Staff of the Mustang (Patreon)

Staff, rare (requires attunement)

This dark wooden staff is magical and carved in the shape of a majestic stallion. This staff has 10 charges. While holding the staff, you can expend 1 of its charges to cast the phantom steed spell as an action instead of its normal casting time using the staff. Alternatively, while holding the staff, you can expend 1 charge and speak the staff's command word to take the Dash action using a bonus action instead.

The staff regains 1d6 + 4 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff breaks in two as if bitten and is destroyed. When this happens, the sound of hooves can be heard galloping away in an indiscernible direction.

He was panting. Gasping. Sweating.

Ugh. He hated to sweat.

The sound of his footfalls echoed along the narrow cave walls. The screeches and howls of gnolls were closing in behind him. Their flickering tochlight began to illuminate the young and freckled wizard's face.

Bloodstained and in over his head, he continued to run and spat out the salt and iron in his mouth from sweat and blood. Most of it was his own, but he didn't want to worry about that right now.

The cave's entrance came into view. Starlight peered in, a welcoming contrast to the light of the torch fire behind him. He lifted his father's staff up high, its carved wooden form beginning to emit a spectral glow. At the mouth of the cave, a shadowy figure began to take shape.

With a final push, he spoke a single word. The bray of a mighty horse rattled through the cave and gave him the boost in speed he needed to escape.

In a single practiced motion he climbed the shadowed beast. A mustang, but strange and arcane. Without hesitation, the horse and wizard sped away, narrowly evading the gnolls' arrows raining down around them.