Staves
Staves are the Druid's primary spell-focus weapon. They channel ranged elemental magic and appear in pre-release trailer footage as the weapon of the storm-caller archetype. Staves are not melee-strong on their own; their power lives in the spells they direct. A pure caster build runs a staff on slot 1 and a melee weapon on slot 2 for emergency self-defense.
Behavior
Spell focus. Boost spell damage, cast speed, or projectile count, depending on the staff.
Two-handed. Channels with both hands. No off-hand action.
Reach. Effective range is the spell's range, not the staff's haft.
Build Roles
[object Object]Cast-speed staff for multi-projectile fire pressure.
Storm-caller. Channel wind magic through a staff for ranged crowd control.
Hybrid. Staff on slot 2 for ranged answers, melee on slot 1 for close work.
Limits
Staves are weak in pure melee. A staff Druid needs spells equipped and skill points spent in spell schools to be effective. Pure staff builds also need a defensive answer for fast-closing enemies, usually telekinesis or a slot-2 melee.