If you get a chance to go on a hike, while you're out there roaming around you should take the opportunity to look for a good piece of wood for a magical staff. Ideally, you'll want to find a piece of wood that has already fallen from a tree -- do NOT cut a piece of wood from a live tree just because you think it would make a nice staff. A magical staff is typically long enough that you can hold it comfortably in your hand, vertically, and have it touch the ground. Your best bet is to find one that is between shoulder height and the top of your head. Hold the stick to see how it feels in your hand -- if it's too long, you can always trim it down. When it comes to diameter, you should be able to comfortably wrap your fingers around it. A one- to two-inch diameter is best for most people, but again, hold it and see how it feels.
Some people choose a specific type of wood based upon its magical properties. For example, if you wished to have a staff connected to power and strength, you might select oak. Another person might choose to use Ash instead, as it is strongly tied to magical workings and prophecy. There's no hard and fast rule, however, that you have to use a certain type of wood -- many people make a staff out of the stick that "felt right" to them. In some magical systems, it is believed that a tree limb felled by a storm is imbued with a great deal of magical power.
