32 réponses à ce sujet

[Xilizhra]

One aspect of lore we don't really get to hear much about is how our equipment works, but I feel the most missing information is about staves. They seem to be a very personal weapon; you channel your own will through one to fire blasts of magic, and only mages can operate them, so in a way, it's a weapon you have to touch with your own soul to use.

I find this concept fascinating, especially given that PC mages tend to swap staves like it's nothing. How are they made? One might assume by Tranquil, but the codex entry for Malcolm's Honor says that it was "fashioned" by Malcolm himself, so perhaps there's more leeway there? Can a staff grow more powerful with time, or is it always the same strength as it was when it was made? If so, do mages regularly get new staves as they grow in power themselves? Will the same staff work differently for different mages if one has a greater affinity for it?

These and other questions may not be important for the plot, but I'd quite like to know them.

[Br3admax]

One aspect of lore we don't really get to hear much about is how our equipment works, but I feel the most missing information is about staves. They seem to be a very personal weapon; you channel your own will through one to fire blasts of magic, and only mages can operate them, so in a way, it's a weapon you have to touch with your own soul to use.

I find this concept fascinating, especially given that PC mages tend to swap staves like it's nothing. How are they made? One might assume by Tranquil, but the codex entry for Malcolm's Honor says that it was "fashioned" by Malcolm himself, so perhaps there's more leeway there? Can a staff grow more powerful with time, or is it always the same strength as it was when it was made? If so, do mages regularly get new staves as they grow in power themselves? Will the same staff work differently for different mages if one has a greater affinity for it?

These and other questions may not be important for the plot, but I'd quite like to know them.

That's a pretty...imaginative way of imaging how they work, since magic isn't exactly anyone using their will as power or even anything from them personally, but using their will to control power from somewhere else and store it. Anyway, staves aren't necessarily "personal weapons" any more than any other weapon because staves seem to simply seem to be a focus for the mage's natural ability to manipulate mana, at least Spellweaver makes staves seem this way. Anyway, the Tranquil make the staves because they are infused with lyrium, and I believe this is stated as one of their duties in Origins. Some mages might be skilled enough to do it themselves, but I assume most aren't. Can staves grow more powerful, dunno. Maybe. Considering what is said about staves before though, this probably isn't likely without changing the way it's fashioned. Mages wouldn't need to get "new staves as they grow in power themselves," because staves are weapons and a focus. Also, "better staves" is going into game mechanics territory. As for staves working differently, I assume this two depends on the mage in question's skill. I don't think staves are meant to be that personal. 

[Anvos]

I'm not sure its totally tranquil as one of the books you find in the library in Witch Hunt is a book for mages on crafting a staff.

[Treacherous J Slither]

The way I see it a mage can channel their power through anything and staves aren't even necessary. Swords, axes, spears whatever.

 

The developers force you to use staves just like they force you to wear robes. It's traditional wizard stuff and they prefer it that way.

 

I don't though. I want light armor and dual short swords for my mages. Alas this shall never be U_U

[Cainhurst Crow]

I want a wand I can use like a shotgun. Or in other words, a blasting rod.

[Hellion Rex]

I want a wand I can use like a shotgun. Or in other words, a blasting rod.

You wish you could make it look as badass as Dresden does.

[CybAnt1]

What I found most interesting were the (DA2) staves that could take runes in their runeslots.

 

It was interesting to have a staff whose primary attack damage was cold, and put a fire damage rune on it. Or vice versa. 

 

There wasn't much in the game that was resistant to fire or cold, but the rare stuff that was to one or the other (like rage demons), well, I could get them both ways. 

 

It was really interesting to do this on the Champion's Warstaff, whose main damage method was by fire, but whose stat bonuses were to both cold and fire damage. 

 

BTW, a couple staves had really interesting proc effects, but at very low rates, like the ones that had a 5% chance to stun, a 5% chance for knock back, or a 2.5% chance to put a Walking Bomb on the target. Now, look, that could have been boosted a bit, whoever's on the item design team.   It was cool some could ignore armor, do short-range (2-4m) splash/AOE damage (thus possibly affecting 2-3 targets), and Sting couldn't be dodged. 

 

Oh and one more thing, which wasn't staff-specific, but just something I noticed about many items, not just staves; it was sorta odd how some improved as your character leveled up, and others didn't. And not that I mind this mechanic, but it wasn't obvious at first which items those were - because you might not notice until you leveled up and suddenly noticed your staff was more powerful. 

 

Anyway, OK, so since this thread is really about lore, somebody make up some lore to explain these mechanics. 

[CybAnt1]

DA staves are essentially at this point ranged weapons. It's just that unlike arrows or crossbow bolts, which always do physical damage, the staves can do a variety of magical/elemental damage types (frost, fire, electricity, spirit, nature). 

 

They are the mage "fallback" for when they're O-o-mana, just like wands are for WoW spell casters. If all their spells are on cool down, they're OOM, and they've got no lyrium potions - well, blast away. 

 

BTW, some of the leveling up staves started doing hella damage at higher levels, especially when rune-boosted, and sometimes I was getting better damage with them than "minor" spells like spirit bolt, which kinda surprised me. Or at least it seemed like it, since I didn't have an actual damage/combat log to look at in DA2. 

 

Anyway, as I've said, items in the DA world in general don't tend to "do" anything (well, other than damage) - like other weapons, the staves have item properties (that usually stat-boost various things on your character, or rarely have those proc effects I mentioned, but at low rates), sometimes runeslots, and do ranged damage as their function. DA just doesn't have staves of healing or curing, or wands of polymorph, or rods of spell reflection. Items with actual "uses" (like use it, then x happens) and charges are rare, it's something I wish they'd redo about itemization in these games, although making those kinds of items don't seem to fit their game-vision. 

[Sol Nox]

Don't know why I clicked this thinking it'd be lore about the actual Bioware staff, a.k.a. employees with their own mythology.  TwitchPP-like and cultish.  Kind of disappointed now...

[Master Warder Z_]

You wish you could make it look as badass as Dresden does.

 

Dresden is a fracking pansy wizard.

[Lebanese Dude]

A staff is simply a conduit for the mage's power. It's like a catalyst, so it can be used by anyone trained in magic. To a non-mage its just a stick

[n7stormrunner]

Dresden is a fracking pansy wizard.

 

 

*looks for the red court* oh yeah their all dead 

[Lorien19]

I am more inclined to believe, that the reason mages prefer to channel their energy through staves of all things, is due to them being created in such way,that it amplifies spells in order to make them more effective.I can't say for sure though,since the writers haven't provide us with an explanation yet, but still I believe it would make sense,if that was the case.

[Tevinter Soldier]

A staff is simply a conduit for the mage's power. It's like a catalyst, so it can be used by anyone trained in magic. To a non-mage its just a stick

 

or a sword/battle axe/club.

[Wolfen09]

yes, but the staffs are infused with lyrium amplifying the mages power...  rather than just plain steel which would not amplify the power...  plus if you think about it, if you take say a normal spell and use it without a staff the mana used would be 100%, but if you used a staff to amplify the spell you would say need to input 50% of the mana to get the same strength spell...  to me its an efficiency thing (i know it doesnt necessarily work that way in game, but its the only reason i can see that a mage would use it)

[The Baconer]

Here's to hoping there will be a sword, axe, or mace like the Blue Flame from Dark Souls 2, in that it allows you to cast spells.

[Iakus]

One aspect of lore we don't really get to hear much about is how our equipment works, but I feel the most missing information is about staves. They seem to be a very personal weapon; you channel your own will through one to fire blasts of magic, and only mages can operate them, so in a way, it's a weapon you have to touch with your own soul to use.

I find this concept fascinating, especially given that PC mages tend to swap staves like it's nothing. How are they made? One might assume by Tranquil, but the codex entry for Malcolm's Honor says that it was "fashioned" by Malcolm himself, so perhaps there's more leeway there? Can a staff grow more powerful with time, or is it always the same strength as it was when it was made? If so, do mages regularly get new staves as they grow in power themselves? Will the same staff work differently for different mages if one has a greater affinity for it?

These and other questions may not be important for the plot, but I'd quite like to know them.

 

There's also the staff in Asunder that seemed to give off waves of evil.  Makes me suspect that something personal may in fact go into making a staff.

[Dr. Doctor]

From an engineering standpoint, runes appear to work by passing Fade energy through a specific pattern etched in lyrium to achieve the desired effect.

Maybe staves work the same way? The mage wills a small amount of Fade energy into existence, it travels down the length of the lyrium patterns within the device, and exits as Fire/Ice/Spirit/Electric/Kinetic energy. The staff itself serves as a sturdy casing for the apparatus.

[Faerlyte]

Wasn't there at least one stave in DA:II that leveled up with the character? That would indicate that it becomes more powerful over time. 

[efd731]

You wish you could make it look as badass as Dresden does.

Anything can look bad-ass from atop a reanimated T-Rex named sue.
On topic, being able to fashion your own weapons would be pretty cool.

[Hellion Rex]

Dresden is a fracking pansy wizard.

You will burn in hell for that!!!!!!

[Master Warder Z_]

*looks for the red court* oh yeah their all dead 

 

When he takes out of the Denarian's or some one completely out of his league with out a magical Desus ex, you know as a result of his own skill.

 

He can claim to be powerful, until then? He is a series of Blood Curses, Cheap shots and just generally getting lucky.

[Master Warder Z_]

You will burn in hell for that!!!!!!

 

...You don't know the half of it friend.

[Jynxed_]

The way I see it a mage can channel their power through anything and staves aren't even necessary. Swords, axes, spears whatever.

 

The developers force you to use staves just like they force you to wear robes. It's traditional wizard stuff and they prefer it that way.

 

I don't though. I want light armor and dual short swords for my mages. Alas this shall never be U_U

I'm pretty sure I heard somewhere that any class can equip any armor/weapon

[Hellion Rex]

...You don't know the half of it friend.

You will not profane my favorite book series!