Control Vermin Stay out of the woods!

1
Requires Seasoned
This Artifact allows you to command creatures.
Used by Walter Prescott, Created by Redchigh.

With miscroscopic vision or successful examination with science or occult, it becomes obvious that this is
not a naturally occurring stone but some kind of petrified resin unlike anything currently in use. You notice that the surface of the face is lined with minute geometric patterns (similar to modern computer circuit boards) With at least 4 successes on Occult, they recognize this as alien technology, perhaps carved after creation by someone else.

Upon touching any sapient entity's exposed flesh, it triggers a mind roll at 8. Failure or Botch means you are possessed by the artifact, and immediately are inflicted with a absolute hatred of humans, and overwhelming desire to flee to the nearest wilderness area and defend it from human incursion by force. On a failure, they may reroll to break free in 2 hours, on Botch it is 24 hours. Two botches in the same lunar cycle possesses them until the new moon. A possessed target will relentlessly hunt down the artifact if it is taken, though if it is not in their possession on the new moon they begin to recover over the next week or so. The artifact can possess multiple people, though only the person in posession of the artifact can use its powers. In the case of multiple possessed targets, they will work together to drive off the humans, before likely fighting over the artifact.
A single success will prevent this possession, as long as they maintain the artifact in their possession.

While asleep, you may tap into the creatures under your command and receive visions of sights and sounds the commanded creatures experience. You may also communicate with the commanded creature.

If the commanded creatures travel over 5 miles from the artifact, the effect ends for those individuals.

Commands are limited to
Sit (go to a described area the creature is familiar with and remain. If you set a specific condition that the creature is capable of noticing, you will be notified when it occurs. A single creature isn't particularly perceptive, though a horde certainly is)

Pester (They will follow a target they can see, and hop, jump, or fly as close to it as possible without touching it.)

Attack (Small numbers of the creature will attempt to attack the target(s) identified. Due to size, the damage is capped at 2, this is dodgable, and a small number might not be able to efficiently do damage at all.

Swarm (There must be a large number of individuals, such as 60+crows or thousands of bugs- and they will all attack at once, moving at the creatures normal speed. These masses are usually fairly large (20+ ft wide for the minimum size), and anyone caught in the swarm will take damage, capped at 4. larger numbers simply make the horde larger, and harder to get out of. Vision and sound is obscured when inside a swarm and disorientation is likely. You must be able to move entirely out of the swarm with a free action to be able to effectively dodge, but the most effective approach is shelter or fleeing.)


Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. Select a Creature within 300 feet.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow. All other Creatures which are the same species as your target will also be compelled to follow commands that you issue if they are within 300 feet when the command is given.

Your commands must be relatively simple and within the target’s intellectual grasp. You can make them endanger themselves or otherwise go against their self-preservation instincts. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

Possession of this Artifact causes the following Trauma to manifest over the course of a day: Territorial: If humans infringe on what you consider a private space, you must make a self control roll to not drive them out by force.. If you lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next month.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.

Revision purchased with:
Gift from House Games of yore spent on new power: Control Vermin

Community Command Creature Gifts

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Creature within arm's reach. You must use up a handful of food of the creatures diet in order to activate this Effect.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow. All other Creatures which are the same species as your target will also be compelled to follow commands that you issue if they are within arm's reach when the command is given.

Your commands must be relatively simple and within the target’s intellectual grasp. You can make them endanger themselves or otherwise go against their self-preservation instincts. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

Sapient targets can resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.

Any creature under your control through this Effect cannot be commanded or controlled by anyone else, even using other Effects.

If you use this Effect on the same Creature two days in a row, the effect lasts indefinitely.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • 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.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. Select a Creature within 20 feet.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow.

Your commands must be relatively simple and within the target’s intellectual grasp. You can make them endanger themselves or otherwise go against their self-preservation instincts. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Non-Alien Creature within 20 feet.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow. All other Non-Alien Creatures which are the same species as your target will also be compelled to follow commands that you issue if they are within 20 feet when the command is given.

Your commands must be relatively simple and within the target’s intellectual grasp. You cannot make them obviously endanger themselves or violate their instinct for self-preservation. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • If targeting a Sapient target that counts as a Creature due to an Effect, you must succeed a contested Mind roll. You roll at Difficulty 6, and the target rolls at Difficulty 8.
  • 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.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Non-Alien Creature within 20 feet.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow.

Your commands can be complex and multi-layered, though they must still be specific. You cannot make them obviously endanger themselves or violate their instinct for self-preservation. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

You may only use this Effect once per day.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • If targeting a Sapient target that counts as a Creature due to an Effect, you must succeed a contested Mind roll. You roll at Difficulty 6, and the target rolls at Difficulty 8.
  • 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.

Take a Severity-1 Injury and spend an Action to activate. Select a Creature within 20 feet. Make a Trauma roll when you activate this Effect.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow. All other Creatures which are the same species as your target will also be compelled to follow commands that you issue if they are within 20 feet when the command is given.

Your commands must be relatively simple and within the target’s intellectual grasp. You can make them endanger themselves or otherwise go against their self-preservation instincts. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.

Stock Command Creature Gifts

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Non-Alien Creature within 20 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is a terrestrial animal.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow.

Your commands can be complex and multi-layered, though they must still be specific. You cannot make them obviously endanger themselves or violate their instinct for self-preservation. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • If targeting a Sapient target that counts as a Creature due to an Effect, you must succeed a contested Mind roll. You roll at Difficulty 6, and the target rolls at Difficulty 8.
  • Targets with Body ratings higher than 10 require a Charisma + Animals roll resisted by the target’s Body. Kaiju and environment-scale targets are immune.
  • 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.