D&D: Every Artifact In The 2024 DM’s Guide, Ranked

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Among the magic items in , there are a select few pieces of gear that qualify as «artifacts.» These items are among the most powerful in the game, and obtaining them often takes a campaign's worth of work. While many of them belong to various creatures within the lore of the Forgotten Realms by default, they can be obtained and used by players who seek them out. 11 are included in the 2024, some returning from previous source books, others entirely new.

Aside from having properties equivalent to those of many legendary items, most artifacts have several randomly-determined powers, are often sentient with their own goals and personalities, and can only be destroyed in specific ways. Given the complex stories that exist around each of these items, finding or destroying one could be the crux of an entire adventure. But which of these artifacts is the most powerful, when put in the hands of the player characters?

Of all the artifacts included in the 2024, the Book of Vile Darkness is by far the most harmful to its user, both in terms of damage and detriments. The book, originally made by the feared arch-lich Vecna but added to over the years, is full of the most evil and disturbing knowledge in the universe. Spending 80 hours reading gives creatures a handful of benefits, including being able to cast a handful of necromantic spells and gaining a +2 bonus to any ability score (at the cost of a –2 penalty to another score).

Many artifacts, including this one, only work if the user is morally aligned with them. While the alignment chart can be restrictive when applied to player characters, it is also important in understanding how these items function.

However, the book suffers from the danger associated with players using it. Non-fiend or undead creatures who try to attune to the book may turn into a larva permanently, and it comes with three minor and two major random detrimental effects. One of the book's other powers lets the user read a page and damage creatures