Split magical and melee examples into seperate tropes: Simple Staff

I seriously think there needs to be a split with this trope between staffs used in non-melee contexts (Simple Staff) and staffs which are magical or used as magical focuses by Wizards and such (Wizards Staff or something). The first is just a Weapon Of Choice, the second, while it's often used for physical combat, is also used for magical combat, being crossed with the Magic Wand. This Wizards Staff trope definitely seems worthy of it's own page, rather than being lumped in with either Simple Staff or Magic Wand. In the first case the magical aspects would seem to differentiate it, in the second case, you can't really use a magic wand for physical combat. Wizards Staff would be a subtrope of both tropes.

edited 15th Oct '11 9:36:18 PM by NoirGrimoir

Support.

This might be something that requires only limited rewriting. Just need to YKTTW the new page.

I support this. I discussed doing it this earlier on YKTTW, but I didn't know back then much about how to go through TRS to get a consensus on splitting tropes.

If there's a big enough difference, you don't really need it. I do recommend putting a note in the top that you are in fact splitting the old trope.

Question, I feel like Staffs that stretch are a separate thing than a Magic Staff, or perhaps a specific subclass, since that's usually all they do. Do we even have a trope for that? They are very common.

edited 18th Oct '11 6:42:10 PM by NoirGrimoir

The Wizard's Staff is primarily used for magical, not physical, combat (or as a Stock Costume Trait along with Robe and Wizard Hat). So a staff that stretches and is then used as a melee weapon would not count for that trope.

edited 18th Oct '11 8:09:23 PM by troacctid

The YKTTW for Magic Staff: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/discussion.php?id=tmtrvqr5fjk0pf7rqu7lgtmo

Hm, a stretching staff is something I've seen in a lot of Asian works, because it was used by the Monkey King (I think, it's the character they based Goku on) which has become a stock weapon.

Magic staff is launched, we should maybe clean up the description of Simple Staff a bit to direct people towards Magic Staff for that variation.

Edit* did it already. If not one objects this might be finished.

edited 30th Oct '11 8:32:52 PM by NoirGrimoir

With the split do we want to rename Simple Staff? A lot of these are not simple but extremely ornate (lots of confusion in the image picking thread)

To maybe The Quarterstaff or Bo-Staff?

I've always thought Simple Staff was kind of lame name, myself, so I'd be for it.

Probably not necessary.

Considering the Image Picking thread was saying Not An Example for any staff that looked ornate it might be a good idea to rename... They are not "simple" at all especially in drawn media and non-expendable ones have to at least have the metal tips to prevent splintering and give more of an impact.

As well as now the examples are all a Bo Staff or Quarterstaff which is very much a Weapon Of Choice. (With the rare example of a Walking Stick which should be another trope.)

edited 31st Oct '11 11:00:26 PM by Raso

If it gets changed maybe it should be a pun or phrase like a lot of the other Weapon Of Choice tropes are.

Could we not just lump wizard staff with the Magic Wand trope?

You're a bit late, we've already split. Magic Staff

I think it's a worthwhile question, though - as an avowed Lumper, I have to ask how exactly Magic Staff and Magic Wand are that different.

It's like a violin and a cello. They look similar, but they sound very different.

Magic Staff can be used in melee-battling with physical attacks. it includes magic clubs, rods and batons that are used to hit people. A Magic Wand is more general and includes things that can't be and are only capable of magic attacks. Also magic staffs have specific tropes associated with them with wizards and stuff.

edited 16th Nov '11 6:29:46 PM by NoirGrimoir

All right, I'll accept that. Just wanted to make sure there was one beyond the obvious.

I know extending staff is being put through YKTTW, so I think this can probably be closed up.

Go ahead.

That Gandalf image should move to Magic Staff. He had a sword for melee combat. Also, he's a wizard/angel/magical guy.

Yeah I know, there are image picking threads already.