BATON DES FRERES MARQUES: [S5] This wood staff (length varies), is usually
found marked with signs of chopping and sawing. The staff will always grow or
shrink (in 1d3 rounds) to exactly twice the height of the person holding it.
If the ends are cut off or if the staff is broken, the largest portion of the
staff will regenerate fully. One end of the staff detects traps by swinging to
point at the trap (range 10').
XP value: 1,750 gp value: 8,000
CATSTAFF: [S2] This item is a black, 7-foot-long staff of stout wood topped
with a sculpted knob resembling a cat's head. When carried on or strapped to
one's person, it imparts abilities related to silent movement and concealment.
The holder/bearer of a catstaff is able to climb walls (if both hands are free)
and move silently as a 9th level
thief, hide in shadows with a 94% chance of success, see with ultravision to a
60' range, and cast shadow six times per day. This shadow is a 1" radius globe
of semi-darkness centered on the staff; This gloom does not block infravision
or ultravision, and is negated by a light source within its confines. It can
be dispelled by magical (but not normal) light which touches its periphery, and
unless dispelled or canceled by the desire of the staff holder it remains in
effect for 2-4 turns. The shadow does not allow normal vision into or through
its area of effect, and as such serves as a defense against visual attacks
(gaze weapons, hypnotic and dazzling effects, and the like).
The catstaff is a magical weapon and can be used in combat as a normal
quarterstaff would be; however, it has no bonuses to hit or damage. It can be
employed as a weapon while any or all of its magical properties are being
utilized. The staff never makes any noise itself while tapping, scraping,
striking, or otherwise contacting any solid object. Many such staves contain
secret compartments for the carrying of small items such as thieve's tools,
spell components, magical tokens, and the like. If it is broken in two, all of
its magical properties are lost.
XP value: 6,000 gp value: 13,000
DEMON STAFF: [SH] This is a black leather-like staff, very strong, and carved
with disgusting scenes and vile runes. It allows the wielder to cause fear in
whomever it touches--no saving throw, inflict 4-24 hit points of damage which
can only be healed by the passage on 1 full day of time per hit point upon any
creatures it touches. It may also be used to call forth a Type I demon and/or
turn the holder into a Type III demon for five rounds. Each of these functions
operates but once per day.
XP value: 8,000 gp value: 35,000
NIDUS' WAND OF ENDLESS REPETITION: [SO] Named for the legendary mage who by
its use gave us the oath "Nidus' Curse!", examples of this device typically
have only 4d12 charges when found. The art of its fabrication is lost and has
not yer been rediscovered. Upon command, this wand emits a grey cone of light,
range 4", diameter at maximum range: 1.5". This cone may be continually
maintained at a cost of 1 charge per round. Creatures caught in its light are
allowed a saving throw.
Anyone affected by the wand is forced to endlessly repeat actions taken
during the preceding 2 rounds (or at least mimic them, as in the case of a
spellcaster, who woould continuously try to cast a particular spell even after
his components and magic are exhausted). This automaton-style cycle of 2 rounds
of action, 2 rounds of the same actions in reverse to the starting position
once again, and so on continues until a dispel magic, remove curse, or a
limited (or full) wish is cast upon the victim. Even if the victim should die
from lack of food and water, or of damage inflicted by passing creatures, the
corpse endlessly repeats the cycle of action until it falls apart.
XP value: 3,500 gp value: 25,000
ROD OF MANY THINGS: [S1] This magical wand of silver may be commanded to turn
into any 15 of the items listed on the chart below, and will stay that way
until commanded to become a rod again. To change into something the owner must
give a mental command naming the object desired, or the mental command 'do
something'. If the rod is ordered into something which it cannot become, then
the user must make a save vs. spell or suffer 2-12 points of electrical damage.
For the rod to go from one shape to another, the object must first be
commanded into
rod form and then into the other shape. Since the rod is made of silver, any
creature vulnerable to silver weapons may be damaged by the rod in weapon form.
Although the rod has no + to hit or damage it may also be used to attack
creature hit only by +1 weapons or better.
Possible objects:
Dice roll Item formed Dice roll Item formed
01-04 Axe, hand 51 Jo stick
05-06 Broom 52-53 Lance, light
07 Bo stick 54-57 Mace, footman's
08-09 Cable, 50' 58 Needle
10 Candlestick 59-61 Oar
11 Club 62 Pick, footman's
12-13 Crowbar 63-65 Poker, fireplace
14-16 Dagger 66-67 Pole, 10'
17-19 Dart 68-69 Scimitar
20-21 Flail, footman's 70-71 Spade
22-24 Fork, dinner 72-75 Spear
25-27 Fork, hay 76-78 Staff, quarter
28-30 Fork, military 79-80 Sword, bastard
31-32 Guisarme 81-83 Sword, broad
33-36 Halberd 84-89 Sword, long
37-41 Hammer 90-93 Sword, short
42-46 Hoe 94-95 Sword, 2-handed
47-48 Hoof pick 96-98 Trident
49-50 Javelin 99-00 Toothpick
XP value: 7,500 gp value: 25,000
ROD OF MELTING: [S2] This item is usable by a member of any character class,
is the bane of all magical swords, particularly those with innate intelligence.
It destroys magical swords through heat, which an intelligent sword will
perceive as pain. If used to destroy a sword when not in combat, the user
simply touches the rod to the sword and gives the command words to activate it.
If the sword fails a saving throw vs. disintegration (as hard metal), the
sword grows rapidly hotter until it melts into white hot slag within a single
round. Anyone touching the hot slag or holding the sword as it melts takes
4-16 hp damage (save vs. wands for half damage).
In combat, the wielder of the rod must concentrate on striking the
opponents sword, which is considered to have a base AC 0 (with bonuses for
magical protective devices applicable, such as from a ring of protection, but
not from bracers of defense). Any misses against the sword will not strike the
sword's wielder.
If a sword is struck while in combat, it gains a +2 bonus to its saving
throw due to the circumstances of combat. If the save fails, however, the
sword quickly accumulated dangerous thermal energy, and the wielder will take
damage noted above and drop the weapon. The sword will often spray the 5' area
around it with sparks and lights as it melts, though this display is not
dangerous. A sword with speech capability will emit a death shriek that will
deafen all within 30' of it for 1-6 turns, if the affected creatures fail to
save vs. wands.
There is a 5% chance per ego point a sword possesses that it will explode
when it fails to save against the rod of melting. Such a blast will cause 1 hp
damage per ego point the sword possessed to all beings within 30' of it. If
this occurs, the rod must save vs. disintegration (as hard metal), or it, too,
will be destroyed by backfiring thermal energy, forcing its wielder to take
damage and drop it as well.
A rod of melting has at most 50 charges, and cannot be recharged. Each
time it forces a sword to save against its melting power, whether the sword is
destroyed or not, a charge is used for every point of ego
that the sword possesses (or for the total to hit bonus the sword possesses at
its greatest effect, if it is not intelligent). The rod will not affect
non-magical swords or any other magical or non-magical weapons or items. If
used against a living creature, it may be treated as a jo stick for damage. It
has no effect at all against iron golems.
XP value: 3,000 gp value: 12,000
SPECTRE WAND: [SN] This wand only operates in the hands of a necromancer (or
death master). It fires a jet black ray to a range of 180 feet. A hit by the
ray is determined as if the intended victim had been attacked by a 6 HD monster
vs. the target's frontal armor class (assuming the target is facing the weilder
of the wand). If theis roll to hit is not made, there is no effect. If the
ray does hit, the target takes 1-8 points of damage (no saving throw), and that
many points are drained permanently from the figure's hit-point total. The wand
takes 1 segment to fire, and can have from 1 to 50 charged when found, and
cannot be recharged. The victim can only regain lost hit points in only one of
three ways: limited wish (2-8 points), restoration (2-12 points), wish (3-18
points). Once the victim gains a new level of experience, lost hit points that
have not yet been regained are forever lost.
XP value: 2,500 gp value: 10,500
STAFF OF ADJUSTMENT: [S5] This staff is of dark polished wood. It will always
be just the right size for the cleric holding it. In the hands of a good
cleric it heals 1d6 per round or touch which ever is latest to anyone (but the
cleric) who touches it. In the hands of an evil cleric it does 1d6 points of
damage. In the hands of a neutral (lawful, true, or chaotic) is glows bright
green--and so does the cleric, for 1d6 hours. It uses charges, and can be
recharged.
XP value: 1,500 gp value: 8,000
STAFF OF THE COUATL: [S9] The Staff of the Couatl is a device much appreciated
and used by good clerics, particularly those who worship the few good aligned
deities of the Central American mythos. The lawful neutral clerics of
Quetzalcouatl, however, may use staves of this sort normally.
A Staff of the Couatl is about 7' long, with the top 3' of the staff
fashioned in the shape of a winged couatl. Such staves are usually made from
precious materials such as ivory over a silver core, and are magically
strengthend so they can be used in combat (as quarterstaves). This powerful
staff has the following abilities:
1. It can be used to summon one couatl per month to serve the needs of
the cleric possessing the staff. The couatl will have randomly determined hit
points and psionic abilities. It will fight on behalf of the summoning cleric
until the opponent is vanquished or escapes, or until the user of the staff
commands the attack to cease. If the couatl is summoned to fight against
insurmountable odds, or if the combat does not seem to be favoring the side of
the couatl and the cleric, the couatl will wrap its tail around the cleric and
transport both of them to a place of safety elsewhere on the Prime Material
Plane (by traveling through the Ethereal Plane). This destination is not under
the control of the cleric. In any event, the couatl will vanish back to the
Ethereal Plane 5-8 turns after being summoned, or sooner if the cleric commands
it. This power may only be used by lawful good clerics or clerics who worship
Quetzalcoatl.
2. So long as the staff is carried, the cleric gains a +2 bonus to his
saving throw vs. magical effects in general, and a +4 bonus to
his save vs. all poisons. These bonuses are cumulative with those offered by
other devices, as per a ring of protection.
3. The staff may be used to effect the casting of certain spells: detect
evil and snake charm each three times per day; neutralize poison and sticks to
snakes each once per day; and wind walk once per week. All spell effects are
at the 8th level of ability.
4. The staff is +1 to hit and damage when used in combat.
A non-good, neutral-aligned cleric (lawful neutral, chaotic neutral, or
neutral evil) who grasps the staff will not be harmed, but cannot use any of
its powers (except for clerics of Quetzalcoatl, as noted for power #1). An
evil cleric who picks it up will take 2-5 points of damage each round the staff
is held. If a cleric of Tezcatlipoca, Quetzalcoatl's chief rival, is struck by
or picks up this staff, all damage received is doubled, and that cleric must
save vs. poison each round the staff is grasped or be slain.
XP value: 7,500 gp value: 20,000
STAFF OF ETHEREAL ACTION: [SO] Also known as the blink staff, this item
appears to be a nromal wooden staff, but when a command word is spoken, it
allows the holder to blink, as in the spell, for a cumulative period of up to 2
turns per day. In battle the blinking stops (and begins again) in one segment
upon the holder's command.
The staff is a +1 weapon, and is able to strike cretures on the ethereal
plane (such as couatl, ghosts, phase spiders, and characters using armor or oil
of etherealness), as well as those on the Prime Material.
This staff neither has nor uses charges.
XP value: 7,000 gp value: 15,000
STAFF OF SKULLS: [SO] This staff, usable by all classes, can animate skeletal
remains. Each such operation, triggered by the word "Arise!", drains 1 charge.
Animated skeletons are under the command of the wielder of the staff (cf.
animate dead spell). If the staff should change hands, control of the
skeletons goes with it. Skeletons need not be complete, but the skulls must be
present, and skeletons lacking parts of course have their actions and/or their
mobility impaired. Such animation is permanent, lasting until the magic is
dispelled or the skeletons destroyed.
Twenty-five percent of these staves have a secondary function: mending
broken bones of both living and dead creatures. This takes one charge, and in
a round will reattach a severed limb or digit, although it does not restore
lost hp due to the wounds (or can restore hp, DMO). Limbs or bones not
belonging to the recipient may be used; thus a heap of bones can serve as
"spare parts" for a guard of skeletons. Typically, these staves are of ebony
topped with an ivory skull, or constructed of a smooth-polished skull and a
thighbone of giant size.
XP value: 900 gp value: 15,000(25% 25,000)
STAFF OF SPELL FOCUSING: [S1] This staff aids in the casting of a magic-user's
or illusionist's spells, and makes the magic more effective if the spell is
cast successfully. It must be held in the caster's left hand (or right if
left-handed) throughout the casting of the spell, whether or not the magic
requires a somatic component. (Any gestures requiring movement of the left hand
are automatically modified by the staff if necessary.)
When properly employed, the staff of spell focusing causes the target(s)
of a spell to suffer a -4 penalty on the saving throw against the magic, if a
saving throw is normally allowed. If the
spell does not allow a saving throw, the duration of its effect is increased by
50% of the normal time. This effect does not apply to spells with a
nonspecific duration or to those that have a permanent duration.
Each use of the staff, for either purpose, expends one charge from the
item. It can be recharged. If the holder of the staff tries to enhance a
spell that cannot be affected (such as hallucinatory terrain, which allows no
saving throw and has a non-specific duration), the staff simply fails to
function and a charge is not wasted.
The staff of spell focusing can only be used in this manner by a
magic-user or illusionist. It can be wielded as a weapon by characters able to
employ a quarterstaff, but grants no combat bonuses and has no magical
properties.
XP value: 6,000 gp value: 25,000
WAND OF ARMORY: [S7] When touched to a target creature (or activated upon the
wielder's person), this wand causes the recipient to be enveloped from head to
foot, and on all sides, by an invisible field, magical field of force which
slows and deflects physical attacks so as to afford the equivalent of armor
class 0 protection.
This field of force can be destroyed by dispel magic, limited wish,
disintegrate (which will not affect the protected person, however) or similar
magic, but otherwise lasts for 6 rounds. During this time it absorbs magic
missiles and all electrical attacks (including magical ones) so that they do no
harm to the wearer--or to anything else coming into coming with the field--but
otherwise do not affect spells cast into, or out of, its confines. The 'force
armor' may be cast over and in addition to real, physical armor worn by a
target, and will completely cover any M or S size creature (who need not be
conscious, alive, or even willing to be so protected; no saving throw allowed).
Size L creatures will have only their heads and torsos protected by the fields
of force. All classes may use this wand, which may not be recharged. Each use
of the wand (only one use per round is possible) drains one charge.
XP value: 2,000 gp value: 7,000
WAND OF BACKFIRING: [S5] These wands resemble the normal wand and are tapered
toward one end. It is often difficult to determine the function of a found
wand--except by trying it. These wands function as normal wands EXCEPT that
the discharge is from the thick end rather than from the thin end. This is
often hazardous to the unwary user. The more common models of these wands are
constructed in such a way that anyone grasping the wand will know its basic
function--but not which end it fires from. It is believed that these wands
were originally conceived by an inept mage but later copied by intent.
All standard saves apply in addition to the special dexterity saves given
below. The most common varieties are:
1) WAND OF MAGIC MISSILES--This wand will fire three magic missiles per
charge expended.
2) WAND OF LIGHTNING BOLTS--Fires one lightning bolt per charge expended.
(Mis)User must save on dex -10; if he saves, anyone behind him must save on
dexterity normally.
3) WAND OF FIREBALLS--Fires one fireball per charge. (Mis)User must save
on dex -10; if he saves, anyone behind him must save on dexterity with no
minuses.
4) WAND OF COLD--Fires a cone of cold and the user has no dexterity save;
anyone behind him must save on dex at -10.
5) WAND OF PARALYZATION--Fires a beam that will paralyze the user (no dex
save) as the wand of paralyzation. For anyone standing behind, save on dex
-10.
6) WAND OF POLYMORPH--Only a save vs. polymorph is allowed. If it is
failed, the (mis)user is polymorphed into what he wished the opponent to
become.
XP value: wand norm +300(for finding fault) gp value: as wand of type
WAND OF FOG: [SF] When activated, this wand creates 1,000 cubic feet of fog
per round for 7-12 rounds, as per the first-level illusionist spell wall of
fog. Such usage drains the wand of one charge. The initial 10' x 10' x 10'
cube can be centered on any area within his range of vision. On subsequent
rounds, additional cubes of fog can be created in adjacent 10' x 10' x 10'
areas as willed by the wand user. Each fog cube persists for one turn after its
creation. The wand is usable by all classes and may be recharged by an
illusionist of 12th level or higher level. It can hold up to 100 charges.
XP value: 1,750 gp value: 8,000
WAND OF HOMING FIREBALLS: [S5] This wand is most often red and decorated with
flaming arrows and shoots and ordinary fireball, except that detonation is
delayed 2d4 rounds and it will home on whatever target the user names. Range
60', move 8. If the fireball cannot find a target that fits the name the user
gave (and it can be very pedantic), it returns to the user for further
instructions. . .but still explodes at the end of the 2d4 rounds, wherever it
is. . .cannot be deactivated. . .
XP value: 3,000 gp value: 19,000
WAND OF MAGICAL MIRRORS: [S7] Activation of this wand creates an opaque,
silvery, and reflective circular shield of force. This shield appears wherever
the wand is pointing, 1" distant from the wielder of the wand, facing outward.
Its surface will reflect images (including the gaze of the catoblepas and
basilisk) like a mirror; the wand wielder can look through the mirror as though
it was a window without suffering any harm from such attacks--and when viewed
through the shield, things appear as they truly are: illusions are invisible;
creatures or items disguised by magic, mutable form, or invisibility (e.g.,
dopplegangers, shapechanged individuals, leprechans, demodands, and devils) are
revealed in true aspect; and so forth.
The mirror-shield lasts for 3-8 rounds (at random) and moves as the
wielder moves the point of the wand. Each wand can only have one shield created
from it in existence at a time (the first shield will instantly vanish if a
second is created). The caster need not concentrate on the shield to maintain
its existence, and can even put the wand down or pass the wand to another (who
thereby assumes the control of the mirror) to engage in spell casting or other
activities.
The shield has no tangible physical existence; it can neither ward off
attacks or be used as a weapon. Creatures pass through it as though it does
not exist. It will, however, reflect color spray spells back at the caster,
and harmlessly dispel darkness and prismatic spheres, sprays, or walls upon
contact. A dispel magic, limited wish, wish, or alter reality will destroy
such a shield; it cannot otherwise be affected. Each creation of such a shield
drains one charge from the wand, and such wands are not rechargeable.
Magic-users, illusionists, clerics, and druids may use this wand.
XP value: 1,000 gp value: 4,000
WAND OF OPENING: This wand is usually thin and made of wood. When this is
struck against a lock, bound, tied, etc. object, it will cause the object to be
opened, untied, or otherwise unbound. This effect is similar to the knock
spell.
XP value: 750 gp value: 1,550
WAND OF TEETH: [S7] This wand is not rechargeable; it calls forth a certain
number of 'teeth,' one per charge, firing not more than one tooth per round, at
targets up to 7" distant. The missiles it fires are daggerlike wedges or
blades of force that coalesce out of nothingness (actually from material and
kinetic energy drawn from the Positive Material Plane) within 1 segment of
activation, and in the next segment flash arrow-straight from the tip of the
wand to the extent of the wand's range, passing through everything in their
paths except spheres of annihilation, prismatic shperes, shield spells, and
walls or cubes of force, all of which swallow or absorb them. A forcecage
spell, or an existing armor (as in the 1st-levl magic-user spell, or that
caused by a wand of armory) will deflect a tooth.
A strike by a tooth does 4-14 (2 + 2d6) points of damage (save vs. spell
will reduce damage by half), and strikes (as though a hand weapon directly
wielded by the wand bearer) at +2 to hit. Solid rock will deflect a tooth; any
other material will be struck and damaged by it, although magic items cause any
plus they possess to be subtracted from the tooth's to hit roll. Wind wall and
gust of wind spells, and similar air disturbances (such as those caused by wind
walkers and air elementals) have no effect on the flight of he tooth. All
classes can employ this wand.
XP value: 1,500 gp value: 5,000
WAND OF TEMPORAL STATUS: This wand allows the wielder to place any one
creature in suspended animation, until a dispel magic spell or the reverse
(temporal reinstatement) is cast. The effect is the same as the 9th level
magic user's spell. The command word are invisibly graven into the side of the
wands which remain invisible until a detect magic is used on the wand. The
wand can only put one creature at a time into the magical state. That is to
say, once a bugbear has been magically frozen in time,, the wand cannot put
another creature into that state until the bugbear has been released. One end
of the wand (usually the thinner end) casts the spell, the other end (thick
end) uncasts it. One charge is used for each casting, and uncasting is free if
the status was cast by the wand, other wise uncasting costs one charge.
XP value: 3,000 gp value: 10,000
WAND OF THE UNDEAD: [SJ] This wand resembles the wand of Orcus, but it is
smaller. The wand of the undead acts as an unholy symbol, but any undead
pressed into service will serve for 1-6 months rather than 1-6 weeks at a time.
XP value: 5,000 gp value: 40,000
WAND OF VISCID GLOBS: [SH] This item is a metallic baton which upon expending
a charge will shoot one blob that covers an area of 4 feet with a gummy
substance which adheres various things together--hands to items held, arms to
shields, members to bodies. That is, whatever is covered by it will stick
permanently to any other such object. It is cut by alcohol, however. The wand
has a range of 6". The bond of the blob is stronger than the substances
bonded, and very strong creatures can tear themselves apart trying to get free
is enough is exerted. A saving throw applied (but blobs that miss must hit
somewhere!).
XP value: 9,000 gp value: 50,000
WANDS OF WHIPS: This wand shoots forth a whip-shaped field of white,
shimmering magical force to a maximum (horizontal and vertical) range of 7".
The wielder of the wand, as he activates the wand, names, looks at, or
concentrates upon a specific target creature or automaton (i.e., golem, undead,
homonculous or the like), and the whip attacks this creature and this creature
only. The whip remains in existance for 4 rounds; if the target is beyond 7"
from the wand when it is cast, the whip will flash instantly (in 1 segment) to
the limit of its range, at the point closest to the target, and hang
motionless, waiting; it will attack only if the target enters its range.
Otherwise, the whip strikes once per round, as Quaal's feather token does: at
+1 to hit and on damage, doing 2-7 points of damage per strike, and binding
fast an opponent if a save vs. spell is not made after each successful strike.
Once a whip has bound an opponent, the wand wielder cannot release it to
strike again. The whip cannot change targets. A whip may follow an opponent
that it has successfully struck at least once beyond 7", moving with the
target, even if the target teleports, plane shift, blinks, enters a rock or
plant, etc. The whip can hit invisible and ethereal (but not astral) creatures
without penalty. The wand of whips may be recharged. Any class may wield it.
XP value: 1,500 gp value: 4,000
SCEPTER OF DEFENSE: [S9] The Scepter of Defense is a rod like instrument about
3' long, with a handgrip on one end. It may be use by all fighter classes,
clerics, druids, thieves, assassins, and monks as a parrying device. When it
is used in combat against a human, demi-human, or humaniod opponent, the
scepter may be wielded to cause all attakcs against the user to be made at a -4
penalty to hit. The scepter can parry two attacks in one melee rouund,
regardless of the user's level, so long as the attacks come from the user's
front and sides. Attacks made from the rear cannot be parried.
The scepter is useless as a parrying implement against non-humanoid
creatures like dragons or black puddings, against blows from humanoid creatures
larger than an ogre, and agianst attacks from creatures using weaponless combat
(such as ogrillions, trolls, or wrestlers).
The user's strength bonus to hit (if any) may be subtracted from the
opponent's chance to hit the scepter's wielder. No sort of attack can be made
in the same ound that the scepter is used as a parying device.
The scepter will function as a +1 club if used offensively. And, so long
as it is carried, it confires a +1 bonus to the holder's
saving throw vs. all magical effects. This bonus is cumulative with other
saving throw bonuses, as per a ring of protection.
XP value: 1,000 gp value: 4,000