What's the Hand and the Eye of Vecna?

Gomez · Post by **Gomez** » Sun Mar 18, 2001 7:39 pm

I'm sorry if this is a little unrelated to BG2. I'm rather new to the whole D&D thing. The Robe of Vecna description got me very interested, it mentions two other artifacts: the hand and eye of the lich vecna.

I've read some D&D magazines and the names also turn up there, so they must be pretty famous artifacts. What are their stats? Who has them?

Just a curiosity question

Savarius · Post by **Savarius** » Sun Mar 18, 2001 9:09 pm

Vecna was an incredibly powerful lich from the Greyhawk campaign setting, and his hand and eye were magical artifacts of tremendous power that would slowly corrupt the possessor until they were Chaotic Evil - the sort of things that might drive a whole campaign. As far as I know, Vecna eventually became a demi-power of Oerth.

The powers of these two items were left up to the individual DM to determine. If you can find an old 1st Edition DM's guide, or the Book of Artifacts, those items are listed there.

[This message has been edited by Savarius (edited 03-18-2001).]

Saigo · Post by **Saigo** » Mon Mar 19, 2001 1:01 pm

These two items were based on the Hand of Rhynn and the Eye of Kwll from Michael Moorc*o*c*k's Corum series -- very good books. Basically, the eye could see into a pocket dimension. The hand could call forth the Uundead creatures in the pocket and they had to fight for the weilder of the hand in order to be free. Then they would be replaced in the pocket by the newly dead enemies. And so on....

The Hand and Eye of Vecna were similar but had more power.

Jhareth of house Noquar · Tue Jun 19, 2001 9:18 am

There is also a GREAT module written for AD&D 2nd ed., in which someone finds the hand of Vecna, and uses it. Of course, he is quickly corrupted by the evil, and begins a quest for the other Vecna artifacts. If I remember correctly, he finds the eye, and some of the teeth of Vecna. By joining these items to his corrupted mortal/artifact body, he essentially becomes Vecna... and begins a reign of terror which must be stopped by, you guessed it, you. In fact, I think he killed a few members of the Council of Eight before the remaining council members ask the PCs for help...
anyone else remember this module?

Metatron · Post by **Metatron** » Tue Jun 19, 2001 10:31 am

Actually, in revised DND, Vecna is now a greyhawk god, though he still takes the form of a one-handed lich.