Staff of Swarming Insects 5e magic item

Staff, rare (requires attunement by a bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, warlock, or wizard) · 2024 version below

Type: Staff
Rarity: Rare
Attunement: Required
Price (2014): 501–5,000 gp (DMG value range)
Price (2024): 4,000 gp

This staff has 10 charges and regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, a swarm of insects consumes and destroys the staff, then disperses.

Spells. While holding the staff, you can use an action to expend some of its charges to cast one of the following spells from it, using your spell save DC: giant insect (4 charges) or insect plague (5 charges).

Insect Cloud. While holding the staff, you can use an action and expend 1 charge to cause a swarm of harmless flying insects to spread out in a 30-foot radius from you. The insects remain for 10 minutes, making the area heavily obscured for creatures other than you. The swarm moves with you, remaining centered on you. A wind of at least 10 miles per hour disperses the swarm and ends the effect.

Staff of Swarming Insects in the 2024 rules

The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide revised the magic items, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new text. What changed:

Dice: 1d6 → 1d6, 1d20.

Type: Staff
Rarity: Rare
Attunement: Required by a Bard, Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard

This staff has 10 charges.

Insect Cloud. While holding the staff, you can take a Magic action and expend 1 charge to cause a swarm of harmless flying insects to fill a 30-foot Emanation originating from you. The insects remain for 10 minutes, making the area Heavily Obscured for creatures other than you. A strong wind (like that created by Gust of Wind) disperses the swarm and ends the effect.

Spells. While holding the staff, you can cast one of the spells on the following table from it, using your spell save DC and spell attack modifier. The table indicates how many charges you must expend to cast the spell.

Spell	Charge Cost
Giant Insect	4
Insect Plague	5

Regaining Charges. The staff regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll 1d20. On a 1, a swarm of insects consumes and destroys the staff, then disperses.

Other rare staffs

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