Crafted Artifact

Portable Sun

Created by Andromeda, given to Ollie.
Infinite Kiln Glitch

"Please think carefully before you use this."

The Portable Sun appears to be a small sphere (slightly larger than a tennis ball) that resembles a miniature sun. The artifact emits a faint light and is warm to the touch. The Portable Sun's texture is weirdly fuzzy and glass-like, feeling similar to how one would expect television static to feel.

When activated, the artifact will glow brighter for a moment, before quickly launching a fiery solar flare at the target. The flames dance through the open air, fizzling out into nothing if they fail to find a suitable target. Upon colliding with a target, the solar flare sets it ablaze.

Having learned about the possibility of crafting magical items during the events of Don't Look Up, Andromeda sought to craft something of her own. By channelling her mind, magic, and passion, she was able to create the first Portable Sun.


Spend an Action. Select a target within 20 feet which has both fuel and oxygen available (if you are starting a new fire).

You may start a new fire as large as a torch's flame at your target. Your fires require fuel and oxygen in order to continue burning.

Lighting a target on fire deals 2 Damage each Round on your turn, starting in the Round after the one in which they caught fire. This Damage is reduced by Armor, but the target’s Armor rating will be shredded by any Damage dealt, destroying material Armor once it reaches 0.

You may extinguish flames as a Reaction. This does not extend to explosives.

This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 2.

  • Your fires may be extinguished with appropriate Actions and materials. Stop, drop, and rolling to extinguish requires spending an Action and making a Dexterity + Athletics roll, with an Outcome of 2 putting out the flames.
  • If the target is larger than your flame size, the Armor destruction creates a weak point instead of applying to the entire target.
  • 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.

Community Artifacts

Sturdy bat

Created and held by Isaac.
Your trusty baseball bat, been with you for as long as you can remember

Isaac tosses a baseball up into the air before smacking it with with his bat, sending it flying towards his target, with the damage delt popping up before vanishing. If the attack does no damage or the roll is botched, the attack still hits visually but instead of damage, "missed" pops up.


Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action. Select a target within 50 feet. Roll Brawn + Melee Difficulty 6. The target may contest by rolling to Dodge or Defend as a Reaction, Difficulty 6.

If the Contested Outcome is positive, the target takes that much Damage plus 4.

If the target receives an Injury, they are knocked back 5 * Severity feet.

  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
  • Your target must be within line of Effect. There must be no substantial obstructions between you and your target.

Good Airpods of Interpretation

Created by Luci Alessi, given to Leon Vanderblight.
These are cordless earplugs that fit snuggly into any ear and are indistinguishable from normal buds.

You turn on and turn up the volume of your wireless headphones and they surge with thick black shadows before dying down when the cast ends. For the next ten minutes your shadow will whisper translations from any sapient target around you as well as taking control of the motor control of your mouth when you speak, allowing you to speak flawlessly in whatever language your target speaks.

When concerning other facets of communication, your shadow will interpret anything you see to you in real time.


Exert your Mind and spend one minute.

You may understand and communicate to humans and Sapient beings as if you are fluent in a relevant language for the next hour.

This also includes understanding any recorded communications from the relevant targets, including writings, scent trails, etc.

After this Effect ends, you cannot move quicker than a walk (15 feet per Round) for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour.

  • The target of "human" refers to any target that speaks a human language.
  • When reading written communications, you get no information beyond what the writer was intending to communicate.

Paean’s Set of Tools

Created by Florere Elmara, looted by Mina Patina.
An old leather physicians bag, uncovered from the depths of a forest. The tools inside are made of bronze, yet gleam under the dimmest light.

Florere will set down the bag, and lay it open on the ground next to however they are treating. After giving a quick examination of the tools, they will quickly begin treatment, making incisions, sewing cuts, extracting foreign objects, and treating burns.
As they are doing so, they will not be able to respond to any outside stimuli, too focused on their work, as a sickly dark green light begins to flow from the bag into the patient.
Wounds not actively being treated will begin to close and recede, Florere only needs to focus on the largest injury.
Eventually, the light will subside, and the patient will be stabilized in a few short minutes, healing process greatly reduced. However, underneath any bandages, there will still be glimmers of light, until the bag is full closed and put away, after which the light will swiftly fade.


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

All Stabilizations you attempt are considered Proper Stabilizations.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Bedside Manner: Whenever you successfully provide major medical treatment to a patient, they recover 1 Mind. A patient cannot recover more than one Mind per day in this way.
  • Surgeon Extraordinaire: You may perform any mundane surgery in at most 5 minutes without inflicting or worsening an Injury, and recovery time is reduced to an hour.
  • Unconventional Methods: When Stabilizing an Injury, you may opt to attempt a Makeshift Stabilization instead at Severity +2 Difficulty. If your Outcome is 4 or higher, the Injury is reduced by 2 Severity levels and its Battle Scar is set on the road to recovery. Outcomes less than 4 have the normal effect for Makeshift Stabilizations.

  • All stabilizations being proper stabilizations applies to stabilizations from other Effects such as Heal Wound.

The Seamstress' Needle

Created and held by Thalassia Sevangeline.
A knife-sized sewing needle perfect for patching holes or making new ones.

The most basic tool in a seamstress' repertoire is the needle with a string threaded through its eye. Ironic in nature, needles patch up holes by creating countless more, piercing a fabric again and again until all the damage disappears under a newly sewn on patch. Though brutally cruel on the surface, the average sewing needle is too small and delicate to cause any meaningful injuries to anything other than the average article of clothing.

The Seamstress' Needle is a knife-sized sewing needle, sharp and refined into a lethal form. While at rest, the needle lacks a thread, though one is quick to appear once the supernatural elements of the needle come into play.

Not Quite Flying:
A red thread manifests itself, winding through the needle's eye and wrapping about the user's wrist. The string extends as the needle flies through the air, only stopping its expansion once the blade's destination has been reached. Then, the string pulls the thrower towards the needle, tracing its flight path with the user in tow, disappearing once the needle is reunited with the hand that threw it.

Pin:
As though being guided by an invisible hand, the needle twists through the body of the target and the closest surface, moving in a pattern identical to the motions typical of a normal needle and thread. A red thread follows the needle, binding the target to the surface. Once a stable connection has been made, the needle hangs loose, suspended by a tangle of strings.

Return:
A red thread appears, weaving through the needle's eye and winding back towards the user. The string wraps around the user's wrist, and the needle swiftly pulls itself along the string, eventually finding itself back in the hand of the user.


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

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +2 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • 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.
  • Pin: If your attack inflicts an Injury on your target, you may "pin" to the ground or a nearby wall. They are stuck there until you remove the weapon. The target may spend a Quick Action and increase the Injury's Severity by 1 to pull themselves free.
  • Return: When you throw this weapon, you may opt to have it return to your possession at the end of the attack. Whoever threw this artifact last may use an Action to recall it from up to 100 feet away, attacking one target in its return path as they do so.

  • 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.

The Seal of Nephthys

Created by Jules, looted by Leon Vanderblight.
A large golden ring set with a Black Opal, clearly ancient. It throbs with inky darkness when in use. It has a 6 point Battery that must be used to fuel it's powers. (Note: Obscure is out of date and original character is out of system. Updated Obscure: https://thecontractrpg.com/gift/23406/ )

While Jules bears the Seal of Nephthys, the Goddess herself protects him, until such a time as he has avenged his family & returned the stolen artifacts of the Goddess. When Jules would be harmed one can see slender arms composed of shadows that ward off the attack. Even ethereal attacks can be thwarted by the Embrace of Darkness. When employing his Defensive Curl this effect is even more pronounced, with the wings of the Goddess enfolding him completely in a display of otherworldly power.


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.

You may spend an Action or Reaction and Exert your Mind to double your Armor rating for one Round.

Your Armor cannot be destroyed, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.

Those that bear the blessing of Nephthys, Goddess of Darkness, may defy the will of Geb, God of the Earth, running or walking up vertical surfaces or even sitting comfortably on the ceiling. This blessing remains in effect at all times, provided they bear the Seal of Nephthys as a conduit for the Goddess powers & remain in good standing with her; blasphemers may find this power fails them when they need it most...


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

You may move easily and without a roll in any of the following situations.

  • 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.
  • Surface Skimmer: You are able to move across the top of any bodies of water, ice, or other surfaces where others might sink with no penalty to your movement speed.

  • This Effect not provide any inherent protection from dangerous surfaces such as acid, lava, etc, so be careful!

The Gods of Ancient Egypt are renowned for their treasures. By holding or touching an item with one hand & making mystic passes with the hand bearing the Seal of Nephthys, Jules may invoke the Goddess to learn who values it, where it has recently been, & the presence of magical influence.


Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a target Object within arm's reach. At the end of your investigation, roll Dexterity + Thievery at Difficulty 6.

You learn all the following information about your target:

  • Determine if this target is Alien in origin or whether it has any Alien energy or outside influences. You receive information about the type of energy, including the name of the relevant Source pool or equivalent.
  • You receive visions, allowing you to discern where this object has recently been.
  • You receive whispers 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.

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.

The Black Opal on the ring bleeds darkness, engulfing items that then vanish, stored away safely in the Divine realm of the Goddess.


Spend a Quick Action. This Effect cannot be used unless both you & the target are completely within shadow.

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 any targets in your stash, each no larger than something which could fit inside a briefcase (15 liters), and you may store up to 7 things at a time.

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

Animate targets may Resist being stashed.

  • "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.

The ring visibly throbs with power in darkness, washing away pain & fatigue from the bearer.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are completely in shadow and you are wearing this Artifact.

Your Stress from Injuries and Mind Damage is reduced to 0.

While Incapacitated, you may Exert your Mind to take a single action.

Stress from Injuries acts as a dice bonus instead of penalty.

Any dice penalty from being stunned, diseased, cold, hot, dizzy, sick, distracted, or similar circumstances is reduced to zero. Does not affect penalties from Effects you activated.

From the ashes of despair a God appears before you. Anubis has returned to deal death and destruction in the name of the Goddess. The bearer of the ring transforms into a God like figure and is able to cause wanton destruction around him.


Expend a point of Battery and spend a Quick Action. This Effect cannot be used unless you are fully within shadow.

You transform into Jackal-Headed Monster for 30 minutes. You have access to all of your Powers while you are Jackal-Headed Monster, and you can use your equipment. The Injuries and Battle Scars of your Alternate Form and your true form are tracked separately.

While transformed, your Attributes are the same. Your Stress is reduced by 2.

Your alternate form is its own deadly weapon. Unarmed attacks made in your alternate form deal +3 Weapon Damage (instead of the typical -2).

Your alternate form renders you unable to speak any human language and incapable of fine object manipulation. You can only hold or grasp objects in a crude, clumsy way.

  • Reminder: Weapon Damage from multiple sources does not stack. Instead, the highest value is used.
  • Attribute bonuses from multiple sources do not stack. Instead the highest bonus is used.

Jules has taken a Sacred Oath to the Goddess of mourning,darkness, the dead, protection, magic, health, embalming, & beer. Until the day he can return all her stolen artifacts, she sustains his life - causing even the most grievous wounds to heal in days.

Jules must be wearing her sacred ring, the Seal of Nephthys, for her healing power to flow, & then only when fully obscured by shadow.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are completely in shadow and you are wearing this Artifact.

Any Injury you receive heals quickly, reducing its Severity by one level every 10 minutes. Any Injuries you receive while this Effect is active automatically count as a successful Proper Stabilization and do not deteriorate further. Any Battle Scars caused by such an Injury will heal with the Injury.

You may Exert your Mind and spend an Action to reduce the Severity of one of your Injuries by 2. Does not affect Injuries suffered as an activation cost for Effects.

By invoking the Goddess of Darkness in a short ritual, Jules can draw the shadows to him, rendering him unseen & unheard. He must be wearing the Seal of Nephthys & must invoke her secret names, not known to any living mortal for this power to function. If he steps into the shadows he now can disapear much easier.


You gain the following benefits as long as you are completely within shadow and you are wearing this Artifact.

You are obscured in one of the following manners. You may Spend an Action to change the way in which you're concealed.

  • Arcane: You are partially obscured from being noticed by all senses, natural and supernatural. All attempts to notice you are rolled at -3 dice.
  • 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 from other, additional senses fails automatically. If someone discovers you, this Effect will not help you hide from them for the next minute. This Effect does not end early when you activate an obvious Effect, attack, or receive an Injury.

You may turn this Effect on and off at will during its duration.

  • You may only switch this Effect on or off once per Round on your initiative as a Free Action.

The Divine voice of the Goddess may be channeled by the bearer of the seal, provided they stand within her house of shadows. The ring visibly throbs & pulsates with power as this occurs.


Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Select a Sapient being, human, or Dead target within 50 feet. Dead targets must have died within the past week, and you must have their remains in your possession. This Effect cannot be used unless both you & the target are completely in shadow.

The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.

  • The target of "human" refers to any target that speaks a human language.
  • 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 Artifact Crafting Gifts

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:

  • Naturally Resistant: Any time you make a Mind resistance roll, the individual who you are resisting must Exert their Mind, or your resistance succeeds automatically.
  • Clash Of Wills: If you fail to fully resist an Effect, your Outcome is considered to be 0.

  • These bonuses apply only to Mind rolls made to resist Effects and other supernatural phenomena. They do not apply to Trauma rolls or self-control rolls.

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:

  • Survivor: You are immune to all non-Alien diseases.
  • All Brawn No Brain: You suffer a -2 dice penalty on Mind resistance rolls.

  • These bonuses apply only to Body rolls made to resist Effects and other supernatural phenomena. They do not apply to other contexts such as attacks made while under the Creature Transformation Effect.