Has Mastered Ancient Technology

Description

A wise man once said that everyone is born with two bags. One is filled with luck an slowly depletes as time goes on. The other is empty. The point of life is to fill the empty bag with skills before the luck bags runs out in order to survive. You happened to have been born with two very large bags and you were very good at filling the empty bag. Whether through pure luck, wits, or cleverly applied knowledge, you have found a number of artifacts throughout your previous adventures. Staying true to the saying, you spent long hours and countless sleepless nights slaving over the artifacts to learn how to use, repair, and maintain them. You now travel the world with these artifacts in hand. Maybe you’re a mercenary, hired to do that which others believe impossible. Maybe you’re a thief, scouting your next heist. Maybe you’re part of an expeditionary guild who aim to unravel the mysteries of the world for fame and glory. It doesn’t matter why, you know that luck is on your side and there are many more artifacts out there for you to discover and add to your bag of tricks.

Details

Connection:

1. Pick up to two other PC. You and that/these PC/s have gone on adventures, raids, or expeditions together. Whether the adventure failed or succeeded, and the thoughts of the PC/s of you, should be discussed by the three players players.
2. Pick one other PC. You and this PC are rivals, either personally, professionally, or through allegiance. What this implies should be discussed with the other player.
3. Pick one other PC. That PC may covet the artifacts you have acquired. Whether or not they do, and whether or not you think they do, should be discussed between the two players.

Additional Equipment:

Bag of tools used to repair artifacts. Bag of components (15 Components). Bag filled with Numenera trinkets to allow you to cast Esoteries (See Tiers below).

Esotery Effects:

Artifact Esoteries: All of your esoteries, if you have any, are accomplished through the use of objects you have found. Onslaught could be a energy sphere or disk you found in your previous adventure that you hurl at your target. Scan could be an advanced scanner that you found in some ruins.

Minor Effect Suggestions:

You get into the groove of using your artifacts. The next action requiring one of your artifacts is decreased one step.

Major Effect Suggestions:

You masterfully use your artifact to carry out your intended action. Your acions have unintended but beeneficial consequances.

Tier 1:

Super Lucky: Your chosen artifacts are never broken or damaged beyond repair. If you lose your artifact for whatever reason, you can find it again or a replacement by spending time searching for it. Time spent is decided by GM. Enabler.

Chosen Artifacts: Choose from the list of artifacts below. The sum of the numbers next to each artifact cannot be greater than five (i.e. you cannot have two artifacts with a 3 next to them or six artifacts with a 1 next to each).  Ignore redundant or duplicated equipment given. You can give your artifacts away but they will act like regular artifacts to others. If you choose a weapon, do not choose another weapon from the regular list (i.e. if you pick a rifle, you can’t also pick a spear). Enabler.

• Rifle (3) : Heavy weapon. Medium to Long range. Carries a single bullet, must use an action to reload before firing again. Also provides you with an ammo pouch containing 30 bullets. You are trained in actions requiring patience, seeing far away, long range combat, and analyzing details and you are practiced with this specific weapon.
• Shotgun (3) : Medium weapon. Immediate to short range. Carries two shells at a time, must spend one action to reload before firing if both shells are used. Also provides ammo pouch with 30 shells. Difficulty increased if used with one hand. You are trained in close range combat, intimidation, determining threats, and  guarding and are practiced with medium weapons.
• Pistol (3) : Light weapon. Immediate to medium range.  Carries a single clip that holds between 6 and 8 shots, must reload if clip is empty before firing again. Also provides ammo pouch with 4 clips or 30 bullets. You are trained in medium range combat, persuasion, sneaking, and stealing and you are Practiced with Light Weapons.
• Swiss Army Knife (1) : Not suitable for a weapon. Provides a chain to carry the knife around. You are trained in wilderness survival, light repairs, superficial investigation, and crafting primitive tools.
• Musical Instrument (1) : A small musical instrument. Provides a case or other equipment for ease of storage and transportation of instrument. You are practiced in cultural social interactions involving hearing, soothing, distractions, and memorizing sounds.
• Map (1) : A map of the general area. Provides a case for the map as well as several blank pieces of paper, ink, pens, and other cartographic tools. You are trained in cartography, navigating, exploring, and intellectual social interactions. Must take time to make new map if you leave map boundaries.
• Sketch Book (1) : A well maintained book filled with blank pieces of paper. Provides ink and pens. You are trained in drawing, memorizing events, cultural social interactions involving vision, and spatial awareness.
• Camera (3) : A small camera capable of taking still shots. Provides camera holder and a hand-crank charger. Has space for 10 photographs and can take 3 without before recharging. Must spend ten minutes to fully charge camera. Photos can be deleted to make room for more. Trained in assessing areas and positive cultural interactions involving static interactions.
• Cooking Utensils (2) : A simple set of cooking utensils. Provides case for ease of transport and protection. Not suitable for a weapon. You are trained in cooking, cultural social interactions involving food, persuasion, poisoning, and basic medicine.

Repairs (X Intellect Points): Spend time, intelligence points, and components proportional to level of depletion and complexity of your chosen artifact to completely repair it. Exact time and int and component cost is decided by GM.

Tier 2:

Deal Finder: If you are near a shop, the shop will always have at least 2 components needed to repair your artifacts or 5 bullets. They will never have more than 4 components or 8 bullets. If you are not near a shop, roll a 1d4 and find that many components for your artifacts or ammo. Cannot search in the same general area more than once.

Tier 3:

Upgrade: You can choose a new combination of artifacts from Tier 1 and the ones below such that the sum of the numbers next to them does not exceed 6.

• Sniper Rifle (4) : Upgrade to Tier 1 Rifle. Deals 3 more damage. Specialized in skills granted by Rifle. Can fire three times before reloading and you cannot attack more than once per turn with the Sniper Rifle, even if you have skills that let you do so. Provides ammo bag that holds clips.
• Fragmentation Gun (4): Upgrade to Tier 1 Shotgun. Deal +3 damage. Specialized in skills granted by Shotgun. Can fire six times before reloading.
• Arch Pistol (4): Upgrade to Tier 1 Pistol. Deal 3 more damage. Specialized in skills granted by Pistol. Fires electricity.
• GPS (2): Upgrade to Tier 1 Map. Map is continuously updated every 6 hours. You no longer have to make maps if you leave boundaries as long as you are still on the starting planet. Does not work underground. Has a battery life of 84 hours. Provides hand crank and means to carry it with you.
• Video Camera (4): Upgrade to Tier 1 Camera. Can now also take up to 30 minutes of video or up to 60 photos. Specialized in skills granted by Camera.
• Professional Cookware (3): Upgrade to Tier 1 Cooking Utensils. Specialized in skills granted by Cooking Utensils.
• Short-Range Radios (2): You found two working short-range radios. They have a limit of 500 meters and have a battery life of 28 hours. Range drops to 100 meters if underground. Provides hand crank generator and two holders for the radios. If given to someone, that person is trained in using the radios to communicate with you. You are now trained in communications and coordinating others.
• Flashlight (1): A small device that shines a relatively strong light. Can be used to light up dark places. You are specialized in searching and exploring darkened places. Provides hand crank generator.
• All Weather Jacket (3): A light jacket that seems to adapt itself to provide the best protection against the environment you are currently in. Halves most ambient damage. GM decides if it works in the current environment. You are trained in actions involving the environment of mild, non-civilized terrain (i.e. deserts, mountains, swamp lands while not in a city but not volcanoes, irradiated zones, and outer space.)

Tier 4:

Just What I Needed (X Intellect Points): You can now make components and bullets out of raw materials. Shops will always have some amount of these raw materials. You can also search for them in the environment. You must spend a certain amount of time, intellect points, and raw materials proportional to the number of components and bullets you intend to make.

Tier 5:

Filling the Bag to the Brim: You can choose up to be trained in five skills that complement the skills given by your chosen artifacts or that affect the artifacts directly. GM decides if the skill is appropriate (i.e. you can’t choose “Dual Wield” and run around with two sniper rifles or choose a skill to use the map as a weapon. You can choose to a skill that lets you use the pistol and the flashlight or a knife at the same time or a skill that lets you fire a more bullets before reloading.)

Tier 6:

Priceless Finds: You can choose a new combination of artifacts from Tier 1, Tier 2, and the ones below such that the sum of the numbers next to them does not exceed 8. You can also change the skills granted in Tier 5.

• Rail Gun (5): Upgrade to Tier 3 Sniper Rifle. Ignores 4 points of armor when attacking. Can fire five times before reloading, you cannot attack more than once with the Rail Gun in the same turn. Medium to extremely long range.
• Plasma Cannon (5): Upgrade to Tier 3 Fragmentation Gun. Critical hits strip off up to a total of 8 armor points, 1-3 armor is lost per critical hit. Can fire ten times before reloading. Immediate to medium range. Fires plasma.
• Laser Pistol (5): Upgrade to Tier 3 Arch Pistol. Target’s evasion skills/assets do not apply when using this weapon. Provides battery clips and pouch for clips. Each clip can be used to fire 20 shots before needing to re-energize them. Immediate to long range.
• Omnitool (3): Upgrade to both the Tier 1 Swiss Army Knife and the Tier 3 Flashlight. A compact tool that always seems to be have the right addition for the situation at hand.  Not suitable for a weapon. You are specialized in skills granted by both Flashlight and Swiss Army Knife and are trained in simple electronic repairs. Exact size, shape, and means of carrying is up to you (i.e. It can be a worn as a glove or hangs around your belt.).
• TDPS (4):  Upgrade to the Tier 3 GPS. The Trans-Dimensional Positioning System can give you accurate and live info of any area on the planet you began in or basic info of any other planet/dimension you have previously visited. Also give underground maps of starting planet. Exact size and shape is up to you. Provides means of carrying it.
• Armored Habitat Suit (4): Upgrade to Tier 3 All Weather Jacket. You are immune to the ambient damage of the most common variety (i.e. extreme heat, extreme cold, vicious sandstorms, being under water) and take halve damage to every other type.   You are specialized in skills granted by All Weather Jacket and trained in actions involving any other environment. Look of suit is up  to you.
• Orchestra Gloves (2): Upgrade to Tier 1 Musical Instrument. A pair of gloves that can mimic any instrument imaginable simply by picturing the instrument in one’s mind and pretending to play the instrument while wearing them. Specialized in skills granted by Musical Instrument. Look of glove and case is up to you.
• Light Sculpting Equipment (2): Upgrade to Tier 1 Sketch Book. A set of tools that allow you to bend light into whatever shape you want, making paintings, sculptures, and drawings in midair. You are specialized in skills granted by Sketch Book. Requires light.
• Quantum Entanglement Communicators (3):  Upgrade to Tier 3 Short Range Radios. You are specialized with skill granted by Short Range Radios. You can communicate with the other radio as long as they are both on the same planet and in the same plane of existence. Exact look and size of radio is up to you.

The Vault: Once every two months, you may visit your private vault to switch out your equipment. You can only switch out equipment you are carrying and only for the value that you are carrying, (i.e. if you visit the vault with equipment whose numbers add up to 5, then you may only leave with equipment whose numbers add up to 5.) You can also change the skills chosen in Tier 5.