From the common wand of magic missiles to the awesomely rare and much coveted staff of the archmagi, rods, staves and wands can channel awesome power. Such items rarely appear to be nothing more than a tapered stick or quarterstaff.

Use this list, to determine the appearance of the item found by the characters:

A red crystal tops this slender, fire-blackened shard of willow. Barely perceptible heat shimmers rise from the wood, and anyone firmly grasping the wand feels the heat pulsing within.
The grinning skull of an obscenely sized and proportioned rodent—its jaws gaping wide—tops this gnarled, twisted length of diseased wood.
Glimmering with a multitude of red, blue and green precious stones, this smooth, but thick, piece of iron has an obvious grip at one end. The object is surprisingly light weight.
Fine gold and silver wire entwine about this length of beautifully stained oak. At one end, the wires come together in a tightly wound ball giving the whole a bulbous look.
Carved from a single long rib bone of indeterminate origin, complex etchings of screaming skull faces, ghostly forms and other horrific images of death and suffering decorate this macabre object.
This intricately carved length of slightly curved ivory must have come from a truly gargantuan creature. Complicated sinuous patterns, that doubtless took a master craftsmen months to complete, cover its entire length. Molten gold covers one end of the wand.
Set with thin coils of electrum, this slender, tapered length of stone looks for all the world like the tip of a stalactite. The thin electrum coils have been fused to the stone, and cannot be removed without destroying the object. The stone is always cool to the touch.
Slightly rusty, this length of iron bar has a jagged point at its tip while its other end is perfectly smooth. Engravings of strange and terrible beasts of unknown sorts decorate the bar, but are partially obscured by tightly wound bronze and copper wire spiralling around the bar.
A chunk of pale blue transparent crystal surmounts this pale white wooden wand. Perceptive characters notice faint motes of yellow light drifting about inside the crystal.
Vividly-coloured alternating bands of blue and red paint decorate this thick golden rod. Three translucent deep green gems (emeralds) are set into the wand’s tip, in a triangular pattern whose apex points away from the rod’s wielder.
Comprised of living, writhing shadow this staff constantly “bleeds” wisps of shadow that quickly melt away. Only those who can call forth the staff’s powers can actually hold it; everyone else’s hands simply pass straight through its shaft without any impediment.
This golden staff has an ornate circular head in which is fixed a brilliant, bright blue chunk of glass the size of a child’s head. The crystal glows with a faint yellow light. When the staff’s powers are used this light strengthens to a deep gold colour.
Seemingly impossibly thin, this staff comprises hundreds of tightly interwoven gold and silver wires. Incredibly light, this brightly polished staff weighs virtually nothing and makes a high-pitched keening sound when vigorously swung.
This black iron wand has three tines in a similar fashion to a trident. A different colour gem (a yellow citrine, a black onyx and an orange carnelian) perch at the end of each tine.
Crafted from a single piece of faintly glowing blue crystal this wand pulsates when held. The wielder can adjust the light given off by the wand from that emitted by a guttering candle all the way up to a brightly blazing torch.
This unremarkable wooden staff is the same length and width as a spear shaft. The wood is worn and has been repeatedly varnished. Near the shaft’s mid point several small chips mar its surface as if someone had ineffectually struck the staff with a sword or other bladed weapon.
Set with a silver cap at one end, at first glance this stout length of smooth and polished wood is nothing more than a finely crafted walking stick. Close investigation reveals tiny runes etched into the rod’s silver cap.
This three-headed iron staff is a perversion of nature. The wand’s three heads—dragon, goat and lion—writhe and twist when the wand is activated. While they do not try to bite the wielder, they lash out at anyone else coming too close. Each of the heads has a different power.
One end of this wand comprises a smoothed bone handle while the other—which tapers to a fine point—comprises a one-foot length of black wood.
Forged from black iron this heavy wand has been wrought in the shape of a thick wickedly pointed arrow whose tip has broken off. The “arrow’s” fletchings have grooves cut into them to make the wand easier to hold. Investigation reveals the arrow to be hollow; a cunningly concealed catch opens a long thin compartment the perfect size to accept a normal-sized wand.

Want More?

This article is an extract from GM's Miscellany: 20 Things V. Add the book to your GM’s toolkit today! Alternatively, check out the 20 Things Archive for more handy, flavoursome and time-saving 20 Things articles ready for immediate use in your campaign.