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Return to Tumult is an extremely epic game, where the characters will wield items of legend and great power. Thus, the artifacts in this campaign are somewhat more powerful than the default for Exalted!
Jump to Charm Interfaces and Frameworks for guidelines on those systems.
Level One Artifacts
A Level 1 artifact is fairly mundane; even mortals can create these items, and many of them do not even involve the Five Magical Materials at all. Most of these items simply add 3 or 4 points to a weapon or armors statistics, or a few dice to some mundane action. Some of these do not even require commited essence, particularly the more mundane ones. A few lower level artifacts, mostly works of powerful Thaumaturgy or items from the First Age when such wonders were more commonly available, work some minor effect such as carrying messages or speeding travel. These last often require essence or willpower expenditure, instead of the commitment of essence. These artifacts rarely if ever do more than one thing.
Level Two Artifacts
A Level 2 artifact is almost assuredly a lesser creation of the Second Age, or some item that has faded in power and glory over the passage of the years. Even so, these items are slightly more impressive than many and are quite common among the Exalted. They tend to be very focused in their effects, usually just enhancing a given mundane action and having some kind of useful special quality or ability. A Daiklave, for instance, is a huge sword that is very badass and easy to use in combat. They usually, however, have some other small boost to reflect the exact purpose for which they were made. They might have a minor charm interface or a small flavorful special ability.
Some level two artifacts are devoted entirely to magical effects, and these can be fairly useful but not too impressive in and of themselves. An example might be a tireless artifact horse, a mask that allows you to disguise your identity, or an beautiful earring that makes you look rich and dashing and attractive to the opposite sex. Some of these items require a commitment cost while others require a per-use activation but few will require both. Some of items of this level have two less potent abilities as opposed to one primary ability.
Level Three Artifacts
It is at Artifact 3 that we start to get into the items of power and potency. These items are both impressive and powerful, and when used intelligently they can sway matters in your favor regardless of the situations. Some of these items are just sublimely perfect at whatever it is they do, such as a Grand Daiklave or a similarly potent Flute. Even these items tend to have a few small secondary abilities. An item that is just impressive rather than sublime tends to have a number of useful and potent abilities as well, though these abilities are seldom enough to sway the course of battle in and of themselves. In general, an artifact of this level will have one primary and potent ability and perhaps a few other weaker abilities.
Some level three artifacts are, again, entirely devoted to some magical effect. With this level, these items can be impressive and powerful both. A character might have a cloak that makes him invisible to sight, or a pair of horseshoes that enable his mount to travel over many different kinds of terrain easily. Many third level artifacts have particularly potent Charm Interfaces, and are thus able to powerfully boost the effects of common charms. Many artifact vehicles, such as a First Age or Second Age artifact ship, fall into this power level unless they are particularly powerful in combat or possess other great powers. A fast cutter that can sail faster and more freely than most ships, has a stronger hull and reinforced sails, with a magically preservative cargo hold might be one example.
These items often have both commited and activation based costs.
Level Four Artifacts
An artifact of this level of power is not simply powerful, it is grandly powerful. These items tend to surpass the limits of mundane action; many of these items are hugely great at the function that they perform, but they all go beyond that. Most of these items utilize frameworks to add both flexibility and power, and others benefit from various essence channeling or charm interface effects of great power. Some are just supremely potent items, having sizable boosts to their stats and a number of persistent bonuses and special qualities that boost their effectiveness. In general, the first type tend to be more powerful and to focus on paying essence for that effectiveness. The second tend to have higher commitment costs but are otherwise just legendary items.
Most level four artifacts are powerful enough to sway any battle and have an impact even in larger conflicts when used intellilgently. Those that are devoted entirely to some kind of magical effect are particularly potent and often unsubtle. Many First Age utility devices were of this level, to make them both flexible and powerful, useful for both when you want to dig a deep pit or tunnel your way through a mountain. Most powerful vehicles of War are of this level of power if they do not fall into the next, though. The Jade Mistress class warship, for instance, isn't much more than a very fast boat in most circumstances. When its various modes have been fully mastered, however, its a tactical weapon of amazing utility.
Level Five Artifacts
These are the greatest of artifacts, and the most powerful. The very height of artifice during the First Age, these items are generally impossible to reproduce in this fallen age, and those few that survive can break apart kingdoms and tear down mountains. Almost all of them are in the control of either the Realm or Lookshy, with a few scattered here and there among the Threshold Kingdoms and a solitary few locked away in forgotten vaults. Many of these items are somewhat clumsy on the personal level, their focus being instead on the larger releasement of power. A Level 5 Artifact Spear might have a difficult time killing a single soldier but would easily be able to slaughter a talon of men.
There is very little that cannot be accomplished with this level of artifact. When such items are flexible, they sacrifice some small power for the ability to be ungodly powerful in numerous different situations. When they are focused, they can shake the very foundations of the setting. The only items more powerful are items such as the Spear of Light and the Eye of Autochthon, both of which might as well have no limits as to their power. Most of these items hover at about the same price structure as Level 4 artifacts, but some are both more powerful and more expensive. Others are considerably cheaper to use, but loose some power for the cost break.
A Charm Interface is a simple enough concept; an artifact has an ability that works in conjunction with a given charm. Jade Artifacts tend to boost Dragon-Blooded Charms, Orichalcum Artifacts Solar Charms, and so on. In general, these abilities are only available in full form to the appropriate type of Exalt. Some allow lesser functionality to those who harmonize with the item in question, while others are just specialized. Many Dragon-Blooded Artifacts employ this kind of enchanting technology, as it is especially suitable to the Dragon-Blooded. It also renders many of their artifacts not as powerful in the hands of the Anathema if those Demon Princes should somehow gain possession of them.
In general, there are three types of Charm Interfaces. The first is a augmentation, with a charm enabling the artifact to do something that it would otherwise not be able to do. The second is enhancement, with the artifact increasing the effect of the charm and making it more potent and powerful in its effect. Lastly, and most powerful, is syngery -- both artifact and charm gains in power rather than just one. Most Charms that benefit from these interfaces are relatively low level, both because the energy of such charms is relatively easy to enhance and also to maximize the potential of the artifact in question.
Frameworks are almost exclusively found in level 4 and 5 artifacts, and allow the artifact greater flexibility and potential. Jade Artifacts rarely provide frameworks, and when they do they tend to be less powerful than frameworks from the Celestial Materials.
Most frameworks provide a 3 or 4 separate benefits, which the character can switch between as either a simple action with a small (4-6 motes) mote cost attached. This essence is usually not commited to the effect. These benefits are usually not cumulative, and generally apply to subtly different situations in either case. Some frameworks break these guidelines, usually to better balance the effects within the framework.
In general, items with frameworks attached tend to be slightly weaker overall compared to those that do not. However, they are often considerably more powerful within their particular area of speciality.
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