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Message: <blockquote data-quote="paradox42" data-source="post: 2973160" data-attributes="member: 29746">Well, there is one respect in which it could work. Namely, the party sees all the images of a beholder, or medusa, or whatever, and has no real idea which one is the real one until somebody turns to stone, suddenly feels all warm and fuzzy (Charm), etc. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />And for my contribution, I used this one once (it can really only work once unless the players have very short memories). Have an artificer or other serious item crafter in the party? Sooner or later, that PC is likely to be strapped for cash. Allow the PC to make items for NPCs, and thus turn a tidy profit. Have one of those NPCs be a BBEG who intends to use the item as a base for something much more powerful and sinister- a genuine evil artifact. The PCs typically won't check the backgrounds of the clients who commission items, and so when they hear about the true use of the artifact (perhaps even through such means as a paladin/other zealous agent of Good sent to slay the crafter of the thing before it can be completed), it'll be a nasty shock. <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious    :]" data-shortname=":]" /> I about fell out of my chair laughing when I sprang the truth about that staff the crafter just made on my players- good thing I run an online game (my only regret is that I couldn't see the actual looks of disbelief on their faces)! It happened to be right before the priest who'd commissioned it picked it up, and when the PCs decided to set up a doublecross they were themselves doublecrossed in turn because the priest used a Miracle to switch the payment with the staff (being Lawful Evil he insisted on proper payment for the great service done for his church). Right out of the party's Portable Hole, no less. Ahh, good times...</blockquote>

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