The Artifacts of the Game

The Artifacts of Chaos were fabricated by a group of unknown, chaotic and perhaps insane gods called The Producers and released into the world. There are twice as many of these artifacts in existence as you have cast members (which allows a rival cast).

The artifact can assume any form, though once that form is determined; it stays in that form for the duration. The artifact cannot take the form of a living being, or be implanted into a living being. The artifact must be large enough to be manipulated by hand and small enough to be carried by a normal person.

Artifacts cannot be mundane. Regardless of the form, there must be something obviously special about this object.

Artifacts radiate magic. They are temporal anomalies, and can be detected as such (in the future, you can imagine they have the means to do so).

The bearer of the Artifact must hold (or wear) the artifact and perform a specific action to activate the artifact. This action does not have to be related to its current form. It is assumed that the character knows this action.

The Artifacts will only work for cast members participating in The Game (this includes any Rivals).

Once activated, the artifact will instantly transport that character somewhere else in Earth’s past of future. This transport process heals the character of all damage, diseases or toxins (with some exceptions – see Damage). Upon arrival the character will be disoriented for 3-18 seconds.

The Artifact (well, actually the Producers) (well, actually, the XP) chooses the destination. The characters can never dictate this choice. The Artifacts will tend to confine their travels to within the scope of human history – about 100,000 years in either direction from present. Travel beyond this zone is not unknown, but it is extremely rare (“a very special episode”).

Naturally, the Artifact will also transport clothing and other items on the bearer’s person. Sometimes it replaces objects with a different object whose only similarity is mass. There is no rhyme or reason to when or if this happens except that if an object proves vexing for the Producers for whatever reason, it is a safe bet it will eventually be replaced. Whenever this happens, that character gains a Fate. If the object was purchased with Fate, that character gains its Fate value.

The Producers are capricious, but not malevolent. Thus, their Artifacts will not transport their bearer to certain doom – such as the middle of the ocean. The Producers, in fact, are the archenemies of boredom, and will only transport the characters to someplace interesting.

Sometimes the Artifacts grant additional powers. These are at the discretion, and for the convenience, of the XP. These powers may include, but not limited to:

• Ability to communicate in the prevailing language. This is the most common. Overcoming the almost constant language barriers time-traveling presents is only amusing so many times.
• Ability to eat and drink local foods and water. We don’t play Sci-fantasy RP’s to simulate things we can get for ourselves in real life.
• Ability to withstand prevailing atmospheric conditions. The episode may take place underwater, or on the snowball Earth conditions that prevailed throughout much of Earth’s early history.
• Too Weird To Notice effect: while the Artifact won’t change the fact that the character is 8’ tall and green, it can create a psychic effect that the locals simply do not notice. Since they can’t wrap their minds around it, they choose not to see it.

Naturally, these effects may be void if the character no longer possesses the Artifact.

When the artifact is activated, that is the end of the episode (for that bearer).