Artifacts are rare and powerful objects found in the OASIS. Each arftifact is unique, and has its own special power. They are usually obtained by completing specific quests, or "dungeons," but it was stated that artifacts "sometimes appear" as random drops from high-level bosses or NPCs.
The following is a list of artifacts mentioned in the book, and their respective unique powers. Several others were mentioned off-hand in the book, but are not important nor detailed or exact enough to list. All "owners" are "current" per the end of book one, Ready Player One. Warning: "Ownership" descriptions DO contain spoilers. "Starting Location" descriptions sometimes contain minor spoilers.
- Hayata's Beta Capsule - Description: Allows an avatar to change into Ultraman once a day for 3 minutes. If the avatar fails to deactivate it before time is up, they automatically shrink back to normal size, usually disoriented and largely unable to fight. Ownership: Owned by Parzival (after presumably picking up all dropped artifacts after The Cataclyst was detonated). It was dropped by himself during the Cataclyst explosion, so it presumably was picked up again by him along with most of the other artifacts. Starting Location: Large, high-level dungeon completed by the Japanese "brothers" (Daisho) and Parzival. Kept by one of the three of them since.
- Fyndoro's Tablet of Finding - Description: The most valuable artifact in the OASIS during the egg contest. S "flat circle of polished black stone" that allows an avatar to track the location of another avatar by writing their name on the tablet. This artifact can only be used once per day and has some other limitations: It will show planet only if the avatar is in the same sector as the user, otherwise it will just show sector, and it will show exact coordinates only if the user is on the same planet as the avatar, and otherwise (same sector, but not planet) it will just show planet. Ownership: Owned by Nolan Sorrento's IOI character, who is killed, then The Cataclyst is detonated, then Parzival presumably picks up dropped artifacts, so his character is most probably in possession of this artifact. Starting Location: Unknown. Auctioned off to IOI for a large sum of money (anonymously and amid a clan bid war).
- Orb of Osuvox - Description: Allows a level 99 avatar to create an impenetrable and indestructable shield in the form of a sphere with a circumference of up to half a kilometer. Ownership: Owned by a wizard who dies in an explosion of an antimatter friction bomb meant to bring down the shield, then The Cataclyst is detonated, then Parzival presumably picks up dropped artifacts, so his character is most probably in possession of this artifact. Starting Location: Unknown. Presumably found, stolen, won, or bought by the IOI.
- 1981 Quarter - Description: Allows an avatar to be resurected in the same spot, with the same level and stats, but object-less if killed in the OASIS. While active, it is unable to be taken out of inventory or scanned in any way. One-time use. Ownership: Parzival possesses it pre-detonation (by achieving a perfect score on PACMAN), and it ressurects him post-Cataclyst detonation. It appears to have lost all magical powers, and it is the only item in his inventory when he ressurects. It can now be removed from his inventory and examined, essentially nullified after its presumable one-time use. Starting Location: Halliday's memorial museum, on top of a Pacman game in a remote corner. An avatar must complete a perfect game in order to free up this artifact.
- Chucks - Description: Black Chuck Taylor All Star Shoes. They bestow the wearer with both speed and flight, as well as adjusting to fit an avatar's feet. Not much else is known about or thought to be possessed by the shoes. Ownership: Parzival picks them up after Art3mis' Cataclyst death, but promises to give them back to her. He presumably does, so they are supposedly in Art3mis' possession, if not Parzival's. Starting Location: Unknown, presumably Art3mis finds, steals, wins, or buys it.
- Sword of the Ba'Heer - Description: Nothing is specifically known about this sword, other than that it is indestructible, and that it belonged to Aech. Maybe earned for a pvp battle prize or the like? Ownership: Parzival picks it up post-Cataclyst detonation. Its whereabouts are unknown as neither of the friends mention it at the very end of the book, unlike what happened with the "Chucks." Starting Location: Unknown, presumably Aech finds, steals, wins, or buys it.
- The Cataclyst - A single use magical bomb that would instantly kill all avatars and NPCs in the entire sector it was detonated in. It is stated as a one-time use, purchased by IOI, then is used to get close to capturing the third gate by destroying nearly half of the avatars logged into OASIS (who are currently in the sector and battling the IOI). Presumably, it is nullified (like the 1981 Quarter) or destroyed after the one use. If nullified, it is most likely picked up as Parzival scavenges the destroyed land for the "Chucks" taking artifacts that he finds. Starting Location: Unknown. IOI buys it for a hefty sum anonymously.