Implement Bonus

Beginning at 1st level, while wielding a rod, staff, or wand, you gain an implement bonus to all of your to-hit rolls with all Melee Touch Attacks and Ranged Touch Attacks. This bonus does not apply to any normal (non-touch) attacks you make. This bonus can only be applied to spells or spell-like abilities that you cast, and that require a touch attack.

The implement bonus is equal to +1 at 1st level, and increases by an additional +1 per 4 class levels, dropping fractions, to a maximum of +9 at level 33 (i.e. +2 at 5th, +3 at 9th, +4 at 13th, +5 at 17th, +6 at 21st, +7 at 25th, +8 at 29th, and +9 at 33rd). Note that, if you multi-class into another class that also gets this bonus, the class levels stack for purposes of calculating this bonus.

If you are not actively wielding a rod, staff, or wand, you do not get this bonus.

Furthermore, casters can flick, twirl, or swoosh a wielded rod, staff, or wand to complete the somatic gestures of any spells they cast, in place of using their empty hand(s). That is, these implements count as an empty hand for purposes of completing somatic gestures.

When wielding a magic staff in both hands, a caster need only have material components in a readily available storage location (like a Component Pouch). The staff will draw out the components as part of casting the spell, eliminating the need for the caster to pause in wielding the staff to draw the component themselves. This only works if the component is in an accessible place that could normally be pulled from as part of casting a spell. If the component is tucked away in a backpack, stored in a portable hole, or left in the caster's room back in town, the staff has no power to pull components from there.