Rod of Seven Parts
Encyclopedia
In many campaign setting
s for the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
the Rod of Seven Parts, formerly known as the Rod of Law, is a powerful artifact.
phrase that translates into "Though heaven fall, let justice be done. Behold! Law is king."
(Gygax
& Blume
) publication Eldritch Wizardry
. It was a the centerpiece of a story concerning a long-ago "great war" between characters known as Wind Dukes of Aaqa
and the character Queen of Chaos
. At the time the artifact was in one piece, and was known as "The Rod of Law".
In the story, the Rod of Law was used in the Battle of Pesh to imprison the Queen's greatest general, a character known as Miska the Wolf-Spider
, Prince of Demons
. The rod was broken into seven fragments during this conflict, and the seven individual pieces were scattered across the world.
The Eldritch Wizardry guidelines described each piece as having its own unique powers. In a gaming scenario, the more parts of the rod a user possessed, the more powerful each one of the seven parts became.
. It was one of the first artifacts detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game. This artifact has been updated many times, has received an eponymous boxed set based around it including an adventure, and has even been the object of quests as in the adventure path
, Age of Worms
. In the Age of Worms Adventure Path, the seventh part of the Rod lies in the tomb of the Wind Duke general Icosiol. The sixth part lies on another plane.
The Rod of Seven Parts is one of the few artifacts to be given a detailed history and guide for any campaign world.
The Rod of Seven Parts was also a featured item in a fantasy novel by Douglas Niles, titled The Rod of Seven Parts . The story deals with the return of the Rod and the forces of Chaos trying to keep it apart. The book by veteran writer Niles received mostly positive reviews from Amazon.com. This makes the Rod the only major Dungeons & Dragons magical artifact to be featured in its own stand alone product and a novel.
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
s for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
the Rod of Seven Parts, formerly known as the Rod of Law, is a powerful artifact.
Description
The Rod of Seven Parts, when whole, is a 5-foot-long pole. The command words for each piece are "Ruat," "Coelum," "Fiat," "Justitia," "Ecce," "Lex," and "Rex," which collectively make up a LatinLatin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
phrase that translates into "Though heaven fall, let justice be done. Behold! Law is king."
History
The Rod of Seven Parts artifact first appeared in the 1976 TSRTSR, Inc.
Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....
(Gygax
Gary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
& Blume
Brian Blume
Brian J. Blume is noted for being a business partner of Gary Gygax in TSR, Inc., producers of the fantasy role-playing game, Dungeons & Dragons.-Biography:...
) publication Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...
. It was a the centerpiece of a story concerning a long-ago "great war" between characters known as Wind Dukes of Aaqa
Wind Dukes of Aaqa
The Wind Dukes of Aaqa, also known as the Vaati, are fictional characters of legend in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. They were powerful lords of the elemental plane of air.-Ecology:...
and the character Queen of Chaos
Queen of Chaos
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Queen of Chaos is a demon lord of obyrith origins.- Publishing history :The Queen of Chaos was first mentioned briefly in the second edition Dungeon Master's Guide under the description for the Rod of Seven Parts artifact...
. At the time the artifact was in one piece, and was known as "The Rod of Law".
In the story, the Rod of Law was used in the Battle of Pesh to imprison the Queen's greatest general, a character known as Miska the Wolf-Spider
Miska the Wolf-Spider
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Miska the Wolf-Spider is a demon lord, and former holder of the title "Prince of Demons."-Publishing history :...
, Prince of Demons
Prince of Demons
Prince of Demons is a title contested by the greatest demon lords of the Abyss, in the Dungeons and Dragons roleplaying game.-The current Prince of Demons:...
. The rod was broken into seven fragments during this conflict, and the seven individual pieces were scattered across the world.
The Eldritch Wizardry guidelines described each piece as having its own unique powers. In a gaming scenario, the more parts of the rod a user possessed, the more powerful each one of the seven parts became.
Publication history
The Rod of Seven Parts first appeared in the Original D&D supplement, Eldritch WizardryEldritch Wizardry
Eldritch Wizardry is a supplementary rulebook by Gary Gygax and Brian Blume, written for the original edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, which included a number of significant additions to the core game.-Contents:...
. It was one of the first artifacts detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game. This artifact has been updated many times, has received an eponymous boxed set based around it including an adventure, and has even been the object of quests as in the adventure path
Adventure Path
Adventure Paths are serial adventures for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. Though originally applied to the series of Third Edition modules beginning with The Sunless Citadel, the phrase has more recently come to apply nearly exclusively to several lengthy series, each consisting of...
, Age of Worms
Age of Worms
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, the Age of Worms is an age of darkness and despair heard of only in ancient prophecies...
. In the Age of Worms Adventure Path, the seventh part of the Rod lies in the tomb of the Wind Duke general Icosiol. The sixth part lies on another plane.
The Rod of Seven Parts is one of the few artifacts to be given a detailed history and guide for any campaign world.
The Rod of Seven Parts was also a featured item in a fantasy novel by Douglas Niles, titled The Rod of Seven Parts . The story deals with the return of the Rod and the forces of Chaos trying to keep it apart. The book by veteran writer Niles received mostly positive reviews from Amazon.com. This makes the Rod the only major Dungeons & Dragons magical artifact to be featured in its own stand alone product and a novel.
Other reading
- Cagle, Eric, Jesse DeckerJesse Decker-Biography:Decker began playing Dungeons & Dragons in 1983 during recess at his elementary school. During the summer of 1996, he began doing "temp work" for Wizards of the Coast, before returning to finish college that fall. After finishing college, he returned to Wizards of the Coast, where he...
, Jeff Quick, and James WyattJames Wyatt (game designer)James Wyatt is a game designer and a former United Methodist minister. He works for Wizards of the Coast, where he has designed several award-winning supplements and adventures for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game...
Arms and Equipment GuideArms and Equipment GuideThe Arms and Equipment Guide is the name of two supplementary rule books for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Each describes various equipment that can be used in a campaign.-2nd edition:...
(Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, 2003) - Henson, Dale, and Doug Stewart, eds. Encyclopedia MagicaEncyclopedia MagicaThe Encyclopedia Magica is a series of four volumes of accessories for the 2nd edition of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, published in 1994-1995....
Vol 3 (TSR, 1995). - Erik Mona. "The Whispering Cairn." DungeonDungeon (magazine)Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...
#124 (Paizo PublishingPaizo PublishingPaizo Publishing is an American publishing company in Redmond, Washington that specializes in game aids and adventures for "the world's oldest fantasy roleplaying game" and its flagship spin-off game and setting, Pathfinder...
, 2005). - Williams, Skip. The Rod of Seven Parts. (TSR, 1996).
- "The Rod of Seven Parts, World by World", DragonDragon (magazine)Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#233.