# Oblivion Question: How do you use a staff?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oblivion-question-how-do-you-use-a-staff/364516
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 14, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oblivion-question-how-do-you-use-a-staff/364516 "2006-07-14T19:09:11Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oblivion-question-how-do-you-use-a-staff/364516/1 "2006-07-14T19:09:11Z")
I’ve hacked my way through the game as a fighter. Now I want to start over as a mage. I’ve got the basics down, but I have a question - how do you use a staff? (I’ve picked up a few, but have treated them solely as sources of funds.)
Do you swing them at a critter, and they get hit with whatever effect they have, or do you use them to cast a spell?
Sua
---
### Author:  [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oblivion-question-how-do-you-use-a-staff/364516/2 "2006-07-14T19:16:49Z")
You can certainly whack someone with it, but they make poor weapons. They cast like spells.
---
### Author:  [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)
#### Post date: [July 14, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oblivion-question-how-do-you-use-a-staff/364516/3 "2006-07-14T19:53:35Z")
Best way to use a staff is to find out what each member is good at, and get them to cross-train each other. Of course, none of this matters if you don’t have at least a charisma of 18, and a +5 Cloak of Mad Delegating Skillsz.
😃