Tavern Tales Wikia
Theme.Artifice

Soldiers often say that the sword doesn't make the man, arguing that skill at arms is more important than strength of steel. Artificers roll their eyes at that statement -- or at least, they would if they weren't too busy carving magic runes into an indestructible sword. Or setting enchanted rubies into a suit of armor that renders the wearer immune to fire. Or placing gears into a steam-powered bull large enough to level a fortress. Those who doubt the power of craftsmanship have clearly never experienced the beauty of creation. Truly, a single act of creation can change the world. How will you leave your mark? Will you build something that the world has never before seen? Will you forge a sword capable of slaying dragons? Will you construct thick city walls to protect those you love? Fire up the forges, young artisan, and prove to the gods you, too, have mastered the art of creation!

  • A legendary blacksmith carves ancient runes into weapons, imbuing them with powerful magic.
  • After losing his arm to a dragon, a warrior builds a clockwork arm for himself and sets out to even the score
  • A mad scientist experiments with bizarre gadgets and gizmos, pushing the limits of science and morality.

Combat

Armor Plating

Theme
Artifice
Category
Combat
Effect
Defenses you gain from armor and shields each grant 1 additional box
Lore
Describe
Steam-powered absorption plates, glowing symbols, thick chainmail, dragon-scale armor plating
Extra


Arsenal

Theme
Artifice
Category
Combat
Effect
Draw a symbol next to 3 of your inventory slots. Items you place in these slots vanish from reality (but still occupy these slots). No one else can access these items. Whenever you want, you can call any of these items to your person, or make them vanish again
Lore
Describe
A sword appearing in your hand, summoning your hammer from the heavens, morphin' time
Extra


Deflect

Theme
Artifice
Category
Combat
Effect
At any point, you can break one of your weapons, shields, or armor worth at least 1 treasure to completely avoid a Bad Tale related to being attacked
Lore
Describe
Sparks flying when blades clash, your ablative armor, taking the hit with your shield
Extra


Dismantle

Theme
Artifice
Category
Combat
Effect
You can destroy a personal item, such as a weapon or suit of armor
Lore
Describe
Striking a structural weak point, breaking it in half, matching its vibration frequencies
Extra


Enchant

Theme
Artifice
Category
Combat
Effect
You can give a touched item 1 item trait (max 3) as a temporary trait for several hours
Lore
Describe
Etching runes on its surface, treating it with magic oils, altering its molecular structure
Extra


War Machine

Theme
Artifice
Category
Combat
Effect
You can spend materials to create a war machine with half your XP. It's inert without a pilot. The pilot uses the machine's attributes instead of their own
Lore
Describe
Steam-powered gears, shining metal, smoke billowing from a furnace, blinking lights, a console
Extra
Machines: Power armor, steam-powered catapult, submarine, elemental cannon, clockwork steed, spider tank
Materials: Scrap metal, saw blades, shields and armor plating, rubber tubes, copper wires, gears, gizmos


Warhead

Theme
Artifice
Category
Combat
Effect
You can spend materials to create a warhead. Once activated, it gathers power for about 1 minute and then explodes, causing massive damage out to a far distance. Only one attempt can be made to disarm it
Lore
Describe
Bundle of explosives, glowing spell-bomb, antimatter emitter, napalm tank, portable black hole
Extra
Gathers Power: Ominous humming that grows louder, burning fuse, running hourglass, deep rumbling
Materials: Oil, high explosives, firing pins, wire, metal casing, unstable chemicals, magic runes, gunpowder


Exploration

Forge

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
You can spend materials to create a magic item, or improve an existing item. Collaborate on the item's properties. Stronger materials create more powerful items
Lore
Describe
Hammering metal at a forge, performing the naming ritual, imbuing an item with magic
Extra
Materials: Iron, steel, mithril, metal from a meteorite, glowing crystals, dragon scales, blood oak, demon hide


Grappling Hook

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
You can pull yourself to a far object, or pull it to you (whichever is more logical). If you or your target is falling, you can use this instantly
Lore
Describe
Launching a grappling hook, throwing a tether, using a web-shooter, firing a magnet gun
Extra


Identify

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
When you examine a magic item, the GM must tell you all of its properties. Then, collaborate on 1 additional property that you discover of unlock
Lore
Describe
Reading an item's aura, recalling its history, noticing tiny details that tell a deeper story
Extra
Questions: How is this blade connected to demons? What happens when this shield touches sunlight?


Ingenuity

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
Your ability to fix, build, and deconstruct exceeds normal limits. Collaborate on what you're capable of doing
Lore
Describe
Tinkering with gears, your expert craftsmanship, intuitively understanding how it works
Extra


Mobile Fortress

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
You can spend materials to make a structure mobile. Collaborate on how it moves
Lore
Describe
Steering the ship, activating a gravity reverser, fueling the steam engine, triggering magic runes
Extra
Mobility: Floats on water, hovers a few inches off the ground, flies, rolls, teleports to a visible spot at dawn


Pocket Plane

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
You have an extradimensional space, which is a miniature universe. Collaborate on its properties. On your turn, you can open or close a portal to it
Lore
Describe
Opening a door in the air, a floating island in space, a featureless room, an empty white nothing
Extra
Properties: Size, temperature, if there's fresh air, appearance, dangers, flaws, how large the portal is


Prosthesis

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
You can create a prosthesis and attach it to someone. Prostheses compensate for physical disabilities and can remove permanent conditions such as amputations
Lore
Describe
Attaching it through gruesome surgery, building it in a workshop, collaborating with the recipient
Extra
Prostheses: Steam-powered arm, goggle eyepatch, golem leg, metal skin plates, clockwork heart


Tool for the Job

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
You can instantly create an item, which persists as long as it's in your presence. You have 1 rune to spend as if it's treasure to buy item traits for these conjured items. You can sacrifice 1 treasure to give this trait +1 rune. Conjured items refund their runes when their expire
Lore
Describe
Conjuring a tool out of nothing, creating a sword out of sunlight, making a shield out of ice
Extra
Items: Sword, shield, suit of armor, candle, rope, chalk, water skin, hammer, nails, crowbar, pouch, hand drill


X-Ray Vision

Theme
Artifice
Category
Exploration
Effect
You can see through materials. Collaborate on what material you can't see through
Lore
Describe
Donning X-ray goggles, emitting X-ray pulses, peering through a magic gem, your eyes changing color
Extra
Can't See Through: Metal, wood, magic, stone, organic matter, smooth surfaces, things that are green


Interaction

A Thing of Beauty

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
You can make someone obsessed with a visible item worth at least 1 treasure. They gain an overwhelming desire to possess it, or they focus on it while ignoring their surroundings
Lore
Describe
Swinging a hypnotic pocket watch, showing a glittering gemstone, showing how the gears work
Extra


BEHOLD!

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
You can make everyone believe that an item does something specific, even if it doesn't. They cease to believe if they closely inspect the item
Lore
Describe
Using words too big for anyone to understand, grandiose threats, cackling madly
Extra


Buyer's Market

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
In addition to what the GM decides is available at every market, shop, or fence you encounter, you can decide 1 additional thing that's in stock
Lore
Describe
Having a keen eye, knowing the best markets, tracking down merchants, sending order requests
Extra


Communicator

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
You can spend materials to create a communicator. Creatures with one of your communicators can communicated with each other
Lore
Describe
Handheld device, resonating sonic crystals, bottled air elementals, gizmos linked by ethereal threads
Extra


Crazy Enough to Work

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
When you explain a plan that is even theoretically possible, it becomes perfectly feasible. The GM can't cite logic, physics, or difficulty as reasons to decrease your rolls to enact the plan. Also, you're bolstered to enact your plan
Lore
Describe
Cackling madly, created absurdly complicated blueprints, using technobabble, showing your math
Extra


Don't Push that Button!

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
If you warn somebody not to do something harmless and they do it anyway, tell a free Good Tale about how they made a terrible mistake
Lore
Describe
Using big words to confuse them, implying terrible consequences, acting like you know a secret
Extra


It's Dangerous to Go Alone, Take This

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
When you give someone a new or improved item, they're bolstered to use that item
Lore
Describe
Use small words to explain how it works, giving the right tool at the right moment, enchanting it
Extra


Spark

Theme
Artifice
Category
Interaction
Effect
You can give an item sentience. Collaborate on its personality, and if it can move and communicate. It gains XP equal to half your total XP. Its disposition toward you significantly improves
Lore
Describe
Inscribing a mind rune, enchanting it, giving it a True Name, igniting it with the life spark
Extra


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