Legendary Artifact

Evidence Locker.

Created by Adam Carter, looted by Aria Feist.

Currently and originally, this dirty old black tactical backpack looks like it has seen better days. Pockets within pockets within pockets. Mylar straps abound, and the handy side sippers that allow the bag to expand whenever you need that extra little bit of room.

He's not sure when it happened exactly, or Why it happened, but at some point the backpack simply changed. It was always his "Lucky Backpack," but this was something new. Dubbed the Evidence Locker by his fellow detectives, it takes far more to fill the bag than it used to. Maybe it was all the magical and alien things he kept putting in it. Whatever the reason, why look a gift horse in the mouth. (no pun intended).


This Artifact can be used as a container. It is roughly the same size as a tactical back pack and just as difficult to conceal.

Your tactical back pack holds 5 times what it normally could. Objects stored inside are weightless.

Living things can be stored in your tactical back pack. They will have access to anything else inside and may attempt to break free, damaging or destroying the tactical back pack in the process.

If your tactical back pack 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 your container appear normal and unremarkable.

You may change the type of your container between Contracts.

If anyone other than you opens the container, it appears empty. Others can still destroy it to get at the contents.

  • You cannot change the container's type if you are not in possession of it.
  • There is no cost to use your container.

Community Artifacts

FroslyFos

Created and held by Edo Sachi.
This item contains a FroslyFos Dragon, it's still rather adolescent, so it cannot fly just yet.

A rather large cartoonish white dragon with blue wings and white scales.


Expend a point of Battery and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: Calling out this Beastimon's name, and saying that you choose them. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted.

Summon a single Frost Dragon at your location. They will last until they are destroyed. They are controlled by the GM but will follow any commands you give. This Artifact may have at most 1 minion active at a time.

  • Attacking: Minions can make melee range attacks with 5 dice to attack and +1 Damage.
  • Body: Minions have 6 Body.
  • Movement: Minions can move 20 feet per Round as Free Movement, and double that when performing an all-out Sprint.
  • Intelligence: They have dog-level intelligence, but are capable of communicating information back to you. They cannot actively use Equipment.
  • Actions: Minions cannot dodge or Defend. Any Perception checks they make are rolled with 3 dice.

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: Compulsion to protect this artifact. If they lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next day.

FroslyFos breathes in air and spews out an icy blast at the target.


Spend an Action. Select a target within 300 feet. This Effect cannot be used unless when the FroslyFos Minion of this artifact has been summoned. Roll Charisma + Animals 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.

You may use this Effect to Defend against any melee, projectile, or firearm Attacks within range or Clash against any Attack targeted at you. Using it to Defend deals no Damage but does not cost Exertion.

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

  • 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.

Cathode Ray Gun

Created and held by Alice Abernathy.
A fragile looking little weapon, the Cathode Ray Gun is a finnicky little less-lethal prototype stolen from a government lab.

The weapon builds a highly-focused charge of electromagnetic radiation, causing the bulb to flash brightly an instant before release. The crackling ray of energy is effective against both living and machine targets, frying synapses and circuits alike.

One blast from a cathode gun is enough to reduce even the most brilliant mind to a state of catatonic vegetation in seconds. This brain-killing weapon is an example of the City Mind's cruel and efficient designs, meant to leave behind gibbering, drooling survivors to be collected by the enemy. These survivors would continue to consume resources, lower morale, and force other personnel to care for them - the City Mind knew its enemy was a compassionate one. The cathode gun is especially effective against creatures with advanced minds, such as spell-casters. Ironically, it is just as effective against machine brains.


Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action. Select a Sapient or Creature target within 20 feet. Roll Intellect + Technology Difficulty 6. Affected targets may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 7. If they are incapacitated or unconscious, they fail automatically.

If the Contested Outcome is positive, the target loses that much Source. Once their Source is depleted, excess Outcome is applied as Mind Damage. If you deal at least 3 Mind damage, the target gains a Trauma of the GM's choice.

This Trauma may be removed by Effects or mundane therapy, as normal. Affected targets are aware that they are being attacked and can generally tell who did it.

  • Mundane animals have a Mind score of 1 or 2 at the GM’s discretion.
  • 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.

Book of Azathoth

Created and held by Sally Mason.
A book bound in simple black leather, full of indecipherable language, non-euclidean geometry, and maddening math. Staring at the contents of this book too long starts to give the reader a headache.

The user opens the book to the marked page, which opens to an ever-shifting geometric equation. They must attempt to solve it to draw the shapes and graphs in the bloody ash. Once it is complete, the runes are revealed to be a dark and bloody map, complete with cryptic keys sprinkled nonsensically throughout it.


Expend a point of Battery and spend a minute to activate. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 500 feet You must use up a small jar that is half filled with black ash and half filled with fresh virgin blood in order to activate this Effect. At the end of your investigation, roll Intellect + Science at Difficulty 6.

You learn the following information about the area:

  • You can locate the source of any supernatural energy or the presence of any supernatural effects on the area, though you will not necessarily get any specific information about their function.
  • You learn how heavily trafficked the area is, what sorts of Animate beings have moved through the area and when.
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.

  • 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.

Limit

Created by Bryan Bosch, given to McKenna René.
A set of artistic origami wings that can grant the user flight. When deactivated, the wings take the form of a compressed stack of painted paper sheets with intricate origami feathers sticking out from the center. During the activation sequence, the paper automatically unfolds and extends to take the shape of a majestic, marvelous pair of wings. The inner parts of the wings are composed from a series of uniform, rectangular paper sheets, while the edges are lined by the origami feathers. As the wings unfurl, they reveal a masterful oil painting. It depicts blue mushrooms growing on decrepit skeletons in a field at night, and stars adorn the otherwise raven origami feathers. Easily overlooked, hidden amongst the stars, is a single reptilian eye. On the surface of the paper stack and center of the wings is a signature written in cursive gold, reading "bb."

As the activation ritual is performed, the origami wings unfold from the user's back and extend ten feet on all sides. Due to their modular structure-- being composed of countless amounts of paper sheets and feathers-- the wings are effectively immune to damage, as they repair themselves with replacement feathers the moment they are destroyed.
The calibration sequence to connect the wings to the user requires them to extend their arms to the side (reaching their wingspan) and read aloud a pangram (ex: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog").

The wings connect themselves to the user's inner Source or Mind to power their movements through the calibration sequence. Basically just imagine the wings the paper girl from Naruto uses (Konan).


Exert your Mind and spend two Actions performing the following ritual: activating and calibrating the wings with the user. You must maintain Concentration while activating this Effect, and it fails if you are interrupted. This Effect remains active for two hours.

As long as you are conscious, you are immune to falling Damage. Additionally, you may glide as you fall, traveling 35 feet horizontally for every 10 feet you fall. While gliding, you fall at a minimum speed of 10 feet per Round.

You may ascend into the air and fly using your origami wings. You require 10 feet of clear space on all sides to fly. You may add 50 feet to Movement you take while flying.

You are subject to the following effects while gliding or flying:

  • Ethereal Wings: Your origami wings can no longer be damaged, destroyed, or receive Battle Scars.
  • Earthbound: You cannot fly or glide in an atmosphere thin enough to be unbreathable.
  • Weight-Limited: This Effect is suppressed any time you are over-encumbered.

  • Any penalties to dice or movement, including from Encumbrance, are applied as normal. If your movement is reduced to 0 due to encumbrance, you will begin to sink down to the ground.
  • You may activate this Effect while in midair, allowing you to slow and survive any free fall.

Shadow of Death

Created by Prototype, looted by Abraham Summers.
A Norinco NSR12 bullpup sniper rifle. The rifle has a "yin/yang" simple carved from jade set into the stock

The Norinco NSR12 has the following specifications:

Chinese self-designed semi-auto sniping rifle in the caliber of 12.7mm.

Caliber: 12.7x108mm
Muzzle velocity: 825 m/s
Barrel length: 480 mm
Overall length: 1450 mm
Net weight: <14.5 kg
Capacity: 5 rds.
Accuracy: R1000<=48cm
Rifling: 8pcs./380mm

This rifle was once wielded by the infamous Chinese assassin Wúshēng Dǎjí - anyone familiar with this weapon will recognize it as such.


This Artifact can be used as a Heavy Sniper Rifle. It is roughly the same size as a Heavy Sniper Rifle and just as difficult to conceal.

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal 3 Weapon Damage +1 Bonus Damage. The target's Armor is reduced to 1/2, rounded up against this damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Silencer: Shots you fire can be made silent at will.
  • Silent Killer: If your shot would kill or incapacitate your target, they make no sound, even incidentally, for the next Round.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

Lightning Bracers

A pair of bronze bracelets that glow with golden energy.

This Artifact produces ephemeral projectiles that can be used as a javelin.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Chain Lightning: You may Exert your Mind to perform a chain lightning attack. If your attack succeeds, All targets within 5 feet of your primary target take full Damage. The Damage can “jump” up to 5 times. Each target can be hit only once.
  • Magic Quiver: Instead of throwing this Artifact, it is an object that produces an endless supply of temporary throwable objects. For example, bracers that allow you to throw ethereal javelins, or a sack of throwing rocks that doesn’t shrink when you withdraw one.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Created projectiles last only until they strike their target and cannot be shared or stockpiled.
  • 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 Axe of Legend

This electric guitar has one edge sharpened into a deadly blade. It can be used as either sort of axe.

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:

  • Mjolnir: You may call your weapon back to your hand as a Quick Action if it is within 50 feet of you. Can only be used on melee weapon that you have wielded in the past hour.
  • Shredder: If you successfully hit your target, the value of any Armor they are wearing is reduced by 2. For material armor, this penalty lasts until it is repaired. For intrinsic armor, it lasts until the end of Combat and any relevant wound is healed.

  • 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 Bug-out Bag

No hiker would bat an eye if they saw someone wearing this 80 liter backpacking pack in the backcountry. Those who look closer find it's made of a curious mix of modern materials and what appears to be rawhide stitching.

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.

If anyone other than you opens the container, it appears empty. Others can still destroy it to get at the contents.

  • A container of holding cannot be placed inside another created by the same Gift.
  • There is no cost to use this container.

This Artifact cannot be broken. If this Artifact is lost and in no one else’s possession, it finds its way back to its true owner during the next Downtime.

By default, the creator of this Artifact is its true owner. The true owner may formally bequeath this Artifact onto another person within arm’s reach, after which they are its true owner. If the true owner dies or is destroyed, their ownership ends. If this Artifact has no true owner, anyone may spend one day attuning to it to become its true owner.

This Artifact's true owner is always aware of the direction and distance to this Artifact.

  • "Cannot be broken" means that damage cannot render the Artifact's Effects unusable, nor can it cease to be used for its primary mundane purpose, if it has one.

Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action.

You automatically detect all people wielding weapons within 300 feet of you for the next hour. This includes any who come within range during the duration. You have a sense of how many valid targets are nearby, as well as their distance and direction.

  • This Effect does not satisfy the line of sight targeting requirement for other Effects.

The Skeleton Key

At first glance, this appears to be a standard, modern house key made of ivory. A close observer might compliment its skull-shaped head or usual material. No one would suspect it to be one of the Thief's most prized possessions: The Skeleton Key.

Spend an Action.

You may lock, unlock, and/or open any number of doors, containers, knots, or locks within arm's reach of you. Cannot be used on Alien technology.

If you successfully operate a lock, you may choose to destroy it, rendering it inoperable.

  • Operating some locking mechanisms through this Effect may have a secondary effect, such as a turn-key ignition on an older or cheaper car causing it to start or stop. Note that the locking mechanism itself must satisfy the standard targeting requirements (including line of sight), not just the vehicle.
  • Any mechanism that requires a key, keycard, key fob, or combination may be considered locked, at the GM's discretion. This Effect may be used on doors and containers secured with control panels or other electronic locks, but not computer security systems at large.
  • 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.