Neat Historical Artifacts for a game

[olethros]

How 'realistic' do you want these to be?

Doesn't matter reallly, although I would prefer moderately historical artifacts.

Thought of some more myself:

Jack the Ripper's scalpel (don't know how I'd stat this though)
George Washington's musket
Paul Revere's saddle

 

[Praeco]

Doesn't matter reallly, although I would prefer moderately historical artifacts.

Thought of some more myself:

Jack the Ripper's scalpel (don't know how I'd stat this though)
George Washington's musket
Paul Revere's saddle

Ok, along those lines...

Da Vinci's pen - providing unbridled creativity and insight into lots of wacky inventions

The robes of Socrates - Charisma, negotiation and debate powers

 

[Tonguez]

Do a Google search on Warehouse 23, a GURPS supplement featuring a secret Warehouse in which you'll find the Ark of the Covenant, the gold plates of Moroni and the dissected corpses of the Martian invaders. Frozen in ice you'll find the Jersey Devil, a Yeti, and a bacteria that can eat any metal -- it just can't STOP. Growing in a hidden hydroponics facility is a plant with a fruit that tastes like steak, with enough nutrition in a single serving to sustain you for a week. The plates they serve it on in the cafeteria are made of a 100% biodegradable plastic that -- while it's still fresh -- can absorb the kinetic energy of a tank shell without even spilling your drink...

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.

That would be the Stone of Scone (pronounced 'Scoon' btw)

The origin of this famous Stone is shrouded in myth. According to legend, it came from the Holy Land, where Jacob supposedly used it as a pillow in Biblical times. Transported through Egypt, Sicily and Spain, it was taken to Ireland, where Saint Patrick himself blessed this rock for use in crowning the kings of the emerald isle. It is certainly possible that the Stone may have been used in the coronation ceremonies of the Irish Kingdom of Dalriada from roughly 400 AD until 850 AD, when Kenneth I, the 36th King of Dalriada, moved his capital of his expanding empire from Ireland to Scone (pronounced "scoon") in what is now Perthshire, Scotland. The Stone was moved several times after that, and used on the remote, western island of Iona, then in Dunadd, in Dunstaffnage and finally in Scone again for the installation of Dalriadic monarchs.

 

[barsoomcore]

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.

Wait a minute. Brisengamen? As in The Weirdstone of Brisengamen?

Cool. Never knew there was a reference for that.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Check out your local museums, you can find all sort of things.

 

[Balgus]

Asian cultures have a TON of relics and artifacts. In fact, they have tons of gods, and each god is known to have a special relic of its own.

Some examples are:
Mini shrine of imprisonment
fan (that can blow you hundred of miles away)
flying nimbus cloud
Cloak of invisibility
Boots of godly stride (each step is a mile long)

And basically, if you can think of it, the Chinese already did, and has incorporated it into their mythology.

GL

 

[dave_o]

Speaking about Jesus, what about the cross he was crucified on? It could provide aura bonuses to fear, be adverse to demons/the supernatural, etc.

Ghandi's walking stick could give incredible diplomatic bonuses. I mean, he did topple the British Empire in India.

 

[fusangite]

I have run a few games set in the real world, both based around a synthesis of Mormon relics and grail regalia (which have quite a shocking similarity to one another). I used:

1. The Lance of Longinus
2. The Javelin of Teancum
3. Excalibur
4. The Sword of Laban
5. The philosopher's stone
6. The emerald version of the grail
7. Urim & Thummim
8. The Seer Stones of Zarahemla
9. The wooden/gold version of the grail
10. The monster's claw version of the grail
11. The metal plates of the Book of Mormon
12. The Cauldron of Annwfn

A good hook for a lot of the lost treasures of Christendom is the legend of the Bishop of Oporto and six other bishops who fled Iberia in the 8th century when the Moors invaded and took with them unspecified treasures of Christianity as they sailed to Antilla in the uttermost West.

I'm a big fan of the emerald version of the grail -- it is said that it was carved from an emerald which broke from Lucifer's crown when he was cast down from heaven.

 

[Elf Witch]

Wait a minute. Brisengamen? As in The Weirdstone of Brisengamen?

Cool. Never knew there was a reference for that.

I have read several myths about ot and there was a really enjoyable fantasy novel by Diana Paxson called Brisengamen where the discovery of the necklace in modern day San Francisco brings the norse Gods and what a mess they cause.

 

[Someone]

Add the ring of Solomon, that allows to speak with beasts, fishes and birds, the myriad items from greek mithology (for example, Afrodita´s shield, I think that was the one with Medusa´s head on it)

And now we´re at it, Cid´s swords, Colada and Tizona.