So tell me about Vecna

[gallagher]

hello playground,
with my limited knowledge and questionable google-fu, i was wondering what there is to be known about Vecna. from the books i have, it seems that the only relics to him are his hand, eye, the sword of Kas (i know who kas is, but i still say that this is a relic that points to Vecna's power) and some of the writings in the book of vile darkness.

i was wondering if anyone knew how i would contact other worshippers of vecna, or if there is any other interesting material about him. i would also like to know if there is any website or book that details his ascent to power, and other stories.

thanks in advance to any and all who help :)

[FoE]

Vecna's been around since the olden days of 1E. His story varies depending on the edition and the setting, but there is one fact that is consistent: Vecna was an incredibly powerful lich betrayed by Kas, and upon his destruction, he ascended to godhood.

In 4E, Vecna is the god of forbidden knowledge and guarded secrets. His believers typically include wizards and clerics who believe in attaining and hoarding knowledge. He sends his Eye and his Hand into the world to be found by greedy mortals; when the possessors of the Eye and Hand die, their knowledge passes on to him. His followers often give up a hand or an eye to mark their worship of Vecna and sometimes "sacrifice" powerful magic items in his name.

Vecna is profiled in Open Grave, if I recall. Alternatively, he does have a Wikipedia page.

[subject42]

The most powerful artifact of Vecna is the head of Vecna. Much like his eye and hand, it requires a certain sacrifice on the part of the bearer.

[The Rose Dragon]

The most powerful artifact of Vecna is the head of Vecna. Much like his eye and hand, it requires a certain sacrifice on the part of the bearer.

The trick is implanting it before you make the sacrifice. Most people make the mistake of making the sacrifice first.

[gallagher]

The trick is implanting it before you make the sacrifice. Most people make the mistake of making the sacrifice first.

lol i have heard of the head of vecna trick, almost got me there ;)

and i was thinking, if i were to make a sacrifice of a powerful item to vecna (assuming i had all appropriate items) would it seem like a proper sacrifice to vecna to hide the hand so that nobody else could use it and obtain his power, keep the eye and use it myself, and then destroy the sword of kas?

btw, this is a 3.5 campaign, and i am adventuring to become vecnas second in command. i think i would make a better #2 than Kas for various reasons, one of which being that i am not really a caster.

[Volkov]

In 2e, Vecna made his mark on canon. He created one hell of a Xanatos gambit and stole Iuz's power, going from demi-god to max rank greater god and went to the spire, overwhelming the Lady and started seriously damaging reality. Even though he was beaten, his gambit paid off, the rules of the universe were altered to be more wizard friendly (many of us use Die! Vecna! Die! as the in universe explanation of 2e's change to 3e) and he still had enough power to remain a lesser god.

[Scorpions__]

We can't tell you about Vecna, it's a secret.






DM[F]R

[Mando Knight]

btw, this is a 3.5 campaign, and i am adventuring to become vecnas second in command. i think i would make a better #2 than Kas for various reasons, one of which being that i am not really a caster.

You don't become Vecna's number two. You might become his number one thrall, but you don't become his second in command. Especially if you're a noncaster, since you're worth about as much use to him alive as you are as a corpse for him to make into some kind of undead.

[Thajocoth]

In 4e... If I remember the full story correctly...

Vecna was originally a man. He studied necromancy and excelled in it. He became a lich and continued to grow in power. The Sword of Kas, wielded by Kas, who was his top underling or something, cut off his hand and eye. The Sword, Eye and Hand are all living artifacts now. Vecna has since risen to godhood. As a god he's the Evil god of Necromancy, undeath and secrets who is directly opposed by Ioun. If one seeks power from Vecna and finds his hand and/or eye, then they can remove their own hand and/or eye and attach Vecna's. If they displease Vecna too much with it though, the artifact(s) will disintegrate them. The Head of Vecna is a non-existent artifact that was made up to fool a party of adventurers. Half of them died trying to use it before they realized that they'd been had. The Sword of Kas tempts it's wielder towards betrayal in their dreams and gains bonuses when used to betray their allies.

In a campaign of mine, I had a dragon that worshiped Vecna have a statue of Vecna as a sort of locked doorway. The statue was of a man casting a spell, but was missing a hand, an eye, and an implement. The implement was a skull to represent the Head of Vecna. The other two keys needed and what they represented should be fairly obvious. Mentioning this because I thought it was cool.

[BRC]

Venca: Big on Secrets, symbol is an eye, disintegrates those who displease him...

Ignorance is Bliss
Bliss is Happiness
HAPPINESS IS MANDATORY

[Volkov]

You don't become Vecna's number two. You might become his number one thrall, but you don't become his second in command. Especially if you're a noncaster, since you're worth about as much use to him alive as you are as a corpse for him to make into some kind of undead.

Actually, you can rise to the Voice of Vecna, which is the rank of his number two. But you must be a cleric, and you will still probably be nothing more than his number one minion. He is the most powerful mortal mage to have ever lived in the greyhawk setting after all. Surpassing Mordenkainen, Zagyg, and Acererak. Who I might remind you, all are level 30 something wizards. And Acererak was once a devout Cleric of Vecna (he was a level 20 something wizard, level 10 or so cleric and had quite a few levels in mystic theruge), before becoming a vestige after being defeated for real. Vecna didn't care in the slightest, and in fact helped set up an order to counter the threat of vestiges, Acererak included.


So being an Employee of Vecna can lead to great power, death, or worse.

Vecna's plots are generally focused on increasing his power, and because of his nasty habit of stealing the powers of other Deities and the fact that he came closer to total domination than any other power in the Greyhawk, Planescape, and Ravenloft setting, and the fact that he outfoxed Ravenloft's Dark powers themselves has made him feared among the gods.

[HunterOfJello]

Vecna is the epitomy of what all powerhungry sorcerers, wizards and many clerics dream of becoming.

He was a wizard king who gained enough power through his magic to become a lich and eventually even ascend to divinity. Almost all evil wizards would resent and respect Vecna because he is an example of their deepest darkest desires and proof of the supreme power and evil that can be accomplished through magic. He was born a normal child and through hard work, intelligence, determination and powerful magic has achieved what no other mage since.

[Volkov]

Vecna is the epitomy of what all powerhungry sorcerers, wizards and many clerics dream of becoming.

He was a wizard king who gained enough power through his magic to become a lich and eventually even ascend to divinity. Almost all evil wizards would resent and respect Vecna because he is both proof and an example of their deepest darkest desires. He was born a normal child and through hard work, intelligence, determination and powerful magic has achieved what no other mage since.

Not to mention, he is a very crafty planner and has outsmarted numerous other forces ranging From the dark powers to zagyg. If your average heroic wizard is batman, then Vecna is Doctor Doom/Thanos. He only ever loses if it's part of his plan.

[JoshuaZ]

Vecna didn't care in the slightest, and in fact helped set up an order to counter the threat of vestiges, Acererak included.

We know some of his clerics were involved in that. We have no reason to know that Vecna himself had any role.

[Volkov]

We know some of his clerics were involved in that. We have no reason to know that Vecna himself had any role.

But he'd probably tear a fabric in reality to devour them for their divine power, it's the type of thing he'd do. I believe a vestige is worth about one divine rank per level it is, *I.E Orthos is worth 8 divine ranks* as Tenebrous is Orcus's lost divinity, I believe this theory holds merit. Heck that could have made an awesome module for 3.5, Vecna has released and consumed several vestiges, bringing himself up to the levels of an over-deity, making him a dire threat to all reality.

[Heliomance]

It's quite easy to destroy an artifact, actually. Use it to cast Apocalypse From The Sky.

[Volkov]

It's quite easy to destroy an artifact, actually. Use it to cast Apocalypse From The Sky.

It won't happen because Vecna never planned for it to happen. Because he's an epic level wizard.

[BenTheJester]

Vecna didn't care in the slightest, and in fact helped set up an order to counter the threat of vestiges, Acererak included.

What's this order and where can I find information on it?

[JoshuaZ]

What's this order and where can I find information on it?

The Order of Seropaenes, an ecumenical society devoted to stamping out binders. They are discussed in Tome of Magic. However, as I noted above, it isn't clear that Vecna himself had anything to do with setting it up, although a high level cleric of his certainly did.

[Thajocoth]

...gets the graftee's knowledge upon their death...

Are you sure it's upon death? Rather than from the moment they start wearing it?

[Dr.Epic]

Vecna is an anagram for "N Cave".

[Mystic Muse]

It's quite easy to destroy an artifact, actually. Use it to cast Apocalypse From The Sky.

apparently there was an errata that makes it so that the artifact is just a focus. it isn't destroyed.

[JoshuaZ]

apparently there was an errata that makes it so that the artifact is just a focus. it isn't destroyed.

Hmm, do you know where that is? I've never seen that before. Also doesn't the official fluff talk about evil people deliberately using artifacts of good for the purpose? That makes a lot more sense if it destroys the artifact.

[Noble Savant]

In addition, in some iterations, Vecna is the prisoner of Ravenloft, the most powerful being to have become trapped in the mists. He's also the only person with the stones to go up against the Dark Powers that control the plane itself, rather then the Dark Lords.

[Mystic Muse]

Hmm, do you know where that is? I've never seen that before. Also doesn't the official fluff talk about evil people deliberately using artifacts of good for the purpose? That makes a lot more sense if it destroys the artifact.

not a dang clue.

[Mando Knight]

Actually, you can rise to the Voice of Vecna, which is the rank of his number two. But you must be a cleric, and you will still probably be nothing more than his number one minion.

There's a difference between being the Voice of Vecna and being Vecna's Number Two. VoV is Vecna's most devout toady, while a proper Number Two would actually be respected by his liege. Vecna's secretive, plotting, backstabbing methodology inherently prohibits him from taking up one of his followers and making him like Riker is to Picard or Spock to Kirk. He might give you power, prestige, and whatever, but you're still only his strongest pawn, never a co-conspirator or Most Trusted General.

[bosssmiley]

Vecna's Realm, by Erik Mona (yeah, him).

The late 2E Vecna Loves/Die Vecna Die! storyline? Discontinuity to me. TSR made a lot of bad, tacky decisions in their dying days.

[magic9mushroom]

You can't destroy the sword, it is an artifact and thus beyond your means.

Get the party UMDer to UMD a staff of Disjunction. Poof.

[Volkov]

Vecna's Realm, by Erik Mona (yeah, him).

The late 2E Vecna Loves/Die Vecna Die! storyline? Discontinuity to me. TSR made a lot of bad, tacky decisions in their dying days.

TSR wasn't around then. That was a WoTC storyline.

[Coplantor]

Vecna is an anagram for "N Cave".

Wasnt it an anagram for Vance?