SYSTEM REFERENCE DOCUMENT 3.5

Minor artifacts are not necessarily unique items, but rather magic items that no longer can be made by common mortal means—even by the hands of epic creators. Such items have no established market price. Below is a selection of known minor artifacts.

Everfull Purse: This leather belt pouch has the power to turn a single gold coin into many overnight. If a single gold piece is placed in the everfull purse at sunset, it will be replaced at sunrise by 25 gold pieces. The purse has no effect if more than one gold piece is left within, or if anything other than gold is placed within.

Caster Level: 20th; Weight: 1/2 lb.

Libram of Gainful Conjuration: This mystic book is of great value to arcane spellcasters of good alignment (LG, NG, CG). Study of the work requires one week. Upon completion, the good arcane caster gains a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score controlling his or her arcane spellcasting ability and experience points sufficient to place him or her halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one arcane spellcasting class, he or she must choose one of the classes to be affected.) Nongood arcane spellcasters (LN, N, CN, LE, NE, or CE) are permanently drained of 1d4+1 points of Constitution and must atone (see the atonement spell) in order to gain any further experience. Anyone incapable of casting arcane spells who reads even a single word of the work must make a Will save (DC 20) or suffer insanity (see the insanity spell). Except as indicated above, the writing in a libram of gainful conjuration can’t be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Caster Level: 19th; Weight: 3 lb.

Libram of Ineffable Damnation: This mystic book is of great value to arcane spellcasters of evil alignment (LE, NE, CE). Study of the work requires one week. Upon completion, the evil arcane caster gains a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score controlling his or her arcane spell-casting ability and experience points sufficient to place him or her halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one arcane spellcasting class, he or she must choose one of the classes to be affected.) Nonevil arcane spellcasters (LN, N, CN, LG, NG, or CG) are permanently drained of 1d4+1 points of Constitution and must atone (see the atonement spell) in order to gain any further experience. Anyone incapable of casting arcane spells who reads even a single word of the work must make a Will save (DC 20) or suffer insanity (see the insanity spell). Except as indicated above, the writing in a libram of ineffable damnation can’t be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Caster Level: 19th; Weight: 3 lb.

Libram of Silver Magic: This mystic book is of great value to arcane spellcasters of neutral alignment (LN, N, CN). Study of the work requires one week. Upon completion, the neutral arcane caster gains a +1 inherent bonus to the ability score controlling his or her arcane spellcasting ability and experience points sufficient to place him or her halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one arcane spellcasting class, he or she must choose one of the classes to be affected.) Evil or good arcane spellcasters (LE, NE, CE, LG, NG, or CG) are permanently drained of 1d4+1 points of Constitution and must atone (see the atonement spell) in order to gain any further experience. Anyone incapable of casting arcane spells who reads even a single word of the work must make a Will save (DC 20) or suffer insanity (see the insanity spell). Except as indicated above, the writing in a libram of silver magic can’t be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Caster Level: 19th; Weight: 3 lb.

Manual of Puissant Skill at Arms: This treatise contains expert advice and instruction in the arts of combat. Any barbarian, fighter, monk, paladin, or ranger who spends one week studying the manual gains a +1 inherent bonus to Strength and experience points sufficient to place him or her halfway into the next level of experience. (If the reader has levels in more than one of the classes listed, he or she must choose one of the classes to be affected.) A character without any levels in one of the classes listed gains no bonus from the work, but if an arcane spellcaster without levels in one of the classes listed scans even a single word he or she will lose 2dx1,000 XP and must make a Will save (DC 20) or have 1 point of Intelligence permanently drained. Except as indicated above, the writing in a manual of puissant skill at arms can’t be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Caster Level: 19th; Weight: 3 lb.

Manual of Stealthy Pilfering: This guide to thievery grants any rogue who spends a week studying its lessons a +1 inherent bonus to Dexterity and experience points sufficient to place him or her halfway into the next level of experience. A character without any rogue levels gains no bonus from the work, but if a divine spellcaster without rogue levels scans even a single word she will lose 2dx1,000 XP and must make a Will save (DC 20) or have 1 point of Wisdom permanently drained. Except as indicated above, the writing in a manual of stealthy pilfering can’t be distinguished from any other book, libram, tome, or so on until perused. Once read, the book vanishes, never to be seen again, nor can the same character ever benefit from reading a similar tome a second time.

Caster Level: 19th; Weight: 3 lb.

Rogue’s Dice: This pair of cubes appears much like any other pair of typical (6-sided) dice. A character with a pair of rogue’s dice who wishes to roll them must announce that he or she is rolling the dice (accidental rolls have no effect). Rolling the dice is a standard action, and both dice must be rolled simultaneously to have any effect. The player should roll 2d6 and consult the table below to determine the dice’s affects.

No character can gain any effect from an additional roll of the dice within 24 hours, with two exceptions. If a 2 is rolled, the dice automatically roll themselves at the beginning of the character’s next turn and he or she must accept the additional result. If a 12 is rolled, the character may choose to roll again in the next round (if more than 1 full round elapses between the roll of 12 and this bonus roll, the character loses the bonus roll). There is no method (mundane or magical) to predict or influence the result of a roll of Rogue’s dice. Even powerful divination magic can’t predict the outcome of a roll before it is made.

Caster Level: 20th; Weight: —.

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