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Dark 412 of Astonished

—

by

Dale
in

Lore

The Dark 412 is a product of the Gloom-Wrought Isles, where alchemists once attempted to bottle the literal sensation of disbelief. This specific item was forged by a disgraced magus who sought to ensure that no one could witness his descent into the forbidden arts without a look of absolute, paralyzed wonder. It is a cold, obsidian-plated monocle that pulses with a faint, oily violet light. When worn, it does not just enhance sight; it twists the perspective of the wearer and those they gaze upon. The monocle is said to contain a fragment of a soul that died in a state of permanent shock, and it hungers to replicate that expression on the faces of the living.

Stats and Slot

  • Slot: Head (Eyes)
  • Tier: 1
  • Rarity: Common
  • Material: Obsidian, tarnished silver, and a preserved vitreous humor.
  • Weight: 0.1 lbs.
  • Suggested Value: 45 Silver.

Passive Magic

  • Eerie Insight: The wearer gains a constant, unsettling awareness of the biological functions of creatures they look at, seeing the frantic beating of a heart or the expansion of lungs as if through a dark filter.
  • Lingering Shadow: Any creature that makes eye contact with the wearer for more than a few seconds feels a cold shiver, leaving them slightly more susceptible to being startled by sudden movements in the periphery.
  • Morbid Focus: The item grants a bonus to the Mind’s Eye when examining objects related to death, decay, or necromantic rituals, highlighting them with a faint, dark glow.

Activable Magic

  • Gaze of the Aghast: As an action, the wearer can channel dark energy through the monocle to lock eyes with a target. The target must succeed on a mental resistance check or become “Astonished” for one minute. While astonished, the target is rooted to the spot in a state of pure, open-mouthed shock, unable to look away from the wearer until they take damage or the duration ends.
  • Shadowed Revelation: The wearer can spend a moment of concentration to project a brief, horrifying image into the mind of a creature within 30 feet. This image is so unexpected and alien that the creature is forced to gasp or cry out in surprise, potentially giving away their position or interrupting a conversation.
  • Veil of Disbelief: Once per day, the wearer can pulse the monocle’s energy to cause all witnesses in a small room to momentarily doubt what they just saw. This allows the wearer to perform a single subtle or malevolent act (like palming a small object or casting a silent spell) while leaving the onlookers in a state of confused astonishment, wondering if their eyes played a trick on them.

Tags

Dark Magic, Head Slot, Tier 1, Common, Mental, Illusion, Debuff, Sensory, Obsidian, Malevolent, Psychic, Shadow, Cursed, Perception, Intimidation, Occult, Sight, Artifact, Ritual, Stealth, Agony

In the world of Saṃsāra, the Dark 412 of Astonished is a specialty item typically found in high-population metropolises or the seedier districts of floating cities. Because it deals in “Dark Magic” (malevolent or manipulative energies), it is rarely sold in open, government-sanctioned department stores or reputable alchemical guilds.

Instead, this item is bought and sold in the following venues:

1. The “Bazaar of the Bizarre” (Dark Cave Metropolises)

In the massive subterranean cities where light is artificial and law is flexible, “Curiosity Brokers” operate out of stalls built into stalactites. These shops are lit by dim magic circuits and smell of ozone and old parchment.

  • How it’s sold: The item is kept in a lead-lined velvet case to dampen its “Lingering Shadow” effect so it doesn’t disturb other customers. The merchant will likely demonstrate the “Gaze of the Aghast” on a captive creature (like a small beast) to show the buyer the look of absolute astonishment.
  • Cost: 45 to 55 Silver. In these areas, silver is the standard, though a merchant might accept 10 Nickel for a “handling fee.”

2. Back-Alley Opticians (Skyscraper Industrial Districts)

In the dense skyscraper cities, high-tier “Rule Breakers” and rogue artificers run small, cramped workshops nestled between steam-pipes. These shops often have no signs, identifiable only by a flickering violet magic lamp in the window.

  • How it’s sold: Sold as “experimental vision enhancement.” The seller focuses on the “Eerie Insight” passive, pitching it as a tool for “unconventional doctors” or “private investigators” who need to see a target’s heartbeat.
  • Cost: 5 Gold (or 10 Electrum). Prices are higher here due to the risk of selling “Dark” classified gear in a guarded area.

3. Black Market Airships (The Endless Ocean)

Uncharted islands and neutral trade routes are frequented by “Smuggler Zeppelins.” These airships serve as mobile neutral ground for the exchange of items that carry moral or ethical consequences.

  • How it’s sold: Usually part of a “blind auction” where several items are laid out on a mechanical power-transmission table. Potential buyers use their own Mind’s Eye to verify the “Dark 412” designation before bidding.
  • Cost: 3 to 4 Platinum. On the high seas, convenience and rarity drive the price up significantly, as these merchants often have to outrun both the law and weather-like magic ebbs.

4. Junk-Heaps & Scrap Yards (Ruined Outskirts)

In the forgotten ruins or industrial scrap yards, a “Tinker” might find a Dark 412 discarded among broken magic batteries and rusted gears, unaware of its malevolent nature.

  • How it’s sold: Cluttered among mundane monocles and broken steam-gauges. The seller might think it’s just a “broken violet lens” because they lack the tier-level or Mind’s Eye strength to see the active stats.
  • Cost: 200 Copper. This is a rare “buyer beware” find where an astute adventurer can obtain the item for a pittance if the seller is ignorant.

5. Specialized “Gloom-Wrought” Boutiques (Renaissance Style Districts)

In high-culture cities where the elite dabble in the “forbidden” for social thrill, luxury boutiques sell Dark Magic items as “conversation pieces.”

  • How it’s sold: Displayed on a rotating mechanical pedestal powered by a small steam-piston. It is sold with a detailed (and perhaps exaggerated) “certificate of horror” detailing the soul fragment trapped within.
  • Cost: 60 Silver. Here, you pay for the aesthetics and the “astonishing” roleplay value rather than the raw malevolence.

In the world of Saṃsāra, the use of the Dark 412 of Astonished varies significantly depending on the ambient magic levels and the social or physical environment of the avatar.

Industrial Metropolises and Skyscraper Districts

  • Offense: In a high-density skyscraper, an avatar can use the Gaze of the Aghast to freeze a corporate rival or a guard on a narrow catwalk. By locking eyes, the target is rooted in a state of pure, open-mouthed astonishment, allowing the wearer to calmly walk past them or shove them into a steam-vent while they are unable to react.
  • Defense: In a crowded street filled with mechanical power-transmission systems, the wearer can activate Veil of Disbelief. When caught picking a lock or accessing a restricted magic circuit, the pulse of dark energy makes witnesses doubt the reality of what they saw. They remain in a state of confused shock, allowing the wearer to vanish into the steam-exhaust of a passing vehicle.

Dark Cave Systems and Subterranean Cities

  • Offense: Because these areas are often “Unsafe,” the half-AC penalty makes every strike count. The wearer uses Eerie Insight to see the glowing, rhythmic pulsing of a monster’s heart through the darkness. By combining this with Shadowed Revelation, they force the creature to gasp in sudden, horrified surprise, revealing its exact position in the echoes of the cavern for a lethal follow-up.
  • Defense: In the lightless tunnels, the Lingering Shadow passive ensures that any predator stalking the avatar feels an unnatural chill. This psychological pressure causes the predator to hesitate, giving the avatar time to retreat toward a “Somewhat Safe” guarded outpost where their AC is doubled.

Aerial Travel (Zeppelins and Airships)

  • Offense: During an airship boarding action, the wearer can stand at the gangplank and use the Gaze of the Aghast on the opposing pilot. The pilot’s paralyzing astonishment can cause them to let go of the steering vanes, potentially sending the entire vessel into a dangerous dive or a magic-ebb pocket.
  • Defense: If cornered on an open deck, the wearer can trigger Shadowed Revelation to project a vision of the airship’s levitation crystals shattering. The momentary shock experienced by the attackers—the gasp of absolute terror—provides the few seconds needed for the wearer to reach a life-glider or activate a defensive magic item.

Rural Ruins and “Deathly” Areas

  • Offense: In a “Deathly” area where every attack hits, the Dark 412 is used to ensure the wearer strikes first. By forcing a target into a state of Astonished immobility, the wearer can deliver a ritual-chanted spell (taking more than 6 seconds for the +25% damage bonus) without the target being able to disrupt the chant.
  • Defense: Since AC is cut completely in these zones, survival relies on preventing attacks entirely. The wearer uses the monocle to identify the “potential weaknesses” of ancient guardians via the Mind’s Eye. If a guardian moves to strike, the wearer uses the Gaze of the Aghast to halt the automaton or beast in its tracks, buying time to find a “Normal” or “Safe” zone where their armor regained its functionality.

Social and Diplomatic Environments

  • Offense: During a high-stakes negotiation in a Renaissance-style island nation, the wearer uses the Morbid Focus to examine the “Abstract Concepts” of a rival’s proposal. The monocle highlights the decay or “darkness” within the deal, and the wearer can use Shadowed Revelation to make the rival blurt out a secret in a moment of sudden, uncharacteristic astonishment.
  • Defense: When being interrogated by a high-tier inquisitor, the wearer can use the Veil of Disbelief to make the inquisitor question their own senses. The inquisitor may see the wearer’s “True Name” or intent, but the monocle’s influence causes them to hesitate in a state of baffled shock, wondering if their Mind’s Eye has been misdirected.

Perception of Activation:

  • User’s Perspective
    • Visual: The world through the obsidian lens drains of color, replaced by a high-contrast grayscale. Living hearts and magic circuits pulse with a sickeningly bright violet luminescence. When focusing the gaze, the air between the user and the target seems to thicken and warp like oil on water.
    • Auditory: A low-frequency hum, similar to the vibration of a distant steam-engine, resonates within the user’s skull. Sounds from the physical world become muffled, as if the user is submerged in cold water.
    • Tactile: The monocle grows intensely cold against the skin, numbing the orbital bone. A faint, static-electric prickling sensation crawls across the user’s face and down the back of their neck.
    • Extra-Sensory: The user experiences a “sour” taste in the back of the throat—the flavor of dark magic. They feel a predatory tether snapping into place, a mental weight that confirms they have successfully “hooked” the target’s consciousness.
  • Observer’s Perspective
    • Visual: The obsidian lens of the monocle begins to swirl with a miniature, violet-black nebula. A thin, laser-like beam of dark light occasionally flickers from the center of the lens toward the target’s eyes.
    • Auditory: Those standing within five feet of the user hear a faint, rhythmic clicking, like a mechanical clock ticking too fast, accompanied by a soft, sibilant hiss that sounds like a whispered intake of breath.
    • Tactile: The temperature in the immediate vicinity drops slightly. Nearby animals may bristle, and sensitive individuals feel a “crawling” sensation on their skin, as if they are being watched by something unseen.
    • Extra-Sensory: Observers with even limited Mind’s Eye feel a sudden spike of irrational anxiety. To a trained magic user, the wearer appears to be surrounded by a localized “void” where the natural ebb and flow of magic is being forcefully sucked into the monocle.
  • Positives
    • The user gains absolute certainty of a target’s emotional state, specifically identifying the moment their resolve breaks into astonishment.
    • The heightened visual contrast makes it impossible for the target to use mundane shadows or steam-cover to hide.
    • The “Silver Fire” mana in the user’s body feels more accessible, as the dark activation acts as a sharp catalyst for offensive energy.
  • Negatives
    • Sensory Deprivation: Because sounds and peripheral colors are muffled, the user is more easily ambushed from the side or rear while the item is active.
    • Lingering Malaise: After deactivation, the user’s eye remains dilated and light-sensitive for several minutes, causing a temporary blurriness in normal vision.
    • Social Stigma: The visible violet-black nebula in the lens is a clear indicator of Dark Magic use; if seen in a “Safe” or “Somewhat Safe” area, it will likely trigger an immediate hostile response from guards or onlookers.

Dark 412 Fabrication Schema

  • Materials Needed
    • 1 Polished Obsidian Disk: Must be ground to a precise concave curvature.
    • 1 Ounce of Tarnished Silver: Recovered from a graveyard or a site of a recent tragedy to ensure the metal holds a “cold” resonance.
    • 1 Preserved Vitreous Humor: The fluid from the eye of a creature that died in a state of high distress or shock, stabilized in an alchemical brine.
    • 2 Grams of Ground Shadow-Quartz: Used as a conductive dusting to bridge the gap between the physical glass and the dark energy.
    • 1 Vial of Concentrated Gloom-Distillate: An alchemical liquid derived from fungi found in lightless cave systems.
  • Tools Required
    • Jeweler’s Fine Pliers and Mandrel: For shaping the silver casing and the delicate “claw” grips.
    • Small Steam-Powered Grinding Wheel: To achieve the optical clarity required for the obsidian.
    • Alchemical Heating Crucible: A small, magically shielded pot to melt the silver without purifying its “dark” properties.
    • Scribing Stylus: Made of bone or cold iron to etch the necessary magic circuits into the obsidian’s rim.
  • Skill Requirements
    • Tier 1 Crafting Proficiency: Basic knowledge of material assembly and tool handling.
    • Apprentice Alchemy: Ability to stabilize volatile biological components like the vitreous humor.
    • Basic Mind’s Eye Insight: Required to see and align the “oily” violet ley lines during the etching process.
    • Dark Magic Familiarity: Resilience against the “pain” penalty that occurs when handling the materials once they begin to resonate.
  • Crafting Steps
    • Step 1: The Cold Forging: Melt the tarnished silver in the crucible at a low, steady heat. Do not allow the flame to turn blue or white; it must remain a deep, smoky orange to preserve the metal’s negative affinity. Cast the silver into a circular rim with a single side-loop for the monocle chain.
    • Step 2: Grinding the Void: Use the steam-powered wheel to grind the obsidian disk into a lens. While grinding, slowly drip the Gloom-Distillate onto the stone. This bonds the “darkness” into the physical structure of the glass, creating the internal violet-black nebula.
    • Step 3: Etching the Circuits: Using the bone stylus, etch the “Gaze of the Aghast” runes around the outer edge of the obsidian. The runes must be symmetrical to prevent the dark energy from leaking and causing immediate damage to the crafter.
    • Step 4: The Aqueous Infusion: Carefully paint the preserved vitreous humor onto the center of the lens. Dust the wet fluid with the ground Shadow-Quartz. The quartz will act as a battery, drawing the “shock” memory from the fluid into the obsidian core.
    • Step 5: Final Attunement Assembly: Press the lens into the silver rim while the metal is still slightly warm. As the silver cools and contracts, it will “lock” the magical energies within. The crafter must use their Mind’s Eye to ensure the violet light pulses rhythmically. If the light flickers erratically, the item is unstable and may cause a Mana Boost drain instead of a successful activation.

Eye-Window Which Is Darkened and Face of Many Gaspings

In the time when the sky was a new garment and the islands of Saṃsāra were yet uncounted, there walked a Great One named Mal-Khor. He was a weaver of the Unseen Winds, but his heart was a dry well. It is written in the stone-tongues that Mal-Khor desired to see the “Inside of the Secret,” a thing forbidden by the High Gods who walk the steam.

Mal-Khor took a stone of the deep earth—the glass that is frozen fire—and he did bathe it in the tears of a thousand who were startled by the Great Shadow. He spoke to the stone, saying, “You shall be my window. You shall show me the shivering of the soul when it finds the Truth is too heavy.”

One day, Mal-Khor came upon the Village of the Quiet Water. The people there were simple; they knew only the growing of grain and the singing of songs. Mal-Khor did place the Darkened Window to his face. He looked upon the Head-Man of the village. The Head-Man, seeing the violet-fire swirling in the glass, felt his breath become a stone in his throat. His mouth did open wide, like a fish cast upon the dry sand. His eyes became as large as the copper coins of the ancients.

He was Astonished. He could not move, for the Window had stolen his “Now.”

Mal-Khor laughed a sound like breaking gears. He walked through the village, and every man, every woman, and every beast that looked upon the Window became a statue of surprise. The village became a forest of frozen breath. But Mal-Khor was a fool of the Great Cycle. He forgot that the Window is a two-way path.

As he gazed upon the final child of the village, the Window did reflect a pool of water. Mal-Khor saw his own face within the Darkened Glass. He saw the violet nebula, and he saw the malevolence of his own seeking. The Window showed him the Truth of his own soul—that he was a hollow thing, a ghost of a man eating the light of others.

The shock was a lightning bolt without sound. Mal-Khor’s mouth fell open. His limbs became as the lead-weight. He became the most Astonished of all. It is said he stands there still, in a ruin overgrown by the green vines, a statue of obsidian and silver, staring at a reflection that no longer exists, his soul trapped in a moment of permanent, horrifying realization. The Window remains upon his face, waiting for a new hand to pluck it and begin the Gasping anew.

The Moral of the Story: He who seeks to freeze the hearts of others with the sight of terror shall find his own heart turned to ice when he finally looks into the mirror of his deeds.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Unique Name: The Monocle of Shoggothian Sight

  • Item Type: Artifact / Mythos Item
  • Sanity Loss: 1d4 Sanity points to attune; 1 Sanity point per activation.
  • Game Mechanics:
    • The Frozen Stare: The user spends 10 Magic Points and engages in an Opposed POW roll against a target within 30 feet. If the user wins, the target is “Astonished.” They are physically paralyzed and can take no actions for 1d6 rounds. If the user achieves an Extreme Success, the target also suffers 1d6 Sanity loss from the horrific visions projected.
    • Unveiled Anatomy: Grants a Bonus Die to Medicine or Forensic Science rolls when examining corpses or injured beings, as the user sees the “oily violet” flow of life force.
    • The Lingering Shadow: While the item is worn, the user suffers a Penalty Die on all Social rolls (Charm, Persuade, Fast Talk) with non-cultists, as they project an aura of profound wrongness.
  • Syntax: Relic. Requires POW check to resist. Costs MP and SAN.

Blades in the Dark

Unique Name: The Spark-Wrought Eye of Astonishment

  • Item Type: Arcane Implement (1 Load)
  • Tier: 1 (Quality 1)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Gaze of the Aghast: You may expend 1 Special Armor or take 2 Stress to activate the eye during a parley or skirmish. The target is frozen in a “Great” effect level of shock. This creates a Controlled opportunity for a teammate or allows you to bypass a guard without a roll.
    • Shadowed Revelation: When you Study a person or occult object while wearing the eye, you gain +1d to the roll, but the consequence of a 4/5 or 6 is always “Vampiric Hunger” or “Disturbing the Ghost Field,” drawing unwanted attention from the Spirit Wardens.
    • Tags: Dark, Arcane, Fragile.
  • Syntax: Use during an Action Roll to improve Effect or as a Flashback to stun a target.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Unique Name: Dark 412: The Lens of Mal-Khor

  • Item Type: Wondrous Item, Common (Requires Attunement)
  • Slot: Eye
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Gaze of the Aghast: As an action, you can target one creature you can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or be Paralyzed until the end of your next turn. A creature that succeeds on this saving throw is immune to this effect for 24 hours.
    • Eerie Insight: You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect hidden creatures or undead, provided they have a heartbeat or magical “pulse.”
    • Veil of Disbelief: You can cast the Prestigeiditation or Minor Illusion cantrips, but only to create fleeting, confusing images that make others doubt their immediate surroundings.
    • The Price of Darkness: If you use the Gaze of the Aghast more than three times per long rest, you must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or take 1d4 necrotic damage as the cold obsidian leeches your heat.
  • Syntax: Requires Action. Save ends effect. Limited uses per Long Rest.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: The Gasping Glass

  • Item Type: Magical Gear (1 Slot)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Activation: Once per day, the wearer may force a target to make a WIS Save. On a failure, the target is stunned (cannot act) for 1 round as they gasp in astonishment.
    • Passive: You gain a +2 bonus to any roll involving the investigation of dead bodies or dark magic artifacts.
    • The Curse: Whenever you roll a 1 on any check while wearing the glass, you become stunned yourself for 1 round as you see a vision of your own death.
    • Quality: 3 (When Quality reaches 0, the glass shatters and deals 1d6 damage to the wearer’s eye).
  • Syntax: Daily power. Save negates. Takes up 1 Inventory Slot.

Fate (Core/Condensed)

Unique Name: The Obsidian Eye of Aghast

  • Item Type: Extra / Stunt-Locked Gear
  • Aspect: Malevolent Lens of the Unseen Truth
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Gaze of the Aghast: Once per scene, you may use your Will or Provoke skill to create an advantage against a target by locking eyes. If successful, you place the “Astonished” aspect on them with an extra free invoke. While this aspect is active, the target cannot take any move actions.
    • Dark Insight: Gain a +2 bonus to Create an Advantage using Notice when examining a living creature’s physical or magical weaknesses.
    • The Weight of the Void: The first time you use the eye in a session, you must take a 1-point mental stress hit as the cold obsidian numbs your mind.
  • Syntax: Aspect-based interaction. Uses skill-driven “Create an Advantage” actions.

Numenera & Cypher System

Unique Name: Ocular of Frozen Awe

  • Item Type: Artifact
  • Level: 1d6 (Tier 1)
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Effect: This glass and obsidian ocular is worn over one eye. When activated as an action, it emits a subtle violet pulse. One target within short range must make an Intellect defense roll against the artifact’s level. On a failure, the target is stunned by overwhelming astonishment, unable to take any actions for one round.
    • Sensory Boost: While worn, the user gains an Asset on any task involving the identification of biological or magical anomalies (Difficulty reduced by 1).
    • Psychic Strain: If the user fails an activation roll or the artifact depletes, the user suffers 2 points of Intellect damage from the dark feedback.
  • Syntax: Artifact Level determines Difficulty. Depletion check required after active use.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Dark 412: Monocle of the Mal-Khor

  • Item Type: Item 1 (Magical, Necromancy)
  • Usage: Worn (Eyepiece); Bulk: —
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Activate [Two-Actions]: (Focus, Gaze, Mental, Visual); Frequency: Once per hour. Effect: You stare into the eyes of a creature within 30 feet. The target must attempt a DC 14 Will save.
      • Critical Success: The target is unaffected and becomes temporarily immune for 24 hours.
      • Success: The target is Dazzled for 1 round.
      • Failure: The target is Paralyzed for 1 round as they are overcome with astonishment.
      • Critical Failure: As Failure, and the target is also Frightened 1.
    • Passive (Eerie Insight): You gain a +1 item bonus to Medicine checks to stabilize creatures and Perception checks to sense “hidden” heartbeats.
  • Syntax: Level 1 Worn Item. Uses standard Action Economy and DC scaling.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Unique Name: The Gasping Lens

  • Item Type: Weird Science / Enchanted Gear
  • Rank: Novice
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Stun Gaze: As an action, the wearer makes a Focus or Spirit roll at –2 against a target’s Spirit. On a success, the target is Distracted. On a Raise, the target is also Stunned as they gasp in absolute astonishment.
    • Vitality Sight: The wearer ignores Dim and Dark lighting penalties when tracking or attacking living creatures with a visible pulse.
    • The Cold Shiver: If the user rolls a Critical Failure on any trait roll while wearing the lens, they gain a level of Fatigue from the soul-chilling cold of the obsidian. This Fatigue can only be recovered after a Long Rest.
  • Syntax: Opposed Spirit/Trait roll. Applies Distracted/Stunned states.

Shadowrun (6th World Edition)

Unique Name: The Astral-Vitreous Monocle

  • Item Type: Awakened Focus (Manipulation)
  • Rating: 1
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Gaze of the Aghast: The user performs a Magic + Tradition (Manipulation) [Force] Test against the target’s Willpower + Intuition. Each net hit reduces the target’s Minor Actions by 1 for their next combat turn as they are overcome with magical astonishment. If net hits exceed the target’s Intuition, they lose their next Major Action.
    • Bio-Scanner (Passive): While active, the monocle provides the benefits of a specialized Thermographic and Ultrasound sensor, but only for detecting living organisms, representing the “Eerie Insight” into biological pulses.
    • Drain: Activating the stun effect causes 2 points of Stun Drain to the user.
  • Syntax: Manipulation Focus. Requires a Magic-based Test and causes Drain.

Starfinder (2nd Edition / Playtest)

Unique Name: Dark 412: Xenobiological Stun-Lens

  • Item Type: Worn Magic Item (Eye)
  • Level: 1
  • Price: 250 Credits / 45 Silver equivalent
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Astonishing Pulse (Two-Actions): (Visual, Mental). The user targets a creature within 30 feet. The target must make a Will saving throw (DC 14).
      • Success: The target is Off-Guard until the start of your next turn.
      • Failure: The target is Stunned 1 as its nervous system is overwhelmed by the visual data.
      • Critical Failure: The target is Stunned 2.
    • Life-Sign Enhancement: The wearer gains a +1 item bonus to Perception and Life Science checks to identify or track living creatures.
  • Syntax: Standard Action Economy. Level-based DC. Affects the Stunned condition.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Unique Name: The Ancient Xeno-Artifact (Eye-Piece)

  • Item Type: TL 15+ Psionic Augment
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Neural Lock: The user must possess at least Psionic Strength 1. By spending 2 PSI points, the user can force an NPC to make a Significant Action check (END or INT). On a failure, the NPC is incapable of taking actions for 1d6 seconds (one half-round) due to sensory “Astonishment.”
    • Passive Detection: Grants a +1 DM to Recon and Medic checks involving organic lifeforms.
    • Radiation/Feedback: If the user rolls a 2 (Snake Eyes) on any check while using the device, they suffer 1D damage to their INT characteristic as the obsidian lens feeds back into their optic nerve.
  • Syntax: PSI-linked. Costs PSI points. Characteristic damage on failure.

Warhammer (Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition)

Unique Name: The Dark-Glass of Tzeentchian Awe

  • Item Type: Cursed Grimoire-Lens
  • Encumbrance: 0
  • Game Mechanics:
    • The Gaze of Awe: The wearer can spend 1 Advantage and make an Opposed Channelling (Dhar) / Cool Test with a target. If the wearer wins, the target gains 1 Stunned Condition and 1 Surprised Condition as they are paralyzed by the “Astonishing” visions.
    • Witchsight (Passive): The wearer gains the Second Sight Talent if they do not already have it, but only for perceiving “Dark Magic” or corrupted lifeforms.
    • The Price of Dhar: Every time the item is used, the wearer must roll on the Minor Miscast table, as the Dark Magic within the lens is unstable and seeks to escape.
  • Syntax: Opposed Test. Grants Conditions (Stunned/Surprised). Risk of Miscast.