Legendary Artifact

Surgeons shirt

Created and held by Amanda Kultz.
A green scrub top that acts as normal.

The user yanks on the top and tiny particulates of various diseases stream out toward the target. Thousands of different plagues and illnesses permeate the body and cause the target to wither and runes made of sores form across their chest. The gown makes the shoulder of the wearer weak and prone to dislocation. The diseases will be cleared by a simple red delicious apple, decreeable by reading the runes.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Living target within 25 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless the target has hurt anyone. Roll Intellect + Medicine at Difficulty 6. Your target may resist by rolling Body at Difficulty 8.

If you succeed, the target is afflicted with a Condition that causes any number of the following symptoms:

  • Disabled: The target suffers from an affliction that leaves them unable to act at full strength, such as physical pain, severe fever, intense fatigue, etc. They take a -2 penalty to all physical actions, which grows by -1 every hour until it reaches your Outcome.
  • Poisoned: The target gains a Severity-1 Injury which ignores Armor and doesn’t heal naturally. For every hour that passes, they receive a new identical Injury. If this new Injury would kill them, they roll 1d10 at Difficulty 6. Success cures the condition; otherwise, they will die.
  • Wasting Away: The target’s body is being eaten away by the affliction. Immediately on being afflicted, and again for every hour that passes, they will obtain a new Major or Minor Battle Scar.
Symptoms begin to appear immediately, and will remain and continue to worsen until the affliction is cured. The affliction is not contagious and will not spread to others.

The affliction is not treatable by modern medicine. It may be diagnosed by rolling Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6, and can be cured by eating a ‘red delicious’ apple.

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: shoulder subluxation. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.

  • Successfully diagnosing an affliction also includes information about the treatment method.
  • The chosen method of treatment must be something that you could obtain in a small town given an afternoon.
  • Curing an affliction removes the Condition, but does not automatically heal any Injuries, Battle Scars, or Traumas which may have been caused by that condition.
  • This Effect’s symptoms do not stack with themselves on multiple applications.
  • 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.
Print / PDF
Learn about charlatans - Hide fake ads

Community Artifacts

Pick of Destiny

Created and held by Osmand "Oz" Stark.
A dark stained wooden handle holds this white hot steel in place.

Osmand reaches for his neck and holds his necklace as a momento for those lost in the mines. His rage builds up and releases a white hot pickaxe from his grip in a burst of dust and grime.

Osmand swings the pickaxe with such might that the white hot metal returns to solidity on every swing, reverting back and forth and Osmand mines through walls and creatures.

This Artifact can be used as a club / improvised weapon. It is roughly the same size as a club / improvised weapon but can be collapsed into A chain necklace with a flat lump of metal with crude letters written on and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +2 Weapon Damage. The target's fully effective

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: Long pause: Roll Self Control when seeing a stone or large rock, if failed you MUST BREAK IT INTO LITTLE PIECES!. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

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.
  • Lasersaber: Given time, you may demolish any object or wall. To destroy 1 cubic foot of material: spend 2 Actions for material demolishable with a crowbar or sledgehammer, and 5 Actions for other materials (like steel).
  • Shredder: If you successfully hit your target, the value of any Armor they are wearing is reduced by 2. This penalty lasts until the armor is repaired.

  • 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.

Professional Attire

Created and held by "Slender James" Davis.
A black business suit and tie, unremarkable to the eye. So why can't you shake the question of who's wearing who from the back of your mind? (Worth 2 Armor)

Every thread goes in its perfect place. The body moves like flowing, hungry silk.

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 +2 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:

  • Disarm: If you successfully Defend or Clash with a melee attack, you may take possession your opponent’s weapon or launch if up to 35 feet away.
  • One Inch Punch: You may make a full attack against any target you can touch, even if you are restrained. To an observer, you hardly move. In a crowded area, determining that you were the source of an attack requires a Perception + Alertness roll with an Outcome of 4.

  • Unlike the Ability Brawl, this Effect does not affect small weapons such as knives.

You drag one unlucky, and often unwilling, participant with you into a murky reflection. Then, you both find yourselves in your Dark Place.

They're not going to like the Dark Place.

The Dark Place consists of a black sky and endless pool of equally black water, a little less than ankle-deep, spreading in every direction as far as the eye can see. There are no noises around but the ones you make.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. This Effect cannot be used unless your suit is in physical contact with water - at least enough surface area to cover the soles of your shoes.

You phase out of reality for up to 10 minutes. During this time, you cannot perceive or affect the outside world but may take mental and self-targeting Actions. You cannot move. Nothing can interact with you in any way.

When you phase out, you may bring up to 1 additional target in arm's reach with you. While phased out together, you may interact as if standing in an empty void that extends infinitely in all directions.

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.

You leave a hazy reflection or shadow in the water at your location.

  • You may use your Free Movement on the Round you phase back in, but you cannot take an Action.

Umbrae Defender

Created and held by Harold Polk.
The Umbrae Defender, an artifact crafted by Mr. Porter, is a seamless blend of elegance, defense, weaponry, and cutting-edge “black tech” capabilities, all concealed within the form of a refined umbrella.

The Umbrae Defender is outfitted with advanced adaptive projection technology, a system of micro-projectors and flexible nanomaterial layers that allow it to shift its appearance seamlessly. These micro-projectors emit an ultra-fine holographic overlay onto the umbrella’s surface, precisely adjusting colors, textures, and details to match the desired disguise. Meanwhile, an array of shape-memory polymers within the artifact’s frame enables it to collapse or expand at will, adjusting its size from a full umbrella down to something as compact as a passport.

Embedded RFID spoofing technology enables it to mimic the function of an ID card when scanned. This module temporarily broadcasts generic but plausible data without creating a traceable record in external systems, a key feature for bypassing low to mid-level security checks. However, the spoofed signals don’t generate true access credentials, so they won’t engage high-security systems.

The technology that drives the Umbrae Defender’s disguise capabilities uses pressure-sensitive smart polymers that detect attempts to use it in unintended ways. If the artifact is forced into actions outside its structure—such as being disguised as a knife and used to cut—these polymers signal the projection systems to suspend the illusion, ensuring it won’t compromise its own integrity. This amalgam of adaptive materials and projection tech makes the Umbrae Defender a marvel of modern concealment technology, tailored for a sleek, sophisticated, and covert user experience.

This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a Umbrella but can be collapsed into Passport 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.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Changing the Artifact’s appearance does not allow you to conceal its Alien nature while any of its other Effects are in use.

The Umbrae Defender, crafted by Mr. Porter, is the epitome of a spy’s tool—an elegant umbrella concealing a sophisticated arsenal. Its sleek, high-end appearance masks a precision projectile system, allowing it to silently fire high-velocity darts that dissolve on impact, leaving no trace. A discreet grappling hook is hidden within one of the umbrella’s ribs, with a high-tensile micro-filament line capable of latching onto distant surfaces, allowing rapid ascents, controlled descents, or swift repositioning. In close quarters, the umbrella’s frame subtly shifts to reveal a razor-thin blade along its edge, effective for silent takedowns without sacrificing its refined look. With all mechanical functions silenced by an internal “Stealth Mode,” the Umbrae Defender remains as discreet as it is deadly, blending seamlessly into any environment while ready to adapt to any challenge.

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

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +2 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.
  • Not Quite Flying: You may Exert your Mind and use up your Movement to “follow” any attack using this weapon, traveling right next to its point of impact.
  • Razor String: You may use this weapon as a melee weapon. Roll Dexterity + Melee to attack or defend. Successful attacks deal Outcome + 2 Weapon Damage

  • The attack must be the primary form of attack for this weapon.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

When activated, the Umbrae Defender processes its gathered data and displays the results on a concealed, high-resolution screen embedded discreetly into the handle. As the multispectral imaging completes, the screen illuminates, revealing a color-coded map of residues and fingerprints, each substance tagged and classified with forensic precision. Soil, pollen, or microscopic traces appear as glowing markers, each one identified by its chemical signature, presenting a clear visual of the object’s recent environments.

Next, the GPS data renders as a series of coordinates on a small map overlay, showing the object’s last known locations. These coordinates pulse on the screen, tracing a path of its journey, almost like a breadcrumb trail left by the item’s history. You can zoom in on these points to get a sense of specific places, each location tagged with approximate timestamps that correspond to environmental changes noted by the sensors.

The LIDAR-generated surface map appears as a 3D model on the screen, rotating slowly to display every scratch, dent, and mark on the object. Each detail is magnified, allowing you to examine wear patterns up close and trace the item’s handling history. This surface map provides clues about the object’s use, as well as how it may have been involved in the crime.

Finally, any available RFID data or manufacturing records load into a separate information tab on the screen. This section gives background details like the object’s origin, manufacturer, and production date, presenting a digital “birth certificate” of sorts. Each piece of information, meticulously presented on the screen, combines to create a clear, organized summary of the object’s journey, origin, and recent interactions—making the Umbrae Defender a powerful, portable investigative tool.

Spend a minute. Select a evidence of crimes within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Culture at Difficulty 6.

You learn all the following information about your target:

  • You receive gps coordinates, allowing you to discern where this object has recently been.
  • You gather information about where the object was made and when.
  • You receive scene of what caused evidence during the crime telling you who has used this object recently.
  • You learn the object's intended function and how to use it for its intended purpose, though not necessarily the ability to do so.
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.

This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.

You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.

  • 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 latest enhancement to the Umbrae Defender integrates advanced “black tech” defenses, blending next-generation materials science with covert tracking systems. The artifact now houses a layer of hyper-dense nanofiber mesh, invisible to the naked eye, which disperses kinetic energy from physical attacks. This nanofiber technology, known only to certain government labs and high-clearance contractors, reduces incoming damage significantly, rendering most forms of physical assault virtually ineffective. Only specialized attacks with legally encoded identifiers can bypass this armor, making it uniquely selective.

This nanofiber defense system is reinforced with a self-repairing lattice structure, embedded with molecular memory. If breached or damaged, the mesh automatically reconfigures itself, restoring to full strength within an hour, regardless of the intensity of the assault. This tech is resilient to armor-shredding tactics and cannot be bypassed by targeted shots, ensuring that the defense remains robust and consistent.

Embedded within the artifact is a miniature LiDAR tracking and triangulation system, activated immediately upon impact. When the armor is hit, this tracking system triangulates the origin point of the attack, locking onto the source’s exact location for 30 seconds. Utilizing covert radio frequency analysis, it provides a precise, untraceable data relay to the wearer, giving them a real-time, 360-degree awareness of their assailant’s position. The Umbrae Defender, enhanced by these black tech innovations, offers not only unparalleled defense but also an elite tracking system, turning each encounter into a tactical advantage.

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 Legally Justified Attacks. 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.

Whenever your Armor reduces incoming Damage, you are immediately made aware of the source of the Damage. You may pinpoint their location for 30 seconds.

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

The True ring of Invisibility - Silver

Created by Vel, given to Bryan Bosch.
A ring of silver. It has elvish inscribed on it.

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.

  • Sight:You are completely obscured from sight. All attempts to detect you via sight fail. Attempts via other senses where sight 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.

  • 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.

The Gift of Sense

Created by Penrose Torchwick, given to Mina Patina.
A pair of rubber work gloves and safety goggles, bound and tied to each other with invisible, arcing electricity. When worn, the electricity lights up in the wearer's veins.

With the 'pop!' of a connecting circuit, this artifact causes a jolt of electricity to bolt through the user's body, lighting up the veins in their arms with electric blue light and crackling static. With their being lit up as a conduit for this new source of power, the artifact focuses some of the user's senses into those best for a genius' work.

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

Your senses are enhanced in the following way.

  • Sight: You can see perfectly in dark and even pitch-black environments. You suffer no dice penalty due to darkness.
  • Touch: You can identify any material with a touch and immediately find what you are looking for when rummaging, assuming it is actually present. You may withdraw items from your bags with a Quick Action instead of an Action.

Any heightened senses require you to maintain Concentration to use, and do not apply to any passive Perception checks.

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: Crackling Veins - Electricity surges through your arms to enhance the senses, producing a blue glow and the crackle of static under the skin. You take a -2 dice penalty to all Stealth rolls, and direct skin contact with metal surfaces produces an electric spark. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.

  • “Rummaging" means digging through trash, finding a needle in a haystack, etc.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

The Axe of Legend

This electric guitar has one edge sharpened into a deadly blade. It can be used as either sort of axe.

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:

  • 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.
  • 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.

  • 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 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.

The Coffin

"The Coffin" is a black, alligator-skin briefcase made to look like its namesake. The interior is coated in red, quilted leather. It is quite a bit larger on the inside, appearing to stretch backwards like a dark passageway.

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.

  • You cannot change the container's type if you are not in possession of it.
  • A container of holding cannot be placed inside another created by the same Gift.
  • There is no cost to use this container.

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.