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The Illumination
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Building Custom Gifts

"Gifts are why we sign The Contract"

Each session of The Contract, the Players' Contractors are invited to risk their lives in a deadly mission. Those who succeed are rewarded with a Gift Credit that can be spent here in exchange for extraordinary Artifacts or incredible Powers.

No two Contractors are alike. Each Contractor's Gifts are a unique expression of their concept, and any character concept can be realized by building custom Gifts.

Each Gift's system is automatically generated during creation. These systems are simple but specific. While such precise systems can be verbose, they focus gameplay on creatively using Gifts rather than interpreting them, and they ensure your Contractor plays the same no matter who is acting as GM.

Building Custom Gifts is Easy

Form an idea of what you want your Contractor to be able to do.
Describe your concept to this Gift-Building webpage. Select a Gift Type and Effect, then customize its modifiers until it matches your idea.
Apply flavor to your Gift by adding a description, name, and tagline.

You can also start by customizing a premade Stock Gift.

Watch the video tutorial

Further instructions are available at the bottom of this initial "Select Gift Type" page, and many elements can be tapped on hovered over for more information.

Gift Type: Powers

"Everything in life comes and goes. Everything but Powers."

Powers are a Contractor's bread and butter. They may be obvious or subtle, arcane or technological, actively called upon or passively empowering. Powers are the only Gift Type that doesn't always require equipment, making them the most reliable.

Powers include:

Any superpower
Magical spells and divine invocations
Cybernetic implants and other bodily augmentations
Supernaturally honed Abilities
Mythical Brawn, Dexterity, Intellect, Perception, or Charisma
Beneficial effects stemming from your Contractor's otherworldly nature

If your idea for a Gift isn't obviously one of the other Gift Types, it's probably a Power.

Gift Type: Legendary Artifacts

"I sure hope no one steals this."

Legendary Artifacts are high-risk and high-reward. These one-of-a-kind items are far more powerful than Powers or crafted items. However, they can be lost, destroyed, or even stolen by other Contractors. While there are ways to protect Legendary Artifacts, some risk always remains.

As your Contractor progresses, you may invest multiple Gifts and Improvements into a single Legendary Artifact, granting it multiple activated and passive Effects. Just remember, your Legendary Artifacts can be used by anyone, whether or not you're still alive.

Legendary Artifacts Include:

Unique alien technology
Mythical relics
Family heirlooms
One-of-a-kind creations

Any extraordinary equipment your Contractor did not create themselves is a Legendary Artifact.

Gift Type: Artifact Crafting

"Sure, I'll make you one. If you provide the proper incentive."

Artifact Crafting turns your Contractor into the golden goose. No Gift Type demands more sacrifice, nor a higher price. However, those Contractors who invest in Artifact Crafting create equipment that rivals the Gifts of the Harbingers. And make no mistake: most Contractors' loyalty can be bought.

Any Contractor who takes a crafting Gift can craft. When you craft with an Artifact Crafting Gift, you can either create a new Artifact with that Gift's Effect or add its Effect to another Artifact you've created.

Investing a Gift Credit or Improvement into an Artifact Crafting Gift lets you craft it once for free. After that, crafting with the Gift costs Experience equal to its Gift Cost + 1.

Crafted Artifacts Include:

Extraordinary weapons and armor
Skunkworks prototype devices
Spellbooks
Alien technology
Super-suits for your team

If you're looking to rival Hephaestus or Stark, you want Artifact Crafting.

Gift Type: Consumable Crafting

"Everybody take one. Use it if you get into trouble."

Consumables are single-use items that are easy to share and trade.

Any Contractor who takes a crafting Gift can craft. Each Downtime between Contracts, Contractors can craft one of each of their Consumables for free. Investing a Gift Credit or Improvement into a Consumable Gift grants an extra one for free. Additional Consumables may be crafted at a cost of 1 Exp each.

Crafted Consumables Include:

Potions
Specialty ammunition
Settable traps
Deployable super-tech
Magic makeup
Energy drinks that turn you into a mongoose

If it's supernatural, single-use items your Contractor makes, it's Consumable Crafting.

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The Boogeyman"̴̢̝̻͙͚̖̺̯̭͙̺̦̤͆͒̿̉͑̂̂̋͌Ý̴̲̳̗͖̫̙͉̏͐̓͋͂͆͒́̓͑́ͅO̷̰̹̮̪̊̄̓͘U̶̢̼̫̙͔̖͎̲͈̟̾̀̑̃͗̉ͅŖ̷̢̭͇͚̪̼͍̥̒̎̓ ̵̨̡̡̫̗͇̘̜͙̘̗̩͑̈́́̕̕ͅF̷̨̧̢̖̼̟͔̮̘̘̫̠̻͍̩́̎͂̾͂̚͠͝Ȩ̸̺͈̜̗̼̹̘̹͔̥̣̜̈́̈́Ẵ̶̢̢̪͔͖͈̟͎̙͓̦͋̇̈̈́́͂́̉̓̀̚ͅŔ̷̰̋͐̑̑̂̓̚͠.̴̨̬̞̹͙͕̘̘̖͈̥̘̅͊̔̒͌͋́̓̊̚.̵̘̅͐̀̎̃.̸̘͈̤̠̤̯̳̏͊́͊̆I̵̞͖̗̿́̊͑̈́̈̄̏͛̌͑̕͘͝͠ͅṮ̶̨͚͉̞͍̩͉̀͑̄̒͗͆̌ͅ'̵̧̡̱̻̫͍̠̼͐̅̒̒̓͛S̸̱̠̺̖͉̿̾̂̊̉͗̌͋ ̴̺̹̳̈̈́̍̎̃Į̶̩͔͉̠̬̺̹̺̯̋͗͌̑Ǹ̶̢̯̩̂͆̄̊̆͐͛̕̚T̸͎̼̫̅̓̃̋̒͒Ỏ̶̱X̷̨̛̘̲̬̠͙̪̭̟͋͆͋Į̸̢̡̢̱̗̙̼̞̮̮̇͐̿̎̐̈́̂́͋̿̕͝C̸̢͙̳̓̓̔̋̽͊͌̋̓Á̴̧̛̛̞͉͖̭̳̽̐̈́̐͛͊͝͠T̶̹̥̹̮̻͓̘̫̘͔̼̓̀̈́Ȉ̵̧̱̮̰͕̼̫͛̊̅̋͊̈́̄͊̀̐͘Ň̷̡̨̧͍̙͎̣̰̗̰͍̗̤̟̣̑̈͆͐͑͌͝G̴̯̞̳̤̩̥̭͔̱̅̈́̑͊̉̕͜!̸̛̪͂̈͆͋̀̃͗̿̏͛̌͝"̶̛͖͕̀̈́͒̒̾͂͛̋͆͠

Cost: 1

Requires Seasoned

The power to shift into a cloud of black smoke.

The Smoke Spirit forms out of nowhere, engulfing their target in devouring black smoke.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. This Effect cannot be used unless you have induced heart-wrenching fear in a mortal in the last 24 hours.

You transform into a cloud of black smoke for the next hour. You may end the effect early and return to your normal form at will. Your structure must remain relatively contiguous. Observers will view you as an unusual entity moving with a singular purpose.

While in this form, you can squeeze through any gap that a rodent could fit through. You may fly at your standard movement speed.

Damage from standard attacks is halved, but Damage from AOE effects is increased by 1. You may spend an Action to reduce one of your Injuries’ Severity by 2, as long as you obtained the Injury while transformed and the separated pieces could reasonably be rejoined.

You cannot communicate or use Gifts while transformed. Your equipment does not transform with you beyond basic body coverings. Carrying capacity is unaffected.

While transformed, you can make an unarmed attack using Body as your attack roll. The target may contest by dodging or Defending. This attack deals +2 damage.

You may use equipment while transformed.

Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see a scary ass black shadowy silhouette demon thing.

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.

Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: Fear Eater - You have an insatiable hunger for fear. (Whenever you see a particularly vulnerable person like a child, old woman, or a person beginning to become frightened, roll Self-Control or be forced to try and terrorize that person to consume their fear).

Extended System

When narrating disturbing content, be cognizant of your group's tone and accommodating to those who would like to "fast forward" through the description.

Gift Example

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Editing Gift
The Boogeyman

Power

Amorphous Transformation

Customize

Cost: 1

The Boogeyman"̴̢̝̻͙͚̖̺̯̭͙̺̦̤͆͒̿̉͑̂̂̋͌Ý̴̲̳̗͖̫̙͉̏͐̓͋͂͆͒́̓͑́ͅO̷̰̹̮̪̊̄̓͘U̶̢̼̫̙͔̖͎̲͈̟̾̀̑̃͗̉ͅŖ̷̢̭͇͚̪̼͍̥̒̎̓ ̵̨̡̡̫̗͇̘̜͙̘̗̩͑̈́́̕̕ͅF̷̨̧̢̖̼̟͔̮̘̘̫̠̻͍̩́̎͂̾͂̚͠͝Ȩ̸̺͈̜̗̼̹̘̹͔̥̣̜̈́̈́Ẵ̶̢̢̪͔͖͈̟͎̙͓̦͋̇̈̈́́͂́̉̓̀̚ͅŔ̷̰̋͐̑̑̂̓̚͠.̴̨̬̞̹͙͕̘̘̖͈̥̘̅͊̔̒͌͋́̓̊̚.̵̘̅͐̀̎̃.̸̘͈̤̠̤̯̳̏͊́͊̆I̵̞͖̗̿́̊͑̈́̈̄̏͛̌͑̕͘͝͠ͅṮ̶̨͚͉̞͍̩͉̀͑̄̒͗͆̌ͅ'̵̧̡̱̻̫͍̠̼͐̅̒̒̓͛S̸̱̠̺̖͉̿̾̂̊̉͗̌͋ ̴̺̹̳̈̈́̍̎̃Į̶̩͔͉̠̬̺̹̺̯̋͗͌̑Ǹ̶̢̯̩̂͆̄̊̆͐͛̕̚T̸͎̼̫̅̓̃̋̒͒Ỏ̶̱X̷̨̛̘̲̬̠͙̪̭̟͋͆͋Į̸̢̡̢̱̗̙̼̞̮̮̇͐̿̎̐̈́̂́͋̿̕͝C̸̢͙̳̓̓̔̋̽͊͌̋̓Á̴̧̛̛̞͉͖̭̳̽̐̈́̐͛͊͝͠T̶̹̥̹̮̻͓̘̫̘͔̼̓̀̈́Ȉ̵̧̱̮̰͕̼̫͛̊̅̋͊̈́̄͊̀̐͘Ň̷̡̨̧͍̙͎̣̰̗̰͍̗̤̟̣̑̈͆͐͑͌͝G̴̯̞̳̤̩̥̭͔̱̅̈́̑͊̉̕͜!̸̛̪͂̈͆͋̀̃͗̿̏͛̌͝"̶̛͖͕̀̈́͒̒̾͂͛̋͆͠

Cost: 1

Requires Seasoned

The power to shift into a cloud of black smoke.

The Smoke Spirit forms out of nowhere, engulfing their target in devouring black smoke.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. This Effect cannot be used unless you have induced heart-wrenching fear in a mortal in the last 24 hours.

While in this form, you can squeeze through any gap that a rodent could fit through. You may fly at your standard movement speed.

You cannot communicate or use Gifts while transformed. Your equipment does not transform with you beyond basic body coverings. Carrying capacity is unaffected.

While transformed, you can make an unarmed attack using Body as your attack roll. The target may contest by dodging or Defending. This attack deals +2 damage.

You may use equipment while transformed.

Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see a scary ass black shadowy silhouette demon thing.

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.

Extended System

When narrating disturbing content, be cognizant of your group's tone and accommodating to those who would like to "fast forward" through the description.

Customize System

Customize your Gift's behavior.

When you're satisfied, scroll down to flavor and finish.

Tap this button any time to preview your Gift:

Cost: 1

Amorphous Form

Eg. "a swarm of bees," "a cloud of smoke," "a blob of oatmeal" etc.

Duration

Gift Cost: +1

Enhancements

Gift Cost: +4

Easy (When you activate this Effect, flip a coin. If you win, its Exertion cost is refunded.)

Incognito (It is not necessarily obvious that your transformed state is an unusual phenomena acting with singular purpose.)

Overrun (While transformed, you can make an unarmed attack using Body as your attack roll. The target may contest by dodging or Defending. This attack deals +2 damage.)

Reform (You may spend an Action to reduce an Injury's Severity by 2, so long as the separated pieces could reasonably be rejoined. Only works on Injuries you suffered while transformed.)

Triggered (You cannot manually activate this Effect. Instead, choose a triggering event, always outside your control, that activates this Effect without requiring an Action or Exertion cost from you.)

Vaporous (You may spend an Action to move through any barrier that is not air-tight. Wind and powerful gusts may deal damage at GM’s discretion.)

Cannot be taken with Big

Seasoned Enhancements

Conditionally Costless (This Effect does not require Exertion in certain circumstances. The condition should be balanced such that it has an activation cost the majority of the time you are able to use it.)