New Magic Item – Crystal Shield Staff

Created by the dwarven wizardress Aramasia Diamond “the Crystal Shield” before she left on her last adventure, it is believed the staff was lost when she did not return.  It is a flawless length of hexagonal crystal, so transparent as to be nearly invisible except as light catches on its edges.  As the magic of the staff is used, the crystal become increasingly cloudy.

Crystal Shield Staff

Staff, very rare (requires attunement by a sorcerer, warlock, or wizard)

This staff can be wielded as a magic quarterstaff that grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it and you can choose to deal force damage rather than bludgeoning damage. While holding it, you gain a +2 bonus to Armor Class and saving throws.

The staff has 20 charges for the following properties. The staff regains 2d8 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff retains its +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls but loses all other properties. On a 20, the staff regains 1d8 + 2 charges.

Spells. While holding this staff, you can use an action to expend 1 or more of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC and spell attack bonus:
banishment (5 charges)
dispel magic (3 charges)
glyph of warding (5th-level version, 5 charges)
globe of invulnerability (6 charges)
protection from energy (3 charges)
shield (1 charge) this can be used to protect anyone within 30′ of the stave’s bearer

Abjuration Attunement. If the bearer of the staff is not an Abjuror, they can access the Abjuror’s Arcane Ward ability but only for an amount of hit points equal to their level and casting an abjuration spell only restores a number of hit points equal to the spell’s level.

However, in the hand of an abjuror, it increases the strength of the Arcane Ward by ten hit points and any of the spells cast from the staff are treated as if cast by the bearer for replenishing the Arcane Ward.

Notes: We played a one-shot adventure with 15th level characters, each one had a legendary item and this is what I built for my character.  It is built around the Staff of Power but less, well, powerful and with a clear defensive focus.

Image “Quartz” from the Smithsonian Institute National Museum of Natural History is licensed under CC0 1.0