Legendary Artifact

The Ferryman’s Spirit Box

Created and held by David Vance.
A gilded handheld radio. It has a coin slot above its channel selector, which appears to accept American $1 coins

The user inserts 2 American $1 coins into the slot on the radio, which disappears in a quick second as the slot dimly, briefly glows green. The radio begins to spit out quiet static, as the user sees through their clouded eyes the memory of the target.

The target experiences the wandering dead spirits of the world accepting their offer of currency, and showing them a memory they have witnessed in the world in exchange.

If David showcases something with emotional resonance to the target’s soul to the wandering spirits, they may use that resonance to find/track the target in the world and glean some secrets. The spirits may even comment on the item in question, whispering opinions on it into the user’s ears (ex: “Quite a large painting. This one you send us to look into must be quite gaudy…I almost don’t want to bother. But I suppose the toll is paid”)

David, while repairing the Thomas Edison Spirit Cellphone, managed to reverse engineer some of its more…unique components. He even found a small manual hidden inside, which described that, according to Spectrum S, wandering spirits in the world can make a great fuel source. David was disgusted at this discovery, and wondered what would happen if one instead offered them a coin of value for their troubles and aid, the way the Greeks did in the days of old. A modern day way of giving them Charon’s obol. So he set about constructing the Spirit Box, and soon the wandering spirits of the world became aware of his offer of coin.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action. Select an Animate target within 200 feet You may select a target at any range if you use up an Object of sentimental value to the target of the target. You must use up 2 American $1 coins in order to activate this Effect. You must maintain Concentration while the effect is active. Roll Perception + Occult at Difficulty 6. The target may resist by rolling Mind at Difficulty 6.

If you succeed, you are able to view your target's memories. If you fail, the target knows you're attempting to read their memories.

You may ask a number of specific questions about their memory equal to your Contested Outcome. For example, “what is their computer password,” “What were they doing at 4:00PM yesterday,” etc. You cannot get answers to broad, analytical questions like “are they a good person?” or “what are their plans for the future?”

Each memory takes as long to read as it takes to answer the question. When replaying a full memory, it is replayed in double time.

  • In the case of a failed activation, GMs should consider how bystanders would realistically react to a potentially-outlandish accusation of mind-reading.
  • 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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Community Artifacts

The Maiden

Created and held by Edith O'Hare.
A double barrel break action shotgun with a shoulder strap. The barrels are both decorated with an engraving of an arrow along their length.

Every time The Maiden fires, the arrows it's decorated with flash a brilliant green along side the muzzle. The wounds left behind glow a verdant green and blood flees from the newly provided exit as if possessed.

A gift from the Goddess Artemis, the Agrotera. It's wielder pledges themselves to the Hunt, and must care for the gun as if it was a member of their family, or risk Artemis revoking the boon she so kindly gave.

This Artifact can be used as a shotgun. It is roughly the same size as a shotgun but can be collapsed into an icon of Artemis and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.

Attack by rolling Dexterity + Firearms, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Any Injury inflicted is considered Unstabilized no matter its Severity. The roll required to Stabilize it is treated as though it is a minimum of Severity 6. These wounds do not heal naturally, though Effects may still be used to heal them.
  • Bane: Injuries dealt to supernatural animals are increased by 2 Severity levels.
  • Infinite Ammo: This weapon never runs out of its standard ammunition.
  • 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.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.
  • Rifles are +1 Difficulty to use in melee range. Sniper Rifles are +3 Difficulty to use without a tripod or in melee range. Setting up a tripod takes an Action.

A carving of a sunrise that slowly, almost imperceptibly, shifts to follow the position of the sun.

When unattended, a pair of ghostly green hands hold the weapon. It appears to move of it's own violtion, though it serves Edith faithfully.

When recalled, The Maiden disintegrates into nothingness, then reconstitutes itself with arm's reach of Edith.

Artemis' brother, Apollo, has noticed her interest in this mortal. She appears to be preforming great feats and makes for an excellent ballad. The only issue is that Apollo hasn't gotten in on it yet, so he has granted The Maiden a Mark of the Dawn. Giving it his personal protection. In the event it gets lost, he'll even pick it up on his chariot and deliver it back to Edith. It wouldn't make for a very good story if it just got lost in the woods somewhere, now would it?

With the twin gods blessing's, The Maiden has awakened, gaining the ability to operate almost independant of Edith.

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.

If this Artifact is in no one else’s possession, its true owner may Exert their Mind and spend two Actions to bring it to themselves.

Whenever this Artifact is unattended and within 300 feet of its true owner, it will fly back to them. When not held or stowed, it floats beside its true owner, moving with them. While within 10 feet, the true owner does not need to touch it to use it.

This Artifact's true owner must have it with them to have restful sleep. They cannot regain Mind or Source while separated from this Artifact.

  • The Artifact can fly at a maximum speed of 100 feet per Round and only towards its true owner. This does not grant the Artifact its own Action or Reaction, and it moves at the same time as its true owner’s Movement.
  • "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.

Character Notebook

Created and held by Bill Hawk.
A Notebook for Notes

The author writes a character description. When he is finished, he slams the notebook in his face and changes his appearance

Exert your Mind and spend 2 Actions.

You become disguised in a manner of your choosing. The disguise lasts for two hours, or you may end it early at will.

The new appearance may have a different sex, age, and race to your own, and you may alter height by up to a foot and your weight by 50%. Your disguise cannot directly mimic an existing person. You may change the appearance of your outfit. A disguise cannot affect your Attributes or other stats.

You may roll Charisma + Crafts to attempt to make your disguise Beautiful. If your Outcome is 6 or higher, non-Effect Charisma rolls where your good looks could help are rolled at -2 Difficulty. If you fail or botch, you are ugly instead, and non-Effect Charisma rolls are made at +2 Difficulty.

While disguised, you cannot use any Activated or Targeted Powers.

  • While you may alter your outfit's appearance, this does not grant or store equipment. This does not allow you to change the appearance of Artifacts or conceal their Alien appearance.
  • ‘Appearance’ includes voice, bone structure, skin quality, hair length and color, eye color, muscle tone, flesh texture, and generally anything perceivable about your body.

The wearer places his pencil on the notebook and begins to concentrate. Over time, a map appears on one of the pages of his notebook.

Expend a point of Battery and spend a minute. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 500 feet At the end of your investigation, roll Perception + Investigation at Difficulty 6.

You learn the following information about the area:

  • You learn where exactly creatures and people live within the area, and what sorts of creatures they are.
  • You can locate the source of any Alien energy or the presence of any Alien effects on the area. Specific information about the function of these effects beyond their general type is not forthcoming.
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.

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.

You cannot investigate the same area more than once per day.

  • 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.

Dreamlands Writ

Created by Minerva McAlaster, given to Dominic West.
A small piece of parchment, covered in some kind of a glossy substance. It has on it a writ issued from the Castle of Light permitting the bearer to enter the Dreamlands unmolested, and for the entities there to offer help. It's signed 'Minerva McAlaster'. At the bottom added is the text 'Thank you for everything you did for me.' The handwriting is barely legible.

The one bearing this map kneels, and holds it tightly in their hands. They close their eyes, and let out a breath.. and their mind slides into the Dreamlands. To people observing, the traveler appears to simply sleep kneeling.

To the one in the Dreamlands, they are in an unmapped part of the Dreamlands. The world around them is raw chaos, ever-shifting. It requires an incredible act of will to force this to resolve into something that can be understood. For not only are all potentials represented here, all times are. With focus, one can will the chaos into an image of something that happened in the past.

Spend a minute. Investigate an area with a radius of up to 20 feet At the end of your investigation, roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6.

You learn the following information about the area:

  • You choose a specific type of event and receive a vision of the last time it occurred here.
The quality and specificity of information gained depends on your Outcome.

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.

Hammer of punishment

Created and held by Alice chashh.
A giant Warhammer, that is the same size as her made out of a silver with a tint of white and black the handle is a black rope, and the hammer itself has a white tent

When the hammer of punishment appears it has this menacing aura and it sucks in all the color around it like a black deep feeling

This Artifact can be used as a great sword / giant axe. It is roughly the same size as a great sword / giant axe but can be collapsed into Black snake belt and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Melee, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Blade Breaker: If you successfully Defend against a melee attack or if an opponent is unsuccessful at Defending against your melee attack, you may break your opponent's weapon.
  • Virtuoso's Vessel: When using this Device for its primary purpose, you always roll a minimum of 8 dice. Excludes Effect activation rolls.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

Vera

Created and held by Devon Sparks.

Single shot bolt action rail gun that fires a high density tungsten slug

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 Contested Outcome +5 Weapon Damage.

You also gain the following effects:

  • Keyhole: Any bullet that kills your target tumbles through their body and may strike a target in a 90 degree angle behind them. Any damage beyond that needed for the kill is applied to the secondary target.
  • 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.

  • Excess keyhole damage does not reapply the weapon's damage bonus and is affected by Armor as normal. The secondary target may React to the tumbled bullet if they have a Gift which lets them do so.
  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.
  • Rifles are +1 Difficulty to use in melee range. Sniper Rifles are +3 Difficulty to use without a tripod or in melee range. Setting up a tripod takes an Action.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

Selkie Skin

This Effect activates whenever you are submerged in salt water. It does not require an Action or Exertion. Your target should be intuitively based on the triggering event.

You transform into small for two hours or until you choose to end the Effect. See the Extended System text for stats.

While transformed, you cannot use any equipment (including Artifacts and Consumables), and you cannot use your Active, Targeted, or Trap Powers. However, you can use your Passive Powers. Any equipment you are wearing transforms with you.

Injuries and Wound Level are carried over between forms. However, transforming can never kill you; you merely remain Incapacitated until your Injuries are sufficiently healed.

  • When triggered, the Effect activation resolves immediately after the triggering Action. It is not Reaction speed.
  • Creature Stats
    • Medium (large house cat up to human) Body 3. Brawn 1. Dexterity 3. Fall damage reduced by 1.
    All creatures get +3 dice to any non-combat Action that they are naturally adapted for. All creatures Medium and larger may attack by rolling Body, dealing +0 Damage (+1 for “predators”). Gms and Playgroup leaders can apply other bonuses and effects to specific animals.
  • Animals that are quicker than humans (like dogs) have 50 feet of Free Movement. Animals that are very slow (like turtles) have 0 feet of Free Movement.
  • You cannot transform if there is not enough room to do so.
  • The form you take must have the same stats and abilities as a single, extant animal of the relevant size.

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.

Umbrella Identification

This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a passport and just as difficult to conceal.

Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into an Object within the category of forms of identification. This lasts until you decide to end the Effect, which may be done as a Free Action.

The new object's appearance can mimic specific items (such as a particular painting, a certain person’s ID, etc), but must be of a similar size and weight to this Artifact.

The new appearance is illusory; it will hold up to scrutiny, but its composition is not altered and it gains no new functionality. Any attempt to use it for a function which it cannot perform (for instance, making bread look like a knife and then trying to stab someone) will cause the illusion to fail or allow a Perception check to see through the illusion, at the GM's discretion.

Umbrella Identification

This Artifact can change its appearance. When not transformed, it is roughly the same size as a passport but can be collapsed into a wallet and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.

Spend a Quick Action to activate. This Artifact changes its appearance into a chosen Object. This lasts until you decide to end the Effect, which may be done as a Free Action.

The new object's appearance can mimic specific items (such as a particular painting, a certain person’s ID, etc), but must be of a similar size and weight to this Artifact.

The new appearance is illusory; it will hold up to scrutiny, but its composition is not altered and it gains no new functionality. Any attempt to use it for a function which it cannot perform (for instance, making bread look like a knife and then trying to stab someone) will cause the illusion to fail or allow a Perception check to see through the illusion, at the GM's discretion.

When used as identification and scanned, the scanner will act appropriately and bring up appropriate generic information. Further searches for the identity in the computer will turn up no results. This will not open security doors on its own.

  • If there is not enough free space to expand the object, it cannot be expanded. You cannot expand this Object as an attack.
  • Changing the Artifact’s appearance does not allow you to conceal its Alien nature while any of its other Effects are in use.

Personal Shield Generator

The device itself is a metal hexagon that is worn on the belt and glows when active.

Expend a point of Battery and spend an Action or Reaction.

You phase out of reality for up to 4 Rounds. During this time, you cannot perceive or affect the outside world or take any Actions. You cannot move. Nothing can interact with you in any way.

When you activate this Effect, you may limit its duration to a period of your choosing. If you are able, you may also end it as a Free Action on your initiative.

You leave a golden glow shaped like yourself at your location.

  • If you use this Effect to dodge as a Reaction, it succeeds without the need for a roll. Cannot be used as a Desperate Defense.
  • You may use your Free Movement on the Round you phase back in, but you cannot take an Action.