Rods

Rods are about 3 feet long and as thick as a thumb. They are normally kept in cases or protective boxes. Rods may be metal, wood, ivory, or bone; they can be plain or decorated, carved, or tipped.

Rods are powered by charges, unless noted otherwise in the description of a particular rod. Each time the rod is used, one or more charges may be expended. Characters do not automatically know the number of charges possessed by an item when it is discovered, although research and spellcasting can reveal this.

A rod can sometimes be recharged according to the rules given for constructing magical items if its charges have not totally been used. When a rod is drained of all charges, it loses all its magical properties and can never be recharged.

When discovered, a rod normally contains d10+40 charges. However, while rods almost never have more than 50 charges, it is possible to find rods with significantly fewer charges, particularly those captured from enemies who may have used them. (See also Staves and Wands.)

Command Words

Rods are normally activated when the wielder utters a specific command word. This word acts like a trigger, unleashing the power stored within the item. Since the control of rods depends on knowledge of the command word, they are jealously guarded by their owners. An absent-minded wizard can etch the command word on the item or carry it on a piece of paper in his pocket, but this is rarely done. Most often a character must use spells of divination or consult sages to discover the correct command word to activate a rod.