Legendary Artifact

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.
Print / PDF
Learn about CryptoLeak - Hide fake ads

Community Artifacts

Whose Fang?

Created and held by Who Fang.
Not the knife your looking for

The knife is so well maintained that, at just the right angle, even space in front of it seem like but for moments. Splitting apart and revealing the otherside.

Edit: Good enough as is

Spend an Action or Reaction. Select a Location which is at most 75 feet away horizontally or 15 feet away vertically. If you are using this Effect as a Reaction, you must travel at least 10 feet.

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.

Instead of physically passing through the air, you are teleported directly to your destination. Does not allow you to go through walls, cages, or grapples.

When you use this Effect as a Reaction to dodge, if you Exert your Mind to activate the Effect, you do not need to roll; your dodge is automatically successful.

  • If you are Encumbered, the maximum range is cut in half. If Encumbrance has reduced your total movement to 0, you cannot activate this Effect.
  • vertical jump height measures to the bottom of your feet, so your total vertical reach is at least a body length greater.
  • Rolls to land safely will generally be Athletics, but GMs may call for a different roll at their discretion if it makes sense for the specific circumstances.
  • You must be on a surface of some kind in order to activate this Effect; it cannot be activated while in mid-air.
  • You may only use this Effect once per Round of combat, regardless of any Enhancements you have taken.
  • 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.

A knife that Bu Fang maintains carefully, a chef knife that while simple, has stuck with bu Fang since his old restaurant. It's nothing special, not from heritage, from some deep adventure, just from a stall that he bought from in his teen.
Yet it grew with him, witnessed his skills, his emotions and sweats, effort poured into the blade until it decided to repay him back his efforts, becoming a knife that is specifically from Bu Fang, by Bu fang, for Bu fang.

Edit: Fine, but will see some changes with the update

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 +4 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is reduced to 1/2, rounded up against this 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.

  • Reminder: additional Weapon Damage granted by this Effect does not stack with any other bonus to Weapon Damage. Instead the largest bonus is used.

Edit: Knife is invulnerable, enchanted, & gains +damage to both modes thrown/melee without needing to buy them up separately.

This Artifact has been upgraded.

This Artifact 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.

Upgraded weapons count as any material your opponent might be particularly vulnerable to. Upgraded Armor cannot be circumvented by called shots. Upgraded Devices do not run out of fuel or energy.

  • "Destroyed" in this context means "prevented from functioning for its primary purpose", so for instance, an upgraded land mine would still explode as normal if triggered, even though it cannot be "destroyed" and a car's windows may still be broken.
  • 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 same is true for extra dice.
  • Extra dice from this Effect do not apply to Gift activation rolls.

Edit: Return is superior to Mjolnir & they both can stack. 2 extra points that could be used here, bought down damage in favor of the damage bonus from functional upgrade, as it applies to both thrown & melee

This Artifact can be used as a throwing knife. It is roughly the same size as a throwing knife and just as difficult to conceal.

Attack by rolling Brawn + Athletics, Difficulty 6. Successful attacks deal Contested Outcome +1 Weapon Damage. The target's Armor is fully effective against this Damage. Attacks

You also gain the following effects:

  • Return: When you throw this weapon, you may opt to have it return to your possession at the end of the attack. Whoever threw this artifact last may use an Action to recall it from up to 100 feet away, attacking one target in its return path as they 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.

Abaneki Spirit Stone (Greater Illumination Trophy)

Created by Walter Prescott, stolen by Dr. Conrad Blackwell.
A triangular piece of stone about the size of a man’s fist, carved and polished so that it has a smooth raised edge and a flat recessed face. The face is etched with a large image of a crow and smaller images of frogs, snakes, and spiders done in a Native American totemic style. The stone is attached to a weathered loop of leather decorated with small, nearly petrified bird bones.

With miscroscopic vision or successful examination with science or occult, it becomes obvious that this is
not a naturally occurring stone but some kind of petrified resin unlike anything currently in use. You notice that the surface of the face is lined with minute geometric patterns (similar to modern computer circuit boards) With at least 4 successes on Occult, they recognize this as alien technology, perhaps carved after creation by someone else.

Upon touching any sapient entity's exposed flesh, it triggers a mind roll at 8. Failure or Botch means you are possessed by the artifact, and immediately are inflicted with a absolute hatred of humans, and overwhelming desire to flee to the nearest wilderness area and defend it from human incursion by force. On a failure, they may reroll to break free in 2 hours, on Botch it is 24 hours. Two botches in the same lunar cycle possesses them until the new moon. A possessed target will relentlessly hunt down the artifact if it is taken, though if it is not in their possession on the new moon they begin to recover over the next week or so. The artifact can possess multiple people, though only the person in posession of the artifact can use its powers. In the case of multiple possessed targets, they will work together to drive off the humans, before likely fighting over the artifact.
A single success will prevent this possession, as long as they maintain the artifact in their possession.

While asleep, you may tap into the creatures under your command and receive visions of sights and sounds the commanded creatures experience. You may also communicate with the commanded creature.

If the commanded creatures travel over 5 miles from the artifact, the effect ends for those individuals.

Commands are limited to
Sit (go to a described area the creature is familiar with and remain. If you set a specific condition that the creature is capable of noticing, you will be notified when it occurs. A single creature isn't particularly perceptive, though a horde certainly is)

Pester (They will follow a target they can see, and hop, jump, or fly as close to it as possible without touching it.)

Attack (Small numbers of the creature will attempt to attack the target(s) identified. Due to size, the damage is capped at 2, this is dodgable, and a small number might not be able to efficiently do damage at all.

Swarm (There must be a large number of individuals, such as 60+crows or thousands of bugs- and they will all attack at once, moving at the creatures normal speed. These masses are usually fairly large (20+ ft wide for the minimum size), and anyone caught in the swarm will take damage, capped at 4. larger numbers simply make the horde larger, and harder to get out of. Vision and sound is obscured when inside a swarm and disorientation is likely. You must be able to move entirely out of the swarm with a free action to be able to effectively dodge, but the most effective approach is shelter or fleeing.)

Exert your Mind and spend an Action to activate. Select a Creature within 300 feet.

For the next day, you may issue specific commands to your target which they will be compelled to follow. All other Creatures which are the same species as your target will also be compelled to follow commands that you issue if they are within 300 feet when the command is given.

Your commands must be relatively simple and within the target’s intellectual grasp. You can make them endanger themselves or otherwise go against their self-preservation instincts. The effects of the command will fade after a day has passed.

Possession of this Artifact causes the following Trauma to manifest over the course of a day: Territorial: If humans infringe on what you consider a private space, you must make a self control roll to not drive them out by force.. If you lose possession of this Artifact, the Trauma heals over the course of the next month.

  • Your commands must be directly communicated to your target in some way, though this does not require a shared language.
  • You can target yourself if you qualify as a valid target by the other requirements.

Ancient Sword Case

Created and held by Naaranbatar.
Currently Destroyed.
A wooden sword box, large enough to hold 2 swords, branded with a red horse symbol. It has a strap to carry it across one's back.

The box hides its contents from anyone not in possession of it. Once opened up by the right person it seems to expand to the sides and back, but only if viewed from the lid's side, revealing every weapon stored in it.

This box was blessed by a Tengri shaman and dedicated to the allfather's incarnation as the red god of war - Daichi Tengri.

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

Your Wooden Swordbox holds 5 times what it normally could. Objects stored inside are weightless.

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

If your Wooden Swordbox 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.

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

  • There is no cost to use your container.

The Talents Phone

Created and held by Jacob Wesley.
“The Newest IPhone”

As Jacob activates the “Talents Phone,” its screen comes to life with a familiar glow, indicating its readiness to establish a connection. Unbeknownst to Jacob, the device taps into a powerful magical phenomenon, creating a subtle yet potent effect that transcends ordinary communication.

On the recipient’s end, their phone buzzes with an incoming video call notification, displaying Jacob’s face or an unknown caller icon. As they accept the call, the screen transforms into a window, revealing a live feed of Jacob’s face on the other side. Despite their confusion, the recipient finds themselves drawn into the image, their attention focused solely on Jacob’s presence.

As Jacob begins to speak, the magical essence of the “Talents Phone” subtly enhances the connection, imbuing the video feed with a sense of depth and clarity that transcends ordinary technology. Despite any technological limitations or Jacob’s own misunderstanding, the video feed remains stable and clear, allowing for seamless communication between the two parties.

Unaware of the artifact’s true power, Jacob continues to use the “Talents Phone” with a mix of awe and ignorance, never realizing that each call creates a subtle yet profound effect that bridges the gap between him and his intended recipient. And as the conversation unfolds, the magic of the “Talents Phone” quietly weaves its spell, ensuring that Jacob’s words reach their destination with clarity and precision, regardless of the distance between them.

Spend an Action. Select a target any distance away from you. You must have a specific target in mind, but you require only an intuitive understanding of them, such as their name, face, or Location. This Effect cannot be used unless The target must accept the call and The Target Must have access to a device that can make calls.

You open up a line of communication to your target, and may converse with them as long as one of you maintains Concentration

The conversation will only be perceived by the intended recipient. You must share a common language for your target to understand the message.

You may send any physical Object that would fit into a backpack with your message. Such messages take one minute to arrive and always cost Exertion. Any active timers, fuses, or traps on the objects are triggered when you attempt to send them.

  • Depending on the length of your message, it may take a target some time and/or effort to understand it in its entirety.
  • Receiving a message does not force a target to pay attention to you, and they can feel free to ignore your message if they choose. Depending on the flavor of your Gift, they may or may not be able to return to it and read it later on.
  • Generally you cannot communicate with Contractors who are not in a Contract with you.
  • 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.

Enchanted Ring

Created by Naaranbatar, given to Fred.
A silver ring that looks like arms grabbing onto each other engraved with Tengri symbols.

Anyone wearing an artifact with this Tengri shaman enchantment will have the ability to sprout an additional arm from their back, as long as the arm is able to immediately get a hold of a melee weapon. In the blink of an eye the item will send out veins and skin, made from the same material as the weapon it will grab, to the location on the body where a new arm will bulge out.
This complex set of anorganic and organic parts works like an archaic magical computer and destroying the limb will result in it needing to be fixed by a shaman with the help of divine powers.

It is said that great warriors in past times wore many of these enchantments at the same time, a sword in each additional arm, appearing as if they grew wings made from wood and steel, which led to the spell receiving its name: The Iron Wings.

You gain the following benefits as long as the limb only operates a melee weapon and you are wearing this Artifact.

You gain an additional limb that functions as a standard human arm and hand.

Each additional limb you posses can take one Quick Action per Round without incurring a -2 dice penalty to your main Action. Any Battle Scars that affect or remove your additional limb will heal in a single week.

You may turn this Effect on and off at will during its duration.

Your Extra Appendage counts as an object and can be hacked or targeted by any Powers that affect objects or machines. Injuries to your Extra Appendage cannot be healed by Powers that affect living things but may be repaired during Downtime.

  • You may only switch this Effect on or off once per Round on your initiative as a Free Action.

Stock Legendary Artifacts

Cloak

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.

  • Hearing: You are completely obscured from hearing. You produce no sounds while this Effect is active. All attempts to detect you via hearing fail. Attempts via other senses where hearing would assist are rolled at -2 dice.
  • Sight:You are partially obscured from being noticed by sight. All attempts to detect you using sight are rolled at a -3 dice penalty, and all attempts to detect you where sight would assist are rolled at -1 penalty. Anyone who detects you cannot determine any visual details about you beyond your general shape.

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.

  • GMs should use their discretion when determining the exact impacts of this Effect, particularly in conjunction with environmental factors. Standing still against a complex background may render you impossible to detect, and footprints in snow may make it easy. A chance to detect you is not guaranteed.

Recharging Sheild

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.

  • Armor recharging happens automatically and does not require an Action.
  • This Effect’s Armor rating cannot be increased by any other Effects.

255TE "Lancer" Rife

A metallic disk that, with the press of a button, expands into a futuristic-looking rifle.

This Artifact can be used as a rifle. It is roughly the same size as a rifle but can be collapsed into a metallic disk 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:

  • Silencer: The report of any shots you fire may be made silent at will.

  • 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.

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.

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.