For an upcoming campaign I'm considering putting in a number of artifacts that my players can get their hands on, which (hopefully) will inspire them to go looking for the history/other pieces of their artifacts.
My idea is to break each item into multiple pieces, with each piece able to grant an item that it is made part of (another weapon, even a mundane one, for example) some enchantments that are part of the whole artifact. I think the concept is workable, but I would like the opinions/ideas of others. Following is a sample item that I worked up.
Pommel – This simple pommel is made of silver with a small ruby glittering with internal light. The pommel grants another dagger the +1 keen spell storing properties, with the following benefit. The maximum level of spell that the weapon can store increases by 1 level for each piece of Adeira’s Thorn as part of the weapon (allowing a 5th level spell to be stored when the blade is complete). The hilt also allows the wielder to cast Invisibility (CL 5th) three times per day.
Hilt – A suitable, simple hilt of black leather and silver, little stands out about this portion of Adeira’s Thorn. The hilt grants another dagger the +2 ghost touch properties, as well as granting the wielder a +2 bonus to Acrobatics, Escape Artist, Perception and Stealth (this bonus increases by +2 per piece of Adeira’s Thorn as part of the weapon).
Blade – A curving, elegant mithril blade, the blade of Adeira’s Thorn is a work of art that outshines the rest of the blade, and shows what Adeira was most concerned with. The patterned blade possesses the +2 wounding properties, as well as granting the wielder +1d6 sneak attack (this increases by 1d6 per piece of Adeira’s Thorn as part of the weapon).
Completion Bonus – In addition to being a +5 ghost touch keen spell storing wounding mithril dagger and the other properties from each piece, Adeira’s Thorn functions as a Bane weapon against all followers of the cult which slew Adeira and automatically confirms any crits against them. Once per day the wielder may cast Greater Teleport (CL 20th) to any location in dim light or darker. If unable to go to the desired location, the ability takes her as close as possible.
Destruction – Adiera’s Thorn may be destroyed by sacrificing 10 of Adiera’s relatives on consecutive nights, on the same spot where she was slain.
Sounds a lot more like a regalia than an artifact.
I'm not seeing the Regalia connection, Twin Agate, though I may be missing something.
Kvantum: Actually, I've never seen stats for the Rod of Seven Parts, so I have no clue how it works. But yes, the parts can bestow their power on regular weapons. I have been considering armor and other items, but weapons seem like the easiest for this.
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Wow. A gamer who hasn't heard of the Rod. It's basically the prototype for artifacts whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_of_Seven_Parts (here)
I like this idea a lot and I may just steal it (not your artifacts of course just the idea in and of itself) for my campaign. It makes giving an artifact I've made to 1 of the characters a lot easier because I can give it to them in pieces rather than all at once.
I suppose I should have said that I had heard of the rod, just that I had no clue what it did. *headdesks* Some days I need to slow down and think things through before hitting the 'Submit Post' button.
But anyway...now that I've finished making myself feel silly, I agree with the general concept, since it's approximately what I was thinking of. The Hand and Eye of Vecna are similar, though I wouldn't want to use them, as they're icky. And I think Kvantum is right about the Head of Vecna. >.>
And go right ahead, Felgoroth. I essentially threw the idea out here because I always have a nagging suspicion that anything I homebrew is completely and utterly broken, and the lack of people haranguing me about such makes me feel a bit more secure. Of course, the fact my sample is a dagger probably helps.
And go right ahead, Felgoroth. I essentially threw the idea out here because I always have a nagging suspicion that anything I homebrew is completely and utterly broken, and the lack of people haranguing me about such makes me feel a bit more secure. Of course, the fact my sample is a dagger probably helps.
I know what you mean about people haranguing you for homebrewed stuff (only it's on the opposite end of being broken, look for my thread about steampunk stuff if you want to know what I mean). Even if your example wasn't a dagger I don't think it would've mattered though, the fact that it's an artifact means it's going to be a little ridiculous. 1 of the artifacts in my game is a revolving flintlock pistol with 6 barrels called Hydra, one of it's "special abilities" is that it can be sundered (unlike other artifacts) but, so many rounds (I'm thinking between 1 and 1d4) after it's sundered it grows back all it's barrels +2 more and all the barrels are loaded, then at the end of the day it reverts back to a 6 barreled gun (thing is, it's destruction mechanism is if it's owner or any of it's owners allies sunder it it's destroyed). The problem I'm having is if I use the "shattered artifacts," what pieces would I break it into? A handle, the trigger maybe, the barrels (individually or all together)? I don't really know how flintlocks break down :P
I was going to go into a long listing of the use of this trope elsewhere--the Wikkit Gate from LIFE, THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING, the Key to Time from Doctor Who--when I realized I could just save time and see what the trope is called on TV Tropes.org.
Not surprisingly, it's referred to as "The Dismantled McGuffin." Here:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DismantledMacGuffin
Nothing wrong with using one in a game. The Rod of Seven Parts is the grand-daddy of the trope in D&D land but it's been around a lot longer than that.