Gloves of Celestial Fireflies

From: Thespian Treasures

Description: The Gloves of Celestial Fireflies are a pair of elegantly crafted gloves made from a delicate, iridescent material that seems to shimmer like the night sky. Embedded within the fabric are small, intricate designs resembling stars, and the fingertips hold a faint, otherworldly luminescence. When worn, the gloves feel weightless, as if they’re an extension of the wearer’s hands, and they exude a soothing warmth.

Lore: These enchanting gloves are said to have been created by a skilled artisan, inspired by the ethereal beauty of star-catching fireflies. Legends suggest that the gloves were originally a gift from a celestial entity to a humble bard who brought joy to a desolate village with captivating performances under the starry night. The gloves are said to hold a fragment of the same enchantment that the fireflies possess.

Tier One Stats:

• Rarity: Uncommon
• Tags: Light, Performance, Charm, Illumination, Gloves, Handwear, Summoning (Ephemeral), Area-Light, Visual-Display, Atmospheric, Performance-Enhancing, Social-Buff, Celestial-Gift, Firefly-Aura

Use: The Gloves of Celestial Fireflies have several remarkable features:

• Starlit Display: When activated by the wearer, the gloves summon a swarm of harmless, glowing fireflies that surround the user in a stunning, twinkling light show. The fireflies emit a soft, radiant glow, illuminating darkness, creating an enchanting atmosphere, or simply providing a source of gentle, comforting light.
• Performance Enhancement: The fireflies’ display can be incorporated into performances, adding a captivating visual element to storytelling, music, dance, or any form of artistic expression. This grants advantage on Performance checks, enhancing the user’s ability to mesmerize and captivate an audience.
• Charm Effect: The luminous display has a subtle charm effect, creating an aura of enchantment around the user. This can be useful in social interactions, persuasion, and charm-related spells, granting advantage on related checks by subtly influencing the emotions of those nearby.

Cost: The Gloves of Celestial Fireflies are prized possessions among performers, enchanters, and those who appreciate the beauty of the night sky. They’re not commonly found in markets and are often acquired through unique circumstances, quests, or as gifts from patrons of the arts. Due to their rarity and enchanting properties, their cost is high, making them a valuable treasure in the world of Saṃsāra.

Note: The Gloves of Celestial Fireflies not only provide a beautiful visual effect but also have practical applications in both illuminating darkness and enhancing performances. Their charm effect, while subtle, adds a layer of versatility, making them a sought-after item among those who understand the value of enchantment and charisma.

Sensory and extra-sensory perceptions of the Gloves of Celestial Fireflies:

• Sight (Visual Perception):
  • What is perceived: The gloves themselves, and the summoned fireflies.
  • Description: The gloves are made from delicate, iridescent material that shimmers like the night sky. Embedded designs resembling stars decorate the fabric. The fingertips have a faint, otherworldly luminescence. When activated, the gloves summon numerous small, glowing fireflies that surround the wearer in a twinkling light show.
  • Positives: The iridescent material and star-like designs are visually striking. The firefly display creates a beautiful and enchanting spectacle.
  • Negatives: If the gloves or the display are too bright or flashy, they could be distracting. The light might give away the wearer’s position in stealth situations.
• Touch (Tactile Perception):
  • What is perceived: The feel of the gloves on the hands.
  • Description: The gloves feel weightless, like an extension of the wearer’s hands. They exude a soothing warmth.
  • Positives: The weightless feel allows for fine manipulation and doesn’t hinder movement. The soothing warmth is comfortable and pleasant.
  • Negatives: The texture of the material isn’t described in detail. It may be too delicate, offering little protection, or perhaps it could have an unusual texture.
• Sound (Auditory Perception):
  • What is perceived: Any sounds associated with the gloves or the fireflies.
  • Description: The gloves themselves are probably silent. The fireflies might emit a faint, twinkling sound, like tiny chimes or whispers, or a soft buzzing similar to real insects.
  • Positives: Any gentle sounds would enhance the magical and ethereal nature of the gloves.
  • Negatives: If the fireflies are too noisy, it would be distracting. Silence provides less sensory feedback.
• Smell (Olfactory Perception):
  • What is perceived: Any scent associated with the gloves or the fireflies.
  • Description: The gloves might have a faint, pleasant scent, like night-blooming flowers or ozone, hinting at their magic. The fireflies, if they have any smell, would also likely have a pleasing, ethereal scent.
  • Positives: A pleasant scent adds to the gloves’ charm and enhances immersion.
  • Negatives: Any scent, even pleasant, could be inappropriate in some situations (like stealth or where certain smells are offensive). Lack of scent is neutral.
• Taste (Gustatory Perception):
  • What is perceived: The taste of the gloves, if put in the mouth.
  • Description: This is not their intended use.
  • Positives: N/A
  • Negatives: Unhygienic and irrelevant.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions (Related to their Magical Abilities):
  • Illumination (Active):
    • What is perceived: The ability to summon and control the fireflies’ light.
    • Description: The wearer feels a subtle connection to the summoned fireflies. They can mentally direct their movement and brightness, creating patterns or focusing the light. This is not a direct sensory input but a mental command and awareness of the light source.
    • Positives: Provides a controllable and versatile light source. The wearer might perceive the light as an extension of their will.
    • Negatives: The control might require some mental focus, especially with complex patterns. The light’s brightness might be limited.
  • Performance Enhancement (Subtle Influence):
    • What is perceived: An enhanced connection to their audience and improved performance skill.
    • Description: The firefly display enhances the user’s performance. The wearer might feel a subtle boost in confidence and charisma, a heightened awareness of audience reactions, and an increased flow of creativity.
    • Positives: Makes performances more captivating. Improves roleplaying and immersion.
    • Negatives: This is a subtle effect, not a guaranteed mechanical bonus, unless the description specifically mentions “advantage” or a similar mechanic. It relies on the wearer’s existing skill and talent.
  • Charm Effect (Subtle Influence):
    • What is perceived: An aura of enchantment that affects those nearby.
    • Description: The fireflies create a subtle aura of enchantment around the wearer. This isn’t something the wearer directly feels, but a passive effect on others. It might manifest as a feeling of increased trust, liking, or willingness to agree with the wearer. The wearer might perceive the slightly altered reactions of those around them.
    • Positives: Improves social interactions and can aid in persuasion.
    • Negatives: The effect is subtle and not guaranteed. It can be resisted. It relies on the skill and personality of the wearer.

Recipe: Gloves of the Firefly Troupe — This recipe details the creation of a pair of enchanted gloves designed to summon illusory fireflies, enhance performance, and subtly charm onlookers, replicating the effects of the Gloves of Celestial Fireflies. Crafting these requires exceptional skill in glovemaking and complex, layered enchanting.

• Materials Needed:
  • Moon-Silk Fabric: 1 square yard of highest quality silk, harvested and processed under specific lunar phases to achieve natural iridescence and magical receptivity.
  • Electrum Thread: 1 spool, for decorative embroidery that doubles as mana conduits.
  • Phosphorescent Algae Paste: 1 small pot, derived from deep-sea algae, treated to emit a faint, constant luminescence when mildly charged.
  • Fey Light Motes: 3-5 captured motes of pure light collected from areas with strong fey crossings or naturally bioluminescent fungi groves (handle with magical containment).
  • Essence of Captured Starlight: 1 vial, highly refined magical essence storing ambient starlight energy.
  • Bard’s Inspiration Dew: 1 vial, dew collected from instruments played during truly legendary performances, alchemically concentrated.
  • Powdered Siren’s Call Pearl: 1 small, ethically sourced pearl known for subtle enchantment, finely powdered.
  • Weak Mana Crystal Powder: Finely ground low-grade mana crystal used as a stabilizer.
  • Silk Thread (Fine): For stitching the gloves.
• Tools Required:
  • Master Glovemaker’s Workshop: Includes precision cutting tools (possibly magically sharpened), specialized glove forms/stretchers, ultra-fine needles, thimbles designed for delicate work.
  • Embroidery Station: High-tension frame, magnifying lenses, specialized needles for metallic thread.
  • Enchanter’s Atelier: Clean room environment, Mana Focusing Crystal array, containment vessel for Light Motes, tools for precise essence application (e.g., crystal droppers, enchanted brushes).
  • Alchemist’s Bench: Mortar & pestle (non-reactive), small vials, mixing equipment for preparing stabilizing solution.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Master Glovemaker/Tailor: Highest level of expertise required to craft form-fitting, elegant gloves from extremely delicate Moon-Silk without damage.
  • Master Enchanter (Specializing in Illusion, Light & Charm): Requires advanced skill to layer and synergize three distinct enchantments (summoning/light, performance buff, charm aura) triggered by a single activation. Precision mana control is paramount.
  • Journeyman Alchemist: Needed to safely handle and prepare the various essences, powders, and the mana crystal stabilizer solution.
  • Lore (Fey or Celestial – Beneficial): Understanding the nature of the light sources (Fey Motes, Starlight) aids in their successful integration and enchantment.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Design & Cutting: Create a precise pattern for elegant, well-fitting gloves. Using specialized tools, carefully cut the Moon-Silk, minimizing waste and ensuring clean edges.
  • Embroidery & Fingertip Treatment: Before assembly, meticulously embroider star-like patterns onto the main pieces of the gloves using Electrum Thread, following pathways designed by the enchanter to conduct mana. Apply a thin, prepared layer of the Phosphorescent Algae Paste to the areas designated as the fingertips.
  • Glove Assembly: Using fine silk thread and Master Glovemaker techniques, carefully assemble the gloves. Seams must be near-invisible yet strong enough to contain the enchantments.
  • Reagent Preparation: Prepare all essences and powders for the enchantment phase. Mix the Weak Mana Crystal Powder into a suitable non-reactive binding agent to create a final sealing varnish.
  • Layered Enchantment (At Enchanter’s Atelier): This is a multi-stage process requiring intense focus:
    • Stage 1: Base Luminescence & Firefly Matrix: Place the gloves within the focusing array. Channel mana into the Phosphorescent Algae fingertips to give them their faint, constant glow. Carefully introduce the Fey Light Motes and Essence of Captured Starlight into the mana flow, weaving the enchantment to summon a swarm of harmless, controllable firefly-like lights upon a mental command from the wearer. Embed the basic illumination properties.
    • Stage 2: Performance Weaving: Gently layer the next enchantment. Introduce the Bard’s Inspiration Dew into the mana stream, focusing intent on enhancing artistic expression, audience connection, and captivating presence. Link this enhancement specifically to be active while the firefly lights are summoned.
    • Stage 3: Charm Aura: Finally, introduce the Powdered Siren’s Call Pearl essence. Weave a subtle aura of charm and pleasantness, also linked to the presence of the summoned fireflies, designed to positively influence social perception.
  • Synergy Tuning & Sealing: The Enchanter must now carefully harmonize the three layered enchantments, ensuring they activate together seamlessly upon the “summon fireflies” command and remain stable. Once harmonized, carefully apply the prepared Mana Crystal sealing varnish over key enchantment points or seams to lock the magic in place.
  • Final Inspection: Allow the enchantments and sealant to fully cure. Inspect the gloves for any flaws. They should feel weightless, exude a faint warmth, and the fingertips should have a constant, subtle glow.
  • Activation Test: The wearer dons the gloves and uses the mental command to summon the firefly lights. They should observe the light display, feel the warmth, and ideally, experience a subjective sense of heightened confidence or charm, confirming all aspects of the enchantment are functioning.

The Gloves of the Firefly Troupe are now ready, blending illumination, performance enhancement, and subtle charm into one elegant package.

Bard’s Hands and the Dancing Star-Sparks

This telling is pieced together like broken pottery, shards gathered from the deep dust of Saṃsāra’s long-ago ages. The words are clumsy boats on a great river of meaning, translated from a tongue that now only echoes in ruins. It is a story of a singer of small songs, a place wrapped in shadow, and a light gifted from the night sky.

There was, the old scrolls hint, a village nestled deep in a valley, or perhaps high on a windswept plateau where the sun seemed hurried and the shadows lingered long. A sad-place, the words suggest. The people there moved slowly, spoke little. Their laughter was a rare bird, seldom heard. Perhaps blight had touched their fields, or sickness thinned their numbers, or maybe hope itself had simply withered like a plant denied water. At night, the sky blazed with stars, a vast cold beauty, but the villagers kept their eyes mostly on the ground, on the dust, on the troubles that were near.

Among them lived a bard. Not a grand court musician with jewels on his fingers, but a simple man with perhaps a worn lute, and a voice that was soft but held a core of truth. He saw the dimness in his neighbours’ eyes, the weight on their shoulders. Joy he wished make grow, like a stubborn flower finding a crack in stone. Each evening, when the hard work was done, he would sit in the center place, the dusty square, and play. He sang songs of sunnier days, of foolish heroes who somehow won, of the quiet beauty hidden in small things.

The people would listen, sometimes. A few would pause in their tasks, nod their heads slowly. But their hearts remained mostly shuttered against the music. The bard’s songs felt like tiny candles flickering against an immense darkness. A great weariness sometimes settled on him. What good his breath, his plucked strings, if they could not lift even one spirit from the dust? He would look up at the countless stars, feeling small, wishing for… something more. A brighter spark, a touch of true wonder, a magic to warm the coldness in the village soul.

One night, as he played a particularly quiet tune, more for himself than for the sleeping village, his gaze caught movement high above, near the jagged peaks that ringed the valley. Tiny lights, dancing erratically against the blackness. Not stars, no. These moved with life, flitting, swirling, pulsing softly. Sky-spark bugs, the translation might mean, or star-catching fireflies. Things of legend, spoken of in traveler’s tales – insects woven of light itself, dwelling only in the highest, purest air, catching motes of starlight on their wings, glowing with an ephemeral, holy beauty. The bard watched, forgetting his lute, forgetting the village’s sorrow, his own heart captured by the silent, dancing light.

Then, a strangeness occurred. One light detached itself from the high swarm. Brighter, steadier, it descended, drifting down like a slow snowflake towards the village square. As it neared, the bard saw it was no insect. It coalesced, took shape – a figure tall and serene, seemingly woven from solidified starlight, with eyes like calm, endless night. A celestial entity, the modern words try to grasp. A Star-Person. Perhaps a guardian spirit tied to the mountains, perhaps merely a curious traveler from realms beyond knowing.

The Star-Person observed the bard, saw the worn lute, perceived the faint echo of his hopeful song hanging in the chill air. It gazed upon the sleeping, sorrowful village. Its luminous face, hard to read, perhaps softened. It raised its hands, and cupped within them lay… a pair of gloves. They shimmered softly, dark as the deepest night but threaded with points of light like constellations. The fabric seemed fluid, unreal. The fingertips held a captured luminescence, gentle and otherworldly. The Star-Person offered them to the bard. A gesture, silent but clear: These are for you. For the music. For the light you wish to bring.

The bard, filled with awe and no small measure of fear, reached out and took the gloves. They felt impossibly light, warm with a comforting, living heat. As his fingers slipped inside, they seemed to disappear, replaced by the starry fabric. The Star-Person inclined its head, a gesture of approval perhaps, then dissolved back into pure light, ascending swiftly to rejoin the distant dance high above.

Alone again in the square, the bard stared at his transformed hands. He flexed his fingers. Tiny sparks, like miniature versions of the lights he had seen, detached themselves, hovered briefly, faded. He took a deep breath, the warmth of the gloves seeping into him. He thought of the closed faces of the villagers, the weight of their unspoken sadness. He lifted his lute.

He began to play again, a simple, hopeful melody. And as he played, he consciously moved his hands, guiding the music, shaping the air. The gloves responded. More lights bloomed from his fingertips – not mere sparks now, but tiny, distinct forms like luminous fireflies. They didn’t fly away, but swirled around him, a gentle vortex of soft light. They moved with the music, faster for upbeat notes, slower for melancholic strains. They cast a warm, shifting glow on the ground, on the walls of the houses, on the few faces that began to peek from doorways.

People emerged, drawn by the light, the music. They saw their bard, but now bathed in a halo of dancing star-sparks. Children, forgetting their shyness, pointed and murmured in wonder. Old folks, faces etched with hardship, watched with wide, remembering eyes, perhaps recalling tales of ancient magic. The light seemed to soften features, to ease weary lines. It was a light that felt kind, hopeful.

The bard felt the change too. The music flowed more freely. His voice, warmed by the gloves, by the wonder reflected in the villagers’ eyes, gained strength and confidence. The fireflies became part of his performance, swirling and dipping, accenting a note, highlighting a pause. He wasn’t just playing music; he was weaving light and sound and emotion together. The audience didn’t just hear; they saw, they felt.

Night after night, the bard played in the square, his hands adorned with the celestial fireflies. Slowly, slowly, a change came over the sad-place. After the music ended, people lingered, talked softly amongst themselves. A shared smile was seen, then another. Someone brought out bread to share. The heavy silence began to lift, replaced by murmurs, then conversation, eventually even tentative laughter. The dancing lights didn’t solve the village’s problems, but they broke the spell of despair. They were hope, made visible.

The story, like the light of the fireflies at dawn, grows faint after this. Did the village recover fully, forever cherishing the memory of their bard and his star-gift? Did the bard eventually travel onward, carrying his light to other shadowed corners? Did the gloves pass to another, or were they reclaimed by the stars? The path of such magic things is rarely straight or clear. But the echo remains: of a humble wish, a gift from beyond, and the power of art, however small, to illuminate the darkness.

Moral: Even the most humble art, when touched by inspiration and offered with a true heart, can become a beacon, reminding us that light persists even in the deepest night.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Gloves of Evanescent Light

• Description: A pair of elegant gloves made from a shimmering, dark material resembling captured night sky. Faint luminescence glows at the fingertips. They feel light and warm. Legends tie them to celestial beings or artists who performed under starlit skies.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires wearing the gloves. As an action, the wearer can spend 1 Magic Point (MP) to summon a swarm of harmless, glowing firefly-like lights that surround them. This effect lasts for 1 hour or until dismissed (a free action). Maintaining the effect beyond the first hour costs 1 MP per additional hour.
  • Illumination: The swarm provides dim, enchanting light in a 15-foot radius around the wearer.
  • Performance Enhancement: While the lights are active, the wearer gains one Bonus Die on Art/Craft (Performance) skill rolls where the visual display enhances the performance.
  • Subtle Charm: While the lights are active, the wearer gains one Bonus Die on Charm or Persuade skill rolls made against targets who can see the lights and are potentially susceptible to their enchanting effect (GM discretion).
  • Potential Drawbacks: The otherworldly light might be beautiful but could be considered unnatural. Witnesses seeing it for the first time in stressful circumstances might need to make a SAN roll (0/1). The light is also noticeable and could attract unwanted attention (mundane or otherwise).

Blades in the Dark

Firefly Gloves

• Description: Delicate gloves made of iridescent dark fabric, possibly woven moon-silk or shadow-stuff. Tiny star-like patterns are embroidered on them, and the fingertips glow faintly. They feel weightless and warm.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires wearing the gloves. As an action, you can suffer 1 Stress to summon a swarm of twinkling, harmless lights resembling fireflies that dance around you. The effect lasts for the current scene or until you dismiss it.
  • Illumination: The lights provide noticeable, dim illumination in the immediate area around you (roughly arms-reach). Sufficient to see by, but also draws attention.
  • Captivating Display: While the lights are active:
    • Gain Potency on actions primarily involving artistic performance where the lights would be a significant enhancement.
    • Gain +1d to your dice pool when you attempt to Sway or Command someone who is clearly observing the light display and might be susceptible to its subtle charm (GM determines susceptibility; generally not effective under duress or against hardened targets).
    • Noticeable: The light display is inherently noticeable and may attract unwanted attention, potentially adding Heat or inviting complications from observers or entities drawn to strange lights.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Gloves of Celestial Fireflies

• Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
• Description: These elegantly crafted gloves are made from a delicate, iridescent material that shimmers like the night sky, embroidered with star-like patterns. The fingertips hold a faint luminescence. They feel weightless and soothingly warm.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: While wearing these attuned gloves, you can use an action to cause a swarm of harmless, glowing fireflies to appear and swirl around you. This effect lasts for 1 hour or until you dismiss it as an action.
  • Frequency: This property can be used once per long rest.
  • Illumination: The fireflies shed dim light in a 10-foot radius around you.
  • Enchanting Presence: While the fireflies are active, you gain the following benefits:
    • You have advantage on Charisma (Performance) checks.
    • You have advantage on Charisma (Persuasion) checks made against humanoids who can see the firefly display.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Star-Mote Gloves

• Description: A pair of fine gloves made from shimmering dark fabric with embroidered stars. The fingertips glow softly. They feel light and warm. Takes up 1 inventory slot.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Slot: 1
  • Activation: Requires wearing the gloves. As an action, you can activate their magic. This can be done once per day.
  • Duration: The effect lasts for 1 hour.
  • Effect: A swarm of harmless, glowing lights resembling fireflies appears and swirls around you.
    • Illumination: The lights provide illumination equivalent to a torch (bright light 20ft radius, dim light another 20ft).
    • Skilled Display: While the lights are active, you gain a +2 bonus to Charisma ability checks related to performing (singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument).
    • Charming Aura: While the lights are active, you gain a +2 bonus to Charisma ability checks or saving throws related to charming or persuading targets who can see the light display.

Fate Core / Fate Condensed

Gloves of the Star-Bug Dance

• Description: A pair of elegant gloves made from a material that shimmers like a night sky filled with stars. The fingertips glow faintly, and they feel warm and almost weightless when worn.
• Game Mechanics:
  • This item grants the character the following Stunt:
    • Celestial Firefly Display: Once per session, you can activate the Gloves of the Star-Bug Dance for the duration of one scene. While active, harmless, glowing motes of light resembling fireflies dance around your hands and arms, shedding soft, ambient light (mostly a narrative effect, but could negate penalties for dim light immediately around you). During this scene, you gain a +2 bonus when you use the Rapport skill to Create Advantage or Overcome obstacles related to either artistic performance (singing, playing music, dancing, etc.) OR charming social interaction (making a good impression, subtle persuasion) directed at those who are witnessing the light display. Choose which application (performance or charm) the bonus applies to when you activate the stunt for the scene.
    • Alternative (Aspect): As a simpler alternative, the gloves could provide the Aspect Hands Aglow with Star-Fireflies, allowing invokes (+2/reroll) for performance, creating ambiance, or social charm, and compels related to being overly conspicuous or the lights attracting unwanted attention.

Numenera / Cypher System

Firefly Emitter Gloves

• Description: These gloves appear to be crafted from iridescent synth-silk or a similar advanced textile. Embedded within the fabric are micro-emitters and focusing crystals, particularly at the fingertips, which glow softly.
• Game Mechanics (Artifact):
  • Level: 5
  • Form: Pair of flexible gloves with integrated emitters.
  • Effect: Activation requires an action and causes the gloves to project a swarm of harmless, dancing motes of light around the wearer. This effect lasts for one hour.
    • Illumination: The lights provide bright illumination within Immediate range and dim light within Short range.
    • Enhanced Presence: While the lights are active, the wearer gains an Asset on all tasks related to artistic performance aimed at captivating an audience AND an Asset on tasks involving positive social interaction (persuasion, charm, making friends) against targets who can see the light display and are not actively hostile.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20. (The depletion roll is made once per day if the gloves’ effect has been activated at least once that day).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Gloves of Twinkling Charm

• Item 5
• Magical, Illusion, Light, Invested
• Price 160 gp
• Usage worn gloves; Bulk L
• Description: These fine gloves are made of iridescent dark silk embroidered with star patterns in metallic thread. The fingertips possess a faint, steady glow.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation [one-action] Interact; Frequency once per day; Duration 1 hour.
  • Effect: You activate the gloves, causing tiny motes of light resembling fireflies to dance around your hands and arms. These lights shed dim light in a 5-foot radius. While the lights are active, you gain a +1 item bonus to Performance checks and a +1 item bonus to Diplomacy checks made to Make an Impression or Request something. The bonus to Diplomacy only applies against creatures that can see the light display and are not hostile towards you. You must be wearing the gloves and Invest them to gain these benefits.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition – SWADE)

Starlight Dancer Gloves

• Description: Elegant gloves made of shimmering, dark material embroidered with stars. The fingertips glow softly with stored light. They feel warm and weightless.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires wearing the gloves. Activation is an Action and can be used once per day. The effect lasts for 1 hour.
  • Effect: When activated, a swarm of soft, twinkling lights surrounds the wearer’s hands and arms.
    • Illumination: The lights provide Dim illumination (-1 penalty) within a Small Burst Template centered on the wearer.
    • Enhanced Skill: While the lights are active, the wearer gains a +1 bonus to Performance skill rolls and a +1 bonus to Persuasion skill rolls. The Persuasion bonus typically only applies against targets who can see the display and are not already hostile (GM’s call based on context).

Shadowrun (6th World)

Star-Mote Gloves

• Description: These elegant gloves are crafted from synth-silk interwoven with optical fibers and micro-foci emitters, designed to resemble a starry night sky. The fingertips possess a constant faint glow. They feel surprisingly warm and light. Likely a custom piece for high-end entertainers or specialized infiltration operatives.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Type: Magic Focus
  • Category: Illusion / Manipulation
  • Rating: 3
  • Availability: 12R (Rating x 4)
  • Cost: 15,000¥ (Rating x 5,000¥)
  • Bonding Cost: 6 Karma (Rating x 2)
  • Wearing Requirement: Requires bonding and wearing both gloves.
  • Activation: As a Complex Action, the bonded user can activate the gloves’ primary enchantment once per day.
  • Effect: Creates a swarm of harmless, twinkling lights resembling fireflies that swirl around the user’s hands and arms for 1 hour. This requires no Drain for activation or maintenance.
    • Illumination: The lights provide Dim Light in a 5-meter radius around the user.
    • Enhanced Presence: While the lights are active, the user gains a dice pool bonus equal to the Focus Rating (+3 dice) on Performance skill tests AND a dice pool bonus equal to the Focus Rating (+3 dice) on Con or Etiquette skill tests used primarily for charming, positive persuasion, or making a favorable impression on targets who can see the display.

Starfinder Roleplaying Game

Firefly Gloves

• Magic Item (Worn Gloves)
• Level 6; Price 4,600 credits; Bulk L
• Description: Made from shimmering, iridescent fabric embedded with star-like patterns and faintly luminous fingertips, these gloves feel weightless and soothingly warm.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires wearing the gloves. As a standard action, you can activate the gloves once per day.
  • Duration: The effect lasts for 1 hour.
  • Effect: When activated, a swarm of harmless, glowing lights resembling fireflies appears and swirls around your hands and arms.
    • Illumination: The lights shed dim light in a 10-foot radius around you.
    • Captivating Display: While the lights are active, you gain a +2 insight bonus to skill checks for skills associated with artistic performance (such as Culture used for storytelling, Acrobatics for dance, specific Profession skills like musician, etc., GM determines applicable skills) AND a +2 insight bonus to Diplomacy checks made to charm others or improve their attitude toward you, provided they can see the light display.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Micro-Drone Display Gloves (MDD Gloves)

• Description: A pair of fine mesh gloves incorporating micro-drone emitters and a subtle control interface. When activated, they release and coordinate a swarm of tiny light drones that mimic fireflies. High-end performance tech or potentially used for distraction/signaling.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Tech Level: 13
  • Activation: Requires wearing the gloves. Activation is a Minor Action to deploy or recall the drone swarm.
  • Effect: Deploys 10-20 micro-drones that hover and swirl around the user’s hands/arms, creating a visual display. The effect lasts up to 1 hour per activation charge expended.
    • Illumination: The drones provide Dim Light (DM -1 penalty) in a 2-meter radius sphere centered on the user.
    • Performance Aid: Grants DM +1 on relevant Art (performance-type) skill checks where visual flair is beneficial.
    • Social Aid: Grants DM +1 on Persuade or Diplomat checks where the enchanting display might positively influence a target (GM determines appropriateness; less effective in tense or hostile situations).
  • Power: Internal power cell integrated into the gloves/control unit. Capacity: 3 Charges. Each activation consumes 1 Charge and provides 1 hour of operation. Recharging requires a TL 13+ power source and takes 1 hour per charge.
  • Cost: Cr 25,000
  • Weight: 0.5 kg
  • Traits: Subtle (when inactive), potentially Restricted depending on local laws regarding micro-drones.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Gloves of the Glimmering Troupe

• Description: Beautifully crafted gloves of dark, iridescent silk or fine leather, embroidered with star-like patterns in silver thread. The fingertips seem to hold a faint, internal light. They are associated with legendary Tilean or Reiklander performing troupes known for their enchanting shows.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Type: Magical Item
  • Wearing Requirement: Must be wearing both gloves.
  • Activation: As an Action, the wearer can activate the gloves’ magic once per day.
  • Duration: The effect lasts for 1 hour.
  • Effect: Upon activation, faint, dancing motes of light appear to swarm around the wearer’s hands and forearms.
    • Illumination: Provides light equivalent to one candle (illuminates only the immediate vicinity, negates penalties for Pitch Black but the area remains Dark).
    • Artistic Flourish: While the lights are active, gain +1 Success Level (+1 SL) on successful Perform Tests.
    • Charming Aura: While the lights are active, gain +1 Success Level (+1 SL) on successful Charm Tests made against targets who can see the light display and are not actively hostile or suspicious.
  • Potential Drawbacks: Using such overt (though minor) magic might attract unwanted attention from witch hunters or superstitious individuals. Fumbling a Charm Test while the effect is active might risk gaining 1 Minor Corruption point due to the unnatural influence.