When dialogue is started, the Aspiring Mage will say that he is "focusing his magic." While not equipped, it is obvious that the Aspiring Mage has a staff. The staff can be acquired through persuasion (Speech 50), intimidation, bribery, or just killing him, in which case he will hand it over, commenting that the staff's magic has been used up and that it is now just a dumb wooden stick, anyway. It is possible to pickpocket the staff from him if the Misdirection perk has been acquired. It is also possible to recover the staff from his corpse. Killing the Aspiring Mage will give the Dragonborn a bounty in Whiterun should someone witness the murder.