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Chineselegolas
2009-09-08, 06:59 AM
So in our latest adventure we got an Artifact. Rather awesome right, level 7, with an artifact. Is wanted by a Drow Vamprie, but we'll deal with him when/if he catches up with us.

A slight problem came up with splitting the loot. How much is it worth. We do the whole everyone gets an equal share of virtual gp of value equal to the selling value of what we have got, with all items up for bid, whatever isn't taken is sold off for the cash to distribute a really GP for the remaining virtual stuff.
Artifact doesn't have a value, but fortunately, the entire party agrees my character benefits the most from having it, thus they in turn gain the most from it (I'm the party's main healer and controller (Sorcerer/Shugenja/Mystic Theurge))

The artifact in question is "The Platinum Cestus" from the Ptolus campaign.

Eloel
2009-09-08, 07:00 AM
I don't have the campaign, mind giving details on the artifact?

Chineselegolas
2009-09-08, 07:05 AM
I don't have the campaign, mind giving details on the artifact?
That probably would have been a good idea.

+1 luck bonus to Strength and Charisma per every 5 character levels, rounded down
Has a number of charges each day equal to character level, which can be spent on the following spells at the cost of one charge per spell level:
disintegrate, divine favour, flesh to stone, heal, levitate, move earth, regenerate, shield, stone to flesh, transmute rock to mud, transmute mud to rock, truestrike and wall of stone
And finally you can use it to cast wish, suffering 1d6 Constitution (Or Charisma if you have no Constitution score) 'drain' (Which the DM has now ruled as being loss).

PinkysBrain
2009-09-08, 07:11 AM
Haha, I doubt you have to worry about it for long ... that thing will go poof anyway :) (Or is that Wish once a year or something?)

Keshay
2009-09-08, 07:11 AM
Generally, Artifacts are considered priceless. You usually destroy the evil ones and give the good ones back to the agents of whatever god created it and take whatever reward they offer, even if its just the eternal thanks of a grateful deity and the knowlege of a job well done.

I'd just split the value of the rest of the treasure and let the plot worry about what to do with the artifact.

SparkMandriller
2009-09-08, 07:14 AM
And finally you can use it to cast wish, suffering 1d6 Constitution (Or Charisma if you have no Constitution score) drain.

It's abuse time!

PinkysBrain
2009-09-08, 07:17 AM
Yeah if that really works as written the first thing you wish for is a wand of restoration, then you go to town.

Chineselegolas
2009-09-08, 07:23 AM
Haha, I doubt you have to worry about it for long ... that thing will go poof anyway :)

Generally, Artifacts are considered priceless. You usually destroy the evil ones and give the good ones back to the agents of whatever god created it and take whatever reward they offer, even if its just the eternal thanks of a grateful deity and the knowlege of a job well done.

I'd just split the value of the rest of the treasure and let the plot worry about what to do with the artifact.
Well after we got it, the DM congratulated us for getting one of few acquirable artifacts in the setting




Or is that Wish once a year or something?
Nope, can use it as many times you want, losing the con each time. The last owner of it apparently died of over using it.

It's abuse time!
And I thought that too... But I don't want to be too mean to the GM. Planning to leave it to be a Deus Ex Machina

SparkMandriller
2009-09-08, 07:27 AM
Just keep giving yourself attribute bonuses until your DM takes the cestus away. No more artifact, no more worrying about how much it's worth!

If you're lucky he'll destroy the artifact rather than retcon it away and you'll get to keep your inherent bonuses. :3

deuxhero
2009-09-08, 07:50 AM
Devide artifacts like in FE tier arguments. Who can use it best gets it.

Yzzyx
2009-09-08, 10:05 AM
That probably would have been a good idea.

+1 luck bonus to Strength and Charisma per every 5 character levels, rounded down
Has a number of charges each day equal to character level, which can be spent on the following spells at the cost of one charge per spell level:
disintegrate, divine favour, flesh to stone, heal, levitate, move earth, regenerate, shield, stone to flesh, transmute rock to mud, transmute mud to rock, truestrike and wall of stone
And finally you can use it to cast wish, suffering 1d6 Constitution (Or Charisma if you have no Constitution score) drain.


How much is it worth.

Lots. More than all the other treasure you have, almost certainly. Split up the rest of the treasure normally, give this to who ever benefits most from it, and (ab)use it all you can before it gets taken away.

bosssmiley
2009-09-08, 10:17 AM
Artefacts have no gp value because they're plot devices, not standard magic items. Use it as hard as you can until it gets taken away. :smallamused:

Severus
2009-09-08, 10:24 AM
Save yourself the grief of trying to price it and say that it is still party treasure, jointly owned by everyone, but being currently used by you. If you ever find a buyer you want to sell it to, you'll have a price. If it gets stolen and you can't recover it, it's a group loss.

It does mean your character can't dispose of it personally, but why would you want to anyway?

As others say, artifacts are basically priceless. Trying to assign value doesn't make much sense.

dragonfan6490
2009-09-08, 10:32 AM
An artifact is worth your weight in souls.

Jothki
2009-09-08, 10:32 AM
Yeah, it's a MacGuffin (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MacGuffin), especially since other forces are hunting for it. Don't consider it yours or count on keeping it.