D&D 4E Notes from the 4E Corebooks: Alignment, Monsters, Artifacts and More

[AtomicPope]

Artifacts: Well.

Well, well, well.

There are only four artifacts in the DMG--the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords, the Invulnerable Coat of Arnd, and, of course, the Eye and the Hand of Vecna. But they probably didn't have room for more, because the new system for using artifacts requires a fair chunk of space (one to one and a half pages) for each one.

This is a very interesting-looking blend of old school--the personality clash with artifacts in 2E (and probably 1E--I don't own the 1E DMG)--and new school--the affiliation system from the PH2. Artifacts have a set of basic powers, but characters also have a Concordance score with each artifact, based on their qualities or actions. The score's a twenty-point scale that breaks down into five tiers, IIRC (20-16, 15-11, 10-6, 5-1, 0). Characters with the ability to use arcane spells or who betray others, for instance, receive improved concordance with the Eye of Vecna. Improve the Concordance score, and you open up more powers; decrease it, and not only do you lose powers, but the artifact itself can turn against you. A character whose Concordance with the Eye of Vecna drops below 5, for instance, starts receiving horrifying visions from the Eye.

Each artifact also has a "Moving On" section; I'm not sure if that's triggered when the artifact's goal is completed, or/and the concordance drops to 0. The Axe of the Dwarvish Lords 'needs to be elsewhere', while the Vecna artifacts consume their wielder, body and soul. Nice touch for characters who choose to dabble in the dark side.

Thx

Very first edition

 

[AtomicPope]

Chaotic evil = cosmologically-chaotic, not organisationally-chaotic.

Think of chaos space marines, not orks.

Especially Wordbearers - Yeah Daemons

 

[sunbear]

Anymore "Notes from the 4E corebooks"?

 

[Boarstorm]

Anymore "Notes from the 4E corebooks"?

The MM sent me a Dear John letter. Does that count?

Err... sorry, it's late and I'm getting punchy. I'm sure that won't be nearly as funny come morning.

 

[Lurker37]

CE = things like the Primordials and Demons, who want to destroy creation. A CE entity lives for destruction, not just for personal gain at the expense of others (Evil). That doesn't mean it cannot collaborate with others who share that goal and get organised to do that destruction efficiently.

 

[mach1.9pants]

CE = things like the Primordials and Demons, who want to destroy creation. A CE entity lives for destruction, not just for personal gain at the expense of others (Evil). That doesn't mean it cannot collaborate with others who share that goal and get organised to do that destruction efficiently.

Not meaning to sound snarky is but is that definite? Or a possibility? (Sounds good to me, BTW) That would mean LG is someone who wants creation to be maintained rather than someone who respects laws authority etc. Unless, of course in line with many other 4e-isms, that CE is not counter-balanced by LG?

 

[Sojorn]

Not meaning to sound snarky is but is that definite? Or a possibility? (Sounds good to me, BTW) That would mean LG is someone who wants creation to be maintained rather than someone who respects laws authority etc. Unless, of course in line with many other 4e-isms, that CE is not counter-balanced by LG?

Dead on. LG is not the automatic opposite of CE.

 

[Belorin]

Dead on. LG is not the automatic opposite of CE.

Good! Another blow against needless symmetry!

Bel

 

[ProfessorCirno]

Good! Another blow against needless symmetry!

Bel

People keep using that phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means.

 

[Jack99]

People keep using that phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means.

I doubt anyone does. It's an Internet thing.