One of the symbols fills with a faint werelight and a spectral image of it washes over the mouth of a living target as the hourglass etching within the crystal seems to animate, counting down an hour.
When used on a person, they find their memory has filled with strange recollections of learning a language they didn't previously know, in a place they have never been. No details of this other life are gleaned, and when the hour is over, the magic fades and the memories and language are lost.
When used on an animal, they are able to speak as a human would, with a young woman's voice(regardless of the animal's age or gender)
Finally, when used on a memento possessed by a dead creature at the moment of it's death, a spectral form of the creature is called forth from the object, and is able to speak with the bearer while the magic holds, before dissipating
After the death of River Lodestar, Alan has used his study of timelines to link back to hers through one of her crystals, and in so doing has infused it with the power to recall those once lost from the instant before their death to commune with the living world.
River, conversely, had used these crystals to enter the minds of creatures, and "borrow" their forms for a time.
While Alan's magic is distinct from River's, he was able to borrow a bit of her ability to connect with other minds. Using this crystal, one can reach back into their past and gather the memories of a language the bearer knows, how they learned it and have spoken it for years, and can place just that part of themselves temporarily into the mind of another. they become able to understand and even speak in this tongue until the magic fades.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Sapient being, human, Creature, or Dead target within 50 feet. For dead targets, you must possess their an object the target physically posessed at the time of their death. Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you are struck mute.
The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.
You may only use this Effect once per target per day.
With his ties to other Yokai, and many other deals he's done with them, he is now accustomed to requesting one occasionally from any number of Yokai for a small price. Typically handled later as they appear for a few seconds and vanish away after offering their gift.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. You may only target yourself. 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:
The augmentations you provide are not outwardly visible nor obvious.
Your alteration "heals" over the course of the next month, after which it is fully cured.
Tell a joke, everyone starts laughing uncontrollably.
Spend an Action. Select a Living target within 45 feet. Roll a single D10 as a critical failure check. If you roll a 1, the Effect fails, and you uncontrollably laugh for the full duration instead. Roll Charisma + Performance at Difficulty 6. Affected targets can resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, for the next hour, your target will do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done, inspired by amusement (uncontrollable laughter). They will outwardly display their emotions in an obvious and visible way.
Actions they take may be extreme and out of character for them. They will be unlikely to change their mind about any actions taken or decisions made until after the Effect ends.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
If any affected target takes or deals Damage, this Effect ends.
The Doctor examines their patient and gives a standard medical checkup, asking them questions, nodding to themselves, and muttering arcane medical jargon. The examination reveals an extraordinary amount of detail about any medical issues suffered by the patient.
Spend one minute. Select a Sapient target within arm's reach. You must actively converse with the individual in question for one minute in order to gather any information. At the end of your investigation, roll Perception + Medicine at Difficulty 6. The target may Resist.
You learn all the following information about your target:
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
Nan fishes a small ball of dough out of her pocket and gives it to the target to eat. None of her food is exactly “good”, but even by Netherworld standards, this tastes a little off… she fixes them with a hard stare that dares them to spit out her food, but after chewing a minute, it becomes too much, and the target pukes up everything, including whatever ailed them in the first place.
Use up this “hush puppy” and spend 1 minute to activate. Select a Living target within arm's reach.
You may cure any any diseases or poisons afflicting your target even if you have not diagnosed or fully understood it. You may only cure diseases which can be treated with modern medicine. During treatment, the malady you are treating does not progress or cause additional damage or other effects.
Whenever you cure a disease or poison, if it had inflicted any damage, your target is healed for half that damage, rounded down.
Anyone who witnesses you during this Effect's activation will almost certainly be disturbed to see Target is made to puke and “hush puppies” often include mold, teeth, hair, etc..
The fighter crawls from the ground, gripping at the ankles of their opponent to slam them against the ground.
Exert your Mind (unless you win a coin flip) and spend an Action. Select a target within 45 feet. Roll Brawn + Brawl Difficulty 6. The target may contest by rolling to Dodge or Defend as a Reaction, Difficulty 6.
If the contested Outcome is positive, the target takes that much Damage plus 4. Armor is fully effective against this damage.
You may use this Effect to Defend or Clash in Combat, including against ranged attacks such as firearms.
When you die, you may activate this Effect targeting the person that killed you at any range and without any penalty. Its roll is at -1 Difficulty.
The mad scientist produces thorium cores that can be used to upgrade tools and other devices. The core supercharges the item, increasing its quality and rendering it indestructible for a period. However, once the core runs dry, the object is rendered less useful than it was before. The core crackles with blue electricity while active.
Spend 1 Action and use up this glowing blue disk. Select a non-Alien Device within arm's reach. Cannot be used to improve Armor.
Lasts the next two hours. Your target 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.
After the Effect ends, any upgraded targets suffer a -2 dice penalty until they are either repaired or upgraded again.
The spy can twist the urban environment to their whims, erecting fences, walls, and barriers as needed. They whistle and gesture to where the wall should be, and the surrounding materials fly into place.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Location within 50 feet. You must be in an area abundant with man-made structures and materials.
Select one of the following alterations to create out of standard building materials originating at the target:
The alteration begins to form when you activate this Effect and finishes forming on your initiative in the next Round. Until it finishes forming, it is not guaranteed to function.
This alteration lasts one minute but may be prematurely destroyed or altered. Your alterations may be broken through with appropriate tools. Anyone attempting to break through must roll Brawn + a relevant Ability. A cumulative Outcome of 6 across all attempts breaks a hole large enough to move through. See the extended system text for GM guidance on various tools.
Through the use of clever rhetoric, the spy is able to inspire a surge of emotion in a target with whom they are speaking.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Living target within 45 feet as well as a specific emotion. This Effect cannot be used unless you are engaged in conversation with the target. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. Affected targets can resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6 -3 dice.
If you succeed, for the next minute, your target will do things they otherwise wouldn’t have done, inspired by the chosen emotion. They will not necessarily display their emotions in an obvious way.
Actions they take will be in keeping with their character and the way they tend to deal with strong emotions. They will be unlikely to change their mind about any actions taken or decisions made until after the Effect ends.
The Necromancer spits into the mouth of a recently deceased corpse. For the few minutes, the corpse's head comes back to life and speaks to the Necromancer.
Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select a Dead target within 50 feet. Dead targets must have died within the past week, and you must have their remains in your possession.
The target can communicate in your language for the next hour.
Doc puts his hands on you and begins to mutter to himself in french. The effect is instant and horrible. You begin to remember all of the sins of your past, all the ways that you've wronged those who loved you. All of the terrible, evil things you've done on these contracts in order to survive. Doc seems to be in the grips of similar memories, tears running down his chin and dripping onto his hands that are pressed tightly against you. At the point where your mind feels like it's about to break, it's over. Just as quickly as it began. You feel your wounds begin to close.
Exert your Mind and spend 1 minute. Select a Living target within arm's reach. You must make a Trauma roll when you use this Effect. Its Difficulty cannot be reduced by any means. If you fail or Botch, you receive one Mind Damage and a new Trauma. 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. Choose a specific Injury on your target that has not yet been treated with this Effect and roll Charisma + Medicine at Difficulty 6.
If you succeed, the Injury is reduced in Severity by your Outcome. If you reduce its Severity to 0, the Injury is fully healed. Otherwise, it is partially healed and will heal the rest of the way at its natural rate.
This counts as a successful Makeshift Stabilization if the Injury was not already Stabilized; any Battle Scars caused by the Injury will remain.