ARTIFACTS & CREATURES

If I can find anything I want in shadow, why spend points on it?

Spending points on something makes it _yours._ You don't have to worry about someone else having put something else into your magic ring, in a Lord of the Rings kind of deal. And while this doesn't mean an artifact can't be taken away from you, it's something you can always find and retrieve (absent someone taking specific action to keep you from doing so).

Constructs, as described in the Shadow Knight supplement, will have to be developed by characters in the course of play, and are not something owned or designed by characters at the start of the game.

Vitality. Not just physical strength, but also the measure of life in any item. Note that someone using an item that transfers vitality will be able to perform the equivalent feats of strength, but will not have the durability that the Strength Attribute gives.

Animal Vitality - 1 point
    Used to bring inanimate objects to life. Animal Vitality gives objects the equivalent strength of a normal animal.

Double Vitality - 2 points
    Ordinary animals, being fairly strong anyway, will be capable of jumping, leaping, or carrying double their usual limits. Raises the strength of a human to  Chaos level.

Immense Vitality - 4 points
    Animals become far stronger, able to jump or leap phenomenal distances, and capable of exerting force many times their own weight. Humans with Immense Vitality have their strength raised to Amber level.

Movement. Used for either animating things that are otherwise immobile, or for speeding up the natural movement of artifacts and creatures. Note that movement improvements are not particularly useful in combat, since they usually refer to long range movement of running, rather than the quick, jerky movements of combat.

Mobility - 1 point
   For those items which are usually immobile. The movement speed depends on the item's physical apparatus. If there are wheels, legs or other means of locomotion, terrain permitting, the speed is roughly equal to a walk. Items without movement equipment (like Merlin's strangle cord) have to slither or creep along. Even
then, if the item lacks Animal Vitality it will move slowly and will be too feeble to climb, push, or pull.

Double speed - 2 points
   Creatures who already have the power of movement, like deer, dogs and horses, have double their usual speed. This usually works out to something like 30
miles per hour. Objects that start without movement, but with legs or wheels, will manage similar speeds. Items without means of locomotion will slither or creep quickly, at about the pace of a run.

Engine Speed - 4 points
   For those creatures and items with good running speed, like tigers and bicycles, this accelerates them enough to keep up with powered vehicles (cars,
motorcycles). Dogs and wolves can get up to 60 miles per hour, and horses can manage 75 miles per hour or more. Items that start out without means of locomotion will wiggle around at speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

Stamina. Item Endurance should not be confused with Amber Endurance. Although Stamina gives duration in exertion, it does not give the healing and regeneration abilities that come with the Attribute of Endurance. Inanimate objects
that are given vitality or movement start out with only feeble stamina, and tire quickly.

Double Normal Stamina - 1 point
   Creatures will be able to run, fight, or perform difficult tasks for twice as long as their normal counterparts. Gives the equivalent of Chaos Endurance to humans or items.

Amber Stamina - 2 points
   Creatures are able to run or fight at full exertion for hours without getting tired. Humans, and inanimate objects, get a stamina equivalent to the Amber
level Endurance Attribute.

Tireless, Supernatural Stamina - 4 points
   The creature or artifact will simply never get tired.

Aggression. Unlike a character's Warfare Rank, an item's Aggression refers only to its basic reflexes and combat skills, not to general weapon, tactical and strategic training. So, for example, a dog with Combat Reflexes could fight at an
Amber level with teeth and leaps and so forth, but would know nothing about swords, guns, or, for that matter, anything about chess or military strategy.

Combat Training - 1 point
   When conferred on a creature, or a number of creatures, this gives them the training to work together as a team, with intelligence enough to use practical combat tactics. In addition, the creatures will be expert in their weapons (natural or artificial), and quicker than any normal human. Items with Combat Training have a specific expertise of up to a Chaos level of Warfare.

Combat Reflexes - 2 points
   Creatures with Combat Reflexes are trained to work intelligently, but also with extraordinary speed, making them faster and more adept than opponents on a Warfare level of Chaos. An item, or a human, will be improved to the point where they are quick enough to compete with someone of Chaos rank in Warfare. If the item is devoted to a specific type of combat, then the skill will improve to equal Amber rank in Warfare.

Combat Mastery - 4 points
   Living things with Combat Mastery have an intuitive grasp of any tactical situation, are aware of ambush and other bad combat situations, and will quickly adapt to new weapons and other threats. Their speed is comparable to someone with Amber normal Warfare. Items specializing in a particular combat will surpass the reaction time of an Amberite.

Resistance to Damage. This is the Amber equivalent of an Armor Rating. In both creatures and artifact there can be natural armor against various threats.

Resistant to Normal Weapons - 1 point
   Normal swords, arrows, spear points, and most weapons will be deflected by the armored surface. Even weapons that penetrate will have a reduced effect.

Resistant to Firearms - 2 points
   In addition to protection from pointed and edged weapons, the artifact or creature is also immune to gunfire, explosions, and fire.

Invulnerable to all Conventional Weapons - 4 points
   Cannot be damaged by any normal means. This includes edged and pointed weapons, firearms, and energy based attacks.

Weapon Damage. These are the damaging effects installed in an item, especially weapons and items with edged or pointed surfaces, or in the natural weapons in a creature's biological arsenal such as claws or teeth.

Extra Hard - 1 point
   For an item, this gives the striking surface the capacity to impact with great force without being damaged. Extra Hard Weapons, applied to animals, means that the natural "hard points" of the creature, whether fangs, or claws, or horns, or hooves, won't be damaged when they try attacking something solid or impenetrable. For example, normal claws raking a concrete building might become damaged, and would be unlikely to do much damage. If the claws were Extra Hard, they wouldn't be damaged and they would make some kind of impression on the concrete. Extra Hard
weapons have an easier time penetrating armor.

Double Damage - 2 points
   As with Extra Hard, these weapons give both durability and an extra measure of target penetration. Double Damage also increases the amount of damage done, so, where a sword would usually inflict a light wound, a sword of Doubling Damage would inflict a serious wound. Double Damage Weapons easily penetrate armor "Resistant to Normal Weapons," and, with time and skill, can break through armor "Resistant to Firearms."

Deadly Damage - 4 points
   The teeth or claws or weapon, in addition to having extraordinary durability, can do severe damage to a target. Wounds inflicted by Deadly Damage Weapons are always serious and often fatal. Penetrates any type of armor, including armor "Invulnerable to all Conventional Weapons."

Intelligence and Communication Skills. Most items, including both artifacts and creatures, can be made with a range of intelligence.

Able to Speak - 1 point
   The item can speak in the language of the user, usually Thari, but with a limited vocabulary. If applied to an inanimate object, this means the item can
understand and obey commands. In either case, the item will act as the equivalent of a very clever animal, such as a well-trained dog. The item has loyalty to its owner, and will operate independently if commanded to do so. Items with the Ability to Speak, unless commanded otherwise, will always attempt to rejoin or assist their owners.

Able to Speak and Sing - 2 points
   Beyond simple speech, the item can speak with a normal voice, sing, hum, whistle, and otherwise express itself. Clever enough to understand
complex orders, to make plans, and to operate independently toward a goal. It has a good memory, can handle numbers, logic problems, and literacy, but only if
instructad in these arts.

Able to Speak in Tongues and Voices - 4 points
   The item has intelligence the equal to a normal human, capable of feats of mathematics, literacy, and philosophy. Capable of learning a wide range of languages, and the ability to "mimic" the speech of others.

Psychic Quality. Confers a limited version of the Psyche Attribute, but only that portion dealing with sensing Psychic phenomena. For example, a human, normally void of psychic sensitivity, given Psychic Sensitivity, would be able to sense the "coolness" of a Trump, but would have no particular resistance to a Trump contact.

Psychic Resistance - 1 point
   Equal to Chaos rank. The item can communicate with anyone it touches, by a mind to mind contact. It would have only the basic intelligence of a normal version of the creature, or, if given some form of speech (as above), that level of intelligence. Inanimate artifacts, with no speech modifications, become receptive
to commands and can obey specific orders.

Sensitive to Danger - 2 points
   Gives the ability to sense danger, but not in any specific way. The item can pick up on the general distance and direction of hostile thoughts and
emotions. This does not mean the item can detect inanimate traps or threats. Also includes the same abilities and limitations as Psychic Sensitivity.

Extraordinary Psychic Sense - 4 points
   Flashes of insight into what is coming means the item can sense potential
future events. Regardless of distance, the item will always "sense" when its owner is in danger. In addition to being able to establish mental contact with anyone in the immediate area, the item can also reach through Shadow to attempt to contact with any known mind. This takes a lot longer than a Trump contact, and is nowhere near as reliable, and does not allow for any physical transferral. Items with Extraordinary Psychic Sense will, if lost, usually attempt to contact their owner. Intelligence is no more than the basic creature, or, if an artifact, that of
something barely capable of communication. Has no Psychic 'power' that can be used in Psyche battles.

POWERS

Item Movement Through Shadow. These powers allow for a limited amount of movement through Shadow. In most cases the artifact or creature uses an innate
form of magic to perform the feat, rather than Pattern, Logrus, or Trump.

Shadow Trail - 1 point
   The item can follow the path left by someone else moving through Shadow.

Shadow Path - 2 points
   The item can find a path to any Shadow it knows well. If the item is just backtracking, that is, going back along a route it has taken before, the speed is the equivalent of a Hellride. However, if the item is stranded somewhere unfamiliar, and doesn't know the specific way back, it could take a very long time, bumbling around, to arrive at the Shadow destination.

Shadow Seek - 4 points
   The item can control a movement through Shadow toward a person or item in Shadow. Note that this is not the same as being able to move freely through
Shadow, because the item can only move in the "direction" of the desired subject. The item also tends to hit the worst of "Hellriding" routes, and may require a lot of hit-and-miss tries crossing difficult Shadows.

Item Control of Shadow. Power over various aspects of Shadow. Each level includes the powers of the lesser forms.

Able to Mold Shadow Stuff - 1 point
   The item can change simple Shadow items and features. For example, coins can
be shiftad to match the current environment.

Able to Mold Shadow Creatures - 2 points
   The item can affect creatures and inhabitants of Shadow. For example,
a dog can be friendly rather than hostile, or a person could be informative instead of mercenary.

Able to Mold Shadow Reality - 4 points
   The item can change some of the features, including the "odds" of the
current Shadow. For example, the magical environment of the Shadow could change slightly, making it difficult for the resident Sorcerers.

Item Healing. If applied to an inanimate object, any type of healing gives the item a self-repairing ability. Even if totally destroyed, the item will eventually pull itself back together. For creatures, healing powers accelerate their normal process of mending and restoration.

Self Healing - 1 point
   For an inanimate object, this allows for a slow, gradual, self-repair, at about the same rate that normal creatures heal from comparable wounds. Creatures with Self Healing recover from wounds at twice their normal rate.

Rapid Healing - 2 points
   Any item, artifact or creature, will heal like someone with an Amberite's Endurance, recovering from slight wounds within a day, and healing even the most severe damage over a period of weeks. Missing parts will gradually be regenerated, even though it may take years.

Regeneration - 4 points
   Quickly, in a matter of minutes, the item can repair any damage or injury it has suffered. Even regrowing lost parts is quick, requiring less than an hour.

Item Shape Shifting. For any shape an item takes, it will have all the normal attributes and instincts of that shape. So, for example, if shiftad into a flying creature, the item will be able to fly normally. Also, any qualities and powers of the item will be carried over into all its shapes. So a sword with Deadly Damage, changed into a cat, will have Deadly Damage claws and teeth.
Exotic Shape Shifts allow for items to gain seemingly magical properties. For example, an item could shift to transparent material, rendering it invisible. Or an item could shift to a very hard substance, giving it resistance to some
weapons and attacks.

Alternate Form/Shape - 1 point
   Item has an alternate form that it can change into. The alternate shape must be
described in detail when the item is first created.

Alternate Named and Numbered Forms/Shapes - 2 points
   The item has a number of forms, with an absolute maximum of twelve, all determined when the item is first created.

Limited Shape Shift - 4 points
   The item can take the shape of any animal or item of comparable size and mass. Initially this is limited to those creatures or things that the item has already practiced, but the item has the capacity to learn new shapes. Shape Shifting powers or persona is impossible. Limited Shape Shift is useless for healing or
repairing damage.

Item Trump Images. Artifacts and Creatures can be created with "built-in" Trump images. However, only characters with the Power of Trump Artistry can create
such items! Trump artifacts and creatures are never "found" in Shadow or Conjured, but can only be created by Trump Artists.

Contains a Trump Image - 1 point
   The item doubles as a Trump, containing a unique image drawn by the Trump
Artist. The item also has the innate durability of Trump, and a Trump's resistance to the manipulations of Pattern, Logrus or Magic. The Trump Image can be painted on a card in the usual way, or embroidered on a piece of cloth, or inscribed on metal. This power can& be installed in a creature.

Personal Trump Deck - 2 points
   As with other point artifacts, a personal trump deck becomes innately connected to the character. This means that, if lost, the deck can always be sought in Shadow. The cards of the Personal Trump Deck are limited to those created by the Trump Artist. Once the personal deck is created, the Trump Artist can add in any
cards they create without additional cost (however, this apples only to cards created by the Trump Artist). Multiple copies of personal decks, bought with the "Named and Numbered" multiplier (total cost times two), can be shared with other characters.

Powered by Trump - 4 points
  The item, created by the Trump Artist, is "Trump-Like," containing the power of Trump. While conferring a Trump image is possible, the main point here is that the item works by the power of Trump.


Power Words in Artifacts & Creatures. Each Power Word contained in an item can be cast numerous times. Some Power Words depend on the Psyche of the caster.
Power Words in items depend on the item's Psychic Quality. If the item does not have either Psychic Sensitivity (Chaos Rank), Sensitivity to Danger (also Chaos Rank), or Extraordinary Psychic Sense (Amber Rank), then the item operates Power
Words at Human Rank. Item Intelligence or Psychic Defense do not affect an item's operation of Power Words.
   A character wielding an item containing a Power Word normally casts the Power Word from the item. So an artifact speaking a Psychic Defense will protect the Psyche of the item, not the wielder. Unless, of course, the item is built with "Confer Power."

Contains a Power Word - 1 point
   The item has a single Power Word, which must be identical to one of the Conjurer's Power Words.

Contains Named and Numbered Power Words - 2 points
   The item contains a number of Power Words. The maximum number is equal to the total number of Power Words possessed by the Conjurer. Only Power Words known by the Conjurer can be used.

Spell Storage in Artifacts & Creatures. "Racking" or "Hanging" spells in items requires a special power. Once a spell in stored in a Creature or Artifact it can be cast using the required lynchpins. Spells must be "loaded" by
someone with the Power of Sorcery. Each time a spell is used, it is considered gone from the item and can must be constructed all over again.
   NOTE: Available only to characters with both Sorcery and Conjuration.

Capable of Racking a Spell - 1 point
   The item is capable of having a spell stored within it. Note that the spell is
incomplete, and will require the services of a magic wielder to invoke it and cast it forth.

Can Rack Named & Numbered Spells - 2 points
   The item can rack up to a dozen spells. Note that the spells are incomplete, and the services of a magic wielder are needed to invoke them and cast them forth.

Rack & Use Named & Numbered Spells - 4 points
   Aside from being the mere container for spells, the item is itself
capable of casting the stored spells. The maximum number of spells the item can rack is twelve. Creatures, or anything "alive" (with intelligence or psyche) will cast the spells independently. For inanimate, unintelligent items, this power means that the wielder of the artifact can command the triggering of the spells without taking the effort of casting.

TRANSFERAL
    Sometimes items are created to lend qualities or powers to their owner. A player character, having sold down Strength to the Human level, may want an item to make up for the loss. Creating a "Belt of Strength with Equals Amber Strength, four points, and Confer Quality, five points, would end up costing nine points. Wearing the belt would give the wearer the equivalent of Amber strength.
   It's important to note that the effects of transferal are not additive. In other words, if the character has Amber Strength, and is using an item with Confer Amber Strength, the character gets no improvement in Strength. In fact, nothing
really happens. Conferring a quality substitutes for the character's abilities, and doesn't add to what the character already has. So, for example, using a sword with "Combat Reflexes" would give the wielder that level of Warfare, even if
the character were Ranked more highly.

Confer Quality on Wearer/Owner/User - 5 points per Quality
   For example, a sword with the quality, "Armored, Resistant to Firearms," which costs two points, combined with "Confer Quality on User," another five points, will cost a total of seven points, but will mean that whoever holds the sword
will also be protected by the swords armor quality.

Confer Power on Wearer/Owner/User - 10 points per Power
   As with qualities, each power must have a separate conferral.

Implant Quality in Owner - 10 points per Quality
<i>Implant Power in Owner(/i> - 15 points per Power
   Warning: Implants can be removed by one's enemies, including by brute force (removing a limb).


QUANTITY MULTIPLIER
   Any item, no matter what form or shape, must also be defined by quantity. The total points spent on the item, including qualities, powers, and conferrals, is subject to a multiplier that varies according to the desired quantity of the
item. There are six variations on Quantity Multipliers.

1. Unique. There is but one of the artifact or creature. No additional cost, since the multiplier is one.

2. Named & Numbered If you want more than one of a particular item, without paying for each separately, then use a simple multiplier of two times the original cost.
Named and Numbered means giving either an individual name to each of the duplicates, or identifying each one by a number. The number depends on what makes sense for the item and the character. For example, a character might get
four duplicate daggers, one for each sleeve, one for a boot, and one to wear on the belt. Or seven dwarves. Or eight tiny reindeer (Comet, Donner, Blitzen...). No matter what explanation, Named and Numbered is limited to a dozen or so.
Costs twice (*2) the total points for the artifact.

3. Horde. A horde is a large number of the item. They usually are found around a particular location, in a particular Shadow. So, for example, Julian's Hellhounds are a horde that infest Forest Arden. At short notice, in the right place, the
character will only be able to gather together fifty or more members of a horde. Given time, many more can be gathered. Double the initial numbers in the first how, double again in the next eight hours, double yet again after a full day's
summoning. After that, gathering more of the horde slows down, because of the limitations of distance and numbers. A horde costs three times as much as a unique sample of the item.

4. Shadow Wide. Within a particular Shadow, the item is everywhere. Regardless of where you go in that Shadow, you'll find the item in horde quantities. Costs four
times the basic cost of the artifact or creature.


5. Cross-Shadow Environmental. Found in every one of the infinite Shadows that contain the particular environment. For example, if warm-water swamp creature is
Cross-Shadow Environmental, then the creature will be found in every warm-water swamp throughout Shadow. A limitation is that the item must have a natural appearance. So alligator creatures will have to blend in with the natural alligators of each Shadow's swamps. Another example might be a sword
that will be found in any middling sized armory, regardless of where it might be in Shadow. There will be a Named and Numbered quantity in any one environment, though probably just one of the item in any given place. Costs five times the
basic cost of the basic artifact or creature.

6. Ubiquitous in Shadow. They're everywhere, they're everywhere! Anywhere, throughout all of Shadow, the item is always waiting to be found. The only exception to their ubiquitous appearance is in the two poles of reality, the Amber
and the Courts of Chaos. Outside of those places, one of the item can always be found in just a few minutes. As with Cross-Shadow Environmental, the items must be things that appear normal, and, moreover, they should appear to be really
commonplace. Costs six times the basic cost of the basic artifact or creature.

  Quantity Multiplier Example. For example, let's look at a three point sword, having Double Damage (2 points), and Psychic Sensitivity (1 point). This three point sword is just three points if Unique (3 times 1 equals 3). The swords, all identical, in the small quantity of Named & Numbered, would cost six points (3 times 2 equals 6). A great number of the swords, such as might be used to equip a body of soldiers, is said to be a Horde, and would cost nine points (3 times 3 equals 9). The same swords, available and common throughout a single Shadow, costs twelve points (3 times 4 equals 12). Swords, all of the same type, scattered such that there is at least one in every decent-sized armory, or museum weapon collection, in all of Shadow, are Cross-Shadow Environmental, and the total Cost is fifteen points (3 times 5 equals 15). Finally, if the character is able to find one Of the swords anywhere at all, anywhere in Shadow, then it is ubiquitous, and costs eighteen Points (3 times 6 equals 18).
This message was last updated by the GM at 09:10, Wed 26 May 2021.