HQ25 - Artifacts

[Daedalus]

Well, the standard Treasure deck is 24 cards, so if you add 6 more that makes it an even 30. Seems legit to me.

An EU treasure deck is 25 cards. Doesn't matter, though.

The EU Treasure Card deck has more positive cards. I'd say add in one less positive card to the EU download to balance not only the number to 30 but also to even out the reward/penalty ratio a bit. Also, maybe swap in a Potion of Healing to the EU download for a double of one of the new positive cards. Our new monsters generally pack a lot of punch.

[Anderas]

Punch yes, but as we questimate that book, in the end, it's not harder.
For six new positive cards, we can add two hazards to stay balanced. 8 cards also make one sheet of paper for printing. Maybe the new hazards can be some of those great mind point related hazards we have seen here over the years.

[Daedalus]

Mind Point hazards is a stellar suggestion. Eight cards could be good, too. Are two negatives enough, though? I'm used to the NA 60/40 balance (something like that.)

. . . Is this a sufficient slate of Artifacts, or do the Heroes deserve a couple more for completing this Quest Pack?
Anderas, does the "magic red cloak" in the Beastman arc have any effects other than enraging the "invincible" Minotaur in Q13? We don't have any Wizard's Cloak analogues in HQ25 yet and the Wizard will probably be wanting one...

We also want some temporary artifacts such as spell scrolls, I'd think.

I think this was a great summary Mohawk. Until now the cloak is just driving the Minotaur mad but we can add another effect to it, why not. After all you go through that sneak-in-fight-out quest to get it, so it might have an appropriate effect written on the card.

A reversible black/red cloak could do it. The Mantle of Darkness power could be the reroll from the Runes Pauldrons. The Wizard will get a lot more use from the reroll than a Dwarf with 4 or 5 Defend Dice because the Wizard will normally roll no shields every few turns. I'd be happy to see the Dwarf get something else, perhaps a special shield or weapon.

Actually, I like how the warrior Heroes are left to decide who gets which weapon or armor artifact in the Game System. I'd be okay with the Elf donning Battle Gauntlets or the Barbarian buying plate mail and compensating with Aero Greaves.

[Anderas]

For the artifacts, I combed and milked this thread right now.

I put them all in a spreadsheet, editable by anybody of you. Don't be shocked, I prepared the german, italian and french translation right away. I mean, we want to be THE HQ25 Questpack, right? Not just any other fan questpack.
For the discussion, let's stay here in the thread for a while.

I start with the four Mohawk Artifacts for the final quests

Battle Gauntlets

These burly metal gauntlets improve the wearer's physical abilities in combat. They are very large and can only be worn by the Barbarian. While using these gauntlets, you may reroll your entire Attack roll once per turn. If you do, you must accept the second roll, even if it worse. You must use this ability before the monster rolls for defense.

Very thought-through, I like that artifact. 346 letters is a bit much, though I didn't see any way of shortening it right now, without removing the RPG piece at the beginning.


Adamant Epaulets

These sturdy epaulets protect their wearer from harm. They are too small for anyone other than the Dwarf to wear them. While wearing these epaulets, you may roll an additional Combat Die when Defending, but only while your Body Points are less than half of their starting value, rounded down.

Maybe change to

These sturdy epaulets protect their wearer from harm. They are too small for anyone other than the Dwarf to wear them. While wearing these epaulets, you may roll an additional Combat Die when Defending, but only while your Body Points are less than 4.

It's easier for a 10-year-old.


Aero Greaves

These magical greaves lighten their wearer's pace. Only the Elf can wear them properly. While wearing these greaves, you may roll an additional red die when rolling for movement and discard the lowest result.

Spellcraft Amulet

This round amulet is etched with many runes in a language only the Wizard can read. While wearing the amulet, whenever you cast a spell, you may roll two red dice. If the total is less than your current Mind Points, you may immediately cast a second copy of that spell.

Love it, because it works in the original, and it works even better in my personal system.

That's 7 so far. Now we have some more, generic artifacts; "Quest Treasures", that appeared in this thread. I don't know if we want them all, but I also don't want to exclude them on my own without talking to you all.


Hammer of Vengeance

This burnished red hammer is capable of mighty blows, but only against powerful opponents. When attacking with this weapon, roll a number of Combat Dice equal to the Defend value of the monster you are attacking, up to a maximum of 5 dice. You may not use a shield while wielding this weapon. May not be used by the Wizard.

I removed "two-handed" to save some letters, but it's still 323 letters long.
This was why we had the no wizard symbol in HQModern, right?


Arcan's Spear

The haft of this magical spear glows with a ethereal blue light. When using it, roll three Combat Dice to attack. While holding Arcan's Spear, your current and maximum Mind Points are increased by one. The length of this spear enables you to attack diagonally. May not be used by the Wizard.

So basically we immunize somebody against sleep. I guess that's the same somebody who would so much love to use the Hammer of Vengeance, so that's a difficult choice. I like it.


Dagger of Dowsing

This dagger has a small golden jewel set in its pommel. It may be used to attack with one Combat Die. Whenever you deal one or more Body Points of damage to a monster with this weapon, you may take a Treasure card. If that card is a Wandering Monster or Hazard, it has no effect and is shuffled back into the Treasure deck.

I'm not sure, to be honest... That's strong, going through the treasure deck without risk.


Now the three vulcan-ish items of daedalus

Hell Rod

The flared iron barrel of this long-range weapon gives you the attack strength of 4 combat dice. It can be fired at any one non-adjacent target you can see. However, it must be loaded carefully; you may not move in the same turn you fire. When fired, it spouts out the fiery bone fragments and ash of a tortured soul causing you to lose 1 Mind Point. It has enough ammunition for 10 shots before it becomes useless. May not be used by the Wizard.

It'll be very difficult to use. Also it has 446 letters. I would tend to exclude this one.


Infernal Armor

This diabolic metal armor gives you 2 extra combat dice in defense. However, because of its weight you roll 3 red dice for movement while only using the lower 2. Furthermore, while wearing this unclean armor your Mind Point total is reduced by 1. May be combined with the Helmet and/or Shield. May not be worn by the Wizard.

I like it. Is that sentence about helmet and shield necessary? Without it, it is nicely short.


Vulcan Pot

When this baked-clay skull is hurled at a victim's feet it shatters, pouring forth a scorching black fume. Any Hero in the room or corridor where it was cast is blinded by the embers and foul ash for one turn, unable to move or attack. This effect can be ignored if a Hero rolls a 5 or 6 on one red die. The Dwarf may roll 2 dice.

I absolutely like it, as it is a one-use item so it can be given away like the magical throwing daggers.



Magic Red Cape

The Wizard may roll one more die in defense. Any Minotaur that can "see" this cape, will move to and attack the wearer if he can.

My thoughts: Base defense are 2 dice (they are, aren't they? Or is it one of the differences between the systems?); plus bracers are three dice, plus this one are four dice in defense. Well, and a tiny disadvantage.
I think there will be no big difference - if the wizard stays back as he should, that is.



Lightning Rod

This copper rod enables the Wizard to shoot lightning. Aim at any monster he can "see" and roll a combat die. If hit, the target will lose 1 Body Point. If a model is adjacent to this victim, the bolt arcs. Roll an attack against the new target. If a black shield is rolled, the rod is drained and may not be used until the next Quest.

I shortened the text to 335 letters. Also, the lightning may arc over to friendly models now. It's just more style that way. Just my opinion; I'd like to hear your thought's, too?



Kobold's Bane

Two snakes twine this magical blade. Roll three combat dice to attack. If you attack and kill a Kobold, you may continue to attack another adjacent Kobold that are also in range. Roll again with one fewer die each attack until you fail to kill one. May not be used by the Wizard.

Shortened the text to 278 letters. I didn't like the last name, but I also don't like this name. Any ideas on this? This could be found in Q4, that one that J_Dean is currently editing

[Daedalus]

. . . Battle Gauntlets
These burly metal gauntlets improve the wearer's physical abilities in combat. They are very large and can only be worn by the Barbarian. While using these gauntlets, you may reroll your entire Attack roll once per turn. If you do, you must accept the second roll, even if it worse. You must use this ability before the monster rolls for defense.
This effect may look strong, but if the Barbarian only takes rerolls if he gets 0 or 1 skulls, it's actually less powerful than outright increasing his attack dice by one (I did the math to test with both 3 and 4 attack dice normally).

How do the Battle Gauntlets fare against larger monsters with 3 or more Body Points (Basilisk, Chaos Dwarf, Chaos Warrior, Gargoyle, Minotaur)? A Barbarian with a battle axe should probably reroll 0-2 skulls for the payoff of a quick kill. How much better are they then compared to an extra AD?

I imagine it averages about the same for both higher and lower-Body Point monsters considered together. I'd be okay with that. However, the Hammer of Justice can roll five dice against the Basilisk, Gargoyle, and Minotaur, so I wonder if combining both artifacts is fair. Or is SPLAT! the way to go with an upcoming Big Boss? One or the other could be consumed in the final fight to solve long-term balance issues.

[Artifact for the Dwarf]
I haven't figured this one out yet. I want it to improve his Defense, but not by a whole Combat Die. I suspect this topic about alternatives to +1 or -1 CD will be useful in that regard. Maybe it could take the form of a Shield that, instead of increasing his Defense by 1, decreases the enemy's Attack dice by one.

The problem is Morcar/Zargon needs to remember not to roll normal attack dice, or the defending Hero must remind him each time. The reroll idea of the Runes Pauldrons is probably better, though I'd prefer it implemented in the familiar shield. A shield hasn't yet been offered as an artifact (by published Quests), while a separate reroll fairly represents the mechanic of actively blocking, in my opinion.

This just occurred to me: the reroll of a shield could even be extended to protect an adjacent Hero by allowing that Hero the reroll instead. The Hero with the shield thus becomes more active in using it. If you like it, here's an NA write-up:

Defender Shield . This hand-held armor gives you one extra Combat Die in defense. Additionally, it's enchantment allows lightning-quick blocks. On Zargon's turn, you may reroll all of the Combat Dice to defend for either yourself or an adjacent Hero. May not be used by the Wizard.

Since it mirrors the Chaos Dwarf ability, I could see this artifact awarded after defeating a Chaos Dwarf lieutenant.

A different idea os the Aegis Shield that protects against Basilisk petrifaction. As the Basilisk's ability is only temporary, is this a worthwhile idea? If a boss Basilisk permanently petrified Heroes, then yes. Due to its short-term usefulness, perhaps it would fit better as a spell scroll effect that lasts until no Basilisk is visible to the caster.

Aero Greaves
These magical greaves lighten their wearer's pace. Only the Elf can wear them properly. While wearing these greaves, you may roll an additional red die when rolling for movement and discard the lowest result.

My first impression was okay for a standard artifact but wanting more if this is to be one of the four final-boss artifacts. As they are, the greaves afford about +2 move. Here's a slightly buffed idea that can be used from the get-go:

Aero Greaves . This leg armor lightens a Hero's pace. When moving, you to roll three red dice and discard the lowest result OR you may ignore the penalty for plate mail.

How should the greaves contribute in a fight against the final boss to make the Hero stand out like the other three final-boss artifacts? An upgraded card or notes for the battle are probably needed. Here's a buffed Artifact Card to either be offered up front or just after the fifth final-boss artifact is gotten:

Aero Greaves . This leg armor grants an extra red die for movement. If you roll doubles or triples, your dice may be split before and after an action.

The extra red die may also be used to cancel the plate mail penalty, but this lessens the chance of splitting movement.

Spellcraft Amulet
This round amulet is etched with many runes in a language only the Wizard can read. While wearing the amulet, whenever you cast a spell, you may roll two red dice. If the total is less than your current Mind Points, you may immediately cast a second copy of that spell.
The Wizard's starting Mind Points are 6, which means this ability will activate 10/36 or 27% of the time. If he also has the Talisman of Lore, it will instead activate 15/36 or 42% of the time. If either of these are too high, we can change it to "roll one red die; if a 6 is rolled..." instead, which is of course a flat 17% chance.

I like this one more than the Spell Ring since it should add a few spells rather than just one. I wonder about double-casting Sleep, though. Can a single successful roll end both doubled spells, or just one? Since the Spell Ring and Wand of Magic also allow a double Sleep, this really isn't a new issue, though.

Hammer of Justice / "Vengeance"
This burnished red hammer (/ axe) is capable of mighty blows, but only against powerful opponents. When attacking with [~NAME], roll a number of Combat Dice equal to the Defend value of the monster you are attacking. You may not use a shield while wielding this two-handed weapon. May not be used by the Wizard.
There has been some discussion about this weapon already. I believe the primary concern is that it is a strictly better Battle Axe if the Hero can swap to a Longsword against monsters with 3 Defense or less. If barring the Hero from switching is not to taste, it could be changed to something like "rolls 5 Attack Dice against monsters with 3 or more Body Points remaining, but only 3 Attack Dice against monsters with 1 or 2 Body Points left". In any case, if the weapon is meant to be two-handed and raw power is its gimmick, it does need to be able to hit for 5 sometimes, or else the standard Battle Axe will be better all the time.

I think you fixed this fine with the 5-dice cap in your later post. I wouldn't want to attach any restrictions on swapping weapons with this artifact--that's a matter for house ruling. A not-with-a-shield restriction is enough with the cap, in my opinion.

Kenaron could have done well with this weapon in his last stand against Morcar's well-armored Doomguard at Kellar's Keep. Perhaps call this artifact Nemesis Blade if you wanted the backstory and were willing to make it a greatsword.

Vengeance is nice. Fell Hammer also might work.

[j_dean80]

What about the "Spiked Shield" as an Artifact?

http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4125&hilit=spiked+shield

[lestodante]

I think the Morcar/Zargon player could also apply a selection of the treasure cards BEFORE starting each quest, replacing the unnecessary ones with the new ones, so the proportion of positive and negative events will not vary too much

[j_dean80]

What about the "Spiked Shield" as an Artifact?

http://forum.yeoldeinn.com/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=4125&hilit=spiked+shield

I'm thinking we have 3 Artifacts that act normal individually but when the Heroes find the 4th the combined effect makes them Chaos weapons which grant a special power to the Chaos Dwarves, unknown to the Heroes. The Spiked Shield sounds like it could be one of the 4 and I'm thinking of having them find it in Quest 8.

Anderas's cape might be another of the 4.

[Anderas]

You mean those four artifacts needed to complete the quest pack?
I thought they would be searched for and found in quests 19, 20, 21, 22.
On the other hand, the heroes could involuntarily (via YOUR four artifacts) trigger something that they need to correct in the end with the OTHER four artifacts.

I made some hours of work and filtered this thread for all the artifacts, just some postings above. Maybe there is also something interesting to use there...

That said, the spiked shield needs working on. In Mitchiemacha's first idea it introduces two bugs:
* Defense is up to six dice in the base game; so mitchie's spiked shield would attack with six dice. That's way stronger than the battle axe.
* Defense is rolled as many times as you like, so this shield would introduce unlimited attacks per turn.

I like the shield for one reason: It was really used in the real reality; Talhoffers Fechtbuch is the notebook of an eye witness seeing them used to great effect.
Talhoffer made his book 1467, technically that's after "our" middle age world and better developed.
What you see are scenes from so called "justice fights". I doubt they have been used in war (At that time, war was with both swords and guns; imagine Columbus rediscovering america a few years later)






How about that:

YOUR CONTENT-2 Spiked Shield

YOUR CONTENT-2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

YOUR CONTENT-2 This strange shield has spikes attached to it. Use it as a shield and add one die to your defense, or use it to attack an adjacent enemy and add one die to your attack roll; but not both in the same turn. May not be used by the Wizard. May not be used with the Battle Axe or the Staff. YOUR CONTENT-2 Y Y

[j_dean80]

You mean those four artifacts needed to complete the quest pack?
I thought they would be searched for and found in quests 19, 20, 21, 22.
On the other hand, the heroes could involuntarily (via YOUR four artifacts) trigger something that they need to correct in the end with the OTHER four artifacts.

I made some hours of work and filtered this thread for all the artifacts, just some postings above. Maybe there is also something interesting to use there...

Like you said...4 Artifacts that cause something bad when all found, then the Heroes need the other 4 to correct. Think it would make a nice twist. Others mentioned it before me but I was trying to revamp the idea.