Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Artifacts & Legends (PFRPG)

4.80/5 (based on 4 ratings)
Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Artifacts & Legends (PFRPG)
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Forged by legends and bearing the might of immortal beings, artifacts possess world-shattering abilities far beyond the powers of even the most devastating mortal magic. But artifacts are born, not merely crafted. Behind every incredible artifact lies an equally remarkable tale, the sort of history that time and wonder transform into legend.

Incredible weapons like the Axe of the Dwarvish Lords and the Seven Swords of Sin grant wielders the tools to raise or devastate nations, magical wonders like the Codex of the Infinite Planes and the Book of the Damned unlock secrets no mortal was meant to control, and unbelievable treasures like the Orbs of Dragonkind and the time-shattering Staff of Ages grant bearers mastery over the laws of reality. Power to rival the gods and the truths behind the Pathfinder campaign setting’s deepest secrets lie within—but are only for the bold.

Artifacts and Legends reveals dozens of the Pathfinder campaign setting’s most infamous and remarkable magic treasures, weapons, armor, and devices.

    Inside this book you will find:
  • New, revised, and expanded rules for more than 60 major and minor artifacts, from the focuses of fan-favorite adventures and Adventure Paths to legends from the annals of roleplaying game history.
  • Ramifications of employing every major artifact, presenting in-game considerations, advice, and adventure hooks.
  • New options to help players research artifacts and unlock their secrets.
  • Metagame artifacts, giving GMs campaign-altering tools to tackle common game table concerns such as forgotten familiars and rebuilding characters.

Artifacts and Legends is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and the Pathfinder campaign setting, but can be used in any fantasy game setting.

By F. Wesley Schneider

ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-458-0

Other Resources: This product is also available on the following platforms:

Hero Lab Online
Fantasy Grounds Virtual Tabletop
Archives of Nethys

Note: This product is part of the Pathfinder Lost Omens Subscription.

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4.80/5 (based on 4 ratings)

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Not what I was looking for but awesome anyway

5/5

Very Golarion specific. Full of crunch on artifacts mentioned in Golarion. A must have for GMs who like using treasure and artifacts.


Beautiful book full of crunch!

5/5

Stratagemini summed it up best. All I can add is that Artifacts & Legends is a beautiful book that provides awesome illustrations for the listed items.


Great, flavorful resource

4/5

Read my full review on my blog.

Artifacts & Legends is not the kind of book all GMs will have a use for. After all, some GMs prefer low-powered campaigns and do not wish to deal with the implications of having artifacts in the hands of player characters. However, those who do want to include artifacts in their games or simply wish to include stories of artifacts will find a lot of use for it. It will provide them with the tools to create epic storylines that their players will talk about for many years to come.


Crunchy and flavorful, a recommended part of any GM's literary diet.

5/5

First off, if you're not a GM, DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. The book is GM only, and contains spoilers for Kingmaker, Curse of the Crimson Throne, Seven Swords of Sin, Rise of the Runelords, Serpent's Skull, and several other modules and APs. In some cases (such as Serpent's Skull) these can spoil the entire ending of the AP completely. If you aren't a GM stop reading this review now. This review is for GMs and spoilers will be unmarked.

That aside, this book is brilliant. Several old artifacts along with many new ones. Each of the Major artifacts comes with it's own attendant legend about how it fits into Golarion. Several Artifacts (such as the orbs of dragonkind) have entirely new options or different statistics than displayed in the core or in other sources (one example in the book is an Orb of the Jabberwock, among others). Each artifact is beautifully illustrated as well.

Each artifact is handled beautifully. The Seven Swords of Sin are each statted out with their respective powers. Baba Yaga's Hut is there complete with Maps and explanations and charts of it's space warping powers.

New artifacts that don't behave like other artifacts hosted in this book as well. Artifacts such as the Phylactery of the Failed which is more like a combination of a trap and disease similar to the Death's head Coffer from the Curse of the Crimson Throne writ large, the Song of Extinction, a music box that allows a Bard to learn the actual artifact, a bardic performance, The Staff of Ages, which acts as a Time Machine, and the Apollyon Ring which turns your consciousness into a memetic disease.

There are also Metagame artifacts to handle a number of out of game phenomenon in game. Specifically: quantum players, quantum companions, out of character tactical planning, and rebuilding characters.

The book enables a whole world of tools for GMs interested in running their own adventures in Golarion, or even in homebrew settings. If you're a GM, there is no reason not to buy this book.

The list of artifacts is as follows:

Major Artifacts:

Spoiler:
Apollyon Ring
Axe of the Dwarvish Lords
Blackaxe
Bloodstones of Arazni
Book of the Damned
Bottle of the Bound
Briar
Codex of the Infinite Planes
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
Horns of Naraga
Invidian Eye
Lens of Galundari
Moaning Diamond
Orbs of Dragonkind
Relics of Kazavon
Ring of Nine Facets
Saint Cuthbert’s Mace
Scepter of Ages
Scroll of Kakishon
Shadowstaff
Shield of Aroden
Skull of Ydersius
Song of Extinction
Swords of Sin
Thorncrown of Iomedae
Vesper’s Rapier

Minor Artifacts:

Spoiler:
Bone House
Crown of the Simurgh
Decemvirate Helm
Deck of Harrowed Tales
Harrow Deck of Many Things
Hourglass of Shadows
Id Portrait
Maleficus Spike
Mantis Blade
Ovinrbaane
Phylactery of the Failed
Raven’s Head
Serithtial
Torc of Kostchtchie
Totem of Angazhan
Vernal Key
Visionary Lens
Warding Box

Metagame Artifacts:

Spoiler:
Figurine of the Concealed Companion
Hourglass of Transfiguration
Scar of Destiny
Sliver of the Amalgam Mind


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Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Shipping starts this week right? anyone wanna say what artifacts are in the book?


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
The Guardian Beyond Beyond wrote:
Is the Jade Throne from the Jade Regent adventure path in the book?

Why does everyone assume that every throne is in some way an artifact? unless it is specifically stated as an artifact, then every throne is nothing more that a fancy chair. it is only the gossip of the populace that says that their are abilities or curses related to it. But for RPG fact, these are nothing more then superstitions.

So in conclusion, both the jade and crimson thrones are nothing more than fancy chairs. ca-peesh.


Actually in this case the Jade Throne is an artifact.

AP 54 - The Empty Throne:
Said to have been created by the goddess Shizuru’s lover, the moon god Tsukiyo, the Jade Throne is in fact a powerful artifact, both a symbol of the emperor’s divine right to rule and the guardian of that right. Only a member of one of Minkai’s imperial families, bearing one of the Imperial Seals and the blessings of the previous emperors, can claim the title of emperor and utilize the full powers of the Jade Throne.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Peanuts wrote:

Actually in this case the Jade Throne is an artifact.

** spoiler omitted **

Opps, my bad didn't see that. but the statement still stands on the crimson throne, unless anyone can evidence to the contrary.

Liberty's Edge

golarion has many famous thrones, uh? cinnamon, crimsom, jade...


Don't forget the Throne of Nalt - yet another for sure definitely artifact throne.


So...on page 6, did Valeros turn into Seoni or the other way around? The look suits her.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

Cheapy wrote:
So...on page 6, did Valeros turn into Seoni or the other way around? The look suits her.

That's a picture of Seoni after she rebuilt herself as a fighter.


That makes so much more sense.

Great job on the metagame artifacts.


2 people marked this as a favorite.
Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Major:

Spoiler:
Apollyon Ring
Axe of the Dwarvish Lords
Blackaxe
Bloodstones of Arazni
Book of the Damned
Bottle of the Bound
Briar
Codex of the Infinite Planes
Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga
Horns of Naraga
Invidian Eye
Lens of Galundari
Moaning Diamond
Orbs of Dragonkind
Relics of Kazavon
Ring of Nine Facets
Saint Cuthbert’s Mace
Scepter of Ages
Scroll of Kakishon
Shadowstaff
Shield of Aroden
Skull of Ydersius
Song of Extinction Extinction
Swords of Sin
Thorncrown of Iomedae
Vesper’s Rapier

Minor:

Spoiler:

Bone House
Crown of the Simurgh
Decemvirate Helm
Deck of Harrowed Tales
Figurine of the Concealed Companion
Harrow Deck of Many Things
Hourglass of Shadows
Hourglass of Transfiguration
Id Portrait
Maleficus Spike
Mantis Blade
Ovinrbaane
Phylactery of the Failed
Raven’s Head
Scar of Destiny
Serithtial
Sliver of the Amalgam Mind
Torc of Kostchtchie
Totem of Angazhan
Vernal Key
Visionary Lens
Warding Box


awww, I'm still waiting for my shipping email :s

Liberty's Edge

Now i'm curious about

Spoiler:

St. Cuthbert's Mace

Dark Archive

Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber
Peanuts wrote:
awww, I'm still waiting for my shipping email :s

Me too, though I already know mine will likely be one of the last ones this month since I ordered the Carrion Crown dice in this order as well.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

See, now I want a

Spoiler:
Scar of Destiny.

How does something like that even transfer from person to person as an artifact? Definitely gonna grab this book. If only for the
Spoiler:
Seven Swords Of Sin!
I'm a sucker for Alliteration.


Stratagemini wrote:

See, now I want a ** spoiler omitted **

How does something like that even transfer from person to person as an artifact? Definitely gonna grab this book. If only for the ** spoiler omitted ** I'm a sucker for Alliteration.

It doesn't, and they handled it in a cool way :)

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Curse your teasing spoilers Cheapy! I'm going to have to wait a whole week and a day for this PDF. You're only making me want it more. And Curse you Paizo for taking all of my money! Stop making such awesome quality books! It only makes me want to buy more!

Also, side note:

Spoiler:
Saint Cuthbert's Mace? Since when did he join the Golarion Crowd? What's Saint Cuthbert in this setting? A saint of Iomedism?

Paizo Employee Creative Director

1 person marked this as a favorite.

As hinted at in the writeup for St. Cuthbert's mace... the St. Cuthbert we're talking about here is the same real-world historical/legendary character that Gygax based the Greyhawk deity on. It's a sort of "parallel" to the Greyhawk version of the deity, similar to how Golarion's Asmodeus is a parallel to the one that appears in D&D. We wanted to include it in this book because it's one of the few artifacts that's been in the game from the start that has ties to history and real-world folklore, similar to the Dancing Hut of Baba Yaga.


I was just going to post about the Mace. It is an awesome write up and the destruction of it is suitably epic. The list of places it has shown up is wonderful.


I haven't had time to look through all the posts and from what I've read so far today in the pdf it looks really cool. I really wish they would have made Szuriel's greatsword "Lamentation of the Faithless" in this book though, would have been neat to see the stats on that. Currently running a campaign heavily involving a cult that worships Szuriel in the Lands of the Linnorm Kings and that would have been cool. Maybe if there is ever a second book I guess :)

Contributor

Cheapy wrote:
Great job on the metagame artifacts.

Yay! Glad you're digging them. There's a bunch of relatively minor effects or just simple to handle out-of-game effects that, as soon as they make the transition to being in-game things they get blown through the roof price-wise. Little things, like the ability of the players around the table to always hear and communicate with one another, it's something that most GMs just accept as an element of being around a game table, but if you want an in-game reason for why or how certain metagame things might happen I wanted to provide those. So artifacts, albeit simple artifacts (the most minor of artifacts) seemed to be a great way to tackle these.

In these cases, the thing that really makes them special is that they're meant for PCs only. While a GM could, of course, put these metagame artifacts in the hands of NPCs if she's got some great idea, they're really meant to be things to aid the experience of being a PC.

The one I'm most excited about is the one that lets you rebuild your character. Finally there's a slightly less hand wavy way to handle that!

Contributor

Cheapy wrote:
So...on page 6, did Valeros turn into Seoni or the other way around? The look suits her.

Either answer "B" or answer "C" ("C" being that it's FAR messier than that). 0_o

Contributor

Cheapy wrote:
I was just going to post about the Mace. It is an awesome write up and the destruction of it is suitably epic. The list of places it has shown up is wonderful.

What!? Saint Cuthbert's a real-world saint. The Saint's Mace is in the SRD. These seemed like a perfect connection, so our Saint Cuthbert is semi-explicitly stated to be the soldier turned miracle worker from Earth. Any other connection is purely coincidental.

And yeah, glad you like the weird places its been, those sorts of lists of crazy things are a ton of fun... and there might be a few secrets or bits of foreshadowing thrown in there... maybe. ;)


F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
Cheapy wrote:
Great job on the metagame artifacts.

Yay! Glad you're digging them. There's a bunch of relatively minor effects or just simple to handle out-of-game effects that, as soon as they make the transition to being in-game things they get blown through the roof price-wise. Little things, like the ability of the players around the table to always hear and communicate with one another, it's something that most GMs just accept as an element of being around a game table, but if you want an in-game reason for why or how certain metagame things might happen I wanted to provide those. So artifacts, albeit simple artifacts (the most minor of artifacts) seemed to be a great way to tackle these.

In these cases, the thing that really makes them special is that they're meant for PCs only. While a GM could, of course, put these metagame artifacts in the hands of NPCs if she's got some great idea, they're really meant to be things to aid the experience of being a PC.

The one I'm most excited about is the one that lets you rebuild your character. Finally there's a slightly less hand wavy way to handle that!

Are there any plans, no matter how nebulous, of having more such metagame artifacts?

Contributor

Kaleran wrote:
I really wish they would have made...

Thanks to the power of the Intern Engine, I had a list of over a hundred artifacts stated up, referenced, or potentials, so there was a fair bit of cherry picking. But there's plenty, plenty more awesome artifacts just waiting out there so...

Kaleran wrote:
Maybe if there is ever a second book I guess :)

Yeah. This. What you said. :)

Contributor

Cheapy wrote:
Are there any plans, no matter how nebulous, of having more such metagame artifacts?

Honestly: Nope.

That said, if folks really like them and say so, you never know. We're all about giving people what they want. :)

(They're also REALLY easy to make, so if someone wanted to start a thread to fill with metagame artifacts, well that goes a long way too.)


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
(They're also REALLY easy to make, so if someone wanted to start a thread to fill with metagame artifacts, well that goes a long way too.)

Now to wait for the 'CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!' thread in reply to this. :)

Contributor

Dhampir984 wrote:
Now to wait for the 'CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!' thread in reply to this. :)

Do it.

Do it.

Do it. Do it. Do it.


Dhampir984 wrote:
F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
(They're also REALLY easy to make, so if someone wanted to start a thread to fill with metagame artifacts, well that goes a long way too.)
Now to wait for the 'CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!' thread in reply to this. :)

Already planning some for the next Pathways e-zine. :p


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
mordion wrote:

Major:

** spoiler omitted **

Minor:
** spoiler omitted **

I hope each of them have pictures. new pictures preferably.


GOOD BOOK!

Contributor

zergtitan wrote:
I hope each of them have pictures. new pictures preferably.

ALL of the major artifacts and many of the minor have illos. There are so many new illustrations, in fact, that we did a whole new item card set. Check it out (and a few preview pieces from this book) right here!

The first person to correctly identify all three of those images gets a point!

Dark Archive

F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
The first person to correctly identify all three of those images gets a point!

Iron Flasks, Baba Yaga's Dancing Hut, and an Orb of Dragonkind.

When the 1st Ed DMG came out, I don't think there was any part of the book I read And reread more than the Artifacts section. From mention of the City of Brass to the possible powers of the Wand of Orcus, there was definitely no more "High Fantasy" part than that of the Relics and Artifacts section.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Iron flasks aren't in the Book. Those have to be either the Bottle of the Bound. Only more than one of them.

Paizo Employee Creative Director

F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
zergtitan wrote:
I hope each of them have pictures. new pictures preferably.

ALL of the major artifacts and many of the minor have illos. There are so many new illustrations, in fact, that we did a whole new item card set. Check it out (and a few preview pieces from this book) right here!

The first person to correctly identify all three of those images gets a point!

Oooh! Can I play? Since no one's guessed correctly yet?


No, that first one are those Arazni things, whose name I can't remember.

EDIT: Bloodstones of Arazni!


F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
The one I'm most excited about is the one that lets you rebuild your character. Finally there's a slightly less hand wavy way to handle that!

Silly question: which artifact is this, and does it allow for changes to a character's race as well? Might make for a nice idea for a 'starcrossed lovers' story where they can't get married because of racial differences. I.e., half-orc falls in love with an elf and the like.

And I love what I'm hearing about this book here!


Since i have my pdf, me answering would be cheating ;)


Well, of course I cheated. Who's going to get any connection to Arazni from canopic jars? There's not even anything that looks like stones. :P

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Oh! they must be her Organs. I remember reading that the Knights of Ozem wanted them in order to get power over her. The Blood is literal, the stones, probably not so much.


Joana wrote:
Well, of course I cheated. Who's going to get any connection to Arazni from canopic jars? There's not even anything that looks like stones. :P

Yes, yes, i agree with you about the arazni name to the canopic jars 100%. ;)

Then if we are playing regardless, i believe the 3rd picture is one of the Orbs of Dragon Mastery, not the orb of dragonkind which had a far more elaborate picture in the same article.


I always disliked Gygax's take on St Cuthbert. The real world saint was a dedicated and vociferous pacifist, who explicitly gave up the warfare of the aristocracy for the warfare of the soul.


Stratagemini wrote:
Oh! they must be her Organs. I remember reading that the Knights of Ozem wanted them in order to get power over her. The Blood is literal, the stones, probably not so much.

Yes, more or less! The 4 jars do bleed out when used as well, so there is blood.

Contributor

Stratagemini wrote:
Oh! they must be her Organs. I remember reading that the Knights of Ozem wanted them in order to get power over her. The Blood is literal, the stones, probably not so much.

Spot on, man.

Contributor

1 person marked this as a favorite.
Eric Hinkle wrote:

Silly question: which artifact is this, and does it allow for changes to a character's race as well? Might make for a nice idea for a 'starcrossed lovers' story where they can't get married because of racial differences. I.e., half-orc falls in love with an elf and the like.

And I love what I'm hearing about this book here!

This is the Hourglass of Transfiguration from the Metagame Artifacts part of the book, and yes, it can change your race.


Pathfinder Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Maps, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
F. Wesley Schneider wrote:

Do it.

Do it.

Do it. Do it. Do it.

You mean like this?

Contributor

Dhampir984 wrote:
You mean like this?

Ha! Good show. :)


All the powers granted by the Bloodstones of Arazni are paladin-related, yet Inner Sea Magic has her statted as a wizard. This confused me. Was she a paladin prior to lichification, then somehow rebuilt as a wizard?


F. Wesley Schneider wrote:
Eric Hinkle wrote:

Silly question: which artifact is this, and does it allow for changes to a character's race as well? Might make for a nice idea for a 'starcrossed lovers' story where they can't get married because of racial differences. I.e., half-orc falls in love with an elf and the like.

And I love what I'm hearing about this book here!

This is the Hourglass of Transfiguration from the Metagame Artifacts part of the book, and yes, it can change your race.

Thanks for the response; I will definitely be getting this book.

Contributor

Generic Villain wrote:
All the powers granted by the Bloodstones of Arazni are paladin-related, yet Inner Sea Magic has her statted as a wizard. This confused me. Was she a paladin prior to lichification, then somehow rebuilt as a wizard?

One doesn't necessarily relate to the other. Arazni was a knight of Ozem and was the herald of Aroden. Her preserved organs grant spiritual power based on their lingering connection to the fallen god, not based upon the class her undead body currently pursues. So that's how that shakes out.


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

I can't wait to see the artifacts from the earlier AP's. seeing how they have changed and been updated, and also any new images for previous artifacts. (ex. Is Briar's picture new or is it the same as the one used in Kingmaker pt.6?)

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