Staff of Thunder and Lightning
D&D 5e · 2024·Staves·Very Rare·Requires attunement
Base weapon damage before your ability modifier. Use the calculator to include hit chance and critical hits.
Damage calculator
Hit chance
65%
Expected damage / attack
5.7
Attack bonus
+7
Average normal hit: 8.5 · Average critical hit: 12 · Critical chance: 5%.
- Category
- Simple weapon
- Damage type
- Bludgeoning
- Reach
- 5 ft.
- Magic attack bonus
- +2
- Weight
- Not specified
- Attunement
- Required
- Rarity
- Very Rare
- Price
- Not specified
Magic: Melee hit triggers or specified Magic/Bonus Actions; each power once until dawn.
Calculator assumptions & rules
One attack against a creature. Natural 1 misses; natural 20 hits and doubles damage dice, not flat modifiers. Expected damage includes misses and critical hits. Advantage uses the higher of two d20s; Disadvantage uses the lower. Magic bonuses shown on the item are counted once.
Uses only the weapon’s ordinary hit and the listed on-hit extra dice, when enabled. Class features, Sneak Attack, fighting styles, mastery effects, damage on a miss, special critical-hit effects, ongoing damage, resistance and immunity are excluded. Check the full rules below for additional effects.
Changing calculator inputs does not change the item’s rules or create a new page URL.
What Staff of Thunder and Lightning does
- Strength can drive this simple weapon’s attack and damage rolls. Add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll only if you are proficient.
- The base 1d6 +2 weapon damage averages 5.5 before your ability modifier and extra effects. Hit chance matters too: compare expected damage per attack rather than the die alone.
- Using two hands changes the weapon die from 1d6 to 1d8. Compare that damage gain with keeping a hand available for a shield or another task.
- This item uses one of your attunement slots. Compare its benefit with the other items you want to keep attuned.
This staff can be wielded as a magic Quarterstaff that grants a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with it. It also has the following additional properties. Once one of these properties is used, it can't be used again until the next dawn. Lightning. When you hit with a melee attack using the staff, you can cause the target to take an extra 2d6 Lightning damage (no action required). Thunder. When you hit with a melee attack using the staff, you can cause the staff to emit a crack of thunder audible out to 300 feet (no action required). The target you hit must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or have the Stunned condition until the end of your next turn. Thunder and Lightning. Immediately after you hit with a melee attack using the staff, you can take a Bonus Action to use the Lightning and Thunder properties (see above) at the same time. Doing so doesn't expend the daily use of those properties, only the use of this one. Lightning Strike. You can take a Magic action to cause a bolt of lightning to leap from the staff's tip in a Line that is 5 feet wide and 120 feet long. Each creature in that Line makes a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9d6 Lightning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. Thunderclap. You can take a Magic action to cause the staff to produce a thunderclap audible out to 600 feet. Every creature within a 60-foot Emanation originating from you makes a DC 17 Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d6 Thunder damage and has the Deafened condition for 1 minute. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage only.
Full item details & properties
Magic properties
- Activation
- Melee hit triggers or specified Magic/Bonus Actions; each power once until dawn.
- Consumable
- No
- Separate daily powers
- Lightning, Thunder, combined Thunder and Lightning, Lightning Strike and Thunderclap each once until dawn. Combined use expends neither individual Lightning nor Thunder use.
- Area powers
- Lightning Strike: 120 × 5 ft. Line, 9d6 Lightning, Dexterity DC 17 half. Thunderclap: 60-ft. Emanation, 2d6 Thunder, Constitution DC 17 half and Deafened 1 minute only on failure.
- Weapon damage
- Default Quarterstaff: 1d6 + 2 bludgeoning; two hands 1d8 + 2, before ability modifier; enhancement included once.
- Arcane Focus
- Can be used as an Arcane Focus under the general item-category rules.
Weapon details
- Damage
- 1d6 + 2 bludgeoning
- Weapon class
- Simple Melee
- Two-handed damage
- 1d8 + 2
Properties
Versatile(1d8)
A Versatile weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property. The weapon deals that damage when used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Weapon mastery
Topple
If you hit a creature with this weapon, you can force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw (DC 8 plus the ability modifier used to make the attack roll and your Proficiency Bonus). On a failed save, the creature has the Prone condition.
You need a feature, such as Weapon Mastery, that unlocks this property for you.
Tags & related references
Compare alternatives
Same edition, using your calculator inputs above. Special properties and character features can change the choice.
Same base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Staff of the Magi5.7 expected damage / attack65% hit chance1d6 +2 bludgeoning · +2 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · Not specifiedSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Staff of the Woodlands5.7 expected damage / attack65% hit chance1d6 +2 bludgeoning · +2 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · Not specifiedSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Staff of Fire3.75 expected damage / attack55% hit chance1d6 bludgeoning · +0 magic attack · 5 ft. reachNot specified · Not specifiedSame base weapon; compare its bonuses and rarity
Ordinary attacks only. Matching extra-damage conditions follow your input; alternatives keep their default bonus allocation.
Staff of Thunder and Lightning FAQ
Does Staff of Thunder and Lightning require attunement?
Yes. You need to attune to this item to use the properties that require attunement.
Is the listed price a guaranteed purchase price?
The source does not specify a price for this entry. Ask your GM about availability and cost.