Staff

For such a simple weapon, the staff has quite a curious history in the lands of Britannia. Its use has varied from magical implement, to common weapon, back to implement again. Staves have been seen in the hands of magic-users for longer than anyone can remember, whether to enhance their spells or to serve as a physical deterrent when their power runs thin.

The staff had fallen out of common use as a weapon when Vetron's Guide to Weapons and Armour was published, so it does not have an effectiveness rating; at the time of Ultima IV, it was the weakest weapon available, but still in common use among mages of all sorts.

History
Staves first appeared in Ultima I, where they were used solely as an implement to enhance the wielder's magic, and could be purchased in various towns. In Ultima II either a staff or a wand was actually required for any spellcasting, although at the time, spells could only be cast in towers or dungeons. These rare arcane implements could only be acquired by defeating enemy wizards in combat.

In Ultima III, staves made specifically of Yew saplings were employed in the casting of the spell Repond, and the destructive unnamed incantation, P. In fact, weavers of both divine and arcane backgrounds found it necessary to carry a staff for several other spells found in both the The Book of Amber Runes and The Ancient Liturgy of Truth.

The staff still continued to see widespread use in Ultima IV, as a low-cost, "magically attuned" weapon, sold only in Britain and favored by shepherds and magicians alike.



In Ultima VI, a Yew staff could be purchased from Nicodemus near Yew for 100 gold, and charged with up to 10 spells using the Enchant spell. Anyone could make use of these stored spells, and it could still be used as a weapon, dealing 4 damage.

Staves returned again in Ultima VII, where they were extremely rare and possessed of various magical qualities.

Numerous interesting staves existed throughout history:


 * Fellowship staff - Used by the Fellowship.
 * Firedoom Staff - Shoots fireballs.
 * Serpent Staff - Originally used by the high priest of the Ophidians.
 * Staff of the Dead - A staff specially made to battle the undead.
 * Bladed staff - A combination of a staff and a Sword.
 * Dum-dum - A combination of a staff and hammers.

Trivia

 * In Ultima VII Part Two, staves have a damage of 6 and a reach of 3.
 * In Ultima IX, the damage of the staff is weapon is 1(min) - 9(max).
 * In Ultima IX, the gnarled staff does 8(min) - 12(max) damage.
 * In Ultima IX, the gargoyle staff does a more impressive 30(min) - 40(max) damage.