AD&D- Overpowered Magic Items

James Gasik · Jun 23, 2024

Fortunate Son said:
I wouldn't say a deck is overpowered. Potentially campaign disruptive, sure, but not really in an overpowered way when averaged out.

If your definition of "overpowered" is merely the benefits the Deck can bring (and we won't discuss methods of abusing the Deck, like casting Augury before each draw and the like), sure.

But I find the character ending downsides that offer no saving throw to be pretty overpowered in their own right. Donjon and the Void for example. The Flames and Death, at least, give you a fighting chance. And then there's Ruin- which is so ambiguously worded that it apparently has the same function as Talons.

Like any cursed item, if the players find a way to weaponize it (see Dust of Sneezing and Choking, the Necklace of Strangulation, the Cloak of Poisonousness, the Scarab of Death), by deceit or mental manipulation, it can wreck campaigns in completely unintended ways unless the DM starts adding rules to it.

Snarf Zagyg · Jun 23, 2024

I know I said I wouldn't talk about Artifacts (and relics) ... but I just wanted to provide some of the AWESOME major malevolent effects you could get along with your new grill, courtesy of Dahlver-Nar.

.... okay, that's not fair. The teeth, while grisly, could only net you two major malevolents. One for tooth 21, and one for getting the ninth tooth in. It was actually a pretty good deal.

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

Item contains the life force of another person, and after a set number of uses, the possessor's life force is drown into it and the former soul released

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

Sacrifice a human or player character to activate item for 1 day

User withers and ages 3-30 years each time the primary power is used, eventually turning the possessor into a deathless withered zombie guardian of the item

Yearning to be worshipped is uncontrollable; those failing to bow and scrape to the artifact's possessor will be subject to instant attack

Good times! Now, how do I get the Head of Vecna on? Oh..... okay then!

Orius · Jun 24, 2024

Something tells me that @Snarf Zagyg wants to bite bards with the teeth of Dahlver-Nar.

Unless he's afraid he won't be able to get the taste out of his mouth.

Kannik · Jun 24, 2024

Orius said:
And the dwarf thrower hammer from Dragon #156 (April 1990):

Ahhh, a classic Dragon article! My fav was the wording for the Robe of Blending (3 Speed):

"To all appearances, this is a perfectly ordinary robe. If the clasp is examined closely, however, it will be revealed to be a sliding switch with four setting (including “off”). “Chop” does 2-20 hp damage to the wearer, “mix” does 4-48, and “liquefy” makes me sick just thinking about it."

Orius · Jun 24, 2024

Snarf Zagyg said:
Also, unfortunately, we have to exclude so-called UNUSUAL SWORDS. Sorry, no smarty-pants swords that are intelligent, have an alignment, and are probably going to drive you to kill those bards already (which you were going to do anyway, right?).

Unfortunately for Snarf, that leaves out this sword (though it's not that terribly powerful):

Shazzellim: A scimitar of rather poor steel but keen edge, with a guard of iron curved into rearing serpents. Its grip is of leather, dyed red, but this may now have been replaced or be brown with age. Shazzellim is neutral evil, has an intelligence of 16 and an ego of 14, and communicates by speech (alignment tongue, commmon, thieves’ cant, orcish). It is +1 to hit, can detect magic in a 1" radius if the bearer so wills while wielding it unsheathed, and in like manner can locate object in a 12" radius. It can also detect secret doors in a ½" radius at the bearer’s will, and read any non-magical languages or maps. It will heal its bearer once per day, at the bearer’s will, and has a special purpose: to slay bards. Any bard struck by Shazzellim is disintegrated unless the victim saves vs. spell.

Lore: Shazzellim was created by (or at least under the orders and with the assistance of) Lauzoril of the Red Wizards of Thay, in order to destroy his enemies, the Harpers. The cause of Lauzoril’s enmity toward the Harpers is unknown.

I think those inch radii are probably referring to 1e movement rates because otherwise it would be a ridiculously small area for the effects.

James Gasik · Jun 24, 2024

Orius said:
Unfortunately for Snarf, that leaves out this sword:

The Magister is one of my favorite supplements. I love all the lore and history, even for items that aren't really all that special, like a sword that levitates in the air when you stop holding it.

Mannahnin · Jun 25, 2024

Orius said:
I think those inch radii are probably referring to 1e movement rates because otherwise it would be a ridiculously small area for the effects.

Absolutely. That's how both areas and ranges of magical effects were described, not just movement rates. So 1" radius is 10 scale feet, and 1/2" is five feet.

Orius · Jun 25, 2024

Mannahnin said:
Absolutely. That's how both areas and ranges of magical effects were described, not just movement rates. So 1" radius is 10 scale feet, and 1/2" is five feet.

Yes it's one of 1e's holdovers from wargaming it seems. It's funny how some people complain about how 3e and 4e are so miniatures dependent when Gary wrote 1e with miniatures in mind, and in a way that isn't quite easy to remove the minis and the tabletop from. For that matter, 0e was envisioning play with minis, and even billed itself as such.

James Gasik · Jun 25, 2024

Orius said:
Yes it's one of 1e's holdovers from wargaming it seems. It's funny how some people complain about how 3e and 4e are so miniatures dependent when Gary wrote 1e with miniatures in mind, and in a way that isn't quite easy to remove the minis and the tabletop from. For that matter, 0e was envisioning play with minis, and even billed itself as such.

I've always wondered about that myself, I know old school players who are incredulous that anyone would want to use a grid or a battle map, and yet, my human Fighter has a speed of 12"...

Orius · Jun 25, 2024

Grid is bad, you got to use rulers on that sand table! Think of one's pride as a grog!

AD&D- Overpowered Magic Items

James Gasik

We don't talk about Pun-Pun

Snarf Zagyg

Notorious Liquefactionist

Orius

Legend

Kannik

Hero

Orius

Legend

James Gasik

We don't talk about Pun-Pun

Mannahnin

Scion of Murgen (He/Him)

Orius

Legend

James Gasik

We don't talk about Pun-Pun

Orius

Legend

Similar Threads

Voidrunner's Codex