Also known as Artifacts, Regalias or Treasure Devices by various parties, though most commonly shortened as Arc-Relics, are step above your normal equipment. While normal weapons and armor are classified as Rank F, be they modern, classical or supernatural, Artifacts have ranks from E to A, meaning that they are truly important and dangerous. The F Rank of mundane equipment comes from the fact that while they might possess some numen, they do not have an unique name, story or a piece of lore that ties them to the history and myth of the world. Meanwhile Arc-Relics have become known in songs, tales and folklore as focal points great adventures and grand events, meaning that they are almost like miracles or supernatural events themselves. This is aided by the fact that Arc-Relics have often gathered decades, centuries, even aeons of numen into themselves, making them truly powerful.
Not just anybody can carry an Arc-Relic. You often need special connections or sources from which you have attained one. This translates in-game in that only specific Perks allow you to take one, and these Perks must be bought before buying an Arc-Relic.
When creating an Arc-Relic for yourself to use, you must first decide which of the three categories it is. A weapon, an armor or an item. Each one behaves differently and is an important part when it comes to your battle strategies and tactics. They share some common factors, of course, but otherwise differ from each other greatly.
Weapon Arc-Relics
First is the weapon category of Arc-Relics. When using a weapon Arc-Relic, the damage you do becomes the unique Arc-Relic type, meaning all mundane armor counts as Weak versus it, except for Arc-Relic type, which counts as Base versus it. Second, you must decide which Weight Class your Arc-Relic is (Light, Medium or Heavy) and it gains the properties of those, including damage bonus as fitting of that Weight Class. In addition, your weapon gains a Rank. Different Ranks cost different amount of AP, so think carefully how powerful an Arc-Relic you can afford to buy. Each Rank also has a different amount of bonus damage it gives, as well as how many relic charges it possesses. This bonus damage depends on the Weight Class chosen for your Arc-Relic.
Relic charges are used by the Arc-Relics to perform their miraculous ability. It might range from a simple special attack of an elemental nature, force a certain concept upon the target to weaken them, have the weapon act independently why you fight alongside it, or anything you can think of. The only rule here is that it has to coincide with the legend, folklore, myth or history in which the Arc-Relic is based on. After all, the weapon in question is recreating that part of its history in your hands.
What the actual ability does may be decided freely by you. Just remember that it should reflect the Rank of the Arc-Relic. If your character is chosen as one of the player characters, the GM will then go over the in-game mechanics with you, making it so that it can be used in the actual game. The best way to ensure this is to make sure your spells are imaginative, unique and creative.
One last thing you should give the Arc-Relic weapon is an elemental property. In other words, which element it counts as. This makes every attack with the weapon count as this specific element when checking for the enemy's Elemental Weaknesses and Resistances.
Armor Arc-Relics
Second is the armor category of Arc-Relics. When using an aror Arc-Relic, your defense becomes the unique Arc-Relic type, meaning that all weapons, even Arc-Relic ones, count as Base versus your physical defense. Second, you must decide which Weight Class your Arc-Relic is (Light, Medium or Heavy) and it gains the properties of those, including defense bonus as fitting of that Weight Class. In addition, your armor gains a Rank. Different Ranks cost different amount of AP, so think carefully how powerful an Arc-Relic you can afford to buy. Each Rank also has a different amount of bonus defense it gives, as well as how many relic charges it possesses. This bonus damage depends on the Weight Class chosen for your Arc-Relic.
Relic charges are used by the Arc-Relics to perform their miraculous ability. It might range from a simple defensive wall of elemental nature, applying a certain concept upon yourself to bolster you, have the armor grow copies to confuse the enemy, or anything you can think of. The only rule here is that it has to coincide with the legend, folklore, myth or history in which the Arc-Relic is based on. After all, the armor in question is recreating that part of its history in your hands.
What the actual ability does may be decided freely by you. Just remember that it should reflect the Rank of the Arc-Relic. If your character is chosen as one of the player characters, the GM will then go over the in-game mechanics with you, making it so that it can be used in the actual game. The best way to ensure this is to make sure your spells are imaginative, unique and creative.
One last thing you should give the Arc-Relic armor is an elemental strength. In other words, which element it counts as and has a resistance to. This means that while wearing this armor, you have elemental resistance to said element. However, this cannot be the same element as your elemental weakness gained from your Origin, meaning that your Arc-Relic cannot negate it.
Item Arc-Relics
Third is the item category of Arc-Relics. Item category, unlike weapon or armor category, do not give specific increases to the damage you deal or the defense you have. That is not their function. However, because of this they have more power they can devote to their actual function as recreators of various miracles. Like other Arc-Relic, item types also have different Ranks. Different Ranks cost different amount of AP, so think carefully how powerful an Arc-Relic you can afford to buy.
Relic charges are used by the Arc-Relics to perform their miraculous ability. It might range from a simple cloak that makes you invisible, applying a certain concept upon a location to create a trap, have the item become a sentient familiar to fight for you, or anything you can think of. The only rule here is that it has to coincide with the legend, folklore, myth or history in which the Arc-Relic is based on. After all, the item in question is recreating that part of its history in your hands.
What the actual ability does may be decided freely by you. Just remember that it should reflect the Rank of the Arc-Relic. If your character is chosen as one of the player characters, the GM will then go over the in-game mechanics with you, making it so that it can be used in the actual game. The best way to ensure this is to make sure your spells are imaginative, unique and creative.