Supernatural Artifacts

Welcome to Prometheum Exxet.

What you now hold in your hands is a volume dedicated to the world of supernatural artifacts,
a book made to deploy a new range of possibilities for both player characters and their
opponents. In it you will find hundreds of supernatural artifacts and wild adventure ideas and
even a system for making your own mystical works. From weapons of legend to the strangest
artifacts, Prometheum Exxet allows access to features never before seen in Anima. A door to a
world of unexplored powers now lies open before you.

To be completely honest, I never thought I would write this book. Among the works we had in
mind when I designed Anima: Beyond Fantasy, Prometheum Exxet was not originally planned.
However, I soon realized that artifacts, an essential element in any RPG, were not getting the
attention they were crying out for, and so deserved more than a mere mention or a chapter in a
different book .Finally, I told myself I could wait no longer and began to work with him.

The truth is that, while writing Prometheum Exxet, I realized how much I was enjoying it. The
reason is that allowed me to explore previously unseen facets of Gaia and its history through
the objects that have been present throughout the centuries.
Now, as always, it is in your hands to judge the outcome of my work.

The Origin of the Artifacts

From the time when supernatural forces were born, there have been countless people and
organizations that have tried to instill their powers to special items. While there are plenty of
reasons for this, as a curiosity or desire for glory, two have always been the main, true "origins"
who have given birth to the mystical artifacts. First, these objects may arise from the strong
desire of those who had no magical qualities or powers to use impossible skills. Perhaps more
important, though, is the eager desire for some to increase their own supernatural powers,
finding a proper channel and endowing them with an even greater capacity.

Artifacts in Gaia
The artifacts are supernaturally rooted in the essence of Gaia.From the beginning of history
many cultures, both human and other races, have given many different applications to such
objects. Naturally, depending on the time and place, use and importance vary considerably,
there were times that they were barely known and others where whole races, such as the
Devah, based their civilization on them.

At present, supernatural artifacts are extremely rare in Gaia (or at least compared to what they
were centuries ago). After the War of God, most were destroyed or lost their power, which
added to the fact that no one openly makes them, so their number is very low indeed.
This gap has widened because of the work of Tol Rauko, an organization that has spent its six
hundred years of existence to find and take custody of all the artifacts they could find (work for
which they have proven to be extremely competent). At present, its Templars have stored nearly
half of all the mystical objects from Gaia on their island.

Most of the artifacts that exist today (about nine out of ten) are objects of more than seven
centuries old, belonging to the Empire of Yehudah or other non-human civilizations, which
were not influenced by Rah Machine. The most common sources are the Sylvain, Devah, and
Duk'zarist because they are the people who had the highest number of settlements and cities
on Gaia.

On very rare occasions, new mystical objects are created. Most of the time in which it
occurs it is usually the work of isolated individuals who make them out of necessity or for
personal use, as only two organizations, the Order of Magus and the Black Sun, continue to
create "organized" artifacts. Similarly, the birth of magic items "incidental" is now much more
unusual. The low amount of magic in the world makes it rare for enough magic to gather in one
place and enchant an object; when it does happen, the result is incredibly powerful.

In Gaia, supernatural artifacts are very unusual, partly because of their lack and partly by
the work of Tol Rauko. While you may find them mixed with common objects without anyone
knowing their true value, the easiest way to find them is to explore ruins or remains of ancient
civilizations. This is especially easy in certain locations of The Wake, where nobody has been
before. However, more accessible to people with the right resources is often through the Black
Sun, a secret society with mystical artifacts on the black markets of major cities. Its agents have
spent centuries exploring the confines of Gaia, locating and collecting the most varied objects.
While not as impressive as Tol Rauko, the fact is that after centuries of searching and buying
and selling, of course Black Sun has an impressive collection, and for the right price, you can
get items of varied power.

The Formation of Supernatural Artifacts

The formation of supernatural and mystical artifacts objects can be started in many different
ways, but generally all of them are summarized in three main groups: pure magic, artifacts and
fortuitous creations.

Pure Magic: A traditional way of creating magical artifacts is to directly permeate something
with pure magic so it will resonate and get unique powers. The magician who creates the object
just drops in a lot of raw Zeon, which will be modified through its capacity to be. Generally, the
most powerful witches make use of this method to create simple and perishable artifacts such
that the magic that the object has just fades with the passage of time or continued use, thus
losing its unique qualities. Given how easy it is to create, there is a considerable number of
objects of this kind in the world, but because of their perishability, they also disappear sooner.
Processed Artifacts: Undoubtedly, this is the category that collects the most common and
powerful magical items of all. All artifacts that have been created as such are made by a
long and taxing process. In more than one sense, these are arguably the real "magic items".
Naturally, there is no single method to make them. A teacher could fill a sword with runes to
make it a mystical weapon, or an alchemist could synthesized a crystal to grant eternal life, as a
couple of examples.

Fortuitous Creation: Although extremely rare, there may be some magic items born without
the voluntary intervention of any being. These "artifacts" arise from unusual circumstances,
extreme conditions that make aggregate enough energy to grant supernatural powers. It could
be the simple case of a sword that, after being used to kill thousands of innocent people,
absorbed so much blood, soaking in so much pain and suffering that that it suddenly became
aware, or a quartz crystal that was present at the time in which two gods fought among
themselves and became an artifact endowed with great magical power. The power level of a
fortuitous artifact can be as variable as the conditions that give birth. This class of objects and
their powers are always completely unpredictable, as not being created by anyone means it
lacks a clear definition and was created with no specific intent. Logically, only the Game Master
has the ability to create these objects, giving them the skills and attributes considered relevant.

Characters and Supernatural Artifacts

The possession of supernatural artifacts is something of exceptional importance for a character,
as these objects greatly increase their capabilities. However, never forget that the real power
lies not in what ever you have, but in the individual's skills. Anima has always been to enhance
the personal power of a character beyond their possessions, so someone with real skill will
always be superior to an inferior subject who simply has a multitude of mystical objects.

General Rules
As discussed below, there are many general rules concerning magical objects.

Advantage: Artifact
When creating a character the players have at their disposal the possibility of supernatural
objects by the Artifact Advantage.If the GM permits, any player who wants to explore this
possibility to acquire some of the artifacts produced in this book (or you can use your own)
use Table 1. Of course, both the amount of CP invested as the level increases and whose the
character will start the game with are key factors in determining the potential of the device as, of
course, the object is more potent as these values increase.

Table 1: Artifact Advantage

Character Level 1 CP 2 CP 3 CP
 0-3 1+ 2 2+

4-6 2 2+ 3

6-9 2+ 3 3+

10-12 3 3+ 4

13+ 3+ 4 4+

High Supernatural Level: If the game is set in a place with a very high magic level, the
characters are considered to be three levels higher when determining the power level of
a device granted by spending CP. A first level character spending two points to obtain the
advantage Creation Artifact could start with a level of Power 2+, as if they were level 4.

Objects Linked to a Single Person

Many times, someone may want a supernatural object that is linked only to his character, so
that they can recall it if lost. In these cases, it is difficult to call it a magic item; something that
can not be stolen or lost is closer to a "supernatural power" than an actual device. In these
cases, if the player wants to actually apply that rule in their device simply apply a level modifier
+1, as if they were a supernatural being or had a Legacy of Blood. After all, the fact that there is
such a link is really "unique". Of course, this rule only applies if the person wishes to acquire an
object using the Artifact Advantage, and never to those who are granted the object in the course
of play.

Elemental or Energy Weapons

By some supernatural power, whether magical, psychic, or some other way, a weapon might
acquire elemental powers. For example, one could create fire with his sword, or a warlock
could cast a spell of ice for his club such that it is surrounded by a freezing cold so intense
that anything it hits freezes. In these cases,the weapons are considered basic, and destructive
power can be added in addition to other special qualities. To determine what benefits you get
you must know the intensities of the element you add. The more you have, the more you will
increase your base damage, as reflected in the following table.
Table 2: Elemental Weapons
Intesities Damage Bonus Quality Requirement

1-4 +5 +0

5-8 +10 +0

9-15 +20 +5

16-25 +30 +10

26-40 +40 +15

40+ +50 +20

Unfortunately, not all weapons are prepared to "hold" an extremely high elemental charge.
Those who do not have enough quality simply melt or are unable to withstand such power, in
such cases, fire, cold, or electricity would engulf the person using it. Therefore, there is a limit to
the benefits provided by intensities, reflected in the third column of Table 2. For example, a +5
weapon of quality would not be able to support 30 intensities concentrated on it, and apply only
a +20 to your base damage.

Healing Objects
An object with the ability to heal Hit Points can not affect the same individual more times a day
than a quarter of the Power attribute of that person (rounded up). That is, someone with Power
8 may be affected by up to 2 times by the same device or object category. The objects that
increase increase regeneration directly are not constrained by this rule.

Layers of Armor
Whether through spells, armor, or objects that provide natural armor, a character can never
have more than three layers of armor while active. If you have more, layers that offer less
protection are discarded.

Fable
The vast majority of supernatural objects have been important throughout history and numerous
legends, books and mystical treatises mention them. Therefore, an occultist skilled enough
would be able to identify the qualities or history of an object by examining it or studying it in a
place with the appropriate information. The legends that exist about each artifact are shown in
the Fable value.

It is important to1 explain that not all objects necessarily have a Fable, no matter how powerful
they are. An original artifact created by an archmage less than a week ago and has never been
used in public could never have created a legend around him. All objects can be identified in
three different degrees of fable as the knowledge we have of them. Each has an associated
level of difficulty, it is necessary to achieve control in a secondary skill Occult. For example, if
someone does a study on a device with a value of Fable 180 / 240 / 280 and get a final score of
250 in occultism have reached the second value.

Fable Grade I: Vague Idea

Represents the character has identified the object and can have an idea of what, at least
in theory, it could be. Does not know what all the powers are and even the few known are
vague and indefinite. For example, you might consider a lance that has found answers to the
description of the weapon legendary Gae Bolg, which is said never misses its target. However,
you do not know its exact origins, or anything beyond the legend.

This level of knowledge does not decrease the difficulty of learning more about the artifact.

Fable Grade II: Identification

With this grade, the character has completely identified the artifact. You have a pretty good idea
of its history and of its powers, as well as how it should work. The only unknown details are the
ones in the more occult legends, and the strangest powers.

This level of knowledge means the character can use Ritual powers of an artifact and reduces
by one level the Complexity required for using its Hidden Powers.

Fable Grade III: Domination

The occultist knows every detail related to the device, as well as the history and function.
Arguably, the character is a true expert, and knows every line of its description, every secret of
its powers. This level allows the character to use Ritual and Arcane Ritual powers of the artifact
and also reduces by two levels the Complexity for Notion of Use to learn new powers.

Supernatural Analysis
In addition to Fable, the operation of an artifact can be found using the magical knowledge
of a character. This requires you to make a Magic Appraisal roll and, depending on the value
obtained, be able to determine if it is a magical item and which capabilities it might have.

It is important to note that Supernatural Analysis cannot be used to gain Ritual powers or to
discern any sort of history for a given object.

Identification Grade I
It is difficult to recognize the object as magical. With this value, supernatural power may be
discovered, but nothing about its function. You might have a rough idea of the objects potential,
although it is never very accurate.

This level of knowledge means the character can increase by 1 their Affinity with an object when
trying to learn functions on the Hidden Powers table.
Identification Grade II
In this Grade the character has seen not only the magical power that emanates from the object,
but also its supernatural and elemental affinities, as well as having a rough idea of what power
it might hold. This analysis is not too accurate, but they understand the general features and
should be able to use its most basic supernatural abilities, although some may still escape
understanding.

At this level of knowledge, the character increases their Affinity by two Grades on the Notions of
Use table.

Identification Grade III

The character makes a complete analysis of the artifact, and fully understands its use and
operation.

At this level of knowledge, the character increases their Affinity with the artifact by four grades.

Other Objects
Both Fable and Analysis as explained in this chapter make a clear reference to the objects in
this book, but they also apply to any artifact that the GM can imagine. Simply put, they should
be given values appropriate for the artifact in question. Below is a a series of values that can be
used as a reference for generating Fable and Analysis values.
Supernatural Analysis
Basic artifact, little power and without
protection against analysis.
120 / 140 / 180
More advanced artifact, also without
protection from analysis.
120 / 240 / 280
As the first two grades, but with
protections from analysis.
240 / 280 / 320
Magical items of immense power.
120 / 320 / 440
Fable
Legendary objects, but their oral tradition
has obfuscated their true abilities.
120 / 280 / 320
Legendary items, with relatively accurate oral tradition.
120 / 180 / 240
Virtually unknown objects, of which there are only
brief and strange mentions in history.
 280 / 320 / 440
Generic objects made in series, known in the occult sector.
120 / 140 / 240

Two Tests
Whether it's a Supernatural analysis or Fable (respectively, Magic Appraisal or Occult Ability)
a character can perform two separate rolls. The first one is always considered a preliminary
analysis, something "fast" is done with the first brought into contact with the object. Then
afterwards, the character can always try to do a second check after finding the time and
resources that will invest in their study, accepting the second result as correct.

Both Fable and Supernatural Analysis use the following modifiers;

One Day +10 Six Months +60

Three Days +20 One Year +80

One Week +30 One Decade +100

One Month +40 Appropriate Material +20

Three Months +50 Ideal Material +40

Use of Magic Objects

Generally, anyone can use any magical object. Merely holding one in your possession allows
you to activate the powers of the artifact instinctively, as most innately operate at their master's
will. However, the fact remains that it does not always work that way. Sometimes the use of
mystical artifacts requires the person using it to have a clear understanding of how to activate
its powers; it could be something as simple as pronouncing a word aloud, or as complex as a
magical ritual over dozens of different components. It is even possible that a device works only
in case the holder achieves synchronization with the powers of its essence. In this section, we
see the different ways to activate and use these powers properly.

Innate Powers
Innate Powers are supernatural abilities that an artifact gives its owner without any intervention
on the owners part. A magical sword that increases the ability of the wearer or an earring that
lets you see in the dark are some examples of this category of powers.
An individual need not even be aware that they have a magical item to use this kind of skill.

Protocol of Activation
Some supernatural abilities require a special process to activate. Generally, the vast majority of
such devices need to be read a sentence, or be touched in a certain way or some other kind of
similar, minor ritual. Therefore, activation requires discovering the protocol, which is generally
taught by someone else. These protocols are often called Rituals in the artifact entries.

Supernatural Knowledge
No doubt the powers of this category are the most complex of all, because to use them the
character is required to have considerable supernatural knowledge; equivalent to the ability to
cast spells. This would apply to devices that despite possessing powerful magical abilities, need
the wearer to synchronize to their essence and perform complex spiritual formulas to activate
them. A a clear example would be an Archmages staff with the innate ability to cast spells if
your character performs certain rituals.

These abilities are usually Hidden Powers.

Hidden Powers
Not all of the powers an artifact has are innate or automatic; some require the user to gain more
intimate knowledge of their workings. That is, a sacred swords ability to deal more damage to
the wicked may be an automatic ability, but that does not mean its wielder can fire off a beam
of light or cast an innate spell with it. Those kinds of powers, which have a Complexity grade
attached, are called Hidden Powers. Each one has a Complexity between 1 and 5, which
indicates how long it takes to master the ability and use it freely.

The first step to learning a Hidden Power is to learn that the ability exists in the first place. You
must determine the characters affinity, which is modified by the Fable and Analysis rolls when
identifying the object. The higher the affinity, the easier it is to learn a new Power.

Table 3: Hidden Powers

Affinity Complexity 1 Complexity 2 Complexity 3 Complexity 4 Complexity 5

1st (POW 5) Three Years One Decade NA NA NA

2nd (POW 6/ One Year Three Years One Decade NA NA

7)

3rd (POW 8/ One Month One Year Three Years One Decade NA
9)

4th (POW 10) One Week One Month One Year Three Years One Decade

5th (POW 11/ One Day One Week One Month One Year Three Years
12)

6th (POW 13/ One Minute One Day One Week One Month One Year
 14)

7th (POW 15) Automatic One Minute One Day One Week One Month

8th (POW Automatic Automatic One Minute One Day One Week
16+)

Then, look up the complexity of the power to use. Use Table 3 once you have both values, you
can see how long it will take the character to figure out a particular ability. NA means that a
complexity level is totally unavailable, and Automatic means it should take only a few seconds.

Supernatural Level: If youre playing a game with a particularly high Supernatural Level and
artifacts are very common, the characters Affinity is treated as being one grade higher.

Identification: In the event the object has been correctly identified - that is, a Fable roll reached
Grade II - the Complexity of all powers is lowered by 1. That is, a power with Complexity 3
would be treated as Complexity 2 if the artifact was correctly identified.

Detailed Knowledge: If you have intimate knowledge of the artifact - that is, a Fable roll
reached Grade III - decrease the Complexity by 2 and increase your Affinity by 1.

Analysis: Depending on the Grade reached by Supernatural Analysis, a character can raise
their Affinity by 1, 2, or 4 levels.

Study: Table 3 assumes that the character is spending a large amount of time studying the
object. If the character is not devoting enough attention to the object, lower the Affinity by 1.

Exodus, who has Power 9, is trying to master a Hidden Power belonging to an artifact that
has Complexity 3. His base Affinity is Grade 3 due to his Power score. Since he has correctly
analysed the artifact, his affinity is effectively 5. Also, one of his party members correctly
identified the artifact, lowering the Complexity from 3 to 2. Consulting the table, Exodus needs
about a week to master the Power.

Special Advantage
Advantage: Artifact Affinity
The character has a high capacity for learning how to use artifacts.
Effect: The character treats their POW as if it was 5 points higher for purposes of calculating
learning times for Hidden Powers.
Cost: 1

Ritual
Similar to Hidden Powers, some artifacts require certain protocols called Rituals to activate an
ability. Knowing the powers an artifact has is useless if you dont know how to activate them.
Unlike Hidden Powers, Rituals do not require a certain time frame to learn.
To use Rituals, it is necessary to know the arcane formula of the power. This can be discerned
any number of ways; a Fable roll or a tutor are good examples.