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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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B̸̧̞͒̀̚eware of H̷͚̜͎͙̥̫́͒im and o̵͑̀̄̀b̷̓̌̔̈̇̿͒̒̚͘e̵y His voice; do not provoke him; (Ex 23:21)Exodus 23:21, Chamael's Bible:"Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for He acts as though My name is in Him."

Cost: 6

Requires Seasoned

The power to compel a target to follow your orders.

Charisma + Influence difficulty 7 Mind diff 6 to resist Due to their ability to grant orders to mortals on behalf of the heavenly host, Chamael has the ability to issue simple commandments. When used outside of alternate form, a image of his alternate form shimmers over his body, wings outstretched, like a ghost- A glimpse at his true self. The affected target will act religiously fanatical towards chamael, bathed in a white glowing flame (harmless, euphoric, makes them feel I HAVE BEEN CHOSEN! THE NEW GOD PICKED ME feeling with hysterical glee)

Exert your Mind (unless Alternate Form is Active) and spend at least one Action. Select a number of Sapient targets equal to your Charisma within 20 feet. Your target may be actively engaged in Combat. Communicate a command to your targets. Roll Charisma + Alertness at Difficulty 6. The targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.

If the contested Outcome is positive, your targets will be compelled to follow your command to their best understanding of the letter and spirit of the command until they have completed it or for your Contested Outcome in hours. You cannot issue another suggestion to the target until 10 minutes after they have completed the first command or 10 minutes after a failure.

They will be unaware that they are under any sort of compulsion until the effect wears off, but they will appear obviously mind-controlled the entire time to anyone observing them. If you fail, they realize that you were attempting to influence them supernaturally with your command.

Your command can be an order to take an immediate Action. You cannot order a target to "do nothing," and they are free to take other Actions as they fulfill your request. Your command cannot be obviously self-destructive. Commands may force a target to violate one of their Limits, and they will need to make a Trauma roll once the suggestion wears off.

You must have some means of communicating this command to your targets, but no one other than you and them will understand or perceive it.

Extended System

You cannot order your target to endanger themselves, but you may order them to flee, attack a certain target, take a defensive or offensive stance, or similar.
When targeting multiple individuals simultaneously, they must all be issued the same command.
The target must be able to understand you and must receive your communication for the suggestion to work.
Allowed Commands
- Direct Order: The target must take an immediate action (e.g. “Sit down,” "run away," or "tell me your password.")
In the case of a failed activation, GMs should consider how bystanders would realistically react to a potentially-outlandish accusation of mind-reading.
You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

Gift Example

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Editing Gift
B̸̧̞͒̀̚eware of H̷͚̜͎͙̥̫́͒im and o̵͑̀̄̀b̷̓̌̔̈̇̿͒̒̚͘e̵y His voice; do not provoke him; (Ex 23:21)

Power

Suggestion

Customize

Cost: 6

B̸̧̞͒̀̚eware of H̷͚̜͎͙̥̫́͒im and o̵͑̀̄̀b̷̓̌̔̈̇̿͒̒̚͘e̵y His voice; do not provoke him; (Ex 23:21)Exodus 23:21, Chamael's Bible:"Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for He acts as though My name is in Him."

Cost: 6

Requires Seasoned

The power to compel a target to follow your orders.

You must have some means of communicating this command to your targets, but no one other than you and them will understand or perceive it.

Extended System

You cannot order your target to endanger themselves, but you may order them to flee, attack a certain target, take a defensive or offensive stance, or similar.
When targeting multiple individuals simultaneously, they must all be issued the same command.
The target must be able to understand you and must receive your communication for the suggestion to work.
Allowed Commands
- Direct Order: The target must take an immediate action (e.g. “Sit down,” "run away," or "tell me your password.")
In the case of a failed activation, GMs should consider how bystanders would realistically react to a potentially-outlandish accusation of mind-reading.
You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.
Your target must be within line of sight, or within range of another sense if more fitting for the Gift's flavor.

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: 6

Style

Targeted

Trap (Gift Cost: -1)

Suggestion Roll

Range

Duration

Gift Cost: +1

Enhancements

Gift Cost: +5

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

Cannot be taken with Conditionally Costless

Enemy Orders (Your target may be engaged in Combat. You still cannot order them to endanger themselves, but you may order them to flee, attack a certain target, take a defensive or offensive stance, or similar.)

For British Eyes Only (Your command can be understood only by you and your intended target.)

Interrupt (You may activate this Effect as a Reaction to contest any Action a valid target is taking, reducing their Outcome by your own. Your command has no impact beyond disrupting their Action. This interrupts Concentration. )

Operand Conditioning (Your commands can include conditions and triggers. E.g. "next time you close the vault, lock the keys inside.")

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.)