Magic Items: When do they become "Artifacts"

[Murrdox]

This information might be spelled out a bit better in the Epic level guide, but I don't have that book. I was leafing through my DMG looking everywhere for this information, but I couldn't find it.

When is a magic item classified as an "Artifact"?

For weapons/shields/armor is it when the total enhancement bonus is above +10? What about for wonderous items, rings, staves, etc?

A player of mine mentioned that even though a Solar's +5 Vorpal Dancing Greatsword is over a +10 enhancement bonus, it isn't an artifact, but anything else over a +10 is.

I can't find anything referencing this anywhere.

Since Dispel Magic specifies it doesn't work on Artifacts, you'd think that they'd spell out what exactly Artifcacts were.

 

[Li Shenron]

A magic item is an arctifact when and only when the DM decides it is. Which means, when the DM decides that no PC or NPC in the game, with the possible but not sure exception of deities and such, is able to craft it.

edit: yes, I know what you mean... but if you use ELH I think you can make epic non-arctifact magic items which outshines the DMG arctifact, so the fact that an arctifact is NOT craftable remains as the only real difference

 

[SimonMoon5]

A magic item becomes an artifact when it is no longer affected by anti-magic field. It is also an artifact when you discover that destroying it with Mord's Disjunction causes you to have a chance to permanently lose all spellcasting ability. This latter test is not quite as useful as the first test, though.

 

[Murrdox]

So I can have an epic weapon with a total enhancement bonus of +20, and if it's been crafted by mortal hands, it's not an artifact?

The qualification for "Artifact" is just that an artifact is not craftable?

This would seem to make sense, since a +5 Dancing Vorpal Greatsword in this case isn't an artifact, since you can create this weapon by the standard magic item creation rules.

My question on this comes from reading through how Disjunction works and Dispel Magic and Greater dispelling. Namely, if someone I want to dispell has weapons or items of huge magical enhancments, how do I know whether or not they qualify as Artifacts for Disjunction or Dispelling?

This answer seems to clear it up for me though... all the Artifacts in the DMG aren't craftable, even if some Major items outshine them. Power doesn't seem to be the qualifier.

 

[kreynolds]

Power doesn't seem to be the qualifier.

Not always. Money seems to be the biggest qualifier. AFAIK, there's nothing in the DMG worth more than 250,000 gp, and in Lord of the Iron Fortress, there is mention of the Blade of Fiery Might being an artifact because it's price would exceed 250,000.

 

[Pax]

Not always. Money seems to be the biggest qualifier. AFAIK, there's nothing in the DMG worth more than 250,000 gp, and in Lord of the Iron Fortress, there is mention of the Blade of Fiery Might being an artifact because it's price would exceed 250,000.

Yet a simple +6 sword -- the most basic and lowest-priced Epic weapon -- cots 720,000gp, plus the masterwork weapon.

So price isn't it, either.

 

[kigmatzomat]

A magic item is an arctifact when and only when the DM decides it is. Which means, when the DM decides that no PC or NPC in the game, with the possible but not sure exception of deities and such, is able to craft it.

I've amended this to include "on purpose." I believe in the "accidental artifact" that occur due to something incredibly significant but not predictable. Slightly more EarthDawn than AD&D, it adds those tidbits of flavor.

Examples:
A sword that managed to draw a diety's blood. (becomes +1/bane vs. diety's followers)
The armor of a hero that killed a great beast by getting caught in it's throat. (+1/+10 to grapple checks to hold)
The sandals of a monk who, with broken arms in an antimagic field, kicked a dragon to death. (+1/bane vs. dragon type)

They usually aren't mega-powerful artifacts, but they can't be shut down by any non-diety.

 

[Datt]

Yet a simple +6 sword -- the most basic and lowest-priced Epic weapon -- cots 720,000gp, plus the masterwork weapon.

So price isn't it, either.

There must be an extra 0 in there becuase they should only cost 72,000 gold. Bonus squared x 2,000. A +10 is only 200,000. Or did they up the cost by x 10 for Epic levels?

 

[Pax]

There must be an extra 0 in there becuase they should only cost 72,000 gold. Bonus squared x 2,000. A +10 is only 200,000. Or did they up the cost by x 10 for Epic levels?

A Longsword +6 is an Epic weapon, and costs 720,315gp.

Epic weapons are priced at [bonus^2 x 20,000gp].

Keep in mind, I literally mean a longsword +6, not a keen longsword +5 (which would cost 72,315gp).

IOW, the Enhancement Bonus itself is +6. And at epic levels, you can hit +20 market price (which costs +8,000,000gp ...!).

 

[kreynolds]

Yet a simple +6 sword -- the most basic and lowest-priced Epic weapon -- cots 720,000gp, plus the masterwork weapon.

So price isn't it, either.

It certainly can be. According to the DMG, a +6 weapon is an artifact. According to the ELH, a +6 weapon is merely an epic weapon, and shockingly, nowhere near the power of an artifact. Also, you won't find any 250,000+ magic items in the DMG, yet you will find them in the ELH. The ELH redefines what an artifact is, effectively raising the bar.

Also, check out the Arms and Equipment Guide. In there, you will find the Balor's Sword of Soul Stealing. While it is over 200K, it isn't an artifact and it isn't an epic item (though it should be, due to its price). Next up is the Sword of the Solar. It uses the pricing formula's of the ELH, and while it costs nearly 4 million bucks, it isn't an artifact either. It's clearly stated to be an epic item, due to its enhancement bonus (+5 dancing vorpal). But, if you throw out the ELH and go with just the DMG, is it now an artifact because of the price? Or is it because of the high enhancement bonus?

By the way, if you stick with the DMG enhancement bonus formula and price out a +14 enhancement, you get 352,000gp, which is well over the 250,000 gp mark mentioned in Lord of the Iron Fortress. So, it could be either the price or the simple fact that the enhancement bonus goes beyond the standard +10 limit.

Then, of course, you have the default "It's an artifact because someone misplaced the recipe and/or instructions". It could be any of the above, but my bet is that cost is considered before anything else, followed closely by creative zealousness (i.e. the recipe bit), then everything else. Heck, it could also just be a matter of whether or not the item in question meets any of the aforementioned qualifications.