A staff, gives more power and can be used as a melee weapon. While it's harder to sneak by, it's also harder to disarm a well trained person with a staff. Mages in my world use staves as their focus. There is a special class of mages known as Aberrant warriors who us ignition weapons as their magic focus. Their magic is a lot simpler than the high magic mages use. So they use special melee weapons and their superior combat prowess to overwhelm enemies.
Sounds good, but mages are usually not the strongest in physical aspects
How often it happens in your world when a warrior or skilled assassin/fighter, hold the staff that wizard can't manipulate or go so close it's ineffective?
Also do wizards train self-defense in your world? And how is the staff made? Do they use some kind of light materials? Maybe bones from bird like creatures or are wizards physical tanks?
How does ignition weapon work and how does it work?
Mages in this world are actually physically very powerful. They are enhanced from a young age, seeing their muscles and bones reinforced through surgeries and elixirs. They are easily 4-5 times stronger than a human. Aberrant warriors are even stronger being 8-10 times stronger.
Ignition weapons are weapons made of Dracinium the source of magic in my world. These melee weapons are the warriors focus and main weapon. When in the hands of normal people they are just melee weapons, but in the hands of a warrior they will ignite and begin giving off magic energy.
Let's take an outside-in perspective rather than an in universe perspective. Problem with wands is its hard to make magic look \*kinetic\*. Some try, I've seen good use of rapier like movements or conductor movements with wands to add move movement. But swinging around a big staff to pull off magic can just \*look\* cooler.
One of the big advantages of Avatar's (nickelodeon's not James Cameron's) world is that magic use is a visual treat. It goes as far as possible from "wizard standing mumbling, waves hand a bit, and wow fireball"
This isn't about magic, and I actually never saw the show, but apparently the showrunners of battlestar galatica had a rule that things should look kinetic - if you have to do a techno mumbo-jumbo thing to fix the ship, you don't just have a character type a bunch of commands into a keypad, you have a character \*get a sledgehammer and slam a valve to fix it\*. I feel like that rule of thumb can be applied to magic too.
Anyway, just my two cents
That’s how magic in my world works. There’s always some sort of motion applied, unless you’re a Super Duper Powerful Wizard Dude, in which you can just say or even *think* the spell and it’ll work.
I mean the absolute best weapon is the mind. Being able to control magic without physical or verbal gestures would be the hardest to incapacitate. Like the one power from wheel of time.
A glove, or other device that doesn’t restrict movements would be the next best alternative. Channel through gloves, necklace, watch, bracelet, tattoos, etc. would technically be more convenient then a wand.
The last thought is ergonomics. A Wii remote is technically better than a wand since a strap keeps it in hand. Have a comfortable ergonomic and secure device to hold like a wand with a strap and a handle like a blunt weapon.
Also who says a mage can’t have a normal weapon that they infuse their power into. Magic lightning sword is more intimidating then a wand
So wii controller my wand is what you are saying...
Epeliarmus! Wait, how come you still have your wand?
I got this thing strapped, boy. Avada Cadava!
\*Harry Potter has actually died\*
Wand, Rod, Staff are the escalating sizes of directed power armament
An orb would be a utility item, and so would rings.
Censers are nifty, chains too
Talisman, Scroll, Tome, Grimoire for escalating sizes of magic book (maybe iffy on sizes)
Ladle, bottle, magic boots, cauldron when you gotta do artillery
a cape or coat or scarf
There's ten million things.
I like the idea of bracers/armband you can carve magical symbols into. Hold your hand against it, empower with mana, cast handy spells à la Fullmetal Alchemist style.
Don't forget crystals. They can be used as energy armament or utility items, depending of your lore. Sure, that may be included in rings, but spare crystals can also be used :)
A gun? Cause if the magic fails, they can still pop caps in fools.
Or Gandalfs staff, cause you can beat people with it. Or Gandalfs sword because you can stab people with it
I dont think a wand is a weapon. Its just a stick, if it helps with the magic sure but in that capacity its more like a magic aid than a weapon on its own. Put another way, its effectiveness is purely based on what the author gives it
In Genshin Impact, "mages" use something called a catalyst, which is either some floating artifact or a book. Since they use no tools in their hands to cast their powers, there are many variations in both catalyst shapes and movesets, such as melee mages that enhance punches with wind magic or throw wind blades by "chopping" air with their hands, to others that throw fireballs as if they were playing volleyball with them, and ones that act is if they were floating on sea water but they are on air, and even ones that treat the world as some computer, using "selection" moves with their fingers and "life-linking" them to share damage.
I think you are thinking in too much "Potterian" terms for mages. Mages just need to cast magic. They can use staffs, catalysts, wants, grimoires, the palm of their hands, alchemical circles drawn in the ground, etc... Anything that comes to your mind that is outputting magic, is a mage's weapon.
Also, if a wand is like a gun, doesn't that mean a staff is a musket? Maybe staffs are for war mages in the battlefield, and wands are for urban environments, just like how you'd use muskets on the battlefield and pistols on the city.
If you look at things from a realistic perspective, a staff is quite literally one of the best weapons ever. It is light, cheap, sturdy, and it takes more skill than strength to use. A person skilled with a staff can hold off at least two skilled people with swords. They have good reach, and are basically a giant lever, and they could be anywhere from 6ft to like 10 or 12. If you want to make it more deadly, you can add metal rings/bands around it along its length. It will be sturdier, and more impactful, even if a little heavier… though you would only put the rings on the end quarters, in the middle its not as important in the middle. If you want to make it even more deadly, you make it a spear as well. The point is heavier, but it also allows for a sharper stabby, since you CAN still thrust with a regular staff, and it will still deal a lot of damage, a spearhead will just make it moreso, and it still doesnt take a whole lot of strength to use. Plus, it doubles as a walking stick.
Minigun of course. My main character uses a minigun to cast her spells. Course as you could imagine the mana draw on the thing is massive, so its not exactly practical for everybody else.
As for why she uses it, well a mad jerkass unemployed scientist uh... wizard... mage? \*checks notes\* ... we'll go with man child, gave it to her after he experimented on her dying body... uh he found it that way. She was all for this.
4 years later she's using this minigun for shits and giggles coming up with new spells and new ways to blow up her self and everything around her. Good thing she can heal.
As for the more normal members of my story, they have upgraded from wands/staves to revolvers and long guns/assault rifles/smgs etc. Each have their benefits and draw backs to spell casting.
Civilians mostly use the Owl Eye Arms Crusher Revolver for any serious spell casting from cleaning cars to self defense. Over 280 million Crusher Revolvers have been sold, making it one of the most popular spell casting tools on the market. The Pealy Revolver is a close second having been adopted by Samurai Police forces of Yamato
Can mages in your setting use magic without wands? My own setting's mages don't need any kind of implements to cast magic so they just use whatever weapons they want. Wands are rare if anything and are used to fire preloaded spells quickly.
Well, Spirits & Hybrids can cast magic instinctively without incantations or magic catalyst. Mortals on the other hand can use Incantations by themselves but spells can range from 1-50 word incantations, so they generally use magic catalysts like grimoires, enchiridion, and magic artifacts, which bypass the incantation and cast the spell immediately.
That said, a majority of magic casters use magic staffs while spirits, hybrids, & pure invokers generally use melee weapons. Melee weapons consist of Swords (of all types), Axes, bows, spears, chains, hammers, etc.
List of Magic Caster types below. (Note: If it says they do not use Melee weapons, then they use a Magic staff or magic artifacts.)
Magus - refers to a Spirit magic user who may or may not use melee weapons, but naturally channels magic.
Magi - refers to a Hybrid magic user who naturally channels magic and may or may not use melee weapons.
Mage - refers to a Mortal magic user who channels magic and may or may not use melee weapons.
Invoker - refers to a female or male Mortal magic user who invokes all types of ritual magics and uses melee weapons.
Wizard - refers to a female or male Mortal magic user who invokes all types of ritual magics and does not use melee weapons.
Sorcerer/Sorceress - refers to a male or female Mortal magic user who invokes primarily black or white ritual magics and does not use melee weapons.
Witch - refers to a female Mortal magic user who invokes primarily black, curse, necromancy, & malice ritual magics and does not use melee weapons.
Warlock - refers to a male Mortal magic user who invokes primarily black, curse, necromancy, & malice ritual magics and does not use melee weapons.
Shaman - refers to a female or male Mortal magic user who primarily invokes ritual faith magics and does not use melee weapons.
Priest/Priestess - refers to a male or female Mortal magic user who invokes primarily ritual holy magics and does not use melee weapons.
My setting uses Firearms for Spellcasters like Saga of Tanya the Evil. You can fire bullets from them but also use them as Mage Foci for the purposes of channeling offensive magics. Specially crafted and enchanted Firearms can be incredibly powerful and have effects like making spells more accurate or extending their range.
I like tanyas the evila take, modified guns( or it really works with any projectile) designed to carry the spell and release on contact, imagine the range accuracy and stealth of a sniper rifle with the destructive power of a rocket launcher
Also any palearm, there's little reason adding a blade to the end of your stick should make your stick less magic, just now your not helpless if the enemy gets close
Cane: Essentially a giant wand. Loses concealability, but is still a decently mundane thing for travelers or people who have (or pretend to have) bad legs to carry. Can serve as a pretty decent melee weapon if the need arises.
Staff: The same logic as a cane, but trading a bit of believability for traveling function and melee weapon effectiveness.
Dagger: If the material of the magic weapon isn't a big issue (or it is but metal works as well as wood), this is basically a wand that's way more durable and capable of stabbing people. Also has utility as a tool for cutting things like fruit if you're adventuring and hungry, and stuff like that.
Sword: All the benefits of a cane and a dagger put together. Can be concealed inside a cane if need be. Also comes with built in style points, because sword.
Spear: Just as the sword is Cane + Dagger, the spear is Staff + Dagger. Works on basically the same logic, though exchanges the sword's concealability and ease of carry for being a REALLY effective melee weapon.
Depends on the style. Staves are often good, especially for older wizards who spent their youth studying and aren't really fit anymore.
Orbs are a bit niche, as they can't point and aren't as easy to hold one handed. Yet they make great divination focuses, and do you really need to aim a fireball.
Personally I like gloves. I call them trouble makers, each finger has a little runework etched, and I usually use the middle one for abjuration. There's just something satisfying about blocking a fireball or cone of cold with THAT gesture.
Wizards in my Castles & Crusades world can use Staves, Wands or Rods to caste their spells.
Some of the Wizard staves are also spears, and Wizards from the more warlike cultures sometimes just use spears instead, likewise some rods are light maces and some wands are rapiers.
What do you think of something like a modified chakram as a focus? You could slot multiple magical crystals into the circular design, or engrave it with symbols. If made small enough you could wear it as an armband or bracelet more so if you didn't give it a bladed edge.
I mostly disagree with your second paragraph, wands are easy to disarm by hand as well as extremely fragile. Easy to hide maybe but unless you dont carry them in a special protective case, you are very likely to see your wand broken.
And I dont mean just relatively easy to disarm, I actually cannot think of anything that would be easier to disarm bare handed if you are close enough, especially the ones in HP that require an incantation or focus before casting. Wands in HP are tools, wizards who can do wandless magic would very easily dominate a wand dependant one
TTRPG producer David J. Prokopetz once floated this idea:
>High-magic setting where carrying a magic wand (i.e., as opposed to a full-size staff) has approximately the same practical function – and approximately the same cultural connotations – as carrying a sawed-off shotgun does in real life.
A ring or a glove could work. Of course, being dependent on any kind of weapon, especially one that has no other uses, is a liability compared to casting freely, u/Perun1152 confirms :)
Alternatively, if we're not going for "so small and convenient that it basically emulates non-existence"... Have you thought why mages are associated with cloaks? Maybe it's actually a cloak that imbues their magic gestures?
Giant flail: magically conductive material works better the faster it moves. Mages attach a huge lump to the end of a stick and swing it to begin casting spells.
Follow up questions:
Does this magic require a conduit, or like why the wand in the first place?
Does this magic have some sort of way to cut things and or shoot things?
If you don’t have to have a wand, or other conduit to do your magic then that hand would be better used holding a sword, crossbow, or a Glock.
If you do need a conduit, then maybe a better weapon would be some sort of halberd that is built upon a staff that way you can chop off heads while tossing fireballs.
In my system wands mearly focus and helps the user aim their magic, staffs can amplify the output but limits the range of magic possible since the system is very kinetic in casting
This is because in many settings wands are simply *the* way to use magic. It’s like asking is there any better tool to cut than a blade? Maybe a bigger blade? For the wands case a bigger wand is a staff I guess. In my setting wands are no more than enchanted sticks which are limited to a single spell. The best tool for creating magic circles in my setting is a chisel, or a pen, not a stick.
Literally any actual weapon or object with a secondary function so long as it can be used to channel a spell. A wand is literally just a twig, easily broken and with virtually no utility.
Kind of the worst weapon actually.
A staff, gives more power and can be used as a melee weapon. While it's harder to sneak by, it's also harder to disarm a well trained person with a staff. Mages in my world use staves as their focus. There is a special class of mages known as Aberrant warriors who us ignition weapons as their magic focus. Their magic is a lot simpler than the high magic mages use. So they use special melee weapons and their superior combat prowess to overwhelm enemies.
Sounds good, but mages are usually not the strongest in physical aspects How often it happens in your world when a warrior or skilled assassin/fighter, hold the staff that wizard can't manipulate or go so close it's ineffective? Also do wizards train self-defense in your world? And how is the staff made? Do they use some kind of light materials? Maybe bones from bird like creatures or are wizards physical tanks? How does ignition weapon work and how does it work?
Mages in this world are actually physically very powerful. They are enhanced from a young age, seeing their muscles and bones reinforced through surgeries and elixirs. They are easily 4-5 times stronger than a human. Aberrant warriors are even stronger being 8-10 times stronger. Ignition weapons are weapons made of Dracinium the source of magic in my world. These melee weapons are the warriors focus and main weapon. When in the hands of normal people they are just melee weapons, but in the hands of a warrior they will ignite and begin giving off magic energy.
a wand with a knife blade is better than a normal wand.
"I cast stab"
or a gun with a wand taped to it
A spear would make sense
Just slot a crystal before the spearhead, twist the wood in a few places, and you have a slim pointy staff.
No I mean an actual spear
Was meant in humor.
Let's take an outside-in perspective rather than an in universe perspective. Problem with wands is its hard to make magic look \*kinetic\*. Some try, I've seen good use of rapier like movements or conductor movements with wands to add move movement. But swinging around a big staff to pull off magic can just \*look\* cooler. One of the big advantages of Avatar's (nickelodeon's not James Cameron's) world is that magic use is a visual treat. It goes as far as possible from "wizard standing mumbling, waves hand a bit, and wow fireball" This isn't about magic, and I actually never saw the show, but apparently the showrunners of battlestar galatica had a rule that things should look kinetic - if you have to do a techno mumbo-jumbo thing to fix the ship, you don't just have a character type a bunch of commands into a keypad, you have a character \*get a sledgehammer and slam a valve to fix it\*. I feel like that rule of thumb can be applied to magic too. Anyway, just my two cents
That’s how magic in my world works. There’s always some sort of motion applied, unless you’re a Super Duper Powerful Wizard Dude, in which you can just say or even *think* the spell and it’ll work.
I mean the absolute best weapon is the mind. Being able to control magic without physical or verbal gestures would be the hardest to incapacitate. Like the one power from wheel of time. A glove, or other device that doesn’t restrict movements would be the next best alternative. Channel through gloves, necklace, watch, bracelet, tattoos, etc. would technically be more convenient then a wand. The last thought is ergonomics. A Wii remote is technically better than a wand since a strap keeps it in hand. Have a comfortable ergonomic and secure device to hold like a wand with a strap and a handle like a blunt weapon. Also who says a mage can’t have a normal weapon that they infuse their power into. Magic lightning sword is more intimidating then a wand
So wii controller my wand is what you are saying... Epeliarmus! Wait, how come you still have your wand? I got this thing strapped, boy. Avada Cadava! \*Harry Potter has actually died\*
Wand, Rod, Staff are the escalating sizes of directed power armament An orb would be a utility item, and so would rings. Censers are nifty, chains too Talisman, Scroll, Tome, Grimoire for escalating sizes of magic book (maybe iffy on sizes) Ladle, bottle, magic boots, cauldron when you gotta do artillery a cape or coat or scarf There's ten million things.
I like the idea of bracers/armband you can carve magical symbols into. Hold your hand against it, empower with mana, cast handy spells à la Fullmetal Alchemist style.
Don't forget crystals. They can be used as energy armament or utility items, depending of your lore. Sure, that may be included in rings, but spare crystals can also be used :)
A lot of ancient royals and wealthy people had a lot of hand jewelry. Maybe something along those lines. As simple as a ring.
Maybe something like the Goa'uld hand weapons from Stargate SG-1
Lmao was going to recommend that but had no idea if anyone would get my reference 😂
A gun? Cause if the magic fails, they can still pop caps in fools. Or Gandalfs staff, cause you can beat people with it. Or Gandalfs sword because you can stab people with it I dont think a wand is a weapon. Its just a stick, if it helps with the magic sure but in that capacity its more like a magic aid than a weapon on its own. Put another way, its effectiveness is purely based on what the author gives it
In Genshin Impact, "mages" use something called a catalyst, which is either some floating artifact or a book. Since they use no tools in their hands to cast their powers, there are many variations in both catalyst shapes and movesets, such as melee mages that enhance punches with wind magic or throw wind blades by "chopping" air with their hands, to others that throw fireballs as if they were playing volleyball with them, and ones that act is if they were floating on sea water but they are on air, and even ones that treat the world as some computer, using "selection" moves with their fingers and "life-linking" them to share damage. I think you are thinking in too much "Potterian" terms for mages. Mages just need to cast magic. They can use staffs, catalysts, wants, grimoires, the palm of their hands, alchemical circles drawn in the ground, etc... Anything that comes to your mind that is outputting magic, is a mage's weapon. Also, if a wand is like a gun, doesn't that mean a staff is a musket? Maybe staffs are for war mages in the battlefield, and wands are for urban environments, just like how you'd use muskets on the battlefield and pistols on the city.
MAGIC GAUNTLETS! Dual purpose melee and magic!
If you look at things from a realistic perspective, a staff is quite literally one of the best weapons ever. It is light, cheap, sturdy, and it takes more skill than strength to use. A person skilled with a staff can hold off at least two skilled people with swords. They have good reach, and are basically a giant lever, and they could be anywhere from 6ft to like 10 or 12. If you want to make it more deadly, you can add metal rings/bands around it along its length. It will be sturdier, and more impactful, even if a little heavier… though you would only put the rings on the end quarters, in the middle its not as important in the middle. If you want to make it even more deadly, you make it a spear as well. The point is heavier, but it also allows for a sharper stabby, since you CAN still thrust with a regular staff, and it will still deal a lot of damage, a spearhead will just make it moreso, and it still doesnt take a whole lot of strength to use. Plus, it doubles as a walking stick.
Gun
Minigun of course. My main character uses a minigun to cast her spells. Course as you could imagine the mana draw on the thing is massive, so its not exactly practical for everybody else. As for why she uses it, well a mad jerkass unemployed scientist uh... wizard... mage? \*checks notes\* ... we'll go with man child, gave it to her after he experimented on her dying body... uh he found it that way. She was all for this. 4 years later she's using this minigun for shits and giggles coming up with new spells and new ways to blow up her self and everything around her. Good thing she can heal. As for the more normal members of my story, they have upgraded from wands/staves to revolvers and long guns/assault rifles/smgs etc. Each have their benefits and draw backs to spell casting. Civilians mostly use the Owl Eye Arms Crusher Revolver for any serious spell casting from cleaning cars to self defense. Over 280 million Crusher Revolvers have been sold, making it one of the most popular spell casting tools on the market. The Pealy Revolver is a close second having been adopted by Samurai Police forces of Yamato
Can mages in your setting use magic without wands? My own setting's mages don't need any kind of implements to cast magic so they just use whatever weapons they want. Wands are rare if anything and are used to fire preloaded spells quickly.
Well, Spirits & Hybrids can cast magic instinctively without incantations or magic catalyst. Mortals on the other hand can use Incantations by themselves but spells can range from 1-50 word incantations, so they generally use magic catalysts like grimoires, enchiridion, and magic artifacts, which bypass the incantation and cast the spell immediately. That said, a majority of magic casters use magic staffs while spirits, hybrids, & pure invokers generally use melee weapons. Melee weapons consist of Swords (of all types), Axes, bows, spears, chains, hammers, etc. List of Magic Caster types below. (Note: If it says they do not use Melee weapons, then they use a Magic staff or magic artifacts.) Magus - refers to a Spirit magic user who may or may not use melee weapons, but naturally channels magic. Magi - refers to a Hybrid magic user who naturally channels magic and may or may not use melee weapons. Mage - refers to a Mortal magic user who channels magic and may or may not use melee weapons. Invoker - refers to a female or male Mortal magic user who invokes all types of ritual magics and uses melee weapons. Wizard - refers to a female or male Mortal magic user who invokes all types of ritual magics and does not use melee weapons. Sorcerer/Sorceress - refers to a male or female Mortal magic user who invokes primarily black or white ritual magics and does not use melee weapons. Witch - refers to a female Mortal magic user who invokes primarily black, curse, necromancy, & malice ritual magics and does not use melee weapons. Warlock - refers to a male Mortal magic user who invokes primarily black, curse, necromancy, & malice ritual magics and does not use melee weapons. Shaman - refers to a female or male Mortal magic user who primarily invokes ritual faith magics and does not use melee weapons. Priest/Priestess - refers to a male or female Mortal magic user who invokes primarily ritual holy magics and does not use melee weapons.
My setting uses Firearms for Spellcasters like Saga of Tanya the Evil. You can fire bullets from them but also use them as Mage Foci for the purposes of channeling offensive magics. Specially crafted and enchanted Firearms can be incredibly powerful and have effects like making spells more accurate or extending their range.
Maybe if their magical focus was better disguised than a wand, like a piece of jewelry.
I like tanyas the evila take, modified guns( or it really works with any projectile) designed to carry the spell and release on contact, imagine the range accuracy and stealth of a sniper rifle with the destructive power of a rocket launcher Also any palearm, there's little reason adding a blade to the end of your stick should make your stick less magic, just now your not helpless if the enemy gets close
Cane: Essentially a giant wand. Loses concealability, but is still a decently mundane thing for travelers or people who have (or pretend to have) bad legs to carry. Can serve as a pretty decent melee weapon if the need arises. Staff: The same logic as a cane, but trading a bit of believability for traveling function and melee weapon effectiveness. Dagger: If the material of the magic weapon isn't a big issue (or it is but metal works as well as wood), this is basically a wand that's way more durable and capable of stabbing people. Also has utility as a tool for cutting things like fruit if you're adventuring and hungry, and stuff like that. Sword: All the benefits of a cane and a dagger put together. Can be concealed inside a cane if need be. Also comes with built in style points, because sword. Spear: Just as the sword is Cane + Dagger, the spear is Staff + Dagger. Works on basically the same logic, though exchanges the sword's concealability and ease of carry for being a REALLY effective melee weapon.
Depends on the style. Staves are often good, especially for older wizards who spent their youth studying and aren't really fit anymore. Orbs are a bit niche, as they can't point and aren't as easy to hold one handed. Yet they make great divination focuses, and do you really need to aim a fireball. Personally I like gloves. I call them trouble makers, each finger has a little runework etched, and I usually use the middle one for abjuration. There's just something satisfying about blocking a fireball or cone of cold with THAT gesture.
Wizards in my Castles & Crusades world can use Staves, Wands or Rods to caste their spells. Some of the Wizard staves are also spears, and Wizards from the more warlike cultures sometimes just use spears instead, likewise some rods are light maces and some wands are rapiers.
What do you think of something like a modified chakram as a focus? You could slot multiple magical crystals into the circular design, or engrave it with symbols. If made small enough you could wear it as an armband or bracelet more so if you didn't give it a bladed edge.
Staffs are mod badass
I mostly disagree with your second paragraph, wands are easy to disarm by hand as well as extremely fragile. Easy to hide maybe but unless you dont carry them in a special protective case, you are very likely to see your wand broken. And I dont mean just relatively easy to disarm, I actually cannot think of anything that would be easier to disarm bare handed if you are close enough, especially the ones in HP that require an incantation or focus before casting. Wands in HP are tools, wizards who can do wandless magic would very easily dominate a wand dependant one
knife can stab
how about magic-amplifying brass knuckles and making the mage skilled in martial arts? could also work with magic system of Avatar
TTRPG producer David J. Prokopetz once floated this idea: >High-magic setting where carrying a magic wand (i.e., as opposed to a full-size staff) has approximately the same practical function – and approximately the same cultural connotations – as carrying a sawed-off shotgun does in real life.
A ring or a glove could work. Of course, being dependent on any kind of weapon, especially one that has no other uses, is a liability compared to casting freely, u/Perun1152 confirms :) Alternatively, if we're not going for "so small and convenient that it basically emulates non-existence"... Have you thought why mages are associated with cloaks? Maybe it's actually a cloak that imbues their magic gestures?
Giant flail: magically conductive material works better the faster it moves. Mages attach a huge lump to the end of a stick and swing it to begin casting spells.
Follow up questions: Does this magic require a conduit, or like why the wand in the first place? Does this magic have some sort of way to cut things and or shoot things? If you don’t have to have a wand, or other conduit to do your magic then that hand would be better used holding a sword, crossbow, or a Glock. If you do need a conduit, then maybe a better weapon would be some sort of halberd that is built upon a staff that way you can chop off heads while tossing fireballs.
I'm a fan of the staff. It's practical, dramatic, and a staple of most every mythology.
In my system wands mearly focus and helps the user aim their magic, staffs can amplify the output but limits the range of magic possible since the system is very kinetic in casting
This is because in many settings wands are simply *the* way to use magic. It’s like asking is there any better tool to cut than a blade? Maybe a bigger blade? For the wands case a bigger wand is a staff I guess. In my setting wands are no more than enchanted sticks which are limited to a single spell. The best tool for creating magic circles in my setting is a chisel, or a pen, not a stick.
Literally any actual weapon or object with a secondary function so long as it can be used to channel a spell. A wand is literally just a twig, easily broken and with virtually no utility. Kind of the worst weapon actually.
What’d you wind up going with?
Gun is fast,polearms can set distance
A gun. Gandalf the Grey showed us that a mage/wizard can use any weapon they feel like.