Staves deal damage at range with bolts of energy and up close with physical blows (though that may not suit the disposition of most mages). They can score critical hits with their basic attacks like any other weapon and their shots can be blocked by obstacles between wielder and target. The magic attribute determines a staff’s attack value.
Staves
High magic is the only requirement to equip the best staves, though you’ll also need to place a certain amount of investment in willpower to equip fine mage armor.
The first rule for any party-minded mage is to acquire a wide collection of staves to cover all the elemental affinities for every enemy and occasion. The second rule is to acquire the Elemental Weapons talent so that others share the benefit. But after finding a strong damage rating in the correct element, it is the other properties that distinguish exceptional staves from ordinary fare. In its ideal form, the staff is a support tool that enhances the power of your chosen spell disciplines. Unlike other classes, the mage excels at Area of Effect magic and crowd control. Things to look for include:
Raw elemental damage enhancement for your strongest spells.
Mana pool assistance.
Defensive properties to balance out the mage’s weakness.
Staves
|
Name |
Damage |
Properties |
Requirements |
Acquisition |
Act |
|
Chanters’ Staff |
22 Spirit |
+24 Mana/Stamina | +21% Healing by this character |
- |
Reward from Grace (Act of Mercy) |
1 |
|
The Hypnotist’s Staff |
22 Electricity |
+59 Attack | +8% Magic resistance |
- |
Decimus (Runaways’ Cavern, Act of Mercy) |
1 |
|
The Turncoat’s Walking Stick |
17 Fire |
+48 Attack | +12% Fire damage |
- |
Mage Goods (Gallows Courtyard) |
1 |
|
Staff of the Primal Order |
28 Cold |
1 Rune slot | +14% Fire damage | +14% Cold damage |
28 Magic |
Bonny Lem’s Wares (Disused Passage) |
1 |
|
Acolyte’s Staff |
33 Physical |
+5 Mana/Stamina regeneration rate | +14% Fire damage | +178 Fire resistance |
31 Magic |
Apparel Shop (Lowtown) |
1 |
|
Stone’s Breath |
26 Spirit |
1 Rune slot | +13% Spirit damage | 5% Chance to knock back |
- |
Reward for saving Sandal |
1 |
|
Valdasine |
28 Spirit |
1 Rune slot | +2 Willpower | +5 Mana/Stamina regeneration rate |
- |
Crypt Treasure (Ancient Crypt, |
1 |
|
Hubris |
22 Physical |
+24 Health | +5 Mana/Stamina regeneration rate |
- |
Frost Horror (Varterral Hunting Ground, Mirror Image) |
2 |
|
Crooked Staff |
29 Spirit |
+6% Critical chance | +14% Spirit damage |
- |
Chest (Gallows Dungeon, Dissent) |
2 |
|
Sketch’s Resplit-Shaft |
22 Fire |
1 Rune slot | Blood Magic: Each point of health provides 1 additional mana | +4 Physical damage |
- |
Reward from Sketch (Sketchy on the Details) |
2 |
|
Acolyte’s Staff |
22 Physical |
+5 Mana/Stamina regeneration rate | +13% Fire damage |
31 Magic |
Robes by Jean Luc (Hightown) |
2 |
|
Enchanter’s Staff |
31 Physical |
1 Rune slot | +14% Cold damage | +14% Spirit damage |
30 Magic |
Apparel Shop (Lowtown) |
2 |
|
Cold-Blooded |
37 Cold |
+6 Magic | +40 Mana/Stamina | +10 Mana/Stamina regeneration rate | +30% Cold damage | Blood Magic: Each point of health provides 1 additional mana |
35 Magic |
Magnus’s Wares |
2 |
|
Bassrath-Kata |
42 Fire |
+46 Mana/Stamina | +5 Mana/Stamina regeneration rate | +26% Healing by this character | +13 damage vs. humans |
39 Magic |
Quest reward (The Lost Swords) |
3 |
|
Voracity |
41 Fire |
+117 Attack | Blood Magic: Each point of health provides 1 additional mana | +4 Fire damage across 2m |
- |
Xebenkeck (The Forgotten Lair, Forbidden Knowledge) |
3 |
|
The Tiger’s Tail |
39 Fire |
+109 Attack | +6% Critical chance | +15% Critical damage |
- |
Grace (The Wounded Coast, Best Served Cold) |
3 |
|
Torch of Falon’Din |
42 Fire |
2 Rune slots | +16% Fire damage | +8 Fire damage |
- |
Marethari (Sundermount) |
3 |
|
Eye of the Storm |
37 Electricity |
1 Rune slot | +15% Electricity damage | 5% Chance to Stun |
- |
Danarius (The Hanged Man, Alone) |
3 |
|
Mutiny |
37 Cold |
1 Rune slot | +40 Mana/Stamina | +102 Attack |
33 Magic |
Mage Goods (Gallows Courtyard) |
3 |
|
Corrupted Acolyte’s Staff |
42 Physical |
+46 Mana/Stamina | +16% Electricity damage | Blood Magic: Each point of health provides 1 additional mana |
37 Magic |
Apparel Shop (Lowtown) |
3 |
|
Staff of Violation |
41 Spirit |
+3 Willpower | +15% Spirit damage | 2.5% Chance to infect with Walking Bomb |
- |
3 |
|
|
Allure’s Crook* |
35 Spirit |
2 Rune slots | +38 Mana/Stamina | +5 Mana/Stamina regeneration rate |
34 Magic |
Allure (Underground Passage, Repentance) |
2 |
|
The Magister’s Scythe* |
24 Physical |
+63 Attack | Attacks ignore Enemy Armor | 5% Chance to regenerate 3% Health |
25 Magic |
Emporium’s Relics and Antiques (Black Emporium) |
1 |
|
The Final Thought* |
48 Physical |
1 Rune slot | +4 Magic | 5% Chance to regenerate 9% Mana/Stamina | +104 Mana/Stamina | +33% Nature damage | +33% Spirit damage |
42 Magic |
Emporium’s Relics and Antiques (Black Emporium) |
3 |
* Downloadable content (see dragonage.com/da2/addons for details).