Price (Item Level): 500,000 gp (40th)
Body Slot: — (held)
Caster Level: 25th
Aura: Overwhelming; (DC 27) abjuration, conjuration, and evocation
Activation: As spell used
Weight: 5 lb.
This +5 flaming quarterstaff grants its wielder fire resistance 30 whenever held. In addition, it has the following powers.
A staff of fiery power can be broken in a retributive strike. The breaking of the staff must be purposeful and declared by the wielder. All charges currently in the staff are instantly released in a 30-foot-radius globe. All within 10 feet of the broken staff take points of damage equal to eight times the number of charges in the staff, those between 11 feet and 20 feet away take six times the number of charges in damage, and those 21 feet to 30 feet distant take four times the number of charges in damage. Successful Reflex saving throws (DC 17) reduce the damage sustained by half. The character breaking the staff has a 50% chance of traveling to another plane of existence; if he or she does not, the explosive release of spell energy destroys him or her. After all charges are used up from the staff, it remains a +5 quarterstaff with no special abilities. (Once empty of charges, it cannot be broken in a retributive strike.)
Prerequisites: Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Staff, Craft Epic Staff, Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Improved Heighten Spell, Intensify Spell, Spell Focus (Evocation), continual flame, delayed blast fireball, meteor swarm, protection from energy, summon monster IX, wall of fire.
Cost to Create: 250,000 gp, 15,000 XP, 500 days.
Source: Standard Reference Document under Open Game License v1.0a, which updated this item originally published in the Epic Level Handbook, page 142. Added the missing Craft Magic Arms and Armor feat to the Prerequisites entry.