Mythotechnica

Staves & Wands

Every staff is built to order in my workshop near Zwolle. The light sits in a resin crystal at the top, and the power bank lives in the foot.

They're props for spellcasting, not LARP-safe weapons. Please don't hit anyone with one.

From €900 incl. VAT

A complete Art Deco staff with a red wooden shaft, held upright at arm’s length

What it does

Tap control

Double tap the staff and it lights up. Double tap again and it goes out. You can also set a tap to do something else:

Light modes

Three staves on a wooden wall mount, the middle one glowing warm orange in Torch mode

Torch

A steady glow that slowly breathes in and out, like a flame.

Polar

Tilt the staff and the colour follows the direction it leans. Stand it upright and it settles back to your own colour.

Rainbow

Slowly works its way through every colour.

Whisp

Small points of light travel up through the crystal, one after another, in the colour you pick.

Rainbow Whisp

Like Whisp, but every point of light has its own colour, and the colours keep shifting.

Impact Flash

Thump the staff on the ground or swing it hard and it flashes a second colour, then fades back.

Random Spark

Sparks of colour flicker across the light. Move the staff and they come faster.

Your colours, from your phone

Every staff has its own control page. Connect your phone to the staff's Wi-Fi and set the colours, light mode, brightness, speed and what a tap does, straight from the browser. There's also a Bluetooth app that does the same, for Android only. The staff remembers your settings, so you don't need your phone at the event.

Screenshot of the staff control page on a phone: the staff is on, with the seven light modes and Torch selected
The staff's own control page, open on a phone.

Power

Every staff comes with two power banks. One lasts roughly 12 to 18 hours. The end cap on the foot unscrews, so you can swap a flat bank for a full one in seconds and keep going all weekend. Screwed back on, it seals watertight.

Screenshot of the colour settings: colour cycling switched off, a blue main colour and a light blue cycling colour, each with buttons to save or restore the default
Colours: a main and a cycling colour for each colour set.
Screenshot of the Bluetooth app on a phone, connected to a staff called Ice staff, with power, brightness and light mode controls
The Bluetooth app, connected to a staff.

What you get

Build your staff

Here's what you can choose. Images marked Render are 3D previews; photos of finished staves get added as I build them.

Topper

The topper holds the crystal and sets the look of the whole staff. Orb toppers take the Orb; the other toppers take the six-sided crystals.

  • Black Art Deco topper holding a pale pointed crystal
    Render of the Art Deco topper with a pointed crystalRender

    Art Deco

    Geometric panels and a stepped profile, in the spirit of 1920s design.

    Takes the six-sided crystals

  • Render of the Art Deco Rectangle topper, a long decorated frame around a crystalRender

    Art Deco Rectangle

    The Art Deco look stretched into a long frame around the crystal.

    Takes the six-sided crystals

  • Render of the spiked Necro topper caging a crystalRender

    Necro

    Spiked and caged, for characters with darker hobbies.

    Takes the six-sided crystals

  • Blue-grey Ice/Rock topper with a pale crystal, unlit
    The same Ice/Rock topper with the crystal lit blue
    Matching Ice/Rock foot, grip and topper side by side on a workbench
    Render of the Ice/Rock topperRender

    Ice/Rock

    Cracked, craggy surfaces that read as ice or as stone, depending on the colours you choose.

    Takes the six-sided crystals

  • Render of the plain six-sided Undecorated topperRender

    Undecorated

    A plain six-sided frame around the crystal.

    Takes the six-sided crystals

  • Speckled white Crown topper with brass studs holding a golden orb
    Render of the Crown topper with an orbRender

    Crown

    Curved prongs and brass studs cradling the orb.

    Takes the Orb

  • Render of the Planetarium topper with crossing bands around an orbRender
    The Planetarium topper from another side, where the bands cross differentlyRender
    The Planetarium topper from a third sideRender

    Planetarium

    Bands wrapped around the orb like rings around a planet.

    Takes the Orb

  • Render of the Trifecta topper from the side, segments wrapping the orbRender
    Render of the Trifecta topper from above, three segments meeting in a triangle on top of the orbRender

    Trifecta

    Three segments wrap the orb and meet in a triangle on top.

    Takes the Orb

  • Render of the Hidden topper, an orb resting on a plain baseRender

    Hidden

    No outside retainers. The orb is held from the inside, so nothing covers it.

    Takes the Orb

Crystal

Every crystal is cast in UV-resistant resin, so it resists yellowing, and lit from inside. Lengths are for the crystal itself.

  • Pale pointed crystal in a black Art Deco topper on a red wooden shaft
    Render of the Pointed crystalRender

    Pointed 19.6 cm

    Six sides tapering to a point. The classic wizard crystal.

    Fits the non-orb toppers

  • Render of the straight, flat-topped Rectangular crystalRender

    Rectangular 19.5 cm

    Six-sided and straight with a flat top. Fits almost every non-orb topper; ask if you're unsure about a combination.

    Fits the non-orb toppers

  • Render of the Ancient crystal, a rough column with a jagged topRender

    Ancient 14.9 cm

    Shorter and rough, modelled to look like a selenite pillar. Still resin, like the rest.

    Fits the non-orb toppers

  • Render of the round Orb crystalRender

    Orb 10 cm across

    A round crystal for the orb toppers.

    Fits the orb toppers

Wood

All the wood I use is ethically sourced. The species changes the colour, the weight and the price, and it usually follows from the style and colours you're after. These are in the workshop right now, but I work closely with Masave (masave.nl), a local wood trader, so I can get hold of a lot more. Ask if you have something else in mind.

  • European sycamore

    Pale and even.

  • Caribbean rosewood

    Warm reddish-brown with darker grain.

  • Oak

    Light brown, with a clear, open grain.

  • Ebonised oak

    Oak darkened to near-black, with the grain still showing.

  • Olive

    Pale wood with dark, wavy streaks.

  • Padauk

    Bright orange-red.

  • Purpleheart

    Naturally purple, no stain needed.

Grip

The grip sleeve sits where your hand goes and matches the rest of the staff. A leather-wrapped grip is available too.

  • Render of the Art Deco gripRender

    Art Deco

    Matches the Art Deco topper.

  • Render of the Crown gripRender

    Crown

    Matches the Crown topper.

  • Render of the craggy Ice/Rock gripRender

    Ice/Rock

    Matches the Ice/Rock topper.

  • Render of the Splines grip with raised ribsRender

    Splines

    Raised ribs, matching the Splines foot.

  • Render of the Smoothed grip with rounded edgesRender

    Smoothed

    Rounded edges and no decoration.

  • Render of the plain Undecorated gripRender

    Undecorated

    A plain six-sided sleeve.

  • Leather wrap

    Leather wrapped around the grip, for a softer hold.

Foot

The foot is where the power bank lives. The shock-absorbing TPU end cap unscrews, so swapping power banks takes seconds, and it seals watertight when you screw it back on.

  • Render of the Art Deco footRender

    Art Deco

    Matches the Art Deco topper.

  • Render of the banded Copper footRender

    Copper

    Banded, and made to be finished in copper.

  • Render of the Crown foot with tall prongsRender

    Crown

    Matches the Crown topper.

  • Render of the craggy Ice/Rock footRender

    Ice/Rock

    Matches the Ice/Rock topper.

  • Render of the Splines foot with raised ribsRender

    Splines

    Raised ribs running down the length.

  • Render of the plain Undecorated footRender

    Undecorated

    Plain and six-sided.

  • Render of the Wood Panels footRender

    Wood Panels

    Wooden panels set into the frame.

Finish

The topper, grip and foot are printed in ABS. Every part is sandblasted, acetone-vapour smoothed to melt away the printed layer lines, then lightly sandblasted again so paint grips properly. From there it goes one of two ways, paint or real copper, and you choose how far I take it.

  • Primed

    Primed and ready for your own paint.

  • Painted

    Primed and painted in the colours we agree on.

  • Painted and sealed

    Painted, then sealed to protect the paint.

  • Art Deco topper in bright polished copper

    Copper, polished

    A real copper coating, polished bright.

  • Art Deco topper in darker aged copper

    Copper, aged

    Real copper, darkened with blitz beits for an aged look.

  • Art Deco topper covered in a green-blue copper patina
    A complete staff with green-blue corroded copper on the topper, grip and foot
    Close-up of a grip with corroded copper end pieces on a red wooden shaft
    Corroded copper topper held in a hand, showing its size

    Copper, corroded

    Real copper, corroded on purpose into a green-blue patina. Not paint.

Extras

A few things that go with a staff.

  • Four staves hanging on a live-edge wooden wall mount
    Render of a single staff holderRender

    Wall mount

    A live-edge wooden board with printed holders, to keep your staves off the floor. Just want the hook? It's a free download under Looking after your staff.

  • Crown staff with a decorative ring around the wooden shaft
    Render of the round Deco ringRender
    Render of the six-sided Angular ringRender

    Decorative rings

    Extra rings to dress up the shaft.

Something entirely your own

Have a design in mind that isn't here? Tell me about it. The staff on the right of this rack is a one-off design.

Four staves on a live-edge wooden wall mount; the one on the right has curved arms holding its crystal

How a commission works

  1. Email info@mythotechnica.com or message Senonu on Discord. Tell me about your character and what you have in mind.
  2. We talk through the topper, crystal, wood and colours, and you get a quote.
  3. I build it, and send you progress photos along the way.
  4. You pick it up, we meet at an event, or I ship it. Shipping is quoted per order.
A Crown topper mid-build with a grey placeholder orb
A progress photo: a Crown topper before its orb went in.

The remote

Coming soon: a small, rounded remote you can hide in your palm. Press a button and the staff starts charging a fireball. Hold it, and the fireball fires.

Render of the remote: a small rounded case with a five-button pad and a square screenRender

Sign up at the bottom of the page and I'll email you when it's ready.

Wands

Coming soon: the same lights and tap control in a wand you hold in one hand. Sign up at the bottom of the page and you'll hear when they're ready.

Looking after your staff

Questions

Can I fight with it?

No. These are props, not LARP-safe weapons. There’s wood, resin and electronics in there, and none of it is made to hit people or take hits. Use it for spellcasting, not for combat.

How long does the battery last?

Every staff comes with two power banks. One lasts roughly 12 to 18 hours, depending on the light mode and brightness. The end cap on the foot unscrews, so swapping a flat bank for a full one takes seconds. Each bank recharges in about an hour, and extra banks are €15.

Do I need my phone at the event?

No. Day to day you just tap the staff. The phone is for changing colours, light modes, brightness and what a tap does, and the staff remembers your settings.

How long does a commission take?

That depends on the design and on how busy the workshop is. You’ll get an estimate along with your quote, and progress photos while I work on it.

Do you ship?

Yes, within the Netherlands and abroad. It’s a very long stick, though, and couriers charge accordingly, so I’ll quote shipping when we talk about your build. Picking it up, or meeting at an event, is often cheaper.

Are prices including VAT?

Yes. Every price on this site includes 21% Dutch VAT.

What if something stops working?

Get in touch. I built it, so I know what’s inside, and we’ll sort it out.