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In the world ofDungeons & Dragons, players strive to obtain magic items of every variety. While most are common tools that can be used to cast simple spells or levitate temporarily, others are extremely powerful items that can grant a player incredibly strong abilities.
Even further, there are relics: powerful artifacts that are deeply tied into the lore of Dungeons & Dragons and often serve as major plot points in a campaign. Relics take things a step further, as they can allow a player to harness the powers of a god. Given their notoriety, it is worth considering as a DM to include a relic or two into your campaign to add a bit of flair to your story.
What Are Relics In Dungeons & Dragons?
Relics are incredibly strong itemsobtained naturally or otherwise, allowing someone to use powerful abilities.Also referred to as “Artifacts,”they come in all shapes and sizes, from a small item that can fit in your pocket to a massive structure used in combat.
The most infamous example of an artifact is theEye of Vecna, from the undead lich himself. Along with a random assortment of magical properties, theEye of Vecna grants someone Truesight, X-Ray Vision, and a collection of spells they can cast.
On top of this, the Eye of Vecna has a long history of falling into the wrong hands in Dungeons & Dragons,making it an excellent plot toolto add to a campaign.
TheDungeon Master’s Guide contains dozens of available relicsand artifacts for you to choose from for your campaign.
Using Relics For Your Story
There can be many reasons why a particular person or group will want to uncover a relic. Whether for power or safeguarding,they make for excellent plot pointsfor a campaign.
As a Dungeon Master,you will want to give your party’s opposition a reason for their actions.In this case, perhaps they are going after a relic to revive an old god, or the party itself wants to hunt a relic that can kill an evil dragon.
Keep in mind thatartifacts and relics are not to be used commonly. Their main allure is their powerful nature and scarcity, as there are often only one of them at a time within the universe.
Try not to add too many relicsto oversaturate the story or at least provide a good reason for having multiple known relics simultaneously.
Relics can also beused to tell a story about the worlditself. Using the Orb of Dragonkind as an example, perhaps a powerful mage has an Orb of Dragonkind locked away in a magical prison. Eventually, you learn that that is the Orb that a group of cultists are after to free their Dragon leader within it.
In cases where you are completing worldbuilding and want your party to understand why the world is shaped a certain way,using relics as storytelling elements can be a far better optionthan having an NPC simply dumping exposition on them.
