Legendary Artifact

Unit Sh-300H

Created and held by Charles "Hope" Newman.
A white watch with a red bracelet.

I raise my hand to the sky and click the side of the watch as I shout my catch phrase. The watch glows brightly as a teal coloured energy field start to form.

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

If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next Outcome + 2 Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. 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.

  • If you use this Effect as a Reaction to dodge, you still need to make a roll to dodge. The Effect will occur regardless of the Outcome of this roll, but if you fail you will be hit by the relevant attack prior to the Effect occurring.
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Community Artifacts

Fractal Ring

Created by Guy Webber, given to Leon Vanderblight.
A simple Damascus steel ring. Inside, it’s inlaid with fractal knot patterns made of electrum wire. The emblematic design of a 9 tailed fox is embossed into the metal.

The initial design was the most complicated part, really. Once an object has been embedded with the complex fractal knot pattern, made of otherwise ordinary electrum wire, Guy suffuses the wire with extra-dimensional energies. Getting the right energies, and getting them to stick, can take some doing. The wire then guides the magic, which responds readily to a simple flex of intent.
When called upon, space twists into a fractal knot that expands from the wire, distorting perceptions of the object and surrounding space. As if it had always been there, one object is replaced by another, and space returns to its natural state.
No complicated on-the-fly calculations necessary.

With help from a 5-hour Energy value pack, a crash course in CAD software, and a local CNC machine, Guy was able to design the first functioning prototype, a proof of concept for one of his more outlandish ideas.

Space is locally expanded in an additional dimension, an otherwise unnoticeable effect that creates a kind of pocket space, perfect for storing items. The magic is limited in its functionality, and the spatial membrane is somewhat stubborn, so withdrawing an item requires an anchor. By pulling on the desired item and anchor at the same time, the magic can cause them to switch places with minimal strain.

Spend a Quick Action.

You may withdraw an item from your stash, or add an item that is within arm’s reach to your stash. You may only stash targets which are in your possession, grappled, or otherwise controlled by you.

You may store Objects in your stash, each no larger than something which could fit inside a briefcase (15 liters), and you may store up to 3 things at a time.

You may choose to equip any equipment you withdraw at no additional cost.

Whenever you withdraw an Object from your Stash, you must immediately Stash another object to replace it. You may only stash objects you are attuned to. Attuning an object requires one minute of physical contact.

  • "Equip" refers to drawing a gun, putting on a piece of armor, etc.
  • Containers which hold multiple things may count as a single item so long as the things within are generally packaged together. For instance, you may stash a clip full of bullets, a medical kit full of medical supplies, or a box of crackers, but you cannot stash a backpack full of miscellaneous equipment.
  • You may only attempt to store Objects which are free-standing and disconnected from other things. The use of this Effect will not allow you to sever any connections holding an Object in place.
  • The Maximum Object Size parameter is intended to roughly capture the weight / size restriction of items and isn’t intended to restrict shape. GM discretion is advised. A human being is level 4 in the Maximum Object Size parameter.

Clown Killer

Created and held by Thomas.
“No more clowns”

The Clown Killer “Little Trickster” appears as a small, ominous knife with a sleek, polished blade that gleams with a faint, unsettling light. The blade’s edge is razor-sharp, and its surface seems to subtly shift, as if alive with dark energy. The hilt is wrapped in a strange, leathery material that feels warm and slightly pulsating, as though it has a heartbeat of its own. Despite its small size, the knife carries an unusual weight, giving it an air of latent danger. When held, the weapon emanates a faint, almost imperceptible whisper, adding to its eerie presence.

This Artifact can be used as a knife. It is roughly the same size as a knife and just as difficult to conceal.

Attack by rolling (Dexterity or Brawn) + (Melee or Brawl), Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +1 Weapon Damage.

This item is a living thing. When targeted, it counts as a Living Creature in addition to its other target types. If destroyed or abandoned for more than two days, it dies and becomes unusable.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Any Injury inflicted is considered unstabilized even if its Severity is less than 4. The equipment and roll required to Stabilize it is treated as though it is a minimum of Severity 6.
  • Bane: Injuries dealt to Circus People are increased by 2 Severity levels.
  • Bastard: You may spend a Free Action to change this melee weapon’s base stats into those of any other basic melee weapon. Changing this weapon's base type affects its size, range, Weapon Damage, and roll.
  • Mjolnir: You may call your weapon back to your hand as a Quick Action if it is within 50 feet of you. Can only be used on melee weapon that you have wielded in the past hour.
  • Pin: If you Injure a target with an Attack, you may choose to leave your weapon. If you do, the target is “pinned” to that location until the weapon is removed. Removing the weapon increases the Severity of that Injury by 2.

  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

Sundered Promise

Created and held by Raine Sullivan.
An elaborate, custom-made wedding ring heavily themed after a centipede. There is a single round gemstone of black opal embedded in its head, as if resembling an eye. It glitters in a dazzling array of blues and greens.

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.

  • Reminder: Weapon Damage from multiple sources does not stack. Instead, the highest value is used.
  • When narrating disturbing content, be cognizant of your group's tone and accommodating to those who would like to "fast forward" through the description.
  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.

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.

  • "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.

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.

  • Effects which circumvent Armor completely also circumvent your barrier.

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.

  • Amphibious: You are able to move about in liquids using standard Movement rules rather than any special swimming rules.
  • You are able to exist and move without putting any weight on anything you are currently on top of or clinging to. When moving in such a manner, you move at your normal movement speed.
  • Spider Climber: You are able to climb on and cling to any surface without regard for the ordinary rules of gravity. You climb at your normal movespeed.

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.

  • This Effect’s Armor rating cannot be increased by any other Effects.

Tools & Tinctures

Created and held by Esther Patch.
Just your standard modern-low-fantasy surgical kit. Bandages, gauze, forceps, sutures, green herbs, red herbs, healing spray, wicked elixirs, a bonesaw, an ever-burning ember, a bottle of orange juice, an entire roast chicken... Nothing too out of the ordinary.

This piece of equipment is of the highest possible quality. Whatever it is, it's best-in-tier. It emanates gleaming white sparkle particles whenever you use it. This shit is so freaking sweet, dog.

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.

Virtuoso's Vessel: When using this Device for its primary purpose, you always roll a minimum of 8 dice. Excludes Effect activation rolls.

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: Big Spender's Splendor - You emanate an aura of golden light. You have no idea how to turn this cosmetic effect off. Visual perception checks to spot you are made at -1 Difficulty, or at -3 difficulty in complete darkness. 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: Covetous - Your <Artifact> is the greatest in the world. Nobody is going to take it from you. You refuse to loan out your Masterwork artifact(s) to anyone else. You must roll Self Control in order to let another person who knows of its existence remain in a position where they could easily steal it from you. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used. The same is true for extra dice.
  • Extra dice from this Effect do not apply to Gift activation rolls.

Fleshbound Tome

Created by Owen Vanderstraaten, looted by Tabatha Van Sterling.
An extremely large book with bindings of sinew and pages of living skin, the Fleshbound Tome details many secrets regarding the intricacies of the flesh. Tabby laced it with a wonderful book cover.

Extracting a bloody lump of meat from the tome and hurling it to a nearby location, it bubbles in place for a few seconds before expanding into a fleshy sphere covered in gnashing teeth, claws, matted hair, and curved horns.

Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Select a Location within 50 feet.

Select one of the following alterations to create out of flesh originating at the target:

  • Dome: Create a dome or other simple, enclosed structure made of flesh up to 10 feet in radius, 6 feet high, and 6 inches thick.

The alteration begins to form when you activate this Effect and finishes forming on your initiative in the next Round. Until it finishes forming, it is not guaranteed to function.

This alteration lasts one minute but may be prematurely destroyed or altered. Your alterations may be broken through with appropriate tools. Anyone attempting to break through must roll Brawn + a relevant Ability. A cumulative Outcome of 3 across all attempts breaks a hole large enough to move through. See the extended system text for GM guidance on various tools.

You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.

  • Attempting to break any alterations with inappropriate tools may damage or destroy the tools at the GM's discretion.
  • Any structures you create leave precise gaps for obstacles in their path or push them out of the way. You cannot directly destroy objects or structures or damage beings by creating walls or domes.
  • Tool guidance for GMs:
    • Difficulty 9: Brawn 5, no tools.
    • Difficulty 7-8: One-handed tools or makeshift tools (like a sword). Mythic Brawn without tools.
    • Difficulty 6: Appropriate manual tools. Crowbar, sledgehammer, armor-shredding attacks.
    • Difficulty 4-5: Power tools, vehicles, explosives.
  • 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.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

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.

Recharging Sheild

You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.

You have 6 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 time your Armor prevents Damage, your Armor rating is temporarily decreased by 2. Whenever it goes five Rounds without preventing any Damage, it is restored back to its full value.

  • Armor recharging happens automatically and does not require an Action.
  • This Effect’s Armor rating cannot be increased by any other Effects.

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.

255TE "Lancer" Rife

A metallic disk that, with the press of a button, expands into a futuristic-looking rifle.

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:

  • Silencer: The report of any shots you fire may be made silent at will.

  • 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.
  • Rifles are +1 Difficulty to use in melee range. Sniper Rifles are +3 Difficulty to use without a tripod or in melee range. Setting up a tripod takes an Action.

Umbrella Identification

This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a passport and just as difficult to conceal.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into an Object within the category of forms of identification. 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.