Artifacts for Your Amusement....
This is where you can find powerful, even deadly, magical items to use for your campaigns. Be careful though, they are not meant to be used as one-time wonders, they are truly powerful, and there are a lot of myths and legends attached to each one, but I'll leave those up to you to create so that you may tailor it to your campaign or world.
Please keep in mind that artifacts and relics are extremely hard to destroy, and usually equally hard to get rid of. Players get attached to them and become corrupt, they become a little paranoid, and they become tainted.... They are not just to be for a quick adventure, but should have a lot of planning involved and should be put there on purpose.
You should probably plant a little mystery into a new campaign by having the characters hear of legends of such wondrous things, and have them adventure for quite some time, maybe several levels, before finding one of these, if they ever find one at all.... It is plausible to base a set of adventures upon the item, anywhere from 4 to 10, or more, is possible. Just remember that these are not to be taken lightly as there is only one of them, and they are usually older than all the gods....
Tiki God
I know, it's quite an original name....
© 1998, C. Simons
A little stone carving of a long-faced man, almost cylindrical in shape, but with a nice long nose that gives definition, along with the ears. Rusty brown-red in color, and weighing about 1 pound, it is rather small. About 2 inches diameter, and 3.5 inches in heighth.
The Good Things
Adds a +1 to all saves where Constitution plays a role, may go up if the Tiki God desires.
When held in the left hand during battle, it will absorb half of the damage, making it's bond with the holder stronger.
The Not So Good Things
A charming little ability to grant the wishes of the holder, as long as they are malicious and nasty... and wished upon someone close to the holder.
Creates Battlelust.
Builds a longing for the jungle within the character, and the character slowly begins to prefer spears during battle.
Once the holder realizes what is going on, he will have enough will power and will be able to get rid of it. BUT, within 48 hours of disposing of it, it will turn up somewhere and he will see it and take notice. The eyes will glow momentarily, but only the holder can see this, it is it's calling card. It will always turn up, every 48 hours, in the oddest places, but never on the holder or in his belongings.
The only way to get rid of it is to go atop the (insert name of pyramid-or-so-type-place here) in the jungle (it's gotta be the jungle!) on the eve of the new year, and hold it above his head....