Great Artifacts of the World
So, what is the “greatest” magical artifact in the world? The answer is somewhat rhetorical, and certainly dependent on assumptions which themselves could be endlessly argued. History and legend give us stories of many great artifacts; some we know exist, some we know existed in the past, and some we know little more than legend. Yet without a doubt there are certain magical artifacts which, either through truth or legend, capture the imagination of every adventurer.
Some of these are among the great legendary items of world history, and a few of the are believed located in the wilderness or dungeon locations of our kingdom. Others are perhaps of slightly lesser stature, but are included again because of the belief that they might exist locally.
Orbs of Dragonkind
The Orbs of Dragonkind are among the oldest and most famous magical artifacts known to humanity. At least five have made documented historical appearances, some only once and others multiple times. Depending on which sage you talk to, there may have been even more. Their empirical influence on the history of the First Age is well enough documented, and speculation as to their presence in additional various historical events is almost endless.
And yet they are, like so many great artifacts, shrouded in mystery. Who created them, how, and why are all questions unanswerable. We don’t even know for certain how many there are, as not all that “should” exist have ever been found. Nor are we likely to get many clues. They easily predate human existence, and even the elves have no records of a time without them. Many sages theorize they have existed since the creation of the Prime Material plane itself, yet one thing they all do agree on is that the Orbs are creations of the Prime and not items from another plane or universe. Whatever they are, they were made/born/created here.
It is generally believed that there is one Orb associated with each of the Great Dragon types (the number of which is a separate controversy in and of itself), but in essence means there should be at least seven and perhaps as many as ten (some say still more). In human history, Orbs associated with Blue, Green, Red, and White dragons are clearly on the record, and elven history apparently has tales of an Orb of metallic Bronze. No Orb (as best we know) has ever been found linked to Black dragons, nor Gold, nor any other of the more controversial dragon races.
It is uncertain whether the Orbs are to be considered “good” or “evil”, though they have something of a reputation for the latter. Opinion among sages is split between those who believe that the Orbs have an alignment parallel to the dragon race they reflect (thus mostly evil), and others who hold the Orbs have no alignment of their own but tend to intensify that of their owner. The believers of this latter theory suggest that most of the “bad” history associated with the Orb is due to the faults of their possessors and that the Orbs themselves are likely either neutral or simply unaligned.
The Orbs are spheres apparently between eight to ten inches in diameter, each made from a different precious substance but inscribed with a similar pattern of runic symbols and dragon motifs. The “color” Orbs have the look of being made of perhaps hundreds of small gemstones crushed together and polished into a perfect glossy sphere, while the elven orb is described as being of near mirror-polished bronze. They are entirely resistant to magical detection or divination spells, and apparently only reveal their powers over time to the individual who claims one for their own. It is the first characteristic shared by all the Orbs – each item serves only one master.
Although each Orb is believed to have a range of properties unique to itself, there are powers they all seem to share, the most famous being to Summon Dragons. The Orb's possessor can summon common dragons of any type, as well as an Elder Dragon of a appropriate type, and then "command" them. The word "Command" must be used with some care. The lore seems fairly clear that common dragons apparently automatically see the Orb's possessor as a trusted friend, regardless of other contexts (race, alignment, etc.), one whose suggestions and advice are to be heeded, but through free will rather than blind obedience. As regards Elder Dragons, the evidence is more ambiguous, as the historical records contain several references to Orb-bearers who ultimately fall victim to and are destroyed by the ally they summoned to "help" them. Many sages say it is precisely the ability to bring forth a power greater than the possessor can control that makes the Orbs so dangerous.
A second power believed common to the Orbs is the ability to function as a uniquely powerful crystal ball. It is called "The Sight of the Dragon", and it can allow its possessor to project their consciousness so as to see and hear events, if the stories are true, to the furthest reaches of the Prime Material plane, and perhaps more. Some claim it can reach beyond the Prime to other planes, and possibly beyond Time itself, with the ability to show events from other places or times entirely, even events prophesied for the future. These scrying visions can be seen either in the possessor’s mind, or projected as an image for an audience, and can even be recorded, kept, and replayed. A variety of divination spells will function in conjunction with this power, though the events being witnessed cannot actually be directly affected.
Yet a third shard power is the ability to heal. There are stories handed down from the First Age that would simply be dismissed if not from sources of unquestioned validity. One general is said to have healed five thousand of his wounded soldiers by having them continuously file past an Orb and just touch it once. A famous hero used it to resurrect his beloved wife, whose life and soul had both been taken by the Devil Lord Dispater; the Orb's power was such that she was torn from her imprisonment on the second level of Hell before Dispater could even react. An evil wizard is known to have used its power to project continuous healing into her champions, erasing their wounds and her own almost as quickly as they could be inflicted. And from the elves, a story of the bronze orb, which a well-intentioned but misguided hero intended to use it to bring back to life some of their original elven forbearers. Although this action was prevented, the thought of an item that could bring back one of the first beings to have walked the Prime Material plane is almost too incredible to comprehend.
Cynics will tell you there's a fourth power the Orbs have, and that is a power to influence their possessor's life. As one historian has put it, “No one ever has one quietly”. Virtually everyone whom history records as possessing an Orb either is or becomes one of the era’s dominant personalities – as leader, conqueror, hero, or nemesis. Some scholars claim there are clear patterns of conflict and strife associated with their appearance, others claim they are more accurately associated with ending, not causing, such circumstances (and what era doesn’t have conflict and strife?). The history that comes to us from the First Age would suggest them capable of both founding and destroying empires, but no more so than empires rise and fall in our modern time. Given the nature of human history, it seems perhaps unfair for even a set of famous magical artifacts to shoulder that blame.
All of the Orbs of Dragonkind are currently lost to knowledge. Virtually all the information on the Orbs we know of comes from human histories of the First Age, and particularly early in the First Age, at a time when we know dragons were more numerous and varied. Obviously, there are greater tales to be told by elven and dwarven sources. but those people guard their legends carefully, and "stories of ancient elven lore" too often turn out to be modern human forgeries. In any case, in our modern era, no sign nor suggestion of any Orb, even of their possible locations, has proven to have any validity. No one doubts that they surely still exist, but as yet they remain entirely unknown.
The Hand and Eye of Vecna
There are no more infamous artifacts in all human history than the Hand and Eye of Vecna. Vecna himself was the greatest terror of the First Age, an arch-lich who dominated almost 900 years of Western history as the most powerful source of Evil known to humanity. Although ultimately the arch-lich himself was utterly destroyed, these two body parts remained as powerful artifacts of magic and evil. They were sealed away in the deepest vaults of Atlantis, to be kept ever from the possibility that they might again see the light of day.
When Atlantis was destroyed in the Great War, and sunk beneath the sea, many great treasures and priceless artifacts were lost, most remain so. Who it was that found them, and how it was done, no one knows; but by the early 1300s (PC), first the Hand, and then the Eye, made separate and dramatic re-appearances in the Western world, in both cases in the possession of Drow Elves. Both items appeared, disappeared, and periodically re-appeared over the next four centuries, always separately, inevitably associated with the dark elves. There is evidence to suggest they may have been a centerpiece in a centuries-old civil conflict among the races of the underworld during this time, but the truth is unknown. It is interesting that for whatever reason, the two items have, at least to our knowledge, never both been in the possession of the same individual.
In any case, this condition persisted until the conflicts known as the Drow Wars. As conflict engulfed the entire West in the 18th century, the Hand and Eye to an extent vaulted to center stage. They appeared over and over, in location after location, across all western countries, each time in the possession of a powerful Drow contingent which rallied vast humanoid armies to its standard. When the conflicts finally stopped rising, the fate of both Hand and Eye was unknown; but in the time since, no sign of these items has been seen in the upper world.
There are many legends but very little hard information on the exact powers of either the Hand or the Eye. To use either item, a person must make it their own, cutting off their own hand (the left, it turns out) or putting out an eye, and replacing the lost body part with the appropriate artifact. Doing so makes one irrevocably and completely Neutral Evil, and is said to engender a powerful sense of megalomania in the possessor of either item.
Beyond this, there is mostly rumor and legend, but plenty of both. The Hand is believed to give its possessor extensive spell-invoking abilities, including a whole set of magical manifestations similar to the Bigby’s Hand series of spells that create massive hand-like forces of energy that can block, grasp, push, strike, even cause structural damage. Legends suggests it also gives its possessor an ability to invoke area-of-effect spells of mass violence – things like rockslides or earthquakes. The grasping strength of the Hand itself is supposedly incomprehensible, and can bend or crush even steel. It further gives unnatural strength to its possessor, and a magical vitality which allows them to heal wounds and regenerate damaged body parts at incredible speed. It may confer magic resistance as well, but this is unclear.
The possessor of the Eye of Vecna gains sight that even an elf would envy. Vision of any kind, and in any light conditions (including none), clarity and magnification at distance, an ability to see unnatural details close up. The possessor is immune to all blindness effects, and sees all illusions for what they are. They can see into adjacent planes, such as the Ethereal or Astral. The Eye can even see with either Clairvoyance or X-Ray vision; legend claims there is nothing that can hide from the all-seeing Eye.
Vecna's Eye is also capable of emitting several spell-like magical beams or cones of light. A powerful Prismatic Spray of light is one, it is thought an Anti-Magic Cone of light is another. There are frequent legendary claims that it produces a life-draining dark beam, but a careful perusal of historical records produces no evidence for this. There is clear evidence, however, for it final famous power -- the Beguiling Gaze. To those who meet the Eye's sight directly while in discussion or discourse is to fall under it's glamour; the artifact's possessor suddenly becomes the paragon of logic and persuasion, their opinion advice to be treasured, and their ideas always the best. The ability to withstand this effect seems best related to one's own strength of personality, but the more naturally dynamic the Eye's possessor, the more the Eye will amplify it, and the stronger it becomes.
Sword of Kas
Kas was one of Vecna's greatest lieutenants, a skilled paladin turned to darkness and the ways of evil. He was the leader of Vecna's bodyguard, a great commander of armies, and became a powerful sorcerer as well as talented warrior. Said to compete with his own master in pure evil and hatred of all things Good, Kas was nearly as feared as Vecna himself, and his list of crimes was long. Kas served his master well, and only died in the final assault on Vecna's Citadel. Ironically, he was slain by the very blade he carried, impaled by it as he grappled with the GrandMaster Monk Senjin, and himself sent to the same oblivion as so many of his victims.
The Sword of Kas is a long, single-edge curved blade, similar to a scimitar but somewhat longer and heavier. The jet black blade and grip visually resemble wrought iron, but are apparently incredibly strong; adamant-alloy blades have been known to shatter against it. It can be used single-handed or in two-handed style, and though it strikes with the power of a heavy blade, it is claimed to be as light as a rapier and twice as quick.
The magic of the Sword is strong. It is believed to strike as an epic-class (+5+) weapon, and give a similar bonus to initiative. The blade cuts armor as if it simply were not there, regardless the magic or craft by which it is forged. The strike of the blade is more than simply lethal; the weapon consumes the life energy of those it cuts, destroying them permanently and irrevocably beyond the reach of even the most powerful holy or arcane magicks.
Legend claims the Sword itself was made from the soul of a powerful demon (or devil, it varies), and that it retains a degree of sentience and a consciousness of life forces around itself. It is said that the Sword must be periodically fed, and if denied it steadily builds its own will until it can overthrow that of its possessor and force them to strike out at anyone nearby. No one, no matter how strong of will or pure of heart, can possess the blade for long without allowing it to feed, lest the power become so strong the possessor becomes forced to strike themselves to satiate it.
Although Kas was killed in the same assault that destroyed Vecna, his Sword was not sought out in the aftermath, and was left in the partial ruins of the Citadel. Who (or what) recovered it since then is not known, but in the last two and a half centuries the Sword's appearance has been rumored numerous times and confirmed in at least three. Its last known appearance was during the Drow Wars, while its dark elf wielder was finally slain, the blade's disposition is not known. As it was not found after the battle in question, it is presumed recovered, though whether by drow hands or human remains a question. It has yet to appear in the time since, though of course rumors abound.
The Crown of Light
The Crown of Light is a truly legendary item; there appears only to be a single tangible clue to its existence historically, yet divinatory magic appears to consistently confirm its existence. The Crown is mentioned once in Lysander's Phoenician Histories, of which the single original copy now resides in the Alexandria Library in Egypt. This famous First-Era sage and historian's works are fundamental to our knowledge of ancient history and have yet to be found in error; if for no other reason, the credibility of the legend of the Crown must be taken seriously.
According to Lysander, the Crown is a non-denominational holy artifact dedicated to the power of Light and Goodness. Wrought from a mithril-silver alloy and plated in gold, the Crown at all times glows with a gentle golden-white aura. The light it sheds can increase in radius and power at the will of the wearer, and has a power sovereign against all undead and creatures of the lower planes. Lesser undead types are utterly destroyed by it, demons are repelled by it, and even the most powerful undead take constant and debilitating damage from it. The life-drain effects of negative energy undead (or any magical equivalent) does not affect those within the light, and it similarly negates fear auras and mental domination or possession attacks by undead, demonic, or devilish opponents. The light will effortlessly override any known darkness-type spell, and the sage in his writing speculates that it has a dispel-type effect on such magic that operates at an extraordinary high level.
Beyond Lysander's descriptions, the Crown is as lost as an object can be. There are no legends or clues of any type hinting at a location, or even for a source of information about it. Even the most powerful magical divinations come up empty, except to confirm that some kind of object does indeed exist on the Prime Material Plane. In the modern age, it serves as something of an ultimate "Holy Grail" for any of Good alignment, and would represent one of the great finds of history if it could ever be located.
The Runestaff
It is hard to separate the lore of the Runestaff with the legend of the White Council. The latter is generally accepted as a myth, but the former is very real indeed.
The Runestaff is an octagonal wooden staff, reddish-brown in color, a little under six feet long. Along its length on each side, magical runes are inlaid in exquisite mother-of-pearl, and it is said they glow with energy when the Runestaff’s powers are invoked. It is dedicated to the Power of Good, and cannot even be touched by those of evil alignment without bringing harm to themselves. Like so many artifacts, its origins are mysterious. Most experts believe it not created on the Prime Material plane at all, and may be an item brought into existence by a collective action of gods of many pantheons.
In any case, the Runestaff is an item of extraordinary power, and is considered by some the most powerful Good-aligned artifact known. Like many legendary artifacts, sorting truth from exaggeration is always difficult, but a number of the Runestaff’s appearances have been well documented by reliable sources. History records at least six times the Runestaff has appeared and intervened in human history, there may well be more if one chooses to believe the less reliable legends. Four certain cases are documented from the First Age, and two from our current Era.
How or why the Runestaff appears is uncertain. It has appeared both to heroes and to relatively common individuals, in most cases un-looked for and entirely unexpectedly. It has always appeared in situations of crisis, always against the actions of a powerful Evil force, but how and why it picks the situations it has is unknown. With six appearances in over two thousand years of history, it is hardly responding to every crisis, and during perhaps humanity’s greatest (The Great War), it was nowhere to be seen.
The greatest legend about the Runestaff is actually true; it is indeed the mythical magister’s staff. It controls both holy and arcane magic with equal effectiveness, a characteristic effectively unmatched by any magical item or artifact known. It can even be used by those unacquainted with magical knowledge of any kind, but has its greatest powers in the hands of a capable caster.
By calling upon the runes inscribed along its length, any possessor can cast a wide variety of spells of both holy and arcane origin; it is claimed that even if that possessor knows no magic, the runes can understand and respond to it's users mental desires and manifest appropriate magic. Legend says the Runestaff "knows" every standard arcane or holy spell, even to the point of Alter Reality or Resurrection -- and it is indeed documented to be capable, at least in one incarnation, of Resurrecting the dead with the full power of the 9th level holy spell. Should the possessor be a magical caster themselves, the Runestaff is said to boost the power and duration of their naturally cast spells, and particularly their strength against magic resistance. Further, in such hands, it also appears capable of negating, absorbing, or redirecting magical energies from other casters, in the manner of a rod of absorption.
The Runestaff is not thought to be intelligent, or sentient, but its legends claim it has a will of its own. There are reports from those who have carried it of the Runestaff spontaneously manifesting powers on its own, with no conscious volition of the possessor. It seems to appear when it wants, and disappear when it wants; there is no known way to contact or summon it. It appears to have no master, it clearly serves no particular religion, it appears to follow its own rules and its own path. It is perhaps the most enigmatic of all known artifacts, yet at the same time among the most revered.
Baba Yaga's Hut and Cart
Baba Yaga was one of the greatest archmagi of the First Era, many feel her second only to Vecna in magical power and ability. She is known to have either made or assisted in the making of numerous legendary items and artifacts, some of which still exist, and others of which have since been lost or are believed destroyed. Of them all, however, the most famous are Baba Yaga’s Hut and Baba Yaga’s Cart.
Baba Yaga’s Hut has the form of a small thatched wooden hut, perhaps 20 feet in diameter and of about equal height. It can sit directly on the ground, or on what appear to be stilts about 12 feet high. It has no windows, and only a single door, and if standing on its stilts there is no ladder.
Although from the outside it appears to be a single-room dwelling, the inside is actually a vast, extra-dimensional space, with perhaps sixty or more rooms and chambers arranged on five separate floors. The rooms are lavishly furnished, and connected by gardened passageways and wide hallways. Light and temperature will adjust on command, pleasant sounds or smells (or perfect silence) can be invoked, furniture will move about or alter their form, even windows to the outside can be commanded to appear.
Baba Yaga’s Hut is both intelligent and equipped with human-class senses regarding both its inside and its surroundings, and thus is aware of all that goes on around it. It can speak to creatures on the outside, but generally never does, and its exact range of language is uncertain. It can speak to anyone inside its chambers, and will do so, in a voice each person hears in their own most natural language.
The stilts are actually large bird-like legs which can carry the Hut over ground at the speed of a galloping horse. These legs can also kick with the strength of a fire giant. The walls have the strength of 20 feet of granite, and while the Hut can be damaged (to the extent of making a hole in a wall), it steadily regenerates any damage done to it until it restores itself, and is effectively indestructible.
Baba Yaga’s Cart is said to appear as a classic gypsy cart, painted in absurdly bright and garish colors, red, yellow, and blue. The gondola is 12 feet long, 10 feet high, and about 5 feet wide; its large wooden wheels hold it another 5 feet off the ground. Like the Hut, the outside appears otherwise of normal proportions, but the inside of the cart is an extra-dimensional palace with more than twenty rooms, with additional hallways, gardens and chambers. It is even said to contains baths and a fountain.
It is possible to live almost indefinitely in the Cart, as food and drink (apparently always of a pleasing type to its occupants) will appear on the tables of the dining halls whenever commanded. Like the Hut, lights and temperature can be controlled, pleasant odors and perfumes can be summoned, even the types of furniture are said to conform to an occupant’s personal needs. It does not, however, have windows. The Cart is also a refuge, as those inside can command the access door to close, and the Cart itself is essentially immune to almost everything and anything.
The Cart cannot move by itself, but there is a Horse to pull it; the catch apparently is that the Horse doesn’t always appear with the Cart. When it does appear, it takes the form of a unusually tall white stallion with a brilliantly colored harness. When hitched to the Cart, the Horse can pull it all day and all night indefinitely, it neither requires food nor rest. It must, however, have a driver, and that individual will require both normally. The Cart can travel over any surface, even water, and can hop substantial chasms, though it does not actually fly. It travels over distance at a walking speed, but can travel at a near-gallop for short distances.
Both the Hut and the Cart respond only to specific command words, and either will only respond to one given individual at a time.
Horn of Bone
The Horn of Bone is claimed to be the most powerful necromantic artifact known to the Prime Material Plane. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, its creator is unknown and many believe it comes to us from another part of the Multiverse entirely. Legends credit its creation to Demon Princes, various of the great Dukes of Hell, or even powerful and ancient gods of an era and people before mankind. Legends suggest it to be the very embodiment of Evil; some say so powerful that its presence in the world threatens humanity’s very existence, and its destruction a requirement for mankind’s progression. Unfortunately, neither man nor god appears to have found a method to do this. In any case, each time it has appeared in human history, terrible events have followed in its wake.
The Horn calls to the dead, and they respond. Any undead creature that hears the sound of the horn will submit to its master's will -- all, apparently, except Vampires (why is unknown). Moreover, the Horn can call forth undead skeletal allies, or any creature made of bone -- skeletons, skeletal warriors and knights, revenants, bone giants, bone dragons, even skeletal demons and bone devils. These creatures are not mindless automatons, they serve the Horn's possessor both willingly and to the best of their abilities.
Most frightening is the Horn's ability to summon the infamous Army of Bone. Almost too fantastic to believe, the Army is no legend, and human history bears the scars of its encounters. It is a vast array of undead soldiers, tens of thousands strong, and capable of wrecking any mortal army known. No mob of simple skeletons these, the Army is a sophisticated, organized, and disciplined machine. The simplest soldiers are Skeletal Warriors, their endless companies led by Knights and Lords with a well-organized command structure. Enormous Bone Giants, twelve to fifteen feet tall and strong enough to knock over stone buildings, stride alongside, often pulling mighty siege engines themselves made from the bones of numberless victims. Squadrons of Apocalypse Knights ride their skeletal horses to form an undead cavalry. Skeletal mages and lich-like sorcerers provide the Army with sophisticated magical capabilities, either in attack or defense. As a military force, its will is unbreakable, and its leadership the veterans of battles uncountable who are said to know every trick, tactic, and weapon of war ever invented.
Records from ancient Sumerian, Phoenician, and Egyptian sources all confirm multiple appearances of the Army of Bone during the First Age, and it is clear those authors believed there were more in humanity's pre-historical time. In each of these cases, its invocation is linked with the complete and utter destruction of whatever city, state, or fortresses it was brought against. In the eras since the adoption of the Phoenician Calendar, there are only two truly confirmed appearances -- the first in the land of the Gauls from roughly 505 to 535, and again in Persian lands for almost fifty years in the middle of the 1300s. There are, however, at least three or four incidents where no "proof" exists, usually because of a lack of survivors, but where experts agree almost certainly the Army of Bone was involved.
Use of Horn said to come with a price. Some legend say each use requires the expenditure of a tiny bit of one’s life energy, and that if used carelessly, the item can actually consume its possessor and destroy them. Others believe the owner of the Horn is inherently on borrowed time, until some force (usually its creator) comes and claims their soul. There appears to be evidence that after some time, the possessor of the Horn comes to some kind of abrupt and potentially spectacular end. Usually they simply vanish, but in at least two cases, the Horn’s owner has been destroyed in a mysterious but cataclysmic event which wreaked devastation on a large surrounding area.
When the Horn’s owner dies, the item always seems to vanish. It invariably disappears from knowledge for a time, until it is found again, invariably brought forth from some kind of tomb or burial area. Each time that has occurred, the catastrophes that have followed have made this item among the most notorious and feared magical artifacts in the world. Perhaps a day will come when a means to its destruction will be found, or perhaps it will be reclaimed by its infernal source. The Horn of Bone is a great artifact we could truly do without.
Staff of Lords
Legend calls the Staff of Lords the greatest weapon a true fighter can possess. Its “normal” form is a six-foot metal staff, slightly flanged at one end, appearing to be made of brass and steel. This, however, is a relative condition, for the Staff can transform into over a dozen weapon forms; sword, mace, spear, staff, axe, and more, at the wielder’s command. It can shrink to the size of a light mace or smallsword, it can lengthen to an 18’ pike. It can even take the form of a climbing pole, same length as the pike form.
Regardless of the weapon form, the Staff provides uniquely Legendary combat bonuses. It is so light and quick to use that it provides an Epic armor class bonus as well. It can strike creatures requiring any level of magic weapon, but it will also perform normally for its form -- thus a sword type would be less effective against skeletons, for example.
The Staff of Lords has a number of magical augmentations that can be invoked. It can emit light, of course, from as little as a candle flicker to a hall-filling brilliance, or a narrow beam to illuminate something at distance. It can become a weapon of flame or of frost, doing extra damage to creatures susceptible to such. Some stories claim it has a similar mode against undead, and special effects against extra-planar creatures, but this is controversial.
The origin of the Staff of Lords is unknown. It appears in surviving Phoenician records around the sixth century, but the commentary makes it sound as though it may be Sumerian, and in any case is already “old”. It is believed it may have figured prominently in the campaigns against Vecna, but was lost early in the Great War. It was found again in the 1200s, and is prominent in Babylonian and Egyptian records for the next two centuries. It may have been lost to the dark elves for a time, but it re-appears in Frankish lands at the start of the 19th century, only to vanish soon after. There are no end to the theories of where it might be, and it is frequently credited as having been lost in any one of the great dungeon locations of the West; we consider none of them credible enough for printing here.
Marston's Magical Armor
This suit of plate mail armor is probably the most powerful, and certainly the most sought after, suit of magic armor known. It was created late in the First Age by a coalition of the greatest smiths and wizards the West could come up with, and was designed specifically to serve the battle against the arch-lich Vecna.
Marston’s Magical Armor provides unparalleled protection from both physical and magical attacks. No matter the race or size of the wearer, it will magically conform to their form as precisely as if tailored by master craftsmen. The armor plates are, as best we know, impenetrable, and the suit so well padded as to absorb the physical shock of all but the strongest blows. It provides significant magic resistance (exactly how much is uncertain) against direct magic attacks, and epic-level bonuses against indirect effects. It said to give the wearer a tangible sense of energy which aids in recovering from fatigue and provides a slow but steady healing.
Despite being plate armor, the suit is almost weightless, and because it fits so naturally, it is believed anyone can wear it and act without difficulty. Notably, the suit provides adjustable flotation in the water, helping the wearer float or allowing him/her to sink if so desired. It keeps the wearer warm when the temperature is low, but in hot conditions is said to feel like a light cotton tunic. The suit is unadorned, having no device or symbols upon it; the plates are a silver-grey and the chain links a dull iron color.
The suit’s most significant ability is its ability to plane shift, an ability specifically designed to combat Vecna and certain of his minions. The wearer of the suit can shift himself and his/her possessions at will into any adjacent plane, particularly the Ethereal and Astral, enabling them to effectively battle creatures that exist in multiple dimensions. The suit can continue to shift even into the Outer Planes, and as a multiplanar artifact, it retains its magical powers deep into most planar environments. It does not, however, provide absolute environmental protection; in the elemental plane of water, for instance, one would still need to breathe.
Marston’s Magical Armor was last possessed by a Frankish nobleman in the early 1700s, and was lost in the Sicilian Catacombs in the middle of that century. It remains unrecovered.
TrueFaith
A Holy Avenger short sword, this powerful weapon actually has a sentience and an awareness of its owner’s religious nature and commitment. The sword itself favors no particular pantheon, it will serve any Lawful Good paladin of any religion. However, the wielder of this sword must be perfect in their religious commitment, unswerving in holding to the dogma and detail of his/her faith. Only the paladin that can hold to this highest standard conduct dare even consider wielding this blade; but to those that can, it is one of the most powerful Holy Avenger in world history.
TrueFaith is known to provide a higher level of magic resistance, and much higher ability to dispel magic, than a normal Holy Avenger; as well as major bonuses to saving throws of all kinds. The sword’s awareness extends to both the physical and magical realms, including adjacent planes. It creates a link between the paladin and his/her personal deity, a sort of power conduit, which taps into the power of that god and allows the sword to express special powers of that deity. Each possessor of the sword finds it powers and expressions different, but always in a form that befits the will of that paladin’s Lawful Good patron god.
It is believed the history of TrueFaith began in ancient Phoenicia, possibly having been crafted at the forges of the Emperor in Atlantis. Records obviously do not survive, but TrueFaith is believed to have had close to two centuries of history before that war. The weapon was lost during that conflict; it was thought forever vanished until it resurfaced in the Babylonian Empire late in the 12th century. It came to Blackmoor in 1677, carried by a paladin who was searching for the fabled Kingdom of the Giants; he, the sword, and his entourage all vanished into the Barrier Peaks the following year. Many who believe in the legend of the Giant Kingdom also believe TrueFaith now lies in a treasure chest somewhere in the Giant King’s palace.
Staff of Patameron
One of Phoenicia’s great wizards, the Arch-Mage Patameron of Atlantis lived in the fourth century of the First Age. Patameron was particularly known as an enchanter of powerful wands and staves, and during the later stages of his career worked exclusively for the Phoenician royal household. Among his many creations, the staff he made for himself effectively set the standard for wizardly battle-staves ever since.
Patameron’s Staff functions like a Rod of Absorption, in that it can absorb spell energies that are directed at the spellcaster, and even into the spellcaster’s vicinity. The bearer can store the spell energy, use it to immediately cast either spells from their own mind, or from the Staff’s inherent repertoire, or simply discharge it harmlessly. Unlike the Rod, however, the Staff can perform this effect repeatedly with no maximum capacity or usage level.
The bearer of the Staff can use the stored power of the staff freely to cast a wide variety of combat spells, and it generates all at the equivalence of a rank 16 mage. A full list is not known, but it is believed to at least include Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Cone of Cold, Arcane Arrow, Ice Storm, and Meteor Swarm. Various stories further include Shield, Minor and full Globes of Invulnerability, Bigby’s Interposing Hand, Dimension Door, Phase Door, and Undetectability. The Staff is also claimed to be an elite melee weapon as well, an ability one humorously suspects its possessor seldom desires to use.
Robes of the Archimagi (Robes of Black and White)
It's uncertain how many of these items exist, as evidence hints there may have been four or even five of these Robes originally created by early First Age crafters . When not worn, the Robes appear dull grey in color, with arcane patterns and symbols stitched in Escher-like patterns of pure white and jet black thread along the extremities. Unlike many artifacts, a Robe will radiate magic if detected, and give off a powerful aura of arcane power and potential. Worn by anyone save an arcane caster, it's just a long, nicely fitting robe (it magically adjusts to fit any humanoid between 4' and 7' tall).
When put on by any arcane magic-user, the Robe's reaction is dependent on the magician's alignment. The Robe will turn White if the magician is of any Good alignment, and Black if of any Evil alignment. If the wearer is of absolutely Neutral standing regarding Good and Evil, the Robe will give them one immediate opportunity to change alignment; if refused, the Robe will remain grey and inert as long as that individual keeps it.
Once the Robe itself turns either white or black, all stitching switches to the opposite color, and only at this point will the Robe manifest its magical effects.
Whether Black or White, a Robe of the Archimage provides its wearer with protection equivalent to legendary-class magical chain mail. It provides standard magic resistance, and bonuses to both initiative and saving throws. Spells cast by the wearer cannot be interrupted by physical attacks, and all spells cast from memory (as opposed to by item) function in all ways as though the caster were one level higher than they actually are. For purposes of dispelling magic or overcoming magic resistance (only), the caster is considered two levels higher than they actually are.
If the Robe is Black, all damage-dealing spells cast from memory carry a penalty to the target's saving throw attempts. Twice per day, the wearer can invoke displacement. Once per day, the wearer can Contact other Plane with any of the lower Planes.
If the Robe is White, all hold, charm, and suggestion-type spells cast from memory have an added penalty to saving throws. Twice per day, the wearer can heal in a manner identical to a Paladin's Lay on Hands. Once per week, the wearer can Commune (like the clerical spell) with a known power in any of the Good-aligned planes.
Iron Rod of Domination
This iron scepter is believed to have been forged in the depths of the Nine Hells, many experts attributing it specifically to Mephistopheles and suggesting it as a creation intended to offset the power of Asmodeus’ staff. This 30” long iron rod is decorated with gargoyle heads and is topped with an enormous emerald big enough to be worth almost a million gold pieces by itself. It is said to feel warm to the touch, and has a tangible aura of Evil that requires no special ability to sense.
The Rod has had an active role in human history and the Prime Material Plane. It is believed to have been first possessed by the rulers of Sumeria, and played a significant role in the early formation of the core of that kingdom. Later in the First Era, it is reputed to have been used in uniting the Gauls shortly before the Great War. It was lost during that conflict, as were so many other artifacts, but then reappears in the lands of the Rus sometime in the late 1100s (PC). For nearly two centuries, it was possessed by various rulers of those kingdoms, until lost in civil conflict at the end of the 16th century. About a century later, it briefly reappeared in Rome, but vanished shortly after the beginning of the worldwide Drow Wars. Its current location is unknown.
The Iron Rod of Domination allows its possessor the ability to dominate and control the minds of others, but it works primarily on those of the same race. In other words, if a dwarf possessed the Rod, it would effect dwarves but not other races, if it were possessed by an orc, it would influence other orcs but have no influence on humans or others. When the Rod is activated, its possessor can command the obedience and fealty of others of their race in the same manner as a Rod of Rulership. Those affected will obey the possessor in a willing manner, but (as is typical of charms), it will not lead them to do self-destructive or harmful activities, or actions inimical to their nature. Individuals with intelligence of 15 or higher, or of rank 12 or higher, receive a saving throw, individuals with intelligence 3 or less are not affected, but all others will automatically fall under the influence of the Rod.
The possessor of the Rod also gains the ability of Beguiling. When activated in this manner, the Rod emits a wave of emotional influence which causes others to regard the possessor as a deeply trusted, even loved, friend. Again, individuals of high intelligence or level will have a chance to resist, but most are affected automatically.
The difference between the two effects is subtle, but significant. Rulership influences how others act, Beguiling affects how they think.
Although the primary effects of the Iron Rod work only on those of the same racial type as the possessor, there are other powers it has which can affect any creature or individual. The possessor of the Rod can cast Charm Person, Charm Monster, Suggestion, Fear, and Remove Fear, all of which influence any and all creatures desired in a 100’ radius.
Six Gem Necklace
Imagine, if you can, six absolutely perfect matching gemstones set into a gold and platinum necklace; two topaz, two emeralds, and two sapphires. Each of the large gemstones is perfectly cut, and would be worth a fortune by itself; the value of the matched sets is beyond calculation. The Necklace’s origin is uncertain; it is believed to come from the pre-Great War Gaulish civilization. It was brought to Blackmoor through trade in the lands of the Goths around the start of the 12th century, and over the years belonged to several individuals, most notably the High Priest of Blackmoor’s Temple of Athena. It was lost during the second Drow War, and thought in the possession of the Drow since then. There are, however, rumors suggesting it has been lost by them as well and is again in somewhere in the upper world.
The gemstones of the Necklace provide "free" power for casting memorized spells. The topaz stones apparently can power either first or second level spells, the sapphires power third or fourth level spells, and the emeralds link to either fifth or sixth level spells. Each gem works twice, meaning that in effect, the wearer can cast up to 12 spells without using their personal magical power. It does not allow spell use for levels the wearer has not yet mastered, and it only works with spells the caster has memorized. It is consistently claimed that spells powered by the gemstones have a greater effectiveness than normal, but we think this is a story attached to the item through storytelling rather than the report of an actual wearer.
Axe of the Frost Queen
The Axe of the Frost Giant Queen at Frostcrag Peak is claimed to be the first weapon ever created at the Forge at Frostcrag Peak. While the truth of this is unknown, it is clear that the Axe is a powerful weapon, and the quest to possess it has driven many an adventurer to their demise. The few who have briefly gained its use have left legendary tales of its deadly effects in combat.
"Briefly" is an important word, for no one possesses the Axe for but a short time. The Axe can be claimed by any who can pass the various tests of Frostcrag Peak, including defeating the Queen's personal minions in battle; from the day it is claimed, legend says its possessor has one year until it will teleport on its own back to the Queen. While historically there are actually a few examples of individuals possessing it longer (the longest known is four years), it is thought those individuals were still forced to return and re-claim it again on a yearly basis.
Still, it is easy to see why so many might risk their life to possess such a weapon even for just a year. The Axe is said to be so sharp that it can cut any armor as though it were made from paper, and has been known to literally cut off arms, legs, tentacles, and other body parts of both man and creature in single blows. Its user is able to strike with unnatural speed and quickness, boosting both initiative and frequency of attacks. The Axe itself can strike anything, even creatures requiring magic or special weapons to damage them; legends say the item can even damage deities on other planes. While this legend remains untested, it is known the weapon retains its full effectiveness when travelling beyond the Prime Material plane.
The Axe further provides its wielder with the ability to invoke several spell-like effects. The Axe can summon a cold mist that slows all opponents in a 15 foot radius, and makes the user harder to see, improving armor class. It can generate icy ground conditions in a similar radius, causing opponents to slip and fall and interfering with normal combat capabilities. The Axe can generate a frost shield around its user which increases armor class and reflects damage back at potential attackers. At all times, it appears the possessor him or herself is relatively immune to both cold and heat based attacks while holding the Axe.
In human hands, the Axe is a two-handed weapon, though the Frost Queen herself wields it with only one. The extent of its magical effects while in her hands is unknown, but it loses none of it sharpness; it is not a joke to say adventurers have lost their heads over it.
Shield of Ebor
A shield made in the early days of the Phoenician Empire, lost in the Sack of Atlantis and found again by the Paladin Bohannon of the Order of the Golden Spur in an expedition to that underwater site in 1477. This medium-sized shield is shaped like a rectangle with beveled corners, producing an eight-sided effect. Inscribed on it is a single broad arrow pointing upward. The arrow is dark green, the shield itself jet black.
The Shield provides an epic level bonus to armor class and saving throws to the individual that carries it. When at rest, it causes the bearer’s wounds to slowly but steadily heal, although this does not appear to work when the possessor is asleep. When in combat, it can generate a healing spell equivalent to a cleric’s cure moderate wounds on its bearer once every minute; it can do this apparently six times a day.
The Shield of Ebor can project magical shields of various kinds to the shieldbearer and his/her allies in roughly a ten yard radius. These shields mimic the effects of various clerical Shield spells, and any one effect can be projected to those around the Shield. The shieldbearer can also invoke a Shell of Protection, similar to a Wall of Force, by planting the Shield’s tip in the ground and kneeling behind it. The Shield extends six feet to each side, and eight feet high.
After Bohannon brought the Shield to Blackmoor, it remained in the kingdom and passed on to his order upon his death. Regularly carried by heroes of the Golden Spur throughout numerous Blackmoor crises, including all three Drow Wars, it was lost in 1792 when its possessor and his entire group failed to return from an expedition to the Dead Lands.
Mask of the Samurai
In the middle of the eleventh century (PC), a warrior adventurer from a far-distant land called Nippon arrived, having traveled literally across the known world in a ten-year journey. He had apparently had been given a prophecy that his fate would be determined at a kingdom as far from his land as a man can travel, and Blackmoor is where his world travel brought him. Records show he lived quietly here for many years, teaching an unusual form of swordsmanship but otherwise unremarkable. He then appears to have abruptly left in possibly a solo expedition into the wilderness; he was never seen again. He left behind several magical items he had apparently either brought with him or collected since, but most prominent was a magical helm from his native land. It has been known ever since as the Mask of the Samurai.
The form and shape of this helm are most unusual, and clearly unlike anything produced anywhere in the West or even Middle Eastern cultures. It is highly intricate in its construction and decoration, consisting of dark iron-colored plates strung together with brightly colored cords of blue, red, and yellow. Although it appears as though it would be bulky, it is instead reputed to be light as a feather and easy to forget it is even being worn. What makes it particularly unusual is that is does not have a conventional visor, but instead an entire face mask, which magically deploys instantly at the will of the wearer. There are, in fact, four separate face masks, each with an exaggerated human form and expression and a different color, and having a different protective or enhancing effect. It is the uniqueness of this mask-like feature that gives the helm its name.
The Mask of the Samurai appears to provide absolute and complete head and neck protection; in all tests conducted in Blackmoor, no weapon has been shown to hurt the wearer when struck in the head. Mage's Guild experts have hypothesized it will even stop a vorpal blade, though for obvious reasons this has never been directly tested! Tests have also shown it provides complete protection from psionic attacks, including psionic blast, and mental domination effects. Despite the helm’s relative size, the wearer is not only comfortable but they can see and hear as if the helm weren’t even there. Better, it reportedly provides sonic filtration which provide additional defense from sound-based attacks.
The four facemasks each have a specific effect of their own. A red mask, which apparently deploys automatically when the wielder is attacked, provides a variety of magical vision enhancements, including the ability to see invisible and in the dark. A yellow mask serves as an air filter, and protects against gasses and inhaled poisons of all kinds. A blue mask appears to permit underwater breathing and visual enhancement under water. The final iron-grey mask blocks vision altogether.
The Helm, having been left by the warrior’s will and testament to the Order of the Golden Spur, had been a kingdom fixture for centuries. Only relatively recently (1859) has it been lost, under somewhat unexpected circumstances, in an expedition of prominent local adventurers deep into the Razorbacks from which none returned. Its location is unknown, and efforts to discover it have so far proved unproductive.
Tetron's Mystical Gauntlets
Sir Tetron D’Een was a Halfling warrior-burglar, born in the land of the Franks; in his early life there he became a distinguished adventurer. In 1423, he emigrated to Blackmoor, where he rapidly established a reputation as a respected burglar who combined technical skill with intelligent prudence, and ultimately was ennobled for services to the realm in 1490.
Sir Tetron was famous for having acquired a number of significant magical items, but none were more famous than a set of magical gauntlets, which stories say were made for him by a powerful elven mage he had aided early in life. Made of soft leather, they will fit any hand like a comfortable glove, yet they are reputed to be indestructible. The gauntlets allow the wearer to project a disembodied version of his or her hands, a little like a Bigby's Hand spell; but these hands are a physical extension of the wearer's real hands, and allow him or her to do any task they could otherwise do. The wearer could, for instance, pick a lock, or a pocket, from 20 feet away from the item or victim, or to open a door or window beyond physical reach.
The gauntlets were also reputed to give their wearer a number of combat benefits. They were said to give the wearer both greater strength and quickness, and a special enchantment placed upon them gave the wearer a bonus to armor class as well. A weapon held in either gauntlet could be made to burn with a magical fire, which itself caused special damage to inherently magical creatures, and prevented regenerating creatures from healing.
It is not certain what happened to the Gauntlets after Tetron's death. It is believed they were originally passed to a friend before he died, but their history from that point is unclear. Some rumors say this individual dies soon after in the Dreadwood or Razorbacks somewhere, another story suggests their possessor may have left Blackmoor altogether.
Dragon's Fang
This broad-bladed shortsword was the property of Ranger Lord Margonet Treen, one of Blackmoor’s early great warriors. The Sword was forged in Blackmoor, enchanted by the early colony’s greatest spellcasters, and is said to have absorbed a pint of Lord Treen’s own blood in the forging. The sword’s hilt is distinctive, with a stylized silver dragon’s head forming the butt and magnificent emeralds clutched in dragon claws styled into the hilt. Known to be lost along with its owner in the Battle of the Fifty Heroes, it has never since been recovered, although claims of seeing this weapon in various locations around Blackmoor continue.
Dragon’s Fang gives the bearer to speak to any and all animals natural to the Prime Material Plane (if the animal is smart enough), and/or to communicate empathically (if they aren’t). “Natural” can include naturally magical creatures (like dragons), but not things actually indigenous to other planes or of pure magical creation (like a hell hound or nightmare). It is also a magnificent combat weapon, giving epic-level bonuses to hit, damage, and armor class. It never needs to be sharpened and is supposedly unbreakable.
Dinvir's Flute
Dinvir the Bard lived in Blackmoor during the years of the Drow Wars, he died during the Third War in the sack of Stratford. Dinvir had a magical flute which, according to legend, was made from his own leg bone, the leg having been cut off in a battle during the First Drow War. He had passed the Flute on to a friend before he died, and it was later lost on an expedition to the Frostcrag Forest
The Flute, like Dinvir, was chaotic in nature; usually good, but not quite always. It could be played by anyone, but had its greatest effectiveness in the hands of a true bard. In a bard’s hands, the Flute enhances all basic song skills, and further amplifies their range. It further provides its own specialized melodies which mimic a number of high-level arcane spell effects, the most powerful of which approached the power of a limited wish. However, all the Flute’s melodies must be played absolutely perfectly, as even a small mistake will not only cause failure but sometimes unintended consequences.