Artifact & Ego ideas

[Mewtarthio]

Weathered Cross

Bear in mind, we're not in Generic Western Fantasyland. To my knowledge, nobody in Maj'Eyal is famous for claiming to be the Son of God before being executed on a cross. Nor is anyone especially religious: The closest you get is those creation myths, which uniformly agree that the gods have left this world.

[NemesisZeru]

Weathered Cross

Bear in mind, we're not in Generic Western Fantasyland. To my knowledge, nobody in Maj'Eyal is famous for claiming to be the Son of God before being executed on a cross. Nor is anyone especially religious: The closest you get is those creation myths, which uniformly agree that the gods have left this world.

Fair enough. I toyed with various different names and couldn't really find one I liked.

Also..I can't say I've see that, unfortunately. Ah well. Sorry. xP

[The Revanchist]

Perhaps just a generic "Sun-themed" trinket? A warmly glowing yellow bauble? Less thematic, though.

[A Meat]

I have some ideas:

Slinger's Respite
nature powered
crafted by a master
Shield - Tier 3
35 Dex, Armor training talent level 2 requirements
100 block value
6% fatigue
+7 Con
+12 Phys save
+10% Physical, Fire, Cold and Nature resist
50% chance on each successful block to shoot a projectile at 40% damage that knockbacks target up to 4 tiles.

Unnatural Shadow
Powered by psionic forces
Mindstar - Tier 5
Scales off of 40% Cun 40% Wil
+14 Mindpower
Category Cursed/Shadows +0.20 mastery
Category Cursed/One with the Shadows +0.20 mastery
+15% darkness, mind damage
+10% darkness, mind damage penetration
+1 additional shadow may be called upon
-1 hate cost for calling shadows
+1.00 hate per kill

Persevering Darkness
Powered by psionic forces
Mindstar - Tier 5
Scales with 60% Wil 20% Cun
+20 Mindpower
+12 Wil
+1.00 hate when hit
Category Cursed/Punishments +0.20 mastery
Category Cursed/Darkness +0.20 mastery
Category Cursed/Force of Will +0.20 mastery
+15% darkness, mind damage
+10% darkness, mind damage penetration
+10% all damage and damage penetration against enemies who have entered your creeping dark
Grants talent Dark Torrent at base level 3 with used item energy being 10/30 max

[The Revanchist]

Slinger's Respite
nature powered
crafted by a master
Shield - Tier 3
35 Dex, Armor training talent level 2 requirements
100 block value
6% fatigue
+7 Con
+12 Phys save
+10% Physical, Fire, Cold and Nature resist
50% chance on each successful block to shoot a projectile at 40% damage that knockbacks target up to 4 tiles.

This shield sounds pretty cool. It would probably boost a close-range Slinger's survivability quite a bit.

Unnatural Shadow
Powered by psionic forces
Mindstar - Tier 5
Scales off of 40% Cun 40% Wil
+14 Mindpower
Category Cursed/Shadows +0.20 mastery
Category Cursed/One with the Shadows +0.20 mastery
+15% darkness, mind damage
+10% darkness, mind damage penetration
+1 additional shadow may be called upon
-1 hate cost for calling shadows
+1.00 hate per kill

This.
...As much as I want to say Yes to infinity! I think that's gamebreaking. Even for a tier-5 artifact mindstar. Shadows are already really, really, really strong without those bonuses.
To nerf this concept somewhat, perhaps keep only the reduced cost to summon, the damage bonuses, and the mindpower bonus, and the hate-per-kill bonus. Maybe a bonus to mastery...

Persevering Darkness
Powered by psionic forces
Mindstar - Tier 5
Scales with 60% Wil 20% Cun
+20 Mindpower
+12 Wil
+1.00 hate when hit
Category Cursed/Punishments +0.20 mastery
Category Cursed/Darkness +0.20 mastery
Category Cursed/Force of Will +0.20 mastery
+15% darkness, mind damage
+10% darkness, mind damage penetration
+10% all damage and damage penetration against enemies who have entered your creeping dark
Grants talent Dark Torrent at base level 3 with used item energy being 10/30 max

Someone likes Doomed, eh?
This one is far less ridiculously awesome, I think. Although Punishments is unlocked with Cunning, not Willpower.
You might not want it, and I could understand, but Fears are Willpower-based.

As a sidenote, do we have any good Fear-buffing artifacts?

[Doctornull]

Shield - Tier 3
50% chance on each successful block to shoot a projectile at 40% damage that knockbacks target up to 4 tiles.

I feel like this should be an ego rather than an artifact.

Otherwise you're making a lifestyle choice based on one random drop and that's no good.

[PureQuestion]

Shield - Tier 3
50% chance on each successful block to shoot a projectile at 40% damage that knockbacks target up to 4 tiles.

I feel like this should be an ego rather than an artifact.

Otherwise you're making a lifestyle choice based on one random drop and that's no good.

I'd kinda like if artifacts did lend themselves to lifestyle choices.

[Doctornull]

Shield - Tier 3
50% chance on each successful block to shoot a projectile at 40% damage that knockbacks target up to 4 tiles.

I feel like this should be an ego rather than an artifact.

Otherwise you're making a lifestyle choice based on one random drop and that's no good.

I'd kinda like if artifacts did lend themselves to lifestyle choices.

You want it to be the case that you have to decide around level 10 to build your dude a specific way because you expect to get ONE SPECIFIC artifact? That's insane.

It's also against how DarkGod says he wants artifacts to be (ie: random, not reliable).

Having an artifact which also supports the lifestyle choice is a fine thing. Having the artifact be the ONLY way to support it is ... asking to be frustrated. Maybe that's your thing? It's not my thing.

[grayswandir]

Hungry Fang
Tier 3. A dagger, or maybe a mindstar.
Infused by the power of nature, this fang craves the blood of mages.
+30 bleed damage on hit.
Activated Talent (for 40 energy):
Range 6. Hit an enemy for X (mindpower) manaburn damage. If this deals damage, teleport next to them and hit them for 150% weapon damage.

[A Meat]

I feel like this should be an ego rather than an artifact.

Otherwise you're making a lifestyle choice based on one random drop and that's no good.

I'd kinda like if artifacts did lend themselves to lifestyle choices.

You want it to be the case that you have to decide around level 10 to build your dude a specific way because you expect to get ONE SPECIFIC artifact? That's insane.

It's also against how DarkGod says he wants artifacts to be (ie: random, not reliable).

Having an artifact which also supports the lifestyle choice is a fine thing. Having the artifact be the ONLY way to support it is ... asking to be frustrated. Maybe that's your thing? It's not my thing.

It's an issue I was thinking about, since an ego like that would be 100% useless for any of the classes that usually use a shield, and would just unnecessarily clutter up shields with effects that would rarely, if ever, be used. Even though I guess that since leather gloves can have Steady Shot as an activated skill, it's not that unthinkable to have "X% chance on successful block to shoot a projectile at Y% damage that knockbacks target up to Z tiles" rare ego on shields. Maybe that way more people would be inclined to play Sling Archers.

[PureQuestion]

You want it to be the case that you have to decide around level 10 to build your dude a specific way because you expect to get ONE SPECIFIC artifact? That's insane.

No. I want you to change your build on the fly to react to things that did drop, because that's interesting and dynamic gameplay, not plan out in advance for things you expect to get, which I find quite dull.

I want a player to have an item appear and think it'd be interesting to use.

Not decide that they have to have it when they may never.

[Doctornull]

It's an issue I was thinking about, since an ego like that would be 100% useless for any of the classes that usually use a shield, and would just unnecessarily clutter up shields with effects that would rarely, if ever, be used.

There's a super-easy fix for that: don't limit the ego to only that one thing.

Pair the free Sling attack on Block with a benefit (or two) which are generally useful, so the ego is decent for anyone but GREAT for that one guy who can get full use out of it.

You want it to be the case that you have to decide around level 10 to build your dude a specific way because you expect to get ONE SPECIFIC artifact? That's insane.

No. I want you to change your build on the fly to react to things that did drop, because that's interesting and dynamic gameplay, not plan out in advance for things you expect to get, which I find quite dull.

Builds are not things which can change "on the fly".

Expecting people to re-build their characters for ~your special artifact~ is not reasonable. They've already spent points they CANNOT get back.

[PureQuestion]

I didn't say all items should do that, but I'd love if some were good or interesting enough to make the player consider changing directions for it. It might be a futile desire, but it's certainly a compelling one.

[A Meat]

There doesn't seem to be a reason currently to actually equip pickaxes once you have any other tool.
Maybe if there are some egos than can grant some activated skills they would be useable.

I'd suggest having some of the skills activate-able on pickaxes be Earth/Stone/Sand Drake Aspect skills at low power: Pulverizing Auger, Earthquake, Mudslide, Quake, Swallow and Body of Stone. And have egos that remove the digging ability from pickaxes and instead give Burrow or Wraithform at a certain duration.

[Knaight]

Tentacle of The Deep
This tentacle instinctively reaches for any arrows near it, trying to throw them away from it.
Nature
Tier 2 Sling (Often found in The Lake of Nur)
Range 8
[Whatever effects]
Uses arrows, despite being a sling.

Visual: A tentacle positioned as if it just threw an arrow, sort of like an atlatl.

Hive's Armory
This tiny stone building is full of miniature weapons. The spears are just the right size for arrows.
Arcane
Tier 1 Quiver
High damage
-1 Range

Visual: An upside down stone tower used as a quiver.

Molten Orb
This flask holds some sort of bubbling mixture, sealed by a cork. The flask itself is slowly melting.
Arcane
Tier 1 Light
Light Radius 3
+5% Fire Damage
+20% Freeze/Stun Resistance
Gives some sort of fire ability.

Arrow of Atamathon
This huge arrow was fired at Atamathon, and almost punctured the armor.
Crafted by a Master
Tier 4 Quiver
1/1 Arrows
Reloads 1 arrow per turn
High damage
+100% damage against constructs