Master DM's Book: Artifacts

The Master DMs book includes a lengthy section on artifacts, describing four categories (minor, lesser, major, greater) along with general characteristics, powers, and adverse effects.

Table from D&D Master Set (1985)

Artifacts are created by the Immortals and contain a concentration of an Immortal’s personal power.  The maximum power investment, or power level, determines the charges at full capacity.

The number and types of powers depend on the magnitude of the artifact, divided between attack forms, information/movement, transformations and defenses:

A. Attack Forms (including Direct Physical Attacks, Direct Mental Attacks, Attacks that Stop or Slow, Miscellaneous Attack Forms, and Bonuses to Attacks)

B. Information & Movement (including Aids to Normal Senses, Additional Senses, Aids to Movement, and Aids to Offset Encumbrance)

C. Transformations (including Creations and Summonings, Static Changes, and Dynamic Changes)

D. Defenses (including Cures, Personal Bonuses, Personal Protections, Misdirection, and Barriers)

Each use of a power drains charges equal to the cost of the power used.  An artifact recharges itself at a rate depending on its magnitude.  If charges drop below 10, no power may be used until the artifact is recharged.

Adverse effects, arising due to the presence of “entropy” in the components of an artifact, are classified as either Handicaps (permanent effects) or Penalties (which can be dispelled).