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.
When “The Firm’s Uniform” is activated, the transformation it undergoes is both subtle and imbued with an air of professional gravitas. The artifact, perhaps initially resembling a nondescript piece of legal attire or accessory, begins to shimmer with an ethereal gloss reminiscent of the polished sheen on a lawyer’s briefcase or the gleam of a well-maintained courtroom. This visual cue is brief, serving as a prelude to the transformation, much like the opening remarks in a meticulously prepared legal argument.
As the item changes, its edges blur momentarily, mimicking the effect of pages flipping rapidly through a legal tome, searching for the right precedent or statute. This transition is smooth and deliberate, echoing the precision and confidence of a seasoned attorney presenting their case. The new form materializes with the precision of a well-drafted contract, each detail snapping into place with the finality of a judge’s gavel.
This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a Clothing and just as difficult to conceal.
Spend a Quick Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into an Object within the category of Clothing. 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.
The artifact, a ring of metal, shimmers slightly, spreading a mist that hides the user slowly disappear into nothing as its user rubs the inscription along the artifact. A bit of Elvish from J.R.R. Token, but saying something different.
"Keep me secret, keep me safe"
Vel made this artifact with a ritual pulling on the long history of legends of artifacts of invisibility.
The ring of Gyges is the first, and the one Vel picked the name for
The second is the helm of hades, the source of the mist that powers the effect.
The last, and the most well known, the one ring, and tempered by the other two stories
Vel starts by casting the metal for the base of the artifact, typically a ring. As Vel does so they tell extracts of the story of the ring of Gyges
Vel then lets the ring cool, surrounding it in steam as they talk about the stories of the helm of hades.
Vel finally carves in elvish the words into the ring. The patterns are common enough that the ring looks recognizable as something akin to the one ring, drawing power from people's conception of that. The specifics of the wording serve as another specific bit of meaning, anchoring the power of the ring in the point of time when the ring was harmless, and connecting it to the other 2 stories of less malevolent effects.
Notes:
[So my thought process for this is that the most well known ring of invisibility and symbol of invisibility is the ring from Lord of the Rings.
When trying to impart an effect, Vel doesn’t want to make a ring that destroys lives and minds. So, the other stories, and the words in elvish are a way of anchoring the power Vel gets from the big story, pulling the other stories of similar tools, and using them to divert the effects the one ring is supposed to have.
I could probably switch to just the Greek stories to make it a little cleaner, but I think if you are making a ring of invisibility using the cultural understanding of rings of invisibility, you need to address the one ring, or it will slip in.]
You gain the following benefits as long as 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. Activating a targeted or obvious Effect, attacking, or being Injured ends the Effect. When the Effect ends, it is disabled for one minute.
A blue crystal of Aqua aura embedded in a headpiece on where third eye would be. When focused on it helps user to move and otherwise interact with their surroundings with mind itself.
It slightly glows reacting on wearers thoughts and goes bright when used properly to affect reality.
A crystal popped from an old trinket for a game said to be real thing actually happened to be not that far from false advertisement. Unique way of artificially coating dumortierite quartz with gold gave the crystal potential to become functional.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You can interact with things that are within 10 feet without needing to physically touch them or be near them. Any rolls made for Actions taken in this way use a Mental Strength of 2 in place of your Brawn rating, a Mental Agility of 2 in place of your Dexterity, and otherwise use your own Attributes and Abilities.
Telekinetic actions have the following restrictions and behaviors:
Skates that are black with pink wheels and when using this ability, they glow a rapid pink and it looks like a pink trail is left behind her
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
Whenever you use your Movement, after all other calculations, the distance you may travel is tripled.
If your last Action was used for an all-out sprint or you are already accelerated, you may spend an Action to accelerate without a roll, adding 150 feet/Round (not affected by your speed bonus) to your sprint speed, to a max of an extra 300 feet/Round. As long as you stay at these speeds, you may use this distance per Round as your Free Movement.
Any terrain you traverse while accelerated must be passable by a standard vehicle at similar speeds. Stopping, turning sharply, or decelerating more than 150 feet/Round must be performed as an Action. Failing to decelerate with an Action (whether because of an obstacle, sudden unfavorable terrain, an Injury, or other event) deals 3 Damage which Armor does not reduce.
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: weak stomach. 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: nightmare. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
When being called to my hand, the blade glows a soft golden color before instantly being teleported to my hand. If struck, the foe is covered in an ethereal flame, not hot to the touch nor otherwise painful, though their armor is sundered.
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 +4 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
Focused on your target, you hold out The Dramatis Personae as it flips open to a random page, ink writhing across the page to coalesce into a language the holder understands.
Information in the booklet follows the following format:
Name, Aliases, etc ................................................A Role
Name, Aliases, etc ................................................A Role
Name, Aliases, etc ................................................A Role
etc...
Expend a point of Battery and spend 2 Actions. Select a Sapient target within 20 feet. At the end of your investigation, roll Perception + Occult at Difficulty 6.
You learn all the following information about your target:
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
The mad scientist can craft steel helmets that protect their wearers from mental influence and attack.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You get +0 dice to any Mind resistance rolls you make. You also gain the following effects:
This device is a piece of chrome the size and shape of the back of a spoon. When placed against the skin, small hypodermic needles sprout from the device and attach it to the user's bloodstream. There, it filters and releases lifesaving drugs into the bloodstream, granting complete immunity from contracting new diseases and added resiliency in all other cases.
WARNING: The immunizing drugs have been shown to reduce inhibitions in test subjects.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You get +2 dice to any Body resistance rolls you make. You also gain the following effects: