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Andion Isurand
2010-08-06, 04:44 AM
After some searching, I began to compile list of artifacts and locations that grant permanent or instantaneous benefits.

Many of them involve some sort of task or check of some kind, or a drawback on occasion, but that information is not included.

Feel free to add any to the list that you happen to find.

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Writhing Asps of Sss'thasine'ss (WotC Website)
Forgotten Realms Setting

# Gain Snake Blood as a bonus feat. (Players Guide to Faerun, p. 43)

Nether Scrolls (Lost Empires of Faerűn, pg. 156)
Forgotten Realms Setting

# Arcanus Fundare (Foundations of Magic): +30 inherent bonus on Spellcraft checks; +1 to save DCs for all arcane spells.
# Magicus Creare (Spells of Creation): Three bonus item creation feats; XP cost of any magic item created drops to 75% of normal.
# Maior Creare (Major Creations): Craft Construct (see page 303 of the Monster Manual) as a bonus feat; any golem or other construct created has maximum hit points.
# Planus Mechanus (Studies of the Planes): Use plane shift as the spell once per day; ignore any hostile or debilitating planar environmental effects.

Naja Fountain (Serpent Kingdoms, pg. 154)
Forgotten Realms Setting
Located in the city of Ss'thar'tiss'ssun.

# +3 increase to arcane caster level.

Draco Mystere (Draconomicon, pg. 121)

# Low-light vision
# Immunity to magic sleep effects and paralysis
# +5 inheret bonus to Knowledge (arcana) about dragons

Tablets of Pharyssolnyth (Anauroch: Empire of Shade, pg. 149)
Forgotten Realms Setting

# +2 insight bonus on saving throws against the spells and spell-like abilities of true dragons

Manual of the Winding Way (Dungeon Magazine 117, pg. 78)

# +1 Wisdom increase
# Dodge / Mobility / Spring Attack / +2 Dexterity increase
(you recieve first of these you don't yet have)
# Blindsight 30 ft.

Fountains of Shrennil (Dungeon Magazine 116, pg. 91)
Greyhawk Setting

# +2 sacred bonus to Wisdom
# +1 sacred bonus to Fort and Will saves
# character or campaign specific bonus
(example given is a +4 sacred bonus on weapon damage rolls against devils)

Otyugh Hole (Complete Scoundrel, pg. 151)

# Gain your choice of Extend Rage (see the sidebar), Iron Will, Menacing Demeanor (see the sidebar), or Skill Focus (Intimidate) as a bonus feat. You must still meet the normal prerequisite for the feat chosen.
(equivalent worth ~3,000gp)

Court of Thieves (Complete Scoundrel, pg. 144)

# One bonus luck feat (page 72) of your choice.
You must still meet the normal prerequisite for the feat chosen.

Frog God's Fane (Complete Scoundrel, pg. 145)

# Gain Skill Focus in your choice of Knowledge (history), (nature), or (religion) as a bonus feat.
# Even if you have no ranks in the chosen Knowledge skill, you can make checks with that skill as if trained.

Shadar Pool (Dungeon Magazine 92, pg. 93)

# +2 inheret bonus to all ability scores
# +4 insight bonus to skill of choice
# 2,000 experience points

Rosetta Stone (Dragon Magazine 297, pg. 47)
Earth aka Shannara Setting (Dragon Magazine 286)

# Polyglot feat

Codex Hammer (Dragon Mag 297, pg. 41)
Earth aka Shannara Setting (Dragon Magazine 286)

Depending on the notebook you read...

# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [alchemy])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [armorsmithing])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [blacksmithing])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [bookbinding])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [bowmaking])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [calligraphy])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [carpentry])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [gemcutting])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [leatherworking])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [locksmithing])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [painting])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [pottery])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [sculpting])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [shipmaking])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [stonemasonry])
# Epic Skill Focus (Craft [weaponsmithing])
# Epic Skill Focus (Decipher Script)
# Epic Skill Focus (Disable Device)
# Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [arcana])
# Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [arcitecture & engineering])
# Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [geography])
# Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [history])
# Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [nature])
# Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [the planes])
# Epic Skill Focus (Knowledge [religion])
# Epic Skill Focus (Perform)
# Epic Skill Focus (Profession [herbalist])
# Epic Skill Focus (Profession [siege engineer])
# Epic Skill Focus (Spellcraft)
# Epic Skill Focus (Survival)
# Epic Skill Focus (Use Magic Device)

Highest Spire (Complete Scoundrel, pg. 147)

# Gain your choice of Skill Focus (Climb) or Agile Athlete (see the sidebar) as a bonus feat.

Iron Wyrm Vault (Complete Scoundrel, pg. 149)

# Gain one of the following as a bonus feat: Nimble Fingers, Skill Focus (Disable Device, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, or Search), Stealthy, or Tactile Trapsmith (see the sidebar).
# Furthermore, the successful burglar gains a +2 bonus on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks made to influence or gain information from any thief, freedom fighter, or other opponent of the nation that controls the iron wyrm vault (as long as the character’s escapade is known to them). However, he takes a –2 penalty on the same checks made in conjunction with guards, members of the noble class, and other “respectable” sorts within that nation.

Black Elfstone (Dragon Magazine 286, pg. 57)
Shannara Setting

# Capable of stripping all the supernatural, spell-like abilities and uncast spells from targeted creatures, items and effects... along with enervating them... and in turn permanently bestowing you with them.

Evise Jhontil (Dragon Magazine 332, pg. 76)
Forgotten Realms Setting

# When touched by it's owner, this artifact can make any spell cast by its owner permanent as though affected by Permanency... and no mortal magic can dispel or supress it until the caster dies, at which point all such spells made permanent end. Doing so needs no minimum caster level and costs no exp from the caster, except the artifact does deal consitution drain equal to the spell's level to the user. Willingly pursuing undeath does not count as dying. The artifact is tied to the deity Set who uses it in plots to meet his own ends.

Tyndmyr
2010-08-06, 05:10 AM
Metamagic storm, complete scoundrel. Any metamagic feat for a year. Sure, it cant be used for prereqs, but who cares?

Complete scoundrel actually has a few.

Would you count temple/organization membership, given that they are essentially free benefits dependant upon finding a location to join them?

Andion Isurand
2010-08-06, 05:18 AM
Metamagic Storm is from Complete Mage.

Yeah, I listed a few of them from Complete Scoundrel already.

I wouldn't consider the benefits lasting only a year to be permanent/instantaneous.
Just highlight benefits with limited durations using a different color of font.

Membership benefits are a good idea, but I'd put those in another color font since relations can always sour.

Tyndmyr
2010-08-06, 05:43 AM
Ah, that's correct. It also has Bigby's tomb, which gives you a spell known. Not huge, but free and permanent. I can see the limited duration with many being an issue, yeah.

Lysander
2010-08-06, 09:55 AM
Deck of Many Things is the classic example.

balistafreak
2010-08-06, 12:25 PM
If you're going to do this, it might help to list the associated costs with each location. For example, the Otyugh Hole costs 3000 gold.

Andion Isurand
2010-08-06, 03:21 PM
Yeah, good idea. Added to Otyugh Hole.

Alleran
2010-08-06, 09:50 PM
It's interesting that the most powerful artifact ever created (the Black Elfstone) is found only within the Shannara setting, a place that is one of the more low-power settings out there.

Also, use of the Shannara Blue Elfstones by somebody with insufficient elven blood gave his kids the Wish spell as an at-will SLA with a verbal component. That may have been DM adjudication, though.

The Vorpal Tribble
2010-08-06, 10:47 PM
Sutra of Tranquil Thoughts (http://dndsrd.net/psionicItemsCA.html) from Expanded Psionics Handbook

Defiant
2010-08-06, 10:56 PM
Many of them involve some sort of task or check of some kind, or a drawback on occasion, but that information is not included.

Please change this, and then the guide will be truly amazing.

Andion Isurand
2010-08-06, 11:04 PM
Nice find Tribble.

Well Defiant, not sure how much info is too much info to post...

Defiant
2010-08-07, 08:46 AM
Nice find Tribble.

Well Defiant, not sure how much info is too much info to post...

Well, I'm addicted to permanent boosts... but I want to know what they cost.