PREV UP NEXT Olympia: The Age of Gods PBEM (Oct 4 2000)

F.1: Combat Artifacts

Combat artifacts grant bonuses to attack or defense during combat. Some artifacts grant specific bonuses (e.g., a +5 bonus to defense against missile attacks), while others grant general bonuses (e.g., a +5 bonus to defense against all attacks). Some artifacts grant the bonus to the noble bearing the artifact, while others grant the bonus to the men he directly commands.

When a combat artifact is identified, it will reveal the bonuses it grants. For example:

8: > identify atq
8: [atq] Combat Artifact, +5 affects: personal melee attack

The bonus is added to the noble's attack or defense value, as appropriate. For artifacts that apply to the men he commands, the bonus is added to their attack or defense values, as appropriate.

It is possible to have artifacts with multiple bonuses:

8: > identify atq 8
8: [atq] Combat Artifact, +5 bonus affects: personal melee attack, 
8: commanded men missile defense

This artifact would give the men commanded by the noble +5 on both his personal melee attacks and on defense for the men in his command against missile attacks.

Only the best artifact for a particular bonus is applied. For example, if a noble had two artifacts, one of which provided a +5 bonus for missile attacks, and the other a +8 bonus for missile attacks, then only the latter would apply.

Here is the list of possible bonuses in a combat artifact:

personal melee attack

This bonus improves the user's melee attack.

personal missile attack This bonus improves the user's missile attack. If he has no missile attack, it has no effect.
personal special attack This bonus improves the user's special attacks. If he has no special attack, it has no effect. The bonus only applies to special attacks that use the "attack versus defense" resolution.
personal melee defense This bonus improves the user's defense against melee attacks.
personal missile defense This bonus improves the user's defense against missile attacks.
personal special defense This bonus improves the user's defense against special attacks. The bonus only applies to special attacks that use the "attack versus defense" resolution.
commanded men melee attack This bonus improves the melee attacks of the men the noble directly commands.
commanded men missile attack This bonus improves the missile attacks of the men the noble directly commands.
commanded men special attack This bonus improves the special attacks of the men the noble directly commands.
commanded men melee defense This bonus improves the defense against melee attacks of the men the noble directly commands.
commanded men missile defense This bonus improves the defense against missile attacks of the men the noble directly commands.
commanded men special defense This bonus improves the defense against special attacks of the men the noble directly commands.

Rumors tell of an exceedingly rare artifact called the "Ring of Heroes" that gives a +50 bonus to every aspect of combat.