Artifacts

Mage Knight Dungeons Artifacts include objects that give your dungeon more atmosphere, diversity and character. The following rules define how each artifact is encountered and used. Using artifacts may add additional time to your game.

## Placing Artifacts

Artifacts are placed on the board during "Step 3: Place Special Terrain and Doors" in the Advanced Rules for Mage Knight Dungeons. Use all the standard rules for placing objects in the dungeon. Players must agree on the artifacts to be used before the game begins. No part of an artifact can replace a square containing Blocking Terrain. Artifacts are not unique, so more than one of each kind can be placed in a dungeon.

## Artifact Tokens

Artifact tokens are two-sided tokens that are placed in the dungeon under certain artifacts. One side shows the words Artifact Token. This is the side on top when the token is placed in the dungeon. The table on the reverse side shows the benefit or curse the artifact bestows on the Hero. These tables come in three levels, indicated by the colors yellow (weak), blue (standard) and red (tough). Separate the tables by color into three piles. Then turn over each pile to the Artifact Token side, and mix up the tokens in that pile. When an artifact is placed in the dungeon, look at the bottom of the artifact. The information printed there shows the tokens to place under the artifact.

## Artifact Rules

* Only Heroes, or figures used by players in their heroic team, can use artifacts.
* An artifact can be used only once per activation.
* Artifacts cannot be attacked, destroyed or damaged.
* Artifacts are considered Hindering Terrain. It costs 2 speed points to move through a square with an artifact.
* A figure cannot end its movement in a square containing an artifact.
* Specific rules may modify or replace these basic rules.

## Artifact Types

There are two kinds of artifacts in Dungeons - Exotic Artifacts and Dungeons Dressing. The Exotic Artifacts use Artifact tokens, while Dungeon Dressings have special rules.

### Exotic Artifacts

To use an exotic artifact, the Hero must be in a square adjacent to the artifact and the artifact must be in the Hero’s front arc. It costs 4 speed points to use the artifact. Once the artifact is used, the Hero’s activation ends. As the player uses the artifact, he or she takes the first token from under the artifact and receives the benefit or curse of the artifact. Use the MK Dungeons Attacks by Objects rules to resolve any close-combat attack made by an artifact.

Some artifacts grant special abilities. An ability granted by an artifact is permanent; the figure never loses the ability, regardless of how much damage it takes. The token remains with the figure. Even if the figure already has a special ability for that stat, it gains the new ability. The new ability is permanently in that slot. Magic items or new combat dial abilities that may appear do not replace it. If a figure is eliminated from the game, it loses the new ability. The same special ability can only be gained once per Hero. Some abilities are optional. A player can choose whether or not to use an optional ability.

If the artifact bestows an item on the figure, use the standard rule for items that are found in the Mage Knight Dungeons rules. The item must be assigned to the figure at the beginning of each turn. All non-item tokens must be used immediately unless otherwise stated. Once used, place tokens back into the token pile of the appropriate color. Even if a token doesn’t affect a Hero (for example, healing granted to an uninjured Hero), those tokens are still considered used and are placed back into the appropriate pile. Some effects require items, Heroes or Mage Spawn to be placed in the dungeon. Place the items or figures on the open square closest to the Hero using the artifact. In multi-player games, if any Mage Spawn appear, they are placed and immediately marked with movement counters.

Each level (color) has a special token that states “Refresh all Artifacts.” When this token is revealed, add enough tokens of the appropriate color to every artifact in play to return that artifact to its maximum number of tokens. Mix each color token pile again before adding tokens to the artifacts.

### Dungeon Dressing

These items have unique rules. Do not place artifact tokens under these artifacts.

#### Furniture

Chairs and tables function as moveable Hindering terrain. They can be destroyed with the use of a Flame/Lightning or Shockwave attack. Chairs have a defense value of 7; tables have a defense value of 10. If an attack using one of these special abilities succeeds, remove the artifact from the board and replace it with a Hindering terrain counter. Use 1 terrain counter for chairs, 2 terrain counters for tables. Place the terrain counters in the squares previously occupied by the furniture.

##### Chair

Chairs can be picked up and moved by a Hero, but may never occupy the same square as the Hero. Moving a chair increases the cost of movement by +1 per square. The player moving the chair places the chair in a square when the figure’s movement ends. The Bound, Charge, Nimble, Quickness, Sneak Attack, Stealth and Sweep special abilities cannot be used while carrying a chair.

##### Table

A table must be placed on 2 squares in a 1 x 2 pattern, but not on a diagonal. Tables can be moved by a Hero, but may never occupy the same square as the Hero. Moving a table increases the cost of movement by +2 per square. The player moving the table chooses the squares the table occupies when the figure’s movement ends. The Bound, Charge, Nimble, Quickness, Sneak Attack, Stealth and Sweep special abilities cannot be used while carrying a table.

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-Dungeons-Artifacts-Rules-2002.pdf
2. ↑ https://www.mageknight.net/wp-content/uploads/Mage-Knight-Dungeons-Artifacts-Rules-2002.pdf