Luci takes out her multi-tool and conducts rudimentary maintenance on an object, imbuing it with her shadow. It takes a lot out of her to use, but the result is usually worth it.
On firearms, her shadow will slink along the barrel and firing mechanism, making it far more efficient and adding its own kick to the fired bullet, making it deadlier while also assisting to manage recoil.
On melee weapons, the shadow slinks along the weapon with either barbs or thorns.
On armor, Luci's shadow hides under the armor and when a weapon or source of damage approaches, it seeps out and attempts to block or deflect the incoming damage.
Exert your Mind and spend an hour to activate. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. This Effect cannot be used unless Luci must be in complete darkness and must be completely alone.. You must actively and obviously use Multi-Tool/Swiss Army Knife to activate this Effect. Cannot be used to improve Armor.
For the next three weeks, your target receives 2 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +2 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice. While it is upgraded, the item cannot be destroyed.
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.
Through a bizarre ritual, Lorenzo can rent an improved version of an item. He must set $10,000 worth of cash on fire, and place the item to be upgraded in the fire as well. It will quickly burn, and will send rainbow-colored sparks up into the sky. After a short time, the new, upgraded version of the item will be delivered in the form of a metal capsule that falls out of the sky and lands near you.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. This Effect cannot be used unless you have sky access. You must use up $10000 cash (or equivalent currency) in order to activate this Effect. Cannot be used to improve Armor.
Lasts the next day. Your target receives 3 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +3 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice.
Lewis performs an eldritch ritual, sacrificing a portion of his flesh which turns pitch black and melts into the selected item, augmenting its power while causing those who see and hold the item to feel a sense of dread as if just being near this object will lead them into insanity.
The whispers of the staff of glorious evolution have become stronger, filling his mind with even more cursed knowledge as he starts to sacrifice his own body to augment things for the purpose of a true glorious evolution.
Increase your sacrificial Injury's Severity by 1 and spend a minute. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. Can be used on Armor.
Lasts the next day. Your target receives 2 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +2 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice. While it is upgraded, the item cannot be destroyed. Upgraded Armor is shredded by half the normal amount. If it is a piece of Armor, it instead receives half that amount as bonus armor rating, rounded up , and any armor penalty it causes is reduced by 1. If an upgraded shield and armor are both worn, the upgrade bonus does not stack with itself.
Upgraded items have half their normal weight, for the purposes of encumbrance.
Upgraded weapons count as any material your opponent might be particularly vulnerable to. Upgraded Armor cannot be circumvented by called shots. Upgraded Devices do not run out of fuel or energy.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation or for its duration will almost certainly be disturbed to see part of the user’s flesh morph’s into the enhanced item causing it to gain fleshy black tendrils that pulsate like a beating heart.
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.
If you do not have a sacrificial Injury when you activate this Effect, take a new Severity-1 Injury.
The object seems gleam as if it was made of bronze. It's edges are honed to such a fine point they almost sing. This is not just excellent craftsmanship, every atom has been fully dedicated to it's purpose.
Hephaestus has seen that Edith dedicates herself to standing up for her fellows in the disabled community, and is willing to offer her some knowledge on how to improve the creations of others. As long as that dedication to helping others remains.
This Artifact has been upgraded.
This Artifact receives 2 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +2 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice.
Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their mind and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Trauma: Maker's Creed: When you can stand in defense of someone who is weaker than yourself, you must roll self control to not do so.. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
The blacksmith takes up the desired object and their trusty hammer, swinging at the object with the essence of the forge, each hit inscribing a glowing rune into the object granting it more power than ever before.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. You may choose not to pay this Effect’s activation cost. When you activate this Effect, if it is active from a previous activation where you didn’t pay, that Effect ends. You must actively and obviously use hammer to activate this Effect. Cannot be used to improve Armor.
Lasts the next two hours. Your target receives 2 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +2 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
The process takes quite a bit of time, as Luci must properly bind this object to its ideal image by bathing it in The Well. A process that, if witnessed by a normal person, would likely result in some minor traumatic occurrences. Luci watches over the item the entire time to make sure it is not swallowed up into the inky mess. A lengthy sweat-inducing endeavor, but by its end, when Luci pulls the item from the reservoir, it is all worth it.
The items in question will sport a dark tint on the paint job and if Luci desires it, she can make its primary or secondary colors as dark as she wants. The symbol of The Well, a fragmented snowflake that closely resembles broken glass, will appear embossed somewhere visibly on the item, marking it as improved.
The Well is oblivion and vice versa. There is no being or creature exempt from the prices that it exacts upon those that meet it uncordially. And like a hook, when it sinks its fangs into you, it will rip you root and all at even the slightest weakness.
The Well is also eternal. As long as the universe turns and toils, and unless someone has the power to circumvent or mimic the powers of Oblivion, upgrades items will persist ad infinitum.
Idealism was always thought to exist solely in concept, to associate reality with mental ideals as opposed to material objects. That somewhere in the cosmic lands above, a perfect image of this "thing" exists, and only its material imitations are founded in "reality". But what if a material object could be elevated closer to the status of its ideal perfect image? A question Luci had asked herself for a period, and while it took some time, she managed to find a way.
This Artifact has been upgraded.
This Artifact receives 3 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +3 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice. While it is upgraded, the item cannot be destroyed. Upgraded Armor is shredded by half the normal amount. If it is a piece of Armor, it instead receives half that amount as bonus armor rating, rounded up. If an upgraded shield and armor are both worn, the upgrade bonus does not stack with itself.
Upgraded weapons count as any material your opponent might be particularly vulnerable to. Upgraded Armor cannot be circumvented by called shots. Upgraded Devices do not run out of fuel or energy.
The mad scientist produces thorium cores that can be used to upgrade tools and other devices. The core supercharges the item, increasing its quality and rendering it indestructible for a period. However, once the core runs dry, the object is rendered less useful than it was before. The core crackles with blue electricity while active.
Spend 1 Action and use up this glowing blue disk. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. Cannot be used to improve Armor.
Lasts the next two hours. Your target receives 2 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +2 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice. While it is upgraded, the item cannot be destroyed.
After the Effect ends, any upgraded targets suffer a -2 dice penalty until they are either repaired or upgraded again.
The aristocrat knows a ritual that allows them to rent the best version of any item. They set $10,000 worth of cash on fire and place the item to be upgraded in the fire as well. While in the flame, the item morphs into a high-end version of itself. After a while, it reverts.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. You must use up $10,000 cash (or equivalent) in order to activate this Effect. Cannot be used to improve Armor.
Lasts the next two hours. Your target receives 3 extra dice to all actions taken for its intended use. Attacking with an upgraded weapon grants +3 Weapon Damage instead of additional dice.