Cursed Artifacts

[z118]

Are there any "bad" artifacts that a player might ever want to actually use? On a recent trip down I hit a nice vault and found both the Whip of Gothmog and the Blade of Chaos Doomcaller.

Some of the cursed artifacts are kind of a mystery to me as I can't imagine anyone accidentally using them; it seems to me by the time you get to the point where you might find them you would be ID'ing everything anyway. So are they just sort of a novelty?

I wish there was a 9th building on the town level - a museum where you could donate the noteworthy stuff you have found that you can't use or don't need to sell. Maybe have it so that once you donated the item it would stay on display and you couldn't get it back. I like finding these odd items and it kind of pains me to just leave them lying on the dungeon floor somewhere.

[Djabanete]

Originally Posted by z118

Are there any "bad" artifacts that a player might ever want to actually use? On a recent trip down I hit a nice vault and found both the Whip of Gothmog and the Blade of Chaos Doomcaller.

Some of the cursed artifacts are kind of a mystery to me as I can't imagine anyone accidentally using them; it seems to me by the time you get to the point where you might find them you would be ID'ing everything anyway. So are they just sort of a novelty?

In Vanilla at least, the bad artifacts are just that - bad. Doomcaller is *almost* good enough to use, but I find the huge AC penalty to be too serious a drawback. The problem is that there are plenty of weapons out there that also deal massive damage and that don't have enormous drawbacks, and they are found at the same depth. I always thought Doomcaller looked cool but it just doesn't cut it.

I agree, it's a shame to have to leave that kind of thing behind... but you know you're never gonna use it, so what's the point in lugging it around? I complained about that in this thread.

Originally Posted by z118

I wish there was a 9th building on the town level - a museum where you could donate the noteworthy stuff you have found that you can't use or don't need to sell. Maybe have it so that once you donated the item it would stay on display and you couldn't get it back. I like finding these odd items and it kind of pains me to just leave them lying on the dungeon floor somewhere.

Some variants have a Museum exactly as you describe. Vanilla doesn't have one.

[Paffa]

Originally Posted by z118

Are there any "bad" artifacts that a player might ever want to actually use?

One word: Calris.

[Djabanete]

Originally Posted by Paffa

One word: Calris.

It's the only one though.

[Mondkalb]

Three words :
The One Ring.

[AR_chie]

Originally Posted by Paffa

One word: Calris.

- Chainsword
- in earlier versions also Terror Mask

[Djabanete]

Originally Posted by Mondkalb

Three words :
The One Ring.

"Cannot be removed" is hardly a drawback when applied to an item you'd never want to remove anyway...and aggravation is somewhat inconsequential if you're as super-powered as that. The XP drain is negligible.

I see your point, but c'mon, we're talking about items with *actual* drawbacks

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Djabanete

I see your point, but c'mon, we're talking about items with *actual* drawbacks

Having just had a look, only Mormegil is really useless (although Camlost and Beruthiel are close). Most of the cursed arts are unlikely to be useful, but I wouldn't call them useless.

[HallucinationMushroom]

The Spear of Melkor is cursed but has tempting resistances. Another one that comes to mind is Wormtongue's soft leather boots, though they aren't cursed but have penalties to hit and damage... *shudder*. The Iron Crown of Morgoth is good too, but that sort of falls under the same category as the one ring.

[Mondkalb]

Originally Posted by Nick

Having just had a look, only Mormegil is really useless (although Camlost and Beruthiel are close). Most of the cursed arts are unlikely to be useful, but I wouldn't call them useless.

I just found Mormegil yesterday. BAAAHH! It was a drop from errr - can't remember, some unique I think. Who needs that? ^^