He imbues objects with certain cursed spirits that are known for fixing mental liabilities
Exert your Mind and spend an hour. Select a Battle Scar on yourself to treat.
The treated Battle Scar heals as you finish activating this Effect.
When the Artifact owner decides to embody their grief, they and everything that was equipped by them - except for the Artifact itself - suddenly turns to water, which naturally splashes to the ground. The Artifact falls down as well, always landing in at least some of the water created by this. Slowly, the water begins to pull itself towards the Artifact, the gemstone eye of which had started to glow with increasing brightness, and soon even the water itself lights up with a cyan shimmer as if filled with bioluminescent algae. The longer the Artifact has been accumulating this phantasmal glow-water, the greater its shimmer becomes, and the more the Artifact's undulations quicken.
Eventually, the Artifact owner and the Artifact itself complete their merger. The result is an otherworldly, ephemeral centipede the size of a scarf, wearing the now-enlarged, dark purple-brown Artifact as its exoskeleton and having equally-dark gray metallic mandibles, legs and antennae made up of the cyan phosphorescent water which was finally collected fully, and a mint-colored, glowing, lantern-esque eye. The main body of it is covered by a thin film of glow-water as well.
When returning back to human form, the Artifact portion of the creature simply coils up and begins to gradually shrink, while the water loses all glow and collapses. The latter progressively coalesces over time, loosely forming the Artifact owner in their fetal position, equipped with everything they were equipped with originally. Then, the shrunken Artifact uncoils and swims through the watery figure, ending up curled around the left hand's ring finger. As it locks into place, a glowing wave spreads from that point all across the figure's surface and reverts all the water back into its original materials.
If anything attempts to interrupt either transformation before it finishes, the waters involved in it lash out at the target with shining, piercing stabs.
The Artifact owner remains transformed even beyond this Effect's duration, reverting only when they elect to end the Effect manually as a Free Action. Instead, this Effect's duration simply dictates how long the Artifact owner is able use to their Active, Targeted, and Trap Powers while transformed. To regain access to the usage of the aforementioned Power types, the Effect must be reactivated.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action.
You transform into an abyssal centipede for 30 minutes. You have access to all of your Powers while you are an abyssal centipede, and you can use your equipment. Your Battle Scars, Injuries, and physical Liabilities are carried over between forms. Reverting from your Alternate Form cannot cause your existing Injuries to kill you. Instead, you remain Incapacitated.
While transformed, your Dexterity is increased by 2 and your Perception is increased by 2. You do not suffer any Stress while transformed.
Your alternate form is its own deadly weapon. Unarmed attacks made in your alternate form deal +3 Weapon Damage (instead of the typical -1).
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see a growing, undulating, supernatural centipede.
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: Whispering Waves. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
Whenever the Artifact is called by its true owner to return to them, its gemstone eye glints and begins to glow as the rest of the Artifact's body darkens until it becomes wispy and shadow-like. The eye flashes brightly a single time, and then the Artifact lunges 'forward' - though, since the Artifact is curled up, the lunge is merely a rapid rotation of its body as the head attempts to chase down the tail. While this happens, there is a gradual increase in the Artifact's wispiness, and it essentially dissolves into nothingness during the sudden burst of movement. Moments later, a glowing mint-colored spark nigh-instantly traces the circumference of the Artifact's true owner's left ring finger, coalescing into the gemstone eye as the rest of the Artifact assembles from shadowy mist.
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.
When the Artifact owner attempts to shroud themselves from danger, they use their eye's lantern-light to detect ripples, currents and various other eddies in the environment around them. This dizzying array of glinting and partially unnatural phenomena is then complimented by the Artifact owner's own glow-water brightening for a split second. The former, through the Artifact owner's efforts, is temporarily hidden until the right moment. Any incoming harm beyond that point which manages to disturb the illusion also reveals the force and, in turn, causes it to lash out.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. This Effect cannot be used unless you are an abyssal centipede. Roll Perception + Stealth at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next (Outcome +4) Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. 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 Artifact owner's myriad of phantasmal limbs offer mobility greater than even that of the centipedes they mimic.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are an abyssal centipede and you are wearing this Artifact.
You may move easily and without a roll in any of the following situations.
The Artifact owner's unnatural physique and their equally-intricate movements allow for effortless mitigation of incoming damage, turning would-be precise strikes into simple glancing blows. Additionally, some of their watery limbs lash out at nearby attackers in retaliation.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are an abyssal centipede and 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, 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 Injury received from Damage that was reduced by this Armor is considered Makeshift Stabilized and will not degrade further, and any Battle Scar caused by them is reduced by 1 level. You may attempt a single Proper Stabilization on such Injuries.
When you take Damage from a source which is within 5 feet, deal back as much Damage as your Armor prevented.
Whenever the Artifact's owner focuses their attention onto someone whom they wish to impede, the intensity of their eye's beam of lantern-light momentarily increases as it burns open a multitude of watery holes across the illuminated portions of the target. Though this process is nearly painless, it is uncomfortable and rather gruesome to watch. A moment later, an infinitely long, glowing, wispy centipede phantasm appears as it leaves from one of the aforementioned holes and begins entering and exiting every other hole, one by one, restricting the target's movements all the while. If the target is successfully petrified in the process, a thin film of glow-water spreads all over the target's body as well, originating from each of the holes which glisten from within.
Once the bindings are made to disperse - be it through the intent of the Artifact's owner or due to the target breaking free of their own accord - the centipede phantasm dissolves into thin air, and all of the watery holes close up and disappear.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Select a target within 45 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless you are an abyssal centipede, the target is within your eye's beam of lantern-light and you keep the target at the center of your cone of vision throughout the entirety of the Effect. If line of sight is broken, the Effect ends prematurely. Roll Perception + Alertness at Difficulty 6. the target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If you succeed, your target will be restricted at their location by an intangible, ethereal binding. They cannot move to a new location, and, if your Contested Outcome was greater than their Mind divided by 2, they are encased and cannot take any physical Actions until they break free.
Restricted targets may attempt to break the binding and escape by spending an Action and rolling Mind at Difficulty 7. Breaking free requires a total cumulative Outcome equal or greater than the original Contested Outcome.
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.
Your bindings affect intangible beings like ghosts.
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 your eye's beam of lantern-light burn open watery holes across the illuminated portions of the target, through which an infinitely long, glowing, wispy centipede phantasm can be seen entering and exiting as it restricts the target's movements.
The suit, using its advanced servos and receivers, allows the user to control the strength and effectiveness of their attacks, their attacks cushioned by the suit's inner layer of specialised shock-absorbing ballistic fluid alongside the further coverings.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact and you are engaged in unarmed combat.
+2 dice to rolls for Attacking, Defending, Grappling, and Clashing without a weapon. Unarmed attacks do +0 Weapon Damage (instead of -1).
You may Defend against melee, projectile, or firearm Attacks from any range and Clash with those in range of your Attacks. Attacking materials like steel or spikes will not Damage you unless it has an Effect that does so.
You also gain the following effects:
The baseball bat slammed into Vito's stomach with little fanfare, striking with the sound of slamming into a steel wall rather than the splintering of bone. A sinister smile crawled across the Elvis impersonator's lips, rather than the usual expected cries of agony.
At once, a torrent of sharp nails burst forth from the jacket that he wore, impaling the attacker with dozens of missiles.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action or Reaction. Roll Perception + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, you create a barrier around yourself, which absorbs the next Outcome + 4 Damage. Any Damage absorbed by the barrier is reflected back to the attacker, up to a maximum of the Barrier Strength Parameter’s bonus. Their Armor applies in full. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. This Artifact may only have 1 active barrier at a time.
You must maintain Concentration while using this Effect. The barrier will fall if you are interrupted, 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.
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:
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: