At the heart of Jessica's research lies the revelation that crystalline light isn't merely an advanced concept in particle physics, but a manifestation of alien intelligence with its own will to form. Harnessing this phenomenon as a bridge, Jessica can merge alien genetic material with human physiology, yielding disturbing yet powerful biological enhancements. As she channels this ability, crystals of light proliferate across the room and patient, emanating an opalescent glow that shifts and writhes with impossible colors.
The process begins as luminescent crystal tendrils pierce the subject's skin, branching out like glowing veins beneath the surface. Affected areas undergo rapid, unsettling metamorphoses – limbs elongate unnaturally, extra eyes sprout in unexpected places, or skin becomes translucent, revealing pulsating, alien organs. Throughout the operation, the patient experiences intense fever and vivid hallucinations, a harrowing ordeal that subsides after several hours.
These alterations bestow superhuman abilities, with the enhanced flesh eventually conforming to the patient's original shape. However, occasional quivers and the development of colored geometric patterns betray the struggle of alien matter to maintain its new form within the human host. While temporary, the process leaves behind residual changes: faint, glowing skin patterns and fleeting flashes of inhuman perception serve as constant reminders of the tenuous veil between humanity and the cosmic unknown.
Exert your Mind and spend 30 minutes. Select a Living or Animate 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:
By transplanting a body part from an Alien being, you can grant an intrinsic Effect from that part to the subject. Its power level should be limited to one Gift Point or less.
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see your flesh ripple and split open, revealing a pulsating lattice of crystalline light intertwined with writhing, alien tissue.
The mud tome rises to his side and begins to thrust mud above itself in a small orb.
The orb starts to shape and contort, revealing images in its shape.
Exert your Mind and spend a minute. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 1 mile At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Alertness at Difficulty 6.
You learn the following information about the area:
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.
You cannot investigate the same area more than once per day.
As you go to throw something, a card in your hand appears in your hand, ready to be thrown. As it strikes, the card disappears on them, leaving the wound open. In desperate times, you can open your hands to blast a deck of cards from your hands, hitting everyone in front of you.
This Artifact produces ephemeral projectiles that can be used as a shuriken.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +0 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects:
Gereg crawls out from Lau's mouth, delivering a swift, envenomed bite.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Living target within arm's reach. Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you the snake bites you, paralysing you for one minute, during which time you lose one random sense (1 - sight, 2 - hearing, 3 - touch, 4 - taste. Roll Intellect + Occult at Difficulty 6. Affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, your target becomes drowsy for the next 3 Rounds, during which time they suffer an additional -2 dice Penalty to all Actions. At the end of their drowsiness, they fall into a state of sleep paralysis for Contested Outcome x 3 hours. During this time, they remain fully conscious and aware of their surroundings but are incapable of taking any actions.
Sleeping targets will not prematurely wake up on their own, and can only be awoken by taking Damage or nearing death from hunger, thirst, or suffocation. Drowsy targets always fall asleep, regardless of what happens while they are drowsy.
If an affected target was already sleeping when you used this Effect, they are put into a deep coma that lasts indefinitely, but they will be awoken from it if a very bright light shines on them.
When activating this Effect you may attempt a knockout. If you do and your Contested Outcome exceeds 4, the target falls asleep immediately. Otherwise, they suffer the drowsy penalty for 2 Rounds.
A handbound leather notebook, with weathered pages and many leather carvings over its surface.
This Artifact is indestructible.
If this Artifact is lost, in tact, and in no one’s possession, it finds its way back to you during the next Downtime.
You are always aware of the direction and distance to this Artifact.
If this Artifact is touched by someone other than you, you are alerted and learn the toucher's appearance, direction, and distance at that moment. You may use a single investigation Effect on them once at any range.
Elvis can jump to new heights.
Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Select a Location which is at most 125 feet away horizontally or 25 feet away vertically.
You jump to the chosen location. If the landing is precarious, the GM may call for a roll to land safely. You will never take fall damage from successfully landing a jump made with this Effect.
You may activate this Effect while in free-fall, as long as your target Location is a surface on which you can land. You are immune to fall damage.
The airship of solitude is the mad scientist's lair and preferred mode of travel. Not only does it include a full science laboratory, it can be collapsed into an incredibly small canvas cube and easily transported. The mad scientist may pilot the ship alone or rely on its autopilot features for ultimate convenience.
This Artifact can be used as a blimp. It is roughly the same size as a blimp but can be collapsed into a phone-sized canvas cube and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
This blimp has full science laboratory, bullet-proof envelope, and ample parachutes. Any roll to pilot this vehicle receives +2 dice.
You also gain the following effects:
The De-Neuralizer is a small silver device that can emanate a bright flash of light. Any being that looks into it with uncovered eyes has their most recent period of the their memory set into a highly over-writable state for a moment. While in this state, their memories may be overwritten at will.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Location within within arm's reach. All Sapient targets within 20 feet are affected. This Effect cannot be used unless the target is looking directly into the device with uncovered eyes. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7.
If the contested Outcome is positive, the most recent 1 hour from your target’s memory is either replaced with new memories or forgotten entirely. This is recorded as a Condition. The level of detail and completeness of the alteration depends on your Outcome. If you fail, the target realizes that you are attempting to alter their memories.
The period is chosen either by time (i.e. “last Friday night”) or by reference to a specific event (i.e. “when the murder occurred”).
Dazzle Glasses are advanced "black-tech" espionage gear. They can be styled as any sort sunglasses. When the wearer is recorded, they will quickly flash a non-visible laser into the recording device, destroying it after only a moment of footage is taken.
This Effect activates whenever you are recorded. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Select a Non-Sapient Object within 20 feet no larger than a duffel bag (35 liters). Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event. Roll Perception + Culture Difficulty 6.
If your Outcome is 4 or higher, the target will be completely destroyed and can no longer function, though it may still be repaired. If your Outcome is less than 4, the target will be partially damaged, and any attempts to use it will suffer a dice penalty equal to your Outcome.
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 +3 Weapon Damage. Attacks do not require a successful called shot to do damage.
You also gain the following effects:
The Axe of Legend's blade has been imbued with the metal of the dark lord of rock and roll. It shreds chords and flesh. The rock god commanding it may recall it to their hand at will.
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 +4 Weapon Damage.
You also gain the following effects: