30 Day OD&D Challenge - Handling Artifacts, Relics and More - Day Thirty

Today's Topic is "Handling Artifacts, Relics and More" as we continue our celebration of International Original Dungeons and Dragons Month! What I will discuss is how I handle Artifacts, Relics and near/future Artifacts and Minor Artifacts.

As I said, I suggest that you create items that are specific to your own home brew game world and come up with your own colorful names. Assign the powers, abilities and features to each item in a way that fits the flavor and character of your world and your campaign. There is no one size fits all when it comes to Creating Artifacts, Relics and so on.

If you go to this post (30 Day D&D Challenge - Describe a Magic Item You Created - Day Seven) that I made early in the month, I talk about creating Magic Swords.  

In this post I spoke of three types of Magic Swords. The third type being a sword that is or is on the verge of reaching Legendary Status (Artifact). Those that are not there yet are Minor Artifacts on the verge of becoming a full fledged Artifact. When I say on the verge of becoming that is a relative term, it might take hundreds of years to complete the transition from minor to major.

These major swords are True Blood Swords or Holy Swords. These swords become independent of family ties and instead each will seek the MOST worthy person to wield it. If no worthy wielder can be found, it may disappear from the fabric of reality and stay hidden until a worthy wielder is found.

NOTE: This does not mean that these swords will automatically have +5 H and/or D bonuses. There powers and what makes them special may take other forms. They can also have a range of powers more extensive than that original presented in OD&D. 

So I created a Holy Sword named The Golden Bell, so named for the bell tones it sings forth when in use. It is a Lawful Sword with a Triple Special Purpose. It is purposed to Defeat Chaos, Destroy Evil and to Vanquish Undead. It has a INT of 16 and an Ego of 12. It is +1 H and +1 D against all Creatures; +3 H and +3 D against Chaotic Creatures and Evil Creatures; and +5 H and +5 D and Double Damage versus all Undead. When wielding this sword a Paladin dispels Evil/Undead/Spells and such as though he were four levels higher. When wielding the sword in battle he receives for the duration of combat a bonus of 5d10 HPs and the sword will always fight until all Evil and/or Undead are Destroyed/Vanquished, the sword will also never retreat when battling Evil or Undead and will always seek to confront the most powerful foe. If the Paladin is killed, the sword immediately disappears. All other standard Paladin Holy Sword powers apply. 

If a Paladin commits a Chaotic Act it will not function for him until he has completed an appropriate quest (if allowed depending on the act), if he commits an Evil Act, it will immediately attempt to slay him, after which it will disappear as it looks for someone worthy.

Here is what I said about Magic Swords in this post (OD&D and Magic Sword House Rules) five years ago in February of 2015. 

Magic Swords, unlike other magic items, are intimately tied to their master on every plane of existence. A magic sword once claimed and used by its master, then becomes the ultimate symbol of its master’s power. An unused, unclaimed magic sword starts out as a semi-sentient entity with the potential for relating to its master as a good dog relates to its dearly loved master. Magic Swords start as a blank slate and align themselves over time with the alignment of their master. A magic sword has its own life-force that it bonds with its master’s life-force when it is treated with the proper respect and care and they become intertwined over time so that they cannot be separated willingly. 

A mistreated magic sword will turn on its master seeking to cause him harm in battle and slowly drinking his life force. A stolen sword is deadly to the thief and will seek to return to its rightful master. 

When the master of a sword dies, if he so chooses, his soul will combine with the sword increasing the power of the sword, its Intelligence and its Ego. In this way it is sometimes possible for a great Artifact to be created. 

When its master dies there are usually only two things that can normally be done with a magic sword, one is to pass it on to a blood relative who must be like minded with the original master and must seek vengeance for the original master’s death if the killer still lives and if they choose to take up the sword. These inherited swords are the only ones that do not start as a blank slate. If the blood relative is not like minded or does not choose to seek vengeance assuming the killer lives, then they should not take up the sword or it will turn on them. 

Inherited swords can be passed down through several generations until a suitable master is found. The other option is to bury the sword with its master where it will guard its master and is deadly to grave robbers. 

When the conditions are right for an Artifact to be created, these Magic Swords have a definite purpose and as such it is possible for someone other than a blood relative to wield the sword. This type of sword will seek out the person best suited to fulfill its purpose. Usually this person will have to undergo a series of tests in order to be found worthy.

A newly gained magic sword starts with the ability to glow in the presence of its new master’s enemies and the ability to wound anything that requires magic or silver to wound. As the master grows in power and skill, so grows the sword and they will grow from semi-sentient to fully sentient over time. Swords will as their master grows discover talents unique to that master. No two swords are ever the same. Swords used by those who also wield magic will discover talents unique to that master. Swords forged with unique and special metals will also discover unique talents. The more powerful the master, the more powerful the sword will become.

As I said, design these items in a way that makes sense in your campaign.

An Artifact that I created was my version of Ioun Stones. I allowed the player characters action to be woven into the mythology of the items. Here is what happened:

The players entered a room and as they investigated it they came across a box of black heavy cubes that were cold to the touch. All of the players ignored them except for the 9 year old girl who was playing a Cleric. IIRC she was up to 3rd level at the time. I also had at that point implemented the possibility for both fighters and clerics to become Paladins at fourth level if they were "chosen."  So she picked up three of them and as she held them they warmed up, became lighter in weight, turned white and began to glow. I also told the player character that she was getting a friendly feeling from the cubes. The other players were in a big hurry to move on, completely ignored everything that I told the 9 year old and rushed her away or she may have taken more of the cubes at the time. There were a few hundred present. 

Now I had planned that they would only respond to the first player that handled them, but not to anyone else. So I made it a trait of these cubes that only the chosen would show interest in them. These cubes come in sets of nine stones. There are multiple sets and each one is completely unique. This particular set is known as "The Colorful Cubes of Ceruveaux the Good" a Legendary Cleric-Paladin. These sets are specific for the race, class, and alignment of the PC. You don't find them, they find you and if you fail to gain all of them they will follow you until they are a united complete set. When they are complete then all of the benefits become apparent, until then only partial or random effects occur. If the PC "chosen" by these cubes dies both the PC and the cubes disappear instantly.

Had they went back to the room again, the cubes would have been gone. But the six cubes she did not take, gradually sought her out. Unlike Ioun Stones, these cannot be grabbed and taken because they take evasive action and will defend themselves. The other thing is that when the set is fully assembled they become sentient and can communicate telepathically with their "chosen." When the set is together each cube assumes its own color, up till then they remain white.

That is enough for today, I will likely return to this subject at another time.