Staff of Moses

[MegaPuff75]

I had an idea for a Item of Power, The Staff of Moses is believed to be the staff used by Moses to part the Red Sea and draw forth water from a rock and now it grants its wielder with the power to control water. I was thinking that this could be treated as granting a.) Channeling (Water) and a +2 power and control water specialization to anyone without Channeling or Evocation, b.) adding Water to the elements list of anyone who has Channeling or Evocation (using one refinement power) and +3 power and control water specialization, or c.) +4 power and control water specialization for anyone with water Channeling or Evocation already. all told that would be 4 refresh of powers with a +2 discount for a final cost o -2 refresh.

[Tallyrand]

To go with the complete story I would also add in something to represent the staff turning into a snake, seems to me like Breath Weapon with some clever description shenanigans would be the easiest way to include it.

[Rubycon]

Well, with all the discussions about IoPs, I would say that this has to be a "sponsored" item (for lack of a better term) like the swords of the Knights of the Cross.
The reason for it is simply that "normal" items of power loose their powers when their creator is dead - which should be the case with Moses.

[Masurao]

Well, with all the discussions about IoPs, I would say that this has to be a "sponsored" item (for lack of a better term) like the swords of the Knights of the Cross.
The reason for it is simply that "normal" items of power loose their powers when their creator is dead - which should be the case with Moses.

Ah, but Moses might have just ben a user of that staff, the most famous one, perhaps, but who is to say he actually made it? (And if the Bible says so, may it be darned! Over-valued piece of parable...)

[polkaneverdies]

"Piece of parable" smoothly done.

[ARedthorn]

I'd still suggest sponsored magic from The White God... The staff was known to do some things other than water, explicitly... and the ability to have God pay a fate point for you once per scene, or take a consequence hit for you once per session (?!?) to enhance your magic would still be pretty powerful... I mean, sure, there's extra debt, but anyone who'd be even vaguely able to use it in the first place, would very very much be ok with being in spiritual debt to God.

As sponsored, it'd be more theme limited, and have some significant perks w/in that theme... You could even afford to leave the exact definition a little fuzzy (and decide the appropriateness of each spell effect the player describes), since Soulfire in the book is, too... but I'd say Divination and Conjuration would be strong... perhaps the perk would be that it can sometimes conjure the real deal, if available nearby (instead of creating an ecto-item, the staff draws a nearby substance together)... maybe conjuring at evocation's speed and methods for the snakes...

Sponsored Magic is -4, +2 for the item of power... so still a -2 item. Sponsored Magic has a cost break for anyone with Evocation or Thaumaturgy, so in the hands of someone with either of those, it could only cost -1... and someone with both, it might cost -1 and provide a further +1 to control and power with the sponsored magic.

[Tedronai]

+4 power and control specializations is worth a heck of a lot more than -4 refresh unless the character already has the specialization pyramid to support it.

[MegaPuff75]

I guess you could change out the specialization for focus item slots count the staff as a +4 to offensive control and power, or maybe a +2 offensive and defensive control and power.

[Tedronai]

I guess you could change out the specialization for focus item slots count the staff as a +4 to offensive control and power, or maybe a +2 offensive and defensive control and power.

Either of those options has the advantage of being within the scope of established game balance.

[ARedthorn]

Sure, sure... except aren't we overlooking something here?

Having a IoP that grants, in essence, focus item benefits... is double-dipping and game-breaking.
You're getting the benefit of being able to attach IoP cost breaks (can be lost, noticeable) to Focus Items which already have those traits.

It's a Staff that grants water magic, unless you're a wizard, in which case, it's a staff that grants... well, staffliness.

for 4 refresh, I could buy 8 focus item slots and attain the effect of having a staff, which can be lost/damaged/taken away and stands out.
or for 2 refresh, I could gain 8 focus item slots and attain the effect of having a Staff, which can be lost/taken away but not damaged and stands out.

Capitalization reduces cost and makes my foci unbreakable? Woot!

Gotta find another way to do this, besides letting it grant refinement- hence my suggestion of sponsored magic.

[Haru]

How about another spin on it:
The staff has nothing to do with the white god, and its mention in the bible is just a coincident. It is a symbol of freedom, popping up throughout the ages, always in a different form, matching the wielder. Water with its disruptive qualities would still fit, giving it sort of an anarchy vibe, so sponsored magic (entropomancy) with an agenda of freeing people who are somehow enslaved or suppressed. Sort of like the archive, only where it represents knowledge, the staff has been created as a vessel of freedom. The drawback would be, that the staff does not accept a leader, and because even rebel leaders are in fact leaders, none of its wielders have ever lived to see what they accomplished (taken from the Moses story). Moses would have had it all the time and also created the plagues with it, probably.

That brings me to a slightly different idea:
Knowledge is sometimes linked to air, the staff is linked to water, that means we have earth and fire left. They might also be linked to either a person like the archive or an item.

Oh, and a last thought:
Moses might just have been a strong wizard carrying the blackstaff. He did kill an awful lot of people, so it seems reasonable.

[Tedronai]

Sure, sure... except aren't we overlooking something here?

Having a IoP that grants, in essence, focus item benefits... is double-dipping and game-breaking.
You're getting the benefit of being able to attach IoP cost breaks (can be lost, noticeable) to Focus Items which already have those traits.

It's a Staff that grants water magic, unless you're a wizard, in which case, it's a staff that grants... well, staffliness.

for 4 refresh, I could buy 8 focus item slots and attain the effect of having a staff, which can be lost/damaged/taken away and stands out.
or for 2 refresh, I could gain 8 focus item slots and attain the effect of having a Staff, which can be lost/taken away but not damaged and stands out.

Capitalization reduces cost and makes my foci unbreakable? Woot!

Gotta find another way to do this, besides letting it grant refinement- hence my suggestion of sponsored magic.

To be fair, while focus items can be destroyed, they can also be replaced at no cost save time, or even reassigned at need.

[MegaPuff75]

The fact that if you already have water evocation available it becomes just a focus item is why I originally had it grant specializations instead of focus slots. However if the staff has a purpose, whether Divine or otherwise, it comes with a price of its own, I don't think sponsored magic is the right way to go because it is a purely evocation based item already, however it could have Marked By Power and it could have a purpose of its own which could be used to compel the player who wields it so it does have drawbacks not inherent in a normal foci.

[Masurao]

The fact that if you already have water evocation available it becomes just a focus item is why I originally had it grant specializations instead of focus slots. However if the staff has a purpose, whether Divine or otherwise, it comes with a price of its own, I don't think sponsored magic is the right way to go because it is a purely evocation based item already, however it could have Marked By Power and it could have a purpose of its own which could be used to compel the player who wields it so it does have drawbacks not inherent in a normal foci.

Actually, Sponsored Magic fits the bill rather well, because it has the whole Thaumaturgy at the speed of Evocation-thingy and that is what Moses did with parting the Red Sea. I mean, no way he could've done that with Evocation Plus, all the curses that hit Egypt...

I do like the idea of him being a Blackstaff or similarly powered wizard, though, does really fit with what he did.