Stake

Stakes were a type of cylindrical post with a pointed end.

Description
Stakes were typically made of either wood or some form of metal. They could even be made by whittling down some branches.

Availability

 * Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue sold stakes made of high-impact steel in sets of eight at a cost of 30 gold pieces. They advertised these as being capable of being driven into almost any surface, including ice and rock. They also sold wooden stakes as part of their tents.
 * Wooden stakes could be purchased in the city of Waterdeep as part of traveling gear.

Usages

 * Stakes were used to keep tents securely in the ground, being driven through the edges of their covering or through special reinforced holes on the covering.
 * Stakes could be placed upright on the bottom of a pit trap.
 * Stakes were often used in the act of slaying a vampire, vampire spawn, or even a vampiric dragon, an act known as "staking". This always immobilized a vampire when it was driven through their heart, though vampiric dragons required particularly large stakes. However, staking a vampire did not fully kill it and their bodies still needed to be properly destroyed, as otherwise the vampire would regenerate once the stake was removed. Even if a vampire had long since rotted away into dust, their bodies would be reconstituted within 72 hours of a stake's removal.

History
In 1358 DR in the nation of Shou Lung, some hunters from the village of Tebing ambushed an eastern vampire by the name of Xi-Chu in the jungle and struck him through the heart with a wooden stake.

General

 * In the Domains of Dread, wooden stakes were a common tool of monster hunters.

Individuals

 * Ezmerelda d'Avenir, a vampire hunter in the Domains of Dread.
 * Rictavio.

Regions & Settlements

 * In the Great Glacier, the hunters of the village Imajuvisik would tie caribou or other game animals to a stake in the center of small valleys to act as bait for tirichik or white dragons.

Trivia
This tool was the namesake for the Silver Stake, an organization of lycanthrope hunters.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Curse of Strahd
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards