Magical Artifacts and Relics

[Shadeydm]

What is the lowest level which you would allow a magical artifact or relic to come into the possesion of the PCs in your DnD campaign and why?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey there Shadeydm!

I suppose it depends on what the artifact is for. Is it the 'MacGuffin' used to foil the 'big bad' and thus necessary for that adventure? If so, then they could possess an artifact at any level, though in such cases they only possess it for a short time, until the deed is done.

If you mean let them gain control of an artifact which has no real time limit or is not intrinsic to the adventure, then I would suggest maybe a minimum of 16th-level (for a single artifact per party and perhaps 21st-level as the minimum for a single artifact per PC).

One thing to note is that those major artifacts in the DMG and the Epic Level Handbook are not necessarily that powerful, and certainly are for use amongst 20th-level characters. In most cases they are weaker than items epic characters could wield at about 25th-level or above.

 

[Huw]

1st level, though obviously it'll need to be a really minor artifact or one whose powers are limited in some way. There are some examples from published modules: Both The Sentinel and Dragons of Despair are low level adventures which revolve around artifacts.

My memory's quite vague on this, but I recall a sword which was +2, but only in the hands of a 1st level character. Once the wielder got to 2nd level, the sword became normal, and asked the wielder to pass it on to another potential hero.

 

[Shadeydm]

I would be interested in people's experiences introducing magical artifacts and relics into their game both on a limited basis where an adventure revolves around it and in instances where the item being in the possesion of the party is a central theme of the campaign. What level were the PCs and what effects did it have in terms of game balance etc?

 

[howandwhy99]

1st level. I don't mind having a few lying around a la low hanging fruit. But they are typically as dangerous as save or die traps, so they are a trade off. (bwim, great power will attract great enemies)

 

[Crothian]

I've done it at level zero/1st basically from the start.

 

[Shadeydm]

So those of you have have done it starting at low levels did you arrainge things so that the PCs were unable to utilize the item in question? If they were indeed able to use them did you find that it significantly altered game balance and if so how did you adjust if at all?

 

[howandwhy99]

So those of you have have done it starting at low levels did you arrange things so that the PCs were unable to utilize the item in question? If they were indeed able to use them did you find that it significantly altered game balance and if so how did you adjust if at all?

In our game we are able to utilize these items at the level, but all magic items are a learning process. We've hired others to identify things, but artifacts rarely reveal all to such simple magics. It is an experiment game.

Just last game we realized the metal bar we have is actually a piece of the Rod of 7 Parts. (at least OOC). It was discovered at 1st level. Since then we've discovered it can unlock things, extend into a metal 1/4 staff, and recently 2 more weapons. For all we really know, it may not even be the Ro7P, but Diaglo's too rat-bastard for it to be anything else.

Character balance isn't near as essential to fun play in OD&D.

 

[Michael Silverbane]

So those of you have have done it starting at low levels did you arrainge things so that the PCs were unable to utilize the item in question? If they were indeed able to use them did you find that it significantly altered game balance and if so how did you adjust if at all?

In one of the games I ran where the PC's ended up with an artifact at very low levels (I think they were 3rd by the time they actually laid their hands on it), it was essentially a doomsday device. The PCs knew exactly how to use it, but also knew that doing so would effectively kill everyone.

A great deal of that campaign was focused on various superweapons, getting them out of the hands of psychos, using them as a Mutually Assured Destruction deterrent against other psychos, trying to determine a method of destroying them before they fell into the hands of still other psychos, etc.

Later
silver

 

[Crothian]

So those of you have have done it starting at low levels did you arrainge things so that the PCs were unable to utilize the item in question? If they were indeed able to use them did you find that it significantly altered game balance and if so how did you adjust if at all?

Nope. I would never give something to the PCs and tell them not to use it. I also won't balance encounters since they are no more powerful for it. I will warn them and make them paranoid about why they have it and what happens when others that want it locate it.