Staff of the elements

A staff of the elements is charged by the life force of an elemental trapped within it. When all the staff's charges are used, the elemental within dies and the staff becomes dormant. If a dormant staff is used to successfully strike an elemental, it is possible for the elemental to be absorbed into the staff, thereby recharging the device. It is possible to absorb an elemental only if the staff is dormant. Only one elemental may be held in the staff at one time.

The staff holds the following powers that do not drain charges; each may be used once per day even if the staff does not hold an elemental: affect normal fires, detect elementals within a 100-foot radius, fools' gold, metamorphose liquids, wall of fog.

An occupied staff has the powers listed below depending upon the type of elemental trapped within. Each requires the expenditure of one charge per use.

• Air elemental
  • One charge: stinking cloud, wind wall
  • Two charges: cloudkill, solid fog
  • Four charges: airboat, suffocate
• Earth elemental
  • One charge: dig, Maximilian's Stony Grasp
  • Two charges: passwall, transmute rock to mud
  • Four charges: crystalbrittle, stone to flesh (reversible)
• Fire elemental
  • One charge: fireball, pyrotechnics
  • Two charges: fire shield, wall of fire
  • Four charges: Forest's Fiery Constrictor, Malec-Keth's Flame Fist
• Water elemental
  • One charge: water breathing, watery double
  • Two charges: airy water, wall of ice
  • Four charges: Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting, transmute water to dust

The powers of a staff of the elements may be used only by an elementalist. Note that elementalists are restricted against the use of spells and magical items of the element that directly opposes their element of specialty. Thus, an elementalist specializing in water cannot use the staff's powers if it contains a fire elemental.

Using a staff of the elements can be dangerous. Each time a power is used that requires the expenditure of one or more charges, there is a small chance that the trapped elemental bursts forth, destroying the staff in the process. A successful dispel magic spell cast on the staff automatically releases the creature. An escaped elemental will certainly seek revenge against its tormentor.

Note: This item originally appeared in this form in the Tome of Magic for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.