GearAscendancy.com

Chrono Aether Yaga 815

—

by

Dale
in

Lore: The existence of The Chrono-Aether Yaga 815 is debated among the highest circles of the Aethersteel Foundry and the hidden covens of Baba Yaga’s lineage. It is said to have been forged by Elara “Seconds-Thief” Vance, a master courier who found herself trapped between a collapsing temporal rift and a pursuing Void-Dragon. In a moment of frantic genius (or madness), she smashed her Chrono Hourglass into the fuel intake of her prototype Aethercycle, then wrapped the volatile mess in her Baba Yaga 743 pouch to contain the explosion.

Instead of detonating, the three artifacts fused under the immense pressure of the rift. The spirit of the chicken-legged hut drank the Aether fuel, and the temporal sands crystallized the mixture into a stable, singular form. The result was a device that does not merely travel through space, but skips across the surface of time, guarded by a spirit that exists in yesterday, today, and tomorrow simultaneously. It is a vessel for those who refuse to be caught by anything—be it a beast, a storm, or the passage of time itself.

Description: To the unactivated eye, this item appears as an ornate, heavy backpack or large belt-lantern. It is constructed of Aethersteel woven like organic bamboo, pulsing with a faint, rhythmic blue light. At its center sits a reinforced crystal chamber containing golden temporal sand that flows upward rather than downward. Tiny, articulated chicken legs made of silver and gears are folded tightly against the casing. When touched, it feels warm and vibrates with the purr of a sleeping cat and the ticking of a grandfather clock.

Stats

  • Tier: 4
  • Rarity: Legendary
  • Weight: 5 lbs
  • Durability: 120 HP (Regenerates 1d10 HP per hour due to temporal reversal)
  • Value: Priceless (estimated 25,000+ Rhodium equivalent in trade)

Slot

  • Worn Item (Occupies a single Back or Belt slot. Despite its power and potential size when active, it magically compresses to fit this single slot when dormant.)

Tags: Chrono-Magitech, Sentient Vehicle, Temporal Manipulation, Ethereal Construct, Legendary, Aether-Fueled, Warded Transport, Time-Skip, Spirit-Bound, Dimensional Anchor, Mobile Sanctuary, Clockwork Symbiosis, Phase-Shifting, Hazard Immunity, Rapid Transit, Ancestral Ward, Tactical Retreat

Passive Magics

  • Omni-Temporal Awareness: The user exists slightly out of sync with the immediate present. They cannot be surprised. They gain a permanent advantage on Initiative rolls and all Perception checks. If an enemy attempts to strike them from hiding, the chicken-leg spirits kick out spectrally to warn the user before the attack begins.
  • Aetheric Levitation: The user gains a passive, constant hovering effect. They float 1 foot above any solid or liquid surface, ignoring difficult terrain, pressure plates, and ground-based hazards (like lava or acid). This does not consume charges.
  • Sands of the Voyager: The user is immune to magical aging and slow effects. The internal hourglass regulates their personal time-stream, keeping their movement speed consistent regardless of external temporal manipulation.

Active Magics

  • Deployment of the Sky-Strider Hut: (Action) The item expands instantaneously into a Large, semi-corporeal vehicle resembling a hut made of blue steel and bamboo, perched on massive avian legs with Aether-thrusters.
    • Speed: 150 ft (Flying/Hovering).
    • Capacity: Up to 4 medium creatures.
    • Defense: The hut provides full cover for those inside and has its own HP pool (separate from the item’s dormant HP).
    • Weapons: The legs can perform melee attacks, or the user can channel spells through the hut’s amplification array (doubling range).
  • Chronal Rewind: (Reaction, 2/Long Rest) When the user or the deployed hut takes damage, they can snap their fingers to revert their physical state to what it was at the start of the turn. The damage is undone, and the user teleports to their position from 6 seconds prior.
  • Aether-Step Warp: (Bonus Action) The user (or the deployed hut) dissolves into a stream of blue sand and Aether, teleporting up to 500 feet to an unoccupied space. This movement leaves behind a cloud of “Time-Lag” fog that slows any enemies in the departure area (half speed for 1 round).
  • Stasis Field Generator: (Action, 1/Long Rest) The user shatters a single grain of the internal sand. A 30-foot radius sphere around the user freezes in time for 1d4 rounds. No creatures inside can move, act, or take damage. The user and their allies are free to move through the area but cannot attack those in stasis without breaking the effect. Used for escapes or setting up complex strategies.

Item Hit Points & Disabling the Magic:

  • Hit Points: 120
  • Disabling: To disable the item, an enemy must specifically target the worn object (the backpack/belt-lantern form) or the deployed vehicle. Due to its Aethersteel construction and temporal shielding, the item has a high threshold for damage. The item passively regenerates 1d10 HP per hour while it has at least 1 HP remaining, knitting together dents and scratches by reverting its own localized timeline.
  • Zero HP State: If the item takes enough damage to reach 0 HP, the temporal regeneration fails. The Aether-light extinguishes, the golden sand freezes in place, and the chicken legs lock up rigidly. All passive and active magics cease immediately; if the user was levitating, they fall; if the hut was deployed, it forcibly retracts into its dormant, broken form, ejecting all passengers. The item is not destroyed, but it is rendered inert and useless until repaired.

Repairing the Item:

  • Minor to Moderate Damage (1–119 HP): No external repair is needed. The user simply needs to wait; the item’s Sands of the Voyager passive ability will automatically restore the item to full functionality over time (regenerating 1d10 HP per hour).
  • Broken State (0 HP): If the item is reduced to 0 HP, the internal timeline is fractured and requires a Ritual of Aetheric Weaving to jumpstart.
    • Requirements: A heat source (Aetheric Forge or Dragon fire), 2 lbs of raw Aethersteel filaments, and a specialized “Temporal Tuning Fork” (Artisan Tool).
    • Process: The artisan must re-weave the broken casing with the Aethersteel filaments while striking the tuning fork to resonate with the item’s specific frequency. This “reminds” the item of the time when it was whole.
    • Time & Cost: The repair takes 4 hours of uninterrupted work and consumes approximately 20 Platinum (or 200 Gold) worth of materials.
    • Skill: Requires proficiency in Smithing (to fix the casing) and Arcana (to realign the temporal sand).

The Chrono-Aether Yaga 815 is a Tier 4 artifact of immense complexity. It is not found in common general stores or even standard magic shops. It appears only in the most exclusive, dangerous, or high-magic trading hubs of Saṃsāra.

Locations where one might find this item, the rituals required to purchase it, and the cost (adjusted for a “Seller’s Market” economy).

1. The Celestial Gearworks Exchange (Floating Metropolis)

Location: Located on Aeros, a massive floating island city known for its Aether-refineries and cloud-docks. The shop is a glass-and-brass rotunda suspended beneath the city, accessible only by private airship. Appearance: The showroom is sterile and silent, filled with ticking displays and floating pedestals. Automaton guards with Aether-glaives watch every move. The Ritual: One does not simply walk in. Potential buyers must present a Letter of Credit from a major bank proving assets in excess of 500 Rhodium. The item is displayed behind a stasis field. The sale involves a lengthy contract signing (waiving liability for “temporal displacement accidents”) and a demonstration where the shopkeeper briefly activates the hover-mode. Cost: 1,200 Rhodium (12,000 Platinum).

  • Note: The price is fixed and non-negotiable. They accept payment in refined Aether Crystals or direct bank transfer of funds.

2. The Shadow-Broker’s Vault (Underground Megacity)

Location: Deep within the cavernous city of Nox, in the “Sub-Layer 4” black market. This shop exists inside the ribcage of a fossilized leviathan. Appearance: Dimly lit by bioluminescent moss. The air smells of ozone and old blood. The merchant is likely a multi-limbed gestalt entity or a rogue Technomancer hiding from the Foundry. The Ritual: “Buyer Beware” is the law here. You are allowed to inspect the item, but you may not activate it. The merchant will likely demand a “Proof of Power”—usually asking the buyer to withstand a blast of psychic pressure or a mild poison to prove they are strong enough to own the device. Cost: 950 Rhodium (9,500 Platinum).

  • Note: While cheaper than the high-end stores, there is a 20% chance the “Chrono-Rewind” feature is on cooldown when purchased, or the Aether-fuel tank is empty. Cash (physical coin) only.

3. Baba Yaga’s “Lost & Found” (Wandering Location)

Location: This shop is a hut that walks on chicken legs, much like the deployed item itself. It appears randomly in deep forests or on foggy moors across the 73 islands. Appearance: The interior is impossibly larger than the exterior, smelling of drying herbs and chicken soup. The Chrono-Aether Yaga 815 will be hanging carelessly on a coat rack next to dried newt eyes. The Ritual: The hag running the shop (a descendant or avatar of Baba Yaga) will not accept coin alone. She demands a game of Riddles or a Tea Ceremony. If you win/please her, she will sell it. If you bore her, the price triples. She considers the item a “noisy trinket” that annoys her cats. Cost: 800 Rhodium (8,000 Platinum) PLUS a personal memory of a childhood regret.

  • Note: This is the cheapest financial price, but the “memory” cost permanently removes that memory from the character’s mind.

4. The Time-Keeper’s Auction (Secret Society Gathering)

Location: Held once a year in a pocket dimension accessible through the Grand Library of the Capital. Appearance: A masquerade ball where every guest wears a mask of a clock face. Silence is enforced; bids are made via telepathy. The Ritual: This is a silent auction. The item sits on a velvet pillow. Buyers project their bids mentally. The “Seller” is an anonymous agent of the Arcane Forges. The auction continues until no mind projects a higher number for ten heartbeats. Cost: Variable, usually closing between 1,500 and 2,000 Rhodium (15,000 – 20,000 Platinum).

  • Note: Paying this high price grants the buyer a “Certificate of Authenticity,” which guarantees the item has been tuned by a Master Chronomancer and is fully charged.

5. The Scrapper’s Lucky Find (Remote Archipelago)

Location: A rusty barge floating in the “Junk Gyre,” a swirl of ocean currents where debris from airship battles collects. Appearance: A chaotic pile of scrap metal, gears, and driftwood. The shopkeeper is a frantic Goblin tinkerer wearing too many goggles. The Ritual: The goblin doesn’t fully know what he has. He thinks it’s just a “fancy glowing backpack with legs.” However, he knows it’s Aethersteel. The buyer must make a Deception or Persuasion check to convince him it’s not worth keeping for himself. Cost: 400 Rhodium (4,000 Platinum) worth of trade goods (spare parts, food, fuel), not coin.

  • Note: This is a steal, but the item is likely dirty, has 105/120 HP, and smells faintly of fish. It requires a thorough cleaning before the “High Society” bonus of the Aethercycle aspect works.

How the Chrono-Aether Yaga 815 can be roleplayed in various environments within Saṃsāra, showcasing its capabilities as a Tier 4 merged artifact.

Urban Environments (Bustling Steam-Cities or Floating Metropolises)

Defense:

  • Scenario: An assassin attempts to snipe the user from a clocktower.
  • Mechanic: Omni-Temporal Awareness & Chronal Rewind.
  • Roleplay: The user stops walking a split second before the shot is fired, alerted by the spectral chicken legs kicking at the back of their knees. If the bullet does hit, the user snaps their fingers; the sound of a rewinding tape screeches, blue sand swirls, and the user flickers back into existence six seconds prior, unharmed and knowing exactly where the shooter is.
  • Narrative: “The bullet shatters your shoulder—but then, the world jerks. Golden sand flows upward. You are standing whole again, the echo of the pain fading, your eyes already locked on the assassin’s nest.”

Offense:

  • Scenario: Chasing a thief across crowded rooftops.
  • Mechanic: Aether-Step Warp & Deployment of the Sky-Strider Hut.
  • Roleplay: The user dissolves into a stream of blue sand, bypassing the gap between buildings and rematerializing instantly in front of the target. To end the chase, they deploy the Hut—expanding instantaneously into a massive steel-and-bamboo construct that blocks the entire street, its Aether-thrusters roaring to intimidate.
  • Narrative: “You don’t run; you skip the space between steps. You appear instantly ahead of him, leaving a fog of time-lag that makes his movements sluggish. With a thought, your backpack erupts into a fortress on legs, slamming down to block the alley with a hiss of steam.”

Wilderness (Deep Jungles or Swamps)

Defense:

  • Scenario: Caught in quicksand or an ambush by stealth predators.
  • Mechanic: Aetheric Levitation & Sands of the Voyager.
  • Roleplay: While the party trudges through mud, the user floats effortlessly a foot above the muck, their boots clean. When a monster tries to use a magical roar to age or slow the party, the user glows with a golden aura, their personal time-stream refusing to bend, allowing them to act normally.
  • Narrative: “The swamp tries to claim you, but the Aether-engine hums, holding you aloft. As the Basilisk’s gaze turns the air heavy and slow, the hourglass on your back spins wildly, keeping your movements fast and fluid against the magical drag.”

Offense:

  • Scenario: Breaking a siege line of goblin riders.
  • Mechanic: Deployment of the Sky-Strider Hut (Combat Mode).
  • Roleplay: The user deploys the vehicle. The Hut’s massive avian legs trample through the undergrowth, crushing barricades. The user casts spells from the window, amplified by the hut’s array, while the legs independently kick and stomp enemies.
  • Narrative: “The backpack unfolds with the sound of cracking thunder. You are now piloting a walking fortress. The chicken legs, shod in Aethersteel, tear through the goblin lines while you rain down fire from the safety of the cockpit.”

High-Magic/Planar (Ancient Ruins or Floating Islands)

Defense:

  • Scenario: A trap triggers, causing the ceiling to collapse.
  • Mechanic: Stasis Field Generator.
  • Roleplay: The user crushes a grain of sand. The falling rocks, the dust, and even the sound of the collapse freeze instantly in mid-air. The world turns greyscale. The user and allies calmly walk out of the danger zone before the time-stop ends and the destruction resumes behind them.
  • Narrative: “The ceiling cracks. You shatter the sand. Silence. A boulder hangs inches from your face, suspended in a golden haze. You calmly step around it, checking your pocket watch, waiting for time to catch up with you.”

Offense:

  • Scenario: Fighting a teleporting mage or a phasing entity.
  • Mechanic: Omni-Temporal Awareness & Aether-Step Warp.
  • Roleplay: Because the user exists slightly out of sync with time, they can predict where the enemy will teleport. As the enemy phases in, the user warps to meet them instantly, the Time-Lag fog forcing the enemy to remain corporeal and slow long enough to be struck.
  • Narrative: “He thinks he’s fast. But you are already there. As he blinks into existence, you are waiting, your blade against his throat. The Aether-fog clings to him, dragging his timeline down to a crawl.”

Open Air/Ocean (Travel & Exploration)

Defense:

  • Scenario: The airship is shot down or the ship sinks.
  • Mechanic: Deployment of the Sky-Strider Hut (Escape Pod).
  • Roleplay: As the main vessel goes down, the user deploys the Hut in mid-air. It hovers on Aether-thrusters, catching the falling party members. It seals airtight, capable of functioning as a submarine or a high-altitude bunker.
  • Narrative: “The deck explodes. You leap into the void and pull the ripcord. Metal and magic swirl around you, forming the Hut before you even hit the water. It bobs on the waves, a steel sanctuary in the chaos.”

Offense:

  • Scenario: Boarding an enemy vessel moving at high speed.
  • Mechanic: Aether-Step Warp.
  • Roleplay: The user calculates the trajectory, then teleports across the gap between moving ships. The Time-Lag fog left at the arrival point causes the enemy crew to move in slow motion, allowing the user to secure the deck before the alarm is fully raised.
  • Narrative: “You don’t need a grappling hook. You become a streak of blue light, bridging the mile gap in a heartbeat. You land on their bridge, and for them, you are a blur, while they are stuck moving through molasses.”

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective

  • Sight: The world momentarily sharpens to a razor’s edge as the central crystal flares with brilliant turquoise light. The golden sand within suddenly reverses its flow, swirling violently upward like a contained tornado. Ethereal blueprints of the chicken-legged hut flicker rapidly in your peripheral vision, overlaying reality with potential paths and defensive angles.
  • Hearing: A cacophony of sound compressed into a split second: the frantic ticking of a thousand clocks, the heavy hydraulic hiss of Aether-pistons, and the distinct, scratching sound of massive avian claws on stone. As the effect takes hold, this stabilizes into a rhythmic, reassuring thrum that syncs with your heartbeat.
  • Touch: The backpack (or belt item) gives a sudden, heavy kick against your body, like a beast waking up. A wave of static electricity bristles across your skin, followed immediately by a sensation of weightlessness as the Aetheric Levitation engages. The air around you feels dense, as if you are moving through water while everyone else is stuck in ice.
  • Smell: The sharp, ozone tang of superheated Aether mixes with the dusty, dry scent of ancient parchment and the earthy aroma of a deep forest floor.
  • Taste: A metallic zing hits the back of your throat, similar to licking a battery, followed by the phantom aftertaste of bitter herbal tea.
  • Extra-Sensory:
    • Temporal Vertigo: A brief sensation of falling backward, as if you’ve missed a step on a staircase, before regaining absolute equilibrium.
    • The Spirit’s Gaze: You feel a watchful, semi-sentient presence at the back of your mind—grumpy but protective—judging your choice of destination.
    • Flow-State: You perceive the “intent” of objects around you before they move; a falling rock feels heavy before it drops, an enemy’s muscle tenses in your mind before they swing.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Sight: The user blurs, their outline smearing like wet ink. The backpack erupts with blinding blue light that momentarily coalesces into the spectral shape of a giant, stomping hut before fading back into the item. If the user moves, they seem to skip frames of animation, appearing at point A, then instantly at point B, leaving a trailing “ghost” of golden sand behind them.
  • Hearing: A sudden, ear-popping crack like a thunderclap, followed by the sound of rushing wind and grinding gears. The user’s movements are accompanied by a low-frequency hum that vibrates in the observer’s chest.
  • Touch: A pressure wave pushes outward from the user, ruffling clothes and hair. If close enough, observers feel a sudden chill, as if a window was opened to a cold winter night.
  • Smell: A distinct scent of ozone and chicken coop (straw and feathers) wafts briefly through the area.
  • Extra-Sensory:
    • Mana-Displacement: Mages or sensitive creatures feel a sudden “hiccup” in the local magical field, as if the user just drank all the ambient mana in the room for a split second.
    • Instinctual Dread: Animals and lower-tier monsters feel an urge to flee, recognizing the presence of an apex predator (the Hut spirit) even if it isn’t fully visible.

Positives

  • Tactical Supremacy: The combination of flight, speed, and time manipulation makes the user nearly impossible to pin down.
  • Absolute Defense: The ability to rewind damage effectively gives the user a “second life” in combat.
  • Utility King: It solves travel, shelter, and defense problems simultaneously.

Negatives

  • Sensory Overload: The constant input from Omni-Temporal Awareness can be exhausting, leading to headaches or “time-lag” sickness after prolonged use.
  • Social Stigma: The item is loud, flashy, and radiates “witchcraft.” It ruins stealth in social situations and terrifying civilians.
  • Aether-Addiction: The item consumes massive amounts of fuel. If the Aether runs dry, the user is left carrying a dead, heavy weight that actively resists being moved.

Recipe: The Chrono-Aetheric Convergence

Items Merged

Additional Materials Needed

  • Flux-infused Aethersteel (10 lbs): Metal that has been exposed to the chaotic energies of a dimensional rift, allowing it to hold a shape while existing in multiple states of matter.
  • Essence of a Blink Dog (or Phase Spider Silk): To bind the teleportation properties to the physical structure.
  • Time-Crystallized Resin: Sap from a tree that grew within a time-dilated zone, used to seal the hourglass shards into the engine without stopping their flow.
  • The “Memory of a Door”: A metaphysical reagent obtained by harvesting the wood from a doorframe that stood for 500 years. This grounds the “Hut” concept.

Tools Required

  • Grandmaster’s Aetheric Forge: Capable of sustaining heat levels that melt metal but not spirit.
  • Temporal Tuning Fork: A mithral tool used to resonate with the frequency of the Chrono Hourglass.
  • Spirit-Needle & Void-Thread: For sewing the metaphysical edges of the pouch into the Aethersteel chassis.
  • Containment Ward (Tier 4): To prevent the catastrophic explosion of the time-engine during fusion.

Skill Requirements

  • Master Arcana: To handle the volatile temporal magic and spirit binding.
  • Master Aetheric Engineering: To strip and rebuild the Aethercycle engine into a portable reactor.
  • Expert Weaving: To integrate the organic bamboo-silk of the pouch with cold steel.
  • A “Moment of Madness”: The crafter must possess the Rule Breaker trait or burn a permanent point of Luck/Fate to attempt this, as it defies standard magical physics.

Crafting Steps

  1. The Engine Collapse: Place the Aethercycle into the containment ward. Systematically strip away the chassis until only the burning Aether Crystal engine remains. Superheat the Flux-infused Aethersteel until it becomes a liquid semi-solid.
  2. The Temporal fracture: This step must be done in less than one second. Cast the Chrono Hourglass into the heart of the superheated Aether engine. As the glass shatters and the time-sand begins to detonate, pour the Time-Crystallized Resin over the mixture. This freezes the explosion in a perpetual loop, creating a “Temporal Reactor.”
  3. The Spirit Wrap: While the Reactor is critical, drape the Baba Yaga 743 Pouch over the reaction. Use the Spirit-Needle to stitch the pouch’s silk directly into the Flux-Aethersteel. The spirit of the Hut will try to reject the engine; you must “feed” it the Memory of a Door to convince the spirit that the engine is its new heart.
  4. Forging the Shell: With the spirit distracted, hammer the Flux-infused Aethersteel around the pouch and engine, folding the metal over itself like kneading dough. This compresses the mass (originally the size of a motorcycle) into the compact backpack form.
  5. Tuning the Timeline: Strike the Temporal Tuning Fork against the cooling metal. You must find the harmonic frequency where the ticking of the hourglass matches the purr of the Aether engine. If you miss the beat, the item ages 100 years in a second and turns to dust. If you hit it, the sand turns golden and flows upward.
  6. Awakening: The item is now complete but dormant. To wake it, the user must strap it on and take a “Step of Faith”—walking off a ledge or into a fire. The item will instinctively trigger its Aetheric Levitation or Chronal Rewind to save the user, bonding the artifact to them.

House That Walks Upon Yesterday’s Sky

Hearken, oh ye ears of soft wax, to the scratching of the Iron-Quill. This is the truth as was written on the scorched plates of the Floating City, before the rain of years washed the words into rust.

It is spoken of the Woman-Who-Steals-Ticks. Her name-sound was El-Ra, or perhaps Vance-of-the-Wheel. She was a rider of the Thunder-Beast, a creature of blue metal that floated upon the ground like a leaf that refuses to drown. She rode fast. Faster than the wind tells secrets. She rode to catch the sun before it slept.

But the Sky-Mouth opened. The Great Nothing, the Dragon-Who-Eats-Shapes, came down from the hole in the air. It sought to drink her blood, for her blood was full of maps.

El-Ra fled upon her Thunder-Beast. But the road ended. Not in stone, but in time. The seconds became mud. The minutes became walls. The Nothing-Dragon opened its throat, which was the color of a blind eye.

El-Ra possessed three great treasures, though she was a fool and knew not their heaviness. First, the Thunder-Beast (the cycle of aether). Second, the Skin of the Grandmother-Hut (the pouch of legs). Third, the Cage of Golden Dust (the glass of captured hours).

She saw the Dragon. She saw the End. She said, “No. I do not agree to be eaten.”

In a madness of fear, she did the Forbidden Knitting. She took the Cage of Golden Dust and smashed it—crrack!—into the fire-belly of the Thunder-Beast. The beast screamed a blue fire. It tried to die. To save it, she wrapped the burning beast in the Skin of the Grandmother-Hut. She swaddled the explosion like a babe in winter.

Then, a great silence fell. A silence loud enough to break teeth.

The Dragon bit down. But El-Ra was not there. The Dragon bit down yesterday. But El-Ra was tomorrow.

The Thunder-Beast had eaten the time-dust. The Grandmother-Skin had eaten the beast. They became One Thing. A Thing of impossible shape. It stood upon legs of silver birds, scratching the air. Its belly was a window of gold sand that fell upward, toward the sky. It did not fly; it stepped upon the air that was, and the air that will be.

It carried El-Ra inside its ribs. When the Dragon breathed fire, the House-Beast simply un-happened the fire. It snapped its fingers—click-tick—and the fire was cold ash before it was born.

They say she rides still. If you look at the blue clouds, you see the Hut-That-Runs. It is here. It is gone. It is a backpack on a giant’s shoulder; it is a fortress on a bird’s foot. It seeks the place where the clock stops, for only there can the rider rest.

Moral of the Story: If you feed the Wolf of Time to the Bird of Iron, you shall never die; but you shall never stop running, for the ground you step on has not yet been made.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Name: The Device of Vance-Yaga (Artifact)

Description: An unwieldy, metallic casing resembling a hiker’s pack, woven with strange blue steel that feels organic to the touch. A glass aperture reveals golden dust flowing upward. When activated, it defies Euclidean geometry, unfolding into a massive, ambulatory structure on avian legs.

Classification: Mythos Technology / Unique Artifact

Sanity Cost: 1D6 Sanity points to activate the hut; 1/1D4 Sanity points to witness the temporal rewind effect.

Powers:

  • Temporal Displacement (Passive): The wearer is always slightly out of sync with local time. They gain +20% to Dodge rolls. However, they suffer a penalty die on all Social skill checks due to their unsettling, flickering presence.
  • Deploy the Walker (Active): By spending 10 Magic Points and 1 round of concentration, the user expands the device into a “Walking Hut.”
    • STR: 150 CON: 100 SIZ: 200 DEX: 60 MOV: 12 (Flying/Walking)
    • Armor: 10 points (hyper-geometry plating).
    • Damage: Kick (1D10 + 6D6).
    • The hut can carry up to 6 investigators. Inside, time moves slowly; 1 hour outside is 10 minutes inside.
  • Chronal Rewind (Active): If the user is struck by an attack or suffers a major wound, they may instantly spend 5 POW (permanently) to revert their physical state to the beginning of the round. The damage is negated, and the user moves to where they were a moment ago. This is a Reaction.
  • Stasis Field (Active): Spend 1D10 Sanity and 12 Magic Points. A 10-yard radius freezes in time for 1D4+1 rounds. Those inside cannot act or be harmed.

Drawback: Every time the Chronal Rewind is used, the user ages 1D10 years instantly when the effect ends.

Blades in the Dark

Name: The Chrono-Hull “Yaga” Rig

Item: Tier IV Legendary Arcane Implement (Load 2)

Description: A heavy, buzzing rig of electroplasm-infused steel and crystal. It vibrates with the trapped spirit of a forgotten god-construct and a pre-cataclysm clock.

Effect:

  • Passive (Ghost-Float): The user can hover over any surface (liquids, gaps, traps) as if they had the Ghost special ability for movement. This does not cost Stress.
  • The Walking Fortress (Special Armor): You may tick this item’s load box to resist a consequence related to physical damage or capture. Narrative: The rig explodes outward into a terrifying steel hut on bird legs, taking the blow for you or smashing through the containment.
  • Clock-Winder (Active): You can take 2 Stress to perform a Flashback that contradicts an immediate on-screen event (e.g., “I wasn’t actually standing there when the bomb went off”). This counts as a specialized form of resistance roll with critical success.
  • Time-Lag Fog: When you flee a scene using this device, you gain +1d to the Engagement roll for the next score, as your pursuers are lost in a temporal haze.

Drawbacks:

  • Volatile Spirit: If you take Trauma while wearing this, the Hull-Spirit inside tries to seize control. You must resist with Attune or the rig acts purely on the GM’s terms (often violent destruction).
  • Conspicuous: This item always has Heat 4 (it glows, ticks, and smells of ozone). You cannot be stealthy while it is active.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Name: The Chrono-Aether Yaga 815 Wondrous Item, Legendary (Requires Attunement by a Spellcaster or Artificer)

Description: A backpack of blue-steel weave and crystal. It hums with a ticking rhythm.

Properties:

  • Sentient Item: The item is Neutral Chaotic. It has an Int of 12, Wis of 16, and Cha of 10. It communicates by transmitting emotions of “hurry” or “hunger.”
  • Aetheric Levitation: While wearing this item, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed and can hover. You can move across difficult terrain, water, or lava without penalty.
  • Omni-Temporal Awareness: You cannot be surprised. You have advantage on Initiative rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks.

Active Abilities (Charges): The item has 6 charges. It regains 1d4+2 charges daily at dawn.

  • Deploy Sky-Strider (3 Charges): As an action, the pack transforms into a Large Construct (Use stats for a Shield Guardian, but with a Fly Speed of 60 ft and immunity to Psychic damage). You and up to 3 Medium creatures can ride inside, granting you Total Cover. You control the construct on your turn. It lasts for 1 hour or until it drops to 0 HP, at which point it reverts to backpack form.
  • Chronal Rewind (1 Charge): Reaction. When you take damage or fail a saving throw, you can undo that event. You teleport to the space you occupied at the start of your last turn, and your HP and status revert to what they were at that moment. The trigger for the reaction (the attack or effect) is considered to have missed/failed.
  • Stasis Nova (2 Charges): As an action, you shatter a time-grain. Each creature within 20 feet of you must succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be Paralyzed (frozen in time) for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the save at the end of each of its turns. You are immune to this effect.

Curse: If the item hits 0 charges, roll a d20. On a 1, the item time-skips 100 years into the future, vanishing from your possession instantly.

Knave (2nd Edition / Latest)

Name: Chronowalker’s Hut-Pack

Slots: 3 (Requires two hands to operate comfortably or huge strength to wear as a pack).

Qualities:

  • Armor: Serves as a Shield (since it has sentient legs that block attacks).
  • Durability: 6 points of Quality.

Features:

  • Levitation: While worn, the bearer floats 1 foot off the ground. They make no sound when moving (silence).
  • Temporal Sight: The bearer can see 10 seconds into the future. They have advantage on all saves to avoid traps or sudden attacks.
  • Deploy Hut: (1 Action). The pack expands into a small house on iron bird legs.
    • HP: 20 (Separate from bearer).
    • Attack: Kicks for 2d8 damage.
    • Utility: Can fly at triple the bearer’s movement speed. Provides safe shelter for 4 people.
  • The Undo Button: If the bearer takes damage that would kill them, they may choose to Break the item (reduce its Quality by 1 point permanently). If they do, time rewinds to the moment before the damage occurred, and the bearer teleports 50 feet away.

Repair: This item cannot be repaired with whetstones or mundane tools. It must be fed “Time” (e.g., the bearer must sacrifice 1 point of Constitution permanently or burn a rare scroll of ancient history) to restore 1 Quality point.

Fate (Core & Condensed)

Name: The Timeskip Yaga-Rig

Description: An artifact of immense power, appearing as a bamboo-textured Aethersteel backpack. It hums with the rhythm of a clock and feels heavier in the past than in the present. It binds the spirit of a chicken-legged hut with a temporal engine.

Permissions: Requires an Aspect related to Aether-Technology or Ancient Magics to attune.

Aspects:

  • Legendary Chrono-Aetheric Construct
  • Sentient Chicken-Legged Protector
  • Guarded by the Seconds of Yesterday

Stunts & Extras:

  • Omni-Temporal Awareness (Passive): The wielder gains +2 to Notice and cannot be surprised. They may use Notice instead of Athletics for defense against ranged attacks, as they predict the projectile’s path.
  • Aetheric Levitation (Passive): The wielder ignores all situational Aspects related to difficult ground terrain (e.g., Muddy, Lava Floor, Spiked Pit). They can move vertically as easily as horizontally.
  • Deploy Sky-Strider (Active): Spend a Fate Point to transform the rig into the Sky-Strider Hut for the remainder of the scene. The Hut acts as a vehicle with:
    • Scale: Great (+2 to actions against smaller targets).
    • Stunt: Aether-Thrusters (Can fly and hover).
    • Stunt: Armored Shell (Armor: 2).
    • Stunt: Independent Legs (The Hut can make a Fight attack using the user’s skill +2 on its own).
  • Chronal Rewind (Active): Once per session, when the wielder takes a Consequence or is Taken Out, they may immediately invoke the Legendary Chrono-Aetheric Construct aspect (free invoke) to negate the hit entirely and teleport to a zone they occupied at the start of the exchange.
  • Stasis Field (Active): Create an Advantage using Lore or Will with a +2 bonus. On a success, place the aspect Frozen in Time on a zone. No character can enter or leave this zone without overcoming Great (+4) opposition.

Numenera & Cypher System

Name: The Temporal Walker Module

Level: 9

Form: A complex, backpack-sized device made of synth and crystal, buzzing with a “hiccuping” temporal vibration.

Effect:

  • Passive: While worn, the user hovers a short distance above the ground and moves with a fluid grace. They have an Asset on all Speed defense tasks and Perception tasks.
  • Active (Deploy): The user can trigger the device to unfold into a massive, Level 9 construct resembling a hut on bird legs. It can carry the user and up to three others. It flies a long distance each round. While inside, the user has total cover. The construct attacks automatically each round (Level 9 damage).
  • Active (Rewind): If the user takes damage, they can immediately use an action (or reaction) to activate the device. They regain points to their Pools equal to the damage taken in the last turn, and they teleport to a safe location within immediate range.
  • Active (Time Fog): The user teleports up to a long distance. Upon arrival, all enemies within short range of the arrival point are hindered by two steps for one minute due to temporal lag.

Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check each time an Active effect is used).

  • Repair: If depleted, the artifact requires 4 units of Io and a specialized Temporal Tuning Fork (a Level 7 oddity or cypher) to recharge.

Pathfinder (Second Edition)

Name: Chrono-Strider’s Hut Item 19

Traits: [Rare], [Magical], [Transmutation], [Time], [Construct], [Invested] Price: 40,000 gp (or equivalent Rhodium value) Usage: Worn backpack; Bulk: 2

Description: This Legendary artifact appears as a backpack woven of blue steel. It grants the wearer mastery over movement and time.

Activate: Two Actions (Interact); Frequency: Once per day; Effect: You toss the pack to the ground, and it expands into a Sky-Strider Hut. This functions as a Folding Boat (Airship form) but with the statistics of an animated Clockwork Dragon (without breath weapon) that obeys your commands. It has a Fly speed of 100 feet. It lasts for 1 hour or until dismissed.

Activate: Reaction (Envision); Trigger: You take damage or fail a saving throw; Frequency: Once per hour; Effect: You activate Chronal Rewind. You instantly teleport to the space you occupied at the start of your last turn. The damage or effect that triggered this reaction is negated. You are effectively reset to your state at that previous moment.

Passive Benefits:

  • Aetheric Levitation: You are constantly under the effects of an Air Walk spell and ignore difficult terrain.
  • Omni-Temporal Awareness: You gain a +3 item bonus to Perception checks and Initiative rolls. You cannot be caught Flat-Footed (Off-Guard) by hidden creatures.

Stasis Field Generator:

  • Activate: Three Actions (Material, Somatic); Frequency: Once per day.
  • Effect: You cast Time Stop, but the duration is fixed at 1d4 rounds. During this time, you may move allies (who are also unaffected) but cannot attack enemies.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Name: The Yaga-815 Chrono-Pack

Type: Relic (Legendary) Weight: 5 lbs

Description: A humming Aethersteel backpack containing golden sand and folded mechanical legs.

Powers & Abilities:

  • Aetheric Levitation (Passive): The wearer gains the Flight power (always active, Pace 6) but must stay within 2” (4 yards) of a surface. They ignore difficult terrain.
  • Omni-Temporal Awareness (Passive): The wearer gains the Danger Sense and Level Headed Edges. If they already have Level Headed, they gain Improved Level Headed.
  • Deploy Sky-Strider (Active): As an action, the wearer places the pack, which grows into a Large Walker (Size 6, Toughness 20 (4), Flight Pace 24). It has Strength d12+4 and can making a Stomp attack (Str+d8). It accommodates 4 passengers. The device remains in this form for 1 hour.
  • Chronal Rewind (Active): Once per scene, if the wearer is hit by an attack (even a Critical Hit), they may immediately spend a Benny to negate all damage and effects. The character teleports up to 12” to a location they previously occupied. Narratively, the event simply never happened to them.
  • Stasis Field (Active): Once per day, the user can activate the pack to unleash a pulse. All enemies within a Large Blast Template must make a Spirit roll at -4 or be Stunned.

Drawback: Temporal Hunger. If the wearer rolls a Critical Failure on any Trait roll while using the pack’s active powers, the item consumes one of the wearer’s highest die type (e.g., d10 becomes d8) in Vigor for 24 hours as it eats their life force to sustain the paradox.

Shadowrun (6th World Edition)

Name: The “Yaga-Protocol” Temporal Rig

Category: Major Artifact / Unique Vehicle Availability: Forbidden (Unique) Cost: N/A (Estimated Value: 5,000,000¥+) Essence Cost: 0 (if worn), but requires bonding (costing 10 Karma).

Description: An impossibly advanced magical focus built into a rucksack frame of blue “living” steel. It radiates a Background Count of 4 due to temporal distortion.

Stats (Backpack Form):

  • Armor Bonus: +4
  • Capacity: 6

Stats (Deployed Vehicle Form – “The Sky-Hut”):

  • Hand: 5 | Speed: 5 | Accel: 4 | Body: 12 | Armor: 16 | Pilot: 6 (Agent) | Sens: 8
  • Notes: Walker/Vector Thrust hybrid movement.

Game Mechanics:

  • Omni-Temporal Awareness (Passive): The wearer gains +1 Reaction and +2D6 to Initiative. They can use the Precognition adept power as if they had 2 levels in it.
  • Aetheric Levitation (Passive): The wearer is under a permanent Levitate spell (Force 6). They hover just above the ground and ignore terrain modifiers.
  • Deploy Sky-Hut (Major Action): The rig expands into the vehicle form. This causes a mana spike detectable from 5km away. The vehicle is a dual-nature entity (can attack and be attacked on the Astral Plane).
  • Chronal Rewind (Edge Action): Cost: 2 Edge. Trigger: You take Physical or Stun damage. Effect: The damage is negated entirely. You teleport up to 10 meters to a spot you occupied previously. Narratively, the timeline where you got hit collapses.
  • Aether-Step Warp (Minor Action): You teleport up to 50 meters. This counts as a Blink spell. Following the teleport, any enemy within 5 meters of your starting point suffers Disorientation (Status) for 2 combat rounds due to temporal lag.
  • Stasis Field (Major Action): Make a Sorcery + Magic (6) test. All targets within a 10-meter radius resist with Willpower + Intuition. Net hits determine the number of Combat Rounds they are paralyzed/frozen in time. Drain Value: 8S.

Drain/Glitch: If the user rolls a Critical Glitch while using any Active power, the rig tears a hole in the Astral Plane, summoning a Hostile Force 6 Spirit of Time/Entropy.

Starfinder (1st Edition)

Name: Chrono-Aetheric Walker Array

Level: 18 Hybrid Item (Magic/Tech) Price: 450,000 Credits (Unique) Bulk: 2 (worn) / Huge (deployed) Slot: Armor Upgrade (occupies all upgrade slots) or Backpack

Description: A pulsating Aethersteel pack containing a swirling golden vortex. It defies standard physics and smells of ozone and ancient herbs.

Mechanics:

  • Capacity: 100 Charges (Aether Battery). Usage varies.
  • Aetheric Levitation (Passive): The wearer gains a Fly speed of 30 ft. (Su) with perfect maneuverability and can hover 1 foot above any surface.
  • Omni-Temporal Awareness (Passive): You gain a +4 insight bonus to Initiative checks and cannot be caught flat-footed.
  • Deploy Sky-Strider (Standard Action, 10 Charges): The pack unfolds into a Huge Air/Land Vehicle.
    • EAC: 28 | KAC: 30 | HP: 240
    • Speed: 80 ft. (Fly), 60 ft. (Walk).
    • Attack: Aether-Kick (4d12+18 B).
    • Cover: Improved Cover for up to 4 passengers.
  • Chronal Rewind (Reaction, 5 Charges): Trigger: You take damage or fail a saving throw. Cost: 1 Resolve Point. Effect: You undo the triggering action. The damage is negated, or the save is treated as a success. You teleport to the space you started your turn in.
  • Stasis Nova (Standard Action, 20 Charges): You cast Time Stop, but it affects a 20-foot radius sphere. Creatures inside (except you) must make a Will Save (DC 24). On a failure, they are paralyzed for 1d4 rounds.

Recharge: The battery regenerates 1 charge per hour automatically.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Name: TL-16 Chrono-Displacement Pack (“The Yaga”)

Type: Ancient Artifact / Experimental Tech Weight: 3 kg Cost: Mcr 150 (Prototype/Priceless)

Description: A backpack unit of unknown alloy (Aethersteel) that utilizes pocket-universe technology and temporal-anchoring.

Game Effects:

  • Grav-Levitation (Passive): Functions as a TL-15 Grav Belt, allowing flight at Medium speed. It requires no fuel, drawing from a zero-point energy source.
  • Temporal Sensors (Passive): Grants DM+2 to all Initiative rolls and Recon checks to detect ambushes. The user’s Neural Link receives warnings seconds before events occur.
  • Deploy Walker (Significant Action): The pack expands mass-displacement fields to form an Armoured Grav-Carrier (Walker config).
    • Hull: 40 | Armour: 15 (Bonded Superdense).
    • Agility: +1.
    • Speed: Very High (Subsonic).
    • Weapons: Grav-Impulse Legs (4D damage).
  • Chronal Rewind (Instant Action): The user activates the temporal shunt. Requires a Psionics (Time) check 10+ or Electronics (Comms) 12+ to override safety protocols. Effect: The user phases out of reality for 6 seconds, negating any damage taken in the previous action, and reappears 10 meters away. Consumes significant power (cooldown 1 hour).
  • Stasis Field (Significant Action): Projects a TL-16 Stasis Field (radius 6m). Anything inside is frozen in time for 1D6 minutes. No damage can enter or leave the field.

Drawback: Using the Chronal Rewind forces the user to make an Endurance check (8+) or take 2D damage from temporal radiation sickness.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Name: The Grandfather’s Aether-Hut

Type: Magical Artefact (Unique) Encumbrance: 2 Rarity: Unique (Legendary)

Description: A heavy pack of blue steel woven like wicker, warm to the touch. Inside, golden sand flows upwards. It is whispered to be a creation of the Ancients or a stolen treasure of the Sky-Titans.

Rules:

  • Magical Flight: The bearer gains the Flight (Hover) Trait (Movement 6) and the Strider (All) Talent, as the pack holds them aloft over mud and water.
  • Witch-Sight: The bearer gains the Sixth Sense Talent and +20 Initiative. The spirit of the hut whispers warnings of incoming blows.
  • Deploy the Hut (Action): The bearer unbuckles the pack, and it grows into a Monstrous Vehicle (Size: Enormous).
    • M: 8 | WS: 55 | BS: – | S: 65 | T: 60 | W: 80
    • Traits: Armour 4, Construct, Flight 8, Horns (Legs) +9 Damage.
    • It obeys the bearer’s commands.
  • The Sands of Undo (Reaction): If the bearer suffers Wounds or a Critical Hit, they may spend 1 Fate Point to declare the attack missed. The bearer vanishes in a cloud of blue sand and reappears 2 yards away. Narratively, time reversed to save them.
  • Stasis Curse (Action): The bearer shatters a grain of sand. All enemies within 10 yards must pass a Hard (-20) Willpower Test or gain the Unconscious condition for 1d4 rounds as they are frozen in a moment of time.

Corruption: Every time the Sands of Undo or Stasis Curse is used, the bearer must make a Corruption Test. The item is steeped in Aethyric energy that does not respect the natural order.