History Main / MagicStaff

* The Orbal Staff in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesZeroNoKiseki'' is a high-tech version of this, due to the setting's MagicFromTechnology angle.

** The symbol of office for the [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking Supreme Patriarch]] of the [[WizardingSchool Imperial Colleges of Magic]] is the Staff of Volans, an AmplifierArtifact that was crafted (and named) for the first Patriarch soon after the Colleges' founding.

* 'TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': An odd example come as a type of force weapon, rare weapons designed to channel a psychic's potential and release it in melee. While swords tend to be just as common, force staves tend to be elaborately decorated and may also confer other bonuses, such as acting as a psychic focus. Because psychic power is treated in a way that means it kind-of-is, kind-of-isn't magic, the trope stays in full effect.
* In ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'', one of the '80s supplemental books was ''Realms of Chaos: The Lost and the Damned''. In that book, one magic item is the Staff of Nurgle. Point it at an enemy and [[BodyHorror maggots will geyser out of their orifices]] and [[OneHitKill strip the flesh off their bones]]. The remaining pile of maggots becomes a battlefield hazard.

** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'': Staves are just oversized magic wands, with no bludgeoning functionality. The idea is that they hold powerful spells to save you dipping into your personal supply of magicka.

** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'': Morcant carried a tall, rough-looking staff. This is the only weapon used by one of Erdwin's companions that cannot be inherited by the current heroes because it is still in Mordegon's possession.

** In ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemHeroes]]'', staves can be used for both healing and attacking, but the damage potential of staves is reduced by half, unless the staff unit has the Wrathful Staff equipped as a skill or as a built-in effect on their staff.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' has had a plethora of magical staffs. Here are just a few of them:
** Staff of Power and Staff of the Magi. Famous not for their potent magical abilities, but for the Retributive Strike power: when deliberately broken, the staff explodes like a bomb, almost certainly killing all nearby opponents. The wielder has a 50% chance of traveling to another plane and a 50% chance of being annihilated.
** Staff of Command. Exceptionally good at {{Mind Control}}ing opponents.
** Staff of the Serpent. Changes into a snake to attack your enemies. Comes in python (constriction) and adder (poisonous bite) versions.
** Staff of Striking. When you want to administer a personal beat down.
** Staff of Withering. Can cause the victim to age ten years and suffer a withered limb (arm/leg).
** Catstaff. Gives a variety of powers that help thieves, such as climbing walls, moving silently and hiding in shadows.
** Demon Staff. Allows the wielder to summon a minor demon or change themselves into one.
** Staff of the Elements. Its powers depend on which type of elemental is trapped inside of it. For example, a fire elemental would allow fire-related powers.
** Immovable Rod. An iron rod with a button at the end that forces the rod to stay in one place and hold up to 8000 pounds of weight before failing. One "clever" way of abusing it is having the rod be really immovable from that one spot and have the planet's rotation force people into hitting at high speeds... that is if you're in a heliocentric system and not a geocentric one, or even within another plane (or your DM is not a total idiot).

* The Orbal Staff in ''VideoGame/ZeroNoKiseki'' is a high-tech version of this, due to the setting's MagicFromTechnology angle.

While almost no carrier of this weapon will hesitate to wield their Magic Staff as best they can in physical combat should the need arise, for some the point isn't a Magic Staff's melee attributes but that a Magic Staff is a MagicWand but better. They are generally considered more powerful than the traditional MagicWand, and can be elaborate to the point of AwesomeButImpractical. It's not uncommon to see staves with [[PowerCrystal huge gems]], floating rings and just plain unlikely hugeness, and since BiggerIsBetter, and [[RuleOfCool Cooler Is Also Better]] a large, decorative staff is usually the sign of a powerful mage. Another common variant is having a [[DemBones skull or bone]] sticked on a staff, commonly wielded by [[{{Necromancer}} necromancers]] and warlocks to emphasize the motif of death.

* Negi Springfield in ''Manga/MahouSenseiNegima'' carries a staff most of the time when doing magic. It serves as a focus for his spells and he also uses it to fly in a manner resembling a FlyingBroomstick. Also, as the story progresses and his skills in magic increase, he tends to use the staff less and less: The magic ring Eva gave him is less cumbersome, and he grows to rely less on ''that'' as well.

%%* Rezo, the AffablyEvil priest from ''{{LightNovel/Slayers}}'', often used to note his arrival courtesy of jingling noises.

* Despite having a huge cast of magic-users, pretty much the only ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' character that uses a staff is Mima, and she disappeared after the ContinuityReboot. Although that... ''thing'' [[OurVampiresAreDifferent Flandre]] has may also count.

* In Scott Meyer's ''[[Literature/{{Magic20}} Off to Be the Wizard]]'', most "wizards" in Medieval England use staffs in their spells. In fact, a 5-foot staff is necessary for the shell program to recognize the wizard as a user. Alternatively, a wizard can use a 1.5-foot MagicWand (a number of wizards carry collapsible backup wands in case they get separated from their staffs). A wand is typically topped with an object. Martin chooses a bust of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo El Santo]]. Jimmy has a small plasma globe. Phillip uses a bottle of Tabasco sauce (which he occasionally puts in his food and calls dragon's blood). Many FrickinLaserBeams-type spells are coded to appear as if coming out of either a pointing hand or a staff/wand. Phillip suggests holding the staff like a rifle for a better aim. And God help you if you make the obvious joke about the staffs or wands.

* ''VideoGame/{{Gift}}'' has such a staff, powered by magic crystals...but whose powers are entirely melee-based.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': [[TheChosenOne Ozma]] originally used to fight with a tall magical staff that was covered in swirling vine-like patterns and which was topped with a large emerald crystal. In the [[TheTimeOfMyths age of magic]], it was his weapon of choice and was used to channel his [[EmeraldPower magic through the emerald]] to blast his enemies. [[spoiler:After his death, [[BigBad Salem]] held onto the staff, allowing his [[ResurrectiveImmortality first reincarnation]] to be reunited with it. Thereafter, [[LegacyOfTheChosen every reincarnation]] has carried the staff until [[GadgeteerGenius one host]] eventually created [[ClassyCane the cane, The Long Memory]]. Since him, it's the cane that has been passed down all reincarnations until it finally reached [[BigGood Professor Ozpin]] and his successor [[LegacyCharacter Oscar]]. While the swirling patterns on the cane are identical to the patterns that adorn the original staff, the exact relationship between the cane and the staff is unknown.]]

* Staves, along with [[MagicWand Magic Wands]], are the standard option for magic combat in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'', serving as the means for casting combat spells. Some staves provide runes for magic combat, while others have unique special attacks and passive effects. In addition, a few spells can only be cast while wielding a certain type of staff.

*** It's not universal however: Elaine Mallory uses an enchanted chain, as it can be hidden more effectively. She also makes fun of the old-fashionedness and phallicness of staffs/wands. She has a thorn wand, lariat, and enchanted chain. *** Ebenezar [=McCoy=] normally uses a staff very similar to Harry's, but when he needs to ''really'' kick ass, he breaks out [[spoiler: the Blackstaff, which is described as a wooden staff covered in pure darkness, and is capable of killing hundreds of men instantly by simply extinguishing their vital functions.]]

** Staves appear elsewhere in the books as well; Luccio and Ramirez favor much shorter staves, usually under five feet in length, while the Merlin himself goes for a tall, polished white staff. Also, [[spoiler: Eldest Gruff]] uses a staff, though more for walking. It's not universal however, as Elaine Mallory uses an enchanted chain, as it can be hidden more effectively. She also makes fun of the old-fashionedness and phallicness of staffs/wands. She has a thorn wand, lariat, and enchanted chain. Ebenezar [=McCoy=] uses a staff very similar to Harry's normally, but when he needs to ''really'' kick ass, he breaks out [[spoiler: the Blackstaff, which is described as a wooden staff covered in pure darkness, and is capable of killing hundreds of men instantly by simply extinguishing their vital functions.]] [[TheFairFolk Mother Winter]] apparently had a staff as well, although it's simply described as a walking stick, and since losing it she finds it very painful to travel, making it harder to summon her.

* The various Mage classes in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games can equip rods and staves as their traditional weaponry. For example: