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Spirit "Power can come from the heart too."
This cloak embodies the spirits of those who have come before, every fiber is woven with the collective souls of nearly thousands of people from all walks of life. All embodying one aspect and allowing it to be granted to the wearer at a moment's notice.
Exert your Mind (unless Atlas is active) and spend an Action. Select a Living target within arm's reach. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Trauma and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
- Specialized: You receive +3 dice to a particular non-combat, non-Effect Action.
- Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
- Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a backpack.
- Armor: You have 3 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
- Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a backpack.
- Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 15 feet.
- Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +3 Weapon Damage instead of -1.
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Your alteration "heals" over the course of the next month, after which it is fully cured.
- Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
- You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
- Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
- Example environments for adaptation: space, all saltwater, all fresh water, all water under 50 feet deep, all water deeper than 50 feet, the jungle, radioactive areas, a specific alien world, etc.
- 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.
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Charlatans
“Unsettling are the days in which everyone is an expert.”
― Criss Jami
Nowadays you can't go a day without some phony prophet trying to peddle their wares to you.
Driven by the increased interest in the supernatural, charlatans from palm readers to televangelists are everywhere. And while the vast majority of witches, psychics, magicians, hypnotists, cures, potions, faith healers, and clairvoyants are complete fakes, they do make a living.
As the saying goes, "it's easier for an actor to make it in alternative medicine than Hollywood."
Most people scoff at these clearly-phony supernatural services, yet those same people often buy into at least one scam.
The most dangerous charlatans are the self-styled monster hunters who carry a mall-ninja arsenal and guns with silver bullets. Most have never encountered anything supernatural and do absolutely nothing besides burn some sage and patrol the area for a night or two. Even so, those who are superstitious, fearful, or desperate enough will hire them to solve the problems they simply don't understand. In some cases with disastrous results.
For Contractors, charlatans are red herrings and obstacles. Clumsy fakes that conjure a smokescreen of misinformation and escalate the situations they're in.
Community
Augment Gifts
System upgrade
Sudo apt-get install upgrade
Polamedes places his hand on a person or object. The nanobots making up the arm sleeve start to disassemble and become loose. They surge down the outstretched arm pulling with them long strands of polamedes skin. underneath the skin threads are small glowing dots hidden under the dermis serving as connection points. The bots take the skin trails and start connecting them to the target that will be upgraded. Burrowing new holes and inserting the strands of skin as long tensile wires of flesh. Once the skin wires are all connected surges of blue light travel from Pol to the target transmitting data and nanomachines into the new vessel. Once in their new host the nanomachines balloon the flesh and are seen squirming around both in the area to be upgraded as well as migrating their way northward to the brain in order to establish the new neural pathways needed to connect to the augmented area. Once the augment is finished the fleshwires dissolve into a puddle of blood and sparking electricity for a few seconds before dissolving completely and reforming. The new mass of bugs crawls its way back towards polamedes and reassembles into the sleeve covering his right arm.
Fear of being recorded
Exert your Mind and spend 30 minutes. Select a Living target within arm's reach. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Trauma and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
- Specialized: You receive +3 dice to a particular non-combat, non-Effect Action.
- Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
- Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a backpack.
- Armor: You have 3 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
- Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a backpack.
- Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 15 feet.
- Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +3 Weapon Damage instead of -1.
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see Flesh Wires.
In addition to their benefits, your augments come with a penalty equivalent to a minor Battle Scar or Trauma. This penalty does not count as an additional Battle Scar or Trauma.
- When narrating disturbing content, be cognizant of your group's tone and accommodating to those who would like to "fast forward" through the description.
- Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
- You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
- Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
- Example environments for adaptation: space, all saltwater, all fresh water, all water under 50 feet deep, all water deeper than 50 feet, the jungle, radioactive areas, a specific alien world, etc.
- 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.
The Always Tuned Guitar
....For a fight
A basic Gibson guitar bought by Will after his first big hit
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. While it is upgraded, the item cannot be destroyed.
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.
- "Destroyed" in this context means "prevented from functioning for its primary purpose", so for instance, an upgraded land mine would still explode as normal if triggered, even though it cannot be "destroyed" and a car's windows may still be broken.
- Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used. The same is true for extra dice.
- Extra dice from this Effect do not apply to Gift activation rolls.
The Certainty of Steel
Optimization is not an upgrade. It is a correction.
The body is not a finished product—it is a blueprint, a rough sketch waiting for revision. Through his meticulous craftsmanship, flesh and bone become something smarter, sharper, superior. Using his custom-engineered implants, he rewrites human limitations, embedding precision-crafted machinery into the bodies of those willing—and sometimes unwilling—to evolve.
Each augmentation is a masterwork, uniquely tailored to the individual, as personal as ink, as permanent as scar tissue. Zero does not deal in mass-produced cyberware—his creations are bespoke, each one bearing his signature: a discreet Ø alongside the Chinese ideograms for "Zero". They are more than mere modifications; they are a statement, a legacy, a brand.
On others, Zero's work is expression, a philosophical act—he is not just installing hardware, he is shaping identity. But on himself? His augments are calculated, tactical, a means to an end. Power is not an abstract idea—it is built, installed, and wired beneath the skin.
And Zero? He is both architect and test subject, engineer and experiment, creator and creation.
Exert your Mind and spend 30 minutes. Select a Living target within arm's reach. Your target must make a Trauma roll to reap the benefits of this Effect. They may choose to Resist the Effect and not make the roll. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Trauma and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
- Specialized: You receive +2 dice to a particular non-combat, non-Effect Action.
- Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
- Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a motorcycle helmet.
- Armor: You have 2 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
- Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a briefcase (15 liters).
- Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 10 feet.
- Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +2 Weapon Damage instead of -1.
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
- Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
- You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
- Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
- Example environments for adaptation: space, all saltwater, all fresh water, all water under 50 feet deep, all water deeper than 50 feet, the jungle, radioactive areas, a specific alien world, etc.
- 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.
Power of the Written Word
...and with a fourish of his hand, the story was set on a different course.
Sergeres saw the story unfold in his mind's eye. It was different. Altered than what was playing out before him. In that moment, reality shifted to match the story and the two became one.
Physical augmentation is just another aspect of the usage of Causal Diction. With enough conviction in the user's mind to make their imagination become reality, the effects can manifest in real time. It is the absolute will of the storyteller to dictate the events to come and their outcomes.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Living target within arm's reach. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Trauma and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
- Specialized: You receive +2 dice to a particular non-combat, non-Effect Action.
- Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
- Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a motorcycle helmet.
- Armor: You have 2 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
- Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a briefcase (15 liters).
- Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 10 feet.
- Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +2 Weapon Damage instead of -1.
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Your alteration "heals" over the course of the next month, after which it is fully cured.
Possession of this Power grants the following Trauma at all times: Nightmares.
- Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
- You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
- Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
- Example environments for adaptation: space, all saltwater, all fresh water, all water under 50 feet deep, all water deeper than 50 feet, the jungle, radioactive areas, a specific alien world, etc.
- 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.
Beyond Ink & Paper
in a hurry, filling in soon
Harnessing concepts and metaphor magically, mostly ink, Zoe makes certain capabilities inherently possible in her own body.
The first thing she learned with this is how to cause what looks like ink to rise from her skin, through clothes if necessary. This ink is a connection to a space outside of space, when she pushes an object against it the ink envelops it and then sinks and vanishes. She likes to refer to this as Hammerspace.
Next, armor, when preventing injury completely shows as a splash of the same temporary "ink" but when the armor is bypassed, her skin looks papery and torn around any injury.
Her implanted tool is a functioning metaphor of a smartphone, which she can choose to have display in her field of vision (either HUD or an illusory phone), optionally have sound only she can hear or "speakerphone",
(cont)
Exert your Mind and spend 30 minutes. You may only target yourself. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Battle Scar and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
- Specialized: You receive +2 dice to a particular non-combat, non-Effect Action.
- Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
- Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a motorcycle helmet.
- Armor: You have 2 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
- Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a briefcase (15 liters).
- Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 10 feet.
- Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +2 Weapon Damage instead of -1.
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
You may end this Effect prematurely as a Free Action.
Your alteration "heals" over the course of the next month, after which it is fully cured.
- Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
- You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
- Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
- Example environments for adaptation: space, all saltwater, all fresh water, all water under 50 feet deep, all water deeper than 50 feet, the jungle, radioactive areas, a specific alien world, etc.
- 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.
Stock
Augment Gifts
Cybernetic Implants
I'm sure it'll work THIS time.
Who wouldn't want one of the mad scientist's famous implants? All it takes is a little time and a few terrifying experiments, and you too could be a better you!
Warning: not fully tested on humans. Risk of dry mouth, upset stomach, or lost limbs. Do not consult your doctor before signing the liability release.
Exert your Mind and spend eight hours. Select a Living or Animate target within arm's reach. Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you cause a major Battle Scar instead of an augmentation. Your target must make a Trauma roll to reap the benefits of this Effect. They may choose to Resist the Effect and not make the roll. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Battle Scar and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
- Specialized: You receive +2 dice to a particular non-combat, non-Effect Action.
- Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
- Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a motorcycle helmet.
- Armor: You have 2 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
- Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a briefcase (15 liters).
- Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 10 feet.
- Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +2 Weapon Damage instead of -1.
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
- Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
- You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
- Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
- Example environments for adaptation: space, all saltwater, all fresh water, all water under 50 feet deep, all water deeper than 50 feet, the jungle, radioactive areas, a specific alien world, etc.
- 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.
Adapt, Survive
The mutant has gained some control over their genetic instability, allowing them to trigger a mutation at will. When the need arises, their flesh warps and twists, and a new mutation manifests that is suited to whatever obstacle the mutant happens to be facing at the time.
Spend 30 minutes. You may only target yourself. The target can easily Resist.
You may add one augmentation to your target. Each augmentation counts as a Battle Scar and can have exactly one of the following Effects:
- Specialized: You receive +2 dice to a particular non-combat, non-Effect Action.
- Environmental Adaptation: You do not suffer harm from heat, cold, pressure, or lack of oxygen in a particular environment, provided that challenge normally exists in that environment.
- Implanted Tool: You have access to the functionality of some common Device at all times. The selected Device can be no larger than a motorcycle helmet.
- Armor: You have 2 Armor at all times. As always, Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
- Pouch: Part of your body functions as a hidden pocket. It can hold no more than a briefcase (15 liters).
- Zippy: Your Free Movement is increased by 10 feet.
- Maws and Claws: Your unarmed attacks do +2 Weapon Damage instead of -1.
This Gift cannot have more than 3 Drawbacks, and its Gift Cost is capped at 2.
Your alteration "heals" over the course of the next month, after which it is fully cured.
- Remember: A Contractor’s Body rating is reduced by 1 for each Battle Scar after their fourth.
- You may not augment targets with pouches or implanted devices that are larger than they are.
- Targets without Body ratings may have a maximum of 4 augmentations.
- Example environments for adaptation: space, all saltwater, all fresh water, all water under 50 feet deep, all water deeper than 50 feet, the jungle, radioactive areas, a specific alien world, etc.
- 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.