Neat Historical Artifacts for a game

[olethros]

I'm running a game set in the real world and I'm looking for neat histroical artifacts and relics that can be statted and used in a game.

I got the inspiration from the Dragon article about a year ago where they gave stats for the Crocea Mors and that weird crystal skull. I think it was the ELH issue?

Anyway, does anyone have any neat ideas for artifacts? They can be historical or fictional, although I would prefer historical. Some obscure references would be appreciated.

Obvious Examples:

Dr. Frankenstein's journal (Assists in necromancy)
Excalibur
Gilgamesh's elixir of life
The vorpal sword of Beowulf
Spear of Longinus (would this be holy or unholy?)
Vlad Dracul's impaling spikes

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

Does it matter where they would be found?

Anything belonging to the real Rasputin would be good, possibly used in some sort of dark magic.
Egyptian anything.
Original writings of Aleister Crowley.

 

[Praeco]

How 'realistic' do you want these to be?

If you don't mind the lack of correlation to reality, Norse myth has a lot of neat legendary relics:

Skidbladnir, the collapsible boat which when folded could be kept in one's pocket.

Mjollnir - a warhammer that could return to the hand of the thrower and never missed.

 

[der_kluge]

The sword of Joan of Arc - +1 sword that grants the following: +4 Charisma, +10 enhancement bonus to diplomacy skill checks, grants the Leadership feat for free.

The mask of the Elephant Man - grants the following: +2 dex (elephant man was a master artist, and craftsman), -4 charisma, +10 to sense motive checks; casts enthrall 2x/day.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

I'm mostly drawing a blank right now (it's been a low caffeine morning), but here are a couple ideas:

Do a quick google search for relics of the various saints. They're all over Europe (among other places), and many of them have been attributed various powers, especially of healing.

You want obscure? Don't know if this actually exists or not, but what the heck...

There was a countess in Slovakia named Elisabeth Barthory-Nadasdy. She used to bathe in the blood of young peasant women (preferably virgins if I remember the story correctly) thinking that it would keep her young. She committed other atrocities as well. Sort of a female Vlad the Impaler in many ways.

How about the tub she used for her blood baths?

 

[daTim]

A few that pop to Mind
Ark of the Covenant - doesnt have just the tablets of Moses Law in them, also has Aarons Rod that budded flowers and alhmonds (i think) to prove that he was gods chosen ruler, and the Golden pot of manna which allowed a tribe of people to survive in the desert for 40 years

Leonardo Da Vincis Codex Hammer - A series of books containing all his original ideas, artwork and sketches. Much knowledge could be gleamed from reading those.

Holy Grail - Nuff said on that...

Sea Scrolls - The original documents that eventually became the bible as we know it today. Most were written in 200BC to 400 AD, and contain the "original" texts as written by the people from the christian bible.

The Blarney Stone - An old stone with lots of history. Originally part of a larger rock in scotland that all Scottish Kings were crowned on. King Edward in the early 1300's stole part of it and built it into his own throne as a mocking jesture towards the Scotts, and so that when he was coronated, he became king of Scotland as well. Legend has it that part of that same stone was built into a castle in Ireland to hide it from any further theft, and that is now the Blarney Stone. The rock slab built into the Kings Throne was recently returned to Scotland in the last 20 years or so.

There are countless bones and hands/heads/tongues of "saints" or pieces of the Cross even.in catholic cathedrals all around europe, any of which could have some sort of power in them. I think one claims to have the Hand of John the Baptist, though I could be wrong.

Shroud of Turin - The supposed death shroud of Jesus Christ, with his body imprint somehow transfered onto it.

 

[The Lemon Merchant]

The Sword of Atilla the Hun, according to legend it was the Sword of Ares.
Charlamange's Sword
Roland's (one of Charlamange's Knights) Sword
The Eagle (Standard) of Julius Ceaser's 10th Legion

 

[Crothian]

There is a great book written for the Indiana Jones RPG that deals with real life artifacts. I don't recall what it is called, as I don't have it, but it is a top notch item.

 

[Aitch Eye]

Ronin Arts will be coming out with a PDF product, 101 Legendary Treasures of Medieval Europe. (Unlike the other 101 books, it won't be written by Phillip J. Reed.) Here's the direct link to the PDF preview:

http://www.philipjreed.com/images/101legendarypreview.pdf

The preview has stats for the following items from "The Age of Legends" section:

Aaron’s Rod
Ark of the Covenant
The Armor of Achilles
The Blue Blade of Oberon
The Bracelet of Gilgamesh
The Bridle of Bellerophon
The Cap of Hades
The Eye of Horus
The Eye of Odin
The Golden Fleece
Hercules’s Club
Mjolnir
Moses Staff
The Sandals of Hermes
Sandals of Theseus

 

[Elf Witch]

What a neat idea.

Brisengamen the necklace of Freya give a bonus to charisma and the ability to speak to animals.

Visconti tarot deck the originial from renaissance Itlay can do all kinds of things with it. Be great for someone into divination.