Where can I find a staff of the wood sprite so I can have the Ebon staff made for me? I've looked everywhere.

I believe that is the staff dropped sometimes by the tree things, cant remember their names. The ones you come across in Trynton in the armory room and in the room that you get the flower from.
They do pop up elsewhere occassionally.
The lack of fixed drops and fixed treasure in chests does make this game frustrating sometimes!

The room with all the walking willow trees is where I usually found one. However, yes, the drops are random, and there were many games where I had to re-do the fights to get the stick.

So far as I know, Trynton is the only place where you can get the stick. If you've already been there and cleaned out the place, you're out of luck for the ebon staff. Sorry :(

<center>Nightowl2</center>

Not totally out of luck ... the saplings that drop the staves can show up again when the game respawns new monsters. I've had good luck finding them respawned in the Pagoda room - the no-magic room with those four incense holders that you initially opened by using the blue marble.

So, if you've already wiped out the saplings in their usual haunts [Sanctuary room where you got the 2 pieces of vine, Rising Elm room where you found the ZuZu petals, and the Pagoda room], go do something else for a game day and come back later.

I agree, random drops are a huge pain when you really really really want a specific item. One game I had five Wood Sprite staffs, and in another game zilcho even after killing dozens of the bleeping saplings. Picus don't like to lay eggs for me, either. [img]smile.gif[/img]

The Ebon staff is well worth a bit of extra work.

Out of the dozens of Greater Pici (?) I've killed in the Trynton and Arnika-Trynton Road zones in various games, I've had exactly two of them drop an egg. However, *every* Greater Picus I've ever killed in the Wilderness Clearing zone has dropped an egg. Just yesterday I was there with my current "Hybrid Honeys" party, sitting around the waterfall chatting with Rex, and three of them came up the path; now we have three eggs. So, in the unlikely event that someone really wants the Beastslayer Axe, that's where to go to get a guaranteed egg.

Regarding "The lack of fixed drops and fixed treasure in chests does make this game frustrating sometimes!":

One of the players on another board, Zeckenzac, proposed that it is a designer responsibility to attempt to remove any benefit from cheats and training techniques, quite frankly, to protect us from ourselves. He also proposed that all items in the game be fixed.

That sounds odd, and a bit whimpy, but I actually agree with him mostly, at least within any single game.

We have a good example of why this would be better. In earlier games, it was very tedious to roll your characters. Well, it was only tedious if you were stubborn and kept rolling and rolling to try to get something uber in the results... which I usually did. I remember in Wizardry 7 spending almost literally a week to get a Faerie Ninja. Choosing the characteristics, the way we do now feels so much freer. I love it!!

Enter strategy. Now your parties are only limited by your imagination. It's what makes Wizardry 8 Great, IMHO, instead of merely Excellent!

The same principle can, and probably should apply to items, but how to do it is tricky. Permanently (for that game only) fixing what is in the entire game, when you first hit the beach, might be excellent. It could be like a shopping list, where you get a certain number uber items, that will then be found somewhere in the game. You could be given "uber points" to spend, and you could pick the best, depending upon your party.

Training methods and cheats can be closed like loopholes, although sharp players will always find more. In my discussions with players who apply these techniques every chance they get, it is not so much that they like to cheat or train, it's just that they have an attitude that anything you can do in the game... is fair game. Mostly, I agree, otherwise where do you draw the line. ONe can draw their own lines, but they are personal and based on fun.

[ 05-29-2003, 06:05 PM: Message edited by: EEWorzelle ]

just thought i would mention that the staff dropped is called a spirit staff, that kinda threw me off at first.

The only place is Trynton. Make saves before you fight tree people.

This is a very difficult item to get and not nearly worth your time Id have to say.

The next time youll get the staff is on ascenscion peak, and by then you wont care.

IF you didnt get one when you went through trynton and you already killed the tree people... forget about it. you can get a better polearm from ferro for less hassle.

Thats the real bottom line.

Just thought I would point out that the Ebon Staff is a staff not a polearm. Did you mean that you can get a better polearm from Ferro.

Also, the Spirit Staff is a fixed drop from the Trynnie Shaman.

If you are desperate for the Spirit staff and cannot find any saplings, go to Monastery and fight Burz. Let him use his special ability-praying to the spirits and he summons 4 or 5 huge saplings guardians. You should get the staff from them...