The user opens the book to the marked page, which opens to an ever-shifting geometric equation. They must attempt to solve it to draw the shapes and graphs in the bloody ash. Once it is complete, the runes are revealed to be a dark and bloody map, complete with cryptic notes by the Black Man on how to use it.
Expend a point of Battery and spend a minute to activate. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 500 feet You must use up a small jar that is half filled with black ash and half filled with fresh virgin blood in order to activate this Effect. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Science at Difficulty 6.
You learn the following information about the area:
Wounds caused by this blade exude a black mist, just like the sword.
This Artifact can be used as a sword / axe. It is roughly the same size as a sword / axe and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage. The target's fully effective
This item is a living thing. It counts as a Creature when targeted. If destroyed or abandoned for more than two days, it dies and becomes unusable.
You also gain the following effects:
The Rider is at their best when they are against a strong foe. Their fiery resolve flares up and they are empowered by a preternatural luck and capacity for avoidance. Lethal blows become scrapes, scrapes become ineffectual impacts and they push themselves to survive no matter what.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 6 Armor, which only reduces damage taken from Attacks from Boss/Commander Monsters. Any armor piercing effects from Attacks from Boss/Commander Monsters are ignored. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
Your Armor cannot be destroyed or shredded, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor penetration. Your Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
When you take Damage from a source which is within 5 feet, deal back that much Damage up to a maximum of 3.
You open the grimoire in front of you, its pages fluttering in a non-existent wind. You loudly speak the incantation as a rain fo spark surrounds the object. It shudders to life and follows your commands.
Exert your Mind and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: point at the target object and speak the incantation "Treguna Mekoides Trecorum Satis Dee". Select a Inanimate target within 20 feet which could fit inside a rolling luggage bag (50 liters). You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.
Your target will become Animated for three hours. You may choose to end the effect at will, as a Free Action. This Artifact can maintain a max of 4 targets animated at once.
Animated Objects have the following restrictions and capabilities:
It has long been the job of the Ferryman to guide souls to their final rest. Through tempests of chaos that is the afterlife, the shining beacon of the Ferryman's lanter has long been a symbol of hope to lost souls, because a ferryman can get you to where you need to go.
Exert your Mind and spend 2 Actions. Select a Location within your line of sight.
You are transported directly to the chosen Location. Anyone who is touching you as you Travel will be brought along with you. You must wait an hour before activating this effect again.
If you traverse any Graveyard for one minute, you may activate this Effect and travel to the edge of any other Graveyard that you’re aware of, regardless of range.
When you Travel, you leave Black feathers blowing in the breeze as a distinct trail between your starting and end points.
Spend an Action.
Create a repulsion field which extends out 45 feet from you in every direction, and lasts for the next 5 Rounds. Any Animate targets within the field cannot move any closer towards you. If they were within 45 feet from you when you activated the effect, they are immediately pushed back to the edge of the repulsion field.
You must maintain Concentration during this Effect.
When you activate this effect, you may designate any number of specific individuals to exclude from the Effect. Anyone designated in this way is unaffected by the repulsion field, and can approach you as normal.
You must remain standing in the same location while this Effect is active. Moving to a new location will interrupt your Concentration and end the Effect.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
The spy can do up their passport to take on the appearance of any valid form of identification they may need.
This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a passport and just as difficult to conceal.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into an Object within the category of forms of identification. This lasts until you decide to end the Effect, which may be done as a Free Action.
The new object's appearance can mimic specific items (such as a particular painting, a certain person’s ID, etc), but must be of a similar size and weight to this Artifact.
The new appearance is illusory; it will hold up to scrutiny, but its composition is not altered and it gains no new functionality. Any attempt to use it for a function which it cannot perform (for instance, making bread look like a knife and then trying to stab someone) will cause the illusion to fail or allow a Perception check to see through the illusion, at the GM's discretion.
The Skeleton Key slips easily into any keyhole and turns without a fuss.
Spend an Action.
You may lock, unlock, and/or open any number of doors, locks, or locked targets within arm's reach of you. Cannot be used on Alien technology.
If you successfully operate a lock, you may choose to destroy it, rendering it inoperable.
If the Selkie's seal skin is worn close to the body, any contact with salt water will cause them to transform into a seal. While transformed, they have full access to their normal suite of Powers.
This Effect activates whenever you are submerged in salt water. It does not require an Action or Exertion.
You transform into small for two hours or until you choose to end the Effect. See the Extended System text for stats.
While transformed, you cannot use any equipment (including Artifacts and Consumables), and you cannot use your Active, Direct, or Trap Powers. However, you can use your Passive Powers. Any equipment you are wearing transforms with you.
Injuries and Wound Level are carried over between forms. However, transforming can never kill you; you merely remain Incapacitated until your Injuries are sufficiently healed.
When Winter Fang's glittering string is drawn, an ice arrow crystalizes nocked and ready to fire. These ice arrows melt quickly after piercing their foes, leaving deadly wounds instead of evidence.
This Artifact can be used as a bow. It is roughly at least twice as large as a bow and cannot be concealed on your person or disassembled for storage.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +4 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is fully effective against this Damage. Attacks do not require a successful called shot to do damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The 255TE "Lancer" Rife fires an extremely deadly spike of plasma at its targets. It comes standard with a volume control, allowing the soldier to mute its normally fearsome lightning crack report for stealth missions. When not in use, it can collapse into a small metal disk that can fit into any utility belt.
This Artifact can be used as a rifle. It is roughly the same size as a rifle but can be collapsed into a metallic disk and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +4 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is fully effective against this Damage.
You also gain the following effects: