Larian Studios Forums Divinity: Original Sin 2 Divinity - Original Sin 2 - Suggestions and Feedback Staff buff and elemental splash on hit.

Enrage can make the enemy's resistance negative. Effects like warm also reduce resistances. There could be other items and skills allowing to do so. You can also trigger additional damage effects like while using a fire staff against a poisoned enemy.

I played a fire/earth/warfare character with a staff and was managing to solo fights since level 4, although I used Enrage only on myself.

To sum up, staffs could be a really powerful tool if being used in synergy with game mechanics and especially against enemies with low magic armour.

As for the splash damage, I just did not notice it. It might have been an older game version.