Crafted from the remains of a small mammal, this wand was clearly intended for unspeakable purposes, and the skull at the tip of the wand intermittently releases streams of green gas. The air around the wand constantly smells foul and stale, mingled with the scent of carrion and rotted vegetation.
While undeniably ancient, this wand is even older than most would guess, created shortly after the establishment of the Guildpact. Its design was overseen by Svogthir, parun of the Golgari Swarm, and some say he even placed the finishing touches himself. The exact purpose of the wand is unclear, but it seems to have been a prototype for later copies, or perhaps a mold to base lesser, weaker versions on.
Random Properties The wand of vertebrae has the following randomly determined properties:
- 1 major detrimental property
- 2 minor beneficial properties
Keeper of Souls When a creature dies as a result of damage dealt using the wand, you can use your reaction to trap the target’s soul inside the wand. While a creature’s soul is trapped in the wand, any attempts to magically resurrect it automatically fail.
The wand can hold up to five souls at a time, whose total CR can not exceed 15. You can not use the wand to attempt to capture a creature’s soul if there are already five souls in the wand, or if the target’s soul would cause the total CR to exceed 15.
While attuned to the wand, once per day you can resurrect any number of creatures whose souls are trapped by the wand using a magical ritual that takes 10 minutes to complete. The creatures are resurrected as zombies under your control. Their statistics remain the same, except that they are undead. The resurrected creatures have no equipment.
The summoned zombies remain under your control for 8 hours, at which point you must make a Wisdom saving throw with a DC equal to the total CR of all summoned creatures. On a failed save, the zombies are no longer under your control and may become hostile to you or your allies. On a success, the zombies die and crumble to dust.
Magic Weapon The wand of vertebrae can also be used as a dagger which grants a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with it. Attacks made with the dagger also deal an additional 1d10 necrotic damage, and the target’s maximum hit points are reduced by an amount equal to the necrotic damage dealt. If this would reduce a creature’s maximum hit point to 0, it automatically dies.
Master of Death The wand has 20 charges and regains 1 charge whenever a creature dies as a result of damage dealt using the wand. While holding the wand, you can use an action to expend a number of charges in order to cast any necromancy spell of a level equal to or less than the number of charges expended. The spell is cast at a level equal to the number of charges expended (maximum 9th level.)
When you expend the last charge, roll a d20. As a result of 1, the skull at the tip of the wand explodes, targeting you with a finger of a death spell. You have a disadvantage on the saving throw against the spell, and if you die as a result of the spell’s effects, you instead rise as a zombie hostile to all non-undead creatures.
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