Campaign Design - Spells: Darkstaff

Darkstaff (adapted from Relics & Rituals)
Necromancy

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal

Target, Effect, or Area: One staff

Duration: 1 round per caster level

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The spell creates a writhing black, staff-shaped object in the caster's hands. Those touched by the staff with a successful touch attack are subject to its effects.

If the victim fails a Fortitude saving throw, roll 1d100, consult the following table and apply the effects.

Roll	Effect
01-25	1d6 hit points drained from the victim and added to the caster
26-50	3d6 hit points drained from the victim and added to the caster
51-75	3d6 hit points drained from the victim and added to the caster. 1 negative level is drained from the victim and added to the caster
76-90	4d6 hit points drained from the victim and added to the caster. 1d4 negative levels are drained from the victim and added to the caster
91-99	6d6 hit points drained from the victim and added to the caster. 1d6 negative levels are drained from the victim and added to the caster
00	All the victim's levels and hit points drained and absorbed by the caster. Victim is comatose and reduced to 0 level and 0 hit points

Hit points drained are added to the caster as temporary hit points and may be healed as normal by the victim. The caster may never gain more hit points from a victim than he has to offer (the victim's normal total plus a negative total equal to its Constitution score). The caster's temporary hit points fade one hour after being drained from the victim.

Energy drain effects and recovery are described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The darkstaff caster may gain extra temporary levels through the use of the spell, but these vanish when the spell's duration expires. The caster cannot gain more effective levels than he had to begin with - i.e. a level 16 caster cannot gain more than 16 effective levels, giving him 32 levels for the spell's duration. Each level gained provides 5 temporary hit points (similar to hit points gained above) and a +1 to all skill and ability checks, attacks, and saving throws. No new spells, feats, or skills are gained based on the new levels, though for purposes of determining caster level, the temporary levels are added.

Material component: A small piece of dark-colored wood.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List