Questions tagged [artifacts]
For questions about artifacts, which are unique, powerful magic items found in various RPGs, most notably in Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder.
70
questions
9
votes
1
answer
420
views
Is Hwyrr, the Clarion Harp considered an artifact in 3.5e?
Is the intelligent item Hwyrr, the Clarion Harp from the Book of Exalted Deeds (pg.117) an artifact or just a very powerful magical item?
The way I interpret the personality description leads me to ...
- 485
5
votes
2
answers
150
views
Should Artifacts be improved if Epic Level Handbook is introduced to the campaign?
As a recent research, I found that it seems artifacts were designed in the pre-epic era, so their CLs are 20th at most and (if it is a weapon or an armour) can have at most +5 enhancement bonus, which ...
- 3,859
9
votes
1
answer
195
views
Are there any spells in Ars Magica that allow the creation of structures that are bigger on the inside?
While I highly doubt that this will come up in the game I am in due to the fact that we are playing low level magus I was kind of curious as to whether there are spells that allow a building to be ...
- 20.5k
11
votes
5
answers
3k
views
If a character naturally lost an eye and a hand, would he be able to attune to Vecna's appendages?
I'm thinking about a custom campaign that has a NPC character that has was born without an eye or left hand and hasn't been able replace them. He searches for these items to complete himself(and other ...
- 2,546
10
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Is it possible for two characters using the Sword of Kas and the Eye and Hand of Vecna to have the items destroy each other at the same time?
I'm creating a campaign, and I'm thinking about having Vecna take over the body of an NPC attuned to his eye and hand (because of the 5% chance that Vecna takes over a body after a spell is cast), ...
- 2,546
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What are the rankings of magic items/artifacts?
I'm about to make a campaign on my own and one of the things I want the characters to do is obtain service to an emperor in exchange for services(One of the services involves the Eye and Hand of Vecna)...
- 2,546
11
votes
2
answers
4k
views
Can a Githyanki silver sword be used as a means to kill a lich or other similar "immortal" being?
I've been thinking of an idea for a campaign where the adventuring party must find pieces of a weapon: a sword that would be used to slay a lich, as it has the power to destroy a persons soul.
When it ...
6
votes
1
answer
484
views
Does a Simulacrum get the Hand and Eye of Vecna too?
So someone is attuned to the Hand and Eye of Vecna. It is an appendage at this point. That person then casts simulacrum. Does the clone gain the hand and eye as well since it's attached to caster?
5
votes
2
answers
952
views
Is this homebrew artifact overpowered? (Sword of Forgotten Heroes)
The following artifact, called the 'Sword of Forgotten Heroes', is a powerful artifact loosely modeled after the Sword of Kas and the Wand of Orcus. It was created with a specific player in mind who ...
- 529
2
votes
3
answers
200
views
Can the Soulmonger's Tentacles grab & drop a creature into lava the same turn?
In the Tomb of Annihilation adventure, one of the last encounters is against the Soulmonger, a cylindric evil artifact suspended over lava by three adamantine struts.
The artifact can defend itself ...
- 9,836
1
vote
2
answers
422
views
How many attunement slots do the Teeth of Dahlver-Nar use?
How many attunement slots do the Teeth of Dahlver-Nar use?
Is it one attunement slot per tooth, or one attunement slot for all of the teeth?
- 2,100
2
votes
2
answers
207
views
How do I prevent a teleporting artefact from splitting the party? [closed]
During my campaign the players will find a magical diary. The diary is an artefact that, when read, transports the reader into the time period described therein. They can interact with the people and ...
- 654
2
votes
2
answers
257
views
Are there any official guidelines or examples of items that have a fail state?
I'm looking to homebrew some custom artifacts for a D&D 5e campaign. I want something high risk/high reward that requires the player to make a skill check whenever they try to use it. I also want ...
- 639
10
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Is there precedent for how players identify the capabilities of Artifacts (outside the DMG)?
Question first:
Are there 5e precedents outside the DMG for differences in players identifying the capabilities of Artifacts as opposed to other magical items? This could be a rule in a sourcebook, a ...
- 2,614
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How does the "Dark Speech" granted by the Book of Vile Darkness artifact interact with spells like Magic Mouth and Programmed Illusion?
The Book of Vile Darkness (DMG, p. 222) is an artifact with numerous properties, one of which is listed as "Dark Speech":
While you carry the Book of Vile Darkness and are attuned to it, ...
- 189
8
votes
0
answers
148
views
Looking for a specific softcover book from the 90's, one in a series of 3 I think, had white cover about overpowered artifacts
I had the book in question at one time and lost it during a move. The front and back covers were glossy and white with not the greatest art. I think it was the 2nd in a series of 3, but I could never ...
- 81
3
votes
1
answer
741
views
Does the Book of Exalted Deeds' Enlightened Magic benefit apply to cantrips?
The artifact Book of Exalted Deeds (DMG, p. 222) has the following attribute:
Enlightened Magic. Once you've read and studied the book, any spell slot you expend to cast a cleric or paladin spell ...
- 189
5
votes
1
answer
402
views
Where can I find lore about the Shadow of Ao?
So I was perusing the wiki when I stumbled upon this:
The Shadow of Ao was a powerful artifact said to have been lost after the sundering of Abeir-Toril. Abilities:
Legend had that the Shadow of Ao ...
- 559
1
vote
0
answers
126
views
How to complete my first session? [closed]
I'm preparing campaign for my friends. It's first time for all of us and I want to create a big bang at the beginning. My players are a high elf, a wood elf and a tiefling.
They will start in quite a ...
- 11
1
vote
1
answer
354
views
Do start of turn artifact properties work even when not in turn order/initiative time?
Introduction:
In this long-running 5E campaign, a player has received a powerful artifact sword. While the sword is homebrewed, the majority of its properties are randomly generated from the artifact ...
- 13
5
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can a cursed artifact that successfully possesses the user attuned to it still use its own properties normally?
In the campaign I'm running, one of the villains is a cursed artifact that could (and did) take control of its user. For an easier time on explaining my problem with those mechanics, I'll simply use ...
- 664
3
votes
2
answers
389
views
Hide an artifact [closed]
In my D&D 5e campaign my players have found an artifact, to be specific a Necronomicon (which is more or less a spellbook) and now they carried it around.
Most of the abilities of the book are ...
- 133
8
votes
1
answer
222
views
Where can I find lore on the Heart of Darkness?
On the General of Gehenna's Greyhawk wiki page I saw this
According to one legend, it was the General of Gehenna who created the tanar'ri and baatezu from the "impurities" within the ...
- 559
4
votes
3
answers
2k
views
What's the definition of an artifact in regards to a Sphere of Annihilation?
A sphere of annihilation erases all matter except for artifacts. What exactly would the prerequisites of an artifact be for it to be an exception to the Sphere's effect?
From the sphere's description:
...
2
votes
1
answer
78
views
Where can I find lore about the Singing-Luminous Eye of the Speakers?
I was reading through Narriseminek's wiki page when I saw this:
The name of Narriseminek's domain is sung and incomprehensible to non-proteans, but is commonly called the Drifting Mountain of ...
- 559
6
votes
1
answer
538
views
Where can I find lore about the Ichor Lance?
This particular artifact has caught my attention. I can barely find any lore pertaining to it. It has a blurb about how it was used by Zagig and Iggwilv to imprison Fraz-Urb'luu in Greyhawk but that'...
- 559
6
votes
2
answers
765
views
Let's put the Demonomicon into a Bag of Holding! What could possibly happen?
According to Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, the Demonomicon of Iggwilv can hold up to 10 fiends at a time, record their name and depravities, and might even have 1-4 demons inside.
However, it also ...
- 449
15
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Can a PC create a magic artifact?
I want to know if there is a way my Fighter can make a magical artifact. Is there a certain thing listed in any book that says a character can find something to forge a magic artifact?
- 1,079
9
votes
3
answers
474
views
Is this homebrew Artifact ready to finalize?
I've spent some time working on npcs and bosses but I have significantly less experience and therefore confidence in creating magic items. I've already fallen into traps of making things too weak as ...
- 2,671
8
votes
1
answer
236
views
Examples of the "powerful being" and the "attention" they give to an artifact being destroyed by Disjunction
So I was reading the description of mages disjunction trying to look for a way to make mechanics for rulebreaker from FSN and noticed it said that mages disjunction has a 1% chance per CL to destroy ...
- 2,910
3
votes
1
answer
223
views
Am I correctly understanding the rules on getting artifacts with XP and crafting artifacts with iotum?
Numenera Destiny introduces crafting artifacts. Numenera Discovery allows one to spend 3 XP to obtain an artifact. Are the two following statements correct?
By Destiny rules, crafting an artifact ...
- 872
1
vote
1
answer
425
views
How does Enhanced Trait: Affect Others Only function as a device?
This is a continuation of this question for Mutants and Masterminds 3e.
So, the character I proposed could spawn a minimum of 6 constructs with 30pp worth of powers/skills by using Invention at ...
- 3,216
2
votes
1
answer
161
views
implementation of a ranged grapple attack for an artifact weapon
I have created a new artifact as part of a campaign I am running, with properties that seem a perfect match for the campaign, the items history and our party in general. I expect our dim-witted ...
- 1,209
2
votes
1
answer
938
views
How much information should the GM reveal with a Legend Lore spell? [closed]
The PCs decided they want a minor artifact (deck of many things) and decided to cast a Legend Lore to get information about it. They intend to barter, but if it stands within the grasp of an evil NPC, ...
- 428
10
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Why is this weapon searching for a new owner?
In Waterdeep: Dragon Heist, Meloon Wardragon wields Azuredge, the legendary greataxe (p. 189):
Players discover that (p. 210)...
So, my question is:
My players have handled that problem with a ...
- 46k
8
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Is there a published campaign where a missing artifact or a relic is creating trouble by its absence?
I already wrote months ago a question about linking Lost Mine of Phandelver to another published module. By then, I hadn't yet bought the starter set and hadn't even GM'd.
I now have GM'd through the ...
- 3,740
23
votes
3
answers
23k
views
What makes an item an artifact?
In the Tomb of Annihilation adventure, I've encountered a specific instance where the term "Artifact" is used meaningfully (on p. 134):
Compare this to a different trap found in the module (on p. ...
- 6,608
4
votes
1
answer
256
views
Is the Living Gem the Calimemnon Crystal?
Page 20 of the AD&D 2e book Running the Realms describes the item found by Shond Tarovin known as the Living Gem:
In Schamedar (Calimshan), the adventurer-wizard Shond Tharovin has
announced ...
- 783
11
votes
2
answers
7k
views
How can the positive/negative planes be described?
Unlike the other planes, the positive and negative planes are notoriously sparsely described. In fact, I figured that it wasn't even possible to go there until recently, when I read the description of ...
- 26k
1
vote
1
answer
466
views
How to create an artifact weapon linked to the progress of a mythic path?
I want to pump up the group I'm GMing for with Mythic rules.
There is a warpriest in the group, and I wanted to have him earn the privilege of wielding the holy weapon of his church and make him a ...
- 425
6
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Are there published artifacts from the Shadowfell?
Are there published magic artifacts with origins from the Plane of Shadow (aka the Shadowfell)?
- 229
2
votes
2
answers
396
views
Is this homebrew abjuration artifact balanced? [closed]
My players are currently level 9 as part of a campaign that I anticipate extending to somewhere between 18-20. The overall world is between low to medium magic. For context, the most powerful magic ...
- 61
5
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Can you remove the sentience from an intelligent item?
If you take something like the "dagger of denial", which will work against a player if their goals are not aligned, can you remove the sentience, by the 3.5 rules and extended rules, to make it a ...
- 849
0
votes
2
answers
9k
views
How are artifacts destroyed? [closed]
I think my question is fairly straightforward - how does one destroy an artifact?
The only reference I have been able to find is the following passage from the DMG page 140 under 'Magic Item ...
- 8,848
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Creating a very powerful items like the rings of power from LOTR in my D&D campaign [closed]
I have this idea of having like 9 mystical swords with insane powers, and I want to give one of them to my players so they can hide it because everybody wants to take the sword and use its power for ...
- 29
15
votes
1
answer
5k
views
Does a spell cast using a 10th-level spell slot count as a 10th-level spell?
The Enlightened Magic feature of the Book of Exalted Deeds (DMG, p. 222) allows for 10th-level spell slots per this question.
Nothing seems to disallow level 10 spell slots, but would the spells cast ...
- 73.3k
33
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Does the Book of Exalted Deeds allow level 10 spell slots?
The artifact Book of Exalted Deeds, DMG p. 222, has the following attribute:
Enlightened Magic. Once you've read and studied
the book, any spell slot you expend to cast a cleric or
paladin ...
- 26k
3
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Determining artifact treasure value
Major and minor artifacts are listed in several D&D books, but how does one determine their worth? Obviously they are worth something to an adventurer much like a magical location; magical ...
- 5,623
19
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Would an artifact that enhanced proficiency be too over-powered?
I am the DM of 5e, and during my campaigns I try to allow characters to get an artifact — a legendary magical item — as a sort of personal side quest to build their character. This is something that ...
- 193
10
votes
2
answers
2k
views
If an artifact does not expressly limit spells like enlarge/reduce or levitate, are there any limits?
Caution: Minor spoiler ahead, Out of the Abyss, hard cover.
The question is whether any level magic spell will act per usual on an artifact possessing very high-level magic, which is featured in a ...
- 575