326:
outward from this cavern hoping that it might be found. The wand can be found sitting upon a pedestal in the center of the cavern. Any character that makes the conscious choice to touch the circlet to the skull is destroyed along with the items, unless he concentrates on controlling the wand before touching it. Anarchocles feels an insane sense of revenge for his imprisonment, and wants to kill anyone he can, especially anyone in possession of the circlet. If the characters find the wand but are not in possession of the circlet, they can send the wand away either by using great magic, or they can accomplish the same feat if one of the characters sacrifices his own life to reactivate the wand's ability to shift from one plane to another. Tenebrous is being eaten up from the inside by the power of the Last Word, so he will die if he doesn't find the Wand of Orcus in
Agathion, assuming the characters destroyed the wand or sent it away.
322:, and safeguarded the item to keep it from being used against him. When Anarchocles died, Orcus removed the skull from his destroyed corpse, and placed it on the end of a long iron scepter, infusing it with some of Orcus's own essence, thus creating the Wand of Orcus. A character wearing the circlet can see through the eyes of the skull when within a few hundred feet. If the circlet is touched to the skull, both the circlet and the wand turn to dust. Anarchocles is aware of what happens outside the circlet, and if he senses that the wand is near, he will force the characters to touch the circlet to the skull, thus destroying both items and granting Anarchocles eternal rest. If the player characters are able to restore the memories of the drow Erehe, he can tell them how Kiaransalee brought him and the drow Kestod to a cavern in a secluded area of Agathion.
244:, the Queen of Darkness", although if killed Tiamat and the wand will be removed from the current plane of existence for centuries, but will eventually return to existence. If the characters succeed, the wand explodes violently, leaving only a small white gem. Bahamut tells them to plant this gem and tend the tree that comes from it: "For as long as you and your realm align with the cause of Good, this tree will prevent any demons from entering the Kingdom of Bloodstone. But should you, your people, or your descendents turn to Evil, the tree will wither, and the demons take a most powerful revenge." The adventure's epilogue notes that while the Tree-Gem of Bloodstone keeps Orcus from entering the lands, it will take him a full century to rebuild the Wand of Orcus.
269:, although the wand had gone missing by the time of the adventure. The shade had been slain long ago, and the wand was stolen, leaving behind "a velvet-lined case on a crystal stand bearing the impression of the skull-headed wand that once rested within". The adventure states that the wand was since reclaimed from the looters by its rightful owner, "as Master Blaise knew it would be".
333:, some legends say that the skull atop the wand "once belonged to a god of virtue and chivalry who dared challenge Orcus in battle" while other legends identify it as the skull of a human hero, implying that it was magically enlarged to its current size; regardless, the goodness that once resided in this skull has been warped and perverted to monstrous evil.
232:. If the characters decide to keep the Wand of Orcus instead, the party members begin to fall under its evil influence and stop at nothing to possess it; any character who travels to an empty plane of the Abyss with the wand can set up a layer under his own rule, and after 30 days he will irrevocably become a demon lord. When the characters meet
220:
similarly notes that Orcus sometimes allows mortals to obtain the wand so that they may spread chaos and evil, but adds that he grows bored after only a year or so and reclaims his wand and usually the soul of the mortal who wielded it as well. Within the mechanics of the game, the artifact has been
325:
The player characters can find the wand in
Agathion, in the Reliquary, the central cavern of a complex of caves, protected by invisible barriers. The wand is still intelligent and extraordinarily powerful despite being weakened since the death of Orcus, and created the maze of caverns that stretch
199:
also notes that Orcus himself is "best known in some circles for his wand, an artifact of malefic might", and notes that the wand is more accurately described as a rod, and it also serves as his symbol. He relies heavily on his wand in combat, and prefers to kill foes in melee with it. The wand
66:
has noted that "he weapon that Orcus wields in battle is almost as famous as the demon lord himself". Furthermore, the device has at times been employed in books, games, and other media within the franchise as a thing distinct from Orcus himself, such that adventurers may encounter the wand as a
186:
that an attempt by a character other than Orcus to use the wand to annihilate another creature only has a 50% chance of being successful, and the user will be subjected to a curse each time this is tried. The fourth edition
215:
notes that while this "ghastly weapon" is the property of Orcus, "at times it is said that he will allow his wand to pass into the Prime
Material Plane in order to wreak chaos and evil upon all living things there." The
265:. In this adventure, the wizard Blaise constructed a vault centuries ago to house his "collection" of unusual monsters, forcing each to guard a treasure. One of these treasures was the Wand of Orcus guarded by a
59:
universe, many different authors have written materials describing artifacts created by or associated with the character. The Wand of Orcus is consistently the most important and most described of these artifacts.
200:"has the ability to steal the souls of those it touches", and is particularly useful against groups of adventurers because "each party member slain by the power of the Wand of Orcus will return as a wraith".
171:
describes the wand, with third edition statistics, as a "black obsidian and iron rod" which is "topped with the skull of a human hero slain by Orcus". The fourth edition
195:
states that the wand also bestowed the magical abilities to move at double speed, cure light wounds once per day, speak with animals, or cause a serious wound. The
178:
This instrument causes "death (or annihilation) to any creature" by touching it to their flesh, except for creatures of like status to Orcus himself. The
849:
319:
637:
123:, also by Gygax, in the section on treasure (artifacts and relics). Another illustration of the wand appears on page 101 of the second edition
203:
In addition, the wand "communicates silently with its wielder, in
Abyssal, using brutal and gory imagery to highlight its blood-soaked ends".
175:
describes the wand as "a heavy mace tipped with an enormous skull" and states that its smooth obsidian haft is studded with blood rubies.
318:
reveals how Orcus created the wand. Long ago, he trapped the spirit of a mighty hero named
Anarchocles within a circlet of control for a
287:
145:
38:
20:
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241:
813:
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48:
817:
90:
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191:
states that the wand "transforms those it slays into undead horrors". In addition to the damage it dispenses, the
677:
464:
156:
118:
854:
758:
707:
662:
278:
702:
114:
418:
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511:
150:
43:
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221:
described as overpowered to the point that it has "the potential to inadvertently derail a campaign".
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516:
96:
game. There, it is also called "the wand of death" or "Orcus's Wand", and is described as "a rod of
356:
786:
622:
292:
167:
describes the wand as "a 3-foot long iron scepter with a human skull set into one end", while the
791:
296:(2003) on pages 53–54 state that the aspect "wields a weaker version of Orcus's famous wand".
823:
412:
77:
228:, the player characters may obtain the Wand of Orcus, and flee with it from the Abyss to the
729:
725:
262:
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128:
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25:
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can only be destroyed if it is "steeped in the black and foul blood from the heart of
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698:
137:
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154:(2002) by Monte Cook, on page 122. The Wand of Orcus appears in the 5th edition
781:
777:
617:
586:
408:
361:
283:
101:
86:
62:
19:
678:"Dungeons & Dragons: 10 Overpowered Magic Items That Can Derail A Campaign"
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561:
506:
459:
432:
404:
141:
82:
663:"Dungeons And Dragons: 10 Most Powerful Artifacts (& How To Obtain Them)"
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124:
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as being part of what makes Orcus "the most monstrous evil in the game".
97:
233:
52:
381:
117:
on page 18. The wand was further detailed on page 162 of the 1979
357:"Dungeons & Dragons: The 15 Most Powerful Villains, Ranked"
286:, his wand was locked away in Agathion, the fourth layer of
148:. Third edition game statistics for the wand appear in the
282:
reveals that when Orcus was either deposed or slain by
290:. Game statistics for the aspect of Orcus in the
298:Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition for Dummies
236:, the Platinum Dragon, he tells them that the
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348:
346:
8:
819:Dungeons and Dragons 4th Edition for Dummies
75:The Wand of Orcus is first presented in the
67:freestanding element of the game or story.
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16:Tabletop role-playing game magical weapon
18:
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113:by Gary Gygax, with an illustration by
620:; Stewart, Doug Stewart, eds. (1995).
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251:is briefly mentioned in the adventure
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691:
689:
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7:
661:Taguiam, Rhenn (November 22, 2020).
47:media. Because of the popularity of
850:Dungeons & Dragons magic items
23:The Wand of Orcus in the original
14:
104:. It was mentioned in the first
329:According to the fourth edition
676:DiSalvo, Paul (April 9, 2021).
180:Encyclopedia Magica Volume Four
106:Advanced Dungeons & Dragons
1:
378:"Review of Eldritch Wizardry"
355:Baird, Scott (June 9, 2018).
182:adds to the description from
144:setting, in the section on
871:
822:. John Wiley & Sons.
638:"Wizards.com Magic Items"
482:; Baur, Wolfgang (1994).
759:Hellbound: The Blood War
708:The Throne of Bloodstone
279:Hellbound: The Blood War
226:The Throne of Bloodstone
71:Appearance and abilities
738:. Wizards of the Coast.
376:Mortdred (2001-02-05).
115:David C. Sutherland III
81:supplement in 1976, by
626:. Vol. Four. TSR.
419:Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
157:Dungeon Master's Guide
93:Dungeons & Dragons
57:Dungeons & Dragons
44:Dungeons & Dragons
30:
650:on December 29, 2009.
589:; Schubert, Stephen;
536:Dungeon Masters Guide
512:Book of Vile Darkness
465:Dungeon Masters Guide
218:Book of Vile Darkness
213:Dungeon Masters Guide
197:Book of Vile Darkness
169:Book of Vile Darkness
151:Book of Vile Darkness
120:Dungeon Masters Guide
91:original (white box)
41:described in various
22:
796:Wizards of the Coast
601:Wizards of the Coast
541:Wizards of the Coast
517:Wizards of the Coast
787:Miniatures Handbook
623:Encyclopedia Magica
293:Miniatures Handbook
274:The Dark of the War
193:Encyclopedia Magica
792:Renton, Washington
211:The first edition
31:
730:Cordell, Bruce R.
726:Rateliff, John D.
414:Eldritch Wizardry
224:In the adventure
184:Eldritch Wizardry
78:Eldritch Wizardry
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776:; Donais, Mike;
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643:. Archived from
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37:is a fictional
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12:
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5:
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816:(2010-12-15).
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596:Monster Manual
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438:Monster Manual
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417:(1 ed.).
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331:Monster Manual
312:The adventure
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300:describes the
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189:Monster Manual
173:Monster Manual
163:The adventure
110:Monster Manual
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39:magical weapon
26:Monster Manual
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35:Wand of Orcus
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782:Heinsoo, Rob
778:Elias, Skaff
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680:. The Gamer.
671:
665:. Game Rant.
656:
645:the original
632:
621:
618:Henson, Dale
594:
591:Wyatt, James
587:Mearls, Mike
565:
534:
531:Wyatt, James
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409:Blume, Brian
385:. Retrieved
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134:Lester Smith
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100:topped by a
92:
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61:
56:
42:
34:
32:
24:
754:Cook, Monte
562:Cook, Monte
507:Cook, Monte
460:Gygax, Gary
433:Gygax, Gary
405:Gygax, Gary
362:Screen Rant
288:Pandemonium
284:Kiaransalee
146:Pandemonium
87:Brian Blume
63:Screen Rant
55:within the
844:Categories
387:2007-11-19
337:References
257:(2000) by
142:Planescape
132:(1994) by
89:, for the
83:Gary Gygax
567:Dead Gods
315:Dead Gods
165:Dead Gods
125:boxed set
784:(2003).
756:(1996).
732:(2000).
705:(1988).
593:(2008).
564:(1997).
533:(2008).
509:(2002).
462:(1979).
435:(1977).
411:(1976).
308:Creation
160:(2014).
140:for the
98:obsidian
234:Bahamut
53:villain
29:(1977).
826:
762:. TSR.
711:. TSR.
570:. TSR.
488:. TSR.
468:. TSR.
421:: TSR.
382:RPGnet
242:Tiamat
648:(PDF)
641:(PDF)
267:shade
102:skull
51:as a
49:Orcus
824:ISBN
261:and
249:Wand
247:The
136:and
85:and
33:The
443:TSR
276:in
846::
812:;
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728:;
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345:^
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365:.
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