Claw Gauntlets 9503 of Calibrated Grasp

From: Lineage 7429 of Vorzuls Remnant

Fingerless gloves of riveted bronze and alchemical leather, each claw tip fitted with a miniature tension gauge that clicks softly when optimal grip pressure is achieved. Tiny steam valves along the palms release micro-bursts to enhance friction on slick surfaces or to cool overheating veins mid-climb. The gauntlets’ inner lining is etched with Khipu-Glyphs that translate vibration patterns into tactile pulses, warning of loose bolts or shifting stone before failure occurs.

Woven from the flayed hide of a stone beast that clawed free from Turrath’s final collapse, these gauntlets remember the grasp that could not hold back the mountain’s fury. Riveted bronze plates, salvaged from Vorzul’s shattered drive chains, encase fingerless alchemical leather supple as vein-flesh yet unyielding as ley stone. At each claw tip, a miniature tension gauge—forged from the quarry’s last unbent needle—clicks with the precision of a heartbeat finding rhythm, signaling the perfect pressure where grip becomes communion with the gripped. Tiny steam valves, no larger than alpine seeds, nestle in the palms, exhaling micro-bursts that cling like mist to slick ledges or soothe the crimson fire racing through overheating veins during desperate ascents. Within, the inner lining blooms with Khipu-Glyphs etched by a survivor’s trembling claw, transforming the world’s tremors into intimate pulses against the skin—loose bolts whisper like lovers’ breaths, shifting stone murmurs warnings before the fall. These gauntlets do not merely hold; they calibrate the boundary between self and stone, turning every climb into a negotiation with the earth’s unforgiving memory.

Tier 1 Stats

Strength +2
Dexterity +2 (enhanced grip and friction control)
Constitution +1 (vein cooling prevents fatigue)
Intelligence +1 (vibration translation to tactical data)
Wisdom +0
Charisma +1 (pact rapport with beasts via precise handling)

Skills Gained

Optimal Tension Grip (advantage on Athletics checks for climbing, grappling, or manipulating objects; gauges click to auto-adjust pressure)
Friction Burst (micro-steam enhances traction on slick/icy surfaces; +1d6 to relevant Dexterity saves, 6/day)
Vibration Pulse Warning (preemptively detects loose components/shifting terrain within 20 ft as tactile alerts, preventing ambushes or falls)

Passive Magics

Gauge Harmony (gauges provide constant feedback, granting proficiency in tools requiring fine grip like lockpicking or gear calibration)
Vein Chill (auto-vents cool overheating limbs, resistance to fire/heat damage from exertion; pulses sync with wearer’s crimson veins)
Glyph Translation (Khipu-Glyphs convert vibrations to intuitive pulses, +2 to Perception for mechanical/structural hazards)

Activatable Magics

Calibrated Crush (1 charge; next grapple deals 3d6 bludgeoning + auto-prone on failed Strength save DC 13; steam burst locks grip)
Pulse Overload (2 charges; 10-ft cone of tactile disruption disorients foes, imposing disadvantage on their next Dexterity check)
Beast Bind Grasp (1 charge; enhances pact rapport, allowing telepathic command to one stone beast/construct for 1 minute)

Specific Slot

Hands (Claw Gauntlets)

Tags

Vorzul Survivor, Tension Calibrator, Steam Friction, Vibration Oracle, Grip Enhancer, Vein Cooler, Khipu Pulse, Beast Handler, Climb Master, Bolt Whisperer, Fracture Forewarner, Alchemical Claw

Shops where and how this item might be bought and sold:

Puna-Qollas Forge Collective Grip Stall, soot-blackened bench beside apprentice climbing walls; sold by tier 2 beast handlers for 9 platinum or one calibrated stone beast claw set.
Peakhold Undermarket Pulse Alcove, narrow shelf lit by vein-glow; traded for 1 rhodium coin or one vibration log from a pre-Rockfall climb.
Anti-Suyu Ruin Ascent Caravan, hanging rack on jungle wagon; bartered for 11 platinum plus one mapped slick ledge route.
Chay-Uro Zeppelin Climb Bay, chain display under gondola rigging; 13 platinum or equivalent in micro-steam valves (eight units).
Hanan-Pacha Causeway Grip Booth, stone ledge at bridge anchor; 10 platinum or 250 feet of tension-tested rope with pulse reports.
Rockfall Memorial Grasp Table, etched slab beside scar; offered for 8 platinum donation with a whispered grip confession to Stonegrowers.
Urin Pacha Cavern Climb Mender, crystal-lit nook in deep warrens; 12 platinum co-op fee or four days shared friction testing.
Floating City Sky Ascent Gondola, suspended platform at high drift; 14 platinum plus one mid-air grip test on levitation rigging.
Underwater Dome Coral Climb Outlet, bioluminescent shell stall; 11 platinum in pressure-sealed tube or three alpine friction herbs.
Uncharted Island Salvage Drift, appears at twilight near shoals; 2 rhodium coins or one complete Khipu-Glyph vibration record.
Griffon Courier Talon Pouch, mid-flight hand-off between islands; 16 platinum in steam-sealed packet, delivered within 1 day to any Andean cliff.

Roleplay in different environments:

Defense

Puna-Qollas Forge Collective A collapsing scaffold swings toward apprentices. Remnantclasp lunges, gauntlets clamping the beam—gauges click to optimal tension, micro-steam bursts lock grip on slick iron. Vibration Pulse Warning thrums against palms, revealing a loose rivet; he vents Vein Chill to cool overheating veins, then spends 1 charge on Beast Bind Grasp—telepathic command redirects a nearby stone beast to brace the structure. Gauges sync with the beast’s pulse, holding steady until workers escape.

Rockfall Scar Pilgrimage Boulder avalanche tumbles down. He plants claws into the cliff—Friction Burst hisses steam, granting +1d6 to climb save as he scales sideways. Pulse Overload spends 2 charges in a 10-ft cone—tactile disruption scatters smaller rocks, disorienting the slide into harmless dust. Glyph Translation pulses warnings of shifting stone, guiding pilgrims to safety.

Chay-Uro Sky Dock Skirmish Boarders grapple across rigging. He parries a blade—gauges click, Optimal Tension Grip auto-adjusts for counter-grapple. Spends 1 charge on Calibrated Crush—steam-locked claws deal 3d6 bludgeoning, prone effect dropping the attacker into nets below while he swings to the next rope.

Offense

Anti-Suyu Jungle Ruin Guardian construct charges. He vaults onto its back—gauntlets clamp joints, gauges clicking to reveal weak servo. Calibrated Crush spends 1 charge—3d6 bludgeoning shatters the joint, prone effect toppling the construct into vines. Steam bursts enhance friction, keeping him mounted for follow-up strikes.

Zeppelin Gondola Raid Enemy rigger swings a wrench. Remnantclasp catches the wrist—gauges sync, Vibration Pulse Warning reveals a loose rigging bolt. Pulse Overload spends 2 charges—10-ft disruption cone disorients the rigger (disadvantage on Dexterity), wrench slips; he follows with Calibrated Crush to hurl the foe overboard.

Uncharted Island Monolith Ancient steam sentinel activates. He climbs its leg—Friction Burst hisses on slick metal, +1d6 to ascent. Gauntlets clamp a gear port—gauges click, revealing core flaw. Spends 1 charge on Beast Bind Grasp—telepathic override forces the sentinel to kneel, exposing its heart for a killing blow.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective The gauntlets tighten like living sinew. Bronze plates shift a millimeter, rivets clicking into perfect alignment with your bones. Each claw tip’s tension gauge spins—tick-tick-tick—locking at the exact pressure where grip becomes unbreakable. A cool ribbon of steam kisses overheated veins, racing up forearms like mountain spring water; the scent of hot iron and alpine resin floods the nose. Vibration pulses bloom against palms—Khipu-Glyphs translating the world’s heartbeat into intimate warnings: a loose bolt thrums danger, slick stone whispers caution. Extra-sensory: ley lines appear as bronze threads under the skin; the taste of ozone sparks on the tongue; a low, metallic hum syncs breath to the earth’s tremor.

Observer’s Perspective The gauntlets gleam. Miniature gauges spin with audible ticks, claws flexing in perfect unison. Steam vents hiss in precise micro-bursts, forming brief glyphs that dissolve into the air. Bronze plates ripple like liquid metal before locking rigid; the wearer’s crimson-veined arms pulse once, then steady. A faint seismic hum radiates outward, felt in teeth and chest, as if the gauntlets breathe with the cliff.

Positives

Instant grip optimization on any surface
Preemptive hazard detection within 20 ft
Steam cooling prevents climb/combat fatigue
Enhances telepathic pact rapport with stone beasts

Negatives

Gauge clicks audible in stealth scenarios
Overuse (3+ bursts in 1 minute) risks 1d4 slashing to palms from pressure feedback
Ley-dead zones mute vibration warnings (no pulses)
Steam bursts visible in darkness/fog (reveals position)

Recipe: Claw Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp (Variant)

Materials Needed

2 fingerless gloves of alchemical leather (beast-hide, steam-cured)
10 riveted bronze plates (Vorzul-drive salvage)
5 miniature tension gauges (piston-needle cores)
8 tiny steam valves (brass, micro-bore)
1 sheet Khipu-Glyph vellum (vibration-etched)
1 vial alpine resin oil
12 micro-steam filaments (crystal-infused)

Tools Required

Steam-driven riveting hammer
Claw Gauntlets with precision drill
Geomantic tension calibrator
Ley-Tap Crucible (any variant)
Vibration tuning fork

Skill Requirements

Grip Calibration 3+
Steam Valve Crafting 2+
Khipu-Glyph Etching 1+
Dexterity 15+

Crafting Steps

Soak leather gloves in resin oil for 1 hour; heat to 160 °C over ley vent until supple.
Rivet bronze plates in overlapping pattern using hammer; align with natural claw lines.
Mount tension gauges at each claw tip; calibrate to 0.1 atm click threshold with tuning fork.
Embed steam valves along palms; thread micro-filaments and seal with resin paste.
Etch Khipu-Glyph vellum with vibration patterns; line inner gauntlets and secure with bronze pins.
Submerge in crucible steam for 45 minutes; pulse ley line to activate gauges.
Grip test surface—gauntlets click and vent on success; complete when pulses warn of loose rivet.

Gauntlets That Held Mountain’s Last Breath

In days when the earth was still learning to bleed, and the sky carried the tears of unborn rivers across the dark, there walked a climber whose fingers were longer than hope. They called him K’lawu-Vorzul, the one who grasped the wind, though the tongue that spoke it is now ash. His hands were black glass, his claws two sparks, his blood the color of steam after fire. He built a path called Turrath, a ladder of stone that climbed the mountain like the ribs of a sleeping god. In the heart of the path he set two gauntlets, twin guards for the hands that would one day fail the world.

K’lawu-Vorzul wore the gauntlets always. When he climbed stone, the gauges at his claws clicked. When he gripped iron, the valves in his palms hissed. The people marveled. They said: He holds the mountain’s breath, he knows its secret pulse, he will make the climb eternal. The gauntlets grew proud. Their clicks sharpened into songs of bronze, their vents hissed steam that cooled the air and fed the climbers below. Children tied ribbons to the valves; the ribbons never burned.

But pride is a seed that grows in silence. K’lawu-Vorzul began to climb higher, to grip tighter, to ask the mountain for heights it could not give. He built a great engine, a thing of pistons and crystal that drank the ley lines like a beast drinks blood. The gauntlets helped him. Each click they made, each hiss they gave, fed the engine’s hunger. The mountain began to choke. The paths began to crack. The people still sang, but their songs grew thin.

One night the moon was a broken claw. K’lawu-Vorzul stood at the engine’s summit. The gauntlets burned cold against his skin. The tension gauges spun backward—warnings, pleas, memories of every stone he had ever held. He saw the mountain fall, saw the paths slide, saw the engine’s heart burst into a thousand shards of light. He reached to stop it, but the gauntlets had learned his rhythm and now gripped for themselves.

The mountain exhaled.

It was not a sound but a silence, a silence so complete that the stars fell quiet. The engine screamed, then shattered. The gauntlets drank the scream, drank the shards, drank the blood of the mountain. For seven heartbeats K’lawu-Vorzul hung in the red dark, his claws outstretched, the bronze guards glowing like twin moons. Then the silence swallowed him.

When the dust rose, the path was gone. In its place lay a plain of black glass and twisted iron. The climbers were rivers of rubble. The people who lived crawled from the ruins with ash in their hair and silence in their mouths. They found the gauntlets—or what remained of them—half-buried beneath a piston the size of a house. The leather was cracked but unbroken. The tension gauges still clicked, slow now, like a heart that had forgotten how to stop. The valves still hissed, but the steam was cold.

They carried the gauntlets to the highest Peakshrine. The Stonegrowers laid them upon the altar. For seven days they lay there, drinking the mountain’s grief. On the seventh night the valves tightened, the gauges sighed, and the gauntlets split cleanly in two. From the crack poured a single thread of bronze steam that hardened into a bead—the grasp bead that now rests in every gauntlet of calibrated grasp.

The gauntlets were cut into pairs. Each pair became the foundation of a new guard, each click a memory of the breath. The valves were rewoven by those who had lost brothers in the fall, their fingers steady but wet. When the first new pair was gripped to stone, the gauges clicked forward, and the mountain whispered—not in pain, but in promise. When the valves hissed, the wearer felt the earth’s pulse, not its death.

The gauntlets spread. From Peakhold to Chay-Uro, from cavern to sky dock, every Qosqo-Pacha of the lineage wears a pair. When the gauges click, the wearer counts not grips, but redemptions. When the valves hiss, the wearer feels not the mountain’s death but its breath. The grasp of the climb is no longer a curse but a teacher, tempered by memory into something useful.

And so the gauntlets that held the mountain’s last breath became the gauntlets that taught the mountain to breathe again.

Moral of the story: Every grip is a promise; every release is a lesson.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Claw Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Description: Fingerless bronze and leather gloves with claw-tip gauges and palm steam valves.

Encumbrance: 0.8 (hands slot) Damage: +1D4 (claws) Armor Points: +1 (to Hands) Breakage: 12% Sanity Loss: 0/1D4 (upon first grip activation, vibration overload) Magic Points: Maximum 5 stored (tension charges) Spells/Abilities:

Optimal Grip: DEX roll for climbing/grappling (+20%).
Friction Burst: Reduce slip/heat damage by 1D4 (3/day).
Vibration Warning: INT roll to detect hazards in stone/metal within 10 yards.
Calibrated Crush: Expend 1 MP for 5-yard grapple (1D6+STR crush). Study Time: 1D6 weeks to attune; Mechanical Repair +1D3%; failure risks 1D6 HP from feedback. Value: $1,800 (Andean climber relic)

Blades in the Dark

Calibrated Grasp Talons

Item Type: Special (hands, quality 2) Load: 1 Effect: +1d to Prowl or Skirmish for grapples/climbs; gain 1 charge on successful grip (max 3). Special:

Steam Burst: Spend 1 charge: +1d friction on slick surfaces or negate level 1 heat harm.
Pulse Crush: Spend 1 charge when Skirmish: deal level 2 harm (Claw Lock: 2d, prone).
Vibration Sense: Ignore level 1 harm from falls or loose terrain. Drawback: Critical stress (6+): Feedback—take level 1 harm (Gauge Overload). Cost: 9 coin (forge relic) Tags: Arcane, Prohibitive, Steamforged

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition 2024)

Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)*

Riveted bronze claw gauntlets with gauges and steam vents.

Properties: While attuned, advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks for climbing/grappling. Successful grips generate charges (1 per success, max 5). Charges: Regain 1d4+1 daily at dawn. Bonus: +1 bonus to attack/damage with unarmed strikes (claws). Reactive (Bonus Action): Expend 1 charge for steam burst (advantage on next Acrobatics/Athletics; or resistance to fire 1 minute). Crush Grip (1 Charge): Grapple deals 2d6 bludgeoning + prone (Str save DC 13). Pulse Warning (Passive): Detect vibrations/hazards (tremorsense 20 ft). Overload (3+ Charges): If over 5, take 2d6 force (Dex save DC 13 half). Curse: Attunement causes grip tremors (disadvantage on fine manipulation after rest, removable by remove curse).

Knave (2nd Edition)

Claw Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Slot: Hands (1 slot) Weight: 1.5 lb Damage: +1d4 claws Properties: +1 DEX defense (grip). Convert grips to charges (1 success = 1 charge, max 5). Passive: +2 to attack/defense grapples/climbs. Detect vibrations within 20′. Active (1 Charge): Friction Burst—advantage on next climb/grapple. Active (2 Charges): Calibrated Crush—2d6 bludgeoning + prone. Active (1 Charge/Day): Vein Cool—negate 1 wound from heat. Drawback: Overcharge (6+): 1d6 force damage to hands. Value: 380 cp (climber relic)

Fate Core

Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Aspect: “Claws That Whisper the Earth’s Pulse” Stunt: Tension Harmony – Once per scene, invoke the aspect for free on an Athletics or Physique roll for climbing or grappling. Stunt: Steam Burst – Spend 1 fate point: micro-steam enhances grip (create advantage with Great (+4) on slick surfaces). Stunt: Vibration Oracle – Mark 1 stress box to gain 1 charge (max 3); spend 1 charge to add +2 to Notice for mechanical hazards. Refresh Cost: 1

Numenera & Cypher System (Discovery/Destiny)

Claw Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Level: 5 Form: Fingerless riveted bronze gloves with claw gauges, palm valves, and glyph-lined interiors. Effect:

Optimal Grip: Ease all Might tasks for climbing/grappling by two steps.
Friction Burst: Generate 1 charge on successful grip (max 5).
Calibrated Crush (1 charge): Next grapple deals +5 damage, prone on fail.
Pulse Warning (2 charges): Detect hazards/vibrations in 20 ft for 1 minute (ignores stealth). Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (reset on 10-minute rest near ley line).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Item 5

Price: 160 gp Usage: worn (gauntlets); Bulk: L Activate: [one-action] Interact (burst); Frequency: once per minute Effect: Steam enhances grip: +1 circumstance to Athletics (Climb/Grapple) for 1 minute. Activate: [reaction] (when grappling); Frequency: once per round Effect: Gain 1 charge (max 5); detect one hazard within 20 ft. Activate: [two-actions] Command (crush); Frequency: once per hour Effect: Grapple deals 3d6 bludgeoning (Fortitude DC 20). Passive: +1 item bonus to Acrobatics (Balance).

Savage Worlds (SWADE)

Claw Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Type: Hand Armor (+1 Parry) Weight: 2 Cost: $3,500 Power: Grip Reservoir – Store up to 5 “charges” from successful grapples; spend 1 charge for +2 Athletics (climb/grapple). Power: Steam Burst (PP 2, Self, Instant) – Advantage on next Athletics or ignore slippery/heat penalties. Power: Calibrated Crush (PP 3, Melee, Instant) – 2d6 + Str damage on grapple, prone on raise. Backlash: Over 5 charges: roll Agility or drop held items.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Calibrated Grasp Talons

Essence Cost: 0.3 Availability: 12R Cost: 16,000¥ Capacity: — Device Rating: 4 Effects:

Tension Calibration: +2 dice pool to Athletics or Close Combat for grapples/climbs.
Friction Burst: Gain 1 charge per successful grip (max 5).
Calibrated Crush: Spend 1 charge (Quick Action): grapple DV 6P, AP –2 (prone on hit).
Pulse Warning: Spend 2 charges (Simple Action): detect hazards/vibrations within 20 m (+2 Perception). Flaw: Overcharge (6+): Feedback—take 4P unresisted.

Starfinder (1st Edition)

Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Level: 5 Price: 3,200 Slots: Hands Capacity: 20; Usage: 1/round Bulk: L Effects:

Optimal Grip: +2 insight to Athletics for climb/grapple.
Tension Reservoir: Gain 1 charge per success (max 5).
Crush Pulse (Attack): Expend 1 charge: grapple 2d6 B + prone (Reflex DC 14).
Vibration Warning (Standard): Expend 2 charges: detect hazards in 20 ft for 1 minute.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Claw Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

TL: 8 Mass: 1 kg Cost: Cr18,000 Traits:

Grip Calibration: +1 DM to Athletics for climb/grapple.
Burst Reservoir: Store 1 charge per success (max 5).
Calibrated Crush: Expend 1 charge: grapple 3D damage + knockback 2 m.
Pulse Warning: Expend 2 charges: detect vibrations/hazards in 10 m for 1D minutes. Flaw: Overload (6+): wearer takes 2D damage.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Claw Gauntlets of Calibrated Grasp

Rarity: Rare Price: 14 gc Encumbrance: 1 Qualities: Magical, Gripping Effects:

Tension Sense: +10 to Athletics or Melee for grapples/climbs.
Grasp Reservoir: Gain 1 charge per success (max 5).
Calibrated Crush: Spend 1 charge: grapple Damage +7, prone on fail.
Vibration Warning: Spend 2 charges: detect hazards in 20 yards for 1 minute. Flaw: Overcharge (6+): suffer 1d10+2 Wounds (ignores TB/AP).