Yet another fantastic first artifact

[sffp]

HE blackguard (lacking basically everything + strength drained so slow)

the Long Sword of Lando (2d5) (-11,-11) {cursed}
Found lying on the floor of a special room at 600 feet (level 12)

It occasionally summons an undead.
It poisons you from time to time.
Slays dragons (powerfully), undead.
Cannot be harmed by Acid.

Combat info:
1.1 blows/round.
With +3 STR and +0 DEX you would get 1.3 blows
With +0 STR and +2 DEX you would get 1.3 blows
Average damage/round: 25.7 vs dragons, 10.2 vs undead, and 0 vs.
others.

[Estie]

While I dont mind bad artifacts, it seems that most of them show up early. The reason for this would be that they have low point value and thus are eligible for being created early on.

So maybe, when calculating their placement value, add up the absolute values of all properties (so -10 damage would be the same as +10 damage for purpose of allocation) ?

[Nick]

Originally Posted by Estie

While I dont mind bad artifacts, it seems that most of them show up early. The reason for this would be that they have low point value and thus are eligible for being created early on.

So maybe, when calculating their placement value, add up the absolute values of all properties (so -10 damage would be the same as +10 damage for purpose of allocation) ?

That's an interesting thought.

[Egavactip]

What is the purpose of a horrible artifact? Just to make a player feel shitty?

[grumbleguts]

Originally Posted by Egavactip

What is the purpose of a horrible artifact? Just to make a player feel shitty?

Pretty much all I can think of.

[Pete Mack]

It's an artifact of artifact randomization. Gorlim and Beruthiel get turned into things boringly bad.

[sffp]

And another first artifact (dwarf BG)

t) the Broad Axe of Celegir (2d6) (-19,-6) <+4> {cursed}
Dropped by Gorbag, the Orc Captain, at 1000 feet (level 20)

It occasionally summons a demon.
It makes you hallucinate sometimes.
It occasionally makes a loud noise.
+4 intelligence.
Branded with weak poison.
Cannot be harmed by Acid, Fire.
Aggravates creatures nearby.

Combat info:
1.0 blows/round.
With +2 STR and +0 DEX you would get 1.1 blows
With +0 STR and +7 DEX you would get 1.1 blows
Average damage/round: 12.7 vs creatures not resistant to poison
and 4.5 vs. others.

[AceRimmer]

Originally Posted by sffp

And another first artifact (dwarf BG)

t) the Broad Axe of Celegir (2d6) (-19,-6) <+4> {cursed}
Dropped by Gorbag, the Orc Captain, at 1000 feet (level 20)

It occasionally summons a demon.
It makes you hallucinate sometimes.
It occasionally makes a loud noise.
+4 intelligence.
Branded with weak poison.
Cannot be harmed by Acid, Fire.
Aggravates creatures nearby.

Combat info:
1.0 blows/round.
With +2 STR and +0 DEX you would get 1.1 blows
With +0 STR and +7 DEX you would get 1.1 blows
Average damage/round: 12.7 vs creatures not resistant to poison
and 4.5 vs. others.

I love the old Tale of Celegir -- the medieval university alchemist, steeped in dark magic and infamous reknown. Possessed of an uncommon intellect and an even more uncommon madness, he conducted experiments on the flesh of living animals, using draughts and extracts of nefarious poisons to breed beasts of unspeakable and hideous strength. In the late hours of moonless nights, explosions would rumble from his tower, lit by seemingly infernal flame. During the day, his rumpled and crazed frame would stride the university cloisters, where he would challenge and berate colleagues with sneering condescension, threatening them to expose their ignorance and incompetence. Casting allusions that "a poisoned mind will poison the soul". In the evenings, he was seen to stalk the forests, wielding an fearful broad axe, collecting firewood... and specimens for his work.

In the Summer of 1363, a mysterious livestock pestilence swept the land. Oxen were hobbled. Horses were lamed. Swine would die after gruesome, laborious fever, and ultimately spill their intestines into the mud. Among the ignorant -- which is to say, everybody -- suspicion fell upon Celegir for his strange demeanor and behavior. An eccentric and intellectual is always despised, and the mob waits only for a provocation. Emboldened by ale and the bold talk of mutually frightened men, the mob set forth on Michaelmas Eve, armed with (prosaically) torches and pitchforks. Rumors swirled of the Celegir's bloodthirsty axe, wielded unseen in shadows, capable of piling bodies in the rapid blink of an eye. The mob whipped itself into hysteria and frenzy.

The spectacle that greeted them has passed into legend. The alchemist, lying dead on his laboratory table, his own axe deeply embedded in his back. The looming finger of a winged fiend of hell, triumphing over his stricken form. A loud crack of splitting bedrock, an eruption of flames, the tower on fire, and the corpse and demon disappearing into the earth.

Ah... the Broad Axe of Celegir...

[sffp]

t) the Ring 'Amirdhel' (-5,-3) <-5> {cursed}
Dropped by Bullroarer the Hobbit at 350 feet (level 7)

It makes your skin harder to damage, but conduct electricity.
It periodically turns your skin to stone.
It occasionally makes a loud noise.
It poisons you from time to time.
-5 wisdom.
Provides resistance to Nether.
Cannot be harmed by Lightning.
Prevents paralysis.


My hobbit nec would wear this if I could undo the curses
unfortunately, the stone-skin was level 88

[PowerDiver]

Originally Posted by Pete Mack

It's an artifact of artifact randomization. Gorlim and Beruthiel get turned into things boringly bad.

My belief is that the reason those artifacts existed in the first place was to discourage ID-by-use. Now that attitudes have changed, I think they should be removed from the standard artifact list.