Crafting foci

The right size and material.

There is a difference between making a focus and crafting a focus. But what is that difference? Well, all those traditions that consistently use foci have their specialisations, preferences and a tradition of learning how to make their "signature" focus, be it the stave of certain academically-trained mages, the wand of a wizard who has trained in some school or the hammer of an Artificer-Smith. All those who learn to apply their gift in a controlled manner do also learn how to create foci and of course, learn how to create the typical focus. That focus is more of a tradition, culture or sometimes law founded thing as any active magic-user can use any type of focus. Let us look first at the three most common foci in literature. The Stave, the Rod and the Wand. For a first step, we must define what is what and at that point, we hit the first rough spot.

There might be rules in your system for that, but if not try this definition I found in "Basic Stave lore" a booklet for the eleves of the Imperial Academie.

"The stave is a magical focus made of wood. It is of at least the height of the user's shoulder and can be up to a full head's length higher than the user himself is. It can be made of more than one material, like two different kinds of wood and can even have crystals or metals worked in. It has to be slim enough for the user to close his fists around it completely..."

The magical rod is as long as the shoulders width as its user but might bell be an army length more. The rod fits in the users hand with the firmest grip and is always of a true wood. It will accept metalwork with grace but deny its loyalty and work when magic cristal is added. While of use in unfavourable conditions the rod is much more a tool for the babarians of the north who favour it over the mages stave.

The last of the wooden foci is the wand, useful primarily in a social setting where one's stave would seem inapropriate to field or might be seen as a threat at worst. The wand will be about two and a half hands in length but might be as long as from the elbow to the fongest fingers tip. It can be worked out of several different branches or twigs and can have some silver, gold or another magically active, precious metal worked in. Wands are known to have accepted a small gem of birthstone at either the base or the tip but often do not do so.