Quote:
Originally Posted by Rumil
I'd reckon that the staff was a conduit for the wizards' power, and a badge of office as well.
Gandalf seems to have brought down the Bridge at Khazad-Dum by breaking his staff upon it - perhaps a conduit for Gandalf's power, perhaps using some 'energy' stored within the staff - its difficult to tell. As well as hewing the Balrog with Glamdring it seems clear that there was serious spell-casting in the Battle of the Peak, so Gandalf could still do magic without the staff. Maybe Gandalf's death was even caused by utter magical exhaustion rather than physical wounds, and maube he would have fared better with his staff - speculation though!
As far as I remember the staves were issued in Valinor, so are likely pretty special!
Oh, and remember the to-do about Gandalf's staff at Edoras, though the assumption that Wizards required the staff appears wrong.
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Yea I was thinking of it kind of like that, like a Wizard might also have far more abilities when he physically holds his staff, but he's not completely powerless without it, just weakened. Like if Saruman could resist the Nazgul without his staff it shows he's not powerless, but the fuss in Edoras shows that it must somehow enhance their power.