In just few moments of reading this book, its enough for listeners to comprehend 3 pages worth of mind numbingly boring information that brings about feelings of intense drowsiness.
This classic book tells the story of the development of Income Tax from its beginning in 1799 to the present day and relates it to the social, economic and political history of the period.
There have been studies of Income Tax at various stages in its growth; studies of finance and taxation in general in which Income Tax has been closely concerned; studies too of some of the Chancellors of the Exchequer who have made significant contributions to the Income Tax system; but this is the first time an attempt has been made to encompass the whole 160 years or so of its life in one volume.
And a fascinating story it is too when set in perspective. The author shows how Income Tax was introduced to finance the Napoleonic Wars, how it was revived by Peel to pay for Free Trade, and how it underwrote Victorian prosperity and confidence. He then describes its immense expansion through two World Wars to its present position as a dominant feature of British finance. This book was first published in 1966.
Spend an Action. Select a Living target within 30 feet. Roll Intellect + Culture at Difficulty 6. Affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, your target becomes drowsy for the next 3 Rounds, during which time they suffer an additional -2 dice Penalty to all Actions. At the end of their drowsiness, they fall asleep for Contested Outcome x 3 minutes.
Sleeping targets will not prematurely wake up on their own, but may still be woken up by sudden loud noises, being jarred or splashed with water, taking Damage, or similar rousing events. They will also awaken before dying of hunger, thirst, or suffocation. Drowsy targets always fall asleep, regardless of what happens while they are drowsy.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
While wearing this medal the bearer is protected from harm, unless that harm comes from a Law Enforcement agent. This effect will appear as the flickering image of Norton the First protecting the target from harm
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming damage from all sources of physical attack except attacks from Law Enforcement. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
You may spend an Action or Reaction and Exert your Mind to double your Armor rating for one Round.
Your Armor cannot be destroyed, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
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.
Two handguns of different color, one is white the other black. Each shot fires a burst of butterflies at the target of those very same colors. The ringing is bearable when it's on your side.
User can exert 4 mind and inflict 1 self damage to make their next roll fire a burst 8 of shots. Knocking back the target at least 20ft away and immediately staggering the enemy. This cost does not go away with Enkephalin.
This Artifact can be used as a handgun. It is roughly the same size as a handgun and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +6 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
WEAK TO WHITE, RESISTANT TO EVERYTHING ELSE.
Ah… Holding back the pain of this thirst is not exactly a pleasing sight to behold.
It’s too early for a nap… Won’t you join me and share the pleasure?
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 WHITE 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.
Deal immediate 2 points of damage to self if less than 2 targets are hit. For every 3 targets hit, restore 2 points of health. Chain Lightning does not require mind exertion for this weapon.
Can hit allies if specified.
"The Danse Macabre is with everyone! All and sundry have a fair chance of being eaten!"
This Artifact can be used as a throwing knife. It is roughly the same size as a throwing knife and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +6 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: Blood Thirst. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
You also gain the following effects:
Reanimates a nearby corpse into an easily disposable entity. Maximum of two at once can be summoned.
Bloodbags have 8 hp, and are only subservient to the user that summoned them. When active for more than 3 turns, the user will feel obligated to feast and prioritize the bloodbags in their next attack regardless of their original target (Priority).
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Dead target within arm's reach that has died within the last hour. This Effect cannot be used unless user has all of Nosferatu' E.G.O. Including Gift. You must use up 1 HP point in order to activate this Effect.
Your target rises as an Animate being. The raised creature is totally mindless, with no memory of its past life or hint of its old personality. They cannot communicate. They will follow any command you speak.
The creature lasts one hour 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 Dexterity, Charisma and Intellect are set to 1, but their Brawn and Perception are the same as they had in life. A raised creature cannot use any Effects.
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: Blood Thirst. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
An aura of mystical energy exudes out of the ring and envelopes the target, allowing the user to manipulate the set target within the space relative to the user's range.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You can interact with things that are within 75 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 4 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:
If Kevin finds someone who he beleives is a true friend he will share with them a homemade bracelet with them telling them as long as they have this he will be beside them. When they grip the bracelet and call out for Kevins help his original character will appear from a rift in space which through for a moment you can see Ponyland.
Exert your Mind and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: Grip the bracelet and say "Kevin I need your help.". This Effect cannot be used unless the Wielder had a meaningful relationship with Kevin in life. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.
Summon a single Kevin at your location. They will last for two hours, or until they are destroyed. They are controlled by the GM and will not necessarily obey your commands. This Artifact may have at most 1 minion active at a time.
You may only use this Effect once per day.
Kevins Friends call to him and ask him for his support. He steps from a portal behind them and lifts them up on his back and they ride him as he gallops forward bringing his friends to safety.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. This Effect cannot be used unless This power can only to flee from danger.
Lasts 1 minute. Whenever you use your Movement, after all other calculations, the distance you may travel is tripled.
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: Compulsion to be Heroic (helping the innocent and friends even to your detriment). If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
Luci's firearms are typically very overturned and overdesigned. She's secretly a huge comic book fan and her new revelations in regards to her ability to create items using the energies of The Well have opened up the ability for her slightly childish imagination to go wild with possibilities.
When the weapon changes forms, it momentarily becomes a formless amalgamation of thick ink that would sink between the user's fingers if the process of reforming didn't take quicker than a second to complete.
Luci takes an exceptional amount of time sketching out a full blueprint for the weapon of her desire- typically inspired designs from comics or movies that she personally finds cool. She spends time manifesting the item through the use of her own shadows, however she takes extra time to refine the details and give the firearm its own personality. Each and every single one of these has a little bit of Luci and her creative intent inside of them.
Her initials as the creator are imprinted on the side of the firearm.
This Artifact can be used as a heavy sniper rifle. It is roughly the same size as a heavy sniper rifle and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is fully effective against this Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The spy can do up their passport to appear as any valid form of identification.
This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a passport but can be collapsed into a wallet 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.
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:
Dazzle Glasses are advanced "black-tech" espionage gear. They can be styled as any sort sunglasses. When the wearer is recorded, they will quickly flash a non-visible laser into the recording device, destroying it after only a moment of footage is taken.
This Effect activates whenever you are recorded. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Select a Non-Sapient Object within 20 feet no larger than a duffel bag (35 liters). Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event. Roll Perception + Culture Difficulty 6.
If your Outcome is 4 or higher, the target will be completely destroyed and can no longer function, though it may still be repaired. If your Outcome is less than 4, the target will be partially damaged, and any attempts to use it will suffer a dice penalty equal to your Outcome.
The Scepter of Ang-Kapal is a gruesome device fashioned to look like a skeletal arm clutching a glass eye. When used, blood from the person holding is drawn into the eye where it swirls with dark energy. The eye turns to a nearby corpse and shudders, reviving the creature. The creature does not retain any of its memories or personality, but it is absolutely loyal to whoever is holding the scepter.
The Scepter of Ang Kepal has the unfortunate side effect of driving its owner mad.
Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend one minute. Select a Dead target within arm's reach with at least half its skeletal structure remaining. 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. The raised creature is totally mindless, with no memory of its past life or hint of its old personality. They cannot communicate. They will follow any command you speak.
The creature lasts for eight hours 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 Charisma and Intellect are set to 1, but their Dexterity, Brawn and Perception are the same as they had in life. A raised creature cannot use any Effects.
Destroying one of your zombies requires a called shot to the head or heart. All other Injuries zombies suffer result in Battle Scars only, limiting their mobility and effectiveness in other ways.
Your revived targets deal 2 Weapon Damage with their unarmed attacks.
If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.
"The Coffin" can only be used to store things commonly found in coffins, such as bodies, clothes, jewelry, photos, weapons, coins, and similar.
This Artifact holds 5 times what it normally could inside of it. Objects stored inside are weightless. Unless you are storing something commonly found in coffins, this Artifact behaves as its mundane counterpart. This Effect cannot be used unless you are storing something commonly found in coffins.
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.
On a Downtime, you may change this Artifact from one type of container to another. Maximum once per Downtime.
If anyone other than you opens the container, it appears empty. Others can still destroy it to get at the contents.