The Rod of Seven Parts is a 5-foot-long black, unadorned pole, broken into pieces measuring 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 15 inches in length. The parts fit together in order of ascending length; the 4-inch tip (which resembles a short wand) is the thinnest part, the 15-inch head is the widest, and the rest of the pieces broaden steadily from the tip to the head. The Rod originated in the GREYHAWK® world.

history

Eons ago, a great war was waged between the Wind Dukes of Aaqa (the guardians of Law) and the Queen of Chaos. Those polar forces each craved the annihilation of the other, and were so obsessed with enforcing their ideologies that they spared no thought for Good and Evil. For many years the balance of power shifted back and forth, and neither side could achieve the upper hand. Then the Queen of Chaos found and appointed a new commander: Miska the WolfSpider, who was so brutal and terrible to behold that the Queen also took him for her consort. With the arrival of the evil Miska, the forces of Chaos were bolstered and the Wind Dukes began to fear eventual defeat. Therefore, they left the Captains of Law to hold the line while they combined all of their powers and created a magnificent ebony rod. With the newly created artifact in hand, the Wind Dukes rejoined the war at the battle of Pesh. The Dukes gave the Rod to the Captains of Law and bade them vanquish Chaos. A fearsome battle raged for weeks, and the advantage shifted repeatedly between the foes. Finally, the Captains of Law surrounded the Wolf-Spider, and before the legions of Chaos could swarm to their leader's side, the Rod was driven through Miska's body. For a moment, every soldier stood terrified by the horrible scream of the general. Miska's foul blood covered the Rod and penetrated it as he writhed on the ground, and the magical forces of Law that had been infused into the Rod were combined with the essence of Chaos in Miska's blood, which ruptured the Rod and shattered it into seven pieces. Meanwhile, the Wolf-Spider was cast through a planar rip created by the explosion, and he remains lost on an unknown plane. The Queen's soldiers converged upon the site in an attempt to capture the parts of the Rod, but the Wind Dukes intervened and magically scattered the pieces across the world. Ever since that time, agents of the Queen have been ordered to seek out the Rod at any cost. It is rumored that if she regains all the parts, she can use the reconstructed Rod to find the Wolf-Spider and return him to her side, whereupon the wars will begin anew

campaign use

The DM may decide that the Rod of Seven Parts is best used by nonplayer characters, for he who uses the Rod suffers an immediate shift to an ultra-lawful alignment that would make a paladin seem unprincipled—Good and Evil become thoroughly irrelevant to the user, so long as Law is maintained. This renders most characters effectively unplayable, and few players will even want to attempt it. No adventure with the Rod is complete without the Queen of Chaos, who dwells upon the artifact. A campaign with the Rod would typically involve a clash between the PCs and agents of the Queen as pieces of the Rod begin to surface. Perhaps the PCs might "accidentally" find a piece of the Rod and then find themselves harassed by the soldiers of Chaos, who try to take it from them. The adventurers also might discover that agents of the Queen have acquired four segments of the Rod. To prevent war and a major shift in the balance of power, the party must either steal the recovered pieces or beat the Queen's servants to the next part.

powers

Constant. Each part of the Rod conveys an impression of the direction in which the next larger piece lies. Invoked. Each piece of the Rod has its own minor power: The 4-inch tip can cure light wounds (1/day), the 5-inch segment can slow (1/day, 23 rounds), the 6-inch part will haste (1/day, 23 rounds—owner doesn't age); the 8-inch piece can create a 10- by 200-yard gust of wind (5/day), the 10-inch part affords true seeing (1/day, 20 rounds),; the 12-inch segment can hold monster (1/day, 20 rounds), and the 15-inch part heals (1/day). Resonating. As the segments come together, the rod increases in power. The connected pieces still retain their minor powers, but a major power manifests with the addition of each part. Invoked major powers are cast at the 20th level. With two parts, the character can fly at will; three segments add 20% to the character's magic resistance; four segments allow the user to control winds (2/day); five pieces grant the power to shape change (2/day); six segments enable the owner to wind walk (1/day); and with the seventh and final piece assembled, the character can cast restoration (1/day). In addition, the fully assembled Rod radiates an aura of fearsome, icy Law, affecting anyone within a 20-foot radius. All enemies (as defined under Curse) who fail to successfully save vs. spell must flee in panic. Curse. Created to serve order, the Rod imme

suggested means of destruction

• All seven parts are simultaneously joined together in the improper order, resulting in a 7dl2 x 10 explosion.

• Turn the Rod over to the Queen of Chaos, who will attempt to pervert its nature and neutralize it in the process. (Characters who do this will not be treated with respect by the Queen.)

• Find Miska the Wolf-Spider and force both him and the Rod to enter the Plane of Concordant Opposition together.

Notes: originally comes from eldritch wizardry