Stormforged Gauntlets

The Stormforged Gauntlets are a pair of gauntlets crafted from gleaming silver metal, adorned with intricate patterns resembling thunderclouds and lightning bolts. Tiny blue gemstones are embedded within the gauntlets, flickering with a faint electric current. When worn, the gauntlets emit a soft hum, resonating with the power of thunderstorms.

Lore: Legend speaks of a legendary blacksmith who sought to capture the ferocity and majesty of storms within a pair of gauntlets. Forged during a tumultuous tempest, the Stormforged Gauntlets were imbued with the essence of thunder and lightning, granting the wearer control over the very forces of nature. It is said that only those who possess the strength of heart and respect for nature’s power can truly unlock the gauntlets’ potential.

Stats:

• Level: Tier 1
• Rarity: Rare
• Type: Magical Gauntlets
• Tags: Thunderous, Elemental, Aetheric, Skyborne, Electric, Conductive, Battleforge, Overcharge, Windborne, Tempest
• Includes: Proficiency with gauntlets and melee weapons

Use: When wearing the Stormforged Gauntlets, the character gains the following benefits:

• Thunderstrike: When the character lands a critical hit with a melee weapon attack while wearing the gauntlets, a thunderous shockwave is unleashed, dealing an additional 1d8 thunder damage to the target and all creatures within 5 feet of it. The wielder’s control over thunderous energy creates a stunning effect, forcing affected creatures to make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
• Lightning Resistance: The gauntlets grant the wearer resistance to lightning damage, making them more resilient against electrical attacks.
• Stormborn Step: Once per short rest, the wearer can activate the gauntlets to harness the power of storms. For one minute, they gain a fly speed of 30 feet and resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks. Additionally, while flying, the wearer can choose one creature they can see within 30 feet and make a lightning-infused melee weapon attack against them as a bonus action.
• Tempest’s Embrace: The Stormforged Gauntlets enhance the character’s connection with the weather. They gain advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened by creatures with the elemental or air subtype. Additionally, they have the advantage of checks made to predict or navigate through storms or severe weather conditions.

In the world of Saṃsāra, the Stormforged Gauntlets are highly sought after due to their potent elemental powers. Their availability is rare and typically restricted to specialty shops and unique markets where arcane items and powerful artifacts are traded. Here’s a description of the types of shops where the gauntlets might be found, along with approximate pricing in each type of establishment:

• Arcane Emporiums
  • Description: These establishments, often found in bustling city centers or districts devoted to magic, are dedicated to selling enchanted items and equipment to powerful mages, scholars, and adventurers. Arcane Emporiums are usually large, with multiple rooms or floors showcasing items of various elemental affinities.
  • Atmosphere: The shops are filled with the hum of magical energy and lined with shelves containing a variety of mystical objects, from simple charms to legendary relics. Knowledgeable attendants, often trained in the arcane arts, assist customers in selecting the perfect item.
  • Cost: 3,500-5,000 gold pieces. The higher cost reflects the emporium’s reputation and the assurance of quality and authenticity.
• Elemental Guild Outposts
  • Description: The Elemental Guilds, each dedicated to a specific element, often run outposts in cities where practitioners of elemental magic gather. These outposts act as both supply hubs and training grounds for those with an affinity for elemental forces. The Stormforged Gauntlets are typically stocked by guilds focused on air or storm magic.
  • Atmosphere: The outposts are rugged and functional, with wares displayed in a practical, accessible manner. Trainers and seasoned elementalists frequent these shops, offering advice to those with less experience.
  • Cost: 3,000-4,000 gold pieces. Guild members often receive a discount, reflecting the sense of community and purpose within the guild.
• Antiquities & Relics Markets
  • Description: These markets, often located in regions with a rich history of ancient civilizations, are known for dealing in rare artifacts and relics with powerful enchantments. Merchants here are keen-eyed and skilled negotiators, specializing in artifacts with legends attached, like the Stormforged Gauntlets.
  • Atmosphere: The market is vibrant and somewhat chaotic, with merchants calling out to potential buyers from their stalls. Items range from cursed relics to renowned treasures, displayed on ornate tables or behind glass cases for protection.
  • Cost: 4,000-6,000 gold pieces. Prices are often higher due to the unique provenance of the artifacts and the collector’s market.
• Skyship Ports
  • Description: Skyship Ports in Saṃsāra, particularly those frequented by airship captains, mercenaries, and adventurers, have small specialty shops that cater to those who live and work among the clouds. Here, one might find the Stormforged Gauntlets being sold to skyship crews who rely on elemental artifacts for protection against aerial threats.
  • Atmosphere: The shops are compact and practical, with a slightly rustic feel. Items for sale are geared toward skyship crew members, including enchanted sails, weather-manipulating charms, and protective gear for aerial combat.
  • Cost: 3,200-4,500 gold pieces. Prices vary based on the shop’s proximity to trade routes and the danger level of the local skies.
• Secretive Black Markets
  • Description: Black markets are hidden within the alleyways of major cities or in underground caverns beneath bustling trade towns. These markets deal in restricted and powerful items that can be difficult to obtain legally, including artifacts with incredible power, like the Stormforged Gauntlets. They are often frequented by those who seek to bypass conventional rules and authorities.
  • Atmosphere: The atmosphere is shadowy and tense, with buyers and sellers wary of unwanted attention. Transactions are quick and discreet, with wares shown only to trusted customers.
  • Cost: 2,500-4,000 gold pieces. The cost is lower than legal markets but comes with risks, as authenticity and quality may vary.
• Temple of the Storm Spirits
  • Description: These temples are located in secluded areas with frequent storms or high altitudes. They are managed by druids or priests devoted to the elemental forces of air and thunder. The temples rarely sell items, but the Stormforged Gauntlets may be gifted or sold as a token to those who have completed a sacred quest or shown reverence to the storm spirits.
  • Atmosphere: The temple grounds are serene, with an aura of reverence and power. Inside the temples, one finds elemental symbols etched into the walls, with the faint rumble of distant thunder in the background.
  • Cost: Usually a donation of 2,000-3,500 gold pieces, or completion of a quest. This price reflects the spiritual value and reverence for the gauntlets rather than mere currency.
• Merchant-Caravans in the Zephyrstone Islands
  • Description: In the Zephyrstone Islands, nomadic merchants carry goods from floating island to floating island. These caravans occasionally carry powerful items like the Stormforged Gauntlets to satisfy the demands of aerial adventurers and zeppelin crew members.
  • Atmosphere: The caravans are bustling and crowded, with goods displayed on open carts and tables. Itinerant merchants haggle with customers, sharing tales of daring expeditions and rare finds.
  • Cost: 3,000-4,200 gold pieces, though prices are often negotiable based on the merchant’s need to sell and the rarity of their goods.

The Stormforged Gauntlets are rare treasures, sought after by those who respect the power of storms and wish to wield that power. They are priced as such in the various shops, markets, and sacred sites of Saṃsāra, each establishment reflecting the gauntlets’ legendary nature and the different paths one might take to acquire them.

The Stormforged Gauntlets offer a range of offensive and defensive abilities suited to different environments, allowing the wearer to harness the power of storms in both close combat and strategic scenarios. Here’s a look at how they might be used in various settings for both defense and offense:

• Urban Setting
  • Offensive Use: In a crowded city or narrow alleyway, the Thunderstrike ability can be especially effective. When engaging in close quarters with multiple foes, the wearer can unleash a thunderous shockwave upon landing a critical hit. The shockwave reverberates through the narrow space, hitting enemies nearby, which can knock them prone if they fail their saving throws. The confined environment amplifies the sound, disorienting foes and giving the wearer an advantage in the chaos.
  • Defensive Use: In a cityscape where dodging and weaving through crowds and obstacles are essential, the Stormborn Step ability becomes highly useful. The gauntlets grant the wearer a temporary fly speed, allowing them to leap onto rooftops or glide over barricades to escape pursuit. The lightning resistance is helpful for dodging magical traps or escaping enemy mages that might use electrical spells to disable or control crowds.
• Dense Forest or Jungle
  • Offensive Use: In a jungle or dense forest, visibility is often limited, so the Tempest’s Embrace ability provides an advantage in navigating the unpredictable terrain. The wearer can easily strike fear into creatures of the forest that are sensitive to elemental energies, as the gauntlets hum with the power of storms. When facing large, predatory creatures or a pack of hostile beasts, the gauntlets can unleash Thunderstrike to disrupt their charge and disorient them long enough to allow the wearer to gain the upper hand.
  • Defensive Use: The Stormborn Step is especially valuable for dodging predators or escaping ambushes from enemies lying in wait. The fly speed allows the wearer to move quickly through the tree canopy or over obstacles, evading traps or outmaneuvering attackers. The temporary resistance to non-magical slashing and piercing damage offers a defensive edge against animals with sharp claws and teeth, as well as thorny underbrush and other natural hazards.
• Mountainous Terrain
  • Offensive Use: In high-altitude battles where storms are frequent, the Tempest’s Embrace ability not only grants protection but also augments the wearer’s connection to the surrounding elements. The thunderous force of Thunderstrike echoes across the mountainsides, making enemies more vulnerable to follow-up attacks. The enhanced elemental connection gives the wearer a tactical advantage over creatures with the air or elemental subtype, allowing them to intimidate or deter such creatures from approaching.
  • Defensive Use: The gauntlets provide Lightning Resistance, making the wearer immune to sudden storms that often occur in mountainous regions. When climbing or navigating treacherous slopes, the Stormborn Step ability allows the wearer to avoid falling hazards and ascend quickly, granting them a temporary fly speed to bypass narrow ledges or escape rockslides. The gauntlets’ resilience against non-magical damage can also protect the wearer from falling debris and rough terrain.
• Desert or Open Plains
  • Offensive Use: On open plains or in desert environments where combatants are exposed and vulnerable, the Thunderstrike ability serves to control the battlefield. When an enemy is struck by a critical hit, the shockwave throws surrounding foes off-balance, kicking up sand and dust to further disorient them. This can be useful in taking down groups of bandits or wild creatures that might otherwise overwhelm the wearer.
  • Defensive Use: The Stormborn Step allows the wearer to temporarily take to the air, which can be helpful in avoiding quicksand, bypassing sand dunes, or evading large desert predators. The fly speed also enables the wearer to spot threats from a distance, giving them time to prepare or evade. The gauntlets’ resistance to non-magical damage also guards against high-speed debris whipped up by desert storms.
• Seafaring or Coastal Setting
  • Offensive Use: At sea or on the coast, the Stormborn Step can be activated to enable aerial mobility over the water. When boarded by hostile pirates or sea creatures, the wearer can launch lightning-infused melee attacks from above, bringing down bolts on enemies from the air. The Thunderstrike ability can also knock enemies overboard, using the power of thunder to force them into the waves, where they become more vulnerable to attack.
  • Defensive Use: On a ship, the Lightning Resistance protects the wearer from the elements and magical attacks from water-dwelling creatures or enemy mages. The temporary fly speed from Stormborn Step can allow the wearer to escape sinking ships or board enemy vessels. The resilience to non-magical slashing and piercing damage is valuable in repelling boarders, resisting strikes from cutlasses and harpoons, and protecting against sea creature attacks.
• Stormy Weather Combat
  • Offensive Use: When fighting during a storm, the Stormforged Gauntlets allow the wearer to resonate with the natural elements. The Thunderstrike effect amplifies in heavy rain and thunderous surroundings, potentially creating chain reactions with ambient electrical energy. The gauntlets may also enhance intimidation tactics, as enemies will be less likely to challenge someone literally wielding the storm’s power.
  • Defensive Use: The Stormborn Step lets the wearer ride the winds, evading strikes and moving fluidly through stormy terrain. With the advantage against charms and fear effects from elemental creatures, the gauntlets provide a powerful psychological defense as well. This synergy between the gauntlets and the storm makes the wearer harder to target and provides resistance against ambient lightning strikes or unpredictable storm-related hazards.
• Ruins or Cavernous Dungeons
  • Offensive Use: In enclosed spaces, Thunderstrike can cause walls and floors to reverberate, potentially causing minor cave-ins or triggering traps that are sensitive to sound or movement. The concussive force is especially useful for ambushing multiple enemies or driving them back into waiting allies. The Tempest’s Embrace can give the wearer an edge over foes with elemental affinities that commonly dwell in dungeons.
  • Defensive Use: The Stormborn Step ability allows for swift traversal over traps, pits, and broken floors, while the Lightning Resistance protects against both magical and environmental lightning hazards, such as malfunctioning arcane machinery. The temporary flight capability also allows the wearer to avoid ground-based hazards, giving them maneuverability in otherwise treacherous environments.

The Stormforged Gauntlets blend offensive power with defensive utility, making them adaptable to a variety of environments. Whether in close-quarters combat, navigating dangerous terrain, or harnessing the elemental forces of the storm, the wearer can creatively employ these gauntlets to dominate both natural and urban battlefields.

Perception of Activation:

• User’s Perspective: When activating the Stormforged Gauntlets, you experience a rush of sensory and extra-sensory perceptions:
  • Sight: As you focus on activating the gauntlets, they emit a bright, blue aura that pulses with energy. Small arcs of electricity dance across the surface, flickering around the embedded blue gemstones, which glow more intensely. The air around the gauntlets becomes distorted, similar to heatwaves, as static electricity fills the atmosphere.
  • Sound: A deep hum begins, resonating from the gauntlets and growing louder as they come fully alive. It sounds like distant thunder rolling across a vast sky, intensifying with crackling sounds as tiny bolts of lightning shoot out from the gauntlets’ surface.
  • Touch: Your hands feel an intense, vibrating energy surging through the gauntlets. The metal itself is warm, almost hot to the touch, but not uncomfortably so. The vibration feels like standing close to a lightning strike, with a tingling sensation moving up your arms.
  • Smell: You catch a metallic tang in the air mixed with the sharp, ozone-like scent often present during thunderstorms. There’s also a hint of burnt air as if electricity has just scorched it.
  • Taste: A slight, metallic taste tingles at the back of your throat, as if the electric charge has permeated the air around you. It’s a faint sensation but unmistakably reminds you of storms.
  • Extrasensory Perceptions:
    • Electrostatic Awareness: You feel a heightened awareness of any electrical currents or metallic objects around you, as if you’re now able to sense where electricity is flowing, even through solid objects.
    • Elemental Connection: An overwhelming sensation of connectedness to the storm fills you, almost as if you can feel weather patterns shifting. There’s a subtle pull to move in tandem with storm energy, heightening your agility and awareness.
    • Energetic Pull: A deep feeling draws you toward lightning-rich areas, and you feel a surge of strength as if feeding off the surrounding electrical energy.
  • Positives:
    • You feel powerful, as if channeling the might of a storm itself. The gauntlets enhance your confidence, focus, and agility, making you feel nearly unstoppable.
    • The elemental connection allows you to tap into natural energy, giving you an intuitive sense of weather and other elemental energies nearby.
  • Negatives:
    • The sensations are intense and slightly overwhelming, potentially leaving you feeling overstimulated and on edge.
    • Prolonged use could result in slight numbness in your hands and arms due to the constant tingling and vibration.
    • The gauntlets may attract nearby electrical sources, which could make you vulnerable in environments with errant energy, like magical traps or high-voltage areas.
• Observer’s Perspective: For those witnessing the activation of the Stormforged Gauntlets, the sight and presence of the gauntlets are equally dramatic:
  • Sight: Observers see the gauntlets ignite with a bright blue light, emitting small bolts of electricity that crackle in the air. The intense glow of the embedded blue gemstones casts eerie shadows, and the surrounding atmosphere seems to ripple, almost as if the gauntlets are bending reality around them.
  • Sound: Those nearby hear a low, rumbling hum that rises into the sound of rolling thunder as activation intensifies. A subtle electric crackling punctuates the thunderous sound, accompanied by the faint hum of static.
  • Touch (Proximity): Standing close to the gauntlets, onlookers feel a slight prickling sensation on their skin as static electricity builds up. If they’re within a few feet, they may feel their hair stand on end and even experience light shocks when touching metallic objects.
  • Smell: A strong ozone smell fills the air, almost like after a lightning strike, accompanied by the scent of ionized metal and faintly burned air.
  • Extrasensory Perceptions:
    • Electrical Disturbance: Sensitive observers may sense interference in nearby magical or technological devices, which might flicker or glitch momentarily as the gauntlets influence their electrical fields.
    • Atmospheric Disruption: Those attuned to elemental energies can sense a sudden imbalance in the air around the wearer, as if a storm front were forming nearby.
  • Positives:
    • Observers may feel awe at the display of power, noting that the gauntlets command an impressive and intimidating presence.
    • They can feel the force of the storm from a distance, which might make them feel inspired or in awe of the user’s apparent control over such potent energy.
  • Negatives:
    • Standing close to the wearer could be dangerous, as small arcs of electricity might strike those nearby. The static charge can cause mild discomfort or even mild electrical shocks.
    • Observers may feel uneasy or unsettled by the intensity of the display, as if they’re in the presence of a raw, untamed force of nature.
    • Those with metallic armor or items may experience electrical disturbances, making them feel uncomfortable and potentially vulnerable if the activation discharges outward.

The Stormforged Gauntlets, when activated, bring an overwhelming presence of a tempest, evoking the feeling of a living storm in both user and observer alike. This powerful item grants an exhilarating and intimidating experience, underscoring the immense power within and the potential consequences of wielding such a force.

Crafting Recipe: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Materials Needed:
  • Mithral or Silvered Steel Ingot (2) – Lightweight, conductive metal that can withstand high levels of electrical energy.
  • Thunderstone Shards (5) – Magical shards containing thunder energy, collected from areas with frequent thunderstorms.
  • Charged Lightning Gems (3 small) – Blue gemstones enchanted to store electrical energy, such as topaz or sapphire. These gems should be pre-charged with lightning magic.
  • Cloudsilk Cloth (1 square yard) – A rare, enchanted silk that can trap and hold electrical energy, to be used as inner lining for the gauntlets.
  • Essence of Storm (1 vial) – Distilled essence collected from a thunderstorm, usually harvested by druids or elementalists, to imbue the gauntlets with an elemental connection to storms.
  • Elemental Binding Runes (10) – Inscribed rune tablets or etched designs to channel and bind elemental energy into the gauntlets.
  • Arcane Conductor Wire (2 feet) – A magical conductor wire that can channel and hold energy from the gems to the metal.
  • Storm’s Breath Feather (1) – Feather of a thunderbird or similar storm creature, needed to grant the gauntlets temporary flight capability.
• Tools Required:
  • Arcane Forge – A forge specially enhanced to handle enchanted materials and bind elemental energies.
  • Gem Engraver’s Kit – Tools for carefully cutting, engraving, and setting gemstones into metal.
  • Rune Etcher – A tool used to inscribe magical symbols and runes onto metal.
  • Storm Harness – A device that captures and transfers storm energy directly into objects, typically wielded by a skilled elemental mage.
  • Leatherworking Kit – Tools for cutting, sewing, and treating the Cloudsilk Cloth and attaching it to metal.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Master Blacksmithing (Advanced) – For handling and shaping mithral or silvered steel.
  • Runic Inscription (Intermediate) – To etch the elemental runes accurately and activate them.
  • Elemental Attunement (Intermediate) – To safely handle and manipulate thunderstones, essence of storm, and to use the Storm Harness.
  • Jeweler’s Craft (Intermediate) – To cut and set the Charged Lightning Gems.
  • Enchanting (Advanced) – To properly bind elemental energies and ensure the gauntlets can hold the required charges without shattering.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Forge the Gauntlets’ Base Shape:
    • Heat the mithral or silvered steel ingots in the Arcane Forge until malleable. Shape the metal into two gauntlet bases, leaving spaces for the gemstones and runes.
    • Let the metal cool slightly, then carefully mold the base shape with flexible joints for dexterity. Ensure the metal cools evenly, as uneven cooling can affect the gauntlets’ conductivity.
  • Prepare the Inner Lining:
    • Cut and shape the Cloudsilk Cloth to fit inside each gauntlet, serving as a shock-absorbent layer. Attach this cloth using enchanted thread and the Leatherworking Kit.
    • Sew the Arcane Conductor Wire along the lining where the Charged Lightning Gems will be set, connecting these spots to key points in the gauntlet for efficient energy transfer.
  • Engrave and Inlay Runes:
    • Using the Rune Etcher, inscribe the Elemental Binding Runes on the exterior and interior of each gauntlet. These should be evenly spaced to ensure balanced energy flow.
    • Embed the Thunderstone Shards at the knuckles and palms of each gauntlet, inlaid directly over specific runes that activate during Thunderstrike. Secure with the jeweler’s tools, allowing slight protrusion for conductivity.
  • Set the Charged Lightning Gems:
    • Cut settings for the Charged Lightning Gems on the backs of the gauntlets and one gem on the wrist. Use the Gem Engraver’s Kit to secure them.
    • As you set each gem, carefully connect it to the Arcane Conductor Wire so the energy can flow smoothly from the gem into the gauntlet’s framework.
  • Infuse the Essence of Storm:
    • Use the Storm Harness to carefully pour the Essence of Storm onto the gauntlets. Allow the gauntlets to absorb the liquid as the Storm Harness channels the storm energy into the metal.
    • This infusion should be done over a 24-hour period, during which the gauntlets remain in a suspended state in the Arcane Forge.
  • Attach the Storm’s Breath Feather:
    • Secure the Storm’s Breath Feather to the back of each gauntlet’s wrist, using the Leatherworking Kit. Enchant the feather to enhance Stormborn Step by infusing it with elemental flight magic. This step may require additional enchantment skills to bond the feather permanently.
  • Final Charging and Binding Ritual:
    • Place the completed gauntlets in a circular rune of power, ideally outdoors or under open skies. During a thunderstorm, perform a binding ritual to charge the gauntlets fully. This part of the process will connect the gauntlets with the essence of the storm, allowing access to their full potential.
    • The binding ritual should be conducted by a skilled enchanter, with chants and spells to finalize the link between the gauntlets and the elemental energies. This step is crucial to ensuring the gauntlets can call upon the Thunderstrike and Tempest’s Embrace abilities.
  • Test and Final Attunement:
    • After the storm charging, test the gauntlets’ abilities. Strike an object to ensure the Thunderstrike ability works, and attempt the Stormborn Step to test the temporary flight. Any imbalances should be re-adjusted with careful rune realignment or gem resetting.
    • Once satisfied, the gauntlets are complete. To fully attune them, the wearer should spend a period of meditation with the gauntlets, focusing on their connection to storm energy, to complete the final bond.

The Stormforged Gauntlets are now fully crafted, imbued with the power of thunderstorms, and ready for a worthy wearer to unlock their potential.

Tale of the Thunderbound Smith and the Stormforged Gauntlets

Long, long ago, when all lands be as old as bones of mountains, there lived a smith of unmatched hands, called Dhiram. Dhiram was one who crafted with metals that shined like sun, yet his heart held no glow, for he desired to forge an item that only the gods themselves could shape. He sought to hold power in his hands, a power that thundered across sky and shattered the earth below.

One moonless night, when dark cloud covered the heavens, a whisper came to Dhiram in his sleep. The whisper, it told him of a storm’s heart, captured in stone by ancient hands, somewhere far beyond where his feet had ever tread. Dhiram’s heart beat like drums, and in his mind, there was no doubt: he would find the storm and bind it in metal, for then he would make his greatest work, a thing of both thunder and fury.

For thirteen years, Dhiram wandered the wild lands, climbing stone peaks and crossing rivers black as night. He spoke to winds and waited for the crack of thunder to guide him. He asked mountains where the storm sleeps, and he asked rivers where the storm breathes. Yet the land spoke in tongues he did not understand.

In time, when his face was marked by both sun and storm, Dhiram found a place forgotten by all hands, a peak that touched the very edge of sky, where clouds gathered to dance and where lightning danced as though laughing. There, the storm’s heart lay, trapped in a shard of crystal, trembling with power unspent. Dhiram knew then that his journey had come to its end, and so he set to his work.

For seven days and seven nights, he labored. He melted silver from the mountain veins, and he pounded metal as loud as thunder’s own call. Dhiram took the heart of the storm and placed it within the metal, binding it with runes taught to him by winds and words heard from shadows of the trees. Blue stones he placed upon the gauntlets, like eyes that see the sky’s wrath.

But on the eighth day, when the work was almost done, the storm spoke. It spoke not in words, but in a roar that shook even the mountains’ roots. “Dhiram,” it rumbled, “you seek to chain my power. Yet know this: only one with the heart of storm, a soul not hardened by desire alone, can wield my gift.”

Dhiram did not heed. He reached for the gauntlets and slid them upon his hands, a smile creeping over his face as he felt the power surge. He raised his hands to the sky, and in that moment, the clouds above parted, releasing bolts of lightning that cracked the earth beneath him. With the gauntlets, he summoned thunder, and with a laugh that echoed, he saw himself as a god among men.

Yet the storm, though bound, was not tamed. With each step Dhiram took, the gauntlets grew heavy, heavier than stone or sorrow. His legs buckled, his breath grew short, and the laughter in his throat turned to gasps. The storm demanded a price, one Dhiram had not reckoned. It was a price of blood, a price of soul. Dhiram fell to his knees, and the thunderclouds gathered round him, as if the very sky wished to reclaim what was stolen.

The sky cracked open, and down it reached with tendrils of white light, searing him with all he had tried to command. Dhiram cried out, and his voice was lost in the storm’s fury. The earth shook, and the mountains groaned as Dhiram vanished into the storm, consumed by the very power he had sought to wield. All that remained were the gauntlets, lying upon the stone, quiet now, yet charged with the power that had both made and unmade him.

From that day forward, the gauntlets lay waiting, for only those who sought not to control, but to understand, could don them without facing Dhiram’s fate. It is said that the gauntlets hold both the rage of the storm and the memory of the smith, bound forever by his ambition and his folly.

Moral of the Story: Power is not for binding, nor for taking as one’s own. Those who seek to wield forces beyond their heart’s understanding must first learn respect, or else they too shall vanish, as fleeting as thunder’s echo.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Description: These gauntlets are relics of ancient power, humming with a faint electric current. Wearing them invokes both dread and awe, as the bearer risks becoming a conduit for terrible, primal forces.
• Mythos Rating: +10 to Cthulhu Mythos while worn, indicating an unnatural connection to elemental forces beyond human comprehension.
• Effects:
  • Thunderstrike: Once per day, the user may make an attack roll. On a successful hit, the gauntlets release a thunderous shockwave, dealing 1d10 damage in a 10-foot radius (DEX roll to halve damage). Everyone within this range must make a CON roll or be stunned for one round.
  • Stormborn Step: Once per week, the user can activate Stormborn Step, gaining the ability to hover 5 feet above the ground and move at normal speed. This effect lasts 1d4 minutes and gives +20% to Dodge checks.
  • Lightning Resistance: Gain +10 to all checks against electrical damage or attacks.
• Sanity Cost: 1/1d6 Sanity loss upon first activation. Prolonged use may result in permanent Sanity effects at Keeper’s discretion.
• Restrictions: The wearer must succeed on a POW check each time they activate a special ability. On a failure, they lose 1d4 HP from internal shock, and their usage limit resets.
• Cost: 1,000 USD (or as determined by the Keeper, as this item is exceptionally rare).

Blades in the Dark

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Description: Crafted from materials that resonate with crackling energy, these gauntlets carry the raw power of a storm. They’re coveted by Whisper and Cutter alike for their utility in both combat and heists.
• Item Quality: Fine (3 Load)
• Abilities:
  • Thunderstrike: When you roll a 6 on a Skirmish or Wreck roll, you may deal +1d6 harm to all targets in a small area. However, you also take 1 Stress from the energy feedback.
  • Stormborn Step: Once per job, you can temporarily glide up to two stories high or move through electrically charged areas without harm. Take +1d to Finesse or Prowl rolls while using this ability.
  • Charged Ward: While wearing the gauntlets, reduce Harm from electrical attacks by one level. If an enemy attacks you with an electrical weapon, you may conduct the energy back at them, giving them level 1 Harm (“Shocked”).
• Attunement Requirement: Whispers and those attuned to the ghost field can spend 1 Stress to activate the gauntlets. Any other user takes 1 Harm when activating Thunderstrike or Stormborn Step, due to the volatile energy.
• Cost: 8 Coin (or at GM’s discretion due to their rarity).

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement)
• Description: These shining silver gauntlets hum with power, flickering with bolts of blue lightning that give the wearer control over storms.
• Abilities:
  • Thunderstrike: When you score a critical hit with a melee weapon attack, the gauntlets unleash a shockwave. All creatures within 5 feet of the target must make a DC 15 Strength saving throw or take 1d8 thunder damage and be knocked prone. On a successful save, they take half damage and aren’t knocked prone.
  • Stormborn Step: Once per long rest, you can activate Stormborn Step, gaining a flying speed of 30 feet for 1 minute. During this time, you also have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage from nonmagical attacks.
  • Lightning Resistance: While wearing the gauntlets, you have resistance to lightning damage.
  • Tempest’s Embrace: You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened by creatures with the elemental or air subtype, and advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks made to predict or navigate storms.
• Attunement Requirement: Only those who respect the power of the elements can truly harness the gauntlets’ potential. If you fail a DC 13 Wisdom check during attunement, you take 1d10 lightning damage and cannot attempt attunement again until the next dawn.
• Cost: 4,000-6,000 gold pieces or as determined by the DM.

Knave

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Inventory Slots: 2 slots
• Description: Gloves forged with materials from ancient storms, crackling with energy that bestows their wearer the abilities of a thunderstorm.
• Abilities:
  • Thunderstrike: On a critical hit, you release a burst of thunder that affects all creatures within 5 feet. These creatures must make a Strength check or take 1d8 damage and be knocked prone. The user is also knocked back by the force (no damage taken).
  • Stormborn Step: Once per day, you may spend 1 turn to activate Stormborn Step, allowing you to hover up to 20 feet off the ground for up to 10 minutes. During this time, you gain +1 Armor against physical attacks.
  • Lightning Resistance: When wearing the gauntlets, you take half damage from any lightning-based attacks or effects.
  • Storm Sense: Once per day, you gain the ability to sense the direction and intensity of the nearest storm, as well as any natural dangers related to the weather within a 1-mile radius.
• Activation Requirement: If the user rolls a critical failure while using Thunderstrike, they take 1d6 damage from feedback, as the storm’s energy lashes back.
• Cost: 600-800 silver, depending on rarity in the setting or as determined by the GM.

Fate Core

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Description: These gauntlets are imbued with the ferocity of storms, giving the wearer enhanced strength and control over thunder and lightning.
• Aspect: Thunder’s Wrath Bound in Metal
• Abilities:
  • Thunderstrike: Once per scene, you may spend a Fate Point to attack all nearby opponents with a burst of thunder. This attack rolls +2 to hit and deals a Weapon:2 effect, with each enemy needing to succeed on an Athletics check to avoid being knocked back.
  • Stormborn Step: Spend a Fate Point to gain a flight ability for one scene, moving at a speed similar to your running speed. During this time, you may defend with +2 against physical attacks, as the storm surrounds you with a protective aura.
  • Stunt: Lightning Resistance: Take half damage from any electrical attacks or effects.
• Drawback: The gauntlets are unstable, requiring the wearer to make a Will check with a +2 difficulty when using any ability. Failure results in the user taking 1 physical stress as a backlash from the storm energy.
• Cost: 2 Refresh to acquire, plus an additional Fate Point for each activation beyond the initial stunt use per session.

Numenera & Cypher System

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets (Level 7 Artifact)

• Description: These gauntlets hum with the power of ancient storm energy, allowing the wielder to channel thunder and lightning.
• Effect:
  • Thunderstrike: Once per day, the wearer may unleash a blast of thunder as an action, dealing 7 points of Intellect damage to all creatures in an immediate area and forcing them to make a Might defense roll (difficulty 5) or be stunned for one round.
  • Stormborn Step: For one minute, the wearer can fly at a speed of 20 feet (6 meters) per round and has Armor +2 against physical attacks. This ability can be activated once per day by expending 2 Intellect points.
  • Lightning Resistance: The wearer has Armor +3 against all electricity-based attacks.
• Depletion: 1 in 1d10 (each time Thunderstrike or Stormborn Step is used).
• Attunement: The user must make a level 5 Intellect check to attune to the gauntlets. Failure results in a feedback shock of 4 points of Might damage.
• Cost: Typically exchanged as an artifact in Numenera, these would be valued at around 30 shins or in a barter for similarly rare artifacts.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Type: Worn Item, Hands; Level 9; Price: 700 gp
• Usage: Worn; Bulk L
• Description: These silvered gauntlets crackle with thunder and lightning, forged by an ancient elemental smith to harness the power of storms.
• Abilities:
  • Thunderstrike (Evocation, Electricity): When you score a critical hit with a melee attack, you may release a thunderous wave that deals 3d6 electricity damage in a 10-foot burst. Creatures must make a DC 21 Fortitude save or be knocked prone. This ability can be used once per hour.
  • Stormborn Step (Transmutation): Once per day, you may gain a fly speed of 20 feet for 1 minute. During this time, you also gain resistance 5 to all physical damage. Activating this ability is a single action with the verbal component.
  • Lightning Resistance: You gain resistance 10 to electricity damage while wearing the gauntlets.
  • Tempest’s Embrace: You gain a +2 item bonus to Athletics checks related to stormy or high-altitude environments, and a +2 bonus on saving throws against air and weather-related effects.
• Craft Requirements: The crafter must be at least 7th level with access to the Air domain or Storm domain spells.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Type: Rare Magical Item
• Description: Forged in the heart of a storm, these gauntlets pulse with elemental energy, making the wearer a conduit for thunder and lightning.
• Effects:
  • Thunderstrike: When the wearer rolls a Raise on a melee attack, they may activate Thunderstrike, dealing 2d8 electrical damage to all adjacent foes (half damage on a successful Agility roll). Foes are also Shaken on a failed Vigor roll.
  • Stormborn Step: Spend 2 Power Points to gain the ability to Fly at a pace of 12 for three rounds. During this time, the wearer gains +2 to Parry as long as they maintain flight.
  • Lightning Resistance: Wearer gains a +2 bonus on Vigor checks to resist any form of electricity-based attacks or effects, and takes half damage from electrical sources.
  • Storm Sense: The gauntlets allow the wearer to sense impending storms within a one-mile radius, gaining +2 to Notice rolls related to weather and air patterns.
• Drawback: Each time Thunderstrike is activated, roll a d6. On a roll of 1, the gauntlets suffer a power surge, causing the user to be Shaken as they experience feedback.
• Cost: $1,200 in Savage Worlds currency or awarded as treasure for defeating a dangerous, storm-based adversary.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Type: Rare Magical Item, Wireless Enabled
• Description: These powerful gauntlets allow the wearer to channel electric and thunder-based attacks, functioning as both a weapon and a defensive item.
• Attributes:
  • Damage: Physical, STR +2P, with an additional +2DV (Electricity)
  • Range: Melee
  • Thunderstrike: Once per combat, you may declare a Thunderstrike with a successful melee attack. The attack gains an Area of Effect (AOE) burst of 2 meters around the target, dealing +2P electrical damage to all within range. Characters affected must make a Body + Willpower (4) Test to avoid being stunned for one round.
  • Stormborn Step: Once per day, the user may activate the gauntlets to grant +2 to their Movement for 1D6 rounds, as well as the Levitation effect. This effect allows them to hover 2 meters above the ground, with immunity to Shock or Electrical effects during this time.
  • Electrical Resistance: Provides +2 to all Resistance rolls against electrical attacks.
• Wireless Bonus: When connected to a Matrix device, the wearer can remotely manipulate electrical fields within a 10-meter radius, creating an electric charge that grants +2 to intimidation or Leadership checks.
• Availability: 15F, 7,500¥

Starfinder

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Type: Hybrid Item, Level 8, Worn Item
• Description: Crafted with both magic and advanced technology, these gauntlets crackle with energy, allowing the user to control and wield electric forces.
• Attributes:
  • Thunderstrike: As a standard action, the wearer can make a melee attack. On a hit, the gauntlets deal 2d6 electrical damage to the primary target and 1d6 electrical damage in a 10-foot radius. All targets within this area must succeed on a DC 18 Reflex save or be knocked prone.
  • Stormborn Step: Once per day as a swift action, the wearer gains a flight speed of 20 feet with perfect maneuverability for 1 minute, as well as DR 5/— against kinetic attacks. The user’s movement speed is increased by +10 feet during this time.
  • Electric Resistance: The wearer gains energy resistance 10 against electricity.
• Slot: Hands
• Usage: 1 charge per use; 2 charges/day (Recharge 1/day at dawn)
• Cost: 9,800 credits

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Description: Rumored to be crafted by a lost civilization, these gauntlets allow the wearer to channel storms’ power, emitting powerful electric attacks and granting resistance to electrical hazards.
• Tech Level: TL15 (Ancient)
• Attributes:
  • Thunderstrike: Once per day, the wearer can make an Unarmed Attack with the Gauntlets, which inflicts 3D6 electrical damage to the target and 2D6 electrical damage to all targets within a 5-meter radius. Targets must succeed on a STR + END roll (DM-2) or be stunned for 1D3 rounds.
  • Stormborn Step: The wearer gains a temporary movement speed of 15 meters as they levitate above the ground. This lasts 1D6 minutes and grants +2 to all Dexterity-based rolls for the duration. Usable once per week.
  • Electricity Resistance: Gain +2 DM to any roll to avoid electrical damage and halve all electrical damage taken.
• Restrictions: Non-humans suffer a -2 DM penalty when attempting to use the gauntlets due to their sensitive nature and precise neural attunement required.
• Cost: Cr50,000, if available

Warhammer (4th Edition)

    Item: Stormforged Gauntlets

• Type: Magical Item (Rare)
• Description: Made by forgotten Dwarven rune-smiths or by the magic of the High Elves, these gauntlets grant the wearer formidable powers over the storm and electricity.
• Effects:
  • Thunderstrike: Once per encounter, you may make a melee attack. Upon a successful hit, you unleash a thunderous shockwave, dealing +2 Damage (Electrical) to all targets within a 5-yard radius. All targets within this range must pass a Strength Test or be knocked Prone.
  • Stormborn Step: Once per day, you may spend an action to activate the flight ability, allowing you to move at half your Movement Rate, ignoring all terrain. During this period, you gain +10 to Dodge (Ag) rolls and Resistance (Electricity 5).
  • Lightning Resistance: Gain +1 Success Level on Toughness Tests against electrical or lightning-based attacks.
• Drawback: Each use of Thunderstrike requires a Willpower Test. Failure results in the user taking 1 Wound (ignoring Toughness Bonus) due to the feedback of the storm’s power.
• Encumbrance: 1
• Value: 300 Gold Crowns