The most epicest artifact?

[Derulbaskul]

Codex of the Infinite Planes.

When you can reshape reality, re-order the planes and basically do whatever you want, clearly you're in possession of the most powerful of items.

 

[Shemeska]

Codex of the Infinite Planes.

That was my first thought as well.

There's also the Last Word (if you'd qualify it as an artifact), and the bladed staff lodged into the ground within one of the cube's of Acheron that looks way too similar to the blade pattern on the Lady of Pain (and which the module 'Doors to the Unknown' states is beyond the scope of the adventure and is left a mystery that just keeps hurting you more if you try to mess with it).

 

[green slime]

The Head of Vecna.

Ah yes, I remember the epic tale of the Head of Vecna. Truly epic.

 

[Samloyal23]

NEVER attach the Hand and Eye of Vecna to a flesh golem...

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

NEVER attach the Hand and Eye of Vecna to a flesh golem...

...because that would be a waste. Attach it to yourself!

But the head of Vecna, that you convince others to try attaching.

 

[Samloyal23]

Apparently there is no artifact that makes people avoid saying things like "most epicest", a typo within a grammatical error...

Are there any you would not be afraid to use in real life? Most of them seem really gratuitously dangerous to be around...

 

[Celebrim]

Are there any you would not be afraid to use in real life? Most of them seem really gratuitously dangerous to be around...

Granted, most of the time using an artifact in D&D is about as useful as reading the Necronomicon in Call of Cthulhu, but depending on how the DM statted them out, some of the lesser known artifacts could really be quite useful.

Anything with at least one major malevolent power simply outright kills you eventually (well, in 95% of the cases, and its not worth finding out which case this is). So basically, you are looking for items without a major malevolent power.

Johydee's mask duplicates the powers of a hat of diguise, renders you immune to all gaze attacks, grants immunity to all forms of mind control, grants immunity to all forms of magical detection, grants two minor, and one major benevolent power and has no negatives except possibly a side effect (and some of those can be useful). Hands down its one of the most useful artifacts in the game if you could ever get your hands on it.

The Mace of Cuthbert is a +5 mace of disruption that grants three minor and two major powers, and again, only has a side effect. Since the item is good aligned, its likely thats side effect isn't particularly heinous.

The Axe of the Dwarven Lords got a full official write up in the module of the same name. If you are a dwarf, its an amazing item. Otherwise, if you aren't a dwarf, well, learn to love yourself with a beard and get a step ladder for high places.

The Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar got a full write up in a 1e module. Even if you don't use the published stats, the artifact is one of the few that explicitly states that good aligned characters that use them do not suffer from its malevolent effects. They are both extremely useful items and a welcome addition to any party.

On the other side of the alignment wheel, the Iron Flask of Tuerny the Merciless is extremely useful if you are evil, as it offers quite a bit of useful abilities with relatively few drawbacks if you are merciless yourself.

 

[Scrivener of Doom]

Codex of the Infinite Planes or the Last Word for the reasons already stated. I honestly believe that they're of an order of magnitude so much more powerful than other artefacts that is difficult to even consider the others at all (IMO only, of course).

Apparently there is no artifact that makes people avoid saying things like "most epicest", a typo within a grammatical error... (snip)

I prefer "most epicest" - which I assume to be a deliberate error - to the misuse of "unique". No, folks, something is not more unique, really unique, less unique, most unique: it is either unique or it isn't.

 

[Celebrim]

Codex of the Infinite Planes...for the reasons already stated. I honestly believe that they're of an order of magnitude so much more powerful than other artefacts...

What is the basis of this statement?

The write up of the Codex in 1e DMG, the 2nd edition Book of Artifacts, and in the 3e epic handbook clearly indicate that it is emmensely powerful, but not necessarily more so than the other very high end artifacts. Which write up are you looking at?

 

[Shaghayegh]

I prefer "most epicest" - which I assume to be a deliberate error - to the misuse of "unique". No, folks, something is not more unique, really unique, less unique, most unique: it is either unique or it isn't.

{Cringing}

This is right up there with rouge instead of Rogue...

I always thought having the Invulnerable Coat of Arnd would be useful. I do not think it had anything major in the way of drawbacks and gave you good over protection.