Witchwood

Witchwood
Use	Staves
Bonus	+17
ST/DU	5/10
Rarity	Very Rare
Weight Modifier	Unknown
Primary Color	Near-black

The witchwood is a large tree with a crooked trunk and open crown of many spreading branches. The foliage, flowers, fruit, bark and wood are all aromatic. Shiny dark leaves that are almost black are under-faced with a silvery grey hue. The leafstalks are sender with 1-2 glands. Witchwood bark is as dark as its foliage, grey or brown, and rough with irregular ridges. A cousin of the mistwood tree, it is often said that the likeness of gnarled faces can sometimes be seen in the bark pattern of the witchwood. The flowers are greyish green, on long stalks back of new leaves in early spring; multiple 1/4" male flowers erupt in long gin heads 5/8" wide; solitary female flowers are usually found on separate trees and are lavender in color. The fruit is long, and oblong in shape and of a dark purple color, very sour to taste. The fruit is poisonous unless it is processed, and is said to have medicinal purposes depending on the preparation. The wood is not usually used in construction, as it is too soft. However, it is often used for heating purposes and is prized for use in the making of wands and flutes.

Witchwood is considered a rarer material. Because of this, it requires fodder when used in alterations. See alter fodder for more information.

Purified Witchwood

A more pure and powerful form of witchwood is called purified witchwood . It has been made available via Duskruin starting with its August 2026 run through the material purification service.

Witchwood flares will horrify 1d3 targets. The main target is always horrified, with an MDR roll to potentially do psychic damage to the target. Non-Primary targets will have an MDR roll for their chance to horrify.

Purified Combat Example

 >cast jan
 You gesture at an Ithzir janissary.
  CS: +458 - TD: +353 + CvA: +25 + d100: +4 + Bonus: +1 == +135
  Warding failed!
  A powerful hit for 30 points of damage!
   ... 10 points of damage!
   Small veins in the Ithzir janissary's neck burst, the blood flows freely.
 
 The grain of your witchwood runestaff seems to writhe as though something unseen were trying to escape. 
 [MDR result: 159 (Open d100: 48, Bonus: 14)]
 An Ithzir janissary goes rigid, then convulses in horror!
   ... 30 points of damage!
 
 Spectral energy from the runestaff seeps towards an Ithzir scout. 
 [MDR result: 135 (Open d100: 28)]
 An Ithzir scout flinches, shrinking away in visible dread!
 
 Spectral energy from the runestaff seeps towards an Ithzir initiate. 
 [MDR result: 137 (Open d100: 35)]
 An Ithzir initiate flinches, shrinking away in visible dread!
 Cast Roundtime 3 Seconds.

Zissu gestures at you.
  CS: +504 - TD: +325 + CvA: +25 + d100: +82 == +286
  Warding failed!
 Blood sprays from your neck in a crimson arc!
   ... 7 points of damage!
  You suffer an additional 4 damage!
 
 The grain of Zissu's runestaff contorts into a hundred soundlessly gaping mouths! 
 [MDR result: 173 (Open d100: 55, Bonus: 103)]
 A hundred voices pour into your skull at once and rise to a scream.  Horrible delusions of death and sorrow burrow through your mind as your psyche buckles under the assault!
   ... 50 points of damage!

See Also

• Material saved posts