The Great Artifact

This is the type of story that gets the old thieves talking late into the night, sipping their mugs and reminiscing wistfully about the big job that they never quite got around to.

The great artifact is a unique object, a one of a kind wand or gem or statue or anything else of tremendous worth. It is famed for its power (like a magic item) or its symbolic value (like the crown jewels of a proud government) or perhaps simply for its mindboggling worth financially (the mint or gold repository of a powerful city-state, perhaps). Occasionally, an artifact will combine features of all these types, and more. Objects labelled as "artifacts" in the AD&D® game system usually fall into this category.

Whatever its nature, some generalities about the theft of the great artifact apply. Its worth is fabulous. Although it may not be sought by everyone, there are plenty who would give anything to own it.

The great artifact's acquisition should be a process requiring many gaming sessions. Perhaps several additional quests are required before the theft of the artifact can even begin—a key must be obtained before the magically warded chest can be opened, for example.

The protections of the artifact should be many, and their effectiveness should increase the closer the PCs get to their goal. These barriers should ideally include obstacles to the mental, as well as the physical, abilities of the characters. Often a great deal of planning and coordination can be required of a band of thieves, in order to pull off the theft everyone thought was impossible.

Indeed, there might be a body of lore surrounding the artifact. Player characters willing to do their homework might be able to find survivors of previous expeditions, or at least hear tales handed down from earlier years. Such cautionary tales, of course, may contain more fiction than fact. They may also be couched in obscure language (as, for example: "Beware the witching moon when the hog walks upon the water"), containing a meaning that only becomes clear when certain conditions come to pass.

The quest for the great artifact does not have to end with its acquisition, by the way. Once its removal becomes public knowledge, any object of such great value becomes the focus of attention for bounty hunters, master thieves, and whoever had the object stolen to begin with. Especially in the case of potent magic, the PCs might find themselves holding onto a lot more than they bargained for.

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