It would probably be good for Battle Mage to not get Staff of the Magus since the battle mage will most likely never use a staff as the main weapon.. seems like it just wastes a skill slot for them early on
No it doesn't. Everyone gets 3 Skills to start out with. Mages get a fourth skill: Staff of Magus. Battlemages get that one to give them flexibility - they can either go for melee or ranged magic, although they should probably also start with a staff as well as a sword.
