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Taoist 108 of the Discriminating Cinnabar Lens

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by

Dale
in

Lore

On the world of Saṃsāra, the Taoist 108 of the Discriminating Cinnabar-Lens is a specialized tool used by “Inspectors of the Vital Flow”—scholars and alchemists tasked with assessing the purity of substances and spirits. The number 108 represents the sacred count of spiritual “beads” or cycles required to fully refine a raw material into a transcendent state. The lens itself is crafted from a rare, translucent cinnabar-crystal, treated with the “Nectar of the Nine Sunsets” and encased in a frame of polished peach-wood. It does not look at the physical surface of an object; instead, it looks at the “Alchemical Weight.” To an evaluator, this lens reveals whether an object is “Void-Full” (spiritually authentic) or “Void-Empty” (a hollow or corrupted imitation), allowing them to determine the true value of artifacts, reagents, and even the moral alignment of living beings by observing the refinement of their internal Qi.

Stats

  • Tier: 1
  • Rarity: Common
  • Weight: 0.1 lbs
  • Durability: 3 HP (The crystal is prone to spider-web fractures if dropped)
  • Slot: Eye (Worn as a monocle or held to the eye)

Skills Gained While Openly Worn

  • Material Discernment (+2 Appraisal/Evaluation): The user can instantly identify the purity, age, and market value of alchemical ingredients, metals, and gemstones.
  • Spirit-Audit (+1 Insight): The ability to perceive “Qi-Turbulence,” providing a bonus to detect when a person is nervous, lying, or under a magical compulsion.

Multiple Passives Magic

  • The Refiner’s Gaze: While looking through the lens, magical illusions and mundane disguises of Tier 1 or lower appear with a faint, oily shimmer, signaling to the user that the “Surface Truth” is being manipulated.
  • Trace-Element Resonance: The lens hums with a specific frequency when near high-quality alchemical reagents or rare materials. This resonance allows the user to find the “purest” item in a pile of dross or identify the specific ingredients used in a potion just by looking at the residue.

Multiple Activable Magics

  • Evaluate the Inner Dan (1/Day): By focusing the lens on a living creature for one minute, the user can see their “Alchemical Constitution.” This reveals the target’s current health status, any active poisons or diseases, and their highest physical Attribute.
  • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (1/Day): The user can tilt the lens to catch ambient light and project a thin, red beam. This beam acts as a “Truth-Test”; when it touches a material, the material glows green if pure or black if corrupted or counterfeit.

Tags

Taoist, Alchemy, Evaluate, Appraisal, Insight, Monocle, Detection, Tier 1, Common, Qi-Sight, Purity, Investigation, Cinnabar, Cinnabar-Sight, Void-Verify, Audit-Auger, Essence-Estimator, Purity-Probe, Alchemy-Aperture, Quality-Quartz, Merit-Monocle, Dross-Detector, Truth-Telescope, Refinement-Ray

Methods of Obtaining the Taoist 108 of the Discriminating Cinnabar-Lens

The Cinnabar-Lens is a fundamental tool for those who navigate the markets of Saṃsāra, where “Alchemical Dross” is often disguised as treasure. Obtaining one involves proving one’s commitment to the clarity of the eye and the mind.

  • The Alchemist’s Apprenticeship: Upon completing the first stage of internal refinement—the “Condensing of the Breath”—a student of Taoist Alchemy is often granted a lens by their master. It is intended to help the student find the pure reagents necessary for higher-level experiments without being deceived by impure “False-Cinnabar.”
  • Estate Sales of the Auditor-Scribes: When an official evaluator for the Great Guilds passes away without an heir, their specialized equipment is often auctioned off. These lenses are highly sought after because they have been “seasoned” by decades of professional use, making their resonance more stable than newly-fired versions.
  • Salvage from the Refinement-Pits: In the industrial districts of Saṃsāra, where raw ores are transmuted into spiritual metals, broken or discarded lenses can sometimes be found in the “Slag-Heaps.” While these may be tarnished or require repair, they still retain the innate ability to sense the “Vital Flow” of materials.

Purchase and Sale Locations

The Taoist 108 is primarily traded in locations where the authenticity of goods is the highest priority. Prices vary based on the clarity of the cinnabar-crystal and the pedigree of its previous owners.

The Hall of Provenance (Financial District / Administrative Core) A sterile, highly regulated establishment where every item for sale comes with a “Spirit-Scroll” of authenticity. The walls are lined with locked velvet cases and the lighting is perfectly calibrated to reveal flaws.

  • Purchase Process: The buyer must undergo a “Vision Check” to ensure their own Qi is not so turbulent that it would crack the lens upon first use. The purchase is a formal affair involving signed ledgers and a guarantee of the lens’s “Evaluation Grade.”
  • Sale Process: They only buy lenses that are Tier 1 or higher with zero physical damage. They pay a premium for “Professional History”—lenses used in famous audits or historical discoveries.
  • Cost: 115 Silver Pieces (Includes a protective peach-wood case and a cleaning cloth of enchanted silk).

The Assay & Crucible (Alchemist’s Row / Industrial Quarter) A cramped, smoky shop filled with bubbling retorts, scales, and the sharp scent of sulfur. The shopkeeper is a grizzled transmuter who values utility over aesthetics.

  • Purchase Process: The buyer is invited to test the lens on a series of “Trick-Metals”—objects that look like gold but are actually lead with a spiritual veneer. If the buyer can correctly identify the dross using the lens, the shopkeeper offers a fair price.
  • Sale Process: This shop buys lenses in any condition. They are often stripped for their cinnabar-crystals to be used in other alchemical devices.
  • Cost: 85 Silver Pieces.

The Glass-Eye Gallery (The Grand Bazaar / Merchant’s Row) A stall specializing in optics, spectacles, and magical lenses for the general public. It is a colorful, busy place draped in silk banners.

  • Purchase Process: The lenses are sold as “Consumer Tools” for travelers and merchants who don’t want to be cheated in the market. The transaction is fast and involves high-energy haggling.
  • Sale Process: They buy lenses quickly to turn them over to the next customer, though they will offer significantly less if the peach-wood frame is scratched or the copper fittings are loose.
  • Cost: 70 Silver Pieces.

The Bottom-Feeder’s Bin (The Shambles / Low Bazaar) A literal bin of mismatched optics, cracked monocles, and glass shards located in the corner of a general junk shop.

  • Purchase Process: The buyer must spend time sorting through the dross to find a functional Taoist 108. The lens may be “Qi-Stained,” showing a permanent red tint that makes it harder to use for long periods.
  • Sale Process: The merchant buys “by the handful” and will rarely offer more than a few copper bits for a single lens, regardless of its magical properties.
  • Cost: 40 Silver Pieces (Requires an Appraisal check to ensure the lens isn’t actually just colored glass).

The Audit of the Eternal Flow: Roleplaying the Taoist 108

To roleplay an avatar wielding the Taoist 108 of the Discriminating Cinnabar-Lens, one must adopt the persona of the “Alchemical Skeptic.” The user does not accept the world at face value, believing that every physical form is merely a veil over a deeper, more measurable truth. Roleplay focuses on the “Calculated Observation”—squinting through the lens to see the numerical and spiritual “weight” of reality. The user should describe the world in terms of purity, density, and refinement, often treating social interactions as if they were conducting a laboratory experiment.

Defensive Roleplay and Applications

In defense, the Taoist 108 is used for Deception-Nullification and Structural Analysis. It serves as a preventative shield that identifies threats before they can be fully realized.

  • Against Ambush or Disguise: When entering a suspicious area, the user roleplays The Refiner’s Gaze. The player narrates the act of adjusting the peach-wood frame, describing how the “Surface Truth” of the environment peels away. They might describe seeing the “Oily Shimmer” of a hidden assassin’s invisibility cloak or the “Dross-Mist” clinging to a shapeshifter disguised as an ally, allowing the party to prepare their defense before the strike occurs.
  • During a High-Stakes Social Audit: When an opponent attempts to use magical charms or psychological manipulation, the user roleplays Spirit-Audit. The player narrates observing the “Qi-Turbulence” around the speaker’s head. Instead of falling for the lie, they describe seeing the “Black Smoke” of deceit leaking through the speaker’s words, providing the user with an “Intellectual Anchor” that makes them immune to the false narrative.
  • In a Collapsing or Unstable Environment: If the party is trapped in a crumbling ruin, the user roleplays Material Discernment. The player narrates scanning the ceiling and pillars. They describe identifying the “Structural Fatigue” in the stone—seeing exactly where the alchemical “Void” has eaten into the rock—allowing them to guide the party along the “Purity-Path” where the ground is still physically sound.

Offensive Roleplay and Applications

Offensively, the Taoist 108 is used for Vulnerability-Targeting and Resource-Sabotage. It identifies the “Lead” in an enemy’s armor or the “impurity” in their soul to maximize the impact of an attack.

  • Combat Asset Identification: The user roleplays Evaluate the Inner Dan. During a skirmish, the player narrates focusing the cinnabar-crystal on the enemy leader. They describe seeing the “Alchemical Map” of the target’s body, pinpointing a “Corrupted Meridian” or a hidden injury. This information is shared with the party to ensure the next strike hits the target’s most “Void-Empty” (weakest) point.
  • Subverting an Enemy’s Equipment: The user roleplays Focusing the Cinnabar Ray. The player narrates catching the sun’s light and projecting a beam onto an enemy’s weapon or shield. They describe the beam turning “Black,” revealing a hidden flaw or a counterfeit alloy in the enemy’s gear. The user then directs the party’s heavy-hitter to strike that exact spot, narrating the enemy’s “Dross-Steel” shattering upon impact.
  • Alchemical Sabotage: In a stealth environment, the user roleplays Trace-Element Resonance. The player narrates following the “Hum” of the lens to find the most volatile reagent in an enemy’s alchemical laboratory or engine room. They describe identifying the “unstable center” of a machine, allowing the user to disable an entire facility by removing a single, improperly refined “Key-Stone.”

Environmental Mastery Summary

  • Overcrowded Metropolitan Markets: The lens feels heavy and “Busy.” The user roleplays a “Master of Truth,” navigating the sea of counterfeit goods and false promises by looking for the “Green Glow” of authentic value amidst a wasteland of black-tinted dross.
  • Ancient, Pre-Redaction Ruins: The cinnabar-crystal glows with a “Vivid Red.” The user roleplays an “Historical Auditor,” using the lens to see through the “Ages of Dust” to identify which artifacts still hold their “First-Age Purity” and which have been hollowed out by time.
  • Corrupted Wastes or Blighted Forests: The lens vibrates with a “Warning-Stutter.” The user roleplays a “Purification Scout,” using the Cinnabar Ray to map the “Black-Veins” of corruption in the soil, ensuring the party avoids areas where the alchemical balance is dangerously “Void-Heavy.”

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective

  • Sight: The world through the cinnabar-crystal shifts into a high-contrast spectrum of crimson and gold. Physical surfaces become semi-transparent, revealing the “Luminous Skeletal Structure” of objects. Purity manifests as a steady, emerald-green pulse, while corruption or dross appears as swirling, oily black soot trapped within the material.
  • Sound: A high-pitched, harmonic ringing—similar to a struck tuning fork—vibrates in the user’s ear. The pitch rises when the lens is centered on rare or refined substances and drops into a dissonant, gravelly thrum when pointed at “Void-Empty” counterfeits.
  • Touch: The peach-wood frame grows warm, pulsating against the user’s cheek or fingers in synchronization with the heartbeat of the object being evaluated. A slight “Static-Cling” sensation occurs on the user’s skin when the lens detects a Tier 1 illusion.
  • Smell: A sharp, metallic scent of ozone and burnt cinnamon fills the nostrils, intensifying as the user focuses the Cinnabar Ray.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Sight: The red crystal within the monocle flares with a sudden, internal light, casting a distinct crimson “Eye-Glint” onto the user’s face. When the Ray is active, a thin, needle-like beam of red light connects the user’s eye to the target object.
  • Sound: A faint, rhythmic clicking—resembling the internal gears of a watch—emanates from the lens as it “calculates” the alchemical weight of the surroundings.
  • Touch: Those standing near the user might feel a localized “Prickling” sensation, as if the air has become charged with spiritual electricity.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

  • Alchemical Weight: The user experiences a “Mental Pressure” that correlates to the value of an item. A true artifact feels “Heavy” and “Significant” in the mind’s eye, while a cheap imitation feels “Weightless” and “Hollow.”
  • Chronological Friction: The user perceives the “Age-Residue” on objects. Older items feel “Rough” and “Dense” with history, while new or magically fabricated items feel “Slippery” and “Lacking in Depth.”
  • The Moral Dan: When focused on a living creature, the user perceives the “Viscosity” of their Qi. A virtuous person’s energy flows like “Clear Honey,” whereas a corrupted or malevolent spirit’s energy moves like “Jagged Glass” or “Cold Sludge.”

Positives

  • Infallible Appraisal: The user can never be tricked by mundane forgeries or low-level magical disguises, ensuring the party never overpays for dross or trusts a shallow imposter.
  • Strategic Foreknowledge: By identifying the “Void-Empty” weak points in enemy armor or fortifications, the user can direct the party’s resources toward the most efficient path of destruction.
  • Diagnostic Precision: The ability to see active toxins or diseases within the “Inner Dan” allows for immediate and accurate medical intervention before symptoms fully manifest.

Negatives

  • The Cynic’s Burden: Constant use leads to “Aesthetic Dissociation.” The user begins to see a beautiful painting only as a collection of “Impure Pigments” and a delicious meal as “Transmuting Organic Slop,” making it difficult to enjoy the world’s simple pleasures.
  • Cinnabar Fatigue: Prolonged activation causes “Spirit-Strain,” manifesting as a throbbing headache and a temporary red tint to the user’s natural vision that persists for several hours after the lens is removed.
  • Unwanted Disclosure: The Cinnabar Ray is highly visible; using it to evaluate an item or person is a blatant act that often alerts the target they are being scrutinized, which can lead to immediate social or physical hostility.

Rite of the Dissecting Eye: Taoist 108

Materials Needed

  • Raw Cinnabar-Crystal: A single, fist-sized chunk of translucent cinnabar ore, free of visible cracks or “Lead-Shadows.”
  • Nectar of the Nine Sunsets: A volatile liquid made by distilling the morning dew of nine consecutive days, refined over a low flame until it turns a deep amber.
  • Aged Peach-Wood: A branch from a peach tree that has weathered at least three lightning storms, symbolizing spiritual resilience and protection.
  • Copper of the Constant Current: High-purity copper wire that has been used in a functioning alchemical forge for at least a year.
  • Crushed Pearl Dust: Seven pearls of identical weight, ground into a fine powder during a lunar eclipse.
  • Essence of the Auditor: A drop of ink from the pen of a master scribe who has never recorded a false entry.

Tools Required

  • Gem-Cutter’s Treadle: A precision wheel used for facet-cutting the crystal without shattering its “Qi-Structure.”
  • Obsidian Scalpel: For carving the microscopic “Void-Seal” runes into the interior of the peach-wood frame.
  • Cinnabar-Crucible: A small, heat-resistant vessel used to bathe the crystal in the sunset nectar.
  • Silver Polishing Cloth: Infused with the pearl dust, used for the final buffing of the lens.
  • Etching Needle of Cold-Iron: To scribe the “108 Cycles” onto the copper fittings.

Skill Requirements

  • Artisan (Optics/Jewelry) (+2): Required to cut the cinnabar-crystal into a perfect lens shape without inducing structural stress.
  • Internal Alchemy (Evaluation) (+2): Necessary to “Project the Eye” into the crystal during the nectar-bath to ensure the lens becomes receptive to Qi-Sensing.
  • Research (History/Lore) (+1): To correctly identify and scribe the ancient Taoist sigils for “Discernment” and “Truth.”
  • Meditation (Concentration) (+1): To maintain the steady hand required during the 108-minute rune-carving process.

Crafting Steps

  1. Shaping the Core: The Raw Cinnabar-Crystal is cut into a thin, convex lens. The crafter must pedal the treadle at a steady, rhythmic pace, synchronizing their heartbeat with the friction of the stone to prevent the “Fire of the Earth” from cracking the crystal.
  2. The Nectar-Bath: Place the lens into the Cinnabar-Crucible with the Nectar of the Nine Sunsets. The mixture must be simmered over a flame fueled by sandalwood. The crafter must watch the nectar; as it is absorbed, the crystal will turn from opaque red to a vibrant, translucent crimson.
  3. Carving the Vessel: While the lens cools, the Aged Peach-Wood is hollowed into a circular frame. The crafter uses the Obsidian Scalpel to etch 108 microscopic notches on the interior rim, each one representing a different “Grade of Purity.”
  4. Binding the Current: The Copper of the Constant Current is twisted into a supporting wire that locks the lens into the wood. As the wire is tightened, the crafter must whisper the “Names of the Dross,” mentally discarding them so the lens only recognizes what is “Void-Full.”
  5. The Inking of the Audit: A single drop of the Essence of the Auditor is mixed with the remaining pearl dust and used to fill the notches in the wood. This “dries” the evaluation capabilities into the physical object.
  6. The Calibration of Truth: The crafter holds the finished lens to their eye and looks at a known counterfeit. If the lens vibrates with a “Dissonant Thrum” and the dross appears “Black-Sooted,” the Taoist 108 is successfully calibrated.
  7. Final Buffing: The lens is polished with the silver cloth until the surface reflects no light, only the “Internal Glow” of the cinnabar-core.

Sifted Truth and Eye of 108 Correct Weights

In the “Season-of-the-Pre-Fog,” when the “Great-Universal-Scale” was still “Wobbling-into-the-Balance,” the world was a “Market-of-the-Great-Lies.” The people were “Walkers-in-the-Dim-Light,” and their hands were “Grabbers-of-the-Shiny-Dirt.” There was no “Measurement-of-the-Worth,” only the “Screaming-of-the-Highest-Price.”

There was a “Counter-of-the-Invisible-Grains,” a man named Guan-Li-The-Thin, whose name is translated as “The-Pencil-That-Does-Not-Know-the-Bribe.” He lived in the “Office-of-the-Zero-Shadow,” where the sunlight “Stripped-the-Skin-from-the-Falsehood.”

Guan-Li saw that the “Brokers-of-the-Red-Dust” were “Selling-the-Lead-as-the-Golden-Sun.” The ancient rubbings say: “The eye was a swallow of the surface-glitter, and the soul was a scale that had been rusted by the Greed-Vapor.” He sought a way to “Pierce-the-Gilded-Rot” into a “Judgment-of-the-True-Core.”

He sought the Cinnabar-of-the-High-Pressure at the “Deep-Place-where-the-Rocks-are-Crushed-into-the-Knowing.” There, the earth had “Pressed-the-Truth-into-the-Blood-Stone.” Guan-Li—no, the Auditor—spoke to the stone in the Dialect-of-the-Pure-Geometry, saying: “You have been the ‘Weight-of-the-World’! Now, be the ‘Lens-of-the-Smallest-Sin’!”

He took the Peach-Wood-of-the-Storm-Strike and hollowed a “Nest-for-the-Staring.” He polished the crystal in a “Bath-of-the-Nine-Ends,” where the light was the “Condensed-History-of-the-Day.” The mistranslated bark-scrolls call this the Sifting-of-the-One-Hundred-and-Eight-Impurities.

But the “Demon-of-the-Counterfeit” was “Painting-the-Air-with-a-False-Rainbow.” It tried to “Smother-the-Crystal-with-a-Smoke-of-the-Confusion.” It tried to “Make-the-Lens-Drunken-on-the-Shimmer.” The monocle began to “Bleed-a-Red-Heat” as it fought the “Ocean-of-the-Fake.”

The Auditor then used the Meditation-of-the-Cinnabar-Ray, a “Focusing-of-the-Mental-Needle.” He looked through the red until the “Oily-Mirage” turned to a “Skeletal-Truth.” He locked the evaluation with the Nerves-of-the-Stiff-Accountant. The ancient text reads: “And there was a blackness in the fake-gold, like a void where the value should have breathed. The crystal was the scale of the ancestors, turning into the One-Sharp-Audit.”

When the Scholar wore the lens, it was the Taoist 108. It was a “Death-for-the-Trickster” and a “Lamp-for-the-Honest-Merchant.” The story tells of a Great-Bankruptcy. A Surveyor-of-the-Purity took the lens to the Vaults-of-the-Iron-King. When the “King-of-the-Hoards” refused to “Admit-to-the-Rust-in-his-Crown,” the 108 “Flashed-the-Cinnabar-Light.” The riches were seen as “Painted-Ash” and the King’s “Dan-of-Immortality” was seen as a “Berry-of-the-Slow-Death,” leaving him “Naked-in-the-Poverty-of-Truth.”

When the Traveler sought to “Verify-the-Ancient-Path,” she did not use a map; she used the Trace-Element-Resonance. She followed the “Hum-of-the-True-Stone” until the “Hidden-Gateway” was “Exposed-by-its-Authentic-Vibration.” Guan-Li wrote: “The world is a pile of dross waiting for the fire; but the 108 is the Sifter-of-the-Soul that says every grain of gold is worth a thousand years of searching.”

But there is a “Heavy-Sorrow” in the cracks of the discarded frame. A Man-of-the-Numbers, whose name is “Subtracter-of-the-Joy,” tried to use the 108 to “Measure-the-Price-of-the-Love.” He had “Calculation-in-his-Marrow” and a “Dry-Spirit.” When he tried to “Evaluate-the-Mother’s-Kiss,” the lens “Shattered-into-a-Thousand-Needles,” and the “Shards-of-the-Judgment” were “Embedded-into-the-Man’s-own-Vision.” He did not become a wise-man; he was “Blinded-by-the-Accuracy,” becoming a “Groping-Calculator” that wanders the halls of the banks, unable to see the light of the sun, only the cost of the candle.

The Taoist 108 now waits in the Archive-of-the-Un-Bribed-Seconds. It hums a note that is 108 heartbeats wide. It is the “Evaluator’s-Burden,” the “Seeker’s-Clarity,” and the “Glass-that-Strips-the-Mask-from-the-World.”

The Moral of the Story: He who would “Appraise-the-Object” must first “Appraise-the-Intent”; for the cinnabar sees the “Void-in-the-Heart” long before it sees the “Purity-in-the-Gem.”

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The 108 Eye of the Unbribed Auditor

  • Item Type: Artifact
  • Sanity Cost: 1 Sanity point to activate the “Cinnabar Ray.”
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment: Grants a Bonus Die to all Appraise rolls.
    • Spirit-Audit: Grants a Bonus Die to Psychology rolls made to detect if a human target is lying or under a mental influence.
    • The Refiner’s Gaze (Passive): The investigator gains a +20% bonus to Spot Hidden checks specifically for detecting physical disguises or architectural traps.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): Spend 4 Magic Points. The investigator can determine the current Hit Points of a target and identify if they are suffering from any poisons, diseases, or non-magical ailments.
  • Syntax: Artifact, +Bonus Dice to Appraise/Psychology, Magic Point cost for medical/vital assessment, +20% Spot Hidden (Structural/Disguise).

Blades in the Dark

The Cinnabar Monocle

  • Item Type: Fine Tinker Tool
  • Load: 0 (Worn on face)
  • Tier: I (Quality 1)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): When you Sway or Consort in a deal involving high-value goods (gold, artifacts, chemicals), you gain +1 Effect.
    • Trace-Element Resonance (Passive): You gain Potency when you Study a blueprint or an alchemical substance to find its weakest point or primary ingredient.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): Spend 1 Stress to ask the GM: “Is this person physically compromised or hiding an injury?”
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): Spend 2 Stress to perfectly identify if an object or person is a supernatural forgery or an illusion.
  • Syntax: Fine Tinker Tool, +1 Effect on commerce, Potency on Study (Materials), Stress-activated physical/illusion audit.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Taoist 108 of the Discriminating Cinnabar-Lens

  • Item Type: Wondrous Item, Common
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment: You have advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) checks made to determine the value or authenticity of objects.
    • Spirit-Audit: You gain proficiency in the Insight skill. If you already have proficiency, you add double your proficiency bonus to checks made to determine if a creature is lying.
    • The Refiner’s Gaze (Passive): While wearing the lens, you have advantage on saving throws against Illusion spells of 1st level or lower.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (1/Day): You can cast Detect Poison and Disease. Additionally, you learn if a creature’s current Hit Points are below half of its maximum.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (1/Day): You can cast Identify, but only on non-living objects.
  • Syntax: Wondrous item (common), Advantage on Investigation (Value), Insight bonus, Daily Detect Poison/Identify.

Knave (2nd Edition)

The 108 Truth-Glass

  • Item Type: Tool (1 Slot, Worn)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment: You gain a +2 bonus to any check made to sell treasure or identify the purity of minerals and metals.
    • Spirit-Audit: When speaking to an NPC, you may ask the GM if the character’s “Qi” is “Turbulent” (Lying) or “Smooth” (Truthful).
    • The Refiner’s Gaze: You can see through mundane disguises and see the true form of objects hidden by Tier 1 illusions.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (1/Day): You may ask the GM for the exact current Hit Points of a creature you can see through the lens.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (1/Day): You may touch an object with the red light. If it is a forgery or imitation, it turns pitch black for 1 hour.
  • Syntax: 1 Slot (Worn), +2 Appraisal, Lying detection (Turbulence), HP detection, Daily Forgery-test.

Fate (Core / Condensed)

Taoist 108 of the Discriminating Cinnabar-Lens

  • Item Type: Extra (Cost: 1 Refresh)
  • Aspects: The Auditor’s Crimson Gaze, Nothing is Pure Gold, Void-Full or Void-Empty
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): You gain a +2 bonus to Lore rolls when the task involves appraising the value of items, identifying rare minerals, or detecting forgeries.
    • Spirit-Audit (Passive): You gain a +2 bonus to Empathy rolls to see through a lie or detect if a person is under a mental or alchemical influence.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): Once per session, you may use Lore instead of Empathy to discover a target’s physical-based Consequences or their highest physical Skill (Athletics or Physique).
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): You may spend a Fate Point to invoke the lens to automatically bypass a Tier 1 or lower Illusion or Disguise aspect currently affecting the scene.
  • Syntax: Extra with +2 Lore (Appraisal), +2 Empathy (Insight), Session-limited skill swap, Fate Point for illusion bypass.

Numenera & Cypher System

The 108 Cinnabar-Monocle

  • Item Type: Artifact (Level 2)
  • Form: A red crystal lens held in a weathered peach-wood frame with copper wire.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): You are Trained in tasks related to appraisal, identifying minerals, and discerning the quality of alchemical substances.
    • The Refiner’s Gaze (Passive): You have an asset on any Perception task to see through mundane disguises or detect low-level holographic or magical illusions.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): By spending 2 Intellect points, you can look at a creature to learn their level and whether they are suffering from any poisons or diseases.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): As an action, you can project a red beam onto an object. This is a level 3 Intellect task to reveal the object’s function, origin, and whether it has been tampered with or is a forgery.
  • Syntax: Artifact (Level 2), Trained in Appraisal, Illusion Asset, Intellect-powered diagnosis/Truth-ray.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Taoist 108 of the Discriminating Cinnabar-Lens

  • Item Type: Item 1 (Common, Divination, Magical)
  • Usage: Worn (Eyepiece); Bulk: —
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Crafting checks to Identify Alchemy and Society checks to determine the value of a non-magical item.
    • Spirit-Audit (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks to Sense Motive.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): Two-Actions (Envision, Interact): (Frequency: once per day) You can see the target’s current health. You learn if the target is at full HP, damaged, or at less than half HP, and you gain a +2 circumstance bonus to your next check to Identify a Disease or Poison on that target.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): Two-Actions (Envision, Interact): (Frequency: once per day) You cast Identify, but only on non-magical forgeries or alchemical items.
  • Syntax: Item 1, +1 Crafting (Alchemy)/Society (Appraisal), +1 Sense Motive, Daily Health-check/Identify.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Relic 108: The Discriminating Lens

  • Item Type: Relic (Minor)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): The wielder gains a +2 bonus to Academia and Research rolls when evaluating artifacts, minerals, or forgeries.
    • Spirit-Audit (Passive): The wielder gains a +2 bonus to Notice and Insight (if used) to see through lies or detect if someone is being magically manipulated.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): Once per day, the wielder can spend an action to see the physical state of a target. This reveals the target’s current Wounds and any active Hindrances caused by poison or disease.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): Once per day, the wielder can use the Detect/Conceal Arcana power (Detect only), but only to see through illusions or to identify the purity of an object.
  • Syntax: Relic, +2 Academia/Research (Appraisal), +2 Notice/Insight, Daily Health-check/Detect Arcana.

Shadowrun (6th World Edition)

The 108 Auditor Qi Focus

  • Item Type: Qi Focus (Rating 2)
  • Availability: 4
  • Cost: 8,000¥
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): The user gains +2 dice to Engineering or Biotech tests made to evaluate the quality of materials, components, or reagents.
    • Spirit-Audit (Passive): The user adds +2 dice to Judge Intentions tests and Astral Perception tests made to detect if a subject is lying or under a mental manipulation spell.
    • The Refiner’s Gaze (Passive): The user gains a +1 dice pool bonus to Perception tests to see through physical disguises or to identify high-quality counterfeit credsticks and gear.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): As a Major Action, the user may spend 1 Edge to determine a target’s current Physical and Stun damage track totals, as well as the presence of any toxins or diseases.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): As a Minor Action, the user can target an object to receive a +2 bonus to a Knowledge test regarding that object’s structural integrity or authentic origin.
  • Syntax: Rating 2 Qi Focus, +2 Judge Intentions, +2 Biotech/Engineering (Quality), Edge-activated Vitals scan.

Starfinder (2nd Edition / Playtest)

Taoist 108 Analysis-Monocle

  • Item Type: Hybrid Item (Magic/Technological)
  • Level: 1
  • Price: 550 Credits
  • Bulk: — (Worn)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Physical Science and Engineering checks to identify the properties or value of technological items and minerals.
    • Spirit-Audit (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks to Sense Motive.
    • The Refiner’s Gaze (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to saving throws against illusions and holographic effects of 1st level or lower.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): (1/Day) As a 2-action activity, you can scan a creature to learn its current HP and if it is affected by any poisons or diseases.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): (1/Day) As an Interact action, you can project a beam onto a device to cast Identify, specifically revealing if the item has been modified or is a counterfeit.
  • Syntax: Level 1 Hybrid Item, +1 Physical Science/Engineering, +1 Sense Motive, Daily Vitals-scan/Identify.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

TL 11 Truth-Audit Monocle

  • Item Type: Bio-Magical Tool / Relic
  • Tech Level: 11
  • Weight: —
  • Cost: Cr 3,200
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): The user receives a DM+2 on any Broker or Science (Chemistry or Physics) checks regarding the valuation and purity of trade goods.
    • Spirit-Audit (Passive): The user receives a DM+1 on Investigate or Insight checks when attempting to determine if a sentient being is being deceptive.
    • Trace-Element Resonance (Passive): The user receives a DM+1 on Electronics (Sensors) checks when using the monocle to scan for specific chemical signatures or structural flaws.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): Once per day, the user may determine the current Hits (characteristics) and any medical ailments of one biological creature. Requires an EDU check (8+).
  • Syntax: TL 11 Relic, DM+2 Broker/Science, DM+1 Investigate, Daily medical diagnostics check.

Warhammer 40,000: Wrath & Glory

Taoist 108 Lens of the Discriminating Eye

  • Item Type: Relic (Evaluation Augmetic)
  • Tier: 1
  • Keywords: Relic, Tæloraḥn, Scholastic, [Any Keyword regarding Trade or Inquisition]
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Material Discernment (Passive): You gain +1 bonus die to all Scholar tests involving the valuation of artifacts or the identification of xenos/heretical materials.
    • Spirit-Audit (Passive): You gain +1 bonus die to all Insight tests made to determine if a character is telling the truth or is under the influence of a psychic power.
    • The Refiner’s Gaze (Passive): You gain +1 bonus die to Awareness tests made to see through mundane disguises or identify structural weaknesses in cover.
    • Evaluate the Inner Dan (Active): You may spend 1 Wrath to immediately learn a target’s current Wounds, Shock, and any active Tier 1 or lower Conditions.
    • Focusing the Cinnabar Ray (Active): You may spend 1 Wrath to automatically succeed on a test to identify a forgery or to find the “purest” route through a hazardous environment.
  • Syntax: Tier 1 Relic, +1 Scholar/Insight, +1 Awareness (Disguises), Wrath-activated Vitals/Truth scan.