Legendary Artifact

The Drowned Ledger

Created and held by Nao Kurokawa (直 黒川).
A leather bound, small book that seems to be constantly waterlogged. Simple labeling tape on the front reads "Archives, Accounts, Accords," along with a phone number on the inside. Its initial pages are filled with various names, dates, and locations in an orderly arrangement, continuing endlessly until one flips to its back to access a series of notes and blank pages.

The user flips through the pages of the ledger and motions towards the head, chest, and shoulders of a target with three fingers-- allowing them to briefly connect, manipulate, and 'weave' their soul. Tangible augmentations such as implanted tools or pouches appear in the form of either physiological changes stemming from the shaping of the soul, or spiritual manifestations of the implanted device.

Spend an Action. Select a Living or Animate target within arm's reach. The target can easily Resist.

You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Trauma and can have exactly one of the following Effects:

  • Specialized: You receive +3 dice to a particular non-combat Action.
  • Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
  • Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a backpack.
  • Armor: You have 3 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
  • Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a backpack.
  • Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 15 feet.
  • Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +3 Weapon Damage instead of -1.

The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.

You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.

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

Possession of this Artifact causes the following Battle Scar to manifest over the course of a day: Withered Hands / Soft Spot: Writing in the ledger has weakened your hand over time. Called shots against your left hand do +2 damage. If an attack hits you which could conceivably hit your left hand, roll 1d10 at Difficulty 6. If you fail, the attack hits your soft spot and does +2 damage and Necrosis / Feeble Constitution: The ledger's curse has drained you of your life and imparted partial necrosis on your body. Your immune system and/or vitality is especially feeble. You have +2 Difficulty on any and all Body rolls you make. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.

Your alteration "heals" over the course of the next month, after which it is fully cured.

In addition to their benefits, your augments come with a penalty equivalent to a minor Battle Scar or Trauma. This penalty does not count as an additional Battle Scar or Trauma.

  • Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
  • You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
  • Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
  • 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.

The user sprinkles a packet of bone meal over the pages of the book, allowing them to shift between the realm of the living and dead to become a spirit. This spirit takes the vague outline of the user's original form, appearing similarly to a ghost or apparition.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. You must use up a packet of human bone meal in order to activate this Effect.

You phase out of reality for up to 10 minutes. During this time, you cannot affect the outside world or take any Actions. You may move as normal while phased out. You may pass through walls and "climb" up and down through solid material at normal climbing speeds. 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.

Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see fucking dies.

You leave a ghostly silhouette at your location.

  • If you phase in while intersecting with solid material, you take a severe, potentially-lethal Injury.
  • Any items and equipment on your person become intangible along with you. You cannot interact with them, as they are intangible.
  • Effects that do not require a physical target may still affect you.
  • 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.
  • When narrating disturbing content, be cognizant of your group's tone and accommodating to those who would like to "fast forward" through the description.
  • You may use your Free Movement on the Round you phase back in, but you cannot take an Action.

The user sprinkles a packet of human bone meal over the target as they flip through the ledger's pages to initiate the ritual. During the resurrection, the target's soul begins to manifest in the form of a faint, wispy silhouette above their corpse-- before proceeding to drift towards the chosen shackle like water flowing down a stream.

Exert your Mind, spend one minute, and select a specific place, person, or item within arm’s reach. Select a Dead target within arm's reach with at least half its skeletal structure remaining. You must use up a packet of human bone meal in order to activate this Effect.

Your target rises as an Animate being. They remember their past life and retain their same personality. They can communicate as they would have been able to in life. They may roll Mind, Difficulty 8, to resist any commands you give them.

The creature lasts until it strays at least 80 feet from the chosen place, person, or item 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 Attributes are all the same as they were in life. Raised creatures have access to any Effects they had in life.

After you finish activating this Effect, you cannot move quicker than a walk (max 15 feet per Round) for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour. Exhaustion’s penalty and duration stacks with multiple activations.

  • Exhaustion penalties and duration stack. If you activate this Effect or another Effect with Exhaustion, your penalty will worsen, and the duration is increased by one hour.
  • 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

Jury Rigged Injector

Created and held by Alice Abernathy.
This appears to be an epinephrine auto-injector, or at least it was. It's been modified, its contents replaced. The needle is questionably clean. A small white label is applied to it, and in sharpie, is written 'ALICE ABERNATHY.' In smaller text under it, barely legible, is 'BATCH 27, REV A9, RGE-S'

The injector plunges in. Rapid onset fever, elevated heart-rate, some hyperventilation. It settles, typically. The retrovirus isn't perfect. But for the moment, it's good enough. The outcome is striking. Skin or fur blotches, growing patterns that settle into something resembling the background. A formless shape. With an act of will, it can change. Thickened padding, making one silent, or modified sweat glands, eliminating your scent.

It doesn't last forever - not this revision, at least. The body doesn't like it, fights it. Takes it about a half hour to win, on average. But for that time, you're pretty hard to spot.

Exert your Mind and spend one minute.

You and everything you are carrying is obscured in one of the following manners. Lasts 30 minutes.

  • Hearing: You are completely obscured from hearing. You produce no sounds while this Effect is active. All attempts to detect you via hearing fail. Attempts via other senses where hearing would assist are rolled at -2 dice.
  • Sight:You are partially obscured from being noticed by sight. All attempts to detect you using sight are rolled at a -3 dice penalty, and all attempts to detect you where sight would assist are rolled at -1 penalty. Anyone who detects you cannot determine any visual details about you beyond your general shape.
  • Smell and taste: You are completely obscured from smell and taste. You do not leave scent trails while this Effect is active. All attempts to detect you via smell or taste fail. Attempts via other senses where smell or taste would assist are rolled at -2 dice.

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.

This Gift does not affect your clothes or equipment.

  • GMs should use their discretion when determining the exact impacts of this Effect, particularly in conjunction with environmental factors. Standing still against a complex background may render you impossible to detect, and footprints in snow may make it easy. A chance to detect you is not guaranteed.

Lady's Luck

Created and held by Queen.
A small box attached to the back of Queen's belt. It seems to be made of an intricate pattern of stained glass. However, it's contents can not be seen. On it's top is a button, which dispenses a single random card out of the slot found on the bottom.

(roll with cardistry instead of thievery)

A card with a lone castle, made of glass, standing atop a mountain. When drawn from Lady's Luck, the card flashes, indicating it's usability. Upon activation the card shatters along with the designated target.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Non-Sapient Object or piece of an Object or structure within 20 feet no larger than a duffel bag (35 liters). You cannot target objects which are currently in someone else’s possession. Roll Ninja + Thievery 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.

When a target is destroyed, it sends shards flying. Anyone within 5 feet of the object rolls 4d10 at Difficulty 6 and takes damage equal to the Outcome. Can be reacted to.

  • The shape of the destroyed material must be simple, such as a box or sphere. Bringing down large buildings requires an Intellect + Crafts roll to analyze the structure and may also require multiple activations. Buildings that are destroyed usually fall slowly or in pieces, creating an environmental hazard for a few Rounds prior to collapsing.
  • The penalty from an object being damaged will stack with itself if a target is hit multiple times, but the object is destroyed when it reaches a total penalty of -4.
  • 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.

Ring of Tessivar

Created and held by Eldrienne Tessivar.
A golden ring inlaid with Silver marked with runes.

When activated, the ring glows momentarily before ethereal armour covers Eldrienne from head to toe. Her thoughts and designs given form.

Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Roll Intellect + Crafts at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a barrier around yourself, which absorbs the next Outcome +4 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.

  • Effects which circumvent Armor completely also circumvent your barrier.

Another rune etched upon the ring, the visual effect is limited but when someone places the ring upon their finger they feel a warmth emanate through their body.

The Ring of Tessivar is so named for the fact it holds a fragment of Eldriennes' very being. As such, she is always aware of it and those who hold it. This isn't without flaw though, for how can one rest if they are not whole?

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 used by someone other than its true owner, its true owner is alerted and learns the user's appearance, direction, and distance at that moment. The true owner may use a single investigation Effect on them once at any range.

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.

  • "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.

Another rune is etched upon the Ring of Tessivar, when the gift bearer wills it it glows, her will transforming the ring into a blade. A blade she spent months visualising the perfect weapon to accompany her journey to dominion.

This Artifact can be used as a sword / axe. It is roughly the same size as a sword / axe but can be collapsed into The Ring of Tessivar and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +4 Weapon Damage.

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.
  • 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.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

Ashley's Soul Crystal

Created and held by Ashley Brighton.
A pink crystal in the shape of a heart, containing a fragment of Ashley Brighton's soul and forming the catalyst for her magical girl powers.

Invoking the power of your soul crystal, you transform into your magical girl form! In this form, you wear a medium-length pink dress with frilly sleeves and an equally frilly skirt. The sleeves trail, and the skirt is longer at the back; it also has a white underskirt. The outfit is accentuated by white knee-high boots that appear to have feline pawpads on the bottom, as well as a cat-ears headband. Finally, the soul crystal appears in the form of a staff for the duration.

Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action.

You transform into your magical girl form for 3 minutes. You have access to all of your Powers while you are your magical girl form, 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 Brawn is increased by 2. Your Stress is reduced by 2.

While transformed, instead of your normal clothes and equipment, you are equipped with: your magical girl outfit and a staff, topped with your soul crystal.

  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.

Nondescript Title Belt

Created and held by "Big" Jim Newman.
Some sort of title belt sold by an unknown wrestling promotion, its small foam frame stretched almost to breaking point around 'Big' Jim Newman's hulking form.

Within the confines of the packed courtroom, no-one spotted the torrent of flying nails headed directly for the lead witness, Gladys Newman.

None except for BIG JIM.

The eagle-masked wrestler leapt down from the rafters to the awe of the jury and blocked the ensuing torrent of sharp projectiles with his gloves, giving a knowing glance to Gladys before sprinting straight for the freaky Elvis impersonator responsible.
Big Jim charged at Vito, ramming him through a solid wooden wall and slamming him into the ground, whilst a disembodied announcer screamed somewhere.

"BY GAWD, HE MUST BE BROKEN IN HALF!--"

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, and Clashing without a weapon. Unarmed attacks do +0 Weapon Damage (instead of -1).

Possession of this Artifact causes the following Battle Scar to manifest over the course of a day: Immovable wrestling mask. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.

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:

  • Body Slam: If you move and then make a successful attack against a target with a Brawn rating less than or equal to yours, if your target was closer than the full distance you could have moved, you may knock them back the excess movement distance and choose whether or not to follow them.
  • Bodyguard: You may use your Reaction or a Desperate Defense to Defend against any Attack where the attacker, target, or line of fire is within 15 feet. If you do so, you may opt to take the Damage from the Attack instead of the target.
  • Brutal Strikes: If your attack inflicts a Battle Scar, you may choose which of the appropriate-severity Battle Scars the target suffers. If it causes a less severe Injury, you may inflict a Minor Battle Scar of your choosing.
  • Jiu-Jitsu:When you successfully grapple an opponent, you may choose to also deal damage to them equal to the Contested Outcome on the grapple roll.

  • The total damage of a ju-jitsu grapple-attack is equal to your Outcome minus their Outcome. Bonus Damage from the Bonus Damage Parameter does not apply to damage dealt through this Enhancement.
  • Unlike the Ability Brawl, this Effect does not affect small weapons such as knives.

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.

The Scepter of Ang-Kapal

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 called shot requires 4 Outcome dealing 4+ Damage or 6 Outcome dealing 2+ Damage.
  • The sacrificial Injury received from activating this Effect cannot be prevented by any means or healed before 1 day has passed. It is shared with all Effects that use sacrifice. This Injury does not requires Stabilization or cause Battle Scars when it becomes Severe.
  • 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.

Assault Helmet

Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action.

You automatically detect all people wielding weapons within 300 feet of you for the next hour. This includes any who come within range during the duration. You have a sense of how many valid targets are nearby, as well as their distance and direction.

  • This Effect does not satisfy the line of sight targeting requirement for other Effects.

Winter Fang

A massive bow made of solid ice.

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:

  • Infinite Ammo: This weapon never runs out of its standard ammunition.
  • Leave No Trace: Your projectiles crumble or vanish after impact, leaving no meaningful trace of your assault beyond the wounds they leave. If your attack would kill or incapacitate your target, they make no sound, even incidentally, for the next Round.

  • 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.

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.