Rod of Sterling
by David TauriainenThis stunning silver rod is named for its appearance rather than its functionality. It is most often found in a pouch separated into fifty pure untarnished silver coins with no obvious coinage markings, but with various bumps and indentations on their surfaces. The coins seem drawn to one another, and will all teleport to an equidistant point if any are separated by more than ten feet. If stacked, the stacking requires 30 rounds minus the intelligence score of the person stacking them. Once the stack is completed, the rod's primary talents come into play. If held aloft at twilight, the rod will transport the bearer into the Astral Plane, upon which the rod falls into pieces on the Plane from where the bearer vanished. The other function of the rod is when used to hang a tapestry or canvas, as found in a gallery (do not hang it at twilight!), whereupon the surface thus hung becomes a window into Nightmare! Hideous distortions of dimension befuddle the brain of any viewing the surface, forcing them to [mental save vs fear by game's rules] or be struck with fear (of the surface) for twenty four hours. When supporting a tapestry or canvas, the rod remains intact until and after removed from its wall sconces.