The true Istari

[samwise7]

Saruman's outburst to Gandalf about "the staffs of the 5 wizards" indicates they all had staffs and used them for magical means. I do agree however that these were most likely focuses for their powers.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I agree with samwise7, which I think I explain on another thread... someplace.

[Lord Gothmog]

With the staffs, PJ seems to have attached far more importance to them than did Tolkien. In the film Gandalf has his staff taken by Saruman who then used it against him. Then Gandalf had to get another staff from somewhere.

In the Book the only evidence of what happened to Gandalf's staff comes from Frodo's dream in the house of Bombadil.

Suddenly a shadow, like the shape of great wings, passed across the moon. The figure lifted his arms and a light flashed from the staff that he wielded. A mighty eagle swept down and bore him away.

Gandalf later seems to confirm that this dream was true.
The Council of Elrond

`I saw you!' cried Frodo. `You were walking backwards and forwards. The moon shone in your hair.'
Gandalf paused astonished and looked at him. 'It was only a dream' said Frodo, `but it suddenly came back to me. I had quite forgotten it. It came some time ago; after I left the Shire, I think.'
`Then it was late in coming,' said Gandalf, 'as you will see. I was in an evil plight.

So, if Saruman left the staff with Gandalf, then either he could not take it, or he had no reason to take it. Which ever of these is true it shows that there is no particular 'Power' in the staff itself and that even as a means of channeling power it would not help Gandalf escape from Orthanc.

So my view is that the staff of an Istar is important but more as a symbol than anything else.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

I don't think the remark about the staffs of the five wizards indicates that they were used for magic; it seemed rather to be about personal glory, and treating the staffs themselves as trophies.

I cannot think of examples of the staffs being used as instruments of magic.

It's possible that the staffs of the wizards became symbolic -- but then, other men had staffs, and Gandalf at least got a new staff quite easily. They are for leaning on. The Istari need them because they have the bodies of old men.

[Eönwë]

The staff is fo channeling the power inside the Istari. While clothed in the bodis of men they could could not use their full Maia powers. I think that they were only allowed to use a certain namount of their magic when they left Valinor, and also that Saruman got the most power, then Gandalf, then Radagast, then Alatar and Pallando, because the Valar allowed the leader to use more power.That is why, when Gandalf gets a new staff, his powers increase, because it allows him to reach more of his real power. So when he is reborn, he takes Saruman's place, and gets more power (though nothing near his full potential).

By the way, Gandalf did kill quite a few things with fire (Actually, mostly Wolves) in LOTR and The Hobbit.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Eönwë

and also that Saruman got the most power, then Gandalf, then Radagast, then Alatar and Pallando, because the Valar allowed the leader to use more power0

Just a little correction here - Alatar would be probably the second in rank after Saruman (leaving Gandalf now, because it's hard to place him anywhere, maybe by right he could be placed even before Saruman, but we know how this goes), because he and Saruman were the ones first chosen by Valar, and they took Radagast and Pallando as "sidekicks".

Concerning the whole topic, from what was said here I would be the closest to radagastly's opinion. The staffs had seemingly mainly the function of an object showing the power of the person, even in some Earth's cultures a staff was a symbol of power. Most importantly, they were signs of these people belonging to the order of Istari (now there's time for that famous quote about staffs of the Five Wizards and the episode when Gandalf breaks Saruman's staff). What I 100% disagree with is that the staffs will be something that belonged to the Istari when they were still in Valinor and they grew so attached to it that they took it with them - that's plain nonsense; first, I believe the Maiar in Valinor looked totally different from how we know them from M-E (and there are quotes to it in the Istari essay and even elsewhere, "they took the shapes of old men"), second, it will be quite interesting that Valar picked for the mission five Maiar who all have staffs (since surely not every Maia has a staff).

As for whether the staffs had any power of their own, I highly doubt it. I would say they could have some sort of Ring-like power in the meaning that if one had them, his power increased somewhat. If you pardon me using a RPGing metaphore, since it seems the easiest way for me now to express this, let's say a Staff held by a Wizard increased his effective spell level, increased the difficulty for the saving throws against his spells and increased his Charisma by +4. Plainly and simply, there was no ability to cast fireballs inside it, but rather it empowered the Wizard somewhat (if only by giving him a "cooler" look in the eyes of the others, cf. the Charisma +4 thing).

[samwise7]

Perhaps these Staffs were magical/holy items given to the 5 Istari in Valinor by the Valar to aid them in their task and to focus their energies.

Since they all had them, it makes sense. I would say they could still cast spells without them, but they would be less powerful without them.