Way to counteract eye of venca

[Night Eternal]

Is there a way to counteract the evil side effects of the eye of venca/ slash hand.

I was wondering if there was a holy item that could counteract the effects. more referring to the evil acts and the alignment.

[Nifft]

You want power without consequences?

I'd ask your local Lawful Evil Outsider for advice.

I'm sure there's a loophole which could be exploited.

[JellyPooga]

Cast Remove Curse from a 9th level slot on the character, cut off the hand/put out the eye and have the stump/socket blessed by a 20th level Cleric, ask for a Divine Intervention to destroy the unholy object and have the ground the artefact landed on consecrated...

...then keep the character that once possessed it locked away in seclusion for heresy, corruption and crimes against all that is pure and good. Enforce a strict regime of prayer and self-flagellation and only consume blessed food and water. If, after 40 years of purity, the character can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are no longer corrupt and pose no further danger to society, they may take their Vows and join a monestary under close observation and hope, beyond all hope, that their penitence makes up for the transgression that will stain their soul for all eternity.

You do not "dabble" with unholy artefacts of that magnitude lightly and certainly not without consequence.

[Biggstick]

Cast Remove Curse from a 9th level slot on the character, cut off the hand/put out the eye and have the stump/socket blessed by a 20th level Cleric, ask for a Divine Intervention to destroy the unholy object and have the ground the artefact landed on consecrated...

...then keep the character that once possessed it locked away in seclusion for heresy, corruption and crimes against all that is pure and good. Enforce a strict regime of prayer and self-flagellation and only consume blessed food and water. If, after 40 years of purity, the character can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are no longer corrupt and pose no further danger to society, they may take their Vows and join a monestary under close observation and hope, beyond all hope, that their penitence makes up for the transgression that will stain their soul for all eternity.

You do not "dabble" with unholy artefacts of that magnitude lightly and certainly not without consequence.

So much this.

On another note, this would be an interesting thing to hear stories about in game. Somewhere locked up in a tower is a crazy old coot who did more then "dabble" in the evil ways of the arcane. S/he may have other knowledge of arcane artifacts that prove useful to an adventuring party.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

A Holy Avenger will do the trick. Just insert it into the patient's head with great force and vigour, and the patient's soul will be in no further danger.

Now, if you can acquire the Sword of Kas, using it to apply the same treatment will deal with the infection in an even more permanent manner - but alas, you specified holy items...

[RumoCrytuf]

Is there a way to counteract the evil side effects of the eye of venca/ slash hand.

I was wondering if there was a holy item that could counteract the effects. more referring to the evil acts and the alignment.

Counteract the evil? Why not be evil in the first place? Any Good Character would be appalled at such an object in the first place and would never take it. Chaotic Neutral characters might, assuming the tempt of power is enough to sway them.

[gfishfunk]

There is a rumored 'eyepatch of venca,' a cosmic device capable of covering the eye and withholding precious light from it.

I don't know if it stops the side effects though. It definately is capable of counteracting sight.

[Battlebooze]

I believe the Legendary Head of Vecna doesn't mark your soul, you could try to find it.

[Sigreid]

So the open secret about all the artifacts is the are a dirty trick where the DM seems to give you something of INCREDIBLE COSMIC POWER, when he's really screwing you six ways to Sunday.

[Red Fel]

You want power without consequences?

I'd ask your local Lawful Evil Outsider for advice.

I'm sure there's a loophole which could be exploited.

Don't you rope me into this one.

We don't deal in power without consequences. I don't know how you got that. We deal in power without effort. Just sign on the dotted line, make a promise or two, and have everything you ever thought you wanted. Easier than years of study, training, or prayer, am I right?

But yeah. I'm with Rumo on this one. It's easier to just be Evil and not give a toss about your petty morality. ("The Eye of Vecna, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Be Evil.")

[SharkForce]

So the open secret about all the artifacts is the are a dirty trick where the DM seems to give you something of INCREDIBLE COSMIC POWER, when he's really screwing you six ways to Sunday.

well, no. not historically, anyways.

most artifacts have pretty un-incredible cosmic power, in my experience. in fact, for most artifacts there are a variety of regular items i'd rather have, even if the artifact didn't have awful drawbacks. 5e seems to have actually made some artifacts that are legitimately good items (except for the awful drawbacks), which is an unusual thing to me. the 2nd edition rod of seven parts turned you into a complete and utter tool and most of the things it gave you were pretty lame like 1/week use of a spell that wasn't even very good.

[Falcon X]

I believe the Legendary Head of Vecna doesn't mark your soul, you could try to find it.
Yeah, I read this. It's from the 2e module Die Vecna Die. It's a full head that integrates into your own giving you the blessings of both eyes and the skin of vecna (all artifacts in those own right.)
Scares most people, and it's not perfect, but it's the quickest way to win a game with awesome power.
It also gives you protections from it. Once you have so much of vecna under your control, you start gaming more control over it. Make sense?

[Nifft]

Don't you rope me into this one.

Nobody even mentioned you.

My point was merely that, if you want power without consequences, then using one of the most evil artifacts in the world is about on par with selling your soul to a devil.

In other words: there are easily foreseeable consequences, so if you don't want any of those, then don't do that.

[Sigreid]

well, no. not historically, anyways.

most artifacts have pretty un-incredible cosmic power, in my experience. in fact, for most artifacts there are a variety of regular items i'd rather have, even if the artifact didn't have awful drawbacks. 5e seems to have actually made some artifacts that are legitimately good items (except for the awful drawbacks), which is an unusual thing to me. the 2nd edition rod of seven parts turned you into a complete and utter tool and most of the things it gave you were pretty lame like 1/week use of a spell that wasn't even very good.

That was kind of my point. They are the promise of awesome power, but not really the delivery. And the cost is high. They're a trap.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Counteract the evil? Why not be evil in the first place? Any Good Character would be appalled at such an object in the first place and would never take it. Chaotic Neutral characters might, assuming the tempt of power is enough to sway them.


Don't you rope me into this one.

We don't deal in power without consequences. I don't know how you got that. We deal in power without effort. Just sign on the dotted line, make a promise or two, and have everything you ever thought you wanted. Easier than years of study, training, or prayer, am I right?

But yeah. I'm with Rumo on this one. It's easier to just be Evil and not give a toss about your petty morality. ("The Eye of Vecna, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Just Be Evil.")

Even for those whose alignment lies in a southerly direction, I wouldn't recommend the Hand or Eye - a form of power likely to result in your soul being devoured by a dark god hardly becomes more desirable simply because one is dark oneself. Your average member of Team Evil signed up for power over others, and in the long run, all the leavings of the Maimed God offer is for said deity to have power over you. Always remember the words of the masters:
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/3325088000/h030FBB2A/

Now, if I were to recommend seeking an artifact of evil, I would advise seeking the Sword of Kas - while rather needy, the effects it has on a wielder are relatively insignificant as such things go. It also paint a target on your back quite as much as some of the other options.

Ultimately, however, artifacts and their ilk are a crutch. No matter how successful one may be wielding them, one will always be in the shadow of both them, and them that made them. The great terrors of the world needed no such baubles - consider that the Hand and Eye of Vecna became empowered only after his apotheosis. True Evil, like true Good, comes only from within.

[AdmiralCatticus]

So while everyone is seemingly role playing hard & admirably in response to a very mundane question, I would like to personally add that it doesn't really make sense for a player to think like this. You probably shouldn't go posting on forums to solve your campaign dilemma for you, if that is what inspired this thread. Technically there is no sure fire way to counteract those effects unless it is specifically otherwise in your campaign.

[Envyus]

Cast Remove Curse from a 9th level slot on the character, cut off the hand/put out the eye and have the stump/socket blessed by a 20th level Cleric, ask for a Divine Intervention to destroy the unholy object and have the ground the artefact landed on consecrated...

...then keep the character that once possessed it locked away in seclusion for heresy, corruption and crimes against all that is pure and good. Enforce a strict regime of prayer and self-flagellation and only consume blessed food and water. If, after 40 years of purity, the character can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are no longer corrupt and pose no further danger to society, they may take their Vows and join a monestary under close observation and hope, beyond all hope, that their penitence makes up for the transgression that will stain their soul for all eternity.

You do not "dabble" with unholy artefacts of that magnitude lightly and certainly not without consequence.

Should point out that none of this would work. If the Eye or hand are removed they kill the person who had them on. Destroying them just makes them reappear somewhere else on the planes.

[comk59]

I would take a trip to the plane of Positive Energy. That'll throw your GM for a loop.

Wait, is that still a thing in 5e? I haven't brushed up on my cosmologies for a while.

[Asmotherion]

Cast Remove Curse from a 9th level slot on the character, cut off the hand/put out the eye and have the stump/socket blessed by a 20th level Cleric, ask for a Divine Intervention to destroy the unholy object and have the ground the artefact landed on consecrated...

...then keep the character that once possessed it locked away in seclusion for heresy, corruption and crimes against all that is pure and good. Enforce a strict regime of prayer and self-flagellation and only consume blessed food and water. If, after 40 years of purity, the character can prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are no longer corrupt and pose no further danger to society, they may take their Vows and join a monestary under close observation and hope, beyond all hope, that their penitence makes up for the transgression that will stain their soul for all eternity.

You do not "dabble" with unholy artefacts of that magnitude lightly and certainly not without consequence.

Not sure whether that's the answear the OP was looking for... or exactly the answear they were looking for. :smalleek: XD

In any case, artifacts that come from Vecna should not be taken lightly. Depending on the campain, he is either an Evil Deity or a Lich with so much power that has atained god-like powers (as he is a proposed Warlock Patron in the SCAG). Even considering using the artifact, and not destroying it asap could be seen as some sort of evil act in it's own.

Even if a character was tempted by the thoughts of "even if I know the artifact is evil, I will wield it's power for good", the artifact will eventually get to them, and turn them evil, either instantly (like a complete change of personality) or over time (like wearing a horcrux/the one ring). In the case above, even if their choice had good intentions, it would eventually end up in evil ends.

A character might try to control this evil to some extend, by setting a goal (such as using the artifact to destroy a greater evil), however don't expect that character to become a big folk hero, loved by the crowds, and be prepared to make some very unethical choices and leave a long trail of dead bodies wile doing so. Also, some good aligned allies-to-be will reject an alience with you (such as various churches), and that's the best occasion... Worst case scenario, you might have them as enemies, and even make an obligatory aliance with the evil you corupted yourself to fight against in the first place...

Overall it's up to your DM what he'll do with the artifact, and you should discuss with him what the artifact represents in his campain. Is it sentient and you need to keep it in check or it will take control of you? Does it stop functioning unless you use it for an evil purpose? Does it simply corupt you so you start thinking more and more selfishly, to the point of valuing your own profit over an other individual's life?

If you are the DM you can always design a similar artifact with diferent restrictions (for example, the hand of justice witch would automatically make you Lawful)

[JellyPooga]

Should point out that none of this would work. If the Eye or hand are removed they kill the person who had them on. Destroying them just makes them reappear somewhere else on the planes.

Eh, add a True Resurrection to the list if you like. The point remains the same and whatever happens to the artefact afterward is not of particular concern to the character in question; their concern is a personal one and if destroying the artefact for good is something they feel will help in their penitence then that is also something they might attempt (cue epic level plot hook!).

As Asmotherion points out, the exact details on how one might repent for past transgressions is GM dependant but it should not, under any circumstances, be a small undertaking for something of that magnitude, let alone something that can be avoided or compensated for. You don't get to have your cake and eat it on this one I'm afraid.

Not even Gandalf the White would have a hope of mastering The One Ring, no matter his intentions, Good or Evil...and he was functionally a demigod. The Hand/Eye of Vecna are no different; they serve one master and one master only...and it certainly isn't you (unless you're Vecna, I suppose).

[Foxydono]

Well if you can destroy Venca completely and kill all her followers, than the Eye and Hand of Vecna serve noone. This could render the side effects nul, but it remains to be seen whether the artifacts still hold any power. Or maybe they will serve a new master, namely you, after killing Venca. Not sure what would happen since I'm not in the habit of killing Gods :)

Edit: If you are a 20th level cleric, or have one in your party, you could ask for divine intervention to counteract the negative effects. Depending on the God and your purpose this might be granted for a certain duration.

[Kish]

Meanwhile, I'm puzzled. I know about the Hand and Eye of Vecna, but who's this Venca person and what effects do (her?) severed body parts have?

[JellyPooga]

Well if you can destroy Venca completely and kill all her followers, than the Eye and Hand of Vecna serve noone. This could render the side effects nul, but it remains to be seen whether the artifacts still hold any power. Or maybe they will serve a new master, namely you, after killing Venca. Not sure what would happen since I'm not in the habit of killing Gods :)

Arguably, destroying Vecna completely would also include destroying the Hand/Eye as well...rendering the point entirely theoretical at best.

Removing Vecnas influence from the Hand/Eye might be an option, however...something involving epic level Reincarnation and similarly powerful Modify Memory, combined with a replacement soul transplant for the newly created body and subsequently killing said newly minted Vecna-but-not-Vecna, perhaps...or something along those lines. Even then, you aren't getting to use the Hand/Eye for yourself, them probably being consumed or robbed of their power in the ritual somehow.

All definitely post-level 20 stuff, though. We're talking about subverting and potentially usurping and/or killing a god, after all.

[SharkForce]

removing vecna's influence would presumably also remove vecna's power.

[ruy343]

Meanwhile, I'm puzzled. I know about the Hand and Eye of Vecna, but who's this Venca person and what effects do (her?) severed body parts have?

In the lore (for several editions at this point), Vecna was a female lich who actually achieved the impossible: immortality. After living as a lich for many years, she was able to eventually attain a state of quasi-godhood, and she serves as the goddess of secrets and occult knowledge in one of the D&D pantheons. Her followers tend to be of the evil persuasion.

The eye and hand of Vecna (and according to some, her head as well - I won't go into that) were lost from her during a battle with her lieutenant, Kas. Many tales abound regarding why Kas decided to turn on his mistress, but what is sure is that his sword holds a bit of his avarice for his lich queen master (and also pops up in campaigns from time to time).

Now, the eye and hand are artifacts of great power, which have a singular purpose, the discovery of new secrets and a quest to return to their mistress. Many a power-hungry adventurer has decided to add them to their bodies, promised great power and knowledge in return. Possessors of one or the other also make for great villains as they seek out the partner artifact :smallbiggrin:

If you want to learn more about the artifacts and their abilities, they're actually completely explained in the 5th editions Dungeon Master's Guide (which means that it would be against the forum rules to disclose them in their entirety). Check the end of the magic items chapter for artifacts, and there'll be plenty of lore in there on the subject.

[SharkForce]

In the lore (for several editions at this point), Vecna was a female lich who actually achieved the impossible: immortality. After living as a lich for many years, she was able to eventually attain a state of quasi-godhood, and she serves as the goddess of secrets and occult knowledge in one of the D&D pantheons. Her followers tend to be of the evil persuasion.

The eye and hand of Vecna (and according to some, her head as well - I won't go into that) were lost from her during a battle with her lieutenant, Kas. Many tales abound regarding why Kas decided to turn on his mistress, but what is sure is that his sword holds a bit of his avarice for his lich queen master (and also pops up in campaigns from time to time).

Now, the eye and hand are artifacts of great power, which have a singular purpose, the discovery of new secrets and a quest to return to their mistress. Many a power-hungry adventurer has decided to add them to their bodies, promised great power and knowledge in return. Possessors of one or the other also make for great villains as they seek out the partner artifact :smallbiggrin:

If you want to learn more about the artifacts and their abilities, they're actually completely explained in the 5th editions Dungeon Master's Guide (which means that it would be against the forum rules to disclose them in their entirety). Check the end of the magic items chapter for artifacts, and there'll be plenty of lore in there on the subject.

you appear to have missed the "point" of the previous post. so far as i can tell, it was just poking fun at a spelling error ("venca" as opposed to "vecna"). it was also pointing out a statement that vecna is female, which he isn't.

[georgie_leech]

Yeah, I read this. It's from the 2e module Die Vecna Die. It's a full head that integrates into your own giving you the blessings of both eyes and the skin of vecna (all artifacts in those own right.)
Scares most people, and it's not perfect, but it's the quickest way to win a game with awesome power.
It also gives you protections from it. Once you have so much of vecna under your control, you start gaming more control over it. Make sense?

Neat, I didn't realize it had made it into an official source book.

[Red Fel]

Ultimately, however, artifacts and their ilk are a crutch. No matter how successful one may be wielding them, one will always be in the shadow of both them, and them that made them. The great terrors of the world needed no such baubles - consider that the Hand and Eye of Vecna became empowered only after his apotheosis. True Evil, like true Good, comes only from within.

http://i.imgur.com/OsWWFeg.gif

http://i.imgur.com/7ZNYVS2.jpg

[Envyus]

In the lore (for several editions at this point), Vecna was a female lich who actually achieved the impossible: immortality. After living as a lich for many years, she was able to eventually attain a state of quasi-godhood, and she serves as the goddess of secrets and occult knowledge in one of the D&D pantheons. Her followers tend to be of the evil persuasion.


Quickly going to point out that Vecna is a dude.




Anyway using the Eye or Hand is dangerous anyway. If the eye's powers are used there is a slight chance each time that Vecna rips your soul out of your body and takes control of it.

The Eye and Hand are near the top of the artifact power pile. There is only one way to destroy them and none to remove Vecna's influence on them. No Mortal or Godly magic can do so. Destroying the hand and eye seems to work but in actuality just teleports them to one of Vecna's vaults and lairs through out the material plane. The true and only way to destroy them is for someone to have acquired and equipped both to be slain by the Sword of Kas (Vecna's treacherous lieutenant.) after which the hand and eye burst into flames and burn to ash truly destroyed. The Sword of Kas however is also an evil unholy sentient weapon and nearly indestructible artifact. And the only way for the Sword of Kas to be destroyed is if someone who has equipped both the Hand and Eye uses the pair of items power to cast a Wish spell to unmake the sword and beat the sword in a charisma contest

So they are both powerful and evil artifacts. But it's impossible to rid the world of both. As the eye and hand are needed to destroy the sword, and the sword is needed to destroy the eye and hand.

[Battlebooze]

I really like the concept of an evil deity who was hacked to bits and now grants power to anyone who "Assimilates" his pieces. You could say this version of Vecna is so spiteful and nasty that his body parts don't even like each other, forcing their patsies to go to war against each other.

Who will win? Foot of Vecna, or Tongue of Vecna.

Heh.

[rlc]

I sometimes wonder if Kas used a different sword when he fought Vecna.

[HoodedHero007]

Actually, just either
A) go to Bytopia
B) Draw the Balance card from a Deck of Many Things
C) Use the eye of Acnev

[JAL_1138]

A Holy Avenger will do the trick. Just insert it into the patient's head with great force and vigour, and the patient's soul will be in no further danger.


I'm reminded of Chapter 9, verse 42, of the Gospel of Murlynd, in the Testament of Hieroneous: "F#%keth thou notte wyth ye relicks of ye lich-godde, lest thou be f#%ked, and royally."

[Foxydono]

So they are both powerful and evil artifacts. But it's impossible to rid the world of both. As the eye and hand are needed to destroy the sword, and the sword is needed to destroy the eye and hand.
I disagree, at least in theory. Everything that has a beginning can have an end. This applies to God's, artifacts and the multiverse itself. The only thing limiting that is either your imagination or your DM, at least in D&D. If other people can become (semi) gods and make a specific artifact to destroy another one there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to do the same.

[Joe the Rat]

I disagree, at least in theory. Everything that has a beginning can have an end. This applies to God's, artifacts and the multiverse itself. The only thing limiting that is either your imagination or your DM, at least in D&D. If other people can become (semi) gods and make a specific artifact to destroy another one there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to do the same.So in order to counteract the effects of an artifact of Great Evil, the solution is to become an even Greater Evil or possibly Greater Good, but where's the fun of that?

[Foxydono]

So in order to counteract the effects of an artifact of Great Evil, the solution is to become an even Greater Evil or possibly Greater Good, but where's the fun of that?
We are drifting a bit of course, because the question was whether the negative effects of the Hand and Eye of Vecna could be countered. But my point is: almost anything is possible. This applies to both destroying the artifacts and nullification of the negative effects. How?

That's up to your imagination and the DM. Maybe you make your own artifact at some point that can counteract the effects or even destroy both artifacts or maybe you strike a deal with a good, neutral or a more evil God depending on your and its objective. I would say that something is this magnitude is best left for epic or end level characters. But just think outside the box :)