Book of Artifacts

The Book of Artifacts is a 1993 Advanced Dungeons & Dragons sourcebook that catalogs 50 unique magical items for use in tabletop roleplaying campaigns. The text serves as a comprehensive guide for Dungeon Masters to incorporate powerful, story-driving objects into their games. The book opens with an 8-page introduction addressing common misconceptions about artifacts in D&D campaigns and establishing clear definitions. It provides guidelines for creating new artifacts and explains how these items differ from standard magical equipment in terms of power, uniqueness, and narrative importance. Each artifact entry contains detailed information about its powers, history, and role in gameplay, accompanied by illustrations from Daniel Frazier. The book maintains consistency with AD&D 2nd Edition rules while offering flexibility for adaptation across different campaign settings. This sourcebook represents a significant evolution in how roleplaying games approach legendary items, emphasizing their role as story catalysts rather than mere power-granting devices.

Readers found this AD&D 2nd edition sourcebook useful for its compilation of magical items, though many felt it lacked depth in implementation details. Several reviewers on RPGGeek noted the book provides creative inspiration but requires DMs to flesh out mechanics. Liked: - Rich background stories for each artifact - Quality artwork throughout - Variety of unique magical items - Plot hooks and adventure ideas Disliked: - Rules for artifacts feel incomplete - Power levels seem inconsistent - Some artifacts appear too weak or unusable - Limited practical guidance for DMs One recurring comment is that the book works better as a source of ideas than a ready-to-use rulebook. Multiple reviewers mentioned needing to create their own mechanics to make the artifacts work in-game. Ratings: RPGGeek: 7.05/10 (38 ratings) Goodreads: 4.14/5 (22 ratings) DriveThruRPG: 4/5 (6 ratings)

Encyclopedia Magica by Dale Donovan and Slade Henson Contains detailed descriptions and game statistics for thousands of magical items from across the AD&D game system.

Arms and Equipment Guide by Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, Jeff Quick, Rich Redman Presents comprehensive rules and descriptions for weapons, armor, and gear in the D&D universe.

Tome of Magic by David Cook, Nigel Findley, Christopher Kubasik, Carl Sargent, Rick Swan Introduces new magic systems, spells, and magical principles for advanced fantasy roleplaying campaigns.

Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue by J. Robert King Lists prices and descriptions for mundane and exotic items available in the Forgotten Realms setting.

Magic Item Compendium by Andy Collins, Owen K.C. Stephens, John Snead Compiles rules and descriptions for magical items from multiple D&D sourcebooks into a single comprehensive volume.

🎲 David "Zeb" Cook was also the lead designer of the influential Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd Edition ruleset, which revolutionized tabletop RPG design. 🗺️ The Book of Artifacts' format influenced how magic items were presented in future gaming supplements, establishing a template that balanced lore with gameplay mechanics. 📚 Many of the artifacts described in the book were inspired by real-world mythological items, such as the Hand of Vecna being loosely based on ancient relics claimed to have magical powers. 🎨 The book features artwork from renowned fantasy artists including Jeff Easley and Fred Fields, who helped define D&D's visual style in the 1990s. ⚔️ Several artifacts from this book, like the Rod of Seven Parts, became so popular they spawned their own adventure modules and continued to appear in later D&D editions.