The user takes a firm grasp of this artifact and lets out a solemn prayer to the Spirit of Film Noir, begging for it's aid in this time of need. Within seconds, their form is crumbling apart, leaving little of them behind but dust.
The user has been briefly transported into the World of Film Noir, the abode of Frank's benefactor. It appears as an almost endless greyscale city, its streets lined with collapsing buildings and tired denizens. Cigarette smoke forms an impenetrable smog around the city, accompanied by an ever-present smooth jazz soundtrack.
Over-exposure to this world can cause various adverse mental effects, often slowly morphing the user's mind into a flanderized mess of Film Noir tropes.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. 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.
You phase out of reality for 1 Round. 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.
The eyes on the tails on the back of the jacket open and weep blood that ignites once on the floor and takes the shape of the fox that then coalesces into the shape of a fox around the object emblazoning it with the creature. The creature is slightly warm to the touch, and it looks at people who get close with a perplexed gaze for a few seconds, before screaming with all the intensity of a woman being murdered.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Location within 10 feet.
You place a ward, which is fixed to its initial location. You can perceive with all your senses through the ward as though you were standing at its location. This Artifact may have at most 1 wards active at once.
The ward requires Concentration to monitor, though it will remain active until you deactivate it. The presence of the Ward is obvious to anyone being watched by it, and it can be destroyed by mundane means.
You may destroy the Ward to activate one Investigate Individual, >Object, or Area Effect as though you were standing at its location.
Whenever something crosses into the observational range of the Ward, you and those you've allowed to tune in are alerted by fox scream.
You may only use this Effect once per day.
This looks and works like a VW Passat, an ordinary, but reliable car. It has been tinkered with and contains both enforced walls and the ability to be shrinked down to a keyring pendant that looks just like it.
Trust me, it's just very well optimized, nothing magical about it.
This Artifact can be used as a VW Passat. It is roughly the same size as a VW Passat but can be collapsed into a toy car keyring pendant and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
This VW Passat has armored walls. Any roll to pilot this vehicle receives +2 dice.
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: Responsible Driver (You have to roll Self Control if you want to disobey road traffic regulations). If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
A Plymouth Barracuda, with a glossy black sheen on the panels of the car, silver accents on the front and the tires, a raised up area for the engine, orange side lights: a true muscle car
This Artifact can be used as a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda. It is roughly the same size as a 1970 Plymouth Barracuda and just as difficult to conceal.
This 1970 Plymouth Barracuda has Racing Modifications and enhanced durability. Any roll to pilot this vehicle receives +2 dice.
You also gain the following effects:
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: Tinnitus. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.
The soles of these things are actually, like, smooth to the nearest micrometer. No friction, no fuss. You're running over stuff like it's hot butter. This is less useful than it sounds, though.
You gain the following benefits as long as you have not used an action for anything besides an All-Out Sprint this round and you are wearing this Artifact.
Whenever you use your Movement, after all other calculations, the distance you may travel is increased by 25 feet.
If you were moving quicker than you could without super speed and go a Round without using your Movement, you collapse and must remain immobile and resting for two Rounds.
Joshua understands the importance of a good maintenance routine. From oiling the calf skins of his drums to sewing tears in his coat to keeping his trusty caplock pistols clean, each of the items that the soldier carries is part of an intricate web of consistent upkeep. Like trusted friends, he knows that as long as he treats his equipment well, they'll never fail him in his moment of need.
He's more than willing to teach others his best practices. Amazing what can be done with a needle and thread, a rag, and a simple toolkit. Little bit of oil here, a shine there, he lays out the proper routine in plain English. As long as anyone follows his advice, their equipment can be as trusty as Joshua's.
What Joshua doesn't realize is the energies of the shattered Netherworld Portal has empowered this routine with his own latent resistance to entropy. Though he remains rigorous in his procedures (and insists others to do the same), the equipment that he's given close attention keeps itself in its best condition without any deliberate care.
As tales of Joshua's heroic exploits and good deeds continue to spread through the Netherworld and beyond, there are always people willing to lend him a hand. Even if lost, equipment maintained by Joshua will inevitably be picked up and brought back to him by a good samaritan, who will never request more than a song or two as repayment.
This Artifact cannot be broken.
If this Artifact is lost and in no one’s possession, it finds its way back to its creator during the next Downtime.
The mad scientist can craft steel helmets that protect their wearers from mental influence and attack.
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:
This device is a piece of chrome the size and shape of the back of a spoon. When placed against the skin, small hypodermic needles sprout from the device and attach it to the user's bloodstream. There, it filters and releases lifesaving drugs into the bloodstream, granting complete immunity from contracting new diseases and added resiliency in all other cases.
WARNING: The immunizing drugs have been shown to reduce inhibitions in test subjects.
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: