Staff of Night (Magic Staff)

A staff of night is not (despite folk beliefs to the contrary) an evil item: like many staves, it has no alignment. Anyone taking hold of this staff is automatically afforded infravision to a range of 90'. By wordless mental command (at a cost of one charge), this Staff can dispel any magical spell radiance whose area of effect it contacts (light, continual light, or faerie fire, but not glowing magical auras, as from swords). Radiances of normally permanent duration return 1d4+1 turns after this function is exercised.
The bearer of a staff of night can also create darkness in a 10' radius sphere centered on the midpoint of the staff. The darkness is equal in effect to that created by the 2nd-level wizard spell darkness 15' radius, and it moves with the staff. This function costs one charge per use and can be ended by mental command of the bearer: it can also be continued indefinitely, even if the staff is no longer in contact with a living being.
Once every seven days, the greatest power of a staff of night may be used. When the bearer of the staff feels (by a faint, continuous tingling) that this power is ready, a command word is spoken to activate the power. Doing this drains six charges from the staff each time it is invoked. Within one round, an umber hulk appears. Il fights or otherwise performs at the staff bearer's bidding for three rounds, then vanishes again. The umber hulk always has 60+ hp and obeys diligently and loyally in undertaking even obviously dangerous tasks (if directly asked to harm itself, it does nothing). The bearer of the staff is rendered immune to the confusion power of the gaze of all umber hulks while the staff is held. If the umber hulk is slain while in service to the staff bearer, the staff instantly crumbles to dust, its power gone forever.
Lord Aumry of Shadowdale (husband of the “witch” Sylune) once bore such a staff. It was stolen from his tomb by Lashan of Scardale. Who is thought to be still alive and in hiding-he may well still have it.
Category:Encyclopedia Magica Magic Items
Category:Magic Items
Category:Magic Staves
Category:Magic Weapons