard's can't use it as a weapon, but it's likely they'll have something better to do with their off-hand.

Anyways, I like what you've done so far. No suggestions at the moment.

[CarpeGuitarrem]

Well, if a wizard's using a staff, does he necessarily have anything he can be doing with his off-hand? That's what I figure. That, and anything he's holding in his off-hand, he can always use a minor action to put away before wailing with two hands.

I'm thinking stuff based off of Dexterity.

[Haven]

I like.

Quarterstaffs tend to get neglected in role-playing games, I guess people don't think they're as interesting as swords.

[Alteran]

Well, if a wizard's using a staff, does he necessarily have anything he can be doing with his off-hand? That's what I figure. That, and anything he's holding in his off-hand, he can always use a minor action to put away before wailing with two hands.

I expect to find many wizards with two hands occupied at paragon tier, when they can have two implements. Before that, maybe not. Melee training (intelligence) will make them more useful up close if they want to, I suppose, but they could just take thunderwave.

[Thanatos 51-50]

How about something more in line with the "Weapon Mastery"-style feats?

~~~
Quarterstaff Training [Multiclass]
Pre-requisites: WIS 13
Effect: You gain proficency with the quarterstaff if you do not already have it. Increase the Proficency bonus to +3. You may treat the quarterstaff as a double weapon (1d8/1d8) and as if it had the defensive property.
~~~

Then make a Encounter, Utility and Daily power, and have each one grantable by a power-swap feat.

[Changes bolded]

Quick Ideas for Power-Swap Feats:
~~~
Quarterstaff Novice:
Pre-Requisites: Quarterstaff Training Feat, all asscoiated Pre-Requisites. Level 4
Effect: You may retrain one encounter attack power of third level or above to the following power ("Dazing Staff")

Dazing Staff - Feat Power
"With a quick flourish and a lightning-fast jab, you leave your opponent dizzy and shift away from reprisal"
Encounter - Martial, Weapon
Standard Action - Melee Weapon
Attack: WIS vs. FORT
Requirement: You must be wielding a Quarterstaff
Hit: 1|W| + Wisdom modifier damage and you shift one square, and the target is dazed until the begining of your next turn.
Effect: If you are marked, you shed that condition.
Special: Increase to 2|W|+WIS Modifier Damage and Level 11
Increase to 3|W|+WIS Modifier Damage at level 21
~~~

Quarterstaff Adept:
Pre-requisites: Quarterstaff Novice, All associated Pre-requisites. Level 8.
Effect: You may re-train one Utility Power of level (7?) Or lower to the follwoing power. ("Staff's Ward")

Staff's Ward - (Feat Power - Utility)
"All it takes is a quick change in the way you stand and moving your staff about to confuse your foe and render you harder to hit."
Daily - Martial, Weapon, Stance
Requisite: You must be wielding a Quarterstaff
Effect: You assume the Warding Staff Stance, while in the stance, you cannot be marked. You also gain a +2 Power Bonus to AC and REF and can shift as a minor action.
~~~

Quarterstaff Expert:
Pre-Requisites: Quarterstaff Adept, All associated Pre-Requsites. Level 10.
Effect: You may re-train one Level (10?) Daily Attack Power to the following power (Quarterstaff Assault)

Quarterstaff Assault - (Feat Power)
"With a startling Alarcity, you take the knees out from under your surrounding foes, the effect startles them and their allies."
Daily - Martial, Weapon
Requisite: You must be weilding a Quarterstaff
Standard Action Close Burst 2
Target: All enemies you can see in burst.
Attack: WIS v. FORT
Hit: |W|+WIS Mod Damage, and the target is prone and dazed (Save ends dazed)
Miss: Target is dazed (Save Ends)
Special: Increase Damage to 2|W| + WIS mod at 15th level
Increase Damage to 3|W|+WIS mod at 25th level.
If all attacks miss, no targets are dazed and this power is not expended.
~~~

These feats are all very BETA.