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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2010736" data-attributes="member: 18387">When I first saw the name "Tome of the Ancients Vol 1: Artifacts", my first thought was that it was just going to be another book of magic items.  I was wrong.  In fact, it's a toolkit for DMs who want to create magic items with some meaning other than "+1 Rapier".After scanning over the PDF briefly, I decided this was definitely worth printing out and adding to my DM binder.  I have used the book a lot so far to breathe life into the magic items in the games I run.  The fact that it's a print out of a PDF means I have no fear of marking up my printout with my own notes, changes, and additions.Anyway, on to the actual content of the book:The book is mainly a series of tables for randomly rolling artifact powers and history.  It goes beyond standard random generators and actually gives you a tool for creating the identity of the item.  Now, when they say "artifact" in this product, they're not meaning an actual artifact in terms of the DMG definition.  An artifact by Tome of the Ancients definition is basically any item that goes beyond being described as a "+1 Rapier", regardless of how powerful it actually is.The first section has tables for rolling the base stuff about the items: crafting race, crafting faction, climate where crafted, alignment of crafter, item type, and item size.  All things that can bring significance to an otherwise boring item that just adds to a character's abilities.  Your results on these tables (whether rolled or picked) will begin to shape the item's image and powers in your mind.  For example, an item created by a Wyrm Council in an Arctic climate my possess powers when fighting red dragons and will probably deal additional cold damage.  This section is used for the basis of all items, and after this section you jump ahead to the section for the type of item created.Each section (weapons, armor, clothing, jewelry, and odds and ends) includes tables for determining the item's type (what type of weapon or armor it actually is), how many magical properties the item has, and what each property is. These item properties are not just a bunch of stuff out of the DMG.  There's a lot of new stuff here too.  Following the tables in each section is at least a dozen example items for each category.Next is a section of optional tables.  Variant item material, item color, item location, and reasons for crafting are all covered here.  I especially like the reasons for crafting section.  It reminds me to develop a reason this legendary item even exists in the world.The next page is on "Customization", which addresses my only gripe about the book.  This section gives suggestions for altering the content of the book to better fit your game or your likings.  My only complaint about the book was that, while there are enough item abilities to create a large variety of items, I just prefer an enormous variety of options.  I would have liked a little more item properties.  Needless to say, my printed out copy has new item properties scribbled all over it. The book concludes with a section about Artifacts in Your Game and some legal stuff.My conclusion:  This is a welcome addition to my DM binder and will see a lot of use in my games.  If you were looking to add magic items with meaning to your game without having to develop your own system, I'd recommend purchasing a copy of Tome of the Ancients.  Even if you already have your own system, for the price it's worth it for the extra ideas and item examples.</blockquote>

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