244 - Wisdom of Crowds

Artifact: Wisdom of Crowds

Power: Minor.

Description: An old, poorly tanned and worked sheepskin. Slits have been cut in the sides and a belt run through them so that it can be worn like a crude coat. It stinks of lanolin and feels slightly greasy to the touch no matter how much it is washed.

Effect: Wisdom of Crowds has a simple function despite its flowery name - it tells you what everyone is thinking while you're wearing it. This effect reaches about as far as you can see, you can take the temperature of the room at a town meeting but it won't tell you the outcome of an impending presidential election. It's also too broad an effect to get specifics like anyone's banking passwords and it won't function unless you're around a group of at least half a dozen people.

In effect it gives you vague indications about what the group is thinking. In appropriate circumstances the GM may go so far as to provide a hunch roll for related actions. The GM may flip-flop the results of this roll based on the crowd's disposition.

The downside is that wearing the sheepskin makes it hard to think for yourself. Coercion attempts are at a +20% shift against you and defying the group consensus is a rank 1-3 Isolation check depending on how actively you're opposing it.