Artifact

artifact, artefact, n., D&Dism: 1. in general usage, something created by humans usually for a practical purpose; esp. an object remaining from a particular period; from Latin arte "by skill" + factus, past part. of facere "to do"; c. 1821. 2. (gamerese) an archaeological find; something ancient, and often possessing magical powers. 3. synonymous with magic item. [GJ1]
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Addendum: In D&D parlance, artifacts are usually very very powerful magic items, often of divine origin. Any DM worth their oats hardly ever lets PC's have artifacts, due to their effects on game balance. [GF]