Cythbikian Staff
1d4B(1d8 two-handed)·Simple·Club·One or two-handed
The Cythbikian staff is a gnarled length of rotting wood, riddled with mold and fungal growths. Originally called the Zibikian staff in honor of its creator, the green man Zibik, with whom Ghorus communed before magically receiving this staff. Ghorus spent years using samples of the staff's spores to invent weapons for his war against Taldor.
When you invest this staff, a thin layer of fungi grows on your hands, remaining until your next daily preparations. If an enemy takes damage from any of the spells you cast by the Cythbikian staff , this fungus spreads up your arms, and you gain temporary Hit Points equal to double that spell's level. These temporary Hit Points last 10 minutes.
Activate—Rule by Roots ◆◆◆ (fungus, manipulate)
Frequency once per week
Effect You plunge the Cythbikian staff into the earth, causing a vast fungal network to spread out from the staff, coating the ground, plants, structures, and all creatures in a 100-foot emanation (DC 34 reflex avoids) until the staff is removed or 24 hours have passed. Non-magical plants in the area die. A creature covered by these fungal growths is Grabbed and controlled, physically, by the fungus, as it moves them around like a living puppet. At the beginning of a grabbed creature's turn, they can attempt to Escape. On a failure, the fungus forces them to spend all of their remaining actions moving toward and attacking the nearest creature in the area using melee Strikes with any weapon at their disposal. The fungal growths pay no mind to how the bodies under their control operate, and grabbed creatures are twisted, bent, and contorted in ways that harm their body. Each round, at the end of a grabbed creature's turn, they take 8d6 bludgeoning damage from this painful manipulation (DC 34 fortitude save). A creature that successfully Escapes or is physically removed from the area is no longer grabbed or controlled. When the Cythbikian staff is removed from the ground, or after 24 hours have passed, the mold dies and this effect ends. Over the course of a week, the mold decays and fertilizes the soil, providing valuable nutrients to the soil and preparing the region for new plant growth.
Activate Cast a Spell
Effect You expend a number of charges from the staff to cast a spell from its list.
- •Cantrip Timber
- •1st Wall of Shrubs, Wooden Fists
- •3rd Sudden Blight, Wall of Thorns
- •6th Lignify, Tangling Creepers
Traits
Fungal creatures have the fungus trait. They are distinct from normal fungi.
Something with the magical trait is imbued with magical energies not tied to a specific tradition of magic. Some items or effects are closely tied to a particular tradition of magic. In these cases, the item has the arcane, divine, occult, or primal trait instead of the magical trait. Any of these traits indicate that the item is magical.
This magic item holds spells of a particular theme and allows a spellcaster to cast additional spells by preparing the staff.
This weapon can be wielded with two hands. Doing so changes its weapon damage die to the indicated value. This change applies to all the weapon's damage dice, such as those from striking runes.
You knock the target up to 10 feet away from you. This is forced movement.