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The Illumination
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Setting: The Illumination
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Building Custom Gifts
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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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Only friend13's best friend

Cost: 0 (2 )

13 was always lonely but he also always had his best friend "Friend" a blue ram that is intelligence and a has a connection with 13 that allows them to communicate with Friend. Friend helps 13 with traveling, hunting and combat and just provides 13 with a feeling of comfort.

Upgrading From. . .

Only friend - 2 Gift Companion Creature Power

To create your companion, use a similar procedure to creating a new Character. Instead of 150 Experience, you may spend no more than 64. You may not take Assets or Liabilities. Companion creatures have one Limit. You may spend any experience you earn on your companion's stats, if desired.

Regardless of your chosen Attributes and Abilities, the Actions available to any creature depend on the creature itself. For example, an elephant will not be able to make much use of the Stealth Ability.

Companion creatures cannot use tools or human technology.

Companions are capable of general communication skills and know one language. Your companion is controlled by you, though if you are separated, the GM may take some liberties to preserve drama and suspense.

Any roll to locate your companion (or vice-versa) is rolled at -2 Difficulty.

Enhancements

Technologically Inclined: Your companion has a general understanding of Human culture and technology, and can reason appropriately.
Inseparable: You and your companion creature always have a sense of the direction and distance of the other.
Savage Attack: Your companion creature has a type of Attack which is particularly brutal. They gain +3 dice to this Attack roll. This attack must be mundane and make sense for the type of companion.
- Attack: ram
Man's Best Friend: You, rather than the GM, have control over your companion's actions.

Drawbacks

Unique Connection: Your companion cannot communicate with or understand anyone other than you.
Sympathy Pains: You adopt your companion's wound Penalty if it is higher than your own, and vice-versa.

Tap to show systemClick to show system

Gift Example

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Editing Gift
Only friend

Power

Select an Effect

Customize

Cost: 0 (2 )