Legendary Artifact

The Witness

Created by Liam Holloway, given to David Vance.
A steel locket in a modern, dog-tag style. Dark gems line up to form an eye on the cover. Anyone opening the Witness will see a picture of someone who blames them (right or wrong) for their death.

This Pistol is a Tangfoglio Witness chambered in 40. SW. The weapon is Chrome with a custom red grip, which has been embossed with an Eye. Bullets fired from this gun are "ghost bullets" that cease to exist after impact. These shots can be as silent as the grave, or they howl like banshees depending on the mood of the wielder.

This weapon has been modified with an Auto Switch, & is capable of burst fire.

This Artifact can be used as a handgun. It is roughly the same size as a handgun but can be collapsed into a Steel Locket and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +2 Weapon Damage.

Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their mind and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Trauma: Medic! You must roll Self-Control to not immediately attempt to Stabilize any wounded person.. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Bane: Injuries dealt to Murderers are increased by 2 Severity levels.
  • Infinite Ammo: This weapon never runs out of its standard ammunition.
  • Silencer: The report of any shots you fire may be made silent at will.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.
  • Rifles are +1 Difficulty to use in melee range. Sniper Rifles are +3 Difficulty to use without a tripod or in melee range. Setting up a tripod takes an Action.

The eye of the locket shimmers as this effect is employed, & ghosts, either through whispers or fleeting glimpses, will direct the wielder to find those on the thresh hold of death or beyond it; just the same, the artifact alerts those detected that there is someone here who can help them...

Exert your Mind and spend an Action.

You automatically detect all ghosts and creatures with unstabilized wounds within 300 feet of you for the next hour. This includes any who come within range during the duration. You have a sense of how many valid targets are nearby, as well as their distance and direction.

If no ghosts or creatures with unstabilized wounds targets are within 300 feet of you, and then one enters range, you automatically detect it, even if this Effect is not active.

All ghosts and creatures with unstabilized wounds who you can sense are equally able to sense you.

  • This Effect does not satisfy the line of sight targeting requirement for other Effects.

The "Eye" of the Witness shimmers, & the temperature drops in the area - the voices of the dead Crescendo to whomever wields the Witness, becoming almost deafening - echoes will linger as long as they bear the cursed amulet. Those that raise the dead share in the agonies of death, the loss of life, & are occasionally scarred by what they see on the Other Side.

The Wanderer forged the Witness out of Halo steel & Hell's own jewels. It is a terrible burden to bear.

Exert your Mind, spend one minute, and select a specific place, person, or item within arm’s reach. Select a Dead target within arm's reach that has died within the last month. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma.

Your target rises as an Animate being which is ghostlike and incorporeal, unable to physically interact with the real world, though they may pass through walls. They must Concentrate to be seen or heard. They remember their past life and retain their same personality. They can communicate as they would have been able to in life. They may roll Mind, Difficulty 8, to resist any commands you give them.

The creature lasts until it strays at least 80 feet from the chosen place, person, or item or until it dies again. It is revived at full health. Any Injuries it had in life are not accounted for when determining its penalties or progression towards re-death, though they may affect its ability to perform certain actions at GM's discretion.

Raised creatures have their Abilities set to the same that they were in life. Their Attributes are all the same as they were in life. Raised creatures have access to any Effects they had in life.

Your risen ghost may "rest" inside the object, location, or person they are bound to and emerge whenever they wish. A maximum of one ghost may hide in a given shackle at a time.

Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their body and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Battle Scar: Tinnitus (ghost voices). If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.

Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their mind and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Trauma: Last Wish: If a ghost or dying person makes a request of you, you must roll Self-Control to not fulfill it. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

The Witness has grown in power - it cannot be destroyed, & the ghostly shots are lethal to even the most unusual creatures.

This Artifact has been upgraded.

This Artifact receives 3 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +3 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice. While it is upgraded, the item cannot be destroyed.

Upgraded weapons count as any material your opponent might be particularly vulnerable to. Upgraded Armor cannot be circumvented by called shots. Upgraded Devices do not run out of fuel or energy.

Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their mind and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Trauma: Haunted. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

  • "Destroyed" in this context means "prevented from functioning for its primary purpose", so for instance, an upgraded land mine would still explode as normal if triggered, even though it cannot be "destroyed" and a car's windows may still be broken.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used. The same is true for extra dice.
  • Extra dice from this Effect do not apply to Gift activation rolls.
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Community Artifacts

A Debt, Paid in Full

Created by Winsley Herman, given to Chris.
A silver coin with a particular sigil and the trigger word on one side and a smooth face on the other. when held in your hand and upon saying the trigger word. "Uvhash" the true name of Diva, blood will seep from your fingertips and create up to 3 battle butlers for you to command.

You hold out the imbued coin and chant the trigger phrase and blood seeps out of your nails. The blood pools and boils until 3 seemingly human butlers rise from the puddle. They are servants of the god of ultraviolence, they despise all those which cannot bleed for they cannot pay the red tithe. The butlers all appear middle aged, with bald heads and well groomed mustaches. They wear red and black tuxedos and carry an era of professionalism, despite their love for bloodlust.

Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend an Action.

Summon up to 3 Sapient Battle Butlers at your location. They last until they are destroyed They are controlled by the GM but will follow any commands you give. They will attack any nonliving, Animate targets they encounter immediately and will ignore your commands to do otherwise. This Artifact may have at most 3 minions active at a time.

  • Initiative: Minions act directly after you in Combat starting the Round after they are summoned.
  • Combat: Minions roll 4 dice to dodge, Grapple, or make shooting Attacks. Their unarmed Attacks are melee range and deal +2 Damage.
  • Body/Mind: Minions have 5 Body. Your minions roll 3 Mind resistance dice.
  • Armor: Minions have 1 Armor.
  • Movement: Minions can move 15 feet per Round as Free Movement and double that when performing an all-out Sprint.
  • Intelligence: Minions have human-level intelligence and can speak your language. They can use equipment, Artifacts, and Consumables. However, they cannot Exert their Mind.
  • Actions: Any Perception checks they make are rolled with 3 dice. Any other roll is made with 3 dice. They can lift and haul as though they have 2 Brawn.
  • Unusual: Minions are not obviously Alien.

Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their body and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Battle Scar: hemophilia: Unstablized wounds worsen in half the time.. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.

If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.

  • Minions die if targeted with Energy Transfer (before the Effect resolves) or if an Artifact or Consumable they use would Injure them or cause them to roll Trauma.
  • Minions will only attack nonliving, Animate targets that are larger than a mouse.
  • The sacrificial Injury received from activating this Effect cannot be prevented by any means or healed before 1 day has passed. It is shared with all Effects that use sacrifice. This Injury does not requires Stabilization or cause Battle Scars when it becomes Severe.
  • Your minions may count as additional targeting types based on their flavor. For example: Living, Computer, Creature, etc.

Meteorite Wrench

Created and held by Kee.
A Wrench made from meteorite that Kee acquired through..somewhat legal means

Kee slams her wrench down onto the object, chipping off a small amount of meteorite scrap into the object, enhancing it

Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. You must use up a Meteorite Scrap in order to activate this Effect. Can be used on Armor.

Lasts the next day. Your target receives 2 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +2 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice. If it is a piece of Armor, it instead receives half that amount as bonus armor rating, rounded up. If an upgraded shield and armor are both worn, the upgrade bonus does not stack with itself.

Upgraded weapons count as any material your opponent might be particularly vulnerable to. Upgraded Armor cannot be circumvented by called shots. Upgraded Devices do not run out of fuel or energy.

  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used. The same is true for extra dice.
  • Extra dice from this Effect do not apply to Gift activation rolls.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Old God's Necklace

Created by Henry Avery, given to Morgan Wells.
.

A small snake keychain made out of steel, and inlaid with copper. Upon looking closer it resembles the world snake.

If the user of the keychain focus, and maintains that focus, they can pick up on heat signatures.

Some of the cooler snakes in this world do in fact have heat vision. Jörmangandr, the world serpent, is one of these cool snakes.

Disclaimer: picture is not mine, belongs to Saulforged. He is a pretty cool blacksmith on instagram.

You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

Your senses are enhanced in the following way.

  • Thermal: You are able to "see" heat signatures within your line of sight.

Any heightened senses require you to maintain Concentration to use, and do not apply to any passive Perception checks.

  • Your thermal vision allows you to judge temperatures of surfaces fairly accurately as long as they are within livable temperatures.

Ancestor's Hook

Created and held by Caleb Kemp.
This hook is one form of a supposedly blessed piece of Ahab's ship. It is said to bring blessings, as well as be able to transform into a mighty harpoon.

With a flick of the wrist, and when tainted with blood, the fish hook is transformed into a harpoon with a wooden shaft, etched with symbols and verses, cracked and salt-burned lime the hull of a great ship. The harpoon, despite its age and size, glows near brilliant white at the cracks when faced with the hide of a monster to pierce.

After initiation into the Sons, Caleb was troubled with restless sleep and nightmares, all of a scene he'd only heard fanatically raved about from a capstan pulpit...the Great Hunt.

He found himself sleepwalking, gravitating towards a chamber in the old warehouse. These sleepwalks continued, all until he told his Uncle. He was delighted, and told Caleb all about the Hunt and it's purpose, and that these visions must be a gift. He was so glad, he gifted Caleb his lucky fish-hook...something that had been passed down for the last few generations.

Its secrets have...yet to be unleashed though.

This Artifact can be used as a sword / axe. It is roughly the same size as a sword / axe but can be collapsed into fishhook and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.Unless you have a Severity-3 or higher Injury, or succeed on a coin flip in a situation of extreme danger, you cannot turn the fishhook into the harpoon. If these conditions are met, you may hear voices or whispers to put the hook in liquid, which transforms it and additional damage past +2 only applies if your hit is a successful called shot or preceded by a Super Leap for momentum, this Artifact behaves as its mundane counterpart.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +4 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Bane: Injuries dealt to marine supernatural entities, or those significantly empowered by sea magic are increased by 2 Severity levels.
  • Mjolnir: You may call your weapon back to your hand as a Quick Action if it is within 50 feet of you. Can only be used on melee weapon that you have wielded in the past hour.
  • Pin: If you Injure a target with an Attack, you may choose to leave your weapon. If you do, the target is “pinned” to that location until the weapon is removed. Removing the weapon increases the Severity of that Injury by 2.
  • Virtuoso's Vessel: When using this Device for its primary purpose, you always roll a minimum of 8 dice. Excludes Effect activation rolls.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

Caleb, now aware of the supernatural nature of the hook, is linked with it through the spirits of his ancestors.

This Artifact cannot be broken. If this Artifact is lost and in no one else’s possession, it finds its way back to its true owner during the next Downtime.

By default, the creator of this Artifact is its true owner. The true owner may formally bequeath this Artifact onto another person within arm’s reach, after which they are its true owner. If the true owner dies or is destroyed, their ownership ends. If this Artifact has no true owner, anyone may spend one day attuning to it to become its true owner.

A magical entity or being cannot hold or use this Artifact. They take a Severity 1 Injury each Round they touch or possess of the Artifact. It cannot be prevented or healed by any means until one day after they relinquish possession.

This Artifact's true owner is always aware of the direction and distance to this Artifact.

  • "Cannot be broken" means that damage cannot render the Artifact's Effects unusable, nor can it cease to be used for its primary mundane purpose, if it has one.

Caleb can use the momentum of swinging the harpoon to leap into the air great distances, potentially adding power to his strikes.

Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action. Select a Location which is at most 100 feet away horizontally or 25 feet away vertically. This Effect cannot be used unless you have the hook in Offensive Form.

You jump to the chosen location. If jumping blind or landing precariously, must roll Dexterity + Athletics to land safely. You will never take fall Damage from successfully landing a jump made with this Effect.

You may opt to trade your free movement for a Super Leap if you are jumping less than 50 feet or if you are closing a gap to an opponent and spend your Action on an attack.

  • If you are Encumbered, the maximum range is cut in half. If Encumbrance has reduced your total movement to 0, you cannot activate this Effect.
  • vertical jump height measures to the bottom of your feet, so your total vertical reach is at least a body length greater.
  • Rolls to land safely will generally be Athletics, but GMs may call for a different roll at their discretion if it makes sense for the specific circumstances.
  • You must be on a surface of some kind in order to activate this Effect; it cannot be activated while in mid-air.
  • You may only use this Effect once per Round of combat, regardless of any Enhancements you have taken.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Caleb uses the fishhook in base form, manifesting tangling fishing wire to wrap around a target.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a target within 45 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless you are not in Offensive Form. Roll Brawn + Melee at Difficulty 6. The target may contest by Defending or Dodging.

If you succeed, your target will be pushed or pulled towards a surface within 45 feet and is restricted at that location by a physical, tangible binding. They cannot move to a new location, and, if your Contested Outcome was greater than their Brawn, they are encased and cannot take any physical Actions other than attempting to escape until they break free.

The target may spend an Action and roll Brawn or Dexterity + Athletics to attempt to break free. They must accumulate a total Outcome equal to or greater than the original Contested Outcome to escape. Damage to the binding from outside sources also contributes.

You may use this Effect as a Reaction to contest any physical Action a target is taking. Excess Outcome does not restrict the target. This interrupts Concentration.

You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.

  • For entities whose movement could be considered an attack (e.g. a kaiju), the GM may rule that they are merely slowed instead of fully restricted.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Gym bag

Created by Victoria Bellenara, given to Faira Lenora McDougall.
Currently At home.
A normal looking gym bag

Just an ordinary foot bag, or trunk, or backpack... okay, not so ordinary.

This Artifact can be used as a container. It is roughly the same size as a foot bag and just as difficult to conceal.

Your foot bag holds 30 times what it normally could. Objects stored inside are weightless.

Living things can be stored in your foot bag. They will have access to anything else inside and may attempt to break free, damaging or destroying the foot bag in the process.

If your foot bag is destroyed, things inside may get out, and it will cease to function until it is repaired.

When scanned or investigated without opening, the contents of your container appear normal and unremarkable.

  • There is no cost to use your container.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

The Skeleton Key

At first glance, this appears to be a standard, modern house key made of ivory. A close observer might compliment its skull-shaped head or usual material. No one would suspect it to be one of the Thief's most prized possessions: The Skeleton Key.

Spend an Action.

You may lock, unlock, and/or open any number of doors, containers, knots, or locks within arm's reach of you. Cannot be used on Alien technology.

If you successfully operate a lock, you may choose to destroy it, rendering it inoperable.

  • Operating some locking mechanisms through this Effect may have a secondary effect, such as a turn-key ignition on an older or cheaper car causing it to start or stop. Note that the locking mechanism itself must satisfy the standard targeting requirements (including line of sight), not just the vehicle.
  • Any mechanism that requires a key, keycard, key fob, or combination may be considered locked, at the GM's discretion. This Effect may be used on doors and containers secured with control panels or other electronic locks, but not computer security systems at large.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Recharging Sheild

You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You have 6 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.

Your Armor cannot be destroyed, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor shredding or penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots. When shredded, it returns to full potency in one hour.

Any time your Armor prevents Damage, your Armor rating is temporarily decreased by 2. Whenever it goes five Rounds without preventing any Damage, it is restored back to its full value.

  • Armor recharging happens automatically and does not require an Action.
  • This Effect’s Armor rating cannot be increased by any other Effects.

Wipe Memory

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Location within within arm's reach. All Sapient targets within 20 feet are affected. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is looking directly into the device with uncovered eyes. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.

If the contested Outcome is positive, the most recent 1 hour from your target’s memory is either replaced with new memories or forgotten entirely. This is recorded as a Condition. The level of detail and completeness of the alteration depends on your Outcome. If you fail, the target realizes that you are attempting to alter their memories.

The period is chosen either by time (i.e. “last Friday night”) or by reference to a specific event (i.e. “when the murder occurred”).

  • You do not gain mind-reading through this effect, so your ability to alter their memory is limited by your knowledge of what they might know.
  • The target's roll to realize their memories have been altered can be made a maximum of one time per day.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Personal Shield Generator

The device itself is a metal hexagon that is worn on the belt and glows when active.

Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action or Reaction.

You phase out of reality for up to 4 Rounds. During this time, you cannot perceive or affect the outside world or take any Actions. You cannot move. Nothing can interact with you in any way.

When you activate this Effect, you may limit its duration to a period of your choosing. If you are able, you may also end it as a Free Action on your initiative.

You leave a golden glow shaped like yourself at your location.

  • If you use this Effect to dodge as a Reaction, it succeeds without the need for a roll. Cannot be used as a Desperate Defense.
  • You may use your Free Movement on the Round you phase back in, but you cannot take an Action.

Winter Fang

A massive bow made of solid ice.

This Artifact can be used as a bow. It is roughly at least twice as large as a bow and cannot be concealed on your person or disassembled for storage.

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage. Attacks do not require a successful called shot to do damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Infinite Ammo: This weapon never runs out of its standard ammunition.
  • Leave No Trace: Your projectiles crumble or vanish after impact, leaving no meaningful trace of your assault beyond the wounds they leave. If your attack would kill or incapacitate your target, they make no sound, even incidentally, for the next Round.

  • This Artifact cannot be disguised or morphed with other Effects like Shape-Changing object.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.