Welcome to the first Genius Guide product to present a whole new class of magic items, the titular rune staves and wyrd wands. In many ways this book is an offshoot of our Loot 4 Less line of magic item books, the main difference being the items presented in Rune Staves and Wyrd Wands aren't restricted to a 2,500 gp limit. Indeed, rules included here can be used to create items with a cost as low as 1,500 gp, or as high as 150,000 gp.
Fans of the Loot 4 Less line of supplements presenting low-cost magic items will be pleased to see a number of elements from those books (such as the Behind the Counter sidebars on pricing) have been continued in this product So sit back, read, and enjoy a whole new take on wands and staves!
What Are Rune Staves and Wyrd Wands?
Both rune staves and wyrd wands are examples of a new kind of magic item: the magic implement. Defined broadly, magic implements are handheld devices that assist spellcasters with their casting in much the same way magic weapons assist characters in combat. Wyrd wands give casters enhancement bonuses to caster level checks, attack rolls, damage rolls, and possibly one other area, while rune staves can grant bonuses to a wide range of spell-related effects. Both are assumed to have arcane writing built into them (called ‘wyrds' or ‘runes,' depending on which implement they are scribed on) that allow them to enhance every spell cast by their wielders, rather than being spells-in-a-can that take over when a spellcaster is out of other options.