Blackstaff insulation

Q:  How is Eb protected from black magic?
A:  The Blackstaff is a literal black staff.  He hasn’t had it when we’ve seen him, but he has it and it protects him.

2009 Independence signing (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,11734.msg538824.html#msg538824)


Q:  Can you tell us a little more about the black staff?
A:   The staff keeps Eb from going crazy, mostly.  Also, the White Council stole it from someone.  And they really want it back.

2010 Lee’s Summit signing (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,11734.msg780995.html#msg780995)


Q: When Eb does his “Laying of the Cattle move” at the major battle near the end of Changes, is that a power of the blackstaff?
A: The Blackstaff is what keeps that kind of thing from driving him insane and turning him into a giggling villain.  Yah you don’t go messing with black magic in the Dresden Files, it’s very very bad for you.  At the same time, Magic is something that happens because you truly believe that when you set out to do it that you should be able to do that sort of thing.  That says a few things about Eb that really Harry hasn’t run into in any other forum other than right there.  Yah Poor guy, He’s got a tough job.

2010 Dragon*Con (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmlxwr29UmY) @ ~1:45


Q:Does the blackstaff have any powers that relate to the dead?
A: Other than making people dead?  Really, that’s kind of the point [Crowd Laughs]  Really but the staff itself what it really does is it keeps Eb sane while he’s doing insane things.  Lucky him, he gets to deal with a hideously guilty conscious and nightmares later, but that’s better than later being like *Muahahahahahahahaha*  Which is sort of the other option if your going to go around using magic like that.

2010 Dragon*Con (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmlxwr29UmY) @4:30


The Blackstaff is not sentient per se it’s just really, really, really powerful and tapped into like some serious elemental powers in the universe.  But basically all it really is is insulation from using those powers.

2013 Wyrdcon Q&A (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7MT_zmg3T94#t=1964)