Specific Artifacts


Minor Artifacts

Axe of the Dwarvish Lords: This is a +6 keen throwing goblinoid bane dwarven waraxe. Any nondwarf who grasps the Axe takes 2 points of Charisma damage; these points cannot be healed or restored in any way while the Axe is held. The current owner of the Axe gains a +10 bonus on Craft (armorsmithing, blacksmithing, gemcutting, stonemasonry, and weaponsmithing) checks, and can summon an elder earth elemental (as summon monster IX; duration 20 rounds) once per week.
Overwhelming conjuration and transmutation; CL 24; Weight 8 lb.

Cup and Talisman of the Demigod: The Cup is a large gem-set golden chalice requiring two hands to lift. It emits light (as the daylight spell) at all times and automatically dispels any darkness - based spells whose area it enters. If the cup is filled with holy water (requiring a full gallon), that substance will act as a potion of cure critical wounds or a potion of neutralize poison (owner's choice) if drunk. This liquid can't be saved or stored in any way.

The Talisman is a small eight-pointed platinum star hanging from a chain of gold and pearls. The wearer gains a +6 enhancement bonus to Charisma and may cast cure blindness/deafness, cure disease, or remove curse at will. Furthermore, if the Talisman is placed within the Cup and the Cup filled with holy water, that liquid acts as a special elixir of resurrection (as the spell). This effect will function only once per month.

Any evil or chaotic creature that touches the Cup or Talisman is struck with a holy word (if evil) or dictum (if chaotic) spell (or both if the creature is chaotic evil).

Overwhelming necromancy; CL 23rd; Weight 10 lbs. (Cup), 1 lb. (Talisman)

Deck of Many Things: A deck of many things (both beneficial and baneful) is usually found in a box or leather pouch. Each deck contains a number of cards or plaques made of ivory or vellum. Each is engraved with glyphs, characters, and sigils. As soon as one of these cards is drawn from the pack, its magic is bestowed upon the person who drew it, for better or worse.

The character with a deck of many things who wishes to draw a card must announce how many cards she will draw before she begins. Cards must be drawn within 1 hour of each other, and a character can never again draw from this deck any more cards than she has announced. If the character does not willingly draw her allotted number (or if she is somehow prevented from doing so), the cards flip out of the deck on their own. Exception:** If the Jester is drawn, the possessor of the deck may elect to draw two additional cards.

Each time a card is taken from the deck, it is replaced (making it possible to draw the same card twice) unless the draw is the Jester or the Fool, in which case the card is discarded from the pack. A deck of many things contains 22 cards. To simulate the magic cards, you may want to use tarot cards, as indicated in the second column of the accompanying table. If no tarot deck is available, substitute ordinary playing cards instead, as indicated in the third column. The effects of each card, summarized on the table, are fully described below.


Plaque Tarot Card Playing Card Summary of Effect
Balance XI. Justice Two of spades Change alignment instantly.
Comet Two of swords Two of diamonds Defeat the next monster you meet to gain one level.
Donjon Four of swords Ace of spades You are imprisoned.
Euryale Ten of swords Queen of spades –1 penalty on all saving throws henceforth.
The Fates Three of cups Ace of hearts Avoid any situation you choose … once.
Flames XV. The Devil Queen of clubs Enmity between you and an outsider.
Fool 0. The Fool Joker (with trademark) Drained 2 points of Wisdom and you must draw again.
Gem Seven of cups Two of hearts Gain your choice of twenty-five pieces of jewelry or fifty gems.
Idiot Two of pentacles Two of clubs Lose Intelligence (permanent drain). You may draw again.
Jester XII. The Hanged Man Joker (without trademark) Gain 2 points of Charisma or two more draws from the deck.
Key V. The Hierophant Queen of hearts Gain a major magic weapon.
Knight Page of swords Jack of hearts Gain the service of a 4th-level fighter.
Moon XVIII. The Moon Queen of diamonds You are granted 1d4 wishes.
Rogue Five of swords Jack of spades One of your friends turns against you.
Ruin XVI. The Tower King of spades Immediately lose all wealth and real property.
Skull XIII. Death Jack of clubs Defeat minor death or be forever destroyed.
Star XVII. The Star Jack of diamonds Immediately gain a +2 inherent bonus to one ability score.
Sun XIX. The Sun King of diamonds Gain beneficial medium wondrous item and 50,000 XP.
Talons Queen of pentacles Ace of clubs All magic items you possess disappear permanently.
Throne Four of staves King of hearts Gain a +6 bonus on Diplomacy checks plus a small keep.
Vizier IX. The Hermit Ace of diamonds Know the answer to your next dilemma.
The Void Eight of swords King of clubs Body functions, but soul is trapped elsewhere.

Balance: The character must change to a radically different alignment. If the character fails to act according to the new alignment, she is cursed, as per bestow curse.

Comet: The character must single-handedly defeat the next hostile monster or monsters encountered, or the benefit is lost. If successful, the character gains enough XP to attain the next experience level.

Donjon: This card signifies imprisonment— either by the imprisonment spell or by some powerful being. All gear and spells are stripped from the victim in any case. Draw no more cards.

Euryale: The medusalike visage of this card brings a curse that only the Fates card or a deity can remove. The –1 penalty on all saving throws is otherwise permanent.

Fates: This card enables the character to avoid even an instantaneous occurrence if so desired, for the fabric of reality is unraveled and respun. Note that it does not enable something to happen - it can only stop something from happening or reverse a past occurrence. The reversal is only for the character who drew the card; other party members may have to endure the situation.

Flames: Hot anger, jealousy, and envy are but a few of the possible motivational forces for the enmity. The enmity of the outsider can't be ended until one of the parties has been slain. Determine the outsider randomly, and assume that it attacks the character (or plagues her life in some way) within 1d20 days.

Fool: The Wis drain and the redraw are mandatory. This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others except the Jester.

Gem: This card indicates wealth. The jewelry is all gold set with gems, each piece worth 2,000 gp, the gems 1,000 gp value each.

Idiot: This card causes the drain of 1d4+1 points of Intelligence immediately. The additional draw is optional.

Jester: This card is always discarded when drawn, unlike all others except the Fool. The redraws are optional.

Key: The magic weapon granted must be one usable by the character. It suddenly appears out of nowhere in the character's hand.

Knight: The fighter appears out of nowhere and serves loyally until death. he is of the same race (or kind) and gender as the character.

Moon: This card sometimes bears the image of a moonstone gem with the appropriate number of wishes shown as gleams therein; sometimes it depicts a moon with its phase indicating the number of wishes (full = four; gibbous = three; half = two; quarter = one). These wishes are the same as those granted by the 10th-level wizard spell and must be used within a number of minutes equal to the number received.

Rogue: When this card is drawn, one of the character's NPC friends (preferably a cohort) is totally alienated and forever after hostile. If the character has no cohorts, the enmity of some powerful personage (or community, or religious order) can be substituted. The hatred is secret until the time is ripe for it to be revealed with devastating effect.

Ruin: As implied by its name, when this card is drawn, all nonmagical possessions of the drawer are lost.

Skull: A minor death appears. The character must fight it alone - if others help, they get minor deaths as well. If the character is slain, she is slain forever and cannot be revived, even with a wish or miracle.

Star: The 2 points are added to any ability the character chooses. They cannot be divided among two abilities.

Sun: Roll for a medium wondrous item until a useful item is indicated.

Talons: When this card is drawn, every magic item owned or possessed by the character is instantly and irrevocably gone.

Throne: The character becomes a true leader in people's eyes. The castle gained appears in any open area she wishes (but the decision where to place it must be made within 1 hour).

Vizier: This card empowers the character drawing it with the one-time ability to call upon a source of wisdom to solve any single problem or answer fully any question upon her request. The query or request must be made within one year. Whether the information gained can be successfully acted upon is another question entirely.

/The Void:// This black card spells instant disaster. The character's body continues to function, as though comatose, but her psyche is trapped in a prison somewhere - in an object on a far plane or planet, possibly in the possession of an outsider. A wish or a miracle does not bring the character back, instead merely revealing the plane of entrapment. Draw no more cards.

Overwhelming (all schools); CL 23rd; Weight 1/2 lb.

Everfull Purse: This leather belt pouch has the power to turn a single gold coin into many overnight. If a single gold piece is placed in the everfull purse at sunset, it will be replaced at sunrise by 25 gold pieces. The purse has no effect if more than one gold piece is left within, or if anything other than gold is placed within.

Overwhelming conjuration; CL 21st; Weight 1/2 lb.

Eye of the Orc: This lump of rock has a marquis-cut black sapphire set in its center, making it appear similar to a large eye. If possessed by an orc, it grants a +6 enhancement bonus to Strength and Charisma. Non-orcs who possess the Eye gain a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength but take a –2 penalty to Intelligence and Charisma. Regardless of the owner's race, any weapon wielded by the owner of the Eye gains the elf bane enchantment. Furthermore, by holding the Eye before him, the character can perceive things as if he had true seeing cast upon him. This can be activated only once per day but lasts as long as the character concentrates on it (requiring a standard action each round).

Overwhelming divination and transmutation; CL 21st; Weight 1/2 lb.

Hammer of Thunderbolts: This +3 Large returning warhammer deals 4d6 points of damage on any hit. Further, if the wielder wears a belt of giant strength and gauntlets of ogre power and he knows that the hammer is a hammer of thunderbolts (not just a +3 warhammer), the weapon can be used to full effect: It gains a total +5 enhancement bonus, allows all belt and gauntlet bonuses to stack (only when using this weapon), and strikes dead any giant upon whom it scores a hit (Fortitude DC 20 negates the death effect but not the damage).

When hurled, on a successful attack the hammer emits a great noise, like a clap of thunder, causing all creatures within 90 feet to be stunned for 1 round (Fortitude DC 15 negates). The hammer's range increment is 30 feet.

Overwhelming evocation, necromancy, and transmutation; CL 21st; Weight 15 lb.

The Iron bow of Duernoth: This +6 distance heartseeker composite longbow is made of ironwood, specially treated in a secret process that enables it to flex like yew, but retain its iron-hard strength. The bow still has a massive pull – it requires an 18 Strength to even draw it (it has a +4 Strength modifier). It was created for the ranger Duernoth, who used it in his battles against the humanoid tribes of the Irontooth Mountains during the Humanoid War. When he was slain in a massive battle near the end of the war, the bow was supposedly taken as a war trophy by one of the orcish warlords. It later passed into elven hands, then was taken from them by human armies a hundred years later during another war, went through a succession of owners (many of whom didn't know what they had), and has since vanished again.

The bow is always polished to a low gleam, and never loses its luster. It has only a few marks here and there, most invisible to anything but a close examination. Its string is made of mithril and cannot be snapped or cut; it makes a low thrum when fired.

For those with sufficient strength and knowledge of its powers, the iron bow has the following properties: If an arrow is nocked and drawn, the archer can spend a move action to focus on the target. He can make only one shot that round, but if he can see the target, he suffers no modifiers to the attack roll for distance or cover (though concealment still applies).

Three times per day, the user can turn one arrow into a greater slaying arrow that affects monstrous humanoids – bugbears, gnolls, goblins, or orcs. The arrow gets a +4 enhancement bonus, if it doesn't have one already; if the target is hit, it must make a DC 23 Fort save or die. Even if it saves, it takes triple damage . Firing a greater slaying arrow requires a full-round action to create and fire (or the bow's wielder can create one and use the focus power in the same round, but he must wait until his action on the next turn to do so).

Overwhelming divination, necromancy, and transmutation; CL 25th; Weight 5 lbs.

Iron Gauntlet of War: The gauntlet grants a +8 enhancement bonus to Strength. The wearer doubles the damage bonus on any smite attacks he makes. If the wearer has the Leadership feat, his Leadership score increases by +4, but he can never attract or keep followers or cohorts who are good or chaotic. Once per day, the wielder can use implosion as a 24th-level caster (DC 31). The iron gauntlet of war is intelligent (Int 13, Wis 18, Cha 24, Ego 26) and lawful evil. It can communicate telepathically with its wearer, though it cannot speak. It will always seek to dominate any wearer who isn't lawful evil, forcing such an owner to commit lawful evil deeds (or else find a more suitable wearer).

Overwhelming necromancy and transmutation; CL 24th; Weight 1 lb.

Libram of Gainful Conjuration: This mystic book is of great value to arcane spellcasters of good alignment (LG, NG, CG). Study of the work requires one week. Upon completion, the good arcane caster gains a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score controlling his arcane spellcasting ability and experience points sufficient to place him halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one arcane spellcasting class, he must choose one of the classes to be affected.)

Nongood arcane spellcasters (LN, N, CN, LE, NE, or CE) are permanently drained of 1d4+1 points of Constitution and must atone (see the atonement spell) in order to gain any further experience. Anyone incapable of casting arcane spells who reads even a single word of the work must make a Will save (DC 20) or become insane (see the insanity spell).

Except as indicated above, the writing in a libram of gainful conjuration can't be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 23rd; Weight 3 lb.

Libram of Ineffable Damnation: This mystic book is of great value to arcane spellcasters of evil alignment (LE, NE, CE). Study of the work requires one week. Upon completion, the evil arcane caster gains a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score controlling his arcane spellcasting ability and experience points sufficient to place him halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one arcane spellcasting class, he must choose one of the classes to be affected.)

Nonevil arcane spellcasters (LN, N, CN, LG, NG, or CG) are permanently drained of 1d4+1 points of Constitution and must atone (see the atonement spell) in order to gain any further experience. Anyone incapable of casting arcane spells who reads even a single word of the work must make a Will save (DC 20) or become insane (see the insanity spell).

Except as indicated above, the writing in a libram of ineffable damnation can't be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 23rd; Weight 3 lb.

Libram of Silver Magic: This mystic book is of great value to arcane spellcasters of neutral alignment (LN, N, CN). Study of the work requires one week. Upon completion, the neutral arcane caster gains a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score controlling his arcane spellcasting ability and experience points sufficient to place him halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one arcane spellcasting class, he must choose one of the classes to be affected.)

Evil or good arcane spellcasters (LE, NE, CE, LG, NG, or CG) are permanently drained of 1d4+1 points of Constitution and must atone (see the atonement spell) in order to gain any further experience. Anyone incapable of casting arcane spells who reads even a single word of the work must make a Will save (DC 20) or become insane (see the insanity spell).

Except as indicated above, the writing in a libram of silver magic can't be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 23rd; Weight 3 lb.

Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms: This treatise contains expert advice and instruction in the arts of combat. Any fighter, monk, paladin, or ranger who spends one week studying the manual gains a +1 inherent bonus to Strength and experience points sufficient to place him halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one of the classes listed, he must choose one of the classes to be affected.)

A character without any levels in one of the classes listed gains no bonus from the work, but if an arcane spellcaster without levels in one of the classes listed scans even a single word he takes 5d6 points of damage and must make a Will save (DC 20) or take 1 point of Intelligence drain.

Except as indicated above, the writing in a manual of puissant skill at arms can't be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 23rd; Weight 3 lb.

Manual of Stealthy Pilfering: This guide to thievery grants any bard or rogue who spends a week studying its lessons a +1 inherent bonus to Dexterity and experience points sufficient to place him halfway into the next level of experience.

A character without any bard or rogue levels gains no bonus from the work, but if a divine spellcaster without rogue levels scans even a single word, he takes 5d6 points of damage and must make a DC 20 Will save or take 1 point of Wisdom drain.

Except as indicated above, the writing in a manual of stealthy pilfering can't be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 23rd; Weight 3 lb.

Moaning Diamond: The moaning diamond appears to be an uncut diamond the size of a human fist. At all times, it gives forth a baleful moaning sound, as if in pain. Despite the noise, the moaning diamond is not evil. The wielder of the stone can, three times per day, call upon it to reshape earth and stone as per the spell stone shape, affecting 5,000 cubic feet of material. Once per day, it can summon an elder earth elemental with maximum hit points that serves the caster until it is slain. Only one such elemental can be summoned at a time; if it is slain, a new creature cannot be summoned for 24 hours.

Overwhelming conjuration and transmutation; CL 24th; Weight 1 lb.

Philosopher's Stone: This rare substance appears to be an ordinary, sooty piece of blackish rock. If the stone is broken open (break DC 20), a cavity is revealed at the stone's heart. This cavity is lined with a magical type of quicksilver that enables any arcane spellcaster to transmute base metals (iron and lead) into silver and gold. A single philosopher's stone can turn from up to 5,000 pounds of iron into silver, or up to 1,000 pounds of lead into gold. However, the quicksilver becomes unstable once the stone is opened and loses its potency within 24 hours, so all transmutations must take place within that period.

The quicksilver found in the center of the stone can also be put to another use. If mixed with any cure potion while the substance is still potent, it creates a special oil of life that acts as a true resurrection spell for any dead body it is sprinkled upon.

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 21st; Weight 3 lb.

Ring of Nine Facets: This ring is set with a gem of nine facets, each one in-scribed with a different incomprehensible rune. Each day at sunrise, the gem turns to display a different facet. The active facet determines the ring's power for that day.

In addition to the above, the ring of nine facets has the following powers, each keyed to a different facet:


1d10 Active Facet Power
1 Wearer is immune to disease
2 Wearer needs no air to survive
3 Wearer gains +5 natural armor bonus
4 Wearer gains low-light vision
5 Wearer gains fast healing 1
6 Wearer can fly at will
7 Wearer gains cold resistance 30
8 Wearer gains freedom of movement
9 Wearer gains +5 resistance bonus on saving throws
10 Wearer may select which facet is active

Overwhelming abjuration and transmutation; CL 22nd; Weight —.

Rogue's Dice: This pair of cubes appears much like any other pair of typical (6-sided) dice. A character with a pair of rogue's dice who wishes to roll them must announce that he is rolling the dice (accidental rolls have no effect). Rolling the dice is a standard action, and both dice must be rolled simultaneously to have any effect. The player should roll 2d6 and consult the table below to determine the dice's affects.


2d6 Effect
2 Lose 10,000 XP and dice roll again next round
3 Permanently lose 1d4+1 Dex
4 Drained 1d4 Hit Dice (Fortitude DC 20 to remove)
5 –1 penalty on all attacks, saves, and checks for 1 hour
6 –4 penalty to AC for 10 minutes
7 +1 morale bonus on attacks and on saves against fear for 10 minutes
8 Gain effects of blur for 10 minutes
9 +1 insight bonus on all attacks, saves, and checks for 1 hour
10 Gain effects of freedom of movement for 1 hour
11 Gain one limited wish (must be used within 1 minute)
12 Gain 10,000 XP and may roll again next round

No character can gain any effect from an additional roll of the dice within 24 hours, with two exceptions. If a 2 is rolled, the dice automatically roll themselves at the beginning of the character's next turn and he must accept the additional result. If a 12 is rolled, the character may choose to roll again in the next round (if more than 1 full round elapses between the roll of 12 and this bonus roll, the character loses the bonus roll). There is no method (mundane or magical) to predict or influence the result of a roll of Rogue's dice. Even powerful divination magic can't predict the outcome of a roll before it is made.

Overwhelming (all schools); CL 20th; Weight —.

Saint's Mace: This relic appears to be a simple, well-used cudgel, but its simple appearance hides great power. The saint's mace is a +5 holy lawful heavy mace of disruption. The wielder can project searing light from the mace at will, at caster level 21st.

Overwhelming evocation and necromancy; CL 21st; Weight 8 lbs.

Shadowstaff: This artifact was crafted centuries ago, weaving together the wispy strands of shadow itself into a twisted black staff. The shadowstaff makes the wielder slightly shadowy and incorporeal, granting him a +4 bonus to AC and Reflex saves (which stacks with any other bonuses). However, in bright light (such as that of the sun, but not a torch) or in absolute darkness, the wielder takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, saves, and checks.

The Shadowstaff also has these powers.

  • Summon Shadows: Three times per day the staff can summon 2d4 shadows. Immune to turning, they serve the wielder as if called by a summon monster III spell.
  • Summon Nightshade: Once per month, the staff can summon a nightwalker nightshade that serves the wielder as if called by a summon nightwalker spell.
  • Shadow Form: Three times per day the wielder can become a living shadow, with all the movement powers granted by the gaseous form spell.
  • Shadow Bolt: Three times per day the staff can project a ray attack that deals 10d6 points of negative energy damage to a single target. The shadow bolt has a range of 100 feet.

Overwhelming abjuration, conjuration, evocation, and transmutation; CL 24th; Weight 4 lbs.

Shield of the Sun: This +5 heavy steel shield, emblazoned with the symbol of the sun, allows the wielder to cast spells as if she were a 20th-level paladin with a Wisdom score of 20. The spells gained are cumulative with any existing spells per day that the character might have, even if he's already a paladin. The Shield of the Sun also grants full spell resistance (+6 bonus to saves) to its wielder, as well as resistance 10 vs. acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). In return for all this, once per year the shield's owner must undertake a quest (no saving throw to avoid) at the behest of a lawful good deity.

A character who is evil or chaotic (LE, NE, CE, CN, CG) loses four Hit Dice if he attempts to use this artifact. He immediately regains the lost Hit Dice when the shield is stowed or leaves his possession.

Overwhelming transmutation [good]; CL 21st; Weight 15 lb.

Sphere of Annihilation: A sphere of annihilation is a globe of absolute blackness, a ball of nothingness 2 feet in diameter. The object is actually a hole in the continuity of the multiverse. Any matter that comes in contact with a sphere is instantly sucked into the void, gone, and utterly destroyed. Only the direct intervention of a deity can restore an annihilated being or object.

A sphere of annihilation is static, resting in some spot as if it were a normal hole. It can be caused to move, however, by mental effort (think of this as a mundane form of telekinesis, too weak to move actual objects but a force to which the sphere, being weightless, is sensitive). A character's ability to gain control of a sphere of annihilation (or to keep controlling one) is based on the result of a DC 30 control check (a move action). A control check is 1d20 + character level + Int modifier. If the check succeeds, the character can move the sphere (perhaps to bring it into contact with an enemy) as a free action.

Control of a sphere can be established from as far away as 40 feet (the character need not approach too closely). Once control is established, it must be maintained by continuing to make control checks (all DC 30) each round. For as long as a character maintains control (does not fail a check) in subsequent rounds, he can control the sphere from a distance of 40 feet + 10 feet per character level. The sphere's speed in a round is 10 feet, +5 feet for every 5 points by which the character's control check result in that round exceeded 30.

If a control check fails, the sphere slides 10 feet in the direction of the character attempting to move it.

If two or more creatures vie for control of a sphere of annihilation, the rolls are opposed. If none are successful, the sphere slips toward the one who rolled lowest.

If a gate spell is cast upon a sphere of annihilation, there is a 50% chance (01–50 on d%) that the spell destroys it, a 35% chance (51–85) that the spell does nothing, and a 15% chance (86–100) that a gap is torn in the spatial fabric, catapulting everything within a 180-foot radius into another plane. If a rod of cancellation touches a sphere of annihilation, they negate each other in a tremendous explosion. Everything within a 60-foot radius takes 2d6x10 points of damage.
See also talisman of the sphere (below).

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 21st; Weight -.

Staff of the Magi: A long wooden staff, shod in iron and inscribed with sigils and runes of all types, this potent artifact contains many spell powers and other functions. It has 50 charges, which are automatically replenished at the start of each day. Some of its powers use charges, while others don't. The following powers do not use charges:

  • Detect magic
  • Enlarge person (Fort DC 24 negates)
  • Hold portal
  • Light
  • Mage armor
  • Mage hand

The following powers drain 1 charge per usage:

  • Dispel magic
  • Fireball (10d6 damage, Reflex DC 26 half )
  • Ice storm
  • Invisibility
  • Knock
  • Lightning bolt (10d6 damage, Reflex DC 26 half )
  • Passwall
  • Pyrotechnics (Will or Fort DC 26 negates)
  • Wall of fire
  • Web

These powers drain 2 charges per usage:

  • Summon monster IX
  • Plane shift (Will DC 29 negates)
  • Telekinesis (400 lb. maximum weight; Will DC 28 negates)

A staff of the magi gives the wielder full spell resistance (+8 bonus to saves). If this is willingly lowered, however, the staff can also be used to absorb arcane spell energy directed at its wielder, as a rod of absorption. Unlike the rod, this staff converts spell levels into charges rather than retaining them as spell energy usable by a spellcaster. If the staff absorbs enough spell levels to exceed its limit of 50 charges, it explodes in a retributive strike (see below). The wielder has no idea how many spell levels are cast at her, for the staff does not communicate this knowledge as a rod of absorption does.

Retributive Strike: A staff of the magi can be broken in a retributive strike. Such an act must be purposeful and declared by the wielder. All charges in the staff are released in a 30-foot spread. All within 10 feet of the broken staff take hit points of damage equal to 8 times the number of charges in the staff, those between 11 feet and 20 feet away take points equal to 6 times the number of charges, and those 21 feet to 30 feet distant take 4 times the number of charges. A DC 32 Reflex save reduces damage by half.

The character breaking the staff has a 50% chance (01–50 on d%) of traveling to another plane of existence, but if he does not (51–100), the explosive release of spell energy destroys him.

Overwhelming (all schools); CL 26th; Weight 5 lb.

Talisman of Pure Good: A good (LG, NG, CG) divine spellcaster who possesses this item can cause a flaming crack to open at the feet of an evil (LE, NE, CE) divine spellcaster who is up to 100 feet away. The intended victim is swallowed up forever and sent hurtling to the center of the earth. The wielder of the talisman must be good, and if he is not exceptionally pure in thought and deed the evil character gains a DC 30 Reflex saving throw to leap away from the crack. Obviously, the target must be standing on solid ground for this item to function.

A talisman of pure good has 6 charges, and cannot be recharged except by a god; if all of its charges are depleted, the talisman crumbles to dust. If a neutral (LN, N, CN) divine spellcaster touches one of these stones, he takes 6d6 points of damage. If an evil divine spellcaster touches one, he takes 8d6 points of damage. All other characters are unaffected by the device.

Strong evocation [good]; CL 22nd; Weight 1 lb.

Talisman of Reluctant Wishes: A talisman of this sort appears the same as a stone of controlling earth elementals. Its powers are quite different, however, and dependent on the Charisma of the individual holding it.

Whenever a character touches a talisman of reluctant wishes, he must make a DC 15 Charisma check. If he fails, the device acts as a stone of weight. Discarding or destroying it results in 5d6 points of damage to the character and the disappearance of the talisman.

If he succeeds, the talisman remains with the character for 5d6 hours, or until a wish is made with it, whichever comes first. It then disappears.

If he rolls a natural 20, the character finds it impossible to be rid of the talisman for as many months as he has points of Charisma. In addition, the artifact grants him one wish for every 6 points of the character's Charisma. It also grows warm and throbs whenever its possessor comes within 20 feet of a mechanical or magic trap. (If the talisman is not held, its warning heat and pulses are of no avail.)

Regardless of which reaction results, a talisman of reluctant wishes disappears when its time period expires, leaving behind a 10,000 gp diamond in its stead.

Overwhelming conjuration; CL 22nd; Weight 1 lb.

Talisman of the Sphere: This small adamantine loop and handle are useless to those unable to cast arcane spells. Characters who cannot cast arcane spells take 5d6 points of damage merely from picking up and holding a talisman of this sort. However, when held by an arcane spellcaster who is concentrating on control of a sphere of annihilation, a talisman of the sphere doubles the character's modifier on his control check (doubling both his Intelligence bonus and his character level for this purpose).

If the wielder of a talisman establishes control, he need check for maintaining control only every other round thereafter. If control is not established, the sphere moves toward him. Note that while many spells and effects of cancellation have no effect upon a sphere of annihilation, the talisman's power of control can be suppressed or canceled.

Overwhelming transmutation; CL 21st; Weight 1 lb.

Talisman of Ultimate Evil: An evil (LE, NE, CE) divine spellcaster who possesses this item can cause a flaming crack to open at the feet of a good (LG, NG, CG) divine spellcaster who is up to 100 feet away. The intended victim is swallowed up forever and sent hurtling to the center of the earth. The wielder of the talisman must be evil, and if she is not exceptionally foul and perverse in the sights of her evil deity the good character gains a DC 30 Reflex save to leap away from the crack. Obviously, the target must be standing on solid ground for this item to function.

A talisman of ultimate evil has 6 charges, and cannot be recharged except by a god; if all of its charges are depleted, the talisman crumbles to dust. If a neutral (LN, N, CN) divine spellcaster touches one of these stones, she takes 6d6 points of damage. If a good divine spellcaster touches one, she takes 8d6 points of damage. All other characters are unaffected by the device.

Strong evocation [evil]; CL 18th.

Moderate Artifacts

Book of Infinite Spells: This work bestows upon any character of any class the ability to use the spells within its pages. However, any character not already able to use spells is drained 1 Hit Die for as long as the book is in her possession or while she uses its power. A book of infinite spells contains 1d8+22 pages. The nature of each page is determined by a dice roll:** 01–50, arcane spell; 51–100, divine spell.

Once a page is turned, it can never be flipped back - paging through a book of infinite spells is a one-way trip. If the book is closed, it always opens again to the page it was on before the book was closed. When the last page is turned, the book vanishes.

Once per day the owner of the book can cast the spell to which the book is opened. If that spell happens to be one that is on the character's class spell list, she can cast it up to four times per day. The pages cannot be ripped out without destroying the book. Similarly, the spells cannot be cast as scroll spells, nor can they be copied into a spellbook - their magic is bound up permanently within the book itself.

The owner of the book need not have the book on her person in order to use its power. The book can be stored in a place of safety while the owner is adventuring and still allow its owner to cast spells by means of its power.

Each time a spell is cast, there is a chance that the energy connected with its use causes the page to magically turn despite all precautions. The owner knows this and may even benefit from the turning by gaining access to a new spell. The chance of a page turning depends on the spell the page contains and what sort of spellcaster the owner is.


Condition Chance of Page Turning
Caster employing a spell usable by own class and level 10%
Caster employing a spell not usable by own class and level 20%
Nonspellcaster employing divine spell 25%
Nonspellcaster employing arcane spell 30%

Treat each spell use as if a scroll were being employed, for purposes of determining casting time, spell failure, and so on.

Overwhelming (all schools); CL 31st; Weight 3 lb.

Golem Armor: This enormous suit of black iron +10 full plate armor increases the wearer's size by one category (to a maximum of Colossal). The wearer gains a +10 enhancement bonus to Strength and is rendered immune to mind-affecting effects, poison, disease, ability damage, energy drain, and death from massive damage. He gains lesser resistance to critical hits and sneak attacks. Golem armor is immune to rust attacks. The wearer of golem armor gains damage reduction 15/adamantine, but cannot regain hit points by any means (mundane or magical) while the armor is worn. It requires 1 hour to don or extract oneself from golem armor.

Overwhelming abjuration and transmutation; CL 30th; Weight 250 lbs.

Invulnerable Coat: The invulnerable coat is a +5 chain shirt of heavy fortification. It grants its wearer DR 20/magic and resistance 20 against acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic energy. If the wearer can turn undead, treat him as having +4 class levels for purposes of caster level, turning undead, smiting evil, and laying on hands.

Overwhelming abjuration and transmutation; CL 30th; Weight 25 lbs.

Major Artifacts

Codex of the Infinite Planes: The Codex is enormous - supposedly, it requires two strong men to lift it. No matter how many pages are turned, another always remains. Anyone opening the Codex for the first time must make a DC 30 Fort save or be utterly annihilated, as per the destruction spell (a successful save results in 10d6 damage).

Those who survive can peruse its pages and learn its powers, though not without risk. Each day spent studying the Codex allows the reader to make a DC 50 Spellcraft check to learn one of its powers (choose the power learned randomly; add a +1 circumstance bonus on the check per additional day spent reading until a power is learned). However, each day of study also forces the reader to make a Will save (DC 30 + 1 per day of study) to avoid being driven insane (as the insanity spell).

The powers of the Codex of the Infinite Planes are as follows: astral projection, banishment, elemental swarm, gate, greater planar ally, greater planar binding, plane shift, and soul bind. Each is usable at will by the owner of the Codex (assuming that he has learned how to access the power). The Codex of the Infinite Planes has a caster level of 45th for the purposes of all powers and catastrophes, and all saving throw DCs are 32 + spell level. Activating any power requires both a Concentration check and a Spellcraft check (DC 40 + twice the power's spell level; the character can't take 10 on this check). Any failure on either check indicates a catastrophe befalls the user (roll on the table below for the effect). A character can only incur one catastrophe per power use, even if he fails both checks.


d% Catastrophe
01-25 Natural Fury: An earthquake spell centered on the reader strikes every round for 1 minute, and an intensified storm of vengeance spell is centered and targeted on the reader.
26-50 Fiendish Vengeance: A gate opens and 1d3+1 balor demons, pit fiends, or similar evil outsiders immediately step through and attempt to destroy the owner of the Codex.
51-75 Ultimate Imprisonment: The reader is affected by a shattersoul spell:** his soul is captured (as trap the soul; no save allowed) in a random gem somewhere on the plane, his body is entombed beneath the earth (as imprisonment), and his mind is trapped in a maze.
76-00 Death: The reader utters a wail of the banshee and then is subject to a destruction spell. This repeats every round for 10 rounds or until the reader is dead.

Overwhelming (all schools); CL 50th; Weight 60 lbs.

Orbs of Dragonkind: Each of these fabled orbs contains the essence and personality of an ancient dragon of a different variety (one for each of the major ten different chromatic and metallic dragons). The bearer of an Orb can dominate dragons of its particular variety within 500 feet (as dominate monster); the dragon must make a DC 36 Will save to resist (spell resistance is not useful against this effect).

Each Orb of Dragonkind bestows upon the wielder the AC and saving throw bonuses of the dragon within. These values replace whatever values the character would otherwise have, whether they are better or worse. These values cannot be modified by any means short of ridding the character of the Orb. A character possessing an Orb of Dragonkind is immune to the breath weapon - but only the breath weapon - of the dragon variety keyed to the Orb. Finally, a character possessing an Orb can herself use the breath weapon of the dragon in the Orb three times per day.

All Orbs of Dragonkind can be used to communicate verbally and visually with the possessors of the other Orbs. The owner of an Orb knows whether there are dragons within 10 miles at all times. For dragons of the Orb's particular variety, the range is 100 miles. If within 1 mile of a dragon of the Orb's variety, the wielder can determine the exact location and age of the creature. The bearer of one of these Orbs earns the enmity forever of all dragonkind for profiting by the enslavement of one of their kin, even if he later loses the item (though someone destroying such an artifact would gain the lifelong friendship of all dragons).

Each Orb also has an individual power that can be invoked once per round at 35th caster level.

  • Black Dragon Orb: Fly (Will DC 17 negates).
  • Blue Dragon Orb: Haste (Fortitude DC 17 negates).
  • Brass Dragon Orb: Teleport (Will DC 19 negates).
  • Bronze Dragon Orb: Scrying (Will DC 18 negates).
  • Copper Dragon Orb: Suggestion (Will DC 17 negates).
  • Gold Dragon Orb: The owner of the gold Orb can call upon any power possessed by one of the other Orbs - including the dominate and breath weapon abilities but not AC, save bonuses, or breath weapon immunity - but can only use an individual power once per day. He can use dominate on any other possessor of an Orb within 1 mile (Will DC 23 negates).
  • Green Dragon Orb: Stinking cloud.
  • Red Dragon Orb: Wall of fire.
  • Silver Dragon Orb: Cure critical wounds (Will DC 18 half ).
  • White Dragon Orb: Protection from energy (cold) (Fortitude DC 17 negates).

Overwhelming enchantment and (varies); CL 35th; Weight 2 lbs.

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