The knife's holder understands any form of communication, and is able to reciprocate in kind.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You may understand and communicate to Creatures, humans, and Sapient beings as if you are fluent in a relevant language.
This also includes understanding any recorded communications from the relevant targets, including writings, scent trails, etc.
When the Serpents miss their beloved, they use their power to travel through void and end up in their hand. To observers, the knife seems to melt out of shadows until it is there.
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.
If this Artifact is in no one else’s possession, its true owner may Exert their Mind and spend two Actions to bring it to themselves.
This Artifact's true owner must have it with them to have restful sleep. They cannot regain Mind or Source while separated from this Artifact.
A rigid, titanium body, laid into a traditional hickory handle. Subtle rubber grips.
A replaceable steel head - swing it, and it makes a keen noise.
The head spikes out cruelly, seizing and twisting itself into the wood - gripping its fibers closely to itself tighter and tighter - pulling itself into the bricks behind - until it snaps.
And then it lets go, and sidles away with bits of bone and tenderized viscera matted in its head.
OAUgh fuck, an allegory
This Artifact can be used as a sword / axe. It is roughly the same size as a sword / axe and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is reduced to 1/2, rounded up against this damage.
You also gain the following effects:
Throw a punch at his head.
It connects, but... It feels solid. And your hand feels wet. Look at it.
3 Nails crucifying your mangled palm.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
Your Armor cannot be destroyed or shredded, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor penetration. Your Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
When you take Damage from a source which is within 5 feet, deal back as much Damage as your Armor prevented.
Any time your Armor prevents damage, your total Armor rating is temporarily decreased by 1. Whenever you go two Rounds without preventing any damage, it is restored back to its full value.
A rigid, titanium body, laid into a traditional hickory handle. Subtle rubber grips.
A replaceable steel head - swing it, and it makes a keen noise.
The head spikes out cruelly, seizing and twisting itself into the wood - gripping its fibers closely to itself tighter and tighter - pulling itself into the bricks behind - until it snaps.
And then it lets go, and sidles away with bits of bone and tenderized viscera matted in its head.
This Artifact can be used as a sword / axe. It is roughly the same size as a sword / axe and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is reduced to 1/2, rounded up against this damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The device is pressed to the ocular canal, and the trigger pulled. There's a snapping sound, and blood begins to leak around the rubber gasket around the eye. It is exceedingly unpleasant. The person being treated experiences a rapid fever during the procedure, and can feel the needles moving inside of them.
Their body changes. A chime indicates the end, and the device can be removed, the needles around bloody.
Exert your Mind and spend 30 minutes. Select a Living target within arm's reach. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Battle Scar and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see Needles piercing into the subject's eye - when the device is removed, blood running down their face, their eye completely bloodshot.
The caster comes to gripes with using the souls of the damnned as fuel for hellflame; before incarnating them as searing-hot fireballs in the shape of suffering souls upon their enemies!
On a -1 Botch; Self-Ignition.
On a -2 Botch, Self-Ignition, anyone within 10 feet will also ignite (Dodge or Defense roll)
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action. Select a target within 300 feet which has both fuel and oxygen available (if you are starting a new fire). This Effect cannot be used unless it is made as an attack roll; Intellect + Occult. Make a Trauma roll when you activate this Effect.
You may start a new fire as large as a Christmas tree fire at your target. You may create fires the size of a lighter or candle flame without Exerting your Mind. Your fires require fuel and oxygen in order to continue burning.
Lighting a target on fire deals 5 Damage per Round, starting in the Round after the one in which they caught fire. This Damage is reduced by Armor, but the target’s Armor rating will be depleted by any Damage dealt, destroying the Armor once it reaches 0.
You may extinguish flames as a Reaction. This does not extend to explosives.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see flames formed out of the burning souls of the denizens of hell; screaming out and consuming that which he casts apon..
As the user activate the program on the watch a bright light would appear from the watch for a brief second before dimming down as a light blue shimmer ingulfs the user and a timer on the watch starts ticking down it starts at "1 Hour, 59 Minutes, 48 Seconds."
The code itself is rather normal, but whatever the Protocol is placed into is supernaturally enhanced when the code is activated that causes a force field to expand from the user onto the person.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Roll Intellect + Technology at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around yourself, which absorbs the next Outcome + 2 Damage. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. This Artifact may only have 1 active barrier at a time.
The barrier will fall after two hours, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.
The Umbrae Defender is outfitted with advanced adaptive projection technology, a system of micro-projectors and flexible nanomaterial layers that allow it to shift its appearance seamlessly. These micro-projectors emit an ultra-fine holographic overlay onto the umbrella’s surface, precisely adjusting colors, textures, and details to match the desired disguise. Meanwhile, an array of shape-memory polymers within the artifact’s frame enables it to collapse or expand at will, adjusting its size from a full umbrella down to something as compact as a passport.
Embedded RFID spoofing technology enables it to mimic the function of an ID card when scanned. This module temporarily broadcasts generic but plausible data without creating a traceable record in external systems, a key feature for bypassing low to mid-level security checks. However, the spoofed signals don’t generate true access credentials, so they won’t engage high-security systems.
The technology that drives the Umbrae Defender’s disguise capabilities uses pressure-sensitive smart polymers that detect attempts to use it in unintended ways. If the artifact is forced into actions outside its structure—such as being disguised as a knife and used to cut—these polymers signal the projection systems to suspend the illusion, ensuring it won’t compromise its own integrity. This amalgam of adaptive materials and projection tech makes the Umbrae Defender a marvel of modern concealment technology, tailored for a sleek, sophisticated, and covert user experience.
This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a Umbrella but can be collapsed into Passport and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
Spend a Quick Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into a chosen Object. This lasts until you decide to end the Effect, which may be done as a Free Action.
The new object's appearance can mimic specific items (such as a particular painting, a certain person’s ID, etc), but must be of a similar size and weight to this Artifact.
The new appearance is illusory; it will hold up to scrutiny, but its composition is not altered and it gains no new functionality. Any attempt to use it for a function which it cannot perform (for instance, making bread look like a knife and then trying to stab someone) will cause the illusion to fail or allow a Perception check to see through the illusion, at the GM's discretion.
When used as identification and scanned, the scanner will act appropriately and bring up appropriate generic information. Further searches for the identity in the computer will turn up no results. This will not open security doors on its own.
The Umbrae Defender, crafted by Mr. Porter, is the epitome of a spy’s tool—an elegant umbrella concealing a sophisticated arsenal. Its sleek, high-end appearance masks a precision projectile system, allowing it to silently fire high-velocity darts that dissolve on impact, leaving no trace. A discreet grappling hook is hidden within one of the umbrella’s ribs, with a high-tensile micro-filament line capable of latching onto distant surfaces, allowing rapid ascents, controlled descents, or swift repositioning. In close quarters, the umbrella’s frame subtly shifts to reveal a razor-thin blade along its edge, effective for silent takedowns without sacrificing its refined look. With all mechanical functions silenced by an internal “Stealth Mode,” the Umbrae Defender remains as discreet as it is deadly, blending seamlessly into any environment while ready to adapt to any challenge.
This Artifact can be used as a crossbow. It is roughly the same size as a crossbow and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +2 Weapon Damage. Attacks do not require a successful called shot to do damage.
You also gain the following effects:
When activated, the Umbrae Defender processes its gathered data and displays the results on a concealed, high-resolution screen embedded discreetly into the handle. As the multispectral imaging completes, the screen illuminates, revealing a color-coded map of residues and fingerprints, each substance tagged and classified with forensic precision. Soil, pollen, or microscopic traces appear as glowing markers, each one identified by its chemical signature, presenting a clear visual of the object’s recent environments.
Next, the GPS data renders as a series of coordinates on a small map overlay, showing the object’s last known locations. These coordinates pulse on the screen, tracing a path of its journey, almost like a breadcrumb trail left by the item’s history. You can zoom in on these points to get a sense of specific places, each location tagged with approximate timestamps that correspond to environmental changes noted by the sensors.
The LIDAR-generated surface map appears as a 3D model on the screen, rotating slowly to display every scratch, dent, and mark on the object. Each detail is magnified, allowing you to examine wear patterns up close and trace the item’s handling history. This surface map provides clues about the object’s use, as well as how it may have been involved in the crime.
Finally, any available RFID data or manufacturing records load into a separate information tab on the screen. This section gives background details like the object’s origin, manufacturer, and production date, presenting a digital “birth certificate” of sorts. Each piece of information, meticulously presented on the screen, combines to create a clear, organized summary of the object’s journey, origin, and recent interactions—making the Umbrae Defender a powerful, portable investigative tool.
Spend a minute. Select a evidence of crimes within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Culture at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
The latest enhancement to the Umbrae Defender integrates advanced “black tech” defenses, blending next-generation materials science with covert tracking systems. The artifact now houses a layer of hyper-dense nanofiber mesh, invisible to the naked eye, which disperses kinetic energy from physical attacks. This nanofiber technology, known only to certain government labs and high-clearance contractors, reduces incoming damage significantly, rendering most forms of physical assault virtually ineffective. Only specialized attacks with legally encoded identifiers can bypass this armor, making it uniquely selective.
This nanofiber defense system is reinforced with a self-repairing lattice structure, embedded with molecular memory. If breached or damaged, the mesh automatically reconfigures itself, restoring to full strength within an hour, regardless of the intensity of the assault. This tech is resilient to armor-shredding tactics and cannot be bypassed by targeted shots, ensuring that the defense remains robust and consistent.
Embedded within the artifact is a miniature LiDAR tracking and triangulation system, activated immediately upon impact. When the armor is hit, this tracking system triangulates the origin point of the attack, locking onto the source’s exact location for 30 seconds. Utilizing covert radio frequency analysis, it provides a precise, untraceable data relay to the wearer, giving them a real-time, 360-degree awareness of their assailant’s position. The Umbrae Defender, enhanced by these black tech innovations, offers not only unparalleled defense but also an elite tracking system, turning each encounter into a tactical advantage.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 6, which reduces incoming damage from all sources of physical attack except Legally Justified Attacks. 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.
Whenever your Armor reduces incoming Damage, you are immediately made aware of the source of the Damage. You may pinpoint their location for 30 seconds.
Companions gawk at the sheer size and quantity of the equipment the survivalist stores in the Bug-out Bag, but when they open it, they find only a standard set of survival gear. Only when the survivalist opens it is its true capacity revealed.
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.
The survivalist has depended on the Bug-out Bag for so long, they've formed a powerful bond with the pack. This bond renders the pack unbreakable, and grants the survivalist an understanding of what direction it's in at all times.
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.
When Winter Fang's glittering string is drawn, an ice arrow crystalizes nocked and ready to fire. These ice arrows melt quickly after piercing their foes, leaving deadly wounds instead of evidence.
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:
The Predatory Raiment has a cloak feature that allows its owner to hide themselves and their equipment with active camouflage. When viewed, they look like a slightly shifted and shimmering version of the surrounding environment.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are not at all wet and you are wearing this Artifact.
You and everything you are carrying is obscured in one of the following manners. You may Spend an Action to change the way in which you're concealed.
While this Effect is active, any Effect that would obscure you or your equipment specifically from other, additional senses fails automatically.
If someone discovers you, this Effect will not help you hide from them for the next minute. This Effect does not end early when you activate an obvious Effect, attack, or receive an Injury.
The 255TE "Lancer" Rife fires an extremely deadly spike of plasma at its targets. It comes standard with a volume control, allowing the soldier to mute its normally fearsome lightning crack report for stealth missions. When not in use, it can collapse into a small metal disk that can fit into any utility belt.
This Artifact can be used as a rifle. It is roughly the same size as a rifle but can be collapsed into a metallic disk and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The airship of solitude is the mad scientist's lair and preferred mode of travel. Not only does it include a full science laboratory, it can be collapsed into an incredibly small canvas cube and easily transported. The mad scientist may pilot the ship alone or rely on its autopilot features for ultimate convenience.
This Artifact can be used as a blimp. It is roughly the same size as a blimp but can be collapsed into a phone-sized canvas cube and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
This blimp has full science laboratory, bullet-proof envelope, and ample parachutes. Any roll to pilot this vehicle receives +2 dice.
You also gain the following effects: