Seeking Suggestions for Depraved Epic Level Artifacts

[Chrisling]

I'm running a game I call Dungeons and Cthulhus, to tell you where I'm coming from, and I'm looking for powerful gizmos that can help the epic level PCs go toe-to-toe with the Great Old Ones, but I want them to have disturbing side-effects. So, I'm asking for suggests!

To my players -- this is you, Space Coyote, hehe -- you shouldn't read this as it will detract from our enjoyment of your DM's barbarity.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

I'm running a game I call Dungeons and Cthulhus, to tell you where I'm coming from, and I'm looking for powerful gizmos that can help the epic leve PCs go toe-to-toe with the Great Old Ones, but I want them to have disturbing side-effects.

While the very concept of PCs going "toe-to-toe" with Great Old Ones is going to give CoC veterans a heart attack, here's a short suggestion:

Use any normal artefact, but each time a character uses it, it drains one or more points of Wisdom. These cannot be healed by any magical means, even wish spells, but they will recover by one point over a certain period - whether a day, a week, or even years...

This will make the PCs leery of using it, unless they are really desperate for its power - and then they will have to pay the price.

 

[Chrisling]

I am a CoC vet, and the GOOs have had it too good, too long. They need to be taken down a few notches.

But I'll have to have items that also do SAN hits, of course, thinking on it.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

Come to think of it, you could create artifacts that drain other attributes as well, not just Wisdom.

Constitution? You need to strap it to your arm, where it will put tiny little hooks through your skin and drink your blood.

Intelligence? You place it on your head, and you feel slightly dim-witted. Wonder why...

Charisma? You get... obsessed with the artifact, and carry it around with you. You seem skittish and paranoid. Other people notice changes in you...