In just few moments of reading this book, its enough for listeners to comprehend 3 pages worth of mind numbingly boring information that brings about feelings of intense drowsiness.
This classic book tells the story of the development of Income Tax from its beginning in 1799 to the present day and relates it to the social, economic and political history of the period.
There have been studies of Income Tax at various stages in its growth; studies of finance and taxation in general in which Income Tax has been closely concerned; studies too of some of the Chancellors of the Exchequer who have made significant contributions to the Income Tax system; but this is the first time an attempt has been made to encompass the whole 160 years or so of its life in one volume.
And a fascinating story it is too when set in perspective. The author shows how Income Tax was introduced to finance the Napoleonic Wars, how it was revived by Peel to pay for Free Trade, and how it underwrote Victorian prosperity and confidence. He then describes its immense expansion through two World Wars to its present position as a dominant feature of British finance. This book was first published in 1966.
Spend an Action. Select a Living target within 30 feet. Roll Intellect + Culture 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 asleep for Contested Outcome x 3 minutes.
Sleeping targets will not prematurely wake up on their own, but may still be woken up by sudden loud noises, being jarred or splashed with water, taking Damage, or similar rousing events. They will also awaken before dying of hunger, thirst, or suffocation. Drowsy targets always fall asleep, regardless of what happens while they are drowsy.
This Gift's Cost is capped at 2 and cannot be increased further.
a user, perhaps inspired by the lore of the leprechaun, holds a shillelagh, a traditional Irish wooden walking stick. With a sense of wonder and anticipation, they mimic the actions of the mythical leprechaun and tap the shillelagh on the ground. The moment the stick contacts the surface, something extraordinary happens.
The ground beneath their feet begins to shimmer and swirl, opening up to reveal a glowing portal. It’s as if the tap of the shillelagh has unlocked a hidden, mystical doorway. The user, filled with a mix of excitement and a hint of apprehension, finds themselves suddenly dropping through this portal.
As they fall, the world around them transforms. Colors and lights blend in a kaleidoscope of hues, creating an ethereal tunnel around them. The sensation is otherworldly, as if they’re traveling through a conduit of magic and ancient energy.
Suddenly, the journey comes to an end as they emerge from a hole in the ground in a completely different environment.
Exert your Mind and spend 15 minutes. Select a Location within your line of sight.
You are transported directly to the chosen Location. Anyone who is touching you as you Travel will be brought along with you. You must wait an hour before activating this effect again.
If you traverse any Hills and Mounds for one minute, you may activate this Effect and travel to the edge of any other Hills and Mounds that you’re aware of, regardless of range.
Julian Vasquez lays on the black top, spit on his forehead as Jason and Jessica walk away laughing. The need for justice fills his heart and he looks down at his Amulet, Paranoias amulet. he grabs it and red light glimmers through his hands. He calls out for Paranoia and his calls are returned. A demonic figure blood across his body bursts from the floor grabbing Jessica by the throat and using its twisted claws to shape Jessica's face into that of a pigs. Julian smiles, justice is served.
Exert your Mind and Spend an Action to activate. Select a Living target within arm's reach. Roll a single d10, Difficulty 4. If you fail or botch, the Effect fails and you cannot activate it again for an hour. Roll Charisma + Influence at Difficulty 6. The target may roll Body, Difficulty 7, as a Free Action to resist.
If you succeed, the target receives a new Battle Scar of your choosing, limited by the contested Outcome:
When drawing the bow, it will split open to form an X shape and start to absorbs energy from its surroundings and condenses it into a ball of pure energy before expelling it in a beam with the shape of an arrow when you release the shot. Those nearby will feel the air start to move in the direction of the energy ball.
Xaczans crash landed on earth in a small meteorite and will seek out the nearest intelligent being to bond with. Other pieces of it were scattered throughout the earth due to the meteor breaking into pieces when entering the atmosphere. The bow absorbs energy from its surroundings and condenses it into a ball of pure energy before expelling it in a beam with the shape of an arrow when you release the shot.
When wielded you will feel a light pulsating effect, almost like a heartbeat. A weird voice will begin speaking to you in an unknown language you can't comprehend.
This Artifact can be used as a bow. It is roughly the same size as a bow but can be collapsed into Pen and concealed. Collapsing or expanding it costs a Quick Action.
Attack by rolling Dexterity + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Outcome + 4 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is fully effective against this damage. Attacks do not require a successful called shot to do damage.
This item is a living thing. It counts as a Creature when targeted. If destroyed or abandoned for more than two days, it dies and becomes unusable.
Possession of this Artifact causes the following Trauma to manifest over the course of a day: You must make a Self Control roll to willingly part with or otherwise be without the item.. If you lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next month.
You also gain the following effects:
When stabbing with the knife, it seems as though it can cut into things a touch easier than most. When hitting undead though, it burns them with a fiery fury within their now desecrated soul.
This Artifact can be used as a knife. It is roughly the same size as a knife and just as difficult to conceal.
Attack by rolling (Dexterity or Brawn) + (Melee or Brawl), Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +3 Weapon Damage.
This item is a living thing. When targeted, it counts as a Living Creature in addition to its other target types. If destroyed or abandoned for more than two days, it dies and becomes unusable.
You also gain the following effects:
tap the cane on the ground twice and firmly plant it on teh second tap while saying Blue's Clues
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 Intellect + Investigation 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.
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.
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:
Standard issue in the Future Soldier's home time, the Personal Shield Generator (PSG) projects a protective energy barrier around the body. It absorbs damage far better than traditional armor, but its battery is quickly drained. When depleted, the PSG must spend a few seconds recharging.
When struck, the normally-invisible field of the PSG flashes, revealing a bright yellow honey-comb pattern encasing the body.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You have 6 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack.
Your Armor cannot be destroyed, and it always provides a minimum of 2 Armor regardless of any Armor shredding or penetration. It cannot be circumvented with Called Shots. When shredded, it returns to full potency in one hour.
Any time your Armor prevents Damage, your Armor rating is temporarily decreased by 2. Whenever it goes five Rounds without preventing any Damage, it is restored back to its full value.
The Predatory Raiment has a cloak feature that allows its owner to hide themselves and their equipment with active camouflage. When viewed, they look like a slightly shifted and shimmering version of the surrounding environment.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are not at all wet and you are wearing this Artifact.
You and everything you are carrying is obscured in one of the following manners. You may Spend an Action to change the way in which you're concealed.
While this Effect is active, any Effect that would obscure you or your equipment specifically from other, additional senses fails automatically.
If someone discovers you, this Effect will not help you hide from them for the next minute. This Effect does not end early when you activate an obvious Effect, attack, or receive an Injury.
The "Reaper" Assault Helmet is the signature piece of the Future Soldier's arsenal. It has a sleek, design and is made of a mysterious matte-metallic alloy. The wearer's face is exposed normally, but when activated, a blue holographic visor flickers to life in front of the eyes. This HUD contains information about the soldier's ammunition and shield status, but more significantly can detect enemy combatants. Anyone nearby who is holding a weapon is painted with a red dot that follows them in real time. This allows the Future Soldier to fire at painted targets in the dark, detect ambushes lurking around corners, and grants an overall tactical advantage.
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.