The Chantwarden Pendant was shaped during the First Kingdoms when royal courts sought small tools that could redirect residual energy from contested borders without drawing the attention of large military formations.
Artisans gathered ordinary river stones and thin fiber cords from common plants rather than rare crystalline cells or high-tier materials.
The binding process required the maker to sing a short repeating phrase while walking a measured path along a coastal road so the pendant would remember the direction of natural east-to-west flows.
Over time the item became favored by those who preferred to guide incoming forces around a location through voice and movement instead of direct confrontation.
One account tells of a guild courier near a weakened veil area who hummed a steady pattern at dusk and the gathering pressure that risked a small magic storm was drawn along the path of the steps and released into the open air as faint colored light.
The pendant does not summon lasting spirits but briefly aligns the wearer’s voice with the faint residual traces left where many lives have ended and begun again.
Successful use produces a low hum that only those with true sight or soul sight perceive as pale threads moving away from the original source of energy.
Materials remain common so any artisan trained to the minimum skill for tier one work can remake the item provided the stone is gathered under the correct tide and Helios position.
Those who wear it treat each phrase as part of an ongoing exchange with the immediate surroundings and often pause between notes to note the answering shift in local magic pressure.
All magical properties function only while the item is worn in its designated slot and become inert if the avatar remains inside extradimensional storage longer than a few hours.
Description
A small smooth river stone the size of a coin suspended from a thin woven fiber cord long enough to rest against the chest.
The stone holds faint irregular inclusions that catch light in pale violet when nearby magic pressure rises.
The cord is light enough that it does not interfere with ordinary clothing or light armor and produces a soft vibration when the wearer sings or hums at a steady pace.
The stone shows no chips after ordinary handling and returns to its original cool temperature within minutes of any warming.
When inactive the pendant feels slightly cooler than the surrounding air as if drawing a trace of heat from the immediate area.
Activation causes the stone to warm in sequence with the direction the wearer chooses for the redirected energy.
Detailed Stats
Rarity Common Tier 1
Armor Check contribution 1
Resilience 10
Item Hit Points equal to the attuned avatar maximum health points plus 10
Weight 1 pound
Attunement required for all magical properties Simple attunement takes one minute while worn
Range of influence 20 feet for passive effects and up to 40 feet for activated effects when the true name of a nearby residual echo is known
Cooldown after a full activation sequence 8 minutes
Cannot be used while the avatar is silenced or while the cord is covered so that the stone cannot move freely against the chest
Multiple Passive Magics
Voice Sense the attuned avatar becomes aware of the nearest east-to-west or poleward energy flow within 20 feet and may allow a portion of incoming damage equal to the tier die result to be carried along that flow and away from the avatar instead of striking
Chant Trace each time the avatar completes a short sung phrase while wearing the item residual echoes within 15 feet grow briefly clearer to the Mind’s Eye granting a small bonus on the next insight check made before the end of the following turn
Steady Hum while the avatar maintains a low continuous hum for at least two consecutive turns any condition that reduces vocal or movement actions affects the avatar at reduced strength
Echo Facing residual spirit traces within 10 feet align with the direction the avatar is facing allowing the avatar to sense the general origin of the strongest recent emotion in the area without an action
Multiple Activable Magics
Redirect Chant as an action the avatar sings a short repeating phrase while the stone vibrates and chooses one source of energy within 40 feet the energy is guided along a new path up to 20 feet from its original course the diverted energy retains its type and amount but the avatar must succeed on a skill check against the source or the redirection fails
Shared Phrase as a ritual action lasting at least six seconds the avatar and one willing ally within 10 feet may match their hummed notes each may then shift one temporary effect currently affecting them onto a single target within 30 feet the target receives a saving throw to resist and the effect must be transferable by ordinary means
Stone Capture as a reaction when the avatar or an ally within 10 feet is struck by an energy effect the stone may store half the amount as captured flow releasable on the avatar’s next turn as additional damage of the same type on one successful attack the stored amount cannot exceed the tier die maximum
Turning Phrase as an action the avatar performs a brief turning step while singing a short note at the end one creature within 30 feet that can hear the sound must succeed on a saving throw or have its next movement redirected toward a location of the avatar’s choice within the same distance the redirected movement uses the creature’s normal allowance
Specific Slot
Neck Slot the pendant must be worn around the neck to activate any magical property and counts toward the avatar’s worn item total while in use it may be moved to the Waist Slot between activations but loses all magical effects while on the waist
Tags
common, tier1, spirit, communication, energy, redirection, pendant, chant, dance, passive, activable, ritual, echo, flow, conduit, neckslot, skillcheck, savingthrow, mindseye, attunement, cooldown, range
Shops and Costs for Spirit 37 of the Chantwarden Pendant
Family craft shops in coastal towns or near central cities stock the pendant when local artisans have completed the binding ritual under proper tide and Helios conditions and sell it to travelers or residents who show interest in guiding energy rather than confronting it.
These shops consist of a single room or small attached workspace where the maker or a family member displays a few finished items on plain wooden shelves alongside other common tier one goods.
Purchase occurs through direct conversation with the artisan who may ask about the buyer’s intended use and then states a price based on recent material costs and demand in that specific location.
The stated price for a newly made pendant in such a shop typically ranges from eight to fifteen silver depending on how recently shells or stones were gathered and whether the local magic pressure has been high.
Haggling is expected and the final amount paid by a non-member buyer settles near the full stated value while a guild member of matching tier receives a reduction of roughly one tenth of that value.
Payment is accepted in silver or equivalent local coin and the shop deposits larger sums into the world bank if the buyer prefers.
Sale back to the same shop or a similar family workshop occurs when the avatar no longer needs the item and the artisan offers around nine tenths of the original local value times the seller’s tier before any further reduction for wear or incomplete attunement.
Guildhall side rooms in cities of five thousand or more residents sometimes hold a small selection of common ritual items including the pendant when members have contributed finished work.
- These spaces are maintained by the local guild master and items are displayed only during open hours when the hall is not reserved for training or meetings.
- Buying requires showing a current membership badge and the price is set by the guild at a level slightly below open-market rates in that city so that members can obtain basic tools without leaving the hall.
- A typical guild price for the pendant falls between seven and twelve silver with the standard one-tenth discount already applied for the member’s tier.
- Non-members are directed to the open market or family shops and are not sold the item from guild stock.
- When selling to the guild the member receives credit toward future dues or a cash amount near the guild’s purchase rate minus a small handling portion that covers storage until another member claims it.
Black-market stalls or quiet rooms behind ordinary shops in port cities or near contested borders offer the pendant when ordinary sources are scarce or when the buyer prefers no record of the transaction.
- These locations change frequently and the seller expects payment in gold coins only with no world-bank transfer.
- The asking price starts at the full local merchant value and may rise to twice that amount if the buyer appears urgent or if recent magic storms have increased demand for redirection tools.
- No discount is given for guild membership and the seller provides no receipt or further contact once the gold changes hands.
- Selling to a black-market contact yields an amount close to what an ordinary merchant would pay or slightly higher if the item is in good condition and the contact has an immediate buyer waiting.
Rural waystations or small village workshops along the patrolled roads between coastal cities and central capitals occasionally carry one or two pendants made by traveling artisans who stop for a few days.
- These places have no fixed stock and the price is set by whatever the maker needs for the next leg of travel so it can range from six to eighteen silver depending on distance from the nearest reef or river source of materials.
- Haggling remains possible but the final amount is usually closer to the stated figure because the seller intends to leave soon.
- A buyer who is simply passing through pays the full amount while a local resident known to the waystation keeper may receive a modest reduction.
- Sale at a waystation is uncommon because the keeper rarely holds cash for buy-backs and will instead direct the seller to the next larger town.
- In every location the final cost also shifts with the current taxes on goods entering the city or state so an item bought just inside a central city may carry an extra one percent while the same item bought after crossing a state border may include the five percent border levy already folded into the asking price.
- No shop maintains a fixed catalog price and each transaction remains a direct agreement between the parties present at that moment.
Roleplay of the Chantwarden Pendant in Defense and Offense Across Environments
On a coastal reef at low tide the wearer stands on wet stone and begins a low steady hum while facing the incoming east-to-west current so that any approaching wave of residual energy from a nearby magic scar is drawn along the waterline and carried past the group instead of striking the shore party.
- Defense occurs when the avatar remains still long enough for the passive voice sense to identify the strongest flow and then steps once to the side allowing the diverted portion of incoming damage to continue into the open sea as faint colored threads visible only to those with true sight.
- Offense takes the form of a short turning phrase directed at a hostile creature wading in the shallows so that the creature’s next movement is guided toward deeper water where the current itself continues the redirection and the stored capture from an earlier strike is released on the following attack.
Inside a walled town market the wearer moves at a walking pace between stalls while maintaining the gentle hum so that any sudden magical discharge from a nearby argument or item is sensed through the echo facing and partially carried along the street’s natural drainage path away from bystanders.
- Defense relies on the steady hum reducing the strength of any condition that would slow movement allowing the avatar to keep the pendant’s stone free to vibrate while allies shift temporary effects onto a single disruptive source through the shared phrase ritual.
- Offense uses the redirect chant aimed at a foe’s ongoing spell so the energy is guided twenty feet down an alley and the captured half is added to the next successful strike once the avatar has completed the brief turning step without drawing guard attention.
In an underground cave system the wearer faces the direction of the strongest residual emotion left by prior reincarnations and hums a repeating note that aligns the pendant with the local magic pressure gradient so incoming tremors or energy pulses are partially carried along the cave floor away from the party.
- Defense is achieved by completing three consecutive walking movements that activate the reduced-strength effect on movement-limiting conditions while the step trace bonus clarifies the Mind’s Eye view of nearby echoes before any hostile action begins.
- Offense consists of storing half an energy strike as captured flow during a reaction and then releasing it on the next turn after a short sung phrase has redirected the creature’s movement toward a narrow passage where the confined space continues the diversion.
Aboard a sailing vessel on the open ocean the wearer stands near the rail and matches the hum to the ship’s motion so that spray-borne residual energy from a distant storm is identified by the voice sense and allowed to continue along the surface current past the hull.
- Defense involves remaining in continuous low motion long enough for the pendant to keep temporary effects at reduced strength while the shared phrase lets an ally transfer a hindering condition onto a boarding creature before the creature reaches the deck.
- Offense uses the turning phrase directed at a foe on an adjacent vessel so the foe’s next movement is guided toward the open water and the stored capture is added to a ranged strike once the avatar has finished the brief sequence without leaving the deck.
Near a volcanic vent on an island slope the wearer faces away from the heat source and begins the steady hum so that rising magic pressure is sensed and a portion of any sudden discharge is carried along the poleward flow instead of striking the group.
- Defense depends on the echo alignment revealing the origin of the strongest recent emotion in the area allowing the avatar to position the pendant’s stone freely while the reduced condition strength keeps movement possible across unstable ground.
- Offense takes the form of a redirect chant that guides an incoming energy effect twenty feet toward the vent itself where the natural updraft continues the diversion and the captured amount is released on the following attack after the turning step is completed.
Within a floating cloud-city tower the wearer stands on an open balcony and hums while facing the inverted gravity sphere below so that any energy rising from the land far beneath is identified and partially carried along the disk’s edge away from the structure.
- Defense occurs through continuous walking motion that maintains the reduced effect on limiting conditions while the chant trace bonus clarifies residual echoes left by earlier avian constructions before any hostile approach.
- Offense uses the shared phrase with an ally to shift a temporary effect onto a single target on a neighboring tower and then releases stored capture after a short redirect chant has guided the target’s next movement toward the open air beyond the disk.
In a rural waystation along a patrolled road the wearer walks the length of the common room while maintaining the low hum so that any residual energy from passing monsters is sensed through the footfall equivalent of the voice sense and allowed to continue along the road’s drainage instead of entering the building.
- Defense relies on the steady pace keeping movement conditions at reduced strength long enough for the avatar to complete the ritual action that transfers a hindering effect onto an aggressive traveler before guards arrive.
- Offense consists of storing half an incoming strike during the reaction and then using the turning phrase to redirect the creature’s next movement out the door where the open road continues the diversion and the captured flow is added to the next attack.
Underwater near a major reef the wearer remains at a depth where the pendant’s stone can still vibrate freely and begins a slow hummed pattern matched to the slower poleward surface flow so that any energy descending from above is identified and partially carried along the current away from the group.
- Defense is maintained by completing the required consecutive movements that reduce the strength of limiting conditions while the echo alignment reveals the direction of the strongest recent emotion among the reef’s residual traces.
- Offense uses the redirect chant aimed at a hostile swimmer so the energy is guided twenty feet along the current and the stored capture is released on the following turn once the brief turning motion has been completed without surfacing.
Perception of Activation:
Sight for the user shows the stone’s irregular inclusions brightening into pale violet threads that move in the direction chosen for redirection while the cord remains still against the chest.
Sight for an observer shows the same pale violet light appearing on the stone only if the observer possesses true sight or soul sight otherwise the stone appears unchanged.
Positive aspect of sight is the clear visual confirmation that the energy has begun to shift along the intended path allowing immediate adjustment of position.
Negative aspect of sight is that the violet glow can draw unwanted attention from any nearby creature that also possesses true sight before the redirection completes.
Sound for the user is a low continuous hum that matches the spoken or sung phrase and seems to originate from the stone itself rather than the throat.
Sound for an observer is either silence or a faint vibration felt more than heard unless the observer is within ten feet and possesses enhanced hearing.
Positive aspect of sound is the steady tone that helps maintain the required cadence without additional concentration once the phrase has begun.
Negative aspect of sound is that any interruption of the hum causes the violet threads to fade and the redirection to fail if the phrase is not restarted.
Touch for the user is a gradual warming of the stone against the chest that follows the sequence of the chosen direction and remains only while the activation continues.
Touch for an observer is nothing unless the observer places a hand on the cord or stone in which case a slight vibration can be felt but no heat transfers.
Positive aspect of touch is the reliable warmth that confirms the pendant remains attuned and the energy is still being guided.
Negative aspect of touch is that the warmth can become uncomfortable if the activation lasts longer than the normal cooldown period and the stone is pressed tightly against skin.
Smell for the user is a brief scent of damp earth and ozone that appears only at the moment the energy successfully leaves its original path.
Smell for an observer is absent unless the observer stands directly downwind of the user and the redirection passes close enough for the ozone trace to reach them.
Positive aspect of smell is the clear signal that the diversion has taken hold allowing the user to end the phrase at the correct moment.
Negative aspect of smell is that the ozone can linger and alert nearby creatures with keen scent to the recent use of the pendant even after the visual and auditory signs have faded.
Taste for the user is a faint metallic note on the tongue that appears only when the stored capture is released on a subsequent attack and disappears within one turn.
Taste for an observer is never present because the effect remains internal to the wearer.
Positive aspect of taste is the immediate confirmation that the captured flow has been added to the attack without requiring a separate check.
Negative aspect of taste is that the metallic note can distract the user if multiple activations occur in quick succession before the previous taste has cleared.
Mind’s Eye for the user reveals the nearest high-to-low magic pressure gradient as a faint directional pull that aligns with the violet threads on the stone.
Mind’s Eye for an observer shows only the ordinary stats of the pendant unless the observer spends an action to identify and even then the active redirection appears only as a temporary property.
Positive aspect of the Mind’s Eye perception is the ability to choose the most efficient path for the diverted energy before the phrase is completed.
Negative aspect of the Mind’s Eye perception is the risk of overwhelm if several residual echoes are present at once causing the directional pull to flicker and the skill check for redirection to become harder.
True sight for the user shows the residual spirit traces as pale colored threads that briefly thicken when the energy is successfully guided away from its original course.
True sight for an observer shows the same threads only if the observer is facing the user and within the range of the pendant’s influence.
Positive aspect of true sight is the ability to confirm that the diverted energy has reached its new path without needing to move closer to the source.
Negative aspect of true sight is that the thickened threads can be seen by hostile creatures that also possess true sight giving them warning of the redirection before it finishes.
Soul sight for the user reveals the emotional tone of the strongest residual echo in the area as a shifting hue that matches the direction of the last full step or facing.
Soul sight for an observer shows no change unless the observer is actively using soul sight on the user at the moment of activation.
Positive aspect of soul sight is the extra information about recent events in the area that can be used to decide whether to continue or end the activation.
Negative aspect of soul sight is that prolonged viewing of the shifting hue can cause a brief headache if the emotional tone is particularly strong or conflicting.
Darkvision for the user shows the violet glow as a brighter gray-white patch on the stone that stands out against the normal infrared shades of the surroundings.
Darkvision for an observer shows the same brighter patch only if the observer is within the normal range of darkvision and looking directly at the pendant.
Positive aspect of darkvision is the ability to track the activation in complete darkness without relying on the pale violet color that true sight provides.
Negative aspect of darkvision is that the brighter patch can reveal the user’s position to any creature using darkvision even when the user is otherwise concealed.
Tremorsense for the user registers a faint additional vibration in the ground that matches the rhythm of the hummed phrase only while the feet remain in contact with the same surface as the energy source.
Tremorsense for an observer registers nothing unless the observer is also in contact with the same ground and within the range of the pendant’s influence.
Positive aspect of tremorsense is the confirmation that the redirection is affecting a ground-based energy flow even when visual signs are blocked.
Negative aspect of tremorsense is that the extra vibration can be detected by burrowing creatures and may draw them toward the user before the activation ends.
Recipe for the Chantwarden Pendant
Materials needed
One smooth river stone no larger than a coin gathered from a coastal or inland watercourse during the period when Helios is between four hundred and five hundred fifty nine.
A length of thin woven fiber cord taken from common coastal plants or ordinary reeds sufficient to circle the neck and allow the stone to rest against the chest.
Three small crystalline fragments no larger than a seed taken from the remains of common beasts that have left ordinary crystals rather than tier two or higher deposits.
A measure of clear water drawn from the same watercourse as the stone and kept in an open vessel until the binding begins.
A pinch of fine sand from the nearest reef or riverbank that has been exposed to the east-to-west surface current within the past day.
Tools Required
A simple carving tool of ordinary wood or bone capable of making a small hole through the river stone without cracking it.
A length of ordinary cord or sinew for temporary binding during the assembly.
An open workspace large enough to walk a measured circle of at least ten feet across while the materials remain in view.
A shallow bowl or dish of common clay or wood to hold the water and sand during the final binding.
No specialized magical implements beyond the materials themselves because the item remains common and tier one.
Skill Requirements
A trained skill level of at least one in a crafting skill related to fiber work or simple stone shaping.
A trained skill level of at least one in a skill related to ritual timing or recognition of local magic pressure gradients.
Familiarity with the east-to-west ocean or river current of the region so the walking pattern can match the natural flow.
No higher tier training is required because the pendant uses only common materials and produces only tier one effects.
The crafter must be able to maintain a steady hummed or sung phrase for the duration of the binding without interruption.
Crafting Steps
Gather the river stone at the correct time of day and rinse it in the clear water until all loose sediment is removed then set it aside to dry in open air.
Use the carving tool to make a single small hole through the center of the stone large enough for the fiber cord to pass but not so large that the stone weakens.
Thread the fiber cord through the hole and tie a simple knot that holds the stone securely while still allowing it to rest flat against the chest when worn.
Place the three crystalline fragments into the shallow bowl with the pinch of sand and cover them with the clear water so they remain submerged.
Begin walking a measured circle around the workspace while humming a short repeating phrase that matches the rhythm of the local east-to-west current.
On each completed circuit pause at the point where the circle faces the direction of the strongest nearby magic pressure gradient and dip the pendant briefly into the bowl so the water touches the stone and the fragments.
Continue the walking and humming for a number of circuits equal to the crafter’s current tier plus one so that the residual traces in the materials align with the natural flow.
On the final circuit stop facing the same pressure gradient and hold the pendant above the bowl while finishing the phrase so the water and sand dry on the stone and the crystalline fragments remain attached by the residual moisture.
Allow the pendant to rest undisturbed until the surface returns to its ordinary cool temperature then test the attunement by wearing it and confirming that the inclusions show a faint pale violet response when a short phrase is hummed.
If the violet response does not appear repeat the final three circuits with fresh water and sand because the alignment with the local current was incomplete.
Once the response is confirmed the pendant is complete and may be worn in the neck slot for all subsequent uses without further ritual.
Stone That Turned River of Force
In the time before the counting of years that men now use there was a place where the water moved always from the rising of the great light to the setting and the land held many small stones that had been touched by the long dying and the long living of beasts. A maker of simple things walked beside that water and saw that the force which moved in the air and in the ground sometimes gathered too much in one spot and then broke outward and harmed those who stood near. The maker took one stone no larger than the circle of a thumb and a cord of the plant that grows where the water meets the land and three small bright bits that the beasts leave when they end. The maker walked in a circle many times and made a sound with the mouth that was the same sound again and again while the water of the place touched the stone. When the walking ended the stone held a pale light inside its lines and the force that had gathered nearby moved aside along the path the maker had walked and went into the open water and became only light that faded. Those who saw this said the stone had spoken with the old echoes that remain where lives have stopped and started again and the echoes had shown the force a different way to go. The maker gave the stone to a traveler who carried goods between the places of many people. The traveler came to a spot where the force had gathered above a scar in the land that still held the mark of an old breaking. The traveler placed the stone against the chest and made the same sound with the mouth and walked a short way and the force that would have come down upon the traveler and the goods moved instead along the path of the steps and went past and into the air and was gone. The traveler reached the next place and told what had happened and others began to make stones of the same kind. Some stones worked and some did not. Those that worked were the ones made when the great light was low and the water of the place was taken at the same time and the walking matched the way the water itself moved. A second traveler took such a stone into a town of walls where many people argued and one person held an item that began to send force outward without control. The second traveler made the sound and the force was guided down a narrow way between buildings and struck only the ground and not the people. The people of the town said the stone had heard the old voices that stay in places where many have passed and the voices had turned the force as a river is turned by a bend in the land. Later a third person carried the stone near a high place where the ground opened and heat rose. The force from the opening began to move toward a small group and the person made the sound while facing away and the force followed the sound and the steps and went back toward the opening and rose with the heat and did no harm. In each telling the stone is said to grow warm when the turning begins and to grow cool when the turning ends and to leave a smell of wet earth and of the air after a storm. Those who wear it say they feel the pull of the force as a small tug in the chest and they choose the new path by the way they face and the way they step. Those who watch and who can see the hidden light say they see thin lines of pale color leave the stone and follow the new path until the lines fade. The story is told in many places and each place adds a small change yet the center remains that the stone does not stop the force and does not destroy the force but only shows the force another way that already exists in the moving of water and of air and of the echoes that remain. The maker is no longer named and the first stone is no longer known yet every pendant made in the same way is said to carry the same turning if the making is done when the light is low and the walking matches the water.
Moral of the story: Force that gathers may be guided aside by a small repeated sound and a matched step if the maker has first walked with the water and the stone has been touched by the water at the proper time.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu
The River Echo Stone
This small river stone pendant on a fiber cord serves as a focus for redirecting residual psychic or elemental energies through rhythmic chanting. It is a common artifact of low potency suitable for investigators of modest experience.
The stone must be worn around the neck and attuned through a brief ritual of humming while walking a short circle. Activation requires the user to succeed on a POW roll or spend 1 Magic Point. On success the user may redirect one incoming source of harm or supernatural influence within 20 yards.
Mechanics allow the user to impose a penalty die on one attack or spell directed at the user or an ally within close range by guiding the energy along an existing environmental flow such as wind or water current. The redirection lasts for one round. Failure on the POW roll causes the user to lose 1 Sanity as the residual echoes briefly overwhelm perception.
The item has no inherent armor value. It may be used once per day without cost beyond the Magic Point. Additional uses in the same day require a successful Luck roll or the stone grows uncomfortably warm and the user suffers a penalty die on the next action. Investigators with the Occult skill may recognize the pale violet glow under true sight equivalents as a sign of successful alignment with local ley pressures.
Blades in the Dark
The Cadence Pendant
This neck-worn stone and cord is a common tool for redirecting ambient energies or hostile actions through rhythmic movement and low chanting. It functions as a fine item that provides an edge in certain desperate situations.
When worn and activated by spending 1 Stress the user may perform a special action to redirect one ongoing effect or incoming harm. The user describes a short walking or turning motion matched to a hummed phrase and rolls Attune or Prowl as appropriate.
On a full success the redirected energy or attack is guided up to a close distance away along a natural path the user chooses and does not affect the original target. On a partial success the redirection occurs but the user or an ally takes 1 Stress from the strain of the echoes. On a failure the attempt collapses and the original effect resolves normally while the user marks 1 Stress.
The pendant counts as a fine mystical item for load purposes. It may be used freely during downtime to assist in long-term projects involving ritual or energy manipulation. Crews that rely on it frequently find that repeated use without rest leaves a lingering ozone scent that can be noticed by those with sharp senses.
Dungeons and Dragons
Pendant of the Turning Chant
Wondrous item, common
This river stone on a fiber cord must be worn in the neck slot. While attuned the wearer may use an action to hum a short phrase and redirect one source of energy or an attack within 30 feet.
The wearer makes a Charisma saving throw against a DC equal to 10 plus the tier equivalent of the source. On a success the energy or attack is diverted up to 20 feet along a path the wearer indicates and resolves against a new target or dissipates harmlessly if no target is present. On a failure the original effect occurs normally.
The pendant may also be used as a reaction when the wearer or an ally within 10 feet takes energy damage. The wearer stores half the damage rounded down up to a maximum of 4 points. On the wearer’s next turn that stored amount may be added to one successful attack as extra damage of the same type.
The item regains its uses at dawn. It provides no bonus to Armor Class. Attunement requires one minute of concentration while worn. If the wearer is silenced or the cord is covered the pendant cannot be activated.
Knave
The Stepstone Pendant
This common neck-worn item of ordinary materials allows redirection of force through matched movement and sound. It occupies the neck slot and requires no special attunement beyond wearing it.
When the wearer spends an action to walk a short pattern while humming the pendant may redirect one incoming attack or effect. The wearer rolls a d20 and adds the relevant ability modifier. If the result exceeds 10 plus the opponent’s level the force is guided 20 feet in a new direction chosen by the wearer and the original target is unaffected.
The pendant may also store a portion of received damage equal to the wearer’s level die result. That stored amount can be added to the wearer’s next successful attack. The storage fades if not used by the end of the following round.
The item has 10 item hit points plus the wearer’s maximum hit points and is destroyed if reduced to zero. It functions only while worn openly. Repeated use in the same day without a long rest causes the stone to cool uncomfortably and imposes disadvantage on the next redirection attempt.
Fate
The Echo Cord Pendant
This common aspect-bearing item is a small river stone on a fiber cord worn at the neck. It carries the aspect Residual Echo Alignment that can be invoked when the wearer seeks to redirect force or attention.
The wearer may spend a fate point to invoke the aspect and create a temporary advantage representing guided energy. The advantage is placed on a nearby zone or target and lasts until the end of the scene or until it is overcome. Success on an overcome or create advantage action using the pendant allows the redirected effect to resolve against a different target or to dissipate without harm.
If the invocation fails the wearer gains a mild consequence related to sensory overload from the echoes. The pendant provides no passive armor or stress absorption. It may be used freely in contests involving ritual movement or chanting provided the wearer describes the matched steps and low phrase.
Numenera and the Cypher System
The Turning Stone Cypher
Level 3 cypher. This river stone pendant on a fiber cord is worn at the neck. When activated the user may redirect one incoming energy attack or environmental effect within short range.
The user spends 2 Intellect points and attempts an Intellect task against the level of the source. On success the effect is guided up to short range in a new direction chosen by the user and does not affect the original target. On failure the original effect occurs and the user takes 2 points of Intellect damage from the backlash of residual echoes.
The cypher has one use. After activation the stone grows cool and inert until the next day. It provides no armor bonus. Wearers with the perception of residual traces may notice pale violet threads when the redirection succeeds.
Pathfinder
Pendant of Current Turning
Item 1. This common wondrous item is a river stone on a fiber cord that must be worn. Once per day the wearer may use an action to Redirect Energy.
The wearer attempts a DC 15 Occultism or Performance check. On success one source of energy damage or a magical effect within 30 feet is diverted up to 20 feet along a path the wearer indicates. The diverted effect resolves against a new target if one is present or dissipates if none exists. On a critical success the range increases to 40 feet. On a failure the original effect occurs normally.
The pendant may also be used as a reaction to store half the energy damage from one strike against the wearer or an adjacent ally up to a maximum of 4 points. The stored amount may be added to the wearer’s next successful Strike as extra damage of the same type. The item has no armor bonus and requires one minute of concentration to attune while worn.
Savage Worlds
The Cadence Stone
This common neck-worn item allows redirection of incoming force through rhythmic action. It occupies the neck slot and has no armor value.
As an action the wearer may attempt a Spirit roll at –2. On success one incoming attack or environmental effect within 10 inches is redirected up to 5 inches in a direction the wearer chooses. The original target is unaffected and the effect resolves at the new location if a target is present. On a raise the redirection ignores cover or minor obstacles along the new path.
The wearer may also spend a Benny as a reaction when taking energy damage to store half the damage rounded down. That stored amount may be added to the wearer’s next successful attack. Failure on the Spirit roll causes the wearer to become Shaken from the sudden echo feedback. The stone functions only while worn openly and cools after each use until the end of the scene.
Shadowrun
The Echo Redirector Pendant
This common neck-worn focus is a river stone on a fiber cord rated at Force 2. It allows a magician or adept to redirect incoming mana or physical force through rhythmic chanting and movement.
The user spends a Simple Action and rolls Magic + Counterspelling versus the Force of the incoming effect. Net hits determine the distance the energy may be guided in meters. On success the original target is unaffected and the effect resolves at the new location or dissipates. On failure the original effect occurs and the user suffers 1 point of Stun damage from feedback.
The pendant has an Availability of 4 and a Cost of 800 nuyen. It provides no armor bonus. Sustained use beyond one redirection per scene requires the user to resist Drain equal to half the Force rounded up. The stone grows warm during successful redirection and cools afterward.
Starfinder
Pendant of the Turning Cadence
Level 1 hybrid item. This river stone on a fiber cord is worn at the neck and counts as a worn magic item. Once per day the wearer may spend a standard action to Redirect Force.
The wearer attempts a Mysticism check against a DC of 12 plus the CR of the source. On success one incoming energy attack or effect within 30 feet is diverted up to 20 feet along a chosen path. The original target takes no damage or effect from that instance. On failure the original effect resolves normally.
The pendant may also be activated as a reaction to store half the energy damage from one attack against the wearer up to a maximum of 5 points. The stored amount may be added to the wearer’s next successful attack as extra damage of the same type. The item has negligible bulk and provides no armor bonus. It requires one minute of concentration to attune.
Traveller
The Current Stone
This common personal item is a small river stone suspended from a fiber cord and worn at the neck. It functions as a low-technology focus for redirecting ambient or directed energy through rhythmic action.
The user spends a Significant Action and rolls Education or appropriate skill at DM–2. On success one incoming energy attack or environmental hazard within Close range is redirected up to Short range in a direction the user indicates. The original target is unaffected. On failure the original effect occurs and the user suffers 1 point of damage from feedback.
The item has no armor value and negligible mass. It may be used once per day without penalty. Additional uses in the same day impose a DM–1 on the next redirection attempt until the user rests. Successful use leaves a faint ozone scent detectable at Personal range for one round.
Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay
The River Echo Pendant
This common neck-worn charm is a river stone on a fiber cord. It allows the wearer to attempt to redirect hostile magic or forceful blows through low chanting and matched steps.
The wearer spends an Action and makes an Average (+20) Channelling or Entertain test. On success one incoming spell or melee attack within 10 yards is diverted up to 6 yards along a path the wearer chooses. The original target is unaffected and the effect resolves at the new location if a target is present. On failure the original effect occurs and the wearer gains 1 Corruption point from the residual echoes.
The pendant provides no armor points. It may be used once per day. Further attempts in the same day require a Challenging (+0) test and risk an additional Corruption point on failure. The stone grows briefly warm on success and cools within minutes.