Oblivion:Generic Staves

thumb|right|Staves
Generic staves are found in random loot and can randomly be found on some NPCs.  Unique staves are all described in the article on Staves.  The Oblivion-Weapons-Staves category provides a list of all available staves.

Leveled Lists are used to generate the staves found in loot and on enemies.  Most of the generic staves use a "Lesser/normal/Greater" system, which determines the level at which the staves will be found:
Lesser variety staves are found at levels 5-17 (at lower levels, staves are not normally found).
Normal staves are found starting at level 9.
Greater variety staves are found starting at level 14.
A few more powerful staves also exist that do not follow the "Lesser/normal/Greater" system.  These staves are listed under Other and generally are not found until level 18 (a few are not found until even higher levels).

It is possible to obtain the high-level staves from liches at any level.  In particular, the King of Miscarcand will always carry a high-level staff, even at level 1. Also, Ruma Camoran will always carry a Lesser Staff of Sickness at lower levels, which can be looted from her corpse if she is killed in the quest "Dagon Shrine" and repeatedly if killed in Paradise.

The spelling "Staffs" is used in-game for the plural (e.g. the shop Rindir's Staffs).


Burden Burden


Calm Calm


Charm Charm


Command Creature Command Creature


Command Humanoid Command Humanoid


Damage Attribute Damage Attribute

  There is another, more powerful, Staff of Weakness listed under Other Staves.

Damage Fatigue Damage Fatigue


Damage Health Damage Health


Damage Magicka Damage Magicka


Demoralize Demoralize


Disintegrate Armor Disintegrate Armor


Disintegrate Weapon Disintegrate Weapon


Dispel Dispel


Drain Attribute Drain Attribute


Drain Fatigue Drain Fatigue


Drain Magicka Drain Magicka


Fire Damage Fire Damage


Frost Damage Frost Damage


Light Light


Open Open


Paralyze Paralyze


Shock Damage Shock Damage


Silence Silence


Telekinesis Telekinesis


Turn Undead Turn Undead


Other Random Staves
These are some of the most powerful staves available in the game.  Unlike the other random staves, most of these combine multiple effects.  Those with just one effect provide an effect that otherwise is not available from a random staff.


:A.  Using this staff against Vampires is not recommended as they are immune to Paralysis. Consequently the effect of this staff will merely make them invisible and hostile
:B.  The Banishment enchantment sets the ghost flag on the target. The intent was presumably to make the target invisible, incapable of action and incapable of being interacted with. Unfortunately, the ghost effect doesn't stop the target showing as a conversation target, and doesn't mean the player can walk through it so the result is far from perfect.
:C.  There are two staves identified as "Staff of Weakness:" the one in this table, and a more common variety with only a Damage Endurance enchantment.

Finding generic staves
NPCs that sell enchanted weapons:
Rindir at Rindir's Staffs spawns with guaranteed leveled generic staves after resetting his inventory.

Containers and enemies that contain/carry generic enchanted weapons (like dungeons):
Certain Necromancer and Conjurer dungeons like  (1.9 staves on average), Fort Istirus Barracks (1.4),  Fort Linchal Hall of Knights (1.4), Echo Necromancer's Chamber (1.25) and Fort Rayles Hall of Winter (0.8).
Liches and Nether Liches can spawn with 25 of the 55 Greater Staves in the game. A simple way to obtain these is to summon a Lich, then use a Disintegrate Weapon effect. There are also Undead dungeons which can spawn a large amount of (Nether) Liches at higher levels: The Old Way and Nenalata. 
Higher leveled Dremora have a 50% of carrying a staff. Try Oblivion Gates for these.

NPCs that have level-dependent amount of enchanted weapons that you can pickpocket at the start of every level:
Lithnilian at the Imperial Bridge Inn.
Fathis Aren at Castle Bravil.
Henantier in Bravil.