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The Staff of the Magi is a unique Quarterstaff +5 that can only be used by mages and sorcerers and possesses an incredible number of added effects. Its passive qualities include granting a +2 bonus to Armor Class and Saving Throws, permanent invisibility until the user attempts an attack, immunity to charm effects, and protection from evil. Its active qualities include allowing the user to cast a unique Fireball and Lightning Bolt combination (as a level 10 caster) thrice per day as well as a long duration Spell Trap Spell once per day. Lastly the staff strikes as a +5 weapon for enchanted weapon immunities, and targets will be afflicted with Dispel Magic (as a level 30 spell caster) on hit.

Description[]

This type of staff is thoroughly linked to the image of the spellcasting profession, rare though it is. It is among the most powerful tools that a wizard can possess, the culmination of complex enchantments and endless study. This particular example is good in melee, grants invisibility, and offers protection from charms and evil. It can also cast Spell Trap and Dispel Magic and launch a Fireball-Lightning Bolt combination. The quintessential Mage item.

Location[]

Shadows of Amn[]

Gladiators of Thay[]

  • Reward after defeating the Lich Lea and the five huge Skeleton Golems in Tier 3 - Battle 3 (Battle 13)

Gameplay[]

  • The Staff's Protection from Evil power provides two separate abilities to the wielder. The first is that the wielder gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class and +2 bonus to saving throws against creatures who's alignment is Evil. The second is that the Staff bearer cannot be attacked by any Creature categorized as both summoned and demon (IDS 9,7). This means that many demons summoned or gated will be unable to directly attack and or will ignore the wielder. The Staff user will have a "Protection from Evil" icon displayed on their portrait, and a text message will display saying "Protected from Evil".
  • The Charm protection provided by the equipped staff prevents all forms of Opcode 5 Charm, including domination, as well as all in game text displays and graphic animations associated with the Charm effect. The Staff user will have a "Mind Shield" icon displayed on their portrait.
  • This item's invisibility effect is applied instantly any time the item is equipped. It's the only usable item in the game with this capability. The Staff user will have a small lighting effect animation play whenever the Staff is equipped, and the user will also appear faded out under invisibility.
  • Striking a target with the Staff applies a Dispel Magic effect using Opcode 58, with a Level 30 caster spell power. In addition, the strike cures deafness and feeblemindedness effects. Illusionary targets will be destroyed as well (such as a Simulacrum or Projected Image). Regardless of what is hit, or whether the Dispel Magic effect actually dispelled anything, each strike will display a text message "Dispel Effects".
  • The invisibility provided is not of the Illusionary protections type. This invisibility is coded as Normal Invisibility - affected creature makes the first attack with +4. This invisibility can be dispelled, easily, as it has 0 spell power. Any dispel magic effect will dispel it.
Note:Currently, as of BG2EE 2.6 and all earlier game versions - the Whispers of Silence (Cloak of Non-Detection), will provide protection for the equipped staff user from all divination attack spells that remove invisibility. This includes Oracle and True Sight/True Seeing. The staff's invisibility can still be dispelled. This is a unique quirk in the implementation of the cloak's "always on" power combined with the staff's coding of invisibility. A Non-Detection spell upon the mage will not provide the same benefit, so equip the staff to be protected from invisibility removing divination attack effects.
  • Any action that normally removes invisibility also ends the invisibility from the staff (striking a creature, casting an offensive spell, using an offensive item...), but if you swap to an alternate weapon and back to the staff (which can be done while the game is paused), the invisibility is reapplied. As a result, you can stand in the middle of a group of monsters and (slowly) kill them all without retaliation (you can still be hit by AoE effects). This cheesy exploit does not work against most late-game enemies though, as many powerful enemies can simply ignore invisibility effects.
  • Using the staff, a thief can simultaneously be hidden and search for traps while scouting. However, a thief can do this without the Staff as well, assuming that the Hide in Shadows/Stealth skill is high enough.
  • The Fireball-Lightning Bolt combination ability is enacted by the staff by actually 'casting' the arcane spells Fireball and Lightning simultaneously as if the user were a level 10 experience mage. It is identical to the arcane spells in terms of its effects.
  • The Spell Trap effect is initiated by casting a slightly different version of spell trap on the caster (STAF11.SPL). The difference is that instead of an 18 round duration, the spell lasts 8-hours. This a fantastic power to protect a mage.
  • Although the staff strikes as a +5 enchanted melee weapon, it does not do more than 1d6+1 crushing damage and only provides a +1 to hit bonus.
  • Shadowdancer/Mages can equip this staff while waiting for Hide in Shadows to cool down, allowing them multiple backstab attempts.
    • However, as the staff itself is not usable by pure thieves, it is not possible to backstab with it, meaning one must switch back to another weapon after re-entering stealth.

Gallery[]

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