In Elden Ring, staffs are the weapon type used to cast sorceries.
A compatible staff must be equipped to cast a memorized sorcery. The staff’s Intelligence scaling and unique properties can affect spell damage, while some specialized staffs boost particular schools of magic or impose other trade-offs. Players can cast by selecting a spell and pressing the appropriate attack input while the staff is equipped.
Sacred seals serve a similar role for incantations, not sorceries, which is the most common equipment mix-up. Sorceries generally draw on Intelligence, whereas incantations generally rely on Faith, Arcane, or other requirements depending on the spell and seal. Glintstone sorceries, gravity spells, and many other magical categories still use staffs when classified as sorceries.