The Vault: Collapsible Pole

The Collapsible Pole is a 10-foot pole that can collapse to 6 inches. A rogue can use this item to vault around the battlefield.
Image generated by Stable Diffusion

The origins of the collapsible pole are shrouded in mystery, but it is rumored that it was created by the most skilled artificers in the Dock Rats thieves’ guild. Some say that they spent years experimenting with different materials and enchantments, tirelessly working to perfect the pole’s unique abilities. Others claim that the pole was actually stolen from a group of powerful mages, who were rumored to be working on a device that could grant the user extraordinary jumping abilities. It is even said that the pole was forged from a rare and mysterious metal that was discovered in a hidden underground cavern, imbued with ancient magic that grants its wielder incredible abilities. Whatever the true story may be, it is clear that the collapsible pole is a highly coveted and valuable magic item that is prized by those who live a life of thievery and deception.


Collapsible Pole

Wondrous Item, Rare (Requires Attunement by a Rogue)

This item is a flexible metal pole that is 10 feet in length.

The pole has 3 charges. It regains all expended charges daily at dawn.

Using the command word and a bonus action, you can collapse the pole to six inches in length or expand it back to 10 feet.

While holding the item, you can expend a charge and use a bonus action to jump up to 30 feet away. If a creature that is no more than one size larger than you occupies that space, make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. If you succeed the creature is pushed to the nearest unoccupied space and is knocked prone. The creature is not knocked prone on a failure but is still pushed to the nearest unoccupied space.


Story hooks for DMs:

  • A wizard named Elara has gone missing, and the only clue to her whereabouts is a strange, collapsible pole that was found in her laboratory. The characters are hired by Elara’s apprentice to find out what happened. Researching the origins of the item will lead the party to the Dock Rats thieves’ guild. If approached they can identify the item as stolen from them by a yuan-ti sorcerer named Uztash who is most likely hold Elara prisoner in his underground sanctum. Elara will pay 50 pp to each player for being rescued, and the Dock Rats will let the players keep the pole (or pay them with two gems worth 1,000 gp if the pole is not useful to them) for killing Uztash.
  • The party find a low-ceilinged chamber while exploring a dungeon. The chamber is a maze where the walls change as the party move through it. The party must succeed on three saving throws (Dexterity, Intelligence, or Constitution) to navigate the maze and leave through the opposite door. Every failed check exposes them to damage from traps that spring up as the chamber shifts. At the end of the chamber is a locked chest with a collapsible pole inside.
  • The party are hired by a dwarf merchant named Jasper Coalbeard to retrieve a shipment of valuable goods that were stolen from him by a rival merchant, a dishonest halfling named Millie Singer. She has a reputation for fencing stolen goods, and the characters must track her down and recover the stolen goods before they are sold on the black market. They discover that she is keeping the goods in a warehouse guarded by the Midnight Veil thieves’ guild. Among the goods is the collapsible pole. The characters must decide whether to try to reclaim the pole for themselves or return it to Jasper as part of the stolen goods.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back To Top