Home
Play for free
Guide
How to Play
The Illumination
GameMaster's Manual
The Rules
The Basics
Game Structure
Setting: The Illumination
Contractors
Harbingers
Contracts
Scenarios
Gifts
Downtime
Playgroups
The Website
Gameplay
Into the Unknown
Content and Safety
Real Locations and People
Rolling Dice
Retrying
Contested Actions
Difficulty
Dice Pool Modifiers
Probability
The Character Sheet
Creating a Contractor
Approving Contractors
Character Concept
Filling out a Character Sheet
Assets and Liabilities
Experience
Journals
The Questionnaire
Limits
Attributes
Abilities
Primary Abilities
Secondary Abilities
Conditions and Circumstances
Equipment
Body
Injuries
Degradation and Stabilization
Battle Scars
Death
Mind
Traumas
Stock Traumas
Exertion
Stress
Source
Gift Guide
Gift Credits and Improvements
Building Custom Gifts
Gift Cost
Gift Types
Effects
Activation Styles
Parameters
Enhancements and Drawbacks
Gift Description
System Text, Tagline, and Gift Name
Gift Approval
Gift System Keywords
Crafting
Looting Artifacts
Combat
Initiative
Rounds
Actions
Attacking
Grappling and Choking
Quick Actions and Multitasking
Holding Actions
Reactions
Dodging
Defending
Clashing
Movement
Encumbrance
Other Kinds of Movement
Weapons
Firearms
Melee Weapons
Explosives
Other Weapons
Armor
Mobs
Example Combat
Structured Downtimes
Moves
How to Make Moves
Loose Ends
Situational Rules
Ringers
Moxie
Contract Cycles
Visiting Other Playgroups
Voiding Contracts
Attack Difficulty Modifiers
Full-Auto Sweeps
Other Explosives
Other Sources of Damage
Exposure
Deprivation
Vehicles
Vehicle Speed and Acceleration
Vehicle Crashes and Safety
Damaging Vehicles
Vehicle Maneuvers
Poisons, Venoms, Toxins
Drugs
Further Reading
Quick Nav
- Learn to Play
- Contractors
- Create Contractor
- Graveyard
- Gifts
- Create Gift
- Stock Gifts
- Community
- Discord Server
- Looking for Game
- Find a Playgroup
- Hall of Fame
- Website
- Get Early Access
- Buy Merchandise
- News and Updates

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.

Loading...

You will be able to craft this Effect onto Artifacts.

Kevins Friendship Bracelets"My Friends always have me by their side."

Cost: -3 (2 -5)

Requires Seasoned

This Artifact grants you the power to summon a minion which can fight and act on your behalf.

If Kevin finds someone who he beleives is a true friend he will share with them a homemade bracelet with them telling them as long as they have this he will be beside them. When they grip the bracelet and call out for Kevins help his original character will appear from a rift in space which through for a moment you can see Ponyland.

Exert your Mind and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: Grip the bracelet and say "Kevin I need your help.". This Effect cannot be used unless the Wielder had a meaningful relationship with Kevin in life. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.

Summon a single Non-Sapient, Animate Kevin at your location. They last for two hours or until they are destroyed. They are controlled by the GM, do not follow orders, and only act to . This Artifact may have at most one minion active at a time.

Initiative: Minions act directly after you in Combat starting the Round after they are summoned.
Combat: Minions roll 6 dice to dodge, Grapple, or make unarmed Attacks. Their Attacks are melee range and deal +4 Damage.
Body/Mind: Minions have 3 Body. They automatically fail all Mind resistance rolls.
Armor: Minions have 1 Armor.
Movement: Minions can move 20 feet per Round as Free Movement and double that when performing an all-out Sprint.
Intelligence: Minions have dog-level intelligence and cannot communicate back to you. They cannot actively use Equipment.
Actions: Any Perception checks they make are rolled with 3 dice. They can lift and haul as though they have 2 Brawn.
Unusual: Minions are obviously Alien to any observer.

You may only use this Effect once per day.

Extended System

Your minions may count as additional targeting types based on their flavor. For example: Living, Computer, Creature, etc.

Gift Example

Loading...

Editing Gift
Kevins Friendship Bracelets

Artifact Crafting

Spawn Minions

Customize

Cost: -3 (2 -5)

You will be able to craft this Effect onto Artifacts.

Kevins Friendship Bracelets"My Friends always have me by their side."

Cost: -3 (2 -5)

Requires Seasoned

This Artifact grants you the power to summon a minion which can fight and act on your behalf.

Initiative: Minions act directly after you in Combat starting the Round after they are summoned.
Combat: Minions roll 6 dice to dodge, Grapple, or make unarmed Attacks. Their Attacks are melee range and deal +4 Damage.
Body/Mind: Minions have 3 Body. They automatically fail all Mind resistance rolls.
Armor: Minions have 1 Armor.
Movement: Minions can move 20 feet per Round as Free Movement and double that when performing an all-out Sprint.
Intelligence: Minions have dog-level intelligence and cannot communicate back to you. They cannot actively use Equipment.
Actions: Any Perception checks they make are rolled with 3 dice. They can lift and haul as though they have 2 Brawn.
Unusual: Minions are obviously Alien to any observer.

You may only use this Effect once per day.

Extended System

Your minions may count as additional targeting types based on their flavor. For example: Living, Computer, Creature, etc.

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: -3

Summoned Minion

Minion Attack

Gift Cost: +1

Minion Health

Gift Cost: -1

Enhancements

Armored (Your Minions gain 3 Armor and 2 Body, and they have the equivalent of 4 Brawn lifting/hauling capacity. They have 15 feet of Free Movement. Their Attacks deal an additional +1 Damage.)

Battery-operated (Instead of Exerting Mind to activate this Power, it has its own 3-point Source pool. The Source regenerates at the rate of one point per day and cannot be raised with Experience.)

Expendables (Your minions are Sapient, speak a language, and can use Equipment, Artifacts, and Consumables. They cannot Exert their Mind. Their Attack dice only apply Grapples, Dodges, and one type of attack or weapon. For all other Actions, they roll 3 dice.)

Faithful (Summoned minions last indefinitely.)

Cannot be taken with Mage

Cannot be taken with Once per Day

Fliers (Minions can fly at normal movement speed.)

Minion's Fate (If ordered to protect someone with its life, your Minion may sacrifice itself to absorb an Attack on their behalf, provided it is within 15 feet of them.)

Mobile Auto-Turret (Minions have a 50 foot Attack range.)

Regular Joe (Your minions are not obviously Alien. )

Requires: Expendables

Scout (Your minions can speak and move 15 feet further per Round. They roll 7 dice for Perception rolls.)

Squad (You may have up to 3 minions active at once. When you activate this Effect, you may summon up to your maximum active Minions.)

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.)

Cannot be taken with Mage

Well-Trained (Minions gain a Primary Ability of your choosing. Non-Attack Actions using it have a 7 dice pool.)

Requires: Expendables

Willful End (You may end this Effect before its duration has elapsed as a Free Action.)

Seasoned Enhancements

Gang (You may have up to 5 minions active at once.)

Requires Seasoned status.

Requires: Squad

Golem (Your minions gain an additional 2 Armor, 2 Body, +1 Damage, and now have the equivalent of 6 Brawn lifting / hauling capacity.)

Requires Seasoned status.

Requires: Armored

Stealth Mission (Your minions have 8 dice to roll stealth and can squeeze through any opening a rat could.)

Requires Seasoned status.

Requires: Scout

The Edge (Your minions have +1 Armor, +10 feet of Free Movement, and +1 die to all rolls.)

Requires Seasoned status.

Drawbacks

Gift Cost: -4

Agenda (You cannot directly command your minions. Instead, they will act to further their own agenda.)

Agenda:

Conditional (This Effect is only available when a certain condition is met. This condition must be severe enough that this Gift is unusable the majority of the time.)

Condition:

Conditional (This Effect is only available when a certain condition is met. This condition must be severe enough that this Gift is unusable the majority of the time.)

Critical Failure (Roll a single D10 when you activate this Effect. If you roll a 1, you critically fail in a way that is extraordinarily dangerous. Failure should cause at least a Severity-4 Injury, a Major Battle Scar, or an effect counter to its purpose.)

Dependant (Your minions die if they are ever further than 150 feet from you.)

Disfiguring (Possession of this Gift grants a minor Battle Scar that can only be cured by buying off this Drawback.)

Disturbing (Witnessing this Effect is disturbing and/or morally abhorrent to the average person. Anyone who witnesses you during its activation or for its duration will be repulsed, outraged, and will likely think differently of you from that moment on.)

Cannot be taken with Mage

Exhausting (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.)

Faithful Steed (Your companion is roughly the size of a horse. They lack manual dexterity and cannot use equipment, Artifacts, or Consumables designed for humans. They have +2 Body, can carry the equivalent of +5 Brawn, and have +15 feet of Free Movement.)

Requires: Companion

Just a Lil Guy (Your companion is between the size of a rat and a cat. They lack manual dexterity and cannot use equipment, Artifacts, or Consumables designed for humans. They have -2 Body, can haul the equivalent of 0 Brawn, and do not suffer falling damage.)

Requires: Companion

Maddening (Possession of this Gift causes a Trauma that cannot be cured by any means. The chosen Trauma must be likely to come up on a Contract.)

Mage (Activating this Effect requires two consecutive Actions of Concentration. It involves intricate use of the body and voice. If interrupted during activation, the Effect fails. It is obvious you are preparing to activate an Effect during casting.)

Activation Ritual:

Once per Day (You may only use this Effect once per day.)

Prejudice (Select "Living, Animate, " "Creature," "Sapient," or "Nonliving, Animate. " Your minions are hostile to any being of this type and will immediately attack them and prioritize them over other targets, no matter your commands.)

Sacrifice (Instead of Exerting your Mind or expending Source, activating this Effect gives a Severity-1 Injury that worsens by 1 Severity each time you use an Effect with Sacrifice. This Injury cannot be prevented by any means or healed before 1 day has passed.)

Stationary (Your Minions cannot Grapple, dodge, or move on their own, and they weigh at least 250 pounds. They deal an additional +1 Damage)

Traumatic (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.)

Who's a Good Boy? (Your companion is roughly the size of a wolf. They lack manual dexterity and cannot use equipment, Artifacts, or Consumables designed for humans. They have +1 Armor and +20 feet of Free Movement.)

Requires: Companion

Customize Flavor and Finish

Gift Name

Tagline

(Optional) Introduce the Gift in a flavorful way.

Visual Description

A concise description of what this Gift looks like when it is used. What do participants and observers experience? This will be referenced by GMs at game-time to help them narrate.

When activating this Effect, it is obvious that you are creating a minion in some way. Minions are obviously Alien to any observer. You must obviously use this Artifact to activate this Effect. When activating this Effect, this Artifact is obviously Alien and cannot be concealed under your clothes or similar.

Extended Description

(Optional) Wax poetic about this Gift's background, metaphysics, etc.

Gift incomplete

Gifts must cost a minimum of one Gift Credit

How will my edits affect things I've already crafted?

Adjustments: Only editing text fields will automatically update any items that have been crafted this Downtime to use the new text.
Revisions or Improvements: will refund all items that have been crafted this Downtime.
Major Revisions: will refund all items that have been crafted this Downtime and put a marker on all previously crafted items signifying that the Gift used to craft them has since undergone a major revision.

About Us - Send Feedback or Report a Bug - News and Updates -

Join Our Discord Server -

Support us on Patreon - Buy Merchandise
© 2023 Sapient Snake LLC - By using this website, you agree to the Terms and Conditions, EULA, and Privacy Policy. Last updated January 8, 2023

Loading...

Editing Gift Kevins Friendship Bracelets

Editing Gift Kevins Friendship Bracelets

Kevins Friendship Bracelets"My Friends always have me by their side."

Customize System

Summoned Minion

Minion Attack

Minion Health

Enhancements

Seasoned Enhancements

Drawbacks

Customize Flavor and Finish

Visual Description

Extended Description

Gift incomplete

How will my edits affect things I've already crafted?

Editing Gift
Kevins Friendship Bracelets

Editing Gift
Kevins Friendship Bracelets