Blockers - there are lots of different types - use a
variant of the Ethereal Song of Shields to protect their owners from the
effects of a specific Attunement or resonance (chosen when the artifact is
created). For example, a Calabite of
Nightmares Blocker, once activated, will completely shield against the Calabite
of Nightmares Attunement - but not any other Attunement, or a regular Calabite
resonance roll. A Calabite Blocker will
block all regular Calabite resonance use, but not (for example) the Calabite of
Nightmares Attunement. This
'protection' works both ways, thus making these devices useful short-term
containment devices. Very short term:
duration is equal to the regular Ethereal Song of Shields. So far, frantic research has yet to come up
with a one-way Blocker, or one that can protect an entire area.
These relics pretty much have the same status in the
War as poison gas did during World War II: both sides have them in stock, both
sides are prepared to use them and neither side really wants to open up the can
of worms that they represent. There are
still a certain number of them out there: the usefulness of (for example) a Shedite of the Game or
Seraph of Flowers Blocker are clear enough to both sides that individual
celestials may very well decide to risk rocking the boat...
Relic/6 (variant Ethereal Song of Shields): 6/12*
Self-Powered: +0
Convenience:
Can be worn +2
Visibility: Perception roll -2
Vulnerability:
Celestial Artifact Destroyed when corporeal form destroyed -4
Final Cost: 3/8
*Breakdown for cost: the ability to block one
specific resonance was deemed to be essentially a special effect, with no
effect on points. The ability to block
one specific Choir/Band/Servitor Attunement was deemed to be slightly limiting,
resulting in a cost of 2/level. In
either case, the Effect of "no range - self only" was deemed to be
worth another -1/level, thus resulting in a final cost of 1/level for
Attunement Blockers and 2/level for Resonance Blockers. GMs should feel free to adjust the final
cost per level to one that best suits the individual campaign, or limit what
Attunements/Resonances may be blocked, or both.
Finally, this variant of the Song of Shields does not have any effect on Superior-level Resonance or Attunement use, mostly because it's more amusing this way.