Staff of Solomon

Staff of Solomon

◊Descriptors – magic, preternatural

◊Effect – Array: Create Supernatural Barrier or Damage 2; Detect Magic; Mystical Sending • 21 points

The Staff of Solomon (Strength-based Damage 2 with affects Insubstantial and Bane 2; Communication 3; Create; Senses 1)

◊Modifiers – alternate effect: 1 flat point, indestructible: 1 flat point, removable: - flat points (Staff of Solomon); check required: -7 flat points, continuous: +1/rank, impervious: +1/rank, quirk: -1 flat point, stationary: +0/rank, subtle: 2 flat points, proportional: -1/rank, reduced range:-1/rank (Create); bane 2: 1 flat point, affects Insubstantial: 2 flat points, Strength-based: +0/rank (Damage); check required: -5 flat points (Communication)

◊Action – Standard (Create and Damage), free (Communication), or none (Senses)

◊Area/Range – close (Create and Damage), by rank (Communication), or personal (Senses)

◊Duration – instant (Create and Damage), sustained (Communication), or permanent (Senses)

◊Results – varies by power (see text)

Description

“I see naught but a staff — sharp-pointed and with the head of a cat on the other end — a staff with strange infidel carvings upon it.”

        —Hassim

The Staff of Solomon is a mystical artifact crafted in a time before the world that is out of a wooden material not of this Earth. It bears the cat-head of Bast and ancient hieroglyphics which were added only recently in its time. Occultists and mystics easily recognize it as an object of preternatural might with unyielding influence over the strange things which creep within the darker corners of the world. It is believed to be have been wielded by Moses to work wonders before the Pharaoh. Yussef the Hadji recognized it as the scepter of the Israelites referred to in Numbers 24:17 and as King Sulieman’s weapon of rebuke in his conquest of the djinn and other supernatural evils.

This mighty artifact provides access to the following powers which are doubtlessly but a small portion of its capabilities:

◊Supernatural Rebuke

Lifting the ancient staff, struck with all his power into the centre of the Horror. And he felt an unnameable, immaterial substance meet and give way before the falling staff.

The Staff of Solomon can be wielded as a weapon and is particularly effective against supernatural foes. Against such entities it has a Strength-based Damage rank of 4 and affects such beings even if they are insubstantial. The staff can deal bludgeoning or piercing damage when wielded against supernatural creatures.

When used to strike any other creature, the Staff of Solomon is merely a particularly well-balanced and durable staff; it is Strength-based Damage 2 and can only deal bludgeoning damage.

◊Mystical Sending

“When you want me lay this on your breast, fold your hands on it and sleep. I come to you in your dreams.”

        —N'Longa

The possessor of the Staff of Solomon can use a form of mystical communication to contact intelligent beings possessing magical sensitivity (Detect Magic; see Senses). The staff’s possessor must succeed an Expertise: Magic check (DC 15) to perform the sending. This is a free action, but can only be performed once per round. The Mystical Sending effect rank is equal to the wielder’s check result minus 15 (up 3).

◊Mystical Sensitivity

To his slumbering self it seemed that he walked through a thick fog and in this fog he met N'Longa, true to life. N'Longa spoke, and the words were clear and vivid, impressing themselves on his consciousness so deeply as to span the gap between sleeping and waking.

         

The possessor of the Staff of Solomon has a mystical sixth sense. It has no range, limiting detection of magical effects to interactions with the Insight skill and awareness of magics targeting the staff’s possessor.

◊Warding

“No dead man come now.”

        —N'Longa

As a standard action, the wielder of the Staff of Solomon can attempt to create a transparent Warding barrier against supernatural beings. The wielder must succeed an Expertise: Magic check (DC 17) to form the barrier. The Warding effect rank is equal to the wielder’s check result minus 17 (up the wielder’s power level). The barrier is stationary and fills an area centered on the staff. Beings or effects with the supernatural descriptor (whether corporeal or incorporeal) cannot cross the barrier, but other creatures or objects are unimpeded. The barrier remains until destroyed, nullified or dismissed.

The sum of the barrier’s volume and Toughness rank must be equal to or less than the Warding effect rank. With an effect rank of 8, the barrier’s proportions can range anywhere between 30 cubic feet with a Toughness of 8 to 250 cubic feet with a Toughness of 0 (see Ranks and Measures for more about volume rank). The barrier’s Toughness is impervious, making it immune to Damage effects equal to or less than half of its Toughness rank.

Notes:

•The Staff of Solomon’s vast power is calculated according to an assumed series power level of 8, however its true power is limited only by the occult skills of its wielder. If the wielder is sufficiently skilled, the effect ranks and point cost for them should be adjusted upwards. In addition, some wielders (such as N’Longa) are capable of additional feats. Most of these can be considered a temporary alternate effect gained by spending a Victory Point.

•Due to his lack of arcane knowledge, Kane is effectively unable to use the Staff of Solomon’s Mystical Sending and Warding powers. Therefore, the point cost associated with these powers are not included in his character point summary. If he becomes sufficiently capable to use these powers, he must purchase this ability with character points accordingly.