I know that a nonmagical quarterstaff can be used as a Druidic Focus as well as an Arcane Focus, and that a magical staff can be used as an Arcane Focus. What I was wondering is if a magical staff can be used as a Druidic Focus. I'm playing a Ranger who will fight with a quarterstaff and shield, and I was looking to use a staff later down the line to make my character stronger, but I won't use one if I can't cast spells from it.
The rules as written are a little vague on this point, but I've always thought it would be fine to use any magic staff as a Druidic Focus as long as it's made of wood.
The rules as written are a little vague on this point, but I've always thought it would be fine to use any magic staff as a Druidic Focus as long as it's made of wood.
I was wanting to use either the Quarterstaff of the Acrobat, or the Staff of Striking. Neither one says what they are made of, and neither one provides an image. What you said makes sense, but I still find it difficult to apply it to either of these weapons.
RAW, I'd say technically is not possible: "... a staff can be used as a nonmagical Quarterstaff and an Arcane Focus."
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Rods
An item in the Rod category is a scepter usually made of metal, wood, or bone. A typical rod weighs 2 to 5 pounds.
Unless its description notes otherwise, a rod can be used as an Arcane Focus.
Staffs
Items in the Staff category vary widely in appearance: some are of nearly equal diameter throughout and smooth, others are gnarled and twisted, some are made of wood, and others are composed of polished metal or crystal. A staff weighs between 2 and 7 pounds and serves well as a walking stick or cane.
Unless its description notes otherwise, a staff can be used as a nonmagical Quarterstaff and an Arcane Focus.
Wands
An item in the Wand category is typically 12 to 15 inches long and crafted of metal, bone, or wood. It is tipped with metal, crystal, stone, or some other material.
Unless its description notes otherwise, a wand can be used as an Arcane Focus.
I have to agree that RAW, a magic quarterstaff does not qualify as a Druidic Focus. That said, I see very little reason why it would be a problem to allow this to work.
I know that a nonmagical quarterstaff can be used as a Druidic Focus as well as an Arcane Focus, and that a magical staff can be used as an Arcane Focus. What I was wondering is if a magical staff can be used as a Druidic Focus. I'm playing a Ranger who will fight with a quarterstaff and shield, and I was looking to use a staff later down the line to make my character stronger, but I won't use one if I can't cast spells from it.
It depends if your magical Quarterstaff is a Wooden staff that is carved, tied with ribbon, or painted to channel primal magic.
A Druidic Focus takes one of the forms in the Druidic Focuses table and is carved, tied with ribbon, or painted to channel primal magic. A Druid or Ranger can use such an object as a Spellcasting Focus.
I have to agree that RAW, a magic quarterstaff does not qualify as a Druidic Focus. That said, I see very little reason why it would be a problem to allow this to work.
There's a magic staff in the DMG called the Staff of the Woodlands. It doesn't say anything in it about being usable a spellcasting focus, but it's only usable by Druids, so it would seem silly if it weren't intended to be usable as a Druidic Focus. This, to me, suggests that the intent is for it to be allowed, even if the RAW isn't quite there.
Yeah, I'd argue that the omission was intended because not all magic staves are wooden, and the druidic focus is necessarily a wooden staff. This feels like we could spin our wheels for weeks about RAW, but in reality, I can't fathom a DM in a real game prohibiting the use of a magic staff made of wood as a druidic focus (honestly, most DM's I've played with don't pay any attention to what you're using as a focus in the first place). Also, if the magic item doesn't specifically state what it is made of, then I'd argue that it could be made of any practical material.
There was some discussions on staff vs focus when 5E24 released with Wizard or Druid suggested starting equipment Druidic Focus (Quarterstaff) & Arcane Focus (Quarterstaff) their difference of cost etc...
I think they are trying to get the Quarterstaff statline available via link, since either can use the Quarterstaff stats. But both an Arcane Focus Staff and Druidic Focus Wooden Staff are 5GP, not 2SP.
I have to agree that RAW, a magic quarterstaff does not qualify as a Druidic Focus. That said, I see very little reason why it would be a problem to allow this to work.
I feel I need to be a little pedantic here. A Quarterstaff (magical or not) does not qualify as a Druidic Focus nor as an Arcane Focus because a Quarterstaff is in the Weapon category. The items we are really talking about here are in the Staff category.
But as Tarod posted (and I assume you meant) the rules also say that a Magical Staff "can be used as a nonmagical Quarterstaff and an Arcane Focus" without any mention of Druidic Focus. And thus we find ourselves in the irritatingly stupid place of all Arcane Focus (Staff) and all Druidic Focus (Wooden Staff) being Staffs and qualifying as Quarterstaffs but without the reverse being true. IMO the writers just got a little lost in the great wood of staffs and messed this up, in my games any staff that isn't explicitly made of non-wood materials will qualify as a Druidic Focus as well as an Arcane Focus because as you say, I see little reason not to.
Edit: As a added note, if one reads the rule a bit closer it turns out that a magical staff becomes a non-magical quarterstaff. If anyone have a good explanation for that little bit of transformation then I'm all ears. Sure it doesn't matter much in the -24 rules but it's still odd.
There was some discussions on staff vs focus when 5E24 released with Wizard or Druid suggested starting equipment Druidic Focus (Quarterstaff) & Arcane Focus (Quarterstaff) their difference of cost etc...
I have to agree that RAW, a magic quarterstaff does not qualify as a Druidic Focus. That said, I see very little reason why it would be a problem to allow this to work.
I feel I need to be a little pedantic here. A Quarterstaff (magical or not) does not qualify as a Druidic Focus nor as an Arcane Focus because a Quarterstaff is in the Weapon category. The items we are really talking about here are in the Staff category.
But as Tarod posted (and I assume you meant) the rules also say that a Magical Staff "can be used as a nonmagical Quarterstaff and an Arcane Focus" without any mention of Druidic Focus. And thus we find ourselves in the irritatingly stupid place of all Arcane Focus (Staff) and all Druidic Focus (Wooden Staff) being Staffs and qualifying as Quarterstaffs but without the reverse being true. IMO the writers just got a little lost in the great wood of staffs and messed this up, in my games any staff that isn't explicitly made of non-wood materials will qualify as a Druidic Focus as well as an Arcane Focus because as you say, I see little reason not to.
Edit: As a added note, if one reads the rule a bit closer it turns out that a magical staff becomes a non-magical quarterstaff. If anyone have a good explanation for that little bit of transformation then I'm all ears. Sure it doesn't matter much in the -24 rules but it's still odd.
A magical staff can be "used as" a non-magical quarterstaff (unless the description says otherwise), so it doesn't really "become" one per se when used in such a manner. In the 2024 ruleset there's no longer any sort of damage resistance vs "magical" damage as opposed to "non-magical" damage so when attacking with this weapon this distinction shouldn't really matter.
I do like your above explanation and to explain the RAW I would even take it a step further. It might seem a bit silly but technically the items that you are calling the Arcane Focus (staff) and the Druidic Focus (wooden staff) are not actually Staffs, nor are they Weapons. If for some reason such an item was magical then it would more likely be classified into the "Wonderous Items" category along with the Arcane Focus (Orb), the Arcane Focus (Crystal) and so on. When clicking on the Arcane Focus (staff) item we are taken to its item description which describes its "type" as being an "Arcane Focus". That's really just a subcategory for "Adventuring Gear" which is just sort of a miscellaneous items category. For magical items, the "miscellaneous" category is the Wonderous Items category.
So, the reason why an Arcane Focus (staff) can be used as a Quarterstaff is because of the explicit note that is added to the table entry for the Arcane Focus (staff) form of the Arcane Focus item description, not because of the general rule that a magical Staff can be used as a Quarterstaff.
As you already stated, the RAW conclusion is that the 2 SP Quarterstaff weapon actually cannot be used as an Arcane Focus and it also cannot be used as a Druidic Focus. Also, a magical Staff can be used as an Arcane Focus but cannot be used as a Druidic Focus. The only way to have a Druidic Focus that has the form of a wooden staff is to buy (or start with) the item that is the 5 GP piece of adventuring gear that's referred to as a Druidic Focus (wooden staff). Once that is done, if you are holding that item then you are explicitly allowed to wield it (use it) "as" a Quarterstaff weapon, presumably in order to make an attack with it.
I don't feel like I'm any closer to understanding what the answer to my question is. Since I'm the dm, I might just have to decide it myself, but I'd really rather base my decisions off of the rules if possible.
I don't feel like I'm any closer to understanding what the answer to my question is. Since I'm the dm, I might just have to decide it myself, but I'd really rather base my decisions off of the rules if possible.
The RAI answer, at least the one that most seem to agree with, is to allow any staff to qualify as a Druidic Focus just as the DMG allows them to be used as an Arcane Focus. It seems stupid to allow a staff to work as a focus for one kind of magic user (that normally can use a staff) but not work for another kind of magic user (that also normally can use a staff).
Lastly you wondered about what material the staffs are made of. Some of them does specify the material but others don't, personally I would assume any that doesn't say to be made of wood as that is THE classical material for a magic staff not just in D&D but fantasy in general. But here it really is up to you as the DM to decide.
My take on a magical staff becoming a nonmagical quarterstaff is that it means the spell attack bonuses you might get from a magical staff don’t apply if you try to use it as a melee weapon. I’d imagine that would work in the other direction, too. A +1 quarterstaff would apply the bonus to your attack and damage rolls, but not to your spell save DCs, for example.
I don't feel like I'm any closer to understanding what the answer to my question is. Since I'm the dm, I might just have to decide it myself, but I'd really rather base my decisions off of the rules if possible.
The rules only address it one way but your query is for the opposite. As DM you could base your decision on this question;
Is the magic Quarterstaff a Wooden staff carved, tied with ribbon, or painted to channel primal magic ?
A) Yes, so the Ranger can use it as a Spellcasting Focus
B) No so the Ranger can't use it as a Spellcasting Focus
To me, wether it's RAW or RAI is not as much important as RAF, if your player character would like to use it as such, then you can make it so.
I know that a nonmagical quarterstaff can be used as a Druidic Focus as well as an Arcane Focus, and that a magical staff can be used as an Arcane Focus. What I was wondering is if a magical staff can be used as a Druidic Focus. I'm playing a Ranger who will fight with a quarterstaff and shield, and I was looking to use a staff later down the line to make my character stronger, but I won't use one if I can't cast spells from it.
The rules as written are a little vague on this point, but I've always thought it would be fine to use any magic staff as a Druidic Focus as long as it's made of wood.
pronouns: he/she/they
I was wanting to use either the Quarterstaff of the Acrobat, or the Staff of Striking. Neither one says what they are made of, and neither one provides an image. What you said makes sense, but I still find it difficult to apply it to either of these weapons.
RAW, I'd say technically is not possible: "... a staff can be used as a nonmagical Quarterstaff and an Arcane Focus."
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I have to agree that RAW, a magic quarterstaff does not qualify as a Druidic Focus. That said, I see very little reason why it would be a problem to allow this to work.
It depends if your magical Quarterstaff is a Wooden staff that is carved, tied with ribbon, or painted to channel primal magic.
Same opinion here.
There's a magic staff in the DMG called the Staff of the Woodlands. It doesn't say anything in it about being usable a spellcasting focus, but it's only usable by Druids, so it would seem silly if it weren't intended to be usable as a Druidic Focus. This, to me, suggests that the intent is for it to be allowed, even if the RAW isn't quite there.
pronouns: he/she/they
Yeah, I'd argue that the omission was intended because not all magic staves are wooden, and the druidic focus is necessarily a wooden staff. This feels like we could spin our wheels for weeks about RAW, but in reality, I can't fathom a DM in a real game prohibiting the use of a magic staff made of wood as a druidic focus (honestly, most DM's I've played with don't pay any attention to what you're using as a focus in the first place). Also, if the magic item doesn't specifically state what it is made of, then I'd argue that it could be made of any practical material.
There was some discussions on staff vs focus when 5E24 released with Wizard or Druid suggested starting equipment Druidic Focus (Quarterstaff) & Arcane Focus (Quarterstaff) their difference of cost etc...
May be TarodNet you remember?
I think they are trying to get the Quarterstaff statline available via link, since either can use the Quarterstaff stats. But both an Arcane Focus Staff and Druidic Focus Wooden Staff are 5GP, not 2SP.
I feel I need to be a little pedantic here. A Quarterstaff (magical or not) does not qualify as a Druidic Focus nor as an Arcane Focus because a Quarterstaff is in the Weapon category. The items we are really talking about here are in the Staff category.
But as Tarod posted (and I assume you meant) the rules also say that a Magical Staff "can be used as a nonmagical Quarterstaff and an Arcane Focus" without any mention of Druidic Focus. And thus we find ourselves in the irritatingly stupid place of all Arcane Focus (Staff) and all Druidic Focus (Wooden Staff) being Staffs and qualifying as Quarterstaffs but without the reverse being true. IMO the writers just got a little lost in the great wood of staffs and messed this up, in my games any staff that isn't explicitly made of non-wood materials will qualify as a Druidic Focus as well as an Arcane Focus because as you say, I see little reason not to.
Edit:
As a added note, if one reads the rule a bit closer it turns out that a magical staff becomes a non-magical quarterstaff. If anyone have a good explanation for that little bit of transformation then I'm all ears. Sure it doesn't matter much in the -24 rules but it's still odd.
Yeah, my friend, I think it's this one: Staff - Arcane Focus (resurrected from comment 13: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/rules-game-mechanics/29037-staff-arcane-focus?comment=13)
A magical staff can be "used as" a non-magical quarterstaff (unless the description says otherwise), so it doesn't really "become" one per se when used in such a manner. In the 2024 ruleset there's no longer any sort of damage resistance vs "magical" damage as opposed to "non-magical" damage so when attacking with this weapon this distinction shouldn't really matter.
I do like your above explanation and to explain the RAW I would even take it a step further. It might seem a bit silly but technically the items that you are calling the Arcane Focus (staff) and the Druidic Focus (wooden staff) are not actually Staffs, nor are they Weapons. If for some reason such an item was magical then it would more likely be classified into the "Wonderous Items" category along with the Arcane Focus (Orb), the Arcane Focus (Crystal) and so on. When clicking on the Arcane Focus (staff) item we are taken to its item description which describes its "type" as being an "Arcane Focus". That's really just a subcategory for "Adventuring Gear" which is just sort of a miscellaneous items category. For magical items, the "miscellaneous" category is the Wonderous Items category.
So, the reason why an Arcane Focus (staff) can be used as a Quarterstaff is because of the explicit note that is added to the table entry for the Arcane Focus (staff) form of the Arcane Focus item description, not because of the general rule that a magical Staff can be used as a Quarterstaff.
As you already stated, the RAW conclusion is that the 2 SP Quarterstaff weapon actually cannot be used as an Arcane Focus and it also cannot be used as a Druidic Focus. Also, a magical Staff can be used as an Arcane Focus but cannot be used as a Druidic Focus. The only way to have a Druidic Focus that has the form of a wooden staff is to buy (or start with) the item that is the 5 GP piece of adventuring gear that's referred to as a Druidic Focus (wooden staff). Once that is done, if you are holding that item then you are explicitly allowed to wield it (use it) "as" a Quarterstaff weapon, presumably in order to make an attack with it.
The 2024 DMG fully states:
Unless its description notes otherwise, a Staff
can be used as a nonmagical Quarterstaff and an
Arcane Focus,
Does it? I'm not seeing it. It does say this:
But an Arcane Focus and a Druidic Focus are different things.
pronouns: he/she/they
I don't feel like I'm any closer to understanding what the answer to my question is. Since I'm the dm, I might just have to decide it myself, but I'd really rather base my decisions off of the rules if possible.
The RAW answer is no. As has been posted a Druidic Focus are those items explicitly listed in the adventuring gear section, none other qualify.
The RAI answer, at least the one that most seem to agree with, is to allow any staff to qualify as a Druidic Focus just as the DMG allows them to be used as an Arcane Focus. It seems stupid to allow a staff to work as a focus for one kind of magic user (that normally can use a staff) but not work for another kind of magic user (that also normally can use a staff).
Lastly you wondered about what material the staffs are made of. Some of them does specify the material but others don't, personally I would assume any that doesn't say to be made of wood as that is THE classical material for a magic staff not just in D&D but fantasy in general. But here it really is up to you as the DM to decide.
My take on a magical staff becoming a nonmagical quarterstaff is that it means the spell attack bonuses you might get from a magical staff don’t apply if you try to use it as a melee weapon.
I’d imagine that would work in the other direction, too. A +1 quarterstaff would apply the bonus to your attack and damage rolls, but not to your spell save DCs, for example.
The rules only address it one way but your query is for the opposite. As DM you could base your decision on this question;
Is the magic Quarterstaff a Wooden staff carved, tied with ribbon, or painted to channel primal magic ?
A) Yes, so the Ranger can use it as a Spellcasting Focus
B) No so the Ranger can't use it as a Spellcasting Focus
To me, wether it's RAW or RAI is not as much important as RAF, if your player character would like to use it as such, then you can make it so.