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TCM 909 of the Needles of an Unbroken Current

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by

Dale
in

Lore The armies of the Jade Principality do not rely solely on armor and steel. Every soldier is trained in the basics of battlefield medicine, and every platoon has a medic equipped with a set of these specialized needles. Developed by the Imperial College of Healers, these are not tools for curing long-term illness, but for the immediate, brutal realities of first aid. They are designed to do three things quickly and efficiently: stop bleeding, block pain, and get a soldier back on their feet. The needles are considered common, essential equipment, a testament to the philosophy that an army’s true strength flows not just from its weapons, but from its ability to keep its life-force, its Qi, unbroken in the face of injury.

Description This is a small, practical kit. It consists of a dark brown leather roll, about the length of a forearm, that is secured with a simple bone toggle. When unrolled, the interior reveals a soft suede lining with twelve individual slots, each holding a single, masterfully crafted needle. The needles are not metal, but are carved from a hard, pale green jade that is known to be an excellent conduit for Qi. Each needle is about three inches long, with a small, color-coded bead of polished stone on its head to denote its primary function: six are red (for bleeding), four are blue (for pain), and two are white (for shock).

Detailed Stats

  • Quality: Common
  • Tier: 1
  • Defense Value: 0
  • Durability: N/A (The needles can break if misused)
  • Attribute Modifier: +1 to Wisdom or another attribute related to healing and perception.
  • Skill Modifier: Provides a +5 bonus to all First Aid and Medicine checks made to stabilize a dying creature, treat a physical wound, or diagnose a recent injury.

Passives Magic

  • Meridian Sight: When the wearer looks at a living creature, they perceive a faint, glowing overlay of the body’s major Qi meridians and acupressure points. This allows them to know precisely where to insert a needle or apply pressure for maximum effect, even on creatures with unfamiliar anatomies.
  • Harmonizing Touch: The user’s hands, attuned by the magic of the kit, have a naturally calming effect on the injured. Their touch is more reassuring, and their voice more steady, granting a small bonus to any check made to calm or comfort a panicked or wounded individual.

Activable Magics

  • Qi-Stitching: Three times per day, the user can take two or more of the red-headed needles and insert them along the edges of a bleeding wound. By focusing and channeling their own Qi through the needles, they create a temporary “energetic stitch.” This does not close the wound, but it drastically slows or completely stops the bleeding for up to 10 minutes, allowing the medic time to apply proper bandages or perform other life-saving measures.
  • Closing the Pain Gate: Once per hour, the user can take one of the blue-headed needles and insert it into a major acupressure point related to a specific part of the body. The needle intercepts the flow of pain signals along the creature’s meridians. For the next five minutes, the target feels no pain from any injuries in that specific limb or area, allowing them to move or fight without penalty. The injury itself remains, and the pain will return when the effect wears off.

Specific Slot: Tool Kit (Held in inventory, must be unrolled to use)

Tags: TCM, Common, Tier 1, First Aid, Healing, Utility, Acupuncture, Qi, Tool, Support, Medic, Battlefield, Jade, Pain Suppression, Stabilization, Military, Kit, Control Bleeding

The TCM 909 of the Needles of an Unbroken Current is a specialized tool, highly valued by medics, soldiers, and well-equipped adventurers. As a piece of standard-issue military equipment from a major principality, it would be found in legitimate, professional shops as well as on the black market.

1. The Military Surplus Store

Location and Description: In a major city, particularly one with a large military presence or trade relationship with the Jade Principality, one could find a licensed army surplus store. The shop is orderly, clean, and smells of canvas, oiled leather, and disinfectant. It is stocked with decommissioned armor, durable military-grade gear, and field equipment, including these first-aid kits.

Transaction Method: This is the most common and “official” way for a civilian to purchase the item. The shopkeeper, likely a retired soldier, would know the item’s exact function and would sell it as a “Regulation Medic’s Kit, JP-Issue.” They would praise its ruggedness and effectiveness in the field, perhaps sharing a story of how a similar kit saved their squadmate’s life. The transaction is professional and straightforward.

Cost: The price is fair and standardized. A used but complete and well-cared-for kit would be sold for 3 Gold. A rare, new-in-box kit might cost 4 Gold.

2. The Healers’ and Alchemists’ Guild Supplier

Location and Description: This establishment caters to accredited professionals. The shop is immaculately clean, organized like a library, and filled with shelves of rare herbs, alchemical reagents, precision scales, and medical instruments. The air is sterile, with a complex undertone of hundreds of different chemical and herbal ingredients.

Transaction Method: The needle kit would be presented as a premier tool for emergency triage. The shopkeeper, a master healer or alchemist, would appreciate the item’s fine craftsmanship and the elegant principles behind its magic. They would sell it to other healers, doctors, and alchemists, explaining the theory of Qi-stitching and meridian-based pain suppression in technical detail.

Cost: The price reflects its status as a specialized piece of professional medical equipment. The supplier would sell it for 3 Gold and 5 Silver.

3. The Adventurer’s Guild Infirmary

Location and Description: Within any large, well-funded Adventurer’s Guild hall, the infirmary or “Healer’s Corner” serves as a nexus for medical supplies. Run by a guild-affiliated cleric or physician, this section provides everything from simple bandages to life-saving potions and, for the well-equipped adventurer, specialized kits like the Needles of an Unbroken Current.

Transaction Method: The kit would be sold as a highly recommended upgrade to a standard first-aid kit. The guild healer would advise any party venturing into dangerous dungeons or remote wildernesses to carry one. The transaction is simple and often logged in the guild member’s ledger, with the emphasis being on ensuring the guild’s members are well-prepared and more likely to survive their missions.

Cost: The guild likely procures the kits in bulk and sells them to its members at a fair, non-inflated price. The cost for a guild member would be 2 Gold and 8 Silver.

4. The Black Market Surgeon

Location and Description: In the depths of the criminal underworld, there is always a “doctor” who operates out of a squalid, hidden clinic. The place smells of blood and harsh antiseptic, and the surgeon patches up knife-wounds and gunshot injuries with no questions asked. Their equipment is a mix of high-quality stolen goods and rusty, improvised tools.

Transaction Method: This surgeon would have acquired the needle kit from a looted soldier, a heist on a military caravan, or from a desperate patient paying for services with stolen gear. They would not sell it willingly, as its ability to instantly stop bleeding and block pain is invaluable in their line of work. To convince them to part with it would require either an exorbitant amount of money or a service of equal or greater value. The transaction would be tense and dangerous.

Cost: Due to its extreme utility for a criminal surgeon, the item carries a massive premium here. The surgeon would not even consider an offer of less than 7 Gold, and would likely demand more from a desperate, bleeding customer.

The TCM 909 of the Needles of an Unbroken Current is a tool for mending, not breaking. Its role in “offense” and “defense” is indirect, focusing on enabling allies, disabling opponents non-lethally, and providing critical tactical support through the masterful application of medical arts.

Environment 1: A Pitched Battlefield

In the chaos of a large-scale battle, the needle kit is a force multiplier, turning the tide not by dealing damage, but by keeping the army’s warriors functional against all odds.

Defensive Roleplay: This is the kit’s primary function: the direct defense of an ally’s life and combat effectiveness. A shield-bearer in the front line takes a devastating blow to their arm, rendering it numb and useless from the shock and pain. The avatar, acting as a field medic, slides in next to them. Unrolling their kit, they use their Meridian Sight to instantly locate the correct acupoint on the soldier’s shoulder. They activate Pain Gate, inserting a single blue-headed needle. The roleplay is a moment of calm precision in chaos: the soldier’s grimace of agony vanishes, replaced by a look of disbelief. They flex their fingers, lift their shield, and hold the line once more. The avatar has defended the entire formation by restoring its anchor. Later, they use Qi-Stitching on a grievously wounded soldier, the glowing red needles creating a web of energy over a gushing wound, stopping the bleeding long enough for them to be carried to the rear.

Offensive Roleplay: The offense is one of enablement. The party’s champion, a mighty berserker, has taken several wounds and is beginning to falter, their powerful charge slowed to a weary stumble. The avatar intercepts them, using a combination of the kit’s abilities. They use Pain Gate on the warrior’s wounded leg and Qi-Stitching on their deepest cut. The avatar would then roleplay the encouragement: “The pain is a lie! Your wounds are sealed! Their line is weak! Go, finish them!” The berserker, now ignoring injuries that would have crippled them, roars with renewed vigor and crashes back into the enemy ranks like a tidal wave. The medic did not personally attack, but they re-armed and re-launched the party’s greatest weapon.

Environment 2: A Covert Infiltration

During a stealth mission inside a guarded keep, the needles become tools of silent, non-lethal incapacitation and clever misdirection.

Offensive Roleplay: This is the art of the non-lethal takedown. An avatar needs to neutralize a guard in a silent manner. Sneaking up behind them, they forgo a dagger for their needles. Using their Meridian Sight to see the channels of energy controlling the guard’s body, they jab a needle into a major acupoint in the guard’s arm. The guard’s arm goes instantly limp, and they drop their spear with a muffled clatter. Another needle in the back of the knee causes the guard’s leg to buckle. The guard collapses, confused, disarmed, and unable to stand, but completely unharmed and unable to effectively raise an alarm. The “attack” is a perfect, silent, and merciful neutralization.

Defensive Roleplay: This is the art of creating a medical diversion. The avatar is about to be discovered by a patrol rounding a corner. They spot another guard nearby, complaining of a splitting headache. The avatar quickly approaches this guard, using their Harmonizing Touch to appear as a concerned and trustworthy healer. “You look unwell,” they’d say calmly. “Allow me to ease your suffering.” They apply a needle to an acupressure point on the guard’s neck. But instead of helping, they use their knowledge of Qi to temporarily disrupt the flow of energy to the head. The guard’s eyes roll back, and they slump to the ground in a faint. The approaching patrol rounds the corner, sees their fallen comrade, and immediately their mission changes from “patrol” to “man down,” creating a chaotic diversion that allows the avatar to slip away unnoticed.

Environment 3: A Tense Interrogation

In a social or investigative scenario, the needles become tools for diagnostics and intimidation, proving that the knowledge of how to heal is also the knowledge of how to hurt.

Offensive Roleplay: The party has captured a spy who refuses to divulge critical information. The avatar takes on the role of the interrogator. They unroll their kit, the jade needles gleaming. They don’t resort to crude torture. Instead, they use their knowledge with chilling precision. “I can see the flow of life within you,” they would say calmly, their Meridian Sight active. “I can see the old knife wound in your side that aches when it rains. I can make it ache right now.” They could then use Pain Gate in reverse, lightly touching a needle to a point far from the wound, causing the spy to gasp as the old injury flares with phantom pain. The offense is not the pain itself, but the credible, terrifying threat of it, demonstrating a control over the subject’s body that is more frightening than any blade.

Defensive Roleplay: This is the art of magical forensics. A friendly NPC has been poisoned, and the party is being blamed. The avatar acts as the medical examiner. They use Meridian Sight to study the victim. They announce their findings: “This is not a common poison. Look how the Qi in the Liver meridian is twisted and black, while the Qi in the Heart meridian is violently agitated. This is the signature of the rare Black Lotus Serpent venom, a poison known to be used exclusively by the assassins of the Shadow-Finger Guild.” In this case, their defense is the presentation of irrefutable medical evidence, using their unique senses to identify the true culprits and exonerate their allies.

Perception of Activation:

Sensory Perceptions

Sight

  • User’s Perspective: Through their Meridian Sight, the user sees the chaotic, frayed ends of the patient’s Qi leaking from the open wound. As they insert the red-headed needles, the needles begin to glow with a soft, steady, crimson light. The user then sees threads of this same light extrude from the needle tips, intuitively weaving themselves into an intricate, luminous web that covers the wound and seals the leaking energy.
  • Observer’s Perspective: An observer witnesses a dramatic and beautiful act of magic. They see the medic place several needles around a grievous, bleeding wound. The red beads on the needles pulse with a gentle, red light. A moment later, a visible web of shimmering, red energy seems to knit itself into existence in the air over the wound, looking like a magical, glowing suture. The flow of blood slows and then stops completely as the energy field solidifies.

Sound

  • User’s Perspective: The user hears a low, steady hum emanating from the needles as they channel their Qi. The sound is calming and resonates with their own heartbeat. The weaving of the energy threads creates a soft, whisper-like sound, like silk being drawn across a loom.
  • Observer’s Perspective: If the environment is quiet, an observer might hear a faint, harmonic hum coming from the glowing needles. The formation of the energy web itself is almost silent, adding to the mystique of the effect.

Smell

  • User’s Perspective: The sharp, coppery smell of fresh blood is quickly overpowered by a clean, sterile scent that emanates from the magical energy, reminiscent of fresh ozone after a rainstorm.
  • Observer’s Perspective: An observer standing close would notice the strong smell of blood suddenly diminish, replaced by a strange, clean, and almost electric scent in the air immediately around the wound.

Touch

  • User’s Perspective: The user feels a steady, rhythmic flow of their own Qi from their center, through their hands, and into the jade needles, which grow pleasantly warm. They can feel the patient’s skin and tissue around the wound seem to firm up and tighten as the energy web takes hold.
  • Observer’s Perspective (The Patient): The patient, who was feeling the sharp, open pain of the wound, instead feels a sudden, tingling warmth spread across the area. This is followed by a sensation of gentle, firm pressure, as if a perfectly applied pressure bandage has materialized out of thin air. The intense, sharp pain dulls to a distant, manageable ache.

Taste

  • User’s Perspective: A faint, mineral taste on the tongue, like flint or iron. It is a taste associated with focus, control, and grounding.
  • Observer’s Perspective: There is no taste perception for an observer.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

Qi / Energetic Sense

  • User’s Perspective: This is the core of the experience. The user feels the chaotic, hemorrhaging torrent of life force pouring from the patient’s wound. They then feel their own focused, disciplined Qi flowing through the needles to create an “energetic dam.” They are actively redirecting and sealing the patient’s life force, using their own energy to prevent the patient’s from leaking away. It is an act of masterful, life-preserving energy work.
  • Observer’s Perspective (If Sensitive): A magically sensitive observer would witness a messy, uncontrolled flood of the patient’s aura being suddenly contained and sealed by a highly structured, lattice-like field of the medic’s own Qi. They are watching the medic literally build a dam out of pure life energy.

Life / Empathic Sense

  • User’s Perspective: The user feels the patient’s intense pain and panic through their empathic connection. As the Qi-stitching takes hold, they feel those emotions recede, replaced by a sense of relief and stability. There is a profound satisfaction in feeling a life being pulled back from the brink.
  • Observer’s Perspective (The Patient): The overwhelming wave of pain and fear suddenly recedes, replaced by an inexplicable sense of calm and security. They feel as if they are being physically and spiritually “held together” by the medic’s intervention.

Perspectives and Ramifications

User’s Perspective The activation is an act of intense, focused control. The user feels like a weaver or a master artisan, using their own life force as the thread to mend a tear in another’s. It is a life-affirming act that validates their skill and brings order to the chaos of injury.

Observer’s Perspective The effect is nothing short of a miracle to an outside observer. To see a life-threatening hemorrhage stopped in seconds by a glowing web of light is an awe-inspiring display of magical healing. It marks the user as a true master of their craft and inspires immense confidence and trust.

Positives

  • It provides an immediate and highly effective method for stopping severe bleeding, which is the most common cause of death from battlefield injuries.
  • It stabilizes a patient, buying the medic crucial time to perform more thorough healing, apply bandages, or transport the patient to a safe location.
  • It is a massive morale booster for any group, knowing they have a medic capable of preventing them from bleeding out.

Negatives

  • The Qi-Stitching is a temporary solution. It does not close or heal the wound, it only seals it energetically. If the effect wears off before the wound is properly treated, the bleeding will resume, possibly with greater intensity.
  • The ability requires the user to channel their own Qi. Using it repeatedly on multiple patients or for extended periods can be physically and spiritually draining, leaving the medic exhausted.
  • The process requires concentration, which can be difficult to maintain while under fire or in a chaotic environment.

Imperial Healer’s Formula: The Current-Binder Needles

This document details the standardized process for crafting a regulation First Aid kit for use by field medics of the Jade Principality. The procedure requires the skills of a master lapidary and alchemist, and access to specialized Qi-tuning equipment. Each step must be performed with precision to ensure the final product is both effective and safe for use on the wounded.

Materials Needed

  • 12x Rods of High-Grade “Conduit” Jade: This specific type of pale green jade is chosen for its superior ability to channel Qi without fracturing. Each rod must be free of internal flaws.
  • A set of Polished Stone Beads:
    • 6x Carnelian Beads (for blood-flow regulation)
    • 4x Lapis Lazuli Beads (for pain signal interruption)
    • 2x Alabaster Beads (for spiritual shock stabilization)
  • 1x Sheet of Reinforced Pack Leather: For the exterior of the roll.
  • 1x Sheet of Soft Suede: For the protective interior lining.
  • 1x Carved Bone Toggle and Leather Thong: For securing the kit.
  • 1x Flask of “Life-Knit” Solution: A complex alchemical reagent used to prime the jade needles for magical attunement. Its creation is a guarded secret of the College of Healers.

Tools Required

  • Lapidary’s Grinding and Shaping Wheels: Essential for carving the hard jade into needle form.
  • Gem Drill: A fine-tipped, high-torque drill for boring holes into the polished stone beads.
  • Leatherworker’s Kit: Includes cutting tools, stitching awls, and waxed thread.
  • Alchemical Crucible & Glass Pipette: For heating and carefully applying the Life-Knit solution.
  • A Qi-Tuning Crystal Array: A complex apparatus of copper wiring and various crystals that can be calibrated to produce specific resonant Qi frequencies. This is essential for the enchantment process.

Skill Requirements

  • Lapidary (Adept): The most critical skill. Carving twelve identical, perfectly straight, and durable needles from hard jade is an act of mastery. A poorly carved needle will be ineffective or break during use.
  • Jewelry Crafting (Adept): Required for drilling the beads and for the fine detail work of assembling the final product.
  • Alchemy (Adept): The crafter must be able to handle the volatile Life-Knit solution and understand the principles of magical attunement.
  • Leatherworking (Novice): The rolling case is a simple, functional piece of craft.

Crafting Steps

Step 1: The Carving of Needles This is the most labor-intensive step. The crafter must take the twelve rods of conduit jade and, using the lapidary wheels, painstakingly grind each one down into a three-inch needle. Each must have a perfectly sharp point and a smooth, polished shaft. The head of each needle must be shaped to accept a stone bead. This process requires many hours of focused work.

Step 2: Preparing the Case and Beads This is a more straightforward step. The leather and suede are cut to size and stitched together to create the unrolling case with twelve individual slots for the needles. The bone toggle is attached. Concurrently, the carnelian, lapis lazuli, and alabaster beads are carefully drilled through the center.

Step 3: Alchemical Priming The twelve finished jade needles are laid out on a clean, sterile surface. The Life-Knit solution is gently warmed in a crucible. Using a glass pipette, the crafter must apply a single, perfect drop of the solution to the tip of each needle. The solution will be absorbed into the jade, causing it to shimmer faintly and making it receptive to the final enchantment.

Step 4: The Qi-Tuning Attunement This is the core magical process. The primed needles are placed into the sockets of the Qi-Tuning Crystal Array. The crafter begins with the six needles intended for bleeding.

  • They place a red carnelian bead on the head of each of the six needles.
  • They calibrate the array to the specific frequency that resonates with blood and promotes the coagulation of Qi.
  • They activate the array, channeling their own focused energy to stabilize the process until the needles glow with a steady, crimson light. This process is then repeated for the blue lapis lazuli beads (using a frequency that interrupts pain signals) and the white alabaster beads (using a frequency that calms scattered Qi).

Step 5: Final Assembly Once all twelve needles have been successfully attuned, they are removed from the array. The colored stone beads are now permanently affixed to the heads of their corresponding needles using a strong alchemical adhesive. The needles will now carry their enchantment indefinitely. They are given a final polish and are carefully placed into their slots in the leather roll, which is then tied shut. The kit is now complete and ready for the field.

Medic Lian and Stitching of the Light

The old scrolls speak of the War of the Crimson River, when the armies of the Jade Principality fought the iron hordes from the north. The banners were torn, and the ground drank the blood of many good soldiers. In this terrible war was a young medic named Lian. Her skill with bandages was deft, and her knowledge of healing herbs was great, but these were small things against the great wounds made by northern axes.

She moved through the battle like a small bird in a storm. All around her, soldiers fell. And she saw that the true enemy was not the axe, but the bleeding that came after. A man’s life was a river of Qi in his veins, and a wound was a break in the riverbank. Her bandages were but leaves on the flood; they could not stop the river from pouring out onto the thirsty ground.

One day, her friend, a young spearman named Kael, was struck by a barbed arrow. The wound was deep in his side, and Lian could not stop the bleeding. His face was pale, like milk, and his breath was a small, frightened thing. Lian knew he was walking the path to the next life. Her hands were covered in the blood of her friend, and her heart was a stone of despair.

In her grief, she remembered the words of her first teacher at the Imperial College of Healers. The teacher had not spoken of war, but of Qi. “All things are a current,” the old master had said. “To heal is to guide the current back to its true path. A bandage cannot build a riverbank.”

Lian looked at the useless bandages in her hand. She looked at her small leather roll of jade needles, tools for easing minor pains and aches, not for the great wounds of war. And a new thought, a desperate thought, came to her. If the wound was a broken riverbank, she would build a new one. Not of earth or cloth, but of light.

She threw aside the bloody bandages. She took her simple jade needles. She said to her friend Kael, “Be still. I will try a new thing.”

She used her medic’s sight, the sight that all healers are taught, to see not the flesh and blood, but the flow of life, the current of Qi. She saw it pouring from the wound, a torrent of light fading into the mud. She took her needles, and she did not place them to ease his pain. She placed them around the wound, at the key gates where the energy was strongest. She put six needles in a circle.

Then she closed her eyes and did a thing no teacher had ever taught. She took her own Qi, her own life force, and she pushed it from her own body, down her arms, and into the jade needles.

And a miracle happened. The needles, which were green, began to glow with a soft, red light, for they had drunk her will and her life. And from the tip of each needle, a thread of this red light came forth. The threads moved, weaving over and under each other, creating a shimmering net, a web of pure energy over the wound. The river of Kael’s life, which was pouring out, found a new bank made of light. The bleeding stopped.

Kael’s eyes opened. The color returned to his face. Lian, filled with a new and fierce hope, moved to the next soldier, and the next. All across the battlefield, wherever she went, small webs of red light appeared, and men who should have died, did not.

When the battle was won, the master healers of the Imperial College heard of the deeds of the simple field medic. They came and saw the soldiers she had saved, the faint shimmer of the energy web still visible on their wounds. They asked Lian to show them her magic. They took her idea, born of desperation in the mud and blood, and they refined it. They made her needles of a finer jade and put colored beads upon them: red for the stitching of blood, blue for the gate of pain, white for the calming of shock. And they made her technique a part of the Great Law of Healing.

Lian, the simple medic, was brought to the College and given the honored seat of a master, for she had taught even them a new thing. Her desperate invention became the standard for every medic in the Jade Principality.

The moral of the story is this: The greatest tools are not always forged in the quiet workshop of a master, but are often born in the desperate hands of one who has no other choice.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Healer’s Jade Needle Kit Wondrous item, uncommon

This dark brown leather roll contains twelve masterfully carved jade needles, each tipped with a small, color-coded stone bead. This kit is a reusable, magical alternative to a standard healer’s kit.

The kit has 6 charges. As an action, you can use the needles to touch a creature and expend one or more charges to produce one of the following effects. The kit regains 1d4 + 2 expended charges daily at dawn.

  • Qi-Stitching (1 Charge). You target one living creature you can touch. The target regains 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier in hit points.
  • Pain Gate (2 Charges). You target one willing creature you can touch. For the next 10 minutes, the target can ignore the effects of one level of exhaustion or a condition that is causing it to be incapacitated or stunned.
  • Stabilize (0 Charges). You use the needles to stabilize a living creature that has 0 hit points, without needing to make a Wisdom (Medicine) check.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Field Surgeon’s Acupuncture Roll A practical, military-style leather roll containing a dozen strange needles carved from pale green jade. While they appear to be tools for esoteric medicine, their effectiveness in battlefield triage is unnerving. An Investigator with Medicine or Science (Biology) can recognize the diagrams on the needles as a complex anatomical and nervous-system map.

Game Mechanics:

  • Passive (Meridian Sight): The user gains an intuitive understanding of a body’s weak points and energy flows. The user gains one bonus die on all First Aid and Medicine rolls.
  • Active (Qi-Stitching): Once per patient, the user can use the red-headed needles to perform “energetic stitching” on a Major Wound. This requires a successful First Aid roll. If successful, the bleeding stops immediately, and the patient recovers 1d3 hit points. Using this unnatural technique costs the user 1 Magic Point.
  • Active (Pain Gate): Once per day, the user can use the blue-headed needles to block a patient’s pain. The patient may ignore all skill penalties from a single injury (including a Major Wound) for the next 1d6 hours. This does not heal the injury, and any strenuous action may cause further damage without the patient realizing it.

Blades in the Dark

The Quiet Chirurgeon’s Needle Case Fine Tools, Esoteric, Special

A leather roll of jade needles, said to be a tool of Iruvian physicians who believe the body is a river of energy that can be dammed and redirected. In the violent streets of Duskwall, it is a priceless tool for any crew with a Leech.

Game Mechanics: This item is a set of fine tools that uses 1 load.

  • Fictional Permission (Meridian Sight): You can see the flows of spirit energy within a person’s body. When you Tinker with someone’s injuries, you can always ask “What is the true extent of their wounds?” without needing to roll.
  • Downtime Action (Qi-Stitching): When you use the Recover downtime action to treat a teammate’s Harm, you can use the needles to gain +1d to your roll. If your roll is a critical success, the teammate may clear an additional level of Harm.
  • Combat Action (Pain Gate): When another crew member would suffer Harm during a score, you can be there to intervene. Suffer 2 Stress to use the needles to block the worst of the impact. The Harm they take is reduced by one level (e.g., level 3 becomes level 2).

Knave (2nd Edition)

Jade Medic’s Roll Item, 1 Inventory Slot

A leather roll containing 12 needles carved from pale green jade. Each has a small, colored stone at its head. They are tools for magical field medicine.

  • Passive Effect (Anatomical Sight): When you examine a living creature, the GM will tell you their exact current HP and the nature of any specific injuries they have.
  • Active Effect (Qi-Stitching): The kit has 6 uses. As an action, you may use one of the red needles on a willing or unconscious creature. They heal 1d8 HP. Mark off one use.
  • Active Effect (Pain Gate): The kit has 4 uses. As an action, you may use one of the blue needles on a creature. For the next hour, they may ignore any penalties from a single physical injury (such as a broken arm or a wounded leg). This does not heal the injury. Mark off one use.
  • Once all uses of a type are expended, those specific needles become non-magical.

Fate Core System

The Unbroken Current Needle Kit

This item is best represented as a Stunt that grants the user superior healing capabilities, reflecting their training with these esoteric tools.

  • Stunt: The Unbroken Current Because I am trained in the use of the Jade Needle Kit, I gain a +2 bonus when I use Physique to Overcome a physical injury on another person (such as performing emergency first aid to stop bleeding or stabilize a patient). In addition, once per scene, I can use the needles to block a person’s pain. My target may ignore the narrative effects of one of their physical Consequences (e.g., a Broken Arm or Gashed Leg) for the rest of the scene. At the end of the scene, the pain returns, and the GM may introduce a new Complication or invoke the Consequence again if the character overexerted themself while ignoring their injury.

Numenera & Cypher System

Qi-Channeling Bio-Stitcher

  • Level: 5
  • Form: A supple leather roll that opens to reveal twelve pale green synth-needles with color-coded heads.
  • Effect: This artifact interfaces with a living creature’s bio-energetic field to promote rapid healing and stabilization.
    • Passive (Meridian Sight): The kit’s sensors augment the user’s vision, allowing them to see biological energy flows. All tasks to diagnose an injury or illness are Eased by one step.
    • Active (Qi-Stitching): As an action, the user can touch a creature with one of the red-headed needles. The target immediately recovers points to their Might Pool equal to the artifact’s level (5). This ability can be used on a given creature only once per hour.
    • Active (Pain Gate): As an action, the user can touch a creature with one of the blue-headed needles. For the next hour, the target can ignore the penalties from being Impaired (the first step on the damage track).
  • Depletion: 1 on a d20 (This roll is made when either of the active functions is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Chirurgeon’s Needle Case – Item 3 Uncommon, Healing, Magical

  • Price 70 gp
  • Usage held in 2 hands; Bulk L

This supple leather roll contains twelve jade needles, each tipped with a colored bead. The kit allows a skilled healer to channel positive energy in precise ways to mend wounds and block pain. The kit is an adventuring tool with 10 uses, which are restored each day during daily preparations.

While holding this kit, you gain a +1 item bonus to Medicine checks.

  • Activate [one-action] Qi-Stitch (Manipulate); Uses 1
  • Effect You apply the needles to an adjacent living creature. The creature regains 1d8 Hit Points.
  • Activate [one-action] Block Pain (Manipulate); Uses 2
  • Effect You apply a needle to an adjacent willing living creature. For 1 minute, the target gains a +2 status bonus to Fortitude saves against effects that would make them sickened or enfeebled.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

The Five-Winds Healing Kit A beautifully crafted leather roll containing a set of jade needles. These are not tools for simple stitching, but for manipulating a body’s life energy to promote rapid recovery, a technique favored by wandering monk-healers.

  • Effect: The kit grants a +1 bonus to all Healing rolls.
  • Golden Hour Miracle: When making a Healing roll to treat Wounds on an ally during the “Golden Hour” immediately following a combat, the user may add a +2 bonus to the roll (this stacks with the normal +1 bonus for a total of +3).
  • Pain Gate: Once per combat, as an action, the user may touch an ally with one of the needles. The ally immediately gets to make a Spirit roll to recover from being Shaken with a +2 bonus. Additionally, for the next 3 rounds, the ally may ignore the multi-action penalties from one Wound they are currently suffering from.

Shadowrun, Sixth World

Shiawase ‘Chi-Flow’ Medkit Add-on A specialized set of sterile jade-composite needles and bio-feedback sensors, designed by the Shiawase corporation. It is marketed as an add-on to their standard medkits, blending ancient acupressure theory with modern biotechnology to provide superior battlefield first aid.

  • Type: Gear (Medkit Accessory)
  • Availability: 9R
  • Cost: 8,000 nuyen
  • Game Mechanics:
    • This kit integrates with any standard medkit (Rating 3 or higher).
    • Passive (Diagnostic Insight): The kit’s sensors provide detailed bio-feedback. You gain a +1 dice pool bonus to all First Aid and Medicine tests.
    • Active (Qi-Stitching): When using the First Aid skill to stabilize a dying character, you may use the needles to succeed automatically, without needing to make a test. This does not heal any damage but guarantees stabilization.
    • Active (Pain Gate): Once per patient, you may use the needles to administer a powerful bio-energetic nerve block. For the next hour, the patient may ignore all wound penalties from up to 3 boxes of damage (either Physical or Stun).

Starfinder

Bio-Harmonizer Needle Kit

  • Level 4; Price 2,200 credits
  • Hands 2; Bulk L
  • Type Technological Item; Category Medical Gear
  • Capacity 20; Usage Varies

This advanced medical kit contains 12 sterile, bio-active jade-composite needles in a self-sealing leather roll. The kit uses a combination of micro-servos and bio-energy fields to provide rapid, effective first aid.

  • Game Mechanics:
    • Stabilize (1 charge): As a standard action, you can use a needle to administer stabilizing agents to a dying creature. The creature becomes stable without you needing to attempt a Medicine check.
    • Qi-Stitch (4 charges): As a standard action, you can use several needles to create an energetic field over a creature’s wounds, promoting rapid recovery. The target regains 2d8 Stamina Points.
    • Pain Gate (5 charges): As a standard action, you can use a needle to administer a sophisticated nerve block to a willing creature. For the next minute, the target is immune to the staggered condition and can ignore the penalties associated with being flat-footed.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Bio-Feedback Acu-Stimulator (TL-13) A sophisticated medical device consisting of a handheld computer and a set of 12 micro-stimulator needles housed in a sterile case. The device reads a subject’s vital signs and applies precise electrical stimuli through the needles to promote healing and regulate bodily functions.

  • Tech Level: 13
  • Cost: Cr 75,000
  • Weight: 0.5 kg
  • Power: Power pack (20 uses)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Diagnostic Suite: The device’s advanced sensors grant the user DM+1 on all Medic checks to diagnose an injury or illness.
    • Hemostatic Sealant: The needles can be used to apply a powerful bio-electric field that promotes coagulation. This provides DM+2 on any Medic check made to stop bleeding or stabilize a character with a life-threatening injury. Each use expends 1 use from the power pack.
    • Nerve Block: The needles can be used to administer a powerful, targeted nerve block. Once per day, a character can be made to ignore all characteristic penalties from damage for 1d6 hours. This is a complex procedure and requires a Medic check with a difficulty of 8+. Failure inflicts 1d6 damage on the patient from neuromuscular shock. Each use expends 5 uses from the power pack.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

The Cathayan Chirurgeon’s Needle Roll A roll of fine, embroidered silk containing a dozen needles carved from the luminous jade of Cathay. While the physicians of the Old World may scoff, those who have seen these needles in use know they can perform small miracles on the battlefield, manipulating the body’s humours and inner energies with uncanny precision.

  • Magical Item: This is a non-aligned magical item.
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Passive: The user of this kit gains a +10 bonus to all Heal Tests.
    • Active (Qi-Stitching): When you successfully use a Heal Test to treat a Bleeding Condition on a patient, you may spend 2 of your stored Advantage points. If you do, the patient immediately removes 2 Bleeding Conditions instead of the usual 1.
    • Active (Pain Gate): Once per day, you may make a Challenging (+0) Heal Test on a willing subject. If successful, for a number of hours equal to the test’s Success Level, the subject may ignore all modifiers (positive or negative) from one Critical Wound they are currently suffering from. The Wound itself and any other effects (like a lost limb) are not removed, but the associated penalties are ignored for the duration.