Much has been written in the various supplements for Wraith: the Oblivion on artifacts and relics. As such, the following is offered as a general guideline for storytellers.

Wraiths have two ways of obtaining goods. They may buy them, or they may commandeer them.

Buying an object requires that the wraith in question either have a sufficient wealth rating (a background) to afford the object, or actually save up the requisite number of oboli to afford the object.

Objects may, however, be requisitioned temporarily from the Hierarchy by those with appropriate status, similar to the wealth background. A successful simple bureaucracy challenge (won, not just tied) may be made per beaureaucracy trait to temporarily raise one's status for the sake of requisitioning equipment. Beaureaucracy so used is lost for an appropriate duration of time, generally anywhere from a week to a month.

Guidelines:

Keep in mind that one obolus is worth one soul.

Objects requisitioned are only temporary. As such, Storytellers may ask for them back after a certain amount of time.

Similarly, however, the wealth background may not be overtaxed, and should only be used with ST control.

Prices may vary from Necropolis to Necropolis.

Some artifacts and relics will not be available.

Different organizations have less resources. Consider the Guilds down one social trait for the purpose of procuring items, and the various Renegade gangs and Heretic Cults down two status for obtaining objects.

Relics are the memories of objects, things brought over from the other side of the shroud. As such, they are more common and easily obtained than artifacts. Relics are rated on a one to five basis normally, although particularly common relics may have a rating of zero while particularly rare relics (such as a tank) may have a higher rating. Relics normally cost a number of oboli equal to their rating, with slight variance.

Artifacts are objects manufactured in the lands of the dead, and are also rated on a one to five basis normally, However, due to their unique nature they are often more difficult to obtain. As such, their rating is normally doubled when trying to obtain them in such a manner. Thus a level three artifact would require status or wealth of six to normally obtain. Artifacts also normally cost double their rating as well.

Wraith: the Oblivion (1st edition), Buried Secrets, and Doomslayers: Into the Labyrinth are the best source for artifacts. Vampire: the Dark Ages has an excellent price list at the back of the book that can be applied with a little effort to Oblivion. Ultimately, this is the Storytellers' chance to allow and disallow anything they want.

While a list of artifacts can be found throughout the Wraith books, a basic list of relics is provided.

Ragged Clothing, rope, useless keys and buttons

Normal Clothing, relic paper, common jewelry, simple weapons (staves, clubs), thrall (weak), liquid pathos

Melee weapons (knives), chain, thrall (strong), common books, pathos meal

Simple Guns (handguns), Fancy Clothing, rare books, bicycle, swords

Level 4 - Valuable Relics

Complex Guns (rifles), fancy jewelry, motorcycle

Level 5 - Luxurious Relics

Powerful weapons (bazookas), cars, prop planes

Level 6+ - Unique Relics

Destroyers, tanks, nuclear weapons, dirigibles

Example

Justin Smith (Hierarch status of 1, Guild Status of 2) wants to buy a Skeleton Key (level 2 artifact from 1st edition Wraith the Oblivion). As this is an artifact, it is counted double when trying to obtain it. Justin's Storyteller sees that it should cost about 4 oboli, and decides to drop the price to 3 and 1/2 oboli, since few people want a skeleton key these days. Justin now has a number of ways he can get this artifact.

* He can try to add three successes with beaureaucracy challenges to his Hierarchy status of one, brining him up to the level four now needed. Unfortunately for Justin, the ST's decide that the Hierarchy doesn't have a Skeleton Key sitting around.

* He can try to make the same challenge with his guild status. Although he has a guild status of two, it is not worth as much as Hierarchy status, and thus is considered one less (a 1 now) for this purpose.

* If Justin had the wealth background at level 4 he could automatically buy the item.

* Finally, Jutsin can just save up the odd obolus until he gets 3 and 1/2, and then simply buy the object.

Justin attempts to make the beaureaucracy challenges, but does not get enough successes. The ST's tell him that he may not try again this month. Justin decides that it might be easier to pick the pockets of the local Centurions and get 3 and 1/2 oboli.