Staves

## Staff Basics

Staves act as weapons or environmental manipulators. They are magic items with limited uses (charges). Every character class can use staves. The Wizard is the only class that starts with a run with a staff. All found staves are unidentified.

### Identifying Staves

All staves are found unidentified. Like all other magic items, the background of a staff is either blue, red, or purple, indicating it is beneficial, detrimental, or is an unknown type, respectively.

You can *partially* identify (i.e change the unknown purple to red or blue) staves by:

* Using a Scroll of Detect Magic, partially IDing all items in your inventory (revealing the blue or red status)
* A book might tell you the what kind of staff can be found on a coming floor (but this doesn't actually ID anything).

You can identify staves by:

* Using them.
* IDing with a scroll of Identify.

Note: Staffs are not sold in shops.

Note: Having a high Lore does not help you identify staves.

Tip: Be aware of your environment when using an unknown staff. You probably don't want to burn to death in a small room with a Fireball, or Blink into danger.

### Recharging Staves

Staves have a limited number of uses before they empty and need to be recharged. Staves can be recharged in a few ways:

* A scroll of Recharging recharges all items in your inventory.
* If the target staff still has some charge, a scroll of Enchant raises the level of the staff by 1, and recharges it. However, if the staff is empty of charges, then the scroll will ONLY recharge the staff, without providing the usual level gain.
* Forging with another staff. This consumes the lower-level staff, and the higher-level staff gains levels equal to the level of the lower-level staff, while also regaining some charge. If the staves are equal level, the first staff placed in the forge gains the levels, while the second is consumed. The maximum level for any staff is 5; if this limit would be exceeded, then the higher-level staff is raised to level 5, and the same number of levels are removed from the other staff, but the staff is not wholly consumed. If the higher-level staff is already level 5, then one(?) level is consumed from the second staff to recharge the higher-level staff. A quirk of recharging a staff this way is that if the staff being recharged was fully drained (i.e. the staff icon has faded to black in the inventory), it won't become usable at all again until fully recharged; a partial recharge will still refill part of the charge bar, but the staff will remain black and unusable.

Tip: If you pick up a Staff of Blinking, it was probably specially placed by the level generator, and is required to overcome an obstacle in the game (e.g. traverse pits or lava fields). Do not overuse it until the related puzzles are completed, otherwise you can get stuck. However, staves of Blinking can still be randomly generated, so this isn't always the case.

### Forging with Staves

As noted above, staves can be combined with other staves in a Forge to increase their level and refill their charges. Even detrimental staffs can be used for this, so don't discard those staves of Summoning or Surprises. Note some special cases:

* Steal Life always absorbs other staves even if higher level. Because of this, you can't use a Steal Life staff to make another staff more powerful. (Needs verification).
* Surprises can't absorb other staffs, but it can be absorbed by others.
* Flames, Gas, Myst, and Blink staffs (which don't show a level in the item description) cannot absorb other staves, and generally count as a level one staff when being absorbed (though they sometimes seem to have a hidden level higher than 1).

#### Examples of Forging Staves

If you have a level 3 Fireball staff and a level 3 Summoning staff and combine them in a forge, putting the Fireball staff in the forge first, you will get a level 5 Fireball staff and a level 1 Summoning staff, and the Fireball staff will be at least partially recharged.

Or if you have a +5 staff with used charges, you can intentially use it to lower another staff's level, so the second staff can be absorbed into a third. For example, you have staves of +5 Summoning, +3 Fireball, and +4 Magic Missiles. In this example, we want to feed the Magic Missile to the Fireball Staff, but the level of the Magic Missile staff is too high to feed to the Fireball staff. So use the +5 Summon staff once, then recharge it in the forge using the Magic Missile staff. This results in a recharged +5 Summoning staff and a +3 Magic Missile staff. Now you can feed the Missile staff to the Fireball staff. You can later use the Summoning staff to recharge the others (though be careful to not accidentally absorb the Missile staff into the Summoning staff).

#### Special Cases

* Staff of Fireball + Staff of Lightning = Staff of Switching. This can inadvertently ruin a good Fireball staff.

See Crafting , specifically the section "Forging with Sigils" to see Staff/Sigil combos.

## Types of Staves

### Blue/Good Staves

#### Staff of Black Thorns

* This Staff shoots a single missile which stuns, does good damage and fires rapidly.
* You can Create this staff using the Queen Wasp's Stinger and an unechanted Dagger (contrary to what a hint book says) in a Forge.
* Excellent for boss killing, just bring some scrolls of recharging with you.

#### Staff of Blinking

* Fires a projectile which you teleport to after it either hits an obstacle or reaches a certain maximum distance ( up to 6 squares away).
* Great for traversing chasms, lakes and lava.
* You can also use it to teleport behind an enemy, allowing you to hit it in the back or escape.
* Extremely useful when you are cornered by enemies or trying to escape the dungeon quickly at the end.
* You can create this staff at a Forge by combining a **Staff of Magic Missile** + **Life Rune**.
* If found in the dungeon it will often be needed for a puzzle or to progress in the dungeon.

#### Staff of Cold

* Fires a continuous stream of cold, repeatedly dealing 5 damage to non-resistant creatures.
* Double damage to fire-type enemies like Fire Elementals and Fire Bats. Half damage or no damage to ice enemies.
* You can sometimes hit yourself with this staff by walking into the slow moving projectiles.
* Can be used to freeze water and lava so you can walk over them.
* In cold levels, frozen water never melts.

#### Staff of Disarming

* Fires projectiles that make enemies drop their weapons, making many enemies harmless. Just pick the weapons up before the monsters do.
* Beware getting hit by this, as dropped weapons can fall into lava (destroying them) or a chasm (making them difficult to retrieve).
* Higher levels means more projectiles per shot.
* Made in the Forge by combining a Magic Missile Staff with a Metal Rune.

#### Staff of Fireball

* This shoots a fireball, which explodes either on contact with a target, or after reaching a certain distance. Also sets things on fire. Note that a direct hit on a target can deal double damage, as the impact does full damage, and then the knockback can push the target back fast enough that the expanding explosion then hits the target a second time. Increasing level increases damage and blast radius. The blast can also stun.
* Even a level 1 staff is solid at taking out both groups and boss enemies because of the area damage, igniting, and stun. One cast can deal 20+ damage to most enemies.
* Deadly at level 5, but beware. The explosion reaches further than the entire screen and anything caught in the blast will take massive damage; anything double hit by the blast can take almost 100 damage.
* You can kill yourself if you hit an arrow or other projectile launched by an enemy, as it can cause the fireball to explode in your face. This is especially bad with a +5 staff. Also, due to a strange bug, fired staff projectiles sometimes randomly prematurely impact on what acts like an invisible wall. When that projectile is a shot from a level 5 Fireball staff impacting adjacent to the player, it can instakill a full-health endgame character wearing fire immunity armor. This is not a fun way to end a run.
* You can create this staff at a Forge by combining a **Staff of Magic Missile** + **Fire Rune**.
* Some levels have cracked walls that can be destroyed with this (or with bomb or shrapnel bow).

#### Staff of Flames

* Fires a continuous stream of flames that do minor damage and ignite targets.
* Can prematurely ignite gas pockets, or or light a whole group of enemies on fire at once.
* Can also light vegetation on fire, which is prone to spread. Don't stand on vegetation when you use it or you will set yourself on fire.
* Stopping firing the staff drains a bunch of power so quickly firing the staff in small bursts will drain it very quickly (this also applies to all other channeling staves like Poison, Myst and Cold).
* Can be used to light up wall torches, braziers. Or bombs, torches and gun powder laying on the floor.
* This staff can destroy snow piles.

#### Staff of Gas

* Fires a continous stream of flammable gas.
* Throw a lighted torch near an enemy and then gas them. Or if there is lava or a wall torch near by the gas, it will ignite.
* Like other gas staffs, you can fill rooms by shooting under closed doors by standing VERY close to the door without opening it.
* Windy levels will blow away gas, makig it harder to use.

#### Staff of Howling Wind

* Stream rather than burst.
* Found as part of a quest (only way to keep exploring is to find this staff to open doors that can only be opened with wind)
* Useful to spread fire on burning vegetation or blow away gases.
* Similar to throwing water potions at walls torches or braziers, it can be used to blow out the fire, making it easier to sneak around walls with a cape.
* Can blow away small enemies, very useful if you blow them into lava or a chasm.
* Can keep bloats at bay.
* May blow away projectiles away from you, like bottles or arrows (need verification)

#### Staff of Icicles

* Made at the Forge by combined a magic missile staff and a Ice Rune.
* Does double damage against Fire creatures but half damage against Ice creatures.
* More enchant levels increase the number of projectiles, damage and charges.
* Can't freeze lava or water.

#### Staff of Lightning

* Burst rather than stream.
* This one demolishes a line of enemies because it pierces.
* It also stuns often and goes through shields so its great for bosses.
* The projectile splits into many in Myst so its a great tool to wipe anything that may be wandering around in the gas.
* Upgrading the staff will increase its damage and charges.
* You can create this staff at a Forge by combining a **Staff of Magic Missile** + **Magic Rune**.
* The bolt can some times bounce from walls.

#### Staff of Magic Missile

* Burst rather than stream.
* The most basic of staves, but with a lot of potential.
* Shoots out a single magic missile dealing 5 damage.
* Higher levels increase the damage and reduce the amount of charge consumed.
* The best use for this is larger groups of enemies where you can hit multiple enemies with 1 missile.
* You can also shoot it in Myst to multiply the missiles, damage anything walking around in the gas and also clearing the Myst to make the room safer from turrets.
* Can be combined at the Forge with Magic Sigils to create other staffs.

#### Staff of Marine Missile

* Made at the Forge by combined a magic missile staff and a Water Rune.
* Does extra damage versus Fire or Unholy enemies.
* Can be used under water, though it does not recharge by being in water like other enchanted water items.
* Needs verification-might have been removed from game?

#### Staff of Myst

* Emits a stream of Myst gas.
* This one is tough to use since you need some help from other sources to deal any damage with this staff and any resulting projectiles splitting nearby may hit you.
* This staff goes well with a high level magic missile staff or lightning staff.
* Like other gas staffs, you can fill rooms by shooting under closed doors by standing VERY close to the door without opening it.
* Ring of Light creates an light orb in-front of you. You can phase this orb through a door or a wall into a Myst filled room to create a magical explosion inside the room.
* Windy levels will blow away gas, making it harder to use.

#### Staff of Poison

* Emits a stream of Poison Gas.
* Poison Gas is flammable.
* You can fill a room with poison and then close the door, the poison won't decay and anything in the room slowly takes damage until you open that door.
* The poison can also be ignited for extra damage.
* Note: Undead enemies are immune to poison damage (as well as others creatures like poison rats).
* If you are next to a closed or locked door, you can shoot the gas "under" the door to fill the room without opening the door. Useful so enemies aren't alerted by the noise made by opening a non-oiled door.
* Windy levels will blow away gas, making it harder to use.

#### Staff of Steal Life

* Allows you to steal HP from creatures for yourself.
* Obtained from not the Vampire Lord... maybe the Necromancer? Can't remember. Deeper level magic.

#### Staff of Stunning

* Burst rather than stream.
* Does not do damage.
* This staff is best used on strong targets or larger groups, stunning means you can walk right through the enemy without any risk until they get unstunned of course and you can also get some cheap hits in.
* Note that most undead enemies can't be stunned this way and stone elemental are immune to stunning.
* Higher level means wider area of effect for stuns and longer stunt debuff.
* You can create this staff at a Forge by combining a **Staff of Magic Missile** + **Earth Rune**.

#### Staff of Switching

* Switches each use from a Staff of Lightning to a Staff of Fireball.
* The lightning shot deals with lines of enemies while the fireball deals with large groups and bosses.
* If you don't have a fireball staff to enchant with scrolls, enchant this one instead.
* Made in the Forge by combining a Lightning Staff with a Fire Rune or a Fireball staff with a Magic Rune, or combing a staff of lightning with a staff of fireball (though its more useful to keep them separate.)

#### Staff of Tri-Missile

* Similar to Magic Missile Staff but it shoots 3 missiles per shot in a spread.
* Can be reforged with Magic Sigils to create other staffs.

#### Staff of White Fire

* This shoots a white fireball, which explodes emitting magic missiles instead of shrapnel on contact. It also sets enemies on fire.
* You can create this staff at a Forge by combining a **White Wyrm Spine** + **Dagger** or **Throwing Axe**.

### Red/Bad Staves

#### Staff of Fiery Doom

* This staff is extremely dangerous and has led to the death of many young adventurers. But fear not-- there are ways to survive triggering this staff and can thus be used to your advantage. Honestly, surviving the Staff of Fiery Doom should be an achievement.
* This staff shoots out ten fireballs one after the other which match the strength of a +3 fireball staff. You can't stop shooting till all the 10 fireballs have been shot so aim away from you or else you can kill yourself.
* The appearance of this staff should hopefully be forewarned in books lying around so you should know when you are about to find this staff.
* The best chance of using it safely is to hold the fire button and slowly walk backwards to avoid the blasts.
	+ (Second editor: I do not recommend this-- in my experience, it blast in all directions. I survive by either having extremely high HP AND fire proof armor, OR having decent HP and firing it right next to deep water. Jump into the deep water, hopefully away from fish, let the screen explode for a good few seconds before resurfacing.)
* Can only be used once before requiring a recharge
* The main use for this staff is to take out large groups of strong enemies or bosses-- basically destroys everything on screen.
* Do not use this staff if they are in your face since up close this staff kill you. And since it is used up in one cast I don't recommend taking out plain normal enemies with it.
* You can make this at the Forge by combining 2 Fireball Staffs.
* Note: In previous version of the game, you would know you picked up a Staff of Fiery Doom because it would blink as soon as you held it in your hand, indicating it only had one charge left (all staves blink when they are down to one charge.)

#### Staff of Summoning

* Magically creates one or more unfriendly creatures nearby. The type of creature seems to be dependent on what floor is used and what enemies can be found in the floor.
* It can summon: Poison Rats, Bats, Cursed Daggers, Skeletons, Imps, Phantom Blades, etc.
* Generally a bad thing to discover accidentally. Specially at deeper levels as the summon are stronger enemies.
* Can be used to spawn skeletons and steal their equipment.
* Upgrading means more enemies summoned per charge.
* Useful to summon weak creatures to kill to identify weapons or to get 25 kill on a weapon to sacrifice it for Grievous.

#### Staff of Surprises

* Shoots a random staff spell.
* Dangerous if you accidentally shoot blink into a chasm or lava. Or if you shoot a fireball to an enemy near you (as you will hit yourself).
* The more enchanted the more powerful the spell, so a 5+ staff will shoot a powerful 5+ Giant Fireball or lightning missile.
* Can be used to reach blink locations if you are lucky to get the blink spell. Or cross lava if you are lucky to get the cold spell.

*Thanks to pimhazeveld for this great content from this post: https://steamcommunity.com/app/506870/discussions/4/1291816880501613863/*