Editing v0.34:Legendary artifact

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{{Quality|Exceptional|18:18, 13 March 2012 (UTC)}}

[[File:Announce.png|thumb|right|500px|Example of an [[announcement]]...announcing...the creation of a legendary artifact: in this case, a glorified [[millstone]].]]
Dwarves in [[strange mood]]s will create '''legendary artifacts''': unique, "named" [[item]]s which are of unsurpassable [[Item quality|quality]] (and often [[value]] as well). An artifact is the ultimate expression of a [[dwarf]]'s desires, fears, memories and hopes in art form, and each dwarf will produce at most one in their lives (or [[insanity|die]] trying). Dwarves that create an artifact immediately gain enough [[experience]] to boost them to [[legendary]] level in the affected [[Strange mood#Skills and workshops|skill]], unless they were [[Strange mood#Possessed|possessed]].
 
Dwarves drop artifacts in the [[workshop]] as soon as they are made. They cannot be traded, but most can be used just like any item of its type. A list of all artifacts that the fortress has created can be seen by pressing {{k|l}}.

== Uses ==
Artifacts are normally of extremely high [[value]] and [[quality]], and can be used just like normal items of their type; they're therefore extremely useful in any situation where value or quality are important. Note that material and weight calculations still apply, so an artifact sword made of dingo bone or an artifact breast plate made of gold are not going to be overwhelmingly powerful.

=== Furniture ===
Artifact [[furniture]] of high value can be placed in [[room]]s to greatly increase the room's value (and hence quality), which can be useful to meet the room quality requirements of [[noble]]s. They can also be placed in high traffic areas of the fort, so that dwarves that pass by (or over) them will get happy [[thought]]s from admiring them. Artifact [[mechanism]]s can be turned into [[lever]]s and [[trap]]s, which count as furniture.

Certain artifact types (barrels, buckets, mechanisms, etc) can be used as components in some buildings; doing so will multiply the artifact's effect on fortress value.

=== Weapons ===
Artifact weapons get a large &times;3 quality bonus to their weapon accuracy and armor deflection values (compared to &times;2 to masterwork); this is not enough to make totally inappropriate materials competitive with [[steel]] masterwork equipment. Also note that while they will be half again more accurate, artifact blades do not have a sharper edge than masterwork items of their material; in other words, their material type modifiers remain unchanged, and they will do no more damage than a regular item of their type (though they will never dull.)

Artifact [[weapon]]s (if not being used in the military) can be put into a [[trap#Weapon Trap|weapon trap]], which will make it count as valuable [[furniture]]. Artifact [[door]]s and [[hatch]]es provide indestructible, instantly lockable gates.

=== Finished Goods ===
[[File:Artifact Storage.png|thumb|right|300px|Finished goods are not particularly useful, only adding to your [[wealth]] (and all of the things that entails). This bin is clutter for the fortress, but any and every thief's dream score, an object of worship for three different [[kobold]] [[civilization]]s.]]
An artifact [[gem]] is called a perfect gem and functions the same as a large gem, having all the same uses, i.e., none.

Artifact [[finished goods]] solely add to value of your fortress, or they can be traded in Adventurer Mode.

=== Mechanisms ===

Artifact mechanisms deserve particular note due to their versatility.  When placed as a [[lever]] or a [[trap]], their high value contributes to the room as furniture; a trap created in this manner will also be extremely accurate and deadly. But most importantly, weapon traps made using artifact mechanisms will '''never jam'''.  Beyond the obvious utility this adds to fortress defense, this means that they can be used for a number of projects requiring an endlessly-effective trap -- for instance, with the help of a [[necromancer]], they can be used to grind up [[corpse]]s your dwarves refuse to [[butcher]] until all that is left is unusable parts and [[bone]]s.

=== Cages ===

Artifact cages are apparently intended to be impossible for creatures to escape.  However, due to a bug, the logic appears to be backwards -- currently, creatures can eventually escape from [[artifact]] cages, but not from lower-quality cages.{{bug|6117}}

== Adventure Mode ==

Artifacts can include books written by historical figures. Where they are stored is recorded during worldgen, and can be discovered in Legends mode.

== Other notes ==
Sometimes dwarves will grow particularly attached to [[weapon]]s and [[armor]], and if they become attached enough, they will name their armor/weapons. The armor/weapon will then be listed as an artifact. What causes dwarves to name their weapons is unknown - time alone will suffice (though it may take a very long time), but slaying an important historical figure such as a [[forgotten beast]] will often be enough.

Artifacts cannot be destroyed by temperature extremes{{verify}}, building destroyers, [[cave-ins]], or fire, although they will ignite and burn as is normal for their material type.  They can be lost in pits, carried off the map by flows, stolen by thieves, or atom-smashed by bridges.  The loss of an artifact does not appear to affect the happiness of its creator.

After creation, an artifact cannot be further decorated (by encrusting it with gems, studding it with metal, or have images sewn into it). Your pitiful gabbro scepter cannot be made more valuable.

Artifacts disappear from the artifact list upon abandoning a fortress.

Artifact creation has a wider selection of possible item types for several skills, occasionally resulting in artifact items that could not be made normally, like bone shields or metal beds.

Artifacts and their mechanics were the topic of [[Main:Dwarf Fortress Talk|Dwarf Fortress Talk]] [http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_7_transcript.html #7]. The future of artifacts was discussed in a [http://www.bay12games.com/media/df_talk_7_transcript_2.html separate portion] of that cast.

Artifacts can be disabled in [[D_init.txt]]

Artifacts created by happy dwarves (i.e. not fell or macabre moods) have a 1% chance to be named after the dwarf who created them.

{{Category|Items}}
{{Category|Lore}}