Legendary Artifact

Ring of Aceso

Created by Jacob Sterns, looted by Ricter Casenger.
Small silver ring

The user touches their target and concentrates on the injuries/scars they want to transfer from/to them. The ring starts to glow with white light and like being liquified the injuries/scars travel towards the ring, make a round through it and end up in the other side's body.

The Greek goddess of curing sickness and healing wounds Aceso was said to have given this ring to a noble follower who wanted to take on warriors' afflictions and heal them while they went back to fight. In later generations, of course, this item would be used for much more selfish goals.

This artifact was loaned to one Jacob Sterns by the British Museum.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Sapient target within arm's reach. If a target does not consent to the transfer, you must roll Brawn + Occult at Difficulty 6 to use the effect on them. They can resist by rolling either Body or Mind at Difficulty 6, depending on what you are attempting to transfer to them.

You may choose a single instance of one of the following to transfer from your target to yourself, or from yourself to them:

  • A single Battle Scar without the accompanying Injury which caused it
  • A single Injury and any Battle Scars it caused
This Effect cannot be used again on the same target for the next hour.

Whenever you transfer an Injury, it's Severity increases by 1. Whenever you transfer Mind damage or Traumas, the recipient takes an additional Mind damage.

  • 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.
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Community Artifacts

Time Travelers Timepiece

Created by Harold Polk, given to Gideon Lockhart.
The clanking gears of this bronzelike watch sometimes emit small puffs of steam, and a dial on one side is connected by cable to a miniature speaker. Twisting the dial calls up a historical figure from the past of the timestream in mind for a conversation 1/game Seance for past historical famous figures (Da Vinci, Einstein, etc.). If upgrade is used to give it more battery, this can be used more than once per game.)

In the clandestine world of espionage, where shadows whisper secrets and the line between ally and adversary blurs, there exists a lawyer turned spy, a master of subterfuge with a power as unique as their dual life. This individual, known only to a select few, possesses an extraordinary ability to infuse mundane spy equipment with unparalleled capabilities, transforming them into artifacts of immense tactical value.

On a night draped in secrecy, our spy enters a nondescript room, the air thick with anticipation. Around them, an array of common espionage tools lay scattered across a workbench—each item a silent witness to missions past and yet to unfold. With a practiced eye, the spy selects a compact surveillance device, its appearance unremarkable, its potential untapped.

As their hands envelop the device, a faint glow emanates from their fingertips, casting an ethereal light in the dimly lit room. The air hums with unseen energy as the spy focuses their will, channeling their unique power into the heart of the gadget. Under their touch, the device begins to transform, its form becoming sleeker, its essence imbued with a power that defies conventional understanding.

This Artifact has been upgraded.

This Artifact 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. 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: I plead The Fifth -Roll a mind to speak to the police. 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.

Lipstick of obsession

Created and held by Runa.
A golden tube of lipstick with blood red color

It’s a tube of lipstick and when applied you can blow a kiss to your target

Spend an Action. Select a number of Living targets equal to your Charisma within 45 feet. Roll Charisma + Alertness at Difficulty 6. Affected targets can resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6 -3 dice.

If you succeed, for the next hour, affected targets will do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done, inspired by obsession. They will not necessarily display their emotions in an obvious way.

Actions they take will be in keeping with their character and the way they tend to deal with strong emotions. They will be unlikely to change their mind about any actions taken or decisions made until after the Effect ends.

If you choose to use Chain of Screaming, your target interacts with any valid target, they must roll Self-Control or be swept up in the same emotion. New targets pass it on as well, and so on, with the remaining duration decreasing by half until the chain stops.

Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see her eyes began to glow with hearts inside of them as she begins to blush severely.

This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.

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: yandere. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

  • Chain of Screaming: About 30% of average people will fail a Self-Control roll. A target that successfully resists is immune to this activation of the Effect. Cannot spread back to you.
  • When narrating disturbing content, be cognizant of your group's tone and accommodating to those who would like to "fast forward" through the description.
  • Common emotions and the actions they inspire
    • Anger (shouting, cruelty, denying requests, attacking)
    • Pity (stopping an attack, executing an injured target)
    • Happiness (generosity, dancing, joking, socializing)
    • Sadness (finding solitude, openly crying, demotivation)
    • Fear (running, attacking)
  • If you succeed, the target MUST take at least one Action they otherwise would not have. Hey, GM who is reading this, I'm talking to you. You have to enforce this. Remember: Gifts must feel powerful.
  • 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.

Mr. Bucks GI

Created and held by William A. Buck.
A Karate GI that has some old age upon it, its white along with some details of various Chinese symbols and belt rank established right upon the right breast and belonging to a Mr. Buck not William Buck, but his father.

As of the recent death of his brother he has decided to re-enter the martial arts world

With the death of Fonzie to whom he had hoped to help his older brother, through the martial arts world and not really liking nor disliking Wolfgang as they are brothers.

So re-entering, seeing the fact their master was dead due to Wolfgang he instead went to his father who was still mourning.
Seeing a spark of life in his young boy who could do decency in the world and not be like the two, he decided to go through mourning by teaching Will a better and more practical means of martial art. Though strict in doing so he is fair in his teachings and Will goes even farther into trying to at least surpass his father thanks to his constant pushing from his father. Continuously still being shown more to this day, and being taught by his father moves and things he has never seen.

His father tells him of their bloodline, whilst Will had been trying to get jobs and been working part-time, his brothers had spent practicing and went forward with it in their own ways, one did the crime and then went to redemption with the help of it and the other.....well he is doing his own thing.
His father bestows upon him his old Uniform which holds power to help the boy further, and through practice and tribulation, he may even begin to absorb it and gain some new abilities alongside it.

With his new GI in hand, training, and practice, and with a lack of funds and whatnot, ready to get stronger and the best of the best. He walks forth ready for anything.

You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact and you are engaged in unarmed combat.

Your unarmed attacks deal +2 Bonus Damage, and Brawn no longer acts as Armor against them. The target's other Armor is fully effective against this damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Armored Fist: You cannot take damage from attacking a dangerous material (such as steel armor, a spiked carapace, or an acidic blob). You may Clash with or Defend against any melee weapons or arrows.
  • Bullet Catcher: You may React to and Defend against firearms and other projectiles.
  • Precision Strikes: You may use Dexterity instead of Brawn on your attack rolls.

  • Reminder: Bonus Damage stacks with Weapon Damage, but does not stack with any other Bonus Damage. Instead, the highest Bonus Damage is used.
  • Unlike the Ability Brawl, this Effect does not affect small weapons such as knives.

Magic Mirror

Created and held by Aria Feist.
A small handheld mirror, with silver trim and a sapphire at the top.

When Aria takes out the silver mirror, she has to extend and touch the sapphire gem to the surface of a mirror she wishes to use for scrying purposes.

Spend an Action. Select a target within 10 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless you have touched the mirror with your magic mirror and Used on an actual mirror.

You place a ward, which is fixed to a target Object that can be moved and repositioned. You can hear and see through the ward as though you were standing at its location. This Artifact may have at most 3 wards active at once.

The ward requires Concentration to monitor, though it will remain active until you deactivate it. The ward can be discovered if someone knows what they are looking for, but is otherwise inconspicuous and cannot be identified as a ward.

You may communicate through your ward, though doing so will reveal its presence.

This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.

  • Any targets visible via your ward satisfy the line of sight requirement for targeted Effects.
  • 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.

When Aria has the silver mirror out, she has to look at and then say the words: "Mirror mirror oh so tiny, please show me something shiny." Every artifact then within 300ft of her will be revealed as to the ways all of her senses would perceive it.

Exert your Mind and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: Stroking the mirror along it's entire sides, while repeating "Mirror mirror oh so tiny, Please show me something shiny". You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.

You automatically detect all Artifacts within 300 feet of you for the next hour. You have a clear sense of both the distance and direction towards any detected items. When you detect objects, instead of learning nothing about them, you may observe each object with all of your senses.

The means by which any Artifacts are hidden or disguised is made clear to you, as well as how to access them if they are secured. This includes objects secured via the Stash Effect.

  • This includes any objects that come into range during activation.

Axe of Yamm

Created and held by Nurag.

The Axe of Yamm is an imposing, massive epsilon-shaped bronze weapon, its broad, curved blade curling like a crashing ocean wave. Jagged edges and serrations line the inner curve, giving it a savage, untamed appearance. The shaft, crafted from sturdy oak and wrapped in beaked sea snake skin, feels both ancient and alive. Etched along the blade is a sinuous serpent.

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

Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage.

This item is a living thing. When targeted, it counts as a Living Creature in addition to its other target types. If destroyed or abandoned for more than two days, it dies and becomes unusable.

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: Yamm's Hatred. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Blade Breaker: If you successfully Defend against a melee attack or if an opponent is unsuccessful at Defending against your melee attack, you may break your opponent's weapon.
  • Lasersaber: Given time, you may demolish any object or wall. To destroy 1 cubic foot of material: spend 1 Action for material demolishable with a crowbar or sledgehammer, and 2 Actions for other materials (like steel).
  • 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.
  • Shredder: If you successfully hit your target, the value of any Armor they are wearing is reduced by 2. For material armor, this penalty lasts until it is repaired. For intrinsic armor, it lasts until the end of Combat and any relevant wound is healed.
  • Virtuoso's Vessel: When using this Device for its primary purpose, you always roll a minimum of 8 dice. Excludes Effect activation rolls.

  • 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.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

The Bug-out Bag

No hiker would bat an eye if they saw someone wearing this 80 liter backpacking pack in the backcountry. Those who look closer find it's made of a curious mix of modern materials and what appears to be rawhide stitching.

This Artifact holds 5 times what it normally could inside of it. Objects stored inside are weightless.

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

If this Artifact 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 this container appear normal and unremarkable.

If anyone other than you opens the container, it appears empty. Others can still destroy it to get at the contents.

  • A container of holding cannot be placed inside another created by the same Gift.
  • There is no cost to use this container.

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.

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.

Selkie Skin

This Effect activates whenever you are submerged in salt water. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event.

You transform into small for two hours or until you choose to end the Effect. See the Extended System text for stats.

While transformed, you cannot use any equipment (including Artifacts and Consumables), and you cannot use your Active, Targeted, or Trap Powers. However, you can use your Passive Powers. Any equipment you are wearing transforms with you.

Injuries and Wound Level are carried over between forms. However, transforming can never kill you; you merely remain Incapacitated until your Injuries are sufficiently healed.

  • When triggered, the Effect activation resolves immediately after the triggering Action. It is not Reaction speed.
  • Creature Stats
    • Medium (large house cat up to human) Body 3. Brawn 1. Dexterity 3. Fall damage reduced by 1.
    All creatures get +3 dice to any non-combat Action that they are naturally adapted for. All creatures Medium and larger may attack by rolling Body, dealing +0 Damage (+1 for “predators”). Gms and Playgroup leaders can apply other bonuses and effects to specific animals.
  • Animals that are quicker than humans (like dogs) have 50 feet of Free Movement. Animals that are very slow (like turtles) have 0 feet of Free Movement.
  • You cannot transform if there is not enough room to do so.
  • The form you take must have the same stats and abilities as a single, extant animal of the relevant size.

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.

The Bug-out Bag

No hiker would bat an eye if they saw someone wearing this 80 liter backpacking pack in the backcountry. Those who look closer find it's made of a curious mix of modern materials and what appears to be rawhide stitching.

This Artifact holds 5 times what it normally could inside of it. Objects stored inside are weightless.

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

If this Artifact 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 this container appear normal and unremarkable.

If anyone other than you opens the container, it appears empty. Others can still destroy it to get at the contents.

  • A container of holding cannot be placed inside another created by the same Gift.
  • There is no cost to use this container.

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.

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.

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.