(This guide was copied directly from our forums and was reposted here to help a larger audience. It was not intended to step on toes or say this guide is better than anyone elses, it is just here to help preview the staff and help players decide how to spend skill points once they get it. Enjoy it all)
Before you even get close to level 30 and start the quest to opening up the voodoo staff, you need to work your voodoo doll up as much as you can. Why? because the staff works differently than the doll, but uses large amounts of voodoo and each time you level up your doll you add 8 more to your total voodoo and it all adds up to allowing you more power on your staff when you get to it.
The quests to get the staff are not all that hard, but you do have to take out one thing on every island in the game at the end. Some get confused by the term 'creatures', but you may kill either skels, animals, eitc, or navy... In other words you can take out ANYTHING on the islands to qualify.
Once you get the staff you have two basic things you can do with it right off the start. The basic attack is called blast. To use this just tap the left mouse button or Ctrl key. It doesn't do a lot of damage, but it doesn't cost ANY voodoo to use. It is considered a combat skill. The fact it doesn't use any voodoo is key as when you do run low on voodoo using the spells you can always blast the end of an enemy or just use blast for a few seconds while you recharge your voodoo for more damage on those higher spells. Like all of the directional staff attacks it damages anything in the line of sight when you use it. This means if you have a couple of enemy in front of you it does damage to both without penalty! (it doesn't divide up a total amount of damage, each gets the same damage as if you hit just one). This is what makes the staff the most damaging weapon in the game.
The spells of the voodoo staff:
First of all, the spells work differently than the doll. With the doll you can cast any spell instantly, but you have a set amount of time to wait for each to be available again. With the staff you have to hold down the left mouse button or the Ctrl key until the meter is fully charged and THEN let go to cast that spell.
If you let go of the key before the meter is full the spell fizzles and you do no damage. You must learn this fundamental difference before you get into the higher spells. Each spell has a different amount of voodoo it uses (gets higher each higher level spell) and each has a different amount of charge time before casting it.
The entry level spell is called
Soul Flay.
unidirectional with a narrow line of effect in front of you. It does travel a significant distance in front of you.
Damage is limited on this one, but given how fast it charges it may be of some use to add a point or two to it.
Pestilence
unidirectional with a fatter line of effect, but shorter distance vs soul flay.
The damage is higher than soul flay, however the charge time is as much as higher spells that do more damage. It does acid damage which keeps hurting the victim over time which gets higher as you add more to it. I'd still say this spell isn't worth it IMO and I wish I could take back the two points I put in it.
Wither
Omnidirectional with a medium area of effect.
This is a fairly wicked attack that uses a lot of graphics (may cause severe lag in big battles), but does damage to anything close to you. Note that it will wake up enemy near you if you haven't already attacked them so be carefull using it in populated areas. In my opinion it is worth having 5 dots on this one.
Flame Skull
Unidirectional with a fairly wide area of effect that goes a long way provided you are aiming up. If you face toward the ground the graphics at least go shorter, unknown if it actually reduces distance as well.
While this only goes in one direction, it can harm most things directly by you in almost a 180 degree area and can do massive damage in anything else behind them. This spell does take a lot of voodoo (150 without reduction on passive skills) and takes a long time to charge, but just lays waste to most of the things in front of you. This spell not only looks cool, but does so much damage that it is well worth having 5 dots in it, provided you spent the time working up your voodoo and have enough to cast it a few times. This spell also goes farther away than your pistol, throwing daggers, or any other distance weapon you have. It just is the best thing in the game IMO.
Banish
Unidirectional and I haven't used it much, but seems to not go very far, but does more damage as a base than other lower spells.
The problem with this spell is it takes a VERY long time to charge and only works on undead. Add that is uses well over 200 voodoo each shot (I have a 4% reduction on all spells and it uses 201 for me, you do the math lol) and I just can't see me spending skill points more on this. Your milage may vary and perhaps I'll change my mind later, but for now I tried it, like the graphics on the top of the staff, but won't use it much (if any).
The last spell is called
Desolation
Omnidirectional and the graphics kind of look like a tornado or whirlwind from the center out. It seems to hit a larger area than wither and like it, goes out in all directions from the person casting it. It takes a VERY long time to charge it and it uses a ton of voodoo (288 for me after my 4% reduction). The base damage shows 446-892 with just the one dot so I can only imagine what it will take out with 5 dots. You should know that it damages you as well as everything around you. Takes almost 2/3 of my health at level 33 as well as using about 3/4 of my voodoo. I can't see using this as more than a novelty.
Now that I've had time to try out all the spells and get to know them, I'd say the only ones worth moving to 5 dots are Wither and Flameskull. Both of these are the ones you will use over and over again. The others are more for show. Also bulk up the first passive to at least 4 or 5 dots. I have it at 4 right now and my voodoo really does regenerate pretty fast (40% faster).
Passive Skills
This weapon has some very cool passive skills, but the most important one is the first one available. These are listed in order of availability.
Concentration
This skill increases the rate of voodoo replenishment by 10% each skill point! If you are going to focus on spell casting, this is a must fill element. I have 3 in it right now and will likely fill it before I max out. You just can't get enough voodoo for these spells and this is the way to go to get more.
Spirit Lore
Increases casting speed on the voodoo staff by 4% (the only point I have in it was 4%, not sure if it adds 4% more each point added). Speed helps, but not sure if this is the best use of points all things considered.
Conservation
Decreases the amount of voodoo needed for both staff and doll by 4%. Again, only put one point in it so not sure if it is 4% per additional point. This is another way to help stretch out your casting ability and may be worth a point or two if you are a serious spell caster.
Spirit Mastery
Increase damage for both staff and doll by 5%. Enough said on that one? Again, an interesting chance to add more power to both kinds of spell casting, but how much would you spend on it?
It seems that there are so many options on both spells and passive skills that trying to figure out how you will spend all your skill points will be a challenge and very much a matter of your preference and useage.
Overall the staff is the most powerful weapon in the game and the graphics are outstanding. Everyone will want it and the info here will hopefully help you decide how best to prepare for it and spend points on it while leveling it up.
Happy hunting all!