Mind you, this is purely hypothetical considering what has been thus far revealed, but it occurred to me as I read the article for the new combat system and reflected on the concept art of a hero confronting a bear with a one handed sword and a staff in both hands. But I thought it'd be curious to see everyone's thoughts on the topic.

Now obviously it hasn't been confirmed if magical staffs have made a return to the game, but considering the radical new magic system that has been added to the combat system, I wondered if the developers would still include staffs as a non-magicka source of spellcasting. If they did, how would these staffs work? Would they be two-handed weapons like in Morrowind and Oblivion, or would they be one-handed like the concept art suggests? Could they block or bash like other weapons? How would their casts be limited? And finally, how would they animate - would their behavior remains transfixed in the player's hand, or could they be used as walking sticks?

What do you guys think?

I think it would be great to have them in. But instead of actually casting a preset spell I think they should just cast the spell you have equipped and require less magicka. For animation it would be nice if when unequipped it was on your back. When equipped and not in combat it should be a walking stick. And when in combat it should be held like in Oblivion. Or used for duel wield.

Well I have pointed this out multiple times over the last few weeks but I guess I was ignored but oh well. As for combat with the one handed staves, I think it will be just like it was in Oblivion.\



Personally I think staves should be for non-magic users or mages that want to save magicka using a staff instead of their own spells but mainly for non-magic users to have a source of magic. This would fit the fact that magic is rare and unusual in Skyrim and the people of Skyrim would be able to use the magic through staves they got a hold of.

i hope you can wack people with the staff. like if they too close.
kinda like the way the shield works

There is a pic in gi mag of a guy with a staff in one hand and weapon in another so it seems they work like OB wether there r two handed staves as well remains to be seen.

Well there are two picks that show a warrior using a sword in one hand and a staff in the other. The one where the adventurer is walking up to a mammoth corpse and a bear and the one on page 49 where the adventurer is in the cave and there is a bright white light shining from the staff he was in his left hand and the sword in the right hand.

Mr. Howard made it a point of not talking about two handed weapons in the latest article.
I could imagine that the staff might be a two hander. If so perhaps a spear or spear-like weapon might be in the works, but not fully realized much the same way being able to combine spells isn't working. We know that there is a system to add throwing spears (and other thrown weapons) to the game since the Legion in FO;NV has them. Of course near weightless bundles of spears is a stretch in my humble opinion.

The only two handed weapon I plan on using is the bow, augmented by a few spells. I hope we get some nice summons. I hope they last a little longer too.

The thing is that it is all but confirmed that staves are one-handed <_< There is concept art with a one handed staff in a warriors hand and there is a screenshot on page 49 that has an adventurer with a one-handed staff that emanates light to light his way in the cave. Btw, that screenshot I just said is the best screenshot in the mag except maybe the screenshot of the Dragonborn vs. the dragon.

As for the throwing spears, it's possible that they will add it to TES but just because it is in FONV doesn't mean it will be in Skyrim.

Yes, a staff should be a weapon that can focus magical energy as well.

As staffs are two handed weapons, they reduce versatility of a character, so they should compensate otherwise, thus, they should have some acceptable benefits for spell casters.

For instance they should add additional effects to the basic spell that one can equip with the second hand and enhance it, or just make it more powerful, or lest costly in magicka, and so on...

They can be used to cast a more focused spell at opponents, and also used for physical defense as well, to block the attacks and bash and stagger the opponents.

This gets me thinking about those sustained magic thread we had earlier.

Maybe staves could help in concentrating magic for a long period of time?

I too wish for staff bashing.

So they are two handed? I thought there is a screen with the pc holding a staff in one hand and a sword in another?