Enc.:	IS:	-	Aura:	GP:  60k
Artifacts & Relics	-	<8Magic Items8>	-	DMG

The arch-lich Vecna supposedly imbued both his hand (left) and his eye (see the foregoing listing)
with wondrous and horrible powers enabling them to persist long after his other remains mouldered
away into dust (cf, Eye of Vecna). Tales say that the Hand appears to be a
mummified extremity, a blackened and shriveled hand, possibly from a
burned body. If the wrist portion is pressed against the stump of a forearm,
it will instantly graft itself to the limb and become a functioning member
with 18/00 strength in its grip (no "to hit" or damage bonuses). The Hand
will eventually turn the alignment of the host character to neutral evil as
explained hereafter.

The host character may use any minor power without fear, but as soon as a
major power of the Hand is used, he or she awakes a spirit of great evil.
(You, the DM, should then begin an insidious campaign of suggestion and
urging towards evil on that character's part.) When a primary power is
used, the host will instantly become neutral evil - very evil. The Hand can
be severed from the host at any time before its powers are used with 100%
certainty, but each major power use subtracts 1% from the probability, and
each use of a primary power makes success 10% less likely. Whenever
100% subtraction has occurred there is no possibility of removing the
Hand, and the character will know this.

To use any power, the fingers of the Hand must be extended, curled, or
whatever in different combinations. The powers and effects are:
 

10 x 1	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
5 x II	**	**	**	**	**
2 x III	***	***
2 x IV	****	****
2 x V	*****	*****
1 x VI	******

Remember that NOTHING SHORT OF INTERVENTION FROM THE MOST
POWERFUL OF GODS CAN ALTER THE EFFECTS OF VECNA'S HAND UPON ITS
HOST, and it is urged that even the greatest of deities will be loath to
ottempt to undertake meddling with any host creature - so allow the effects
to be irrevocable.

Note: Devise the combinotions of finger/hand positions you have assigned
to each power and record them, i.e. fist = ( ), thumb down = ( ),
pointing little finger = ( ), etc. Keep this chart handy and make the host
character use the positions to use a power of the Hand.

Question: At what level does the Hand of Vecna operate for the purposes of overcoming magic resistance?

Answer: 21st level. — J. Wells
l l l

Notes:

I. MINOR BENIGN POWERS
21: Infravision when held or worn <transfer to the Eye>
28: Pass without trace - 1 time/day
34: Remove fear by touch
30: Possessor immune to fear
38: Speak with dead - 1 time/day
7: Color spray - 3 times/day
17: Feather fall when grasped and ordered
35: Sanctuary when held or worn - 1 time/day
1: Adds 1 point to possessor’s major attribute
20: Hypnotic pattern (when moved) - 3 times/day

II. MAJOR BENIGN POWERS
49: Wizard eye - 2 times/day <transfer to the Eye>
18: Fear by touch or gaze
29: Paralyzation by touch
14: Dispel magic upon command- 2 times/day
35: Slow - 1 time/day

III. MINOR MALEVOLENT POWERS
4: Deafness for 1-4 turns when first used against an enemy
24: Yelling becomes necessary to invoke spells with verbal components

IV. MAJOR MALEVOLENT POWERS
21: Sacrifice 10,000-60,000 g.p. worth of gems and/or jewelry to activate item for 1 day
32: User withers and ages 3-30 years each time the primary power is used, eventually turning the possessor into a deathless withered zombie guardian of the item

V. PRIME POWERS
27: Temporal stasis, no saving throw, upon touch - 1 time/month
24: Summon 1 of each type of elemental, 16 hit dice each, no need for control - 1 time/week

VI. SIDE EFFECT
18: Whenever this item is used as a weapon to strike an enemy, it does
double normal damage to the opponent but the wielder takes
(normal) damage just as if he or she had been struck by the item

Author: Brian Blume

Quote:
Originally posted by jester47
Gary,

I have to admit that I am very much a Vecna fan. I figure you might have an inside view of Vecnology and might be able to answer my questions.

[snippage]

Even the smallest details would be appreciated.

Aaron.
Smallest detail indeed and perforce.
Brian blume was the creator of the Eye and Hand of Vecna, and nary a detail of those items did he ever reveal to me--beyond what appeared in print, I hasten to add

All I can say other than that is that some clever DM included the "Head of Vecna" in his adventure material, and at least two players instigated the demise of their characters attempting to take advantage of this marvelous opportnity to gain the greatest of powers.
ROTFLMAO!

Cheers,
Gary
 
 

Originally posted by jester47
Hello again Gary, I have returned to puzzle you once more!

yeahright!

You mentioned above that Brian B. was the creator of Vecna. Do you know if there is any way to contact him, if he would mind being contacted and if so how I should contact him?

And for your time I guess I should feed the dragon:

Here's one-

There once was a jeweler named Hasan. One night five of Ali Baba's men broke into Hasan's shop and stole some diamonds. They entered the shop one at a time. The first thief took half the diamonds, and then began to leave. He changed his mind and decided to take another. The second took half of what was left plus another. The third did the same. As did the fourth. When the fifth entered the shop he did so to discover that there were no diamonds left. How many diamonds did Hasan have in his shop?

Enjoy!

Aaron.
 

As for Brian Blume, it will probably not come as a surprise to learn that I do not have any truck with that individual. When he sees me he heads the opposite direction with some alacrity. He lives here in Lake Geneva. Last I heard he was employed making tools and dies. From there it's up to you. I have no addy info.

Now as to diamonds, is that "Took another" another diamond or another half of the remaining stones? If the "another" is a single stone, we can't be dealing with halves, of course, as there would be odd numbers involved...

Cheerio,
Gary
 
 

Originally Posted by ColonelHardisson
Thanks for the quick response, Gary! It's most appreciated. Another question: just for the sake of discussion, let's say you had wanted to have gunpowder exist in a modern/future Greyhawk setting. Do you have any thoughts on how it's existence would have come about, such as who might've invented/manufatured it?

Another question, which I know has been addressed to some extent:

I know Vecna wasn't your creation (I forget whose it was). Did you ever use the character as anything but the backstory for the Hand and Eye? That is, did he ever make a "personal appearance" at some point? I never thought much of the way Vecna was made a god by those who worked on Greyhawk after you left. Had you ever contemplated making him a god? Or was he always to remain a campaign "boogie man"? My own thoughts were to bring him back along the lines of the ancient Acheron wizard in R.E. Howard's "Hour of the Dragon" (if I am remembering correctly), and have him come looking to collect him missing appendages. Any thoughts?
 

Hi Colonel 

Faraer is correct about Vecna.
I must admit I love the recent tales about the "Head of Vecna," though.
your thought regarding the use of Vecna as a "boogy man" is excellent...providing the PCs have gained nis eye and/or hand.
Perhaps he's want to add a few of their appendages and organs to his own repertorie in the process of gaining his own back.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by foehammerx
Vecna, Is he your creation. Is he the first lich, Was he arround or involved with the Twin Caticlisms.

Brian blume made uo the artifacts with the name "Vecna."
All after that was devised by who knows which persons. In any event, as the term "lich" is found in dictionaries, Vecna could not be the first of that sort.
 
 
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Henry

After the whole Head of Vecna debacle, I doubt very many will be clamoring for this artifact. 

Debacle?
I'd say amusing farce is a more accurate description of the matter.
A tale to be told and retold amidst gales of mirth!

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by gideon_thorne
We may need to amputate! <big grin>

Peter wants the Head of Vecna...a likely great improvement in regards political temper <stick out tongue>

Cheerio,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by gideon_thorne
Might look great on my mantle next to the original Darth Vader mask we have. <smile>

Bah!

If the head fits, wear it <EEK!>

Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by gideon_thorne
Just wait, he's going to start with the in-vecna-tive next. 

Keep an eye on it and give me a hand when I do <cool>

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by BOZ
just remember, gary: vecna cares... 

I still have to laugh when I hear about the Head of Vecna 

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by rossik
hi gary, long time i dont write here, but its always a pleasure talk to you.

im trying to translate some information about my favorite adventures to portuguese (my native language), and while writing about tomb of horrors, i foundo something about acererak being a student of vecna.

this wasnt planed by you, was it?

wish you the best, as always

As far as I am concerned, there is absolutely no connection between Acererak and Vecna!

Cheers,
Gary

Comments
Vecna Lives! Acererak Githes . . .
Good show, Colonel!

The Hand and Eye of Vecna