Questions regarding item enchantment level (+1, +2, etc.)

[Jazira]

1 hour ago, kjeron said:

A lot of the named Staves are straight from PnP (at least in name, not so much in function), where they are listed along with Rods and Wands, none of which list an enchantment level in their name.

Oh, that could explain why.

So, hypothetically, if you guys were to set some enchantment level for the Staff of the Magi, what would it be? Staff of the Magi +5? Maybe less, if we follow the logic of The Uncursed Staff +1? Or just Staff of the Magi +1?

 

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by Jazira

[rivvers]

There are many special cases: no rule can explain everything

Quote

Namarra +2 / Staff of the Ram +4 / Albruin +1 / Crom Faeyr +5 (enchantment level / thac0)
The Uncursed Staff +1 / Azuredge +3 (enchantment level)
Mace of Disruption +1 / The Equalizer (damage / thac0)
Staff of the Magi (/)

What I notice about special cases is that the damage bonus is the most useless part of the equation.
It's the most changeable value and most +N values can be explained without it.

[polytope]

On 7/11/2023 at 10:52 AM, kjeron said:

A lot of the named Staves are straight from PnP (at least in name, not so much in function), where they are listed along with Rods and Wands, none of which list an enchantment level in their name.

I think a lot of rods (all except smiting, flailing, lordly might and terror) were intended only to be used for their magic effects, never as weapons and this is also the case with every wand except the wand of lightning (which could deliver a shock with a melee hit), the same seems to be true of staves of curing, command, magi (but not the staff of power) and swarming insects, those aren't listed as having a physical attack function.

BG2 didn't distinguish quarterstaves from oversized-wand-type-staves but since the staff of the magi is the most powerful, it got a +5 enchantment level, but only +1 to hit and damage because it really isn't meant to be a melee weapon.

I guess that was more or less the designers' logic.