You.. goddamnit Edit: It's very possible to exploit the power of those staves, that's why I think it shouldn't be implemented just yet.
Considering player-killing via mechanics isn't how we do things, it shouldn't be a problem. Oh... wait... I guess folks could use them IC. I may have to re-add them to avoid "magic abuse"
It seems that specific staffs should be allowed or banned on a case by case basis. A staff that fires a plasma bolt, ice, razor leaves? Not really any more overpowered than a gun. A staff that summons a boulder from nowhere to crush your enemy. Yeah that one is not really appropriate for RP
It's not a rock, it's a boulder. Boulders are big. What is meant is that it could be used for the same kind of destruction cannons or rocket launchers could be used for except it's a lot lighter and offers more versatility.
The question is not how OP a staff can be. I want to know how the bloody things work. Its a stick, with tons of energy. How do you tell it to do stuff? Psionic link interface shizzle whizzle? A button? Bop-it? I hate how unexplained things are sometimes.
My opinion is the same as Wreth's, that staves should be used on a case-by-case basis. The staves that can easily be explained should by all means be able to be used. The user might be branded a freak and a weirdo by IC society, but if they want to use the big metal rod-magnet thing with a battery that shoots energy, then by all means they should be able to do so. However, like all things it would need moderation, and some staves simply don't make sense. For example, the Floran staff, hyltol staff, and the Glitch staff all have little to no ability to be even speculated upon.
The Floran and Hylotl staves could make sense. We could have a rule where you can only use the leaves or water attack if there -is- leaves or water around. Instead of it coming out of thin air the staff could manipulate it. As long as we don't have any people summoning giant boulders and doing crazy shit. And keeping the "magic" at a low level to where it's not anymore overpowered than a plasma rifle. I'm fine with it.
I don't see how the floran staff is any different to a needler rifle really. Just different in shape.
Because the rifle is built in a manner that is consistent with a firearm, and its mechanisms can easily be explained. The staff is literally a big flower that summons a bunch of leaves so that you can pretend you're Bulbasaur.
My bad I thought it fired leaves from the staff itself. I looked it up and they apparently just appear from the air.
My only hesitation on "magic" is that it could open up a new branch of players who are "the sole magic user in the galaxy with enough power to crush mountains but no one knows until its too late and he discovers it int he middle fo a battle in which theres no other way out and then he automatically wins everything"
It seems to me that, ICly, these staves, even the more powerful ones, can be rped in a fairly balanced manner. I envision them as a glass cannon/artillery kind of deal. Since you need high energy/weak defense armor to use them properly, the would need to be protected, which takes resources. The staves can't be made to do more than what they already do, so no moving mountains unless you have a mountain moving stave, which does not exist. Finally, these staves take some time to charge up, allowing a person under a, say, boulder, enough time to simply run out of the way. As for how they work, I really don't care much about that. But really, I can see most if not all staves being useable.