An Uber-item problem

[Cheka Man]

I have a rough idea for a rod of fire thingy that if something or someone will someday burn in the future, be they alive or dead when they burn, it can set them alight.

Problem-as it stands it's a munchkin thing. I need a way either to tone it down a bit, or a way to persuade PCs not to use it's full powers, or both, or it won't have a chance of getting good votes on strolen.com.

Any ideas?

[Ancient Gamer]

Ah, the good ol' rod of fire!

Well, one approach is:
The flames licked across its shiny black surface with rapacious desire; it was as if the red tendrils stretchedtowards the curtains, so I had to move away, but as soon as I neared the bed the hungry flames leapt at it, forcing me to exit the room.

Obviously such an item would be beneficial and extremely dangerous.

Another approach would be the draining item: Its heat unbearable and draining fluids from the PCs.

Yet another approach would be the cursed item, that might scorch the wielder (or worse), but that is, in my opinion, boring.

And so on and so forth

[Chaosmark]

Well, it seems to me that the rod would have a future-scrying spell built in somehow. So, perhaps it must use the wielder's own 'timeforce' to check the future and burn future-burned items, thereby sucking away years of their life if continually used.

Side thought: if the rod will burn anything that will burn in the future, doesn't that then make it the essence of it's originator? i.e. it will burn anything, because it burns anything? You could probably sidestep the philosophical issues of such an item by having the future be a nebulous, un-set future. e.g. the rod burns items that would otherwise have burned without the rod's interaction.

[Cheka Man]

It could have also been broken into three pieces and has to be put back together by a smith for it's full powers to be used.

[Chaosmark]

True, but once reassembled (and we all know the PCs will try their hardest to get such an artifact working if they know what it is, or imagine it to be an amazing weapon) it will require limitations again.

[Kassy]

This is just an idea and it may sound stupid to some but it makes sense to me, what if it drains the characters of some of their energy/soul/lifeforce, etc

just a thought.

[Kinslayer]

Fire-based weapons already have a great built-in limitation:  fuel.  Not just the wielder's life-force can be used, but it may have some rare fuel needed to burn.  Even if it's just a catalyst (something that starts the spark, which then uses life-points or any liquid fuel, or whatever), that can be something a GM can spring on players whenever it's being used too much. 

Or, the item could be cursed.  It will burn things from the future, but one day it will ignite its last flame.  The rod will then return to Hell, taking its current user with it. 

One idea is that the rod is from the future (of Hell, optionally, as above), and is travelling backwards in time.  It can burn something that will burn in the future, because from the rod's point of view, it is remembering the past of when that object was burnt.  This would have an occasional weird effect, such as a person being attacked by it is briefly trapped in the coffin in which they will someday be cremated.  A side effect of all this time-travelling bit, is that the rod o'fire cannot actually kill anyone or fully consume an item.  Some part must remain to be again burned in the future. 

[Kassy]

Remind me of a sub i came across on this citadel a while back; artificial dragons blood, i can't remember its creator though, try something along those lines perhaps.