Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush

Lore: In the high-altitude performance halls of Saṃsāra, where the air is thin and the pressure to appear perfect is suffocating, the Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush was formulated. It was created by a troupe of “Waning Stars”—actors who specialized in roles of eternal longing and tragic heartbreak. They discovered that by distilling the physical sensation of a “heavy heart” into a literal pigment, they could project an aura of such profound, attractive exhaustion that no critic could find the heart to jeer them. It is a tool for the “Achy,” those whose beauty is derived from the very fact that they seem to be barely holding it together.

Description: A small, circular compact made of tarnished pewter. Inside is a cream-based rouge that shifted between a bruised violet and a dusty rose. When applied to the cheekbones or under the eyes, it does not hide dark circles or fatigue; it accentuates them, turning “tired” into “hauntingly beautiful.” It carries the faint scent of rain on cold pavement and wilted lilies.

Stats

Tier: 1
Rarity: Common
Gear Slot: Face (One Slot)
Charisma (Sorrowful): +3
Fortitude: -1 (The ache is physical)
Mana Capacity: +5
Weight: 0.1 lbs

Passive Magics

Attractive Exhaustion: While wearing the rouge, the wielder gains a +2 bonus to Persuasion or Deception checks specifically when playing the victim, seeking sympathy, or asking for “one last favor.” The world simply finds your struggle too moving to ignore.
The Lingering Ache: Any creature that strikes the wielder in melee must succeed on a Will/Spirit save or be overcome by a wave of phantom joint pain and emotional heaviness, suffering a -1 penalty to their next Attack Roll as they “feel” the wielder’s discomfort.

Activated Magics

Sigh of the Waning Star (Cost: 3 Mana): The wielder lets out a heavy, labored sigh. All creatures within 15 feet must make a DC 13 Charisma save. On a failure, they become Lethargic for 1 round, their movement speed halved as they are weighed down by the wielder’s projected weariness.
Complexion of the Martyr (Cost: 4 Mana): For 10 minutes, the rouge spreads, making the wielder look deathly ill yet ethereal. During this time, the first person who attempts to attack the wielder must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom save or find themselves unable to follow through with the strike, overcome by the guilt of “hurting something so fragile.”

Tags: Cosmetic-Magic, Achy-Focus, Tier 1, Common, Beauty-Preparations, Sorrow-Aura, Sympathy-Tool, Face-Slot, Melancholy-Blush, Martyr-Aesthetic, Performance-Art, Pallid-Grace, Fragile-Facade, Dolorous-Cream, Weary-Glow, Somatic-Sorcery, Heart-Heavy-Hues, Aesthetic-Infirmity, Pining-Pigment, Languid-Luster, Bruised-Elegance, Spirit-Sore-Salve

In the world of Saṃsāra, the Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush is a staple for those who navigate social circles through the power of sympathy and the “aesthetic of the suffering.” It is found in places where appearance is treated as a tactical necessity.

The Apothecary of the Wilted Rose (Performance District)

Environment: Dimly lit, draped in heavy velvet curtains, and smelling of damp lavender. The shopkeeper is usually an retired opera singer with a permanent, practiced limp.
How it is Bought: The seller expects a “Performance of Need.” If you walk in looking too healthy or upbeat, the price doubles because you are clearly “appropriating the struggle.” You buy it by describing a heartbreak—real or imagined—to the shopkeeper.
Cost: 18 to 22 Gold Pieces. This is the standard price for those in the “acting” trade.

The Sanitarium Gift Shop (Healing Wards)

Environment: A sterile, quiet nook within Saṃsāra’s larger hospitals. It is sold to long-term patients who wish to look “poetically frail” for visitors rather than simply “medically unwell.”
How it is Bought: It is often traded for “Comfort Tokens” or medical credits. It is marketed here as a way to maintain one’s dignity through the “beauty of the ache.”
Cost: 15 Gold Pieces. Prices are subsidized here to provide a small sense of vanity to the genuinely pained.

The Back-Alley ‘Gutter-Glam’ Peddler (Slums/Lower City)

Environment: A tattered trench coat or a makeshift crate in a rainy alley. These versions are often “watered down” with common flour or grey ash but still carry the magical essence.
How it is Bought: A quick, hushed transaction. It’s popular among beggars who want to look more “deserving” of alms or petty thieves who want to look too weak to have climbed that balcony.
Cost: 8 to 10 Gold Pieces. The quality is lower, and the “Achy” feeling might last longer than the cosmetic effect itself.

The High-Society ‘Vanity Vault’ (Noble Districts)

Environment: A crystal-encrusted boutique where the floors are polished marble. It is sold as “The Martyr’s Palette,” a trendy way for the rich to pretend they have depth.
How it is Bought: By appointment only. It comes in a gold-plated compact rather than pewter.
Cost: 120+ Gold Pieces. You are paying for the brand and the luxurious packaging, though the magic inside is functionally identical to the common version.

Resale and Scarcity

Resale Value: Most merchants will buy a half-used compact for 4 to 6 Gold. However, if the cream has dried out and lost its “Achy” scent, it is worthless.
Scarcity: Common. It is widely available in any urban center, as there is never a shortage of people in Saṃsāra wanting to look like they’ve suffered more than they actually have.

Roleplaying with Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush requires a mastery of the “Dying Swan” archetype. Your Avatar doesn’t win by being stronger; they win by making the opponent feel like a monster for even thinking about attacking. You are weaponizing the “Achy” sensation to make yourself untouchable and your enemies sluggish.

Offensive Roleplay: The “Pathos Pressure”

Offense with this cosmetic is about “Emotional Sabotage.” You aren’t striking at their body; you are striking at their conscience and their physical energy.

In Combat (Sigh of the Waning Star): When you activate this ability, don’t just state the mechanic. Narrate your Avatar leaning against a pillar, one hand fluttering to their forehead as they let out a breath that sounds like the end of a long, lonely winter. Describe how the “Achy” energy leaves your body and settles into the marrow of your enemies. Roleplay it as if you are sharing your burden, making them too tired to lift their swords against you.
The “Guilt-Trip” Strike: If your system allows for social combat or “cutting words,” use the blush to frame your attacks as self-defense from a place of extreme weakness. “Must you strike me? Is the world not heavy enough already?” The offense is making the enemy doubt their own cause, causing them to hesitate and fumble.
Weaponized Fragility: Use the Lingering Ache passive by intentionally putting yourself in “danger.” Roleplay a stumble into an enemy’s range. When they hit you, narrate the “bruise” on your cheek glowing a deep, tragic violet, sending a wave of sympathetic joint pain through the attacker. You are an “Achy” trap.

Defensive Roleplay: The “Martyr’s Sanctuary”

Defense with the Melancholy Blush is about “Aesthetic Immunity.” You make yourself look so beautifully broken that the world instinctively moves to protect you.

Complexion of the Martyr: When activating this, narrate the rouge spreading across your face, making your skin look like translucent porcelain. Roleplay the “Ache” as a visible shiver. When an enemy tries to strike, look them directly in the eye with a gaze that says, “I forgive you for this cruelty.” The defense comes from the enemy’s own revulsion at their actions—they see a “Martyr,” not a target.
Attractive Exhaustion (Social Defense): In a non-combat setting, like a trial or a confrontation with a guard, use the blush to look like a “Tragic Hero.” Narrate your voice cracking with fatigue. Use the +3 Charisma bonus to make the NPC feel an “Ache” in their own chest. Roleplay the defense as making yourself a “Social Protected Asset”—no one wants to be the person who arrested the “Sorrowful Star.”
The “Graceful Collapse”: If you are low on HP, roleplay the “Achy” focus by collapsing in a way that is strikingly poetic. Instead of falling like a ragdoll, slide down a wall with the grace of a falling petal. This forces enemies to either ignore you (thinking you’re finished) or hesitate, giving your allies a window to intervene.

Environmental Interaction Nuances

In High-Society Ballrooms: Roleplay as the “Enigmatic Outsider.” While everyone else is loud and vibrant, sit in the shadows, your blush making you look like a haunting ghost. Use the “Ache” to draw curious nobles to you, using their pity as a key to unlock their secrets.
In Wintry/Cold Biomes: The “Achy” focus thrives here. Narrate the cold air making your joints throb in sync with the magic. Roleplay that you aren’t shivering from the cold, but from the weight of your own “Melancholy.” NPCs might offer you their coats or a warm seat by the fire just to soothe your “Visible Pain.”
In Ancient Ruins: Use the rouge to harmonize with the “Sorrow” of the place. Roleplay your Avatar touching a crumbling statue and feeling the “Ache” of the lost civilization. This can be used to gain favor with spirits or “Sorrow-Bound” entities who recognize you as a kindred soul.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective

Sight: The bruised-rose pigment deepens in the compact, taking on a subtle, pearlescent shimmer. Upon application, your vision softens at the edges, as if looking through a thin veil of falling rain or a tear-filled eye.
Sound: A low, harmonic thrumming vibrates in your ears—the sound of a long, sustained cello note or a distant, weary sigh that resonates with your own heartbeat.
Touch: A phantom “heaviness” settles into your limbs. Your joints feel stiff and cool, as if you have been standing in a cold fog for hours. The skin where the cosmetic is applied feels tight and slightly chilled.
Smell: A sudden, sharp scent of ozone, crushed lilies, and the metallic tang of old coins fills your nostrils.
Taste: You experience a localized bitterness on the back of the tongue, reminiscent of strong, cold tea or the taste of iron.
Extra-Sensory (Sympathetic Weight): You feel the emotional “gravity” of everyone in the room. You can sense who among them is carrying a hidden grief, as their presence feels “heavier” to your spiritual intuition.
Extra-Sensory (Martyr’s Clarity): A strange sense of calm washes over you; because you have embraced the “Ache,” the fear of physical pain diminishes, replaced by a cold, aesthetic detachment.

Observer’s Perspective

Sight: The wielder’s face seems to lose its healthy flush, becoming ethereal and pallid. The blush under their eyes looks like a fresh, poetic bruise that catches the light in a way that is heartbreakingly beautiful.
Sound: Observers find themselves lowering their voices instinctively, as if they are in a sickroom or a cathedral.
Smell: Those standing close catch a drift of “winter air” and damp earth, even in a warm room.
Extra-Sensory (The Pity Reflex): Observers feel a sudden, sharp pang in their own chests—a “mirror ache” that makes the wielder appear fragile, precious, and utterly undeserving of hostility.

Positives

Conflict Dampening: The aura makes it socially “expensive” for NPCs to be aggressive toward you; they risk looking like villains to anyone watching.
Emotional Shielding: The wielder is immune to “Fear” effects that rely on loud noises or sudden shocks, as their “Achy” state is already tuned to a frequency of quiet sorrow.
Sympathy Extraction: It is incredibly easy to gain access to restricted areas or resources by claiming a “faintness of spirit” that the magic makes look undeniable.

Negatives

Physical Sluggishness: The “Achy” sensation is not just an illusion; the wielder suffers a genuine reduction in movement speed or reaction time while the magic is peaked.
Inability to Intimidate: You cannot successfully threaten or scare anyone while wearing this; you look too pitiable to be taken seriously as a physical threat.
Social Magnetism (Unwanted): You may attract “Healers” and “Protectors” who refuse to leave your side, inadvertently smothering your ability to act independently.

The Compounding of the Waning Star’s Grief

Materials Needed

Tarnished Pewter Compact: A vessel that has sat in a dark place for at least a year, absorbing the “stillness” of the shadows.
Dust of Crushed Lilies (7 Flowers): Lilies that were allowed to wilt naturally in a vase of rainwater.
Cold-Pressed Rosehip Oil: Must be pressed at midnight to maintain the “cool” property of the base.
Pigment of the “Bruised Sky”: A mixture of pulverized lapis lazuli and dried beetroot, ground until it reaches the color of a storm-cloud at dusk.
One “Shattered Promise”: A small object representing a failed agreement (a torn contract, a broken ring, or a cancelled ticket) to be burned and the ash folded into the cream.
A Dram of Saltwater: Ideally collected from a tear of genuine frustration, though sea-spray from a lonely cliffside will suffice.

Tools Required

Mortar and Pestle (Stone): Wood is too warm; stone keeps the “Ache” in the minerals.
Fine Silk Strainer: To ensure the cream is ethereal and smooth, leaving no “grittiness” of reality behind.
Silver Spatula: For folding the ingredients without contaminating the magical resonance with base metals.
Small Wax-Sealing Lamp: To gently melt the rosehip oil and beeswax into a base.

Skill Requirements

Cosmetic Alchemy (Basic): Knowledge of how to bind volatile emotional energies into a stable topical cream.
Performance (Tragedy): The crafter must maintain a state of “Languid Melancholy” during the entire process; if the crafter feels too much joy, the blush will turn into a common, cheerful rouge.
Somatic Attunement: The ability to “feel” the weight of the mixture to know when the “Ache” has reached the correct potency.

Crafting Steps

The Base of Stillness: Melt the rosehip oil and a small amount of white beeswax over the low flame of the sealing lamp. Do not let it boil; it must remain “weary,” not energetic.
The Ash of Regret: Burn the “Shattered Promise” until only white and grey ash remains. Whisk this ash into the warm oil using the silver spatula while whispering the names of things you have lost.
The Grinding of Hues: In the stone mortar, combine the pulverized lapis and beetroot. Add the dust of the seven lilies. Grind in a counter-clockwise motion—the direction of “un-making.”
The Binding of Salt: Add the dram of saltwater to the pigments. This creates a slurry that represents the “Salt of the Earth” and the “Sting of the Eye.”
The Folding: Slowly pour the pigmented slurry into the oil base. Use the silk strainer to ensure only the finest particles remain. Fold the mixture gently, never stirring rapidly.
The Pewter Cask: Pour the warm cream into the tarnished pewter compact. Leave the lid open and place it in a location where it can “hear” the sound of rain or wind but see no direct sunlight.
The Final Sigh: Once the cream has set into a firm rouge, lean over the compact and let out a deep, labored breath. If the surface of the cream ripples and then settles into a bruised violet-rose, the Cosmetic 412 is ready.

Painted-Face-Ghost and King of Iron-Bones

In the “Sun-Which-Does-Not-Warm” (the antiquity), when the world was a “Heavy-Stone-on-the-Shoulder,” there lived a Lady-of-the-Falling-Petal (The Actress). She was a woman whose skin was like “Old-Milk” and whose eyes were “Wells-of-Salt-Water.” She did not wish to be a “Sword-Wielder,” but her life was a “War-of-Small-Cuts.”

The translation, scratched onto a “Skin-of-a-Sad-Beast” (Vellum) and stained by the “Juice-of-Dead-Grapes,” says: The Lady took the Dust of the Flower-that-Grieves (The Lily) and mixed it with the “Cold-Fat-of-the-Earth.” She added the Ash of the Word-that-was-Lied (The Shattered Promise) until the cream was the color of a “Bruise-on-the-Sky-at-Sunset.”

The story, limping like a “Dog-with-a-Thorn,” tells of the King of Iron-Bones. He was a man whose heart was a “Closed-Fist” and who believed that “Strength-is-the-Only-Language.” He came to the Lady’s theater to “Burn-the-Stories” because he said the “Ache” made his soldiers “Soft-as-Mud.”

Then stood the Lady before the King’s “Metal-Feet.” She did not wear a “Shirt-of-Rings” (Mail). She put the Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush upon her “Cheek-Hills” and under her “Sight-Windows.” The translation says: “Her face became a song that makes the throat tight.”

As the King raised his “Killing-Stick” (Mace), he looked upon the Lady. He did not see a “Target-to-Break”; he saw the “Face-of-Every-Sadness-He-Ever-Made.” The Ache of the rouge entered his “Marrow-Holes.” His arm became “Heavy-as-a-Mountain.” He felt the “Sting-of-the-Unforgiven.”

The King, who had never “Leaked-from-the-Eye” (Cried), dropped his iron. He sat upon the ground because his “Joints-were-Full-of-Old-Sorrows.” He looked at the Lady and said, “Why does your face hurt my soul?” The soldiers, too, felt the “Attractive-Weariness” and could not find the “Fire-to-Kill.” They walked away with “Slow-Feet,” thinking of the mothers they had left behind.

The ancient script, fading like “Mist-on-the-Water,” ends: “The King of Iron-Bones became the King of Soft-Hands, and the Lady’s rouge was hidden in a box of pewter so the world would not drown in its own beauty.” It is said that if you wear the cream, even the “Wind-will-Sigh” when you pass.

Moral of the Story: A heart of iron can be shattered by a hammer, but it can only be melted by the “Ache of the Fragile”; there is a power in the “Broken-Beauty” that makes the strong man’s hand grow heavy with the weight of his own cruelty.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Name: The Dramaturg’s Pallid Paste

Description: A pewter compact containing a grey-rose cream. Applying it makes the user look as though they have seen the edge of the abyss and been left profoundly, beautifully exhausted by the view.

Stat Block:

Skill: Charm or Persuade (Sympathy-based)
Magic Points: 4 MP per application
Sanity Cost: 1D2 (Feeling the “Ache” requires a brush with despair)
Duration: 1D4 hours

Mechanics:

Passive — Haunting Presence: The user receives a Bonus Die on Persuasion or Charm rolls when playing upon an NPC’s pity, guilt, or sense of paternal/maternal protection.
Active — The Lingering Ache: If the user is physically struck, the attacker must pass a Hard POW check. If they fail, they suffer a penalty die on all physical actions for 1D4 rounds as they are overcome by a wave of phantom joint pain.

Blades in the Dark

Name: The Waning Star’s Rouge

Description: An alchemical cosmetic favored by “Slide” archetypes who specialize in tragic cover identities. It imparts a bruised, ethereal glow to the face.

Stat Block:

Tier: I
Quality: Fine (Potency for social defense)
Load: 0 (Applied before the score)

Mechanics:

Passive — Attractive Exhaustion: When you Consort or Sway by appearing fragile or victimized, you have Potency.
Active — Complexion of the Martyr (1 Stress): You project an aura of such profound weariness that an NPC must resist with Resolve to take a hostile action against you.
Achy Drawback: While the rouge is active, any Prowl or physical Finesse actions take a -1d penalty due to the “Ache” in your joints.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Name: Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush

Description: Wondrous Item (Face), Common This small pewter compact contains a bruised-violet cream. While worn, your face appears ethereally pale and tired, yet undeniably striking.

Stat Block:

Charges: 2 (regains all charges at sunset)
Save DC: 13

Mechanics:

Passive — The Lingering Ache: When a creature hits you with a melee attack, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on its next attack roll before the end of its next turn.
Active — Sigh of the Waning Star (1 Charge): As an action, you let out a heavy sigh. Each creature within 15 feet must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or have its movement speed halved until the end of its next turn.
Active — Complexion of the Martyr (2 Charges): As a reaction when a creature you can see targets you with an attack, you can force it to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Name: The Martyr’s Paint

Description: A cool, heavy cream that makes the wearer look like a tragic painting.

Stat Block:

Slots: 1 (Worn/Applied)
Quality: 10
Charisma Bonus: +3 (only for seeking alms, mercy, or passage)

Mechanics:

Passive — Achy Constitution: You have Advantage on saves against being frightened, as you are already overwhelmed by your own “Ache.” However, you have Disadvantage on any check involving running or jumping.
Active — The Lingering Ache: Any enemy that kills or seriously wounds the wearer must make a WIS save. On a failure, they are “Heart-Struck” and cannot take any actions for 1d4 rounds as they weep for what they have done.

Fate Core System

Name: The Melancholy Blush 412

Description: A pewter compact containing a cream that makes the wearer look hauntingly beautiful and tragically spent. It projects a “weight” that slows the world down to match the user’s pulse.

Stat Block:

Aspect: “Aching with Ethereal Sorrow”
Stunt (Attractive Exhaustion): Gain a +2 to Rapport or Deception rolls when your goal is to elicit pity, guilt, or protection from an NPC.
Stunt (The Lingering Ache): When you take a physical hit and marked a stress box, you may immediately place the Boost Sympathetic Pain on your attacker.

Mechanics:

Active — Sigh of the Waning Star: Spend a Fate Point to invoke your “Aching” aspect. All enemies in your current zone gain the Lethargic aspect with one free invoke against them as they are slowed by your projected weariness.

Numenera & Cypher System

Name: Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush

Description: A Level 2 artifact. This thick, bruised-colored paste reacts with the user’s bio-electrical field to project a minor “Empathy-Field” of exhaustion.

Stat Block:

Level: 2
Form: Topical Cream
Depletion: 1 in 1d10 (Checked after each scene of use)

Mechanics:

Passive — Martyr’s Aura: You are trained in all tasks involving Persuasion or Deception while wearing the blush, provided you are acting from a position of weakness or injury.
Active — Complexion of the Martyr (2 Intellect points): For one hour, the difficulty of any task to resist your social requests is decreased by one step.
Active — The Lingering Ache (3 Intellect points): You radiate a pulse of joint-stiffening energy. For the next minute, any creature within immediate range that attempts to attack you finds the difficulty of that attack increased by one step.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Name: Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush

Description: Item 2; Uncommon, Alchemical, Consumable, Emotion, Mental This bruised-violet paste is cool to the touch and carries a faint scent of lilies.

Stat Block:

Usage: held in 1 hand (applied to face); Bulk: —
Activation [One-Action]: Sigh of the Waning Star (auditory, emotion, mental).

Mechanics:

Passive — Attractive Exhaustion: You gain a +1 item bonus to Diplomacy checks to Request or Persuade, but only if the target is not currently hostile and feels superior to you.
Active — Sigh of the Waning Star [One-Action]: You let out a labored breath. Each creature in a 15-foot emanation must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or become Sluggish 1 for 1 round.
Active — Complexion of the Martyr [Reaction]: (Trigger: A creature targets you with a Strike) The attacker must attempt a DC 18 Will save. On a failure, they take a –2 status penalty to the attack roll as they are overcome by a sudden sense of guilt.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Name: Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush

Description: A pewter compact of rouge that imparts a “poetically frail” appearance and a physical ache to the wearer.

Stat Block:

Type: Arcane Device (Common)
Weight: 0.1 lbs
Power Points: 10

Mechanics:

Passive — Achy Burden: The wearer suffers a -1 penalty to Pace and all Athletics rolls while the cosmetic is active.
Passive — Martyr’s Charm: The wearer gains a +2 bonus to Persuasion rolls when seeking mercy or aid.
Active — The Lingering Ache (2 PP): The wielder uses the Slumber power, but instead of sleep, the targets are overcome by a heavy, aching lethargy (represented by the Slow or Entangled status).
Active — Complexion of the Martyr (3 PP): The wielder uses the Deflection power. Instead of physical speed, attacks miss because the attacker “hesitates” to strike someone so fragile.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Name: “Achy-Break” Sympathetic Pigment

Description: A specialty cosmetic infused with nanomites that respond to the user’s stress levels. It doesn’t just look like a bruise; it transmits a low-level “distress” signal to the AR-overlays and olfactory sensors of those nearby.

Stat Block:

Type: Gear (Social/Chemical)
Rating: 2
Slot: Face (Applied)
Availability: 2
Cost: 450¥

Mechanics:

Passive — Attractive Exhaustion: The user adds the pigment’s Rating to all Influence tests when trying to appear non-threatening or when seeking medical/financial aid.
Active — The Lingering Ache: When the user takes physical damage, the pigment releases an aerosolized neurotransmitter. Any character within 2 meters must make a Willpower + Intuition (Rating) test. On a failure, they suffer a -1 penalty to all physical actions for the next Combat Round as they experience a phantom “sympathy pain.”

Starfinder (2nd Edition Playtest)

Name: Cosmetic 412 of the Melancholy Blush

Description: Level 2; Price: 425 Credits; Bulk: — A hybrid technomagic cream utilizing liquid-crystal pigments that mimic the visual markers of exhaustion while projecting a minor telepathic “Ache” field.

Stat Block:

Usage: worn (applied to face); Capacity: 10 (Charges)
Category: Hybrid Item (Enchantment, Mental, Sensory)

Mechanics:

Passive — Martyr’s Aura: You gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Diplomacy checks to Persuade or Request, provided you are currently below your maximum Hit Points.
Active — Sigh of the Waning Star (2 Actions, 2 Charges): You release a pulse of psychic fatigue. All creatures in a 15-foot emanation must succeed on a DC 16 Will save or become Slowed 1 for 1 round.
Active — Complexion of the Martyr (Reaction, 3 Charges): Trigger: An enemy targets you with a Strike. The enemy must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or take a -2 status penalty to the attack roll as they are overcome by a sudden sense of protective guilt.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Name: TL 12 “Pitiable-State” Cosmetic Kit

Description: Developed for high-stakes undercover infiltration, this kit uses specialized chemicals to induce minor joint inflammation and pale complexion, making the user appear to be a victim of radiation sickness or severe space-fatigue.

Stat Block:

TL: 12
Weight: —
Cost: Cr 1,500
Skill: Persuade or Deception

Mechanics:

Passive — Achy Burden: The user suffers a -1 DM to all Athletics and Dexterity-based checks due to the chemical-induced stiffness in their joints.
Active — Attractive Exhaustion: The user receives a +2 DM to Persuade or Deception checks when attempting to convince someone they are harmless, sickly, or in need of immediate passage/help.
Active — The Lingering Ache: Anyone who physically handles the user must make an END (8+) check. Failure results in the NPC becoming Fatigued for 1D6 minutes as the transdermal chemicals transfer to their skin, inducing temporary lethargy.

Warhammer (Wrath & Glory / 4th Edition)

Name: The Martyr’s Pallor

Description: A sacred unguent often used by the “Penitent Scribes” of the Administratum. It makes the wearer look as though they carry the weight of the Golden Throne’s bureaucracy upon their very face.

Stat Block:

Value: 3 (Common); Tier: 1
Keywords: [Imperium], [Adeptus Ministorum], [Somatic]

Mechanics:

Passive — Aesthetic of the Ache: You gain +1d to all Insight (Int) and Persuasion (Fel) tests when dealing with those of a higher social standing who might feel pity for your “lowly” and “pained” status.
Active — Sigh of the Waning Star (Action, 2 Glory): You let out a breath of pure, holy exhaustion. All enemies within 10 meters must pass a Willpower Test (DN 3). On a failure, they are Hindered (1) until the end of their next turn.
Active — The Lingering Ache (Reaction, 1 Wrath): Trigger: You suffer a Wound from a melee attack. The attacker must pass a Resolve Test (DN 4). If they fail, they are Distracted (2) until the end of the combat encounter, burdened by the spiritual “Ache” they have inflicted upon you.