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Steam Core Harness 482

—

by

Dale
in

From: Lineage 831 of Geode Vein

 (Chest Slot)

This piece of gear is a masterwork of Abbevillian engineering, serving as both formidable armor and a vital life-support system. The core of the harness is a thick, sculpted breastplate of dark basalt, polished to a dull sheen and covering the entire torso. Etched across its surface are intricate, spiraling patterns that are actually magical circuits and steam-release channels. Set in the center of the chest is a heavy bronze housing containing a fist-sized, magically-charged geothermal crystal. This crystal fuels an integrated micro-boiler that draws moisture from the air, or a connected waterskin, to generate a constant, thin cloud of warm steam. This vapor keeps Marn’s amphibian skin perfectly hydrated, preventing the weakness that plagues Anurans in dry environments. The harness is heavy and solid, providing excellent protection against physical blows, while the constant, gentle hiss of steam is a symbol of both his industrial culture and his biological needs.

Lore

This specific harness is not a standard-issue piece of equipment but a parting gift and a blessing, crafted for Marn by his mother, Clan Mother Orna, before he embarked on his quest. It is a work of immense significance, representing the trust his family places in him and the tools they have given him to survive. The dark basalt of the breastplate was sourced from the deepest levels of the Shimmering Deeps, a quarry known for stone that resonates strongly with the hum of Saṃsāra’s ley lines. The heavy bronze housing for the crystal was smelted with trace amounts of alchemically treated silver to better conduct and regulate magical energy, a secret technique of the Geode-Vein lineage.

The fist-sized geothermal crystal at its core is, in fact, a flawed Golem Heart. While its imperfections made it unsuitable for animating a full golem, Marn’s mother recognized its steady, reliable energy output was perfect for powering a life-support apparatus. For an Anuran, the constant, gentle hiss of the steam vents is the sound of home—the sound of the forges, of industry, of life. Far from the humid quarries of Abbeville, the harness serves as a constant, tangible connection to Marn’s culture and identity, its rhythmic pulse a comfort in the quiet wilderness. The intricate spiral patterns etched into its surface are not merely decorative; they are prayers to Gravok, making the armor a devotional item as much as a protective one.

Item Values

  • Tier 1 Stats:
    • Armor Class: Provides a high degree of protection, setting the wearer’s base AC to 16.
    • Constitution: The harness’s integrated support and vitality-infusing crystal grant a +1 bonus to Constitution.
    • Stealth: The item’s bulk and constant hissing impose a Disadvantage on any Stealth-related checks.
  • Skills Gained:
    • Tinkering (Steam-Tech): Maintaining the harness’s delicate micro-boiler, magical circuits, and pressure valves requires specific knowledge. The wearer is considered proficient with Tinkerer’s Tools when working on steam-powered or mechanical devices.
  • Passive Magics:
    • Geothermal Hydration: As long as the central crystal is charged, the harness generates a constant cloud of warm steam around the wearer. This completely negates the Anuran’s “Dehydration Vulnerability” negative trait, allowing them to operate indefinitely in arid or dry environments without penalty. The crystal recharges naturally when exposed to extreme heat or ley line energy for at least one hour.
    • Stoneworker’s Aegis: The sheer density and magical resilience of the basalt plate provide exceptional protection. The wearer gains Damage Reduction 2 against non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
    • Steady Hiss: The constant, rhythmic pulse of the steam mechanism is a familiar and focusing sound. The wearer has Advantage on saving throws against being Frightened, especially from sudden, loud noises.
  • Activatable Magics:
    • Steam Vent (2 uses per Long Rest): As an Action, the wearer can manually open all the harness’s release channels, venting a thick, roiling cloud of superheated steam in a 10-foot radius centered on themselves. The area becomes heavily obscured for 1 minute or until dispersed by a strong wind. Any creature starting its turn in the cloud (or entering it for the first time) must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d4 fire damage.
    • Core Overcharge (1 use per Long Rest): As a Bonus Action, the wearer can draw a burst of raw energy from the geothermal crystal. The crystal flares brightly, granting the wearer 1d8 + Constitution modifier in temporary hit points. Using this ability drains the crystal, causing the Geothermal Hydration passive to cease functioning for 10 minutes while it stabilizes.
  • Specific Slot:
    • Chest Slot. Due to its integrated systems and bulk, it cannot be worn with a cloak, robe, or any other item that would occupy the “over-armor” space.
    • Tags: Armor, Heavy, Chest, Anuran, Abbevillian, Steampunk, Geothermal, Crystal-Powered, Magical, Defensive, Support, Utility, Life-Support, Artisan-Crafted, Devotional, Mechanical, Area-Denial, Durable, Flawed-Core, Hydration, Sentimental

Due to its nature as a unique, master-crafted piece of integrated technology and devotional art, the Steam-Core Harness 482 is not an item that can be found in a typical armory or magic shop. Acquiring such a piece would be a significant undertaking, with the process and cost varying drastically depending on the venue.

1. The Master Crafter’s Forge (Abbeville – By Commission)

  • The “Shop”: This is not a shop with a sign and a storefront, but the heavily guarded, steam-wreathed forge of a high-ranking Anuran clan (like the Slate-Vein themselves) within a quarry-city like Granthold. The air hums with the sound of steam-hammers and the subtle thrum of ley lines. The transaction is a formal, almost religious process, overseen by a Clan Mother.
  • How It Is Acquired: One does not simply buy a harness here; one petitions for the right to have one commissioned. The process is arduous:
    1. The buyer must first gain an audience with the clan’s leadership, which requires significant social standing or a letter of introduction from a trusted Abbevillian figure.
    2. They must prove their worthiness. The clan will not craft their sacred technology for just anyone. The buyer must demonstrate a purpose that aligns with the pragmatic and industrious values of Gravok’s faith.
    3. The buyer is expected to provide the most crucial component themselves: a worthy, magically-charged geothermal crystal. This often requires a dangerous quest into an unstable quarry or a negotiation with other powerful factions.
    4. If the petition is accepted, the buyer pays the crafting fee and must wait. The creation of a single harness can take many months.
  • Cost: 35 Rhodium (350 Platinum), plus the acquisition cost of the central crystal and other rare materials (such as treated bronze ingots). While this is the lowest price in pure currency, the true cost lies in the dangerous quests and social maneuvering required to even begin the process.

2. The Collector’s Vault (High-End Brokerage)

  • The “Shop”: Located in a neutral, high-end trade metropolis on one of Saṃsāra’s other 72 island nations, a place like “The Gilded Cog” or “Argent & Associates” would be the venue. This is an opulent and magically secured establishment that caters to the world’s elite. Items are not displayed openly but are kept in magically shielded vaults, presented to clients in private, velvet-lined viewing rooms.
  • How It Is Acquired: This is a purely financial, though highly discreet, transaction.
    1. The harness would have been acquired by the brokerage through some extraordinary means—perhaps from an adventurer who completed a quest for an Anuran clan or as part of a noble’s estate.
    2. A potential buyer must have a proven reputation or a massive line of credit to even be considered.
    3. The transaction is handled by impeccably professional brokers. The item’s authenticity and function are magically verified, and the sale is recorded on magically protected ledgers.
  • Cost: 120 Rhodium (1,200 Platinum). The price is astronomically high, reflecting the item’s rarity, the broker’s significant fee, and the premium paid for security, authenticity, and the convenience of avoiding the lengthy Abbevillian commission process. There is no room for haggling.

3. The Shadow Market (Black Market)

  • The “Shop”: This is not a place but a network of secretive contacts. A potential sale would be arranged through coded messages and back-alley meetings in the underbelly of a major port city. The final transaction might happen in a disused steam tunnel, a smuggler’s den, or the cargo hold of a derelict ship.
  • How It Is Acquired: This is the most dangerous and direct route.
    1. The harness is almost certainly stolen, looted from a fallen Anuran of high status.
    2. The buyer must navigate a web of untrustworthy intermediaries, with a constant risk of betrayal, ambush, or being sold a clever fake.
    3. There are no guarantees. The item might be damaged, cursed, or have a flawed crystal that could catastrophically fail. The buyer is responsible for their own inspection and assumes all risk.
  • Cost: 70 Rhodium (700 Platinum), though the seller might prefer payment in rare, untraceable goods like alchemical reagents, valuable information, or the execution of a “favor.” While the price in coin is significantly lower than at a legitimate brokerage, the true cost is the immense risk to one’s life and the moral compromise of dealing with the criminal underworld.

The Steam-Core Harness 482 is a dynamic piece of gear whose roleplay applications shift dramatically depending on the environment. Its features are used for both direct confrontation and subtle intimidation.

Defensive Roleplay Applications

In defensive situations, the harness is used to control space, negate threats, and establish Marn as an immovable anchor for his party.

Confined Corridors & Tunnels

When navigating the tight confines of a cave or dungeon, the harness becomes a powerful tool for area denial.

  • Roleplay Example: The party is retreating down a narrow hallway from a horde of chittering creatures. Marn plants his feet, his heavy greaves scraping against the stone. “This is as far as you go,” he rumbles, more to the rock than the enemy. As the creatures charge, he activates the Steam Vent.

“With a deafening hiss that fills the tight space, a dense cloud of superheated steam erupts from Marn’s chest, instantly turning the corridor into a blind, scalding fog. The creatures shriek and collide with one another, their charge broken. Marn stands like a silent iron statue in the swirling mist, his crystal core glowing faintly, using his vibrational sense to track the enemy’s panicked movements while his allies escape.”

Open Battlefields & City Squares

In open areas where he can be outmaneuvered, the harness serves as a personal fortress and a tool for psychological warfare.

  • Roleplay Example: An enemy captain challenges Marn, hoping to break his spirit with a terrifying war cry meant to frighten his foes.

“As the intimidating roar washes over the battlefield, Marn remains utterly still. The constant, rhythmic Steady Hiss of his own armor is a familiar, grounding sound from his home forges, a sound of creation and power that inoculates him against primal fear. He calmly meets the captain’s gaze and says, ‘The forges of Abbeville are louder.’ His refusal to be intimidated, backed by the industrial pulse of his armor, becomes a defiant banner for his allies.”

Sudden Ambush or Trap

When surprised, Marn can use the harness’s raw power to protect himself or his allies through sheer endurance.

  • Roleplay Example: A pressure plate triggers a volley of darts from the walls, and there’s no time to dodge.

“Marn shouts, ‘Brace!’ and activates his Core Overcharge. The crystal on his chest flares with geothermal light, bathing him in a shimmering aura of temporary vitality. He hunches over, protecting his face as the darts pepper his basalt chestplate. Most clatter harmlessly to the floor, their energy absorbed by his Stoneworker’s Aegis and the magical shield. He straightens up, plucking a bent dart from his shoulder plate, completely unfazed.”

Offensive Roleplay Applications

Offensively, the harness is used less as a direct weapon and more as a force multiplier, creating openings, enhancing Marn’s physical power, and intimidating his foes.

Close-Quarters Brawls & Grapples

When enemies get too close, the harness becomes a dangerous weapon of deterrence.

  • Roleplay Example: A group of thugs swarm Marn in a tight alleyway, trying to pin his arms and overwhelm him with sheer numbers.

“‘A poor choice,’ Marn grunts as their hands grab at his arms and shoulders. He triggers the Steam Vent at point-blank range. The explosive release of scalding vapor blasts his assailants in the face. They recoil with yells of pain, their hands burned and their eyes blinded by the thick steam. The sudden, chaotic opening is all Marn needs to bring his Prospector’s Warhammer around in a devastating arc.”

Interrogation & Intimidation

The harness is a powerful psychological tool, using sensory details to break a foe’s will without a single blow.

  • Roleplay Example: The party has captured a defiant informant who refuses to talk. Marn steps forward to take over the questioning.

“Marn looms over the captive, the harness’s geothermal crystal pulsing with a soft, rhythmic light. He leans in close, and the informant is enveloped by the oppressive heat and the constant, unnerving hiss of the steam mechanism. ‘This harness can keep my skin moist in a desert,’ Marn rumbles, his voice low and gravelly. ‘Imagine what its focused heat can do to yours.’ He doesn’t make a threat; he simply lets the intimidating presence of his powerful, industrial armor do the work for him.”

Breaching & Obstacle Removal

The armor’s power can be turned outward to reshape the environment, using its defensive energy for an offensive purpose.

  • Roleplay Example: A heavy, iron-banded door blocks the party’s path.

“Marn examines the door, rapping his knuckles against it. ‘The lock is irrelevant.’ He activates his Core Overcharge, the temporary hit points surging through him as a visible shield of light. He then lowers his shoulder and slams his full, armored weight into the door. The sound is like a thunderclap. The door splinters and flies off its hinges, and Marn, protected by his armor and the energy shield, stands in the doorway without a scratch.”

Perception of Activation:

When the wearer activates a function of the Steam-Core Harness, such as the Steam Vent or Core Overcharge, the sensory experience is dramatic and unmistakable for both the user and any observers.

User’s Perspective (Marn)

  • Physical Sensation: The activation begins with a deep, resonant thrum that vibrates from the basalt breastplate directly into his bones, a familiar and focusing sensation. This is immediately followed by a wave of intense, moist heat that radiates from the crystal core, spreading across his torso. He feels the click of internal valves shifting and the satisfying feeling of pressure building and releasing. The resulting steam cloud feels like the embrace of a humid Abbevillian forge, a comforting and revitalizing sensation on his amphibian skin.
  • Auditory: The initial low hum of the crystal instantly escalates into the sharp, percussive hiss of steam being forced through narrow channels. It’s a sound that momentarily drowns out all others—a miniature industrial roar that is both the sound of his home and a declaration of his power.
  • Olfactory: The air is instantly filled with the sharp, clean scent of ozone, hot metal, and the mineral-rich smell of geothermal steam, a scent akin to a blacksmith’s quench or a freshly struck piece of flint.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Vibrational Sense: Marn feels the activation on a deeper level. The controlled surge of power from the crystal is not just a vibration through the armor, but a harmonious chord that resonates with his own Geode-Vein physiology, a feeling of rightness and contained strength.
    • Ley Line Attunement: He perceives a sharp, sudden intake of ambient magical energy. It feels like a quick, deep breath, as the crystal draws power from the immediate environment to fuel the effect.
    • Proprioception: For a brief moment, as the armor activates, he feels an immense sense of stability and rootedness, as if the armor’s weight has doubled, anchoring him to the very stone beneath his feet.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Visual: The first and most startling perception is a brilliant, blinding flash of amber or white light from the crystal on the Anuran’s chest. For a split second, the magical circuits etched across the armor flare with a corresponding glow. This is immediately followed by an explosive, outward eruption of a thick, roiling cloud of white steam, which completely engulfs the wearer and the surrounding area in an opaque fog.
  • Auditory: Observers are hit with a sudden, loud, and startling PSHHHHT! sound—a violent release of pressure that is both mechanical and magical. The sound is sharp enough to make one flinch and is followed by the roiling, simmering sound of the expanding steam cloud.
  • Physical Sensation: Anyone standing within 10-15 feet is struck by a palpable wave of heat and humidity. The air instantly becomes thick, damp, and difficult to breathe, like stepping into a superheated sauna.
  • Extra-Sensory Perception:
    • Magical Sense: A magically-attuned observer would perceive a violent, instantaneous spike in elemental magic, a chaotic mingling of fire, water, and earth energies that are drawn in, converted, and expelled in a matter of seconds. They would then feel a lingering, stable aura of contained power emanating from the armor.
    • Empathic Sense: An empath would feel a powerful, declarative wave of unyielding intent from the wearer. It’s a feeling of pure, pragmatic purpose, whether it be to shield allies from harm or to create an opening for a brutal counter-attack.

Positives

  • Shock and Awe: The sudden, violent, and multi-sensory nature of the activation is extremely intimidating and can easily cause unprepared foes to hesitate, break formation, or become disoriented.
  • Tactical Obscurement: The steam cloud provides immediate and total concealment, allowing for tactical repositioning, escape, or surprise attacks.
  • User Empowerment: For the wearer, the sensory feedback is not chaotic but focusing and familiar, reinforcing their connection to their power and heritage.

Negatives

  • Total Lack of Subtlety: The activation is a beacon, immediately drawing the attention of every creature in the area. It is impossible to use discreetly.
  • Allied Disruption: The steam cloud is indiscriminate, blinding and disorienting allies just as effectively as foes, which can disrupt party coordination if not used carefully.
  • Reveals Information: A savvy opponent will immediately recognize the activation as a powerful, and likely limited, ability. Witnessing it reveals a key aspect of the wearer’s capabilities.

Blueprint: Anuran Steam Guard

A schematic for the creation of a functional, Tier-1 equivalent of the Steam-Core Harness. While lacking the masterwork quality and potent flawed Golem Heart of a true relic, this design is a hallmark of Abbevillian ingenuity, providing vital hydration and solid protection. It is a complex undertaking, requiring expertise in multiple disciplines.

Materials Needed:

  • Structural Components:
    • 3x Treated Iron Ingots (for the primary chest plate)
    • 1x Quarry Slate Slab (for articulated plating and heat shielding)
    • 2x Bronze Ingots (for the crystal housing and valve fittings)
    • 1x Hardened Basalt-Beast Hide (for straps and insulation)
  • Power & Mechanical Components:
    • 1x Geothermal Crystal (Grade II, Uncut)
    • 8 ft. Coiled Copper Tubing (for the steam circulation system)
    • 1x Set of Bronze Mechanical Valves & Regulators
  • Alchemical Reagents & Consumables:
    • 1x Jar of Forge-Weld Flux
    • 2x Vials of Steam-Infused Quenching Oil
    • 1x Pouch of Powdered Slate (for runic inlay)
    • 1x Anuran Skin Secretion (Solvent-Grade, for cleaning and sealing tubing)

Tools Required:

  • Primary Forge: Access to a fully functional Steam-Forge and Anvil.
  • Smithing Kit: Masterwork-quality hammers, tongs, and shaping tools.
  • Tinkerer’s Bench: A full set of Tinkerer’s Tools for assembling the micro-boiler and valves.
  • Crystal Shaper’s Kit: Specialized diamond-tipped chisels, grinders, and jeweler’s loupes for shaping the geothermal crystal.
  • Runic Scribing Tools: A set of fine-tipped silver awls and etchers for inscribing magical circuits.

Skill Requirements:

  • Primary Proficiency: The crafter must have Journeyman-level proficiency in Armorsmithing.
  • Secondary Proficiencies: The crafter must also be proficient in Tinkering (Steam-Tech), Gemcutting, and Arcana (Runescribing). Attempting the craft without all four proficiencies will almost certainly result in catastrophic failure.
  • Recommendation: While not strictly required, an Anuran crafter will have a natural advantage due to their innate understanding of steam pressure and hydration needs, allowing them to create a more efficient and reliable final product.

Crafting Steps:

  1. Forge the Carapace: The iron ingots are heated in the Steam-Forge and hammered into the shape of a sturdy, form-fitting breastplate. The slate slab is then carefully split and shaped into smaller, articulated plates for the sides and pauldrons. Both iron and slate components are then quenched in the steam-infused oil to grant them resilience against both heat and corrosion.
  2. Construct the Core Assembly: At the Tinkerer’s Bench, the bronze ingots are melted down and cast into a durable, pressure-resistant housing for the crystal and the micro-boiler mechanism. The coiled copper tubing is carefully bent and sealed with the Anuran secretion solvent, then fitted with the mechanical valves and regulators to create the steam circulation system.
  3. Shape and Set the Crystal: This is the most delicate phase. Using the Crystal Shaper’s Kit, the raw geothermal crystal is carefully cut and polished to fit perfectly within its bronze housing. The crafter must be precise, as a single misstep could crack the crystal, rendering it useless. Once shaped, it is set within the housing but not yet activated.
  4. Integration and Scribing: The Core Assembly is mounted onto the front of the iron carapace. The runic etchers are then used to carefully scribe the magical circuits into the armor’s surface, connecting the crystal housing to the steam tubing. The powdered slate is inlaid into these fresh etchings to help channel the magical energy efficiently.
  5. Final Assembly and Attunement: The hardened leather straps are riveted to the armor. All valves are pressure-tested. Finally, the crafter must perform a short, one-hour ritual, placing the finished harness in a cloud of intense steam (or near a significant heat source) and channeling their own magical energy into the crystal. This awakens the crystal, attunes it to the armor’s circuits, and brings the apparatus to life, marked by the first steady, rhythmic hiss of its steam vents.

Lay of Kaelen Stone-Breath

Hear now the telling, its words pulled crooked from the old runestones, themselves a poor copy of a tongue that has no name. The story speaks of the first days, when the Anuran people, the Stone-Born, were new upon the world and their skins were still soft to the wind’s bite.

In that time, it is said, came the Great Dryness. From the sun-ward islands, a wind blew that was not hot, but thirsty. It drank the moisture from the air, and the steam-vents of the mountains grew weak. The pebbled skins of the Anuran, which must be wet to know life, grew tight and cracked. Their strength left them. They became slow, like stones that dream, and the work of their hands ceased. The forges grew quiet in a time that was later called the Trial of Still-Hammers.

There was one among them named Kaelen, whose Granite-Pattern was dark as a coming storm. His heart was heavy as unworked iron to see his people fade. He went to the deep places, to an altar of raw stone where the hum of Gravok was strongest, and he laid his finest hand-axe before it. He did not speak, for his throat was dust, but he thought a prayer to the Shaper of Stone and Soul.

For three days he waited in the deep-dark. And a vision, or a knowing, was put upon him. He saw a mountain’s heart, a stone that was not dead but pulsed with the world’s inner-heat. He saw a serpent of shining copper, coiled and sleeping. And he saw the white breath of the deep earth, the steam that gives life, held captive in a shell of black rock. The knowing was this: a prison for the breath must be made, a shell to carry the home-air.

So Kaelen rose and his path was clear. He went first to the roots of the smoking mountain, a place of danger where the ground was hot and trembled. For a full moon-turn, he delved, following a vibration only he could feel, until he came to a chamber of crystals. In its center was a stone like no other, a flawed heart of crystal that pulsed with a slow, warm light. It was not worthy to give a golem its soul, but it held the fire of life within its cracks. With great effort, he carved this Geothermal Heart from the living rock and carried it on his back.

Then, he sought the copper serpent. He climbed the highest peaks where the sky-fire (the lightning, as it is poorly known) often struck. There, he found a vein of copper, pure and shining, left by the sky-fire’s kiss. He mined this copper, not with brute force, but with patience, chipping it away and thanking the stone for its gift.

Finally, he needed the shell. On the wind-battered cliffs facing the sea, he found a slab of basalt, cooled into perfect blackness by the ocean’s spray. He carved this basalt into plates, shaped to his own thick body, and in the heat of his forge, he hammered them. He worked without sleep, the clang of his hammer the only sound in the quiet land. He took the copper serpent and drew it into fine tubes and channels, like the veins in his own hands. He made a house of bronze for the crystal heart and set it in the chest of the basalt shell.

The work was done. The harness was heavy, silent, and cold. As the Thirsty Wind howled outside, Kaelen put on the armor. It was a great weight. He stood before his people, their wide eyes full of sorrow, and he placed his hands on the crystal. He gave it a piece of his own will, a spark of his soul, and a prayer to Gravok.

What happened next the runestones tell with broken words. There was a great flash of light from the crystal. The copper veins glowed like serpents of fire. And then, a sound was heard for the first time, a sound that would become the anthem of his people: a deep and powerful HISS.

A cloud of warm, wet steam erupted from the harness, enveloping Kaelen. It was the breath of the deep earth, captured and made his own. He breathed it in, and his cracked skin grew supple. Strength, hot and true, flooded his limbs. The steam rolled outwards, touching the others. They, too, felt the life-giving moisture and stirred. He stood among them not as Kaelen the Carver, but as a forge given legs, a piece of their warm, humid home made to walk in the dry, cold world. He became Kaelen Stone-Breath, and his people did not perish.

The Moral of the Story: For the wise crafter does not curse the weakness of his form, but forges from it a tool of greatest strength.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Anuran Steam-Guard Armor (plate), rare (requires attunement by a creature of an amphibian race)

This masterwork suit of plate armor was forged by the Anuran crafters of Abbeville. Its core contains a geothermal crystal that generates a constant, life-sustaining cloud of warm steam.

  • Heavy Armor: You have a base Armor Class of 18.
  • Geothermal Hydration: While attuned to this armor, you automatically succeed on any saving throw related to dehydration and suffer no ill effects from arid environments.
  • Stoneworker’s Aegis: The armor’s hardened basalt plates are exceptionally resilient. While wearing this armor, you reduce any non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage you take by 3.
  • Steady Hiss: The rhythmic sound of the armor’s steam vents is focusing. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
  • Steam Vent: As an action, you can force the armor to release a blast of superheated steam. This functions as the fog cloud spell, centered on yourself, and requires no components. Additionally, any creature within 5 feet of you when you use this ability must make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 1d6 fire damage on a failed save. You can use this feature twice, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
  • Core Overcharge: As a bonus action, you can draw a burst of energy from the armor’s core, gaining 1d8 + your Constitution modifier in temporary hit points. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest. Using this ability causes the Geothermal Hydration feature to cease functioning for 10 minutes.

Blades in the Dark

Quarry-Forged Steam Rig A heavy, articulated suit of quarried slate and bronze piping, constantly hissing with warm vapor. (Heavy Armor, 3 Load)

This is a rare piece of industrial artifice, likely looted from a fallen Anuran guardian or acquired through a very risky deal. It’s bulky and loud, but offers incredible protection.

  • Heavy Armor: The rig is considered heavy armor. You can mark off one of its armor boxes to reduce or avoid a consequence. When you mark armor, you can negate a level of Harm (e.g., reduce level 3 harm to level 2) or erase a less severe consequence entirely.
  • Special Qualities:
    • Pressurized Shell: This is heavy armor. You have armor against physical attacks. When you resist a physical consequence, you get +1d to your roll.
    • Hydraulic Motivation: The rig’s constant steam output makes you a walking bastion of industrial might. When you resist with Prowess, you cannot be easily intimidated or frightened. You may take +1d to your roll when you resist consequences born from fear or social pressure.
  • Activatable Abilities:
    • Vent Steam: Once per score, you can unleash a thick cloud of steam to create an opportunity. Describe how the sudden, blinding fog causes chaos. You or another crew member may take +1d to an action that takes advantage of the distraction (such as a Prowl or Finesse action).
    • Overcharge Core: When you perform an action where raw, forceful power is key (like a Wreck or Attune action), you can suffer 1 Stress to channel extra power from the rig’s core. You gain +1 Effect to your action.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Hyperborean Geothermal Carapace An artifact of unknown origin, appearing as a suit of fused, black, basalt-like plates filled with coiling copper tubes that hiss with an unnatural, rhythmic warmth. It feels strangely organic to the touch.

This strange suit of armor was recovered from a deep-cavern excavation and seems to be a product of a non-human, pre-human civilization. It offers incredible protection at a steep cost to the wearer’s sanity.

  • Armor: 8 points of physical armor protection.
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Bulky: The wearer suffers one Penalty Die on all Dodge, Climb, and Stealth rolls.
    • Alien Life Support: The suit maintains a constant internal temperature and recycles air. The wearer is immune to environmental cold and heat, and can survive underwater or in a vacuum for up to 12 hours. The wearer also recovers 1 Hit Point per hour while wearing the suit.
    • Unsettling Rhythm: The constant, non-Euclidean hiss of the armor is deeply unsettling to the human mind. The wearer must make a Sanity roll (0/1d2 loss) upon first donning the armor. Any other character who spends more than an hour in close proximity to the wearer must also make a Sanity roll (0/1 loss).
    • Release Vapor (Mythos Power): Once per day, the wearer may force the suit to vent a cloud of noxious vapor from a subterranean source. This costs the wearer 1d4 Sanity points. Every character (including the wearer if they are not immune to gas) within a 15-foot radius must succeed on a CON roll or take 1d8 damage and suffer from temporary blindness and choking coughs for 1d6 rounds (imposing one Penalty Die on all actions).
    • Power Surge: By spending 2 Magic Points and 1 Sanity point, the wearer can flood their muscles with alien energy, granting them one automatic Extreme Success on a single STR or CON roll.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Anuran Steam-Plate A heavy suit of slate and iron, fitted with a hissing bronze boiler on the chest that leaks a constant, humid steam.

  • Armor: Provides an Armor defense of 16.
  • Slots: This bulky armor takes up 3 of a character’s 10 inventory slots.
  • Qualities:
    • Amphibian Support: If you are an amphibian, you do not suffer penalties from dry environments while wearing this armor.
    • Stone-Plated: When you take damage from a non-magical weapon (melee or ranged), reduce the damage by 3.
    • Loud: You have disadvantage on all tests related to stealth.
  • Abilities:
    • Steam Vent: Twice per day, you can use an action to release a thick cloud of steam in a 15-foot radius around you. The area is heavily obscured for one minute. Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of you takes 1d4 fire damage from the heat.
    • Core Overcharge: Once per day, you can use an action to draw energy from the armor’s core, immediately healing yourself for 1d8 hit points.

Fate Core

The Forge-Heart of Kaelen Stone-Breath This is an Extra, a significant item that provides both mechanical benefits and narrative weight. It requires a Physique of at least Good (+3) to wear without the player having to spend a Fate point.

  • ASPECTS:
    • High Concept: Masterwork Anuran Steam Armor
    • Trouble: Loud, Hissing, and Unsubtle
    • Other: A Constant Reminder of Home
  • STUNTS:
    • Stoneworker’s Aegis: The armor is forged from resilient basalt infused with geothermal power. Gain Armor: 2 against physical Attack actions.
    • Steam Vent: Twice per session, you can vent a massive cloud of steam. When you do, you automatically Create an Advantage, placing the Situation Aspect Blinding Steam Cloud on your zone with one free invocation for you or your allies.
    • Core Overcharge: Once per session, you can draw on the armor’s core as a free action. Immediately clear your Mild stress box. If you have no stress, you gain a single temporary stress box that lasts until the end of the scene.

Numenera & Cypher System

Geothermic Anuran Carapace This device is an Artifact, a piece of advanced technology from a prior world that seems to blend industrial machinery with geological science.

  • Level: 5
  • Form: A suit of heavy, articulated black plate armor with a glowing crystal and bronze housing on the chest.
  • Effect:
    • Passive: Provides +3 to Armor. The wearer gains an asset on all tasks related to resisting high temperatures, low temperatures, and dehydration. However, the armor is noisy; all stealth-based tasks attempted by the wearer are hindered (difficulty is increased by one step).
    • Active: As an action, the wearer can create a thick cloud of steam that fills an immediate area around them for one minute. All tasks that rely on vision within the cloud are hindered. Any creature other than the wearer who ends their turn in the cloud takes 1 point of ambient damage from the heat.
    • Active: As an action, the wearer can overcharge the core to gain +1 to their Might Edge for one hour. Each time this ability is used, the depletion roll must be checked.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check only when Core Overcharge is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Anuran Steam-Plate Item 5 Uncommon Anuran Magical Steam

  • Price 150 gp
  • Usage worn armor; Bulk 3
  • This suit of +1 full plate is a masterwork of Anuran engineering, with a glowing geothermal crystal set in a bronze housing on the chest. It constantly releases a thin, hissing cloud of warm steam.
  • Base Armor: This is a suit of +1 Full Plate, granting a +7 item bonus to AC, a Max Dex Cap of +0, a Check Penalty of -3, and a Speed Penalty of -10 ft. It requires a Strength of 18 to wear without being encumbered.
  • Geothermal Hydration: While wearing the armor, you are constantly hydrated and gain a +1 item bonus to Fortitude saves against environmental effects with the heat or cold trait. If you have the Anuran water dependency flaw, it is suppressed.
  • Stoneworker’s Aegis: The armor grants you Resistance 5 to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.
  • Activate Steam Vent (concentrate, magical); Frequency twice per day; Effect You release a blast of steam in a 10-foot emanation centered on you. The area is concealed for 1 minute or until dispersed by a strong wind. Each creature that ends its turn in the area takes 1d6 fire damage (DC 19 basic Reflex save).
  • Activate Core Overcharge (concentrate, magical); Frequency once per day; Effect You draw on the armor’s core, gaining 10 temporary Hit Points that last for 1 minute.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Abbevillian Steam-Guard A marvel of pragmatic Anuran engineering, this suit of heavy plate armor is powered by a hissing, steam-producing geothermal crystal.

  • Armor: +4
  • Weight: 40
  • Notes:
    • Heavy Armor: Covers the Torso, Arms, and Legs. Requires a minimum Strength of d8.
    • Hydration System: The wearer is immune to the effects of dehydration and gains a +2 bonus on Vigor rolls made to resist environmental Heat.
    • Steady Hiss: The armor’s rhythmic pulse is focusing and unnerving. The wearer gains a +2 bonus on rolls to resist Fear and Intimidation.
    • Steam Vent: The armor allows the wearer to cast the Obscure power centered on themselves as an innate ability, twice per day. Any creature adjacent to the wearer when the power is activated must make an Agility roll or become Distracted by the scalding heat.
    • Core Overcharge: Once per day, as a free action, the wearer can draw power from the core to immediately make a Vigor roll to remove a single Wound (and any Shaken status). This ability does not cause the “golden hour” to expire for purposes of healing.

Shadowrun (6th World)

Saeder-Krupp “Geo-Guard” Enviro-Armor A prototype suit of heavy industrial security armor, rumored to have been designed for operations in the hazardous geothermal zones of the SOX. It combines top-tier ballistic protection with an experimental micro-fusion core that vents excess heat as clouds of steam.

  • Armor Rating: 15
  • Availability: 16R
  • Cost: 48,000¥
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Custom Protection: This is a suit of Full Body Armor. The basalt-composite plating grants a +2 Armor bonus against non-magical melee attacks.
    • Environmental Seal: The armor contains an integrated Rating 2 Environmental Seal, protecting the wearer from heat, cold, and inhaled toxins or diseases. It has its own air supply for 2 hours.
    • Focusing Rhythm: The rhythmic hiss of the suit’s thermal vents is designed to regulate breathing and focus the mind under fire. The wearer gains 1 Edge when making a Composure test to resist fear or intimidation.
    • Thermal Vent (Major Action): The wearer can vent a blast of superheated coolant. This functions as a Thermal Smoke Grenade centered on the user, creating a 5-meter radius cloud that blocks both normal and thermal vision. Any character inside the cloud at the end of their turn takes 5P damage with an AP of -2. The armor carries 3 coolant charges.
    • Core Overcharge (Minor Action): Once per combat encounter, the wearer can draw a surge of power from the core. They immediately gain 2 points of Edge, which must be used before the end of their next turn.

Starfinder

Anuran Geo-Forge Plate Level 5 Heavy Armor

  • Price 3,100 credits
  • EAC Bonus +8; KAC Bonus +10
  • Maximum Dex Bonus +1
  • Armor Check Penalty -3; Speed Adjustment -10 ft.
  • Slots 1; Bulk 3
  • This strange, archaic-looking suit of black plate appears to be a fusion of primitive metallurgy and surprisingly advanced geothermal technology. It is believed to be an artifact of the lost Anuran civilization.
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Environmental Protections: This armor has the Environmental Protections feature, making you immune to the effects of mundane cold and heat. It is also hermetically sealed, and its internal regulators negate any need for hydration.
    • Stoneworker’s Aegis: The unique molecular structure of the forged basalt grants Damage Reduction 5/— against non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing attacks.
    • Steam Vent: As a standard action, twice per day, you can release a cloud of scalding steam in a 10-foot-radius burst centered on you. This cloud provides concealment (20% miss chance) for 1 minute. Any creature that ends its turn in the cloud takes 1d8 fire damage.
    • Core Overcharge: As a move action, once per day, you can draw a burst of vitality from the armor’s core, gaining 12 temporary Hit Points. These temporary Hit Points last for 1 minute.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Abbevillian Steam-Carapace (TL 7) An extremely rare suit of combat armor, an artifact from a non-human culture that developed steam-based technology alongside advanced power sources. It is bulky and requires specialized maintenance but offers incredible protection.

  • Protection: 12
  • Rads: 0
  • Weight: 20 kg
  • Cost: Cr 275,000
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Advanced Battle Dress: The armor is equivalent to Combat Armor but does not require a power pack, as it is powered by its own geothermal core. It includes a full sensor suite (thermals, light amplification) and a comms unit.
    • Full Life Support: The armor functions as a Vacc Suit, providing breathable air and hydration for 24 hours before the core requires a 4-hour recharge period near a significant heat source.
    • Basalt Plating: The suit’s unique construction makes it highly resilient to primitive attacks. Any damage dealt by a weapon of TL 3 or lower is reduced by an additional 2 points after the armor’s Protection is applied.
    • Steam Cloud System: The armor contains a defensive venting system with 3 charges. As an action, the wearer can expend a charge to fill their location and all adjacent 1.5m squares with a thick steam cloud. This imposes a -4 DM on all vision-based tasks and attacks targeting anyone inside, outside, or within the cloud. The cloud disperses in 1d6 rounds.
    • Core Surge: Once per day, the wearer can shunt power from the core to the suit’s servos. For the next minute, they gain a +2 DM to all STR-based checks, including melee attack damage rolls.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Karak Zorn Steam-Guard An experimental suit of Dwarf plate armor, believed to be a relic from the lost southern hold of Karak Zorn. It incorporates a strange, hissing boiler to help regulate the wearer’s temperature in the unbearable jungle heat.

  • Locations: Head, Body, Left Arm, Right Arm, Left Leg, Right Leg
  • AP: 3
  • Encumbrance: 4
  • Qualities: Fine (+20), Durable, Impenetrable
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Dwarf Crafted Plate: This is a suit of Full Plate Armour. Its Fine quality means its Encumbrance value does not count toward the wearer’s limit.
    • Coolant System: The wearer is immune to all negative effects from environmental heat and gains a +20 bonus to Cool Tests to resist fear or terror caused by fire or explosions.
    • Gromril Reinforced: The suit is reinforced with gromril. It gains the Durable quality, reducing all Critical Hit damage suffered by the wearer by 2. It also has the Impenetrable quality, meaning any hit that scores 1 on the location die strikes the armor and does no damage.
    • Steam Jet: The armor has 2 pressure valves. As an action, the wearer can vent a cloud of scalding steam. Any one opponent Engaged with the wearer must pass a Difficult (–10) Agility Test or gain 1 Blinded Condition and 1 Fatigued Condition.
    • Stoke the Core Rune: Once per day, the wearer can use a maneuver to stoke the Rune of the Furnace bound within the boiler. For the next 3 rounds, their melee attacks with a non-magical weapon gain the Fiery and Damaging Qualities.