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jordanz
Senior Scribe
556 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Aug 2011 : 18:30:07
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And why?
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Abenabin Gimblescrew
Seeker
USA
75 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2011 : 18:43:56
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| Deck of Many Things - Just the gambler I am loves to take chances and pull X number of cards from the deck to see if I get good fortune or terribly bad luck. |
Invention is the key to staying ahead of the competition. |
Edited by - Abenabin Gimblescrew on 27 Aug 2011 18:44:23 |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
8066 Posts |
Posted - 27 Aug 2011 : 20:52:10
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My gaming table has actually had a lot of good times with the Black Jammer's Cutlass from the 2E BOOK OF ARTIFACTS. This one minor artifact kept all the players entertained with a very vital Spelljamming campaign for several months (vastly surpassing my original intent); it actually kept them all a little bit too entertained, even now they sometimes fondly reminisce about all those crusty old space pirates they used to encounter.
Another artifact I liked, from the same book, is the Death Rock. Of course my players still think of it as the Necromancer's Black Heart (Ssshh! had to change the name and cosmetic details) and I think it's safe to say that - with one notable exception - they didn't like it much at all.
Of course I'll always be fond of my first homebrewed artifact, a short sword adapted from a Legendary Treasure named Purifier from the Earthdawn RPG, although I'll confess the good times it generated in those early DMing days were somewhat forced and contrived. I've always been deeply influenced by the classic 1E Gygax thinking; to me each Artifact is in some unique way more powerful than any mere magical item, although there's a bit of a blurred overlap between the weakest artifacts and the most powerful magic items. Consequently, I'm very hesitant to use them and have a tendency to pick the weakest ones available unless I'm planning on running particularly big events or disposable temporary campaigns. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2011 : 04:02:54
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As I am not a gamer, I'd choose from those that are already made. I pick the Seven Imaskarcana. Who wouldn't want to do what those items are capable of?! |
Every beginning has an end. |
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jordanz
Senior Scribe
556 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2011 : 04:26:48
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quote:
Originally posted by Dennis
As I am not a gamer, I'd choose from those that are already made. I pick the Seven Imaskarcana. Who wouldn't want to do what those items are capable of?!
I have another thread on the Imaskara. I would love a novel that detailed some evil tyrant's attempt to find and collect all seven. |
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Marc
Senior Scribe
662 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2011 : 22:49:12
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| The Deck of Many Things was used too many times in our games. I always wanted to involve the Ring of Winter, it is the one I'd choose at the moment cause of its unpredictability. |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 28 Aug 2011 : 22:51:43
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| Ring of Winter. Good Choice. I've never used an artifact during play though. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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jordanz
Senior Scribe
556 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 03:04:18
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I like these two:
quote:
Codex of the Infinite Planes
Powers
All powers of the book are triggered by reading it, if one knows the proper page in which to look. The Codex can open a portal to any plane, demiplane, or world, at any location. It can summon a greater fiend to serve for 24 hours, and it can raise the dead.
Those who have used the Codex have been known to slowly become more than mortal, transforming into very minor godlings or fiends. The archmage Tzunk, after lengthy exposure to the tome, gained a horrific form of immortality that caused him to remain conscious and animate even after his body was dismembered and scattered across the world.
The Codex of the Infinite Planes is as much a bane as a boon, and terrible destruction has been unwittingly released against those who attempt to master it: earthquakes, storms, fiendish invasions, imprisonment, and death. Those who even open it for the first time are most often instantly annihilated.
The Codex uses those who think they own it as slaves, entering their dreams and guiding them on visions of the infinite planes, forcing them to write its pages. This is how the Codex continues to exist and to grow. Eventually its scribes use up their own lives; when they come to the page that describes themselves, they are empty husks, and the Codex finds another slave to continue its self-creation.
[edit]
History
The origin of this tome is thought to predate the invention of written language among humans. It was discovered by the High Wizard-Priest of the Isles of Woe and used to create an empire on both Oerth and other planes of existence before its powers sank the isles beneath the sea.
It was hoped, then, that the Codex had been destroyed as well, but this was not to be. The archmage Tzunk surfaced with the Codex and, after lengthy study, attempted to conquer the City of Brass. Despite his power he was no match for an army of four million efreet, and he was duly punished.
After the dismemberment of Tzunk, the book eventually passed to the infernal godling Schaethreth, who held it in his possession for over a hundred years. During this period it haunted the sleep of the mage Fallendor remotely, forcing him to write further pages in his dreams, until he escaped by writing his memories on the skin of a paladin from another world. It was stolen from Schaethreth by the agent retriever Regalid Maethos, who hid it within the ruined tower of Kerleth Helvetius, an ally of the efreeti sultan (as recounted in the Epic Level Handbook
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_of_the_Infinite_Planes
and
quote:
Golem Armor
This enormous suit of black iron +10 full plate armor increases the wearers size by one category (to a maximum of Colossal). The wearer gains a +10 enhancement bonus to Strength and is rendered immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, disease, and similar effects. He or she is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, energy drain, or death from massive damage. Golem Armor is immune to rust attacks. The wearer of Golem Armor gains damage reduction 15/adamantine. He or she also cannot regain hit points by any means (mundane or magical) while the armor is worn. It requires 1 hour to don or extract oneself from Golem Armor.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/magicItems/artifacts.htm |
Edited by - jordanz on 29 Aug 2011 03:11:57 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 03:13:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Fellfire
Ring of Winter. Good Choice.
What does it do? I didn't read the novel. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Fellfire
Master of Realmslore
1965 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 03:26:36
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From Volo's Guide to All Things Magical pp. 112
The Ring of Winter appears as a simple band of gold sparkling with
frost along the edges. When first held it burns the flesh with intense
cold and vibrates with power. Unless the Ring is in contact with living
flesh, it slowly covers whatever it touches with frost, out to a 5-foot
radius. It emits a fierce blue radiance when in the presence of magic
working against it.
History
All that is known for certain about the Ring of Winter has been
gleaned from ancient histories. It was forged by a mage of staggering
power (some say Azuth before he became a god) and
kissed by Auril at a time when the countries that now make up
the Realms were little more than scattered villages. Regardless
of its origin, the Ring of Winter has always been object of fascination
and desire for those who seek to do great good or great evil
in Faerūn.
Lord Dhalmass Rayburton of Cormyr found the Ring in the
vicinity of present-day Shadowdale over a millennium ago. He
used the Ring for several years in the Forest Kingdom before
hastily departing for the jungles of Chult, from whence he never
returned. Countless adventurers searched for the Ring over the
intervening centuries before it was rediscovered. Notable among
them in recent times were Gareth of Waterdeep, Kelemvor Lyonsbane,
Cyric of Zhentil Keep, and Princess Alusair Nacacia.
In the Year of the Wyvern (1363 DR), Artus Cimber found the
Ring in the temple of Ubtao in the city of Mezro in the jungles of
Chult. He used it to help defeat an army of goblins led by the Cult
of Frost who were attacking Mezro in order to capture the Ring.
Artus later returned to Cormyr with his new lady love, Alisanda
Rayburton, daughter of Lord Rayburton and bara of Ubtao,
and the pair have been quietly adventuring in the Heartlands
ever since.
Campaign Use
The Ring of Winter is a powerful artifact of legend, and news of its
rediscovery spread like wildfire throughout Faerūn. It is far too
powerful to give to player characters, but they may cross paths
with Artus Cimber during their adventures. Every power-hungry
wizard or sinister organization in the Realms is likely to send
their agents after the Ring, and Artus may need help fending off
their attacks.
Powers
To command the Ring, a being must wear it. The Ring of Winter has
an initiative modifier (casting time) of 4.
Constant. The Ring augments the powers of all other magical
items that remain within 20 feet of it for more than 10 days as adjudicated
by the DM. The longer the exposure, the more the powers
increase.
While wearing the Ring, the bearer does not age, effectively conferring
immortality if the Ring is never taken off.
Invoked. The Ring can alter the climate in large areas, plunging
temperatures below freezing and creating large amounts of ice and
snow. It can emit a triple-sized wall of ice in a round, raise a pillar
of ice 10 feet across that rises 40 feet upward per round, or spray
paralyzing frost on all beings within a 60-foot-radius sphere in a
round. (Flight is impossible for frost-sprayed beings, and all movement
in the radius of effect is cut to a third of normal rate.)
The Ring can also bring an ice sphere into being around an item
or creature. This sphere transfers protective warmth to the interior
while emitting intense cold from its exterior with effects equal to a
cone of cold on all beings within 10 feet of the outer surface. The
sphere is AC 4 and can withstand 56 points of damage in one place
before shattering. It suffers double damage from all heat and flamerelated
attacks.
The Ring can also create ice spikes 10 feet tall, heal its wielder,
fashion animated, creature like constructs of ice (including flying ice
birds large enough to carry man-sized beings aloft in their claws),
and emit large and powerful arms of ice that can grip or strike with
the same power as a Bigbys crushing hand.
The Ring can freeze even enchanted beings to brittle solidity if it
can envelop them in ice. One blow shatters and slays such a
trapped creature, but the process of envelopment takes 1d3+1
rounds, and if any magic strikes the ice during this time, it falls
away and the process must begin again.
The Ring can shatter metal with its cold or create ice armor in
precise areas and amounts, fashioning manacles, shields balanced
to a particular user, or collars. The wielder can create a rapier, dagger,
or other piercing weapon of ice (equal to the normal weapon,
save that all damage is increased by 1d4 points due to chilling cold)
or conjure icy gusts of wind that can pick up and hurl man-sized or
smaller beings around. With some practice, the Ring-wearer can
fashion slippery ice sheets to aid in moving stone blocks or create
ice pillars, braces, and even stairs.
Curse. The curse of the Ring is a myth long associated with the
Ring of Winter. Those who quest for the Ring are often visited by
disaster in some form or other, although this is more a function of
their hearts than any magic of the Ring.
When worn, the Ring gives its bearer visions of its effects, tempting
its wearer with scenes of unbridled power. (A favorite image is
the bearer clad in translucent ice armor, which is presented as an
invincible defense.) However, the Ring serves only the powers of
goodif used for evil ends, it twists its wielders intent to bring
down disaster. For example, when Lord Rayburton tried to use the
Ring to frighten a rival Cormyrean nobleman into allowing him to
perform an archeological dig on the nobles property, the Ring
buried the entire village and the noblemans estate in ice, killing
everyone for miles around.
Suggested Means
of Destruction
The Ring of Winter must be melted down in the heart of the sun
of Realmspace.
The Ring must be baked in the heart of Kossuth, chilled in the
depths of Istishia, crushed beneath the fist of Grumbar, and its
shattered remnants scattered by the winds of Akadi.
The Ring must be used to encase the entire planet of Abeir-Toril
(seas and all) in an ice age, at which point it shatters, its power
exhausted.
Basically turns you into an immortal Iceman. |
Misanthorpe
Love is a lie. Only hate endures. Light is blinding. Only in darkness do we see clearly.
"Oh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but.. blinding. The shadows betray you because they belong to me." - Bane The Dark Knight Rises
Green Dragonscale Dice Bag by Crystalsidyll - check it out
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Edited by - Fellfire on 29 Aug 2011 03:29:01 |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 03:46:50
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Fascinating. Though not something that can't be countered. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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sfdragon
Great Reader
2285 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 05:55:51
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Imasakana
why?? can't really say, but there is always something intrigueing about things left in the shadows |
why is being a wizard like being a drow? both are likely to find a dagger in the back from a rival or one looking to further his own goals, fame and power
My FR fan fiction
Magister's GAmbit
http://steelfiredragon.deviantart.com/gallery/33539234 |
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GRYPHON
Senior Scribe
USA
527 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 15:01:44
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| Deck of Many Things... |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
8066 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 15:26:12
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| Why the Dragon Orbs? |
[/Ayrik] |
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Gouf
Seeker
USA
75 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 15:41:42
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I'm tempted to say the deck of many things, but I have to go with The Wyrmskull Throne .
Even though I only got to ride it and kick the proverbial tires for about 10 minutes before Dumathoin came to take it away to safety, it was very defining for my dwarven character in our campaign, as he was commanded by Dumathoin as the last blood of Taark Shanat (surprise), who wasn't pure blooded duergar, to wax his father (War King Olorn Ridaugaur) and as his bastard half shield dwarf son (his mother was an escaped pleasure slave of his father's) to reclaim all the missing scepters to prove himself worthy of it.
Of coarse kudos got to our currant DM for expanding the module into an ongoing story arc. ;) |
"Why is the torch burning blue?" |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 15:41:46
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The Orbs of Dragonkind have a cool backstory with their Dragon Wars and all. I'm always intrigued by tales of certain ancient high-magic eras where human(oid) heroes fought wars while riding dragons. (Might be because of the Dragonlance novels I read as a youngster)
I like them in the hands of a major villain or evil group in a campaign. Always fun to have a small humanoid controlling massive beasts of destruction by mere force of will. The Orbs also have a built in weakness for players to exploit; if the domination use fails for even a little while (no small feat as the Orbs' magic is very strong), the enslaved dragon will turn on its user with teeth and claw.
I never got to the endstate of the campaign in which I planned to use them, but even hinting at their existence in the hands of the enemy will cow most adventuring groups into very careful strategic play. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 15:58:06
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Oh, and the main thing I seek in artifacts is usually their reach. I prefer the ones that can influence whole regions by their mere presence.
The Orbs of Dragonkind have a massive reach; 100 miles for sensing presence of the dragon of the kind the Orb is attuned to, 10 miles for detecting any dragon, 1 mile to get its age category and exact location and 500 ft for dominating them semi-permanently.
The Crystal of the Ebon Flame similarly can be used over nearly limitless range as it allows the user to greater scry, discern location and vision once per day in addition to several other powerful defensive spells. Additionally it has the insidious ability to trap the soul of anyone who uses the Crystal to often. |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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Dennis
Great Reader
9933 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 16:23:07
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How about Vhostym's Weave Tap? Can it be considered an artifact? It brought about one of the most unforgettable event in history. |
Every beginning has an end. |
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
735 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 21:30:24
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| The Hand and Eye of Vecna. Main reason why - one of my first D&D Acquisitions was Dungeon Magazine #17, which features an advanture ("Out of the Ashes") featuring fakes of that artifact. The backstory of the artifacts in the 1st Edition DMG caught my imagination, and what with Vecna's appearances (including the slightly over the top adventure "Die Vecna, Die!"), he became part of my overall multiverse, and that included his incursions in the Realms. |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 29 Aug 2011 : 21:56:13
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| The Head of Vecna? |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31799 Posts |
Posted - 30 Aug 2011 : 02:51:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
The Orbs of Dragonkind have a cool backstory with their Dragon Wars and all. I'm always intrigued by tales of certain ancient high-magic eras where human(oid) heroes fought wars while riding dragons. (Might be because of the Dragonlance novels I read as a youngster)
If you've not done so already, I'd also recommend you peruse the Dalamar the Dark novel, for a fascinating take on the nature of the dragon orb that was said to be in Lorac Caladon's possession at the time. |
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
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Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Quale
Master of Realmslore
1757 Posts |
Posted - 30 Aug 2011 : 07:25:52
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| Gouf is right, the Wyrmskull Throne. One of the most creative ideas for an artifact. Rather have it than the Scepter of the Sorcerer Kings. |
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Topic |
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What's your favorite Artifact?
