**Description:** The "Body of the Ancient Cryptic" passively alters the user’s body, giving them a primal, beast-like appearance combined with ancient, mystical energies. These physical changes not only enhance their combat abilities but also make them appear more formidable and inhuman to those around them.
**Visible Changes:**
- **Beastly Claws:** The user's hands and fingers elongate slightly, ending in sharp, retractable claws. These claws appear to be made of a dark, obsidian-like material and can tear through most materials with ease.
- **Feral Eyes:** Their eyes take on a bestial quality, with slit-like pupils and a glowing, predatory hue—often amber, red, or another unnatural color. These eyes grant heightened vision, especially in darkness.
- **Rugged, Enhanced Physique:** The user’s muscles are denser, their bones more robust, and their posture slightly hunched, resembling a primal predator. This gives them enhanced strength and agility beyond normal human limits.
- **Roughened Skin:** Their skin takes on a tougher, almost hide-like texture, with patches of scales or hardened ridges in certain areas, providing natural armor.
- **Elongated Teeth:** The user’s teeth sharpen into fangs, giving them a fearsome grin and enabling them to bite with great force when necessary.
- **Beastial Presence:** A low growl or snarl might be heard from the user when they are angered or in danger. Their overall demeanor is predatory, making others instinctively sense danger in their presence.
These beastly transformations, combined with ancient, arcane markings and energies, make the user a terrifying force, blending primal strength with cryptic wisdom.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: perfect bodys. You are considered to be a Sapient, Living Creature when targeted. Your Brawn is increased by 1, your Perception is increased by 1, and your Charisma is increased by 1.
Your appendages can reach an additional 30 feet.
You may make a +2 Weapon Damage claws and fangs attack without additional equipment.
Whenever you enter Combat, roll Self-Control. If you fail, you cannot choose which targets to attack and cannot stop fighting until there are no targets remaining.
You cannot speak any coherent verbal language and must resort to other means of communication.
You cannot ignore or decrease the effects of Stress for any Self-Control rolls you make.
The Severity of any Injury caused by Sliver is increased by 2.
The Kitsune's magic fuels her ability to move her body with uncanny agility. Her tail flickers with subtle blue flame when demonstrating agility beyond mortal ken.
You gain the following benefits as long as you have your Second Tail.
Your Dexterity rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Dexterity (Cannot be used on combat rolls or Power activations).
If you are witnessed actively using this Effect, whoever sees it can make a Perception + Alertness roll at Difficulty 6. A complete success reveals the source of your power.
You also gain the following effects:
A wide bronze ring, able to shrink down to fit around whoever wears it. The ring has the image of a hammer impressed on the front. Pressing one's thumb against the symbol causes auditory hallucinations of a blacksmith's workshop and a quick impression of the scent of overpowering sulfur. It's made to slip over the stump of a missing arm or leg, completely bringing it back for as long as it is fitted. The bronze is much lighter and stronger than it should be.
When it is in use, the flesh seemingly regenerates, remaking the limb in perfect health, making it as much like the original limb as possible, including birthmarks and scars. The scene is like watching a time lapse film of a creature like a gecko regenerating a lost limb, starting stubby and filling in. If the limb is a leg or foot, the foot portion can become dexterous with a thought.
Hephaestus often made wondrous creations but none of them could truly help him overcome the limitations of his godly flesh. This ring was one attempt, an attempt to restore strength to his legs (the ring has a twin but it has long since been lost). However, the ring only works on missing limbs, not crippled ones. Furious, the god of fire and creation threw the rings out of his workshop, letting them roll to the foot of Mount Etna where they were retrieved at a later date by a daring Athenian merchant.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are missing a limb 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.
Your extra appendage can stretch to reach an additional 30 feet.
You may turn this Effect on and off at will during its duration.
Your extra appendage is not connected to your nervous or circulatory systems, and you will not take damage if it is hit by an attack or destroyed.
red veins pushing at the skin of a exceedingly muscular frame, with muscle fiber as strong as steel this allows David to achieve incredible feats of strength
after a night filled with nightmares and horrible visions, David had gained access to knowledge that allowed him to forge, bend , and mold his body into a more advanced form. upon completion of his first session he found he was far stronger than he was before
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Brawn rating is increased by 1. You may Exert your Mind to automatically gain an Outcome of 5 on any roll that uses Brawn (cannot be used on combat rolls or Effect activations).
You also gain the following effects:
Harry Johnson channels the formidable strength and martial prowess of Dobrynya Nikitich, one of the most celebrated bogatyrs in Russian folklore. Known for his exceptional combat skills and bravery, Dobrynya was a master of unarmed combat, capable of defeating powerful enemies with his bare hands. Like Dobrynya, Harry’s fists carry the weight of righteous fury, enabling him to deliver devastating blows that can shatter even the strongest defenses. His strikes are swift and precise, reflecting the legendary skill of a warrior who once subdued dragons and protected the land from invaders.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are engaged in unarmed combat.
+2 dice to rolls for Attacking, Defending, Grappling, and Clashing without a weapon. Unarmed attacks do +7 Weapon Damage (instead of -1).
You may Defend against melee, projectile, or firearm Attacks from any range and Clash with those in range of your Attacks. Attacking materials like steel or spikes will not Damage you unless it has an Effect that does so.
You also gain the following effects:
The subject was designed to be a rapidly evolving being. It resembles a hulking monster with physical aspects meant to kill and overpower other beings.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You are permanently and visibly transformed: purple flesh, sharp teeth, large claws, prehensile feet, and no hair. You are considered to be a Sapient, Non-Living being when targeted..
You are immune to damage from cold. If cold is a substantial component of other damage you would take (e.g. falling from a great distance into a vat of liquid nitrogen), that damage is reduced by 2 (in addition to Armor)
No single organ in your body is critical for life. Called Shots do no additional Damage to you. You may perceive the world through separated body parts, take Actions with them, and reattach them by spending an Action and Exerting your Mind.
While in Space (Vacuums), heat, cold, pressure, radiation, and other native hazards do not affect you. Dangerous local flora and fauna will not bother you unless you give them a reason.
Your Injuries no longer degrade with time. You do not age naturally, and supernatural attempts to age you fail.
You cannot be mistaken for a normal human. You cannot always use standard human clothes, equipment, vehicles, and facilities, and when you can, you suffer an increased Difficulty.
You cannot speak any coherent verbal language and must resort to other means of communication.
You are incapable of fine object manipulation and can only hold or grasp things in a crude, clumsy way.
The Ninja is so attuned to the sounds of their surroundings, they may focus their mind to "see" using the subtle acoustic vibrations.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your senses are enhanced in the following way.
The mobster's been through tougher scrapes than this. A few cuts and bruises won't stop them.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
Your Stress from Injuries is reduced to 0. Does not reduce Stress from Mind Damage.
As long as the ninja is carrying a weapon, their self-defense is almost subconscious. Subtle twitches and lighting-fast feints and parries using sword and scabbard can buy the ninja precious seconds to enact an escape plan or make the kill.
You gain the following benefits at all times. You must actively and obviously be using a sword to gain the benefits of this Effect.
You have 4 Armor, which reduces incoming Damage. Armor from multiple sources does not stack. This Armor cannot be circumvented with Called Shots.
Whenever your Armor reduces incoming Damage, you are immediately made aware of the source of the Damage. You may pinpoint their location for 30 seconds.
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.
This device is a piece of chrome the size and shape of the back of a spoon. When placed against the skin, small hypodermic needles sprout from the device and attach it to the user's bloodstream. There, it filters and releases lifesaving drugs into the bloodstream, granting complete immunity from contracting new diseases and added resiliency in all other cases.
WARNING: The immunizing drugs have been shown to reduce inhibitions in test subjects.
You gain the following benefits as long as you are wearing this Artifact.
You get +2 dice to any Body resistance rolls you make. You also gain the following effects:
Nature is the beastmaster's domain. While in the wilds, they can climb trees and cliffs with ease and dash through dense underbrush that anyone else would need a machete to navigate.
You gain the following benefits at all times.
You may move easily and without a roll in any of the following situations.
You only gain the benefits of this effect if you are in an area without a human building within 300 feet.