Joshua understands the importance of a good maintenance routine. From oiling the calf skins of his drums to sewing tears in his coat to keeping his trusty caplock pistols clean, each of the items that the soldier carries is part of an intricate web of consistent upkeep. Like trusted friends, he knows that as long as he treats his equipment well, they'll never fail him in his moment of need.
He's more than willing to teach others his best practices. Amazing what can be done with a needle and thread, a rag, and a simple toolkit. Little bit of oil here, a shine there, he lays out the proper routine in plain English. As long as anyone follows his advice, their equipment can be as trusty as Joshua's.
What Joshua doesn't realize is the energies of the shattered Netherworld Portal has empowered this routine with his own latent resistance to entropy. Though he remains rigorous in his procedures (and insists others to do the same), the equipment that he's given close attention keeps itself in its best condition without any deliberate care.
As tales of Joshua's heroic exploits and good deeds continue to spread through the Netherworld and beyond, there are always people willing to lend him a hand. Even if lost, important pieces of his equipment will inevitably be picked up and brought back to him by a good samaritan, who will never request more than a song or two as repayment.
This Artifact cannot be broken.
People tend not to believe in bad omens or bad luck, either out of fear or simple superstition. These people are incorrect. Moreover, this energy that many people relegate to being harmful can be twisted into something useful. Or, perhaps better described as something that has been purified.
This artifact looks like a card of some sort with - symbols carved into it. The user says the words,
"Come, o' spirit of Grimalkin."
In a greenish haze of mysterious mist, the card summons a black cat with a special pattern of white fur that seems deliberately painted or designed. This Cat hangs around and absorbs small amounts of "bad juju". It can be directed toward a battle scar, whereafter, it will begin to knead the flesh of its target, imbuing them with its incredible stored energy. This energy gives the body what it needs to regrow/fix the battlescar, though the Black Cat isn't capable of purging the energy once its finished and it has to come out somehow...
Expend a point of Battery and spend a minute. Select a Living target within arm's reach. Select a Battle Scar on your target to treat.
The treated Battle Scar heals as you finish activating this Effect. If used on a Battle Scar caused by an Unstabilized Injury, that Injury is Stabilized.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see a tentacle black mass regurgitated from the target's mouth. After a few moments, it reforms to look exactly like the target except with the same battlescar that was just healed, and will attempt to immediately flee into the nearest body of water and dissappear.
The Psych-Scope is a single canister gas mask with thick glass goggles. You don the mask, securing the straps to the back of your head. Pressing a small switch patched into the right side of the mask activates its paranormal scopes, tinting the glass lenses into a shade of blue when detecting physiological data and red when determining dream data. Data is provided to the user through a HUD. Upon activation the user feels a rush of paranoia as the visualization of the target's affliction and nightmare data sends a shock to the nervous system. While the scope appears as little more than an odd choice of attire, its activation is obvious to onlookers as the lenses begin to emit colored light.
To fix a problem, you've got to find it first, and seeing is believing. The idea of the Psych-Scope came to Dr. Maddox in a dream, but it's design..that came from something otherworldly. The Psych-Scope's lenses are able to compose visual representations of conditions and traumas that a person is being affected by. The realistic manifestations found only within the target's mind, often deep within their subconscious can be unsettling. While active, it is hard to determine real from imaginary as the scope convinces your mind that the manifestations are tangible and not all dreams can be easily envisioned by an outside mind.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Select a Sapient target within 20 feet. You cannot investigate the same target more than once per hour. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. At the end of your investigation, roll Perception + Investigation at Difficulty 6.
You learn a single specific piece of information, chosen from the following list, about your target:
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.
You cannot investigate the same target more than once per day.
It's just a big sword innit
This Artifact can be used as a sword / axe. It is roughly at least twice as large as a sword / axe and cannot be concealed on your person or disassembled for storage.
Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal 5 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is fully effective against this damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The Artifact appears to be covered in moths that quickly scatter and flap around the item. Once they settle, their wings flatten out and seem to camouflage into whatever piece of clothing the user desires.
This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a Deer Hide Outfit and just as difficult to conceal.
Spend a Quick Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into an Object within the category of Apparel. 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.
When used as identification and scanned, the scanner will act appropriately and bring up appropriate generic information. Further searches for the identity in the computer will turn up no results. This will not open security doors on its own.
A large black briefcase. Made of real leather and stamped brass. A handle and a over-shoulder strap are available. The initials W.H are stamped into the side. The two locks on the top are made to resemble glass eyes, though it does allow the briefcase to "see" if whoever is opening it is the owner. The insides are quite spacious and padded. If the owner isn't the one to open the container the briefcase temporarily swallows the items inside and pushes up its "tounge" (the bottom of the briefcase) to resemble a normal briefcase. otherwise its just as spacious as a magical container would be.
This Artifact holds 5 times what it normally could inside of it. Objects stored inside are weightless.
Living things can be stored in this Artifact. They will have access to anything else inside and may attempt to break free, damaging or destroying the Artifact in the process.
If this Artifact is destroyed, things inside may get out, and it will cease to function until it is repaired.
When scanned or investigated without opening, the contents of this container appear normal and unremarkable.
On a Downtime, you may change this Artifact from one type of container to another. Maximum once per Downtime.
If anyone other than you opens the container, it appears empty. Others can still destroy it to get at the contents.
This item is a living thing. When targeted, it counts as a Living Creature in addition to its other target types. If destroyed or abandoned for more than two days, it dies and becomes unusable.
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: Delusion that the suitcase is your best friend. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.
This device is a piece of chrome the size and shape of the back of a spoon. When placed against the skin, small hypodermic needles sprout from the device and attach it to the user's bloodstream. There, it filters and releases lifesaving drugs into the bloodstream, granting complete immunity from contracting new diseases and added resiliency in all other cases.
WARNING: The immunizing drugs have been shown to reduce inhibitions in test subjects.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You get +2 dice to any Body resistance rolls you make. You also gain the following effects:
The mad scientist can craft steel helmets that protect their wearers from mental influence and attack.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You get +0 dice to any Mind resistance rolls you make. You also gain the following effects: