what hath been wrought?

[funkysnunkulator]

this is a question mostly for fellow dm's.

what is your policy on artifacts?

do you allow them, and if so to what extent?

can characters create them and if so, to what extent?

are you willing to kill, maim, burn, torture, mislead, trap, reduce or reward characters for having/using artifacts, and if so, to what extent?

our game runs on a simple theory: if the players can dream it, the characters can do it.

wanna conquer the world? great!
wanna rule a layer of baator? great!
wanna create a new codex of infinite planes? great!
wanna be the next xorvitaal champion? great!

actually getting it all done is a different matter entirely. we have a big, complex group and a massive massive massive game. all things are possible. many things are highly improbably. nothing is unilaterally disallowed.

how do you roll?

 

[Umbran]

I have not put an artifact into a D&D game in well over a decade. Not that I'm against them, but I simply haven't had the need.

And I haven't had a group who played up to the power levels required ever ask about creating such a beast, much less have to worry about it being allowed.

 

[robberbaron]

IMG artifacts are basically plot devices. The party have come across a few but only two were investigated - a Deck of Many Things and a Wightblade (turned wielder into a Wight).

They are currently beginning what I hope will be an epic (possibly Epic) adventure to retrieve a long-lost powerful artifact.


Characters creating them? Nah. Would probably have allowed it in 1e but 3.5 would require seriously EPIC characters and they aren't going to get there. The rules get right in the way.

 

[Crothian]

I use artifacts and relics. The players can't really make them unless they get super high level or have a good idea.

 

[BlackMoria]

I use artifacts/relics in my campaigns. They can be plot devices. Or a foreshadower of things to come. Or simply a tool like any other magic item (or so I have the players think )

PCs can use them. Under certain circumstances, PCs can create them.

I've had a 1st level party find a fragment of the Rod of Seven Parts. The first fragment wasn't that powerful. As a plot device, it was wonderful for driving story elements for a campaign that went epic by the end.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Ive used a couple.
They are more like plot devices than useful items.

a sword which if fully activated would cause an ice age to end the world, PCs owned it for a long time, but rarely used it after they found out what it was - it was stolen or regained a number of times.

The self proclaimed "orb of lies" which claimed it had a direct connection to the godess of illusions and deciet, and when asked, to other gods as well, the length of time it took the PCs to stop believeing what it said was amazing.

As for creating? one PC spent a long time trying to create a ring of elemetal command.
If made it would be considered an artifact. the campaign ended before she could spare the 180 days of creation time. (and the ~1 level hit in xp) twice she decided to gain the level rather than starting in on the ring.

 

[Graybeard]

The players in my campaign currently have an artifact that I made up for the game. They have not yet discovered all of it's powers. As for creating them, the PCs would have to be pretty high level to do so but I would not disallow it.