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Artifacts and Relics are Mythic items in my campaigns. Translating that into 5E, means going far beyond the simple offerings of the 5E DMG.
Thus, this is pinnacle magic. The most artifacts known to be on record attributed to a single non divine creator was three. Vecna created: the Eye of Vecna, the Hand of Vecna, and the Sword of Kas. This arch villain who successfully rose to Demigod status created no more than three greater Artifacts.
As a house rule spells and effects cast from these devices is the most powerful version of the spell to have existed in the history of the game. For a strict 5E only DM, I’d recommend upcasting any effect done by an Artifact or Relic as its 9th level effect as it corresponds to Damage, Duration or Number of targets. I’d recommend making range line of sight. The Saving Throw difficulty in my own game will always be the Homebrew cap of 30.
It should be noted the creation of an Artifact is difficult. Some are almost Cookie cutter by design, such as the Spelljammer Helm:
Spelljammer Helms are little more than following the standard formula for creations and the item surviving the 1,250,000 gold piece value creation process. Without critical successes and using a full team, this would take around 1,250 days of successful checks at an adequate facility, 834 days of successful checks at an average facility, 556 days of successful checks at an above average facility, 384 days of successful checks at a superior facility, and 295 days of successful checks at a State of the Art facility.
Most artifacts and relics are more related to more common magic items before beginning the status of upgrading to greater artifact or relic. This is simple to outline as the process has already been describe in this thread.
An item that combines the powers of more than one typical magic item has begun the process of becoming an Artifact or Relic. This gamble to gain more power while risking the item itself is the first part of the process. Any item that has survived the process of combining 5 magic items into one and received the Impervious enchantment is primed to become an artifact.
In this process please note, that any enchantments beyond the first will have a MINOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT, per extra enchantment. This means each proto artifact or relic will at least carry 4 such minor effects.
If the level of enchant in the extra enchantments is beyond the rare level, the MINOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT is upgraded to a MAJOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT instead.
Nothing below an actual Artifact or Relic may use: MINOR BENIGN POWERS, MAJOR BENIGN POWERS, PRIME POWERS or suffer SIDE EFFECTS. If such an item survives being upgraded to an Artifact or Relic, one MINOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT will allow for one MINOR BENIGN POWER on a one for one basis. One MAJOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT will allow for one MAJOR BENIGN POWERS on a one for one basis. PRIME POWERS may be added with SIDE EFFECTS on a one for one basis.
As note before the greatest collection of positive and negative traits was originally held by the "Machine of Lum the Mad" with:
15 × I: ___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________
15 × II: ___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________
10 × III: ___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________
10 × IV: ___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________
15 × V: ___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________,___________, ___________
5 × VI: ___________, ___________, ___________,___________, __________
Due to Homebrew Artifact or Relic Balance below, the Machine would have to add 5 more Minor Malevolent effects, 5 more Major Malevolent effects, and 10 more Side Effects.
Once an artifact or relic is finalized, its means of destruction must be chosen by the creator. Its total positive effects must be balanced with equal negative ones. As a house rule, this is always an exact match.
1 MINOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT balances 1 MINOR BENIGN POWER
1 MAJOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT balances 1 MAJOR BENIGN POWER
1 SIDE EFFECT balances 1 PRIME POWER
Prime powers can’t outnumber Major powers. Major powers can’t outnumber minor powers.
The basic artifact model in Homebrew would be 4 MINOR MALEVOLENT EFFECTS with 4 MINOR BENIGN POWERS, 1 MAJOR MALEVOLENT EFFECT with 1 MAJOR BENIGN POWER, 1 SIDE EFFECT with 1 PRIME POWER.
If a creator wants more, it is 250,000 gold added to the cost and the creation time to add one minor benign power and one minor malevolent effect. It is 500,000 gold added to the cost and the creation time to add one major benign power and one major malevolent effect. It is 1,000,000 gold added to
the cost and the creation time to add one Prime Power and one Side Effect. The total amount must be crafted before the artifact or relic activates. Any critical failure in that time destroys the artifact or relic before it achieves its intended status. After that, only the intended means of destruction can destroy it. However, it should be noted, no further powers may be added to it ever again.
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TABLE I: MINOR MALEVOLENT EFFECTS
- Acne on possessor’s face
- Blindness for 1-4 rounds when first used against an enemy (daily)
- Body odor noticeable at 10’ distance
- Deafness for 1-4 turns when first used against an enemy (daily)
- Gems or jewelry found never increase in value
- Holy water within 10’ of item becomes polluted.
- Lose 1-4 points of strength for 24 hours when major power used (once per day)
- Lose 1-4 points of intelligence for 24 hours when major power used (once per day)
- Lose 1-4 points of wisdom for 24 hours when major power used (once per day)
- Lose 1-4 points of dexterity for 24 hours when major power used (once per day)
- Lose 1-4 points of constitution for 24 hours when major power used (once per day)
- Lose 1-4 points of charisma for 24 hours when major power used (once per day)
- Possessor loses interest in sex. Make a Wisdom save against difficulty 10 to be romantic.
- Possessor has satyriasis or nymphomania. Make a Wisdom save against difficulty 10 not to take advantage of a situation
- Possessor’s hair turns white. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns black. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns pink. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns blue. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns blond. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns red. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns brown. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns green. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns purple. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns orange. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns a neon color of its original color. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns a metallic color of its original color. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s hair turns translucent. Hair changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Sense of smell lost for 2-8 hours when first used against an enemy (daily)
- Small fires (torches, et al.) extinguished when major power used
- Small items of wood rot from possessor’s touch (any item up to normal door size, 7 days time)
- While attuned to the artifact, you deal 1d6 necrotic damage to any plant you touch that isn’t a creature.
- User causes hostility towards himself in all mammals within 6”
- User must eat and drink 6 times the normal amount due to the item’s drain upon him or her
- User’s sex changes
- Wart appears on possessor’s nose
- Weight gain of 10-40 pounds
- Weight loss of 5-30 pounds
- Yearning for item forces possessor to never be away from it for more than 1 day if at all possible
- Yelling becomes necessary to invoke spells with verbal components
- While attuned to the artifact, you have disadvantage on saving throws against spells.
- The first time you touch a gem or piece of jewelry while attuned to this artifact, the value of the gem or jewelry is reduced by half. (daily)
- While attuned to the artifact, you are blinded when you are more than 10 feet away from it.
- While attuned to the artifact, you have disadvantage on saving throws against poison.
- While attuned to the artifact, all holy water within 10 feet of you is destroyed.
- While attuned to the artifact, your appearance changes as the DM decides.
- While attuned to the artifact, you are deafened when you are more than 10 feet away from it.
- While attuned to the artifact, you can’t smell.
- While attuned to the artifact, nonmagical flames are extinguished within 30 feet of you.
- While you are attuned to the artifact, other creatures can’t take short or long rests while within 300 feet of you.
- While you are attuned to the artifact, animals within 30 feet of you are hostile toward you.
- While you are attuned to the artifact, male dogs have an unnatural attraction to humping your character’s leg.
- While attuned to the artifact, you must eat and drink six times the normal amount each day.
- While you are attuned to the artifact, your flaw is amplified in a way determined by the DM.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Achluophobia (Fear of darkness). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Aerophobia (Fear of flying). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Agoraphobia (Fear of open spaces or crowds). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Arachnophobia (Fear of spiders). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Astraphobia (Fear of thunder and lightning). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Autophobia (Fear of being alone). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Catoptrophobia (Fear of mirrors). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Claustrophobia (Fear of confined spaces). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Coulrophobia (Fear of clowns). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Cynophobia (Fear of dogs). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Dendrophobia (Fear of trees). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Elurophobia (Fear of cats). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Equinophobia (Fear of horses). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Heliophobia (Fear of the sun). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Hemophobia (Fear of blood). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Musophobia (Fear of mice). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Necrophobia (Fear of death or dead things). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Ophidiophobia (Fear of snakes). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round. Indiana Jones famously had this phobia.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Ornithophobia (Fear of birds). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Pathophobia (Fear of disease). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Pyrophobia (Fear of fire). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Ranidaphobia (Fear of frogs). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Selenophobia (Fear of the moon). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Spheksophobia (Fear of wasps). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Wiccaphobia (Fear of witches and witchcraft). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Xenophobia (Fear of strangers or foreigners). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not gain the Frightened Status effect. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Ablutomania (Mania for washing oneself). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively wash any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Agromania (Intense desire to be in open spaces). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively spend time outdoors any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation. A character like this might rent an expensive room at an inn and then spend a cold, rain-soaked night sleeping on the inn’s rooftop.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Catapedamania (Obsession with jumping from high places). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively jump off buildings or cliffs any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Clinomania (Excessive desire to stay in bed). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively stay in bed all day with the exception of eating and bathroom breaks if the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Dacnomania (Obsession with killing). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively kill any enemies any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation. A character like this might feel compelled to stalk a site the party already wiped out just to make sure no enemy got away, even for months at a time.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Dinomania (Mania for dancing). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively dance any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Egomania (Irrational self-centered attitude or self-worship). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively brag about or preen over themselves in a mirror any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Kleptomania (Irrational predilection for stealing). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively steal anything that catches their attention when the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Oniomania (Mania for making purchases). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively shop any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Pseudomania (Irrational predilection for lying) or Pathological Liar. The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively lie any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Pyromania (Craze for starting fires). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively start fires any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Xenomania (Inordinate attachment to foreign things). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively acquire a foreign object or befriend a foreign person any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- While attuned to the artifact, your character suffers from Zoomania (Insane fondness for animals). The character must make a Wisdom Saving throw against difficulty 10 to not obsessively try to acquire animals both domestic and wild any time the opportunity presents itself. The character may make a new saving throw at the beginning of each round, minute, or hour depending on the situation.
- The character using the Artifact or Relic becomes an Albino.
- Possessor’s pupils turn red. Eye color changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s pupils turn purple. Eye color changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s pupils turn orange. Eye color changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s pupils turn yellow. Eye color changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Possessor’s pupils glow. Eye color changes may stack and mix. They can’t be hidden by Illusion or Alteration for more than a typical spell’s length. Mundane methods of change also bleed through.
- Unique effect determined by DM that is roughly equal to the 99 other effects described here.
Notes Regarding Minor Malevolent Effects:
These powers should be inflicted upon the possessor of the item after he or she has had the artifact or relic for a period of time (1-4 weeks) or after using major powers of the item.
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TABLE II: MAJOR MALEVOLENT EFFECTS
- Body rot is 10% cumulative likely whenever a primary power is used, and part of the body is lost permanently
- Capricious alignment change each time a primary power is used
- When you first attune to the artifact, it gives you a quest determined by the DM. You must complete this quest as if affected by the geas spell. Once you complete the quest, you are no longer affected by this property.
- Item contains the life force of another person, and after a set number of uses, the possessor’s life force is drawn into it and the former soul released
- Item has power to affect its possessor when a primary power is used if the character has not followed the alignment or purposes of the artifact/relic
- Item is a prison for a powerful being; and there is a 1%-4% cumulative chance per usage that it will break free, kill the possessor’s soul, and, using his or her body, proceed to slay all associates and henchmen of this character
- Item is itself a living, sentient being forced to serve; but each usage of a primary power gives a 1%-3% cumulative possibility that the spell will be broken and the being will:
- a) change the possessor into a like artifact/relic
- b) geas/quest the possessor to perform a mission of its choosing
- c) kill the possessor
- d) mentally enslave the possessor for a period of 2-8 weeks
- Item is powerless against and hates 1-3 species of creatures, and when within 10” of any such creatures it forces its possessor to attack. The user must make a Wisdom Saving Throw against difficulty 20 to not do so.
- Item releases a gas which renders all creatures, including wielder, within 20’ powerless to move for 5-20 rounds
- Lose 1 point of charisma permanently
- Lose 1 point of constitution permanently
- Lose 1 point of dexterity permanently
- Lose 1 point from hit points permanently
- Lose 1 point of intelligence permanently
- Lose 1 point of strength permanently
- Lose 1 point of wisdom permanently
- Magic drained from the most powerful magic item (other than an artifact or relic) within 20’ of user
- Reverse alignment permanently
- Sacrifice a certain animal to activate item for 1 day
- Sacrifice a human or player character to activate item for 1 day
- Sacrifice 10,000-60,000 g.p. worth of gems and/or jewelry to activate item for 1 day
- User becomes berserk and attacks creatures within 20’ randomly (check each round) for 5-20 rounds
