Soul Conduit: False martyr

1
Requires Seasoned
This Artifact allows you to create a protective barrier.
Used by Donovan "Samael" Miles, Created by August.
On Legendary Artifact Saint Peter's Cross.
(Anyone who witnesses you activate this Effect is very likely to be disturbed to see Evil energy explodes from the cross as it surrounds the targets and envelopes them.You must use this Artifact obviously when activating this Effect.)

The user taps the target with the cross as it releases an immense amount of evil and dark energy that quickly envelopes and protects the target.


Spend an Action. Select a Animate target within arm's reach. Roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome + 4 Damage. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. This Artifact may have up to 3 barriers active at a time.

The barrier will fall after two hours, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.

Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see Evil energy explodes from the cross as it surrounds the targets and envelopes them.

This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.

  • When narrating disturbing content, be cognizant of your group's tone and accommodating to those who would like to "fast forward" through the description.
  • 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.

Community Barrier Gifts

The user radiates Causal Diction to the point where it begins to interact with the world around them. On paper, this might seem like a barrier that blocks incoming attacks against the user. However, it would be more accurate to state that objects drawing close to this radiated energy become filled with the desire to miss the intended target and deviate from their chosen course. If more than will the user is exerting is put into an attack, not all of its force will be diverted. It is imperative to understand that this is not a shield. It is merely an interaction between fundamental forces of the universe.

Spend an Action or Reaction. Select a Animate target within 20 feet. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome +4 Damage. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. This Artifact may have up to 3 barriers active at a time.

You must maintain Concentration while using this Effect. The barrier will fall if you are interrupted, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.

This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 1.

Anyone who touches this Artifact will notice it warping their body and may drop it. If they choose to hold or use it, they immediately receive the following Battle Scar: Weak Stomach. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Battle Scar heals over the course of the next day.

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: Nightmares. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

  • Effects which circumvent Armor completely also circumvent your barrier.
  • 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. Roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next Outcome Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. Half the damage absorbed is reflected back at the attacker, which they can Defend against as normal. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor, and is treated like Armor by any effects such as Armor Penetration. You may only have 1 active barrier at a time.

You must maintain Concentration while using this Effect. The barrier will fall if you are interrupted, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.

After this Effect ends, you cannot move quicker than a walk (15 feet per Round) for one minute and suffer a -1 dice penalty for an hour.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. Roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next Outcome + 4 Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. You may only have 1 active barrier at a time.

You must maintain Concentration while using this Effect. The barrier will fall if you are interrupted, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.

You may only use this Effect once per day.

  • If you use this Effect as a Reaction to dodge, you still need to make a roll to dodge. The Effect will occur regardless of the Outcome of this roll, but if you fail you will be hit by the relevant attack prior to the Effect occurring.

Many scholars of occult ran into a problem of not being able to put up a powerful enough barrier, either due to low mana capacity, low mana throughtput, troubles with concentration, or all three at the same time. But what if instead of creating one strong barrier, you just created multiple weak ones in several layers?

Of course, you could always run into a problem of creating a barrier too weak to fully protect against any significant attack, and you are sacrificing some of the advantages of single-layer barrier, like it restoring itself to full power every three-five seconds, or being able to create one in a split second if necessary. On the other hand, you receive what is effectively a barrier which does not requires your full focus to keep it functioning, and can be created even if you aren't the most capable magic-wise, and will be able to provide at least some level of protection against any attack, unless you manage to completely botch the rite

Exert your Mind and Spend an Action to activate. Select a Animate target within arm's reach. Roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a Barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome Damage. The Damage reduction from the Barrier is applied before Armor, and is treated like Armor by any effects such as Armor Penetration. You may only have 1 active barrier at a time.

The Barrier will fall after an hour, or if it absorbs the full amount of damage. When a Barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.

  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.

Cain And Abel glow as he ricochets the bullet of anything flying within a 15 feet radius of him

Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action. You must actively and obviously use Cain And Abel to activate this Effect. Roll Dexterity + Firearms at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a Barrier extending out 15 feet from yourself, which absorbs 2 times the next (Outcome +4) Damage. Only applies to attacks which originated outside the 15 foot radius, and protects anyone who is within that radius. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. You may only have 1 active barrier at a time.

The barrier will fall after two hours, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.

  • Effects which circumvent Armor completely also circumvent your barrier.

Stock Barrier Gifts

Exert your Mind and spend an Action or Reaction. Select a Animate target within 20 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is a living human. Roll a single d10, Difficulty 4. If you fail or botch, the Effect fails and you cannot activate it again for an hour. Roll Charisma + Occult at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you create a barrier around your target, which absorbs the next Outcome +2 Damage. The Damage reduction from the barrier is applied before Armor. You may only have 1 active barrier at a time.

You must maintain Concentration while using this Effect. The barrier will fall if you are interrupted, or if it absorbs the full amount of Damage. When a barrier falls, you cannot use this Effect again for a minimum of 2 Rounds.

This Effect is not obvious, and the only sign you are using an Effect is you whispering a prayer under your breath. If someone suspects that an Effect was used, they must roll Perception + Alertness, Difficulty 8 to pick up on your Tell.

  • If this Effect fails due to the Unreliable check, you must still pay any associated activation costs.
  • Effects which circumvent Armor completely also circumvent your barrier.
  • 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.