The Head of Vecna

You remember the Hand of Vecna and the Eye of Vecna that were artifacts in the old D&D world where if you cut off your hand (or your eye) and replaced it with the Hand of Vecna (or the Eye) you'd get new awesome powers? Well, Group One thought up The Head of Vecna.

Mark Steuer, recounting the tale

Two of the best-known[1] artifacts in Dungeons & Dragons are the Eye of Vecna and the Hand of Vecna. These were the remaining body parts of the Maimed God[2] after the betrayal of his most trusted lieutenant, Kas. In order to make use of the Hand of Vecna, a character must be touch it to the stump on his left arm where his missing left hand would be. The Eye of Vecna is less picky, either empty eye socket will do. In either case, you get some of Vecna's powers (at a price). Now imagine what powers a larger body part would grant... and ignore the obvious problems you'd have after decapitation. So many of the people in this tale did.

This gameplay report, as recounted by Mark Steuer, was first published in Steve Jackson Games' Daily Illuminator on December 6, 1996, and can be found here.

Tropes used in The Head of Vecna include:


  1. on this side of the fourth wall at least
  2. Vecna, not Tyr
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