Runestaff

A runestaff is a special defensive item designed for use by pure professions. Runestaves are also treated as two-handed weapons for offensive purposes.

Training Requirements

Though any amount of training in magical skills will provide runestaff DS, 8 ranks of magical skills per level will generate DS approximately equal to that provided by training 1x in Two-Handed Weapons. Actual training in the Two-Handed Weapons skill is required to generate offensive attack strength with a runestaff.

The runestaff itself provides 10 parry ranks. Between 0 and 4 magic ranks per level gives 15% parry ranks per magic rank, between 4 and 11 magic ranks per level it is 10% and above 11 it is 5%. Thus a 60th level character with 800 magic ranks would get 10 + 60*(4*0.15+7*0.1+2.333*.05) = 96 parry ranks. (1 parry rank is worth 1.05 DS in defensive stance)

Alternatively select the appropriate formula from the three below to calculate your parry ranks from your magic ranks. Less than 4 magic ranks per level: parry ranks = 10 + magic ranks*3/20 In between 4 and 11: parry ranks = 10 + level + (magic ranks - 8*level)/10 More than 11: parry ranks = 10 + level*13/10 + (magic ranks - 11*level)/20

Advantages

The primary advantage of using a runestaff for defense versus other training paths is that the skills required are already considered to be a main part of a typical pure spell-caster's training path, and as such come at little to no additional cost to the player in terms of training points. Runestaves are also the only form of defense which provide parry defense versus bolt and ball spells.

Bolts are parried at half strength, so the character in the example above would have 48 parry ranks against missile attacks.

Disadvantages

Because a Runestaff is considered a two-handed weapon, it does not provide as much defense as a shield. Specifically, the bonus garnered from a Runestaff in defensive stance is comparable to a shield's, but in offensive stance the Runestaff is significanly less effective. This is because any weapon provides parry defense which decreases in effectiveness as your stance becomes more offensive.

Due to this mechanic, getting a Runestaff significantly enhanced via Enchant Item (925) is often not worth it because the bonus decreases to near-zero in offensive stance.

Magical Skills

Elemental Mana Control	Mental Mana Control
Spiritual Mana Control	Sorcerous Lores
Elemental Lores	Mental Lores
Spiritual Lores	Spell Aiming
Arcane Symbols	Magic Item Use
Spell Research	Harness Power

Alternate Nouns

Posted by Warden in May 2008:

• crook
  
• crosier
  
• pastoral staff
  
• rune staff
  
• scepter
  
• staff
  

External Links

• Combat Guide: Rune Staves, on Play.net