How does using this artifact in combat work?

Question

My players have acquired the following artifact in the Vortex glimmer:

level 5 artifact that fires a green neural disruption beam at long range. Those struck suffer 2 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and must make an Intellect defense roll or lose their next turn, stunned. It has a depletion of 1 in 1d10.

One of the players is now using it and I cannot wrap my head around it. So if my player attacks with it does he have to make two rolls: one intellect based attack roll, and one intellect roll for the stun? Or do I, as the GM, have to make an intellect based defense roll for the NPC they are attacking? If I have to make the roll, does the NPC have to make a roll of 15 (based on the level of the artifact) or better not to get stunned?

Answer 1

When using the artifact against an NPC, the player would only roll to hit (since it's an aimed long-range weapon), which would be a Speed roll for the purposes of knowing what pool to spend from for effort, et al.

The NPC would then either pass or fail defending against the stun intellect-based effect based on whether its level was equal-to-or-higher or lower than the artifact level, defending if higher or equal, succumbing if lower.

If the player used the artifact against another player, then the target player would make a speed defence roll against getting hit, and then if they failed that roll they would make an intellect defence roll against the stun effect.

Answer 2

Sounds like the artifact shoots a visible beam of energy that upon hitting does damage and a chance to stun. So..the target would have to make a Speed Defense roll against 15 (3 x artifact's level) in order to see if they are hit by the beam. If hit, then they automatically take the 2 points of Intellect damage and then need to make an Intellect Defense roll against the same number (15) or lose their turn.

Of course they can use effort to increase their defense chances, but with the Intellect damage coming before the stun roll, it will be harder to make it.

Per the game rules, the DM "never rolls dice", so you wouldn't roll for the NPC, but would have the attacking character make the rolls. The NPC would still defend against the target number of 15.

And remember to roll the depletion roll after every attack…getting that "1" in the middle of a battle and "breaking" or "losing power" to the weapon while in the thick of things is an interesting complication!