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[Tomax]

Eleanor's Dragon Staff

Lore: The Dragon Staff is a major artifact which was created by Eleanor during her mortal life, at the time of the Thayvian civil war. The Dragon Staff's purpose is to summon and control dragons, so they may have served Eleanor in that war. It was also to be used as a weapon against Tiamat, when Eleanor was ready to take Tiamat's power for herself. The staff was created with powerful arcane and psychic magic. Aided by the mind mage Loco and the goddess Tiamat, Eleanor was successful in the staff's creation, but because of the other two influences, the staff did not turn out exactly the way Eleanor had plan. The staff was lost shortly after its creation and now has become a thing of legend. The faithful of Eleanor are consistently searching for this unholy artifact as well as the faithful of Tiamat and the Cult of the Dragon. Many have come to believe that the staff is being shielded by a god, for it is believed by many, that if Eleanor was ever to be reunited with her creation, she would be able to challenge the gods and spark a Godwar that could destroy the Realms.
Description: This potent staff is made of black, blue, green, red and white dragon bones inter-woven and inscribed with sigils and runes of all types. Topped with a dragon's claw made of electrum holding a black night opal with the soul of an ancient shadow dragon trapped within.
Personality: The staff is neutral evil and intelligent (Int 16, Wis 13, Cha 15, Ego 40) and is capable of using its abilities to promote its own self interests. The Dragon staff has a strong sense of nationalism and believes strongly in a untied Thayian Empire, an Empire in which it believes that only Tiamat and her dragons can secure. The staff has a strong ego and sees itself as the mastermind behind any plan that the wielder of the staff may come to realize.
Powers: The wielder of the Dragon Staff can dominate any evil dragon within 500 feet (as dominate monster), the dragon is force to make a DC 30 Will save to resist. (Spell resistance is not useful against this effect). The staff bestows upon the wielder SR30, Darkvision 60ft., and low-light vision, the ability to manifest ego whip at will, immunity to all forms of divinations (consent Mind Blink effect active at all times), energy drain, magic sleep effects and paralysis effects. In addition the staff manifests a consent Intellect Fortress power that is in affect at all times, but it only protects the wielder.
The Dragon Staff can be used as a Quarterstaff to attack as a +6 Unholy Power of Dread vs. Dragons (or any creature with the dragon sub-type). The Dragon Staff can communicate, and gives its wielder the ability to do so, verbally with any dragon or dragon-kind. The owner of the staff knows whether there are dragons (or any creature with the dragon sub-type) within 10 miles at all times. That range is increase to within 100 miles if the dragon is evil. If within 1 mile the staff wielder can determine the exact location and age of the creature. The staff has 50 charges which can be used to cast the following spells.
These spells do not use charges:
- detect magic
- feather fall
- mage armor
- shield
The following powers drain 1 charge:
- acid storm
- cloudkill
- cone of cold
- fire ball
- lightning bolt
- protection from energy
The following powers drain 2 charges:
- plane shift
- overland flight
The following abilities are unique and drain 3 charges:
- Dragon Call: This ability can only be used 1/day. When activated one old or two mature adult evil dragons within the area will answer the call. They will obey the wielder of the Dragon staff and do one task that they are given to the best of their ability. This use of the staff is a Calling effect.

Dragon Swarm: This ability can only be used 1/week and requires 5,000 xps. This power opens a portal to Heliopolis, home plane of Tiamet, at which time 2d4 adult chromatic dragons appear. Ten minutes later, 1d4 old chromatic dragons appear. Ten minutes after that, one very old dragon will appear. There is a 20% chance that Tiamet herself will appear, if she so wills and if she does than she, not the staff wielder is in control of the dragons. Each dragon has maximum hit points. Once they appear they will serve the wielder for the duration of the power which is 10 minutes per level of the wielder. This use of the staff is a Calling effect.

As mentioned above the Dragon staff gives the wielder spell resistance. If this resistance is willingly lowered, however, the staff can also be used to absorb arcane spell energy directed at its wielder, as a rod of absorption does. Unlike the rod, this staff converts spell levels into charges rather than retaining them as spell energy. It can only do this until it has absorb enough energy to recharge itself. After that this ability is inactive.

Curse: Whenever the staff is used it creates a wild magic effect, centered on the wielder. Any spell or spell-like ability that the wielder uses is vulnerable to the effects of wild magic. (Wild magic does not affect supernatural, extraordinary, or natural abilities, nor does it effect the abilities of the staff.) The wielder must roll a caster level check (DC20+ spell level)or suffer the effects of a wild surge. Furthermore, this wild magic has a unique influence on probability, creating a flux within the laws of probability, which usually results in bad luck for the wielder. This has no direct game effect, this is mostly a situational effect that is to be determine by the DM. The wielder of Eleanor's Dragon staff will earn the enmity forever of all dragonkind for profiting by the enslavement of one of their kin, even if the wielder later loses the item.