Khelben's Blackstaff

This is the unique spell that gave its creator, the archmage Khelben Arunson Waterdeep, his nickname. The magic causes any non-magical staff, club, piece of wood, or pole arm held by the caster to shimmer with a black, crawling radiance.

A weapon enchanted with Khelben's black-staff has the following properties: * It can never harm the caster or any other beings touching the staff during the casting of the spell. * It strikes as a +4 magical weapon to hit (no damage bonus). * Its touch drains 1 hit point automatically (the target gets a saving throw vs. death magic to avoid having this loss being permanent, unrecoverable except by use of a wish), plus 1d8 points of normal damage, regardless of the weapon's size and shape. * Its touch acts as a dispel magic spell (at the caster's level) on all magical barriers, weapons, or effects, at all times; the wielder cannot turn this power on and off. * Its touch causes mental damage (see table).

Blackstaff | Mental Damage -----------+----------------------------------------------------------------------- 1d100 | Effect 01-45 | Target unaffected 46-65 | Target confused (as the 4th-level wizard spell confusion) for 1d4 rds. 66-75 | Target stunned (as the 9th level symbol spell) for 1d3 rds. 76-85 | Target affected by fear (as the 4th level wizard spell) for 1d2 rds. 86-95 | Target affected by repulsion 96-00 | Target affected by feeblemind

Its touch causes any spellcasting being to forget one memorized spell or be unable to use one natural spell-like power for two rounds (if a choice exists, determine which spell or ability at random; save vs. paralyzation to avoid this effect entirely).

Its touch causes beings possessing psionic skills or wild talents to be psionically "scrambled" (unable to use any powers except defenses) for 1d4 rounds.

It absorbs magic cast upon it, without consequence, and is apparently unaffected by any magic except a wish, which can negate it.

The blackstaff can be wielded by any creature able to use a pole arm who can withstand (or is immune to) its effects. A weapon enchanted with Khelben's blackstaff will prevent spell-casting by any being that is in contact with it during a given round. It can therefore be used to ruin enemy spellcasting with a successful attack. (It cannot be easily thrown and resists telekinesis and similar movements as it does almost all other magic.) At the spell's expiration, the material component (the staff) is instantly and completely consumed.

Notes: Unique to Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunson, premier wizard of the city of Waterdeep in the Forgotten Realms setting. A variation available to other characters is listed elsewhere as blackstaff.