The cards thrown leave a small glittering trail of gold after being thrown; a hidden image of a seraphim on the back design turns to a shimmering gold while being wielded. The deck itself glows faintly with a radiant golden light, emitting a comfortable warmth to the touch.
This Artifact produces ephemeral projectiles that can be used as a shuriken.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +2 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
You sit down and begin to play a short game of blackjack with your target. You play as the dealer, and each time you deal, your target wins. For each win they get, their wound heals a little more. The cards themselves glow a bright, radiant gold during the game. The glow intensifies with each win in a row they achieve.
Expend a point of Battery and spend 15 minutes. Select a Living target within arm's reach. Choose a specific Injury on your target that has not yet been treated with this Effect and roll Dexterity + Influence at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, the Injury is reduced in Severity by your Outcome. If you reduce its Severity to 0, the Injury is fully healed. Otherwise, it is partially healed and will heal the rest of the way at its natural rate.
This counts as a successful Makeshift Stabilization if the Injury was not already Stabilized; any Battle Scars caused by the Injury will remain.
a blue and brown leather sling with hebrew runes carved in
This Artifact can be used as a slingshot. It is roughly the same size as a slingshot and just as difficult to conceal.
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.
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:
Whenever the Artifact is used by someone other than its true owner, observers can see shifting impressions of unknown glyphs temporarily appear in random places on the Artifact's surface. If whoever is wielding it had hurt the Artifact's true owner before, the aforementioned glyph impressions exhibit a crimson sheen. The noticeability of the sheen scales in direct proportion to the magnitude of the current wielder's total negative impact on the Artifact's true owner.
Whenever the Artifact is ordered by its true owner to return to them, it folds in on itself in a non-Euclidean manner, becoming more and more blurry as it does so. Then, the middle of one of the true owner's palms darkens as a single black, ever-shifting glyph with a crimson sheen emerges from it. The true owner reflexively closes its hand around it, 'catching' the glyph, but when they open it again they are instead faced with the Artifact in its shrunken form. The palm's darkening is also no longer present, as if it never happened in the first place.
All bleeding Injuries of the Artifact's true owner emit streaks of blur reminiscent of solar prominence. The parts of this phenomena that are close to the scar owner's skin faintly glow an uneasy red instead of remaining colorless and clear.
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.
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.
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.
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: an ornate, inky-black mark depicting the Artifact's base form - a misericorde dagger - pointing downwards from inbetween the person's shoulder blades to the small of their back. So long as this mark exists, the person in question's blood becomes black and blurry with a crimson sheen, and all Injuries that aren't Stabilized degrade every 10 minutes instead of every 30 minutes. If observed under a microscope, anyone can see that the blood's cells have been replaced by various black, ever-shifting glyphs of similar sizes - however, despite this, the blood functions exactly the same as a normal human's blood would. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.
Whenever the Artifact's owner thoroughly defeats or kills an opponent, the Confluence of Glyphs may save the echo of any melee weapon used by the opponent if it deems it worthwhile, adding said echo to what is best described as an archive. This artifact is able to freely change its shape to resemble any of the weapons from within the archive. The contents of the archive are recorded in the Artifact owner's Equipment section.
A blur obscures the Artifact's features while it is shape is in the process of being changed, with a crimson glint signifying that the alteration has concluded. The coloration and perceived materials of all replicated weapons partially match the coloration and perceived materials of the Artifact's base form. Some features of these weapons are distinctly different from those of their real iterations, such as text and images being replaced by unknown glyphs. If the appearance of a weapon's real iteration had noticeable technological aspects, the replica has those aspects revised to be warped and eldritch instead.
The Artifact can only be miniaturized while it is in its base form. When it is ordered to shrink or enlarge, it bursts into a swarm of black, shifting glyphs which coalesce and reform into the Artifact of the requested size.
This Artifact can be used as a knife. It is roughly the same size as a knife but can be collapsed into a miniature version of itself and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
Attack by rolling (Dexterity or Brawn) + (Melee or Brawl), Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
Whenever the Artifact's owner allows it to temporarily expand their perception, an aggressive red glint can be seen shining for a split second from within the center of the dagger's crossguard. Likewise, the Artifact's silhouette momentarily blurs as well.
To the Artifact owner, during their period of otherworldly awareness, all opaque materials become partially transparent. Crimson, glowing, ever-shifting glyphs start to frequently appear floating inside all of the aforementioned opaque-turned-transparent objects and terrain. Normally, the glyphs themselves aren't distracting, and tend to be somewhat faint, however some decide to trace the outlines, edges and corners of seen-through surfaces instead of simply floating without purpose - these ones are quite more noticeable, being a bit more numerous and bright. The Artifact owner is mentally aware of all such glyphs within this sense's range.
The difficulty of discerning the less obvious details within a given area dictates how colorful the glyphs in said area appear: for example, glyphs within the first and thus unobscured wall that the Artifact's owner could see are of a strong red hue, while glyphs in an object that's behind several usually-opaque surfaces or deep underground would be darker - both in color and in brightness.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action.
You may perceive things within 75 feet of you with perfect clarity as though there were no walls or obstacles blocking your view for the next 30 minutes.
You may perceive through up to 15 feet of material. The Difficulty of all Perception rolls made through a wall are increased by 1 per wall.
Whenever the Artifact owner attempts to enter or leave the pocket realm, space contorts and either folds in on itself or unravels in a non-Euclidean manner, either swallowing or revealing their existence as well as the existence of any selected nearby targets. Observing this effect is uncomfortable to spectators.
The void of the pocket realm is formed from unknown, barely-visible, ever-shifting black glyphs. Sparse crimson motes reminiscent of eldritch rubies float throughout this space, providing a bit of light if they are close to the space's theoretical center. Additionally, the Artifact owner's lover is manifested within the pocket realm as well.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action.
You phase out of reality for up to 10 minutes. During this time, you cannot 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.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see nauseating, non-Euclidean space-warping which outlines horror-evoking phenomena beyond perception.
Whenever the Artifact owner requires concealment through subterfuge, a swarm of unknown, static, glowing crimson glyphs emerges from the Artifact. Each of these glyphs has at least one prolonged, pointy end. Immediately, the swarm disperses to fly over to the areas chosen to be disguised, and, after a miniscule pause, the glyphs begin to sequentially pierce the areas in question in a motion akin to sewing. Several seconds later, accompanied by a finalizing blur, the change is complete, and all glyphs fold out of existence.
When piercing flesh, all wounds caused by the glyphs heal in a manner of seconds, and any spilled blood is absorbed by blurry ripples; when piercing clothing, the glyphs instead temporarily merge with the pierced surface and emit a single red pulsating glint each. The total amount of glyphs present during this phenomenon scales in direct proportion to the cumulative surface area of the affected parts of the Artifact owner's body and apparel.
Spend 2 Actions.
You become disguised in a manner of your choosing. The disguise lasts for two hours, or you may end it early at will.
The new appearance may have a different sex, age, and race to your own, and you may alter height by up to a foot and your weight by 50%. Your disguise cannot directly mimic an existing person. You may change the appearance of your outfit. A disguise cannot affect your Attributes or other stats.
You may roll Charisma + Crafts to attempt to make your disguise Beautiful. If your Outcome is 6 or higher, non-Effect Charisma rolls where your good looks could help are rolled at -2 Difficulty. If you fail or botch, you are ugly instead, and non-Effect Charisma rolls are made at +2 Difficulty.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see many pointy crimson glyphs sequentially piercing the areas that are being disguised in a motion akin to sewing, which is visibly painful when affecting flesh.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.
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: Cognitive Neuropathy. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
Slipping the tile inscribed with 'ᛞ' out of the pouch and flipping it in the air, the mage strikes it with two fingers on the way down, loosing a golden bolt towards their mark. The glittering blast strikes, leaving glowing burns across its mass.
Spend an Action. Select a target within 300 feet. Roll Intellect + Occult 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.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.
Reluctantly taking the tile inscribed 'ᛏ' from the pouch, the mage grimaces as it begins to glow a deep crimson. Focusing, they brandish it at their opponent - and allow blood-soaked images of pillage and conquest to flow into their target. As the sparks of mana pass through the air, passers-by are able to briefly glimpse what is being shown to the mage's quarry - and can only wince in sympathy.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Sapient or Creature target within 20 feet. Roll Intellect + Occult Difficulty 6. Affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7. If they are incapacitated or unconscious, they fail automatically.
If the Contested Outcome is positive, the target loses that much Source. Once their Source is depleted, excess Outcome is applied as Mind Damage. If you deal at least 3 Mind damage, the target gains a new Trauma of your choice. The Trauma should be general and not specifically mention you. You should not have to be involved to trigger the Trauma.
This trauma cannot be removed by spending Experience and undergoing mundane therapy. Affected targets are aware that they are being attacked and can generally tell who did it.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see glimpses of vicious atrocities as you force your target to mentally experience hundreds of brutal viking raids simultaneously.
The 'ᛟ' symbol now embroidered onto the bag exudes a sense of possession that might faintly generate an impression of the owner, should the holder know of them. When not in the owner's possession, the embroidered rune starts to glow a vibrant blue.
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 this Artifact has no living 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.
Whenever this Artifact is unattended and within 300 feet of its true owner, it will fly back to them. When not held or stowed, it floats beside its true owner, moving with them. While within 10 feet, the true owner does not need to touch it to use it.
Clutching their wounds, the mage stumbles onwards and nearly falls into a seat. Taking a moment to compose themself, they channel energy from the 'ᛒ' embroidered onto their pouch, a virile green glow emanating from it and seeping into the injury. Partially recovered, the mage stands up once more to continue their quest.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
Any Injury you receive heals quickly, reducing its Severity by one level every 6 hours. Any Injuries you receive while this Effect is active do not deteriorate over time. However, any Battle Scars caused by such an Injury will remain unless it is Properly Stabilized as normal.
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.
All Injuries you receive are considered Properly Stabilized. You may also choose to heal any Battle Scar on yourself that may not have been caused by an Injury. Doing so takes one day, and the Battle Scar affects you fully until that time.
A 355ml bottle made of what appears to be heavy glass, and filled with a viscous liquid that churns in ribbons of black, dark red, pale yellow, and a sickly green. When it is drunk, it goes down smoothly, but there are no words to describe how unpleasant the aftertaste is. Immediately after being downed, the mouth, throat, sinuses, and stomach burn. The body rejects any toxic or diseasing contaminations and expels them through any available avenue, along with the ingested elixir, as the mind trembles under the experience.
Roughly a third of the bottle's contents must be consumed to take effect, and it seems to reconstitute the volume of a single use per day.
Expend a point of Battery and spend 1 minute. Select a Living target within arm's reach. Your target takes a Severity 1 Injury. Your target must make a Trauma roll when you activate this Effect.
You may cure any Non-Alien diseases, toxins, or poisons afflicting your target even if you have not diagnosed or fully understood it. You may cure diseases or poisons even if they are not treatable through modern medicine. During treatment, the malady you are treating does not progress or cause additional Damage or other effects.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see the target's body visibly shakes with obviously excruciating agony as blood, phlegm, and black and yellow bile are expelled from their pores, mouth, and sinuses.
The asbestos filled leather suit and mask is incredibly fire resistant.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 6 Armor, which only reduces damage taken from fire. Any armor piercing effects from fire are ignored. 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 penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
Beyond just fire protection the welding suit offers fantastic protection against other attacks using ceramic ballistic plates and other types of armor under it's leather surface.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. Called Shots may circumvent your Armor, depending on its coverage.
You may spend an Action or Reaction and Exert your Mind to double your Armor rating for one Round.
The visor has several visual sensors built into it.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
Your senses are enhanced in the following way.
Any senses which have been heightened cannot be overloaded. Battle Scars you receive cannot affect these senses.
The Future Soldier's PSG is capable of briefly supercharging its effectiveness with a jolt of Omega Cell energy. While active, the future soldier glows with an extremely bright golden light.
While the shield is supercharged, the Future Soldier cannot move or see the outside world, but they are completely isolated from anything that occurs outside the shield.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action or Reaction.
You phase out of reality for up to 4 Rounds. During this time, you cannot perceive or affect the outside world or take any Actions. You cannot move. 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.
You leave a golden glow shaped like yourself at your location.
The Skeleton Key slips easily into any keyhole and turns without a fuss.
Spend an Action.
You may lock, unlock, and/or open any number of doors, containers, knots, or locks within arm's reach of you. Cannot be used on Alien technology.
If you successfully operate a lock, you may choose to destroy it, rendering it inoperable.
Standard issue in the Future Soldier's home time, the Personal Shield Generator (PSG) projects a protective energy barrier around the body. It absorbs damage far better than traditional armor, but its battery is quickly drained. When depleted, the PSG must spend a few seconds recharging.
When struck, the normally-invisible field of the PSG flashes, revealing a bright yellow honey-comb pattern encasing the body.
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.
"The Coffin" can only be used to store things commonly found in coffins, such as bodies, clothes, jewelry, photos, weapons, coins, and similar.
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.
Dazzle Glasses are advanced "black-tech" espionage gear. They can be styled as any sort sunglasses. When the wearer is recorded, they will quickly flash a non-visible laser into the recording device, destroying it after only a moment of footage is taken.
This Effect activates whenever you are recorded. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Select a Non-Sapient Object within 20 feet no larger than a duffel bag (35 liters). Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event. Roll Perception + Culture 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.