Artifacts and Other Items
Why settle for generic magic items any caster can craft? This section covers rare and precious items with histories spun into legends, such as the monkey's paw, the philosopher's stone, and the deck of many things. Yet not every artifact or magic item is the boon it first appears to be-this section also presents a wide array of cursed items that a crooked shopkeeper (or devious GM) might pass off to player characters as priceless wonders. Finally, those treasures that talk back: intelligent items. This last section includes the rules for creating and using such items, dedicated powers, personality quirks, and of course a wide selection of specific intelligent items ready to be dropped in players' paths.
Artifacts
There exist throughout the world items that were never meant for the hands of mortals, powers that by all rights should solely be the province of divine beings and the elemental forces of creation. Yet occasionally, whether by accident, calamity, or strange fate, shards of such impossible might do fall into the hands of mortals. These motes of the unfathomable are called artifacts, and where they pass, lands shudder, nations rise, and legends are born.
Rather than merely another form of magical equipment, artifacts are the sorts of legendary relics that might become the focus of whole campaigns—sparking quests to recover them, fights against their wielders, missions to destroy them, and more.
Unlike normal magic items, artifacts are not easily destroyed (and are impossible for PCs to create). Instead of construction information, each artifact includes one possible means by which it might be destroyed.
Artifacts should never be purchased or found as part of a random treasure hoard. When placing an artifact in your game, be sure to consider its impact, but also keep in mind that artifacts are fickle objects, and if they become too much of a nuisance, they can easily become lost once more.
Minor Artifacts
Minor artifacts are not necessarily unique items. Even so, they are magic items that can no longer be created by common mortal means.
Aura: strong (all schools)CLl: 20th
Price:
Weight: 2 lbs.
The beacon of true faith takes the form of an ornate torch made of electrum. It holds an undying magical flame that requires no fuel or air, and in the hands of most creatures it simply functions as an everburning torch. When held by a divine spellcaster, an outsider with an alignment subtype, or a creature of strong religious faith (GM's discretion, but usually requiring a feat or trait reflecting this devotion), the beacon gains additional powers based on the bearer's alignment. For example, a lawful good paladin gains access to the lawful and good powers, but a neutral cleric gains access to no powers. All of these are command-word activated.
descriptor The beacon of true faith is destroyed if its bearer turns against the worship of his deity to willingly embrace an opposite alignment.
Chaotic: Word of chaos
once per day on command.
Good
Allies within 30 feet of the beacon gain the benefits of protection from evil and heroism.
Evil
Bearer is constantly under the effect of protection from good and may use harm twice per day.
Lawful: Dictum
once per day on command.
Book of Infinite Spells
Aura: strong (all schools)CLl: 18th
Price:
Weight: 3 lbs.
This tome bestows the ability to use the spells within its pages upon any bearer of any class. However, a bearer not already able to use spells gains one negative level for as long as the book is in her possession or while she makes use of its powers. A book of infinite spells contains 1d8+22 pages. The nature of each page is determined by a d% roll: 01–50, arcane spell; 51–100, divine spell. Determine the exact spell randomly.
Once a page is turned, it can never be flipped back—paging through the book is a one-way trip. If the book is closed, it always opens again to the page it was on before the book was closed. When the last page is turned, the book vanishes.
Once per day, the owner of the book can cast the spell to which the book is opened. If that spell happens to be one that is on the character's class spell list, she can cast it up to four times per day. The pages cannot be ripped out without destroying the book. Similarly, the spells cannot be cast as if from a scroll, nor can they be copied into a spellbook—their magic is bound permanently within the book itself.
The owner of the book need not have the book in her possession in order to use its power. The book can be stored elsewhere and still allow its owner to cast spells by means of its power, so long as no other creature attempts to make use of the book, in so doing becoming its owner.
Each time a spell is cast, there is a chance that the energy connected with its use causes the page to magically turn despite all precautions. The chance of a page turning depends on the spell the page contains and what sort of spellcaster the owner is.
descriptor The book of infinite spells can be destroyed when the current page contains the erase spell, by casting the spell on the book itself.
Condition
| Condition | Chance ofPage Turning |
|---|---|
| Caster employing a spell usable by own class and level | 10% |
| Caster employing a spell not usable by own class and level | 20% |
| Nonspellcaster employing divine spell | 25% |
| Nonspellcaster employing arcane spell | 30% |
Treat each spell use as if a scroll were being employed, for purposes of determining casting time, spell failure, and so on.
Aura: strong conjurationCLl: 15th
Price:
Weight: 1 lb.
This verdant branch glows with a soothing, pale green light. Carefully pruned from the world's first tree, this artifact hums with energy. Full of everlasting life, it needs time to transfer its magic. It can cast heal at will, but needs a full hour to do so. Once a day, it can cast resurrection, but it takes the full day to do so.
The branch serves only those who are worthy. It will not stay in the possession of a non-good creature for long, disappearing in 1d4 days. It will similarly disappear while in the possession of a good creature who associates with nongood creatures, but this takes 2d8 days to occur.
descriptor The branch of life can be destroyed by taking it to the heart of the Negative Energy Plane.
Aura: strong enchantmentCLl: 18th
Price:
Weight: 3 lbs.
The creation of some long-forgotten tyrant, this iron crown is fitted with four retractable spikes that can slide into the crown's interior. When the crown of the iron king is placed on a creature's head, these spikes burrow violently inward. The wearer becomes the thrall of the creature who placed the crown on it for as long as it wears the crown. The crown must be placed on either a willing or unconscious creature, which takes a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Taking off the crown also takes a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity and can be taken only by the creature who put the crown on the wearer, or at the command of that creature. Although the crown's spikes dig into the head of the wearer, it does no permanent harm aside from leaving four vicious-looking scars once the crown is removed.
Once a creature becomes a thrall of the crown's user, it must do everything the user commands, as per the spell dominate person—though the crown's dominance is not limited to humanoids, lasts as long the creature is wearing the crown, and allows no saving throw.
descriptor The crown is destroyed if a creature places the crown on its own head. This not only destroys the crown but it also kills the wearer. The wearer cannot be returned to life by any means short of divine intervention.
Deck of Many Things
Aura: strong (all schools)CLl: 20th
Price:
Weight: &mdash
A deck of many things is usually found in a box or leather pouch. Each deck contains a number of cards or plaques made of ivory or vellum. Each is engraved with glyphs, characters, and sigils. As soon as one of these cards is drawn from the pack, its magic is bestowed upon the person who drew it, for better or worse.
The character with a deck of many things who wishes to draw a card must announce how many cards she will draw before she begins. Cards must be drawn within 1 hour of each other, and a character can never draw from this deck any more cards than she has announced. If the character does not willingly draw her allotted number (or if she is somehow prevented from doing so), the cards flip out of the deck on their own. If the Idiot or Jester is drawn, the possessor of the deck may elect to draw additional cards.
Each time a card is taken from the deck, it is replaced (making it possible to draw the same card twice) unless the draw is the Jester or the Fool, in which case the card is discarded from the pack. A deck of many things contains 22 cards. To simulate the magic cards, you may want to use tarot cards, as indicated in the second column of the accompanying table. If no tarot deck is available, substitute ordinary playing cards instead, as indicated in the third column. The effects of each card, summarized on the table, are clarified below.
descriptor This item can be destroyed by losing it in a wager with a deity of law. The deity must be unaware of the nature of the deck.
Deck of Many Things
| Plaque | Tarot Card | Playing Card | Summary of Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balance | XI. Justice | Two of spades | Change alignment instantly. |
| Comet | Two of swords | Two of diamonds | Defeat the next monster you meet to gain one level. |
| Donjon | Four of swords | Ace of spades | You are imprisoned. |
| Euryale | Ten of swords | Queen of spades | –1 penalty on all saving throws henceforth. |
| The Fates | Three of cups | Ace of hearts | Avoid any situation you choose, once. |
| Flames | XV. The Devil | Queen of clubs | Enmity between you and an outsider. |
| Fool | 0. The Fool | Joker (with trademark) | Lose 10,000 experience points and you must draw again. |
| Gem | Seven of cups | Two of hearts | Gain your choice of 25 pieces of jewelry or 50 gems. |
| Idiot | Two of pentacles | Two of clubs | Lose 1d4+1 Intelligence. You may draw again. |
| Jester | XII. The Hanged Man | Joker (without trademark) | Gain 10,000 XP or two more draws from the deck. |
| Key | V. The Hierophant | Queen of hearts | Gain a major magic weapon. |
| Knight | Page of swords | Jack of hearts | Gain the service of a 4th-level fighter. |
| Moon | XVIII. The Moon | Queen of diamonds | You are granted 1d4 wishes. |
| Rogue | Five of swords | Jack of spades | One of your friends turns against you. |
| Ruin | XVI. The Tower | King of spades | Immediately lose all wealth and property. |
| Skull | XIII. Death | Jack of clubs | Defeat dread wraith or be forever destroyed. |
| Star | XVII. The Star | Jack of diamonds | Immediately gain a +2 inherent bonus to one ability score. |
| Sun | XIX. The Sun | King of diamonds | Gain beneficial medium wondrous item and 50,000 XP. |
| Talons | Queen of pentacles | Ace of clubs | All magic items you possess disappear permanently. |
| Throne | Four of wands | King of hearts | Gain a +6 bonus on Diplomacy checks plus a small castle. |
| Vizier | IX. The Hermit | Ace of diamonds | Know the answer to your next dilemma. |
| The Void | Eight of swords | King of clubs | Body functions, but soul is trapped elsewhere. |
Balance
The character must change to a radically different alignment. If the character fails to act according to the new alignment, she gains a negative level.
Comet
The character must single-handedly defeat the next hostile monster or monsters encountered, or the benefit is lost. If successful, the character gains enough XP to attain the next experience level.
Donjon
This card signifies imprisonment—either by the imprisonment spell or by some powerful being. All gear and spells are stripped from the victim in any case. Draw no more cards.
Euryale
The medusa-like visage of this card brings a curse that only the Fates card or a deity can remove. The –1 penalty on all saving throws is otherwise permanent.
The Fates
This card enables the character to avoid even an instantaneous occurrence if so desired, for the fabric of reality is unraveled and respun. Note that it does not enable something to happen. It can only stop something from happening or reverse a past occurrence. The reversal is only for the character who drew the card; other party members may have to endure the situation.
Flames
Hot anger, jealousy, and envy are but a few of the possible motivational forces for the enmity. The enmity of the outsider can't be ended until one of the parties has been slain. Determine the outsider randomly, and assume that it attacks the character (or plagues her life in some way) within 1d20 days.
Fool
The payment of XP and the redraw are mandatory. This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others except the Jester.
Gem
This card indicates wealth. The jewelry is all gold set with gems, each piece worth 2,000 gp, and the gems are worth 1,000 gp each.
Idiot
This card causes the drain of 1d4+1 points of Intelligence immediately. The additional draw is optional.
This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others except the Fool. The redraws are optional.
Key
The magic weapon granted must be one usable by the character. It suddenly appears out of nowhere in the character's hand.
The fighter appears out of nowhere and serves loyally until death. He or she is of the same race (or kind) and gender as the character. This fighter can be taken as a cohort by a character with the Leadership feat.
Moon
This card bears the image of a moonstone gem with the appropriate number of wishes shown as gleams therein; sometimes it depicts a moon with its phase indicating the number of wishes (full = four; gibbous = three; half = two; quarter = one). These wishes are the same as those granted by the 9th-level wizard spell and must be used within a number of minutes equal to the number received.
Aura: strong variesCLl: 20th
Price:
Weight: 15 lbs.
This +3 Large returning warhammer deals 2d6 points of damage on a successful hit. In the hands of a wielder who wears a belt of giant strength and knows the weapon is a hammer of thunderbolts (not just the +3 warhammer it appears to be), it becomes a +5 Large giant-bane returning thundering warhammer with the following two properties. One, when the bearer hits with the hammer as a thrown attack, it emits a powerful clap of thunder, causing all creatures within 90 feet to be stunned for 1 round (DC 15 Fortitude negates); the wielder is not immune to this effect. Two, the hammer's range increment increases to 30 feet.
Major Artifacts
The greatest of all artifacts are unique items, coveted by the most powerful beings in existence and capable of altering the course of entire worlds. Only one of each major artifact exists, and even the least of them is capable of altering the balance of a campaign. Major artifacts are not easily destroyed, and each has only a single, specific means of destruction, noted at the end of its description.
Cursed Items
Cursed items are any magic items with some sort of potentially negative impact on the user. Occasionally, they mix bad with good, forcing characters to make difficult choices. Cursed items are almost never made intentionally. Instead, they are the result of rushed work, inexperienced crafters, or a lack of proper components. While many of these items still function, they either do not work as intended or come with serious drawbacks. When a magic item creation skill check fails by 5 or more, roll on Cursed Items Drawbacks table to determine the type of curse possessed by the item.