Geared Steam Piston Greaves 154

From: Lineage 801 of the Va Korrum

These articulated greaves are a marvel of compact magi-tech, blending layered obsidian with reinforced steel housings. Within each greave is a powerful, high-pressure steam-piston system that can be activated to vent a massive burst of kinetic energy. While they don’t increase normal walking speed, this function can be used to perform a powerful, short-range “piston dash” to charge an enemy or clear a gap. Alternatively, the pistons can be locked to anchor the wearer to the ground, making them almost impossible to be moved, pushed, or knocked prone for a short duration. They constantly emit soft hisses of steam and the faint clicking of internal, self-calibrating gears.

Lore

These greaves are Sar-Elun’s signature creation from his time as an apprentice at the Technoculum of Sar-Kwe, and the “154” designation is a mark of pride and a reminder of his meticulous process—they are the 154th design iteration, the first to achieve perfect stability and power output. The primary challenge for Kwe-Sar engineers has always been overcoming their race’s natural inertia; they are powerful and resilient, but not swift. The greaves were not designed to grant sustained speed, which Sar-Elun deemed an inefficient use of energy, but to provide bursts of controlled, overwhelming kinetic force.

The magi-tech within is a marvel of Va-Korrum philosophy. The steam is generated not from a bulky boiler but from a miniature catalytic chamber that flash-heats magically-infused water using energy siphoned directly from the user’s own Core-Slot. The “self-calibrating gears” are guided by microscopic Va-Shar runes that are psychically linked to the wearer’s “Mind’s Eye.” This allows the greaves to anticipate the user’s intent, shifting from a mobile dash configuration to a locked, immovable stance in the fraction of a second it takes for the user to think it. To wear these greaves is to have complete control over one’s own momentum and place on the battlefield.

Item Values and Mechanics

Tier One Stats: +1 Strength, +1 Constitution
Skills Gained: Grants Skill Proficiency in Athletics and Acrobatics.
Specific Slot: Leg Slot
Passive Magic
- Sure-Footed: The greaves’ internal gyros and self-calibrating pistons provide exceptional stability. The wearer has advantage on saving throws and ability checks against being knocked prone or moved against their will by non-magical means.
- Controlled Descent: The pistons can be used to absorb the kinetic energy of a fall. The wearer treats all falls as if they were 20 feet shorter for the purposes of calculating falling damage.
- Resonant Stride: The constant, soft hiss of steam and the faint clicking of gears are the greaves’ unmistakable signature. The wearer has disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, but gains advantage on Charisma (Intimidation) checks when making a show of force.
Activatable Magic
- The greaves have 3 Pressure Charges. They regain all expended charges after a long rest.
- Piston Dash (Action): The user can expend 1 Pressure Charge to vent a massive burst of kinetic energy from the greaves. They immediately move up to 20 feet in a straight line to an unoccupied space they can see. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity and ignores difficult terrain.
- Anchor Stance (Action): The user can expend 1 Pressure Charge to lock the pistons and drive micro-anchors into the ground. Until the start of their next turn, their speed becomes 0, they cannot be knocked prone, and they cannot be unwillingly moved from their position by any means short of teleportation.
Tags: Kwe-Sar, Va-Korrum, Leg Slot, Magi-Tech, Steampunk, Artificer, Mobility, Stability, Prototype, Piston-Powered, Mobility, Stability, Athletics, Acrobatics, Piston-Powered, Steam-Powered, Kinetic Force, Bonus Action, Charge, Anchor, Disadvantage (Stealth)

The Geared Steam-Piston Greaves 154 are a unique prototype, a piece of masterwork magi-tech rather than a common magic item. As such, they would not be found in a general store. Their sale would be a specialized transaction, occurring in places that appreciate cutting-edge engineering and tactical innovation.

1. The Gearwrights’ Exchange (Sar-Kwe, Acheulean)

The Shop and Location: Located in the upper circles of Sar-Kwe’s industrial district, this is not a shop but a prestigious guildhall and showroom for Acheulean’s master artificers. The environment is clean, well-lit, and professional, with holographic schematics projected in the air and prototypes displayed on pedestals like works of art. The Exchange is where artificers trade designs, commission unique components, and showcase their finest creations.

The Transaction: One could not buy Sar-Elun’s specific “Model 154” greaves here, as they are his personal property. However, a potential Kwe-Sar client with sufficient standing and funds could commission a new pair based on the “Model 154” design principles. The process would be a formal contract, requiring a significant down payment, a lengthy consultation for custom fitting, and a waiting period of several months.

Selling a similar prototype here would involve a panel of Va-Korrum engineers appraising the item. They would be less interested in its combat history and more in its design innovations, efficiency, and quality of craftsmanship. They would offer a fair price to acquire the item for study and reverse-engineering.

The Cost:

To Buy (Commission a new pair): 900 Rhodium. The price reflects the masterwork quality, the custom fabrication process, and the advanced technology involved.
To Sell (a similar prototype): 350 – 450 Rhodium, depending on the novelty of its mechanics and its overall condition.

2. Rhino’s Stand Outfitters (Korra-Shar)

The Shop and Location: This is a high-end military outfitter located near the naval yards of the port city Korra-Shar. The shop specializes in heavy-duty, practical gear for elite mercenaries, bodyguards, and adventurers. The owner is a retired Kwe-Sar military engineer who values durability and combat effectiveness above all else. The shop smells of oiled steel and ozone, and its walls are lined with heavy armor and oversized weapons.

The Transaction: The owner would have likely acquired the greaves from a previous owner who fell on hard times or from a battlefield salvage. They would know the item’s exact tactical value and would market it as a “heavy assault mobility system.” The sale would be a straightforward transaction between professionals, likely including a field demonstration of the Piston Dash and Anchor Stance capabilities.

Selling the greaves here would be a quick and efficient process. The owner would perform a brief but thorough inspection of the pistons and gearing, test the pressure seals, and make a firm, non-negotiable offer based on its immediate resale value to their clientele.

The Cost:

To Buy: 750 Rhodium. The price is slightly lower than a new commission but reflects the item’s immediate availability and proven effectiveness.
To Sell: 400 Rhodium. A fair market price for a piece of highly sought-after, masterwork combat equipment.

3. The Piston & Cog (Scrapper’s Bazaar)

The Shop and Location: This “shop” is a sprawling, chaotic tent in a semi-legal bazaar on the industrial outskirts of a major city, a place known for rare parts and strange, salvaged technology. It is run by an eccentric but brilliant tech-scavenger who is obsessed with unique mechanical designs. The space is a disorganized treasure trove of half-disassembled automatons, piles of exotic gears, and humming arcane capacitors.

The Transaction: The scavenger-owner would be ecstatic to see such a unique item. They might not know its formal name or history but would immediately recognize the genius of its design. The buying process would be an enthusiastic, rambling conversation about kinetic energy, steam pressure, and runic calibration. The price would be highly negotiable, especially if the buyer has other rare technologies or schematics to trade.

Selling to the scavenger would be an interesting experience. They would offer a price that reflects their limited liquid assets but also their deep desire to own and study the greaves. The offer would likely be a mix of coin and other rare, potentially useful, prototype components.

The Cost:

To Buy: 600 Rhodium, but the scavenger would be open to a partial trade of other rare magi-tech components worth up to half the value. The lower price reflects the lack of guarantee and the shop’s less-than-sterling reputation.
To Sell: 300 Rhodium in coin, plus an additional 100 Rhodium in trade value for rare parts like flawless focusing crystals or a functioning automaton power core.

The Geared Steam-Piston Greaves 154 are a tool of kinetic control, transforming their wearer from a slow, heavy combatant into a master of momentum and stability. Roleplaying their use should emphasize the sudden, forceful, and mechanical nature of the actions they enable.

1. On the Deck of a Storm-Tossed Ship

This chaotic, unstable environment is the perfect place to showcase the greaves’ power to impose absolute order on movement.

Defensive Roleplay

The Situation: The ship lurches violently, and a massive wave crashes over the deck, threatening to sweep the party overboard.
How it’s Used: While others scramble for rigging, Sar-Elun uses the Anchor Stance to become an immovable point of stability for his allies.
- Roleplay Description: “As the deck tilts to an impossible angle, Sar-Elun ignores the scramble. ‘Anchor!’ he barks, a command to himself. With a sharp hiss and a heavy THUMP-CLICK, the pistons in his greaves lock and drive micro-spikes into the deck’s wood. He is instantly immovable, a human capstan. The wave hits, a torrent of churning water that washes over him, but he doesn’t budge an inch. He stands rooted to the deck, extending a hand to his struggling allies, a point of absolute stability in the heart of the chaos.”

Offensive Roleplay

The Situation: A group of enemy boarders are on the far side of the slick, tilting deck, using the chaos to their advantage to fire crossbows from a distance.
How it’s Used: A normal charge is impossible. Sar-Elun uses the Piston Dash to bypass the treacherous environment entirely and close the distance in an instant.
- Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun times the lurch of the ship, his mind a blur of calculations. ‘Optimal trajectory confirmed,’ he murmurs. He crouches low, and the greaves vent a cloud of hot steam as they build pressure. With a concussive BOOM, the pistons fire. He doesn’t run; he launches. He rockets 20 feet across the slick, tilting deck in a straight line, completely ignoring the treacherous footing. He lands with a heavy, metallic crunch amidst the shocked archers, his Forge-Hammer already swinging before they can even register how he got there.”

2. A Collapsing Rooftop Chase

This vertical, precarious environment highlights the greaves’ ability to overcome obstacles with bursts of force.

Offensive Roleplay

The Situation: A nimble rogue has just leaped across a wide alleyway, and the party is stuck on the other side.
How it’s Used: The gap is too wide for a normal jump, especially for a heavily armored Kwe-Sar. Sar-Elun uses the Piston Dash as a horizontal thruster.
- Roleplay Description: “The rogue lands on the far roof and turns to mock the party. Sar-Elun calmly walks to the edge of the roof, gauging the distance. His greaves hiss, venting pressure. Without a running start, he activates the Piston Dash. A blast of kinetic force erupts from his legs, launching him through the air. He soars across the alleyway, landing with a ground-shaking CRUMP that cracks the rooftop tiles beneath him. The rogue’s smirk vanishes, replaced by disbelief.”

Defensive Roleplay

The Situation: The section of rooftop Sar-Elun is standing on gives way, sending him plummeting three stories to the cobblestones below.
How it’s Used: He can’t stop the fall, but his Controlled Descent passive allows him to mitigate the damage.
- Roleplay Description: “As the roof crumbles, Sar-Elun doesn’t flail or shout. He angles his body downward, his analytical mind calculating the impact. He fires short, controlled bursts from the pistons in his greaves, not to fly, but to brake his descent. HISS… HISS… HISS. The bursts of steam slow him just enough. He still hits the ground with a devastating impact that sends cracks through the cobblestones, but instead of being a broken heap, he lands in a crouch. He rises a moment later, venting a final cloud of steam, bruised but unbroken.”

3. A Phalanx Battle or Riot Control

In a press of bodies, the ability to stand firm or break a line is paramount. The greaves turn their wearer into a living siege engine.

Defensive Roleplay

The Situation: The party faces a disciplined shield wall of city guards, their advance threatening to push the party back and overwhelm them.
How it’s Used: Sar-Elun becomes the unbreakable anchor against which the enemy’s charge breaks. He activates Anchor Stance.
- Roleplay Description: “As the shield wall advances, a relentless tide of steel and wood, Sar-Elun steps forward to meet it. ‘Hold the line behind me,’ he commands. With a loud, mechanical CHUNK, his greaves lock into position, driving their anchors into the street. The front rank of guards slams into his shield, expecting to drive him back. He doesn’t move. Their entire formation grinds to a halt against his immovable form. He has become a fortress of one, a living wall that refuses to yield, allowing his allies to attack the now-stalled formation from the flanks.”

Offensive Roleplay

The Situation: An enemy formation is too strong to break with conventional attacks. The party needs to create chaos in their ranks.
How it’s Used: Sar-Elun uses the Piston Dash not for movement, but as a kinetic strike, turning his entire body into a battering ram.
- Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun targets the center of the enemy line. ‘Line-breaker protocol: engaged.’ His greaves hiss violently, venting huge plumes of steam as they build to critical pressure. He doesn’t run; he explodes forward. In a blur of motion, he crosses the intervening space and slams into the shield wall. The impact is not the sound of a man hitting a shield, but of a cannonball. Wood splinters, steel groans, and the guards at the point of impact are thrown backward as if struck by a charging megafauna. A hole is torn in the enemy line, and chaos erupts as the party charges through the breach he created.”

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective (Sar-Elun)

Somatic & Auditory: The activation is an immediate, multi-stage mechanical sensation. It begins with the mental command, followed by the satisfying thump-click of heavy gears engaging in your greaves. You feel an intense build-up of pressure in your legs, a feeling of immense, contained kinetic force. This is accompanied by a sharp, loud hiss as magi-steam is flash-generated and injected into the piston chambers. The release is a powerful, full-body jolt—a concussive BOOM that you feel in your bones as much as you hear it. This is followed by a moment of violent, linear acceleration and the heavy, solid CRUMP of your landing, the shock of which is partially absorbed by the greaves themselves.
Visual: For a fraction of a second, the world becomes a blur of linear motion. Your lower field of vision is momentarily obscured by a cloud of venting steam and vapor. Your focus is entirely on your destination point, which rushes toward you with startling speed.
Extrasensory (Thermal Sense): You perceive a brilliant, momentary flash of intense heat erupting from your legs as the magi-steam is generated and vented. In your thermal vision, it looks like two small, fiery explosions at your feet.
Extrasensory (Lithic Resonance): The activation is a violent but controlled event in your resonant sense. You feel the powerful, mechanical vibration of the pistons firing through your own body, followed by the percussive shockwave of your landing, which you feel radiate through the ground in a clear, circular pattern.
Extrasensory (Arcane Perception): You feel a sharp, defined drain of energy from your Core-Slot Regulator as it powers the greaves’ catalytic chambers. It’s a sensation akin to a quick, forceful exhalation of a measured amount of your internal power.

Observer’s Perspective

Auditory: The activation is startlingly loud and mechanical. An observer first hears a sharp, high-pressure HISS, immediately followed by a concussive BOOM that sounds like a small cannon firing. This is followed a second later by the heavy, ground-shaking CRUMP of the multi-hundred-pound Kwe-Sar landing 20 feet away.
Visual: An observer sees a large cloud of steam and vapor erupt from the user’s legs. The user themselves becomes a dark blur for an instant, launching forward with unnatural speed in a perfectly straight line. The force of their landing is significant, often cracking flagstones, kicking up a shower of dirt and debris, or sending ripples across water.
Somatic: Anyone standing within 5 feet of the activation point is hit with a powerful, hot gust of steam and displaced air. The concussive sound is felt as a distinct thump in the chest. The landing causes the ground to vibrate noticeably over a short distance.
Extrasensory (Arcane Perception): A magic-user perceives a sudden, sharp, and brief spike of elemental energy (fire and water being fused) and raw kinetic force. It is not a lingering spell, but a purely mechanical discharge of magically generated power, like a single piston stroke of a colossal engine.

Positives

Shock and Awe: The activation is a violent and impressive display of power. The loud boom and sudden movement are excellent for intimidating foes, breaking their concentration, and creating a powerful “shock trooper” presence on the battlefield.
Clear Tactical Cue: For allies, the loud, distinctive sound of the Piston Dash is an unmistakable signal that their armored vanguard is charging or repositioning. This allows for instant tactical coordination without a single word being spoken.
Momentum Incarnate: The perception of the dash is one of unstoppable force. It projects an aura of overwhelming momentum, which can be a significant morale booster for allies and a deeply demoralizing sight for enemies who see a warrior literally weaponize the laws of physics against them.

Negatives

Complete Lack of Stealth: The activation is incredibly loud and flashy. It is impossible to use the Piston Dash or Anchor Stance without announcing your exact position and action to every creature in the area. It is a tool of overt force, not subtlety.
Predictable Trajectory: To an observer, the Piston Dash is a perfectly straight line. While fast, the path is instantly predictable. A prepared, agile, or magically-gifted enemy could potentially time a counter-attack or place an obstacle at the user’s easily determined destination point.
Environmental Disruption: The blast of steam can obscure vision for a moment, and the forceful landing can kick up dust, water, or debris. In a delicate or unstable environment (like a crumbling ruin or a cluttered laboratory), the sheer concussive force could cause unwanted collateral damage.

Schematic: Series 150 Kinetic Actuator Greaves

This document outlines the masterwork-level process for constructing a pair of magi-tech greaves based on the innovative designs pioneered by the Va-Korrum lineage. The construction requires a synthesis of heavy industrial forging, microscopic mechanical assembly, and precise runic magic. Success demands a crafter who is as much a smith as they are an engineer and an arcanist.

Materials Needed

Four Ingots of Pressure-Treated Steel: Standard steel is insufficient. This alloy must be forged and tempered to withstand extreme, instantaneous changes in pressure.
Two Flawless Obsidian Slabs: These will form the outer, shock-absorbent plating. They must be free of any internal fractures, as the stress of a piston-powered landing will shatter lesser stone.
One Acheulean Micro-Gear Assembly Set: A complex, pre-fabricated kit containing the hundreds of interlocking, self-calibrating gears that control the piston’s functions. Acquiring this set is a quest in itself.
One Arcane Catalytic Converter: A small, magically-attuned device that flash-heats liquid into high-pressure steam when supplied with a burst of magical energy.
A Scroll of Kinetic Control (Va-Shar Script): This scroll contains the specific, microscopic runic sequences that must be inscribed onto the gears to link them to the user’s “Mind’s Eye.”
A Vial of Purified Elemental Water: Water sourced from a place with a strong connection to elemental planes, as it converts to magi-steam more efficiently.
A Spool of Orichalcum-Copper Wire: Used to create the energy conduits that will draw power from the wearer’s own magical core.

Tools Required

Masterwork Artificer’s Tool Set: Includes both Tinker’s and Smith’s tools of the highest quality.
High-Pressure Forge and Press: A forge capable of creating and testing the integrity of pressure-sealed piston chambers.
Runic Inscription Kit (Magnified): A set of extremely fine, magically-attuned styluses and specialized magnifying lenses for inscribing the microscopic runes onto the gear assembly.
Arcane Power Flow Meter: A diagnostic tool used to calibrate the energy draw from the user’s core to prevent a catastrophic overload of the catalytic converter.

Skill Requirements

Mastery in Smith’s Tools: Forging the pressure-sealed piston casings and the reinforced chassis is a task that allows for no error.
Expertise in Tinker’s Tools: The assembly of the micro-gear system is an incredibly complex and delicate process.
Proficiency in Arcana: Required to handle the catalytic converter, inscribe the runes, and safely calibrate the flow of magical energy.
Trait Requirement: Must possess a Core-Slot or similar integrated power source. The greaves have no internal power supply; they are a peripheral that draws energy directly from the wearer. A user without this trait cannot power them.

Crafting Steps

Chassis and Piston Forging (2 Days): The process begins with heavy forging. The crafter uses the High-Pressure Forge and Press to create the reinforced steel chassis and the perfectly sealed piston chambers. Each component must be repeatedly tested for microscopic fractures to ensure it can contain the violent force of a steam-blast.
Obsidian Plating (1 Day): The flawless obsidian slabs are carefully cut, shaped, and fitted onto the steel chassis. This is not merely an aesthetic choice; the obsidian’s structure is meant to absorb and distribute the immense shock of a Piston Dash landing.
Runic Gear Inscription (2 Days): This is the most time-consuming and delicate phase. The crafter must use the Magnified Runic Inscription Kit to painstakingly etch the Kinetic Control runes onto the primary gears within the Micro-Gear Assembly. This process links the mechanical device to the user’s will, allowing for near-instantaneous activation.
Core System Assembly (1 Day): The inscribed Gear Assembly, the Arcane Catalytic Converter, and the piston system are carefully integrated into the steel chassis. This is a complex puzzle of fitting hundreds of small, interlocking parts, requiring immense patience and a steady hand.
Power Integration & Fueling (1 Day): The Orichalcum-Copper Wire is used to create the energy conduits, linking the catalytic converter to the intake port that will connect to the user’s Core-Slot. The Arcane Power Flow Meter is used to test the connection and install safety buffers. Finally, the internal reservoir is filled with the Purified Elemental Water.
Final Calibration (8 Hours): The completed greaves must be calibrated. The crafter performs a series of low-power test-firings, making minute adjustments to the gear timings and pressure release valves. This critical step ensures that when the user activates the greaves for the first time at full power, the force is directed properly and the entire system does not tear itself apart.

Parable of Leaping Mountain

Hear now a story from the age of steam, when the world was younger. This account is copied from the Bronze Scrolls, which themselves were a poor telling of a tale first carved on the Obsidian Tablets, so the truth of it may have cracks, like old stone.

It is known that the Kwe-Sar, the People of the Mountain, were made to be strong. Their bodies were of living stone, their will was of iron, and their stance was that of the unmoving earth. In their great city of Sar-Kwe, they were a fortress of flesh and rock, and no enemy could push them back. For this, they were proud.

But a new enemy came, not to push, but to fly. From the deep, unlit places of the world came the Skree-Vultures, the Chitin-Winged Horrors. They were a swarm, a plague of speed and shrieking sound. They did not break themselves upon the shields of the Stone-Guard. No, they flew over the walls, their claws like razors, their speed a blur that the eyes of the Kwe-Sar could not follow.

The Stone-Guard was strong, but their feet were the feet of mountains, and mountains do not chase the wind. The Skree-Vultures would strike and then fly away, and the great warriors could only watch, their hammers useless in their hands. The Greybeards of the council declared, “We must build our walls higher. We must become even more unmovable, a fortress so great that not even the wind can enter.”

But a young artificer of the Va-Korrum, whose name the scrolls give as Sar-Elun, the Stone-That-Thought, spoke in the council. “To be a mountain is a great strength,” he said. “But what if the mountain could learn to leap? We do not need higher walls. We need faster feet.”

The Greybeards scoffed. “Stone does not leap. Stone endures. To wish for the swiftness of the wind is the folly of a child.” And they sent the Gear-Wright away.

Sar-Elun returned to his workshop, and his heart was a forge of frustration. He saw the truth the elders could not: that a strength that cannot be brought to bear is no strength at all. And so he began his great work. He would teach the stone to move.

He did not sleep. He did not rest. He made boots of steam and gear. The chronicles say he made one hundred and fifty-three failures, and the cost was great. The first boots of steam did explode, and his workshop was filled with a great noise. The twentieth boots of gears did lock and seize, and he was trapped in them for three days. The seventieth boots did leap, but without a mind to guide them, and they unmade a wall of his workshop. The elders called him the Mad Engineer and forbade him from his work.

But he did not stop. In secret, he worked on the one hundred and fifty-fourth attempt. He did not seek to make the stone faster. No, he sought to give the stone a single, perfect step. A step of impossible force. He forged the Leaping Boots from obsidian and steel, and he put within them a heart of steam and a mind of gears. He linked this mind to his own with runes so small they were like whispers on the metal.

Then the great attack came. The Skree-Vultures returned, a cloud of black wings that blotted out the sun. They ignored the walls and flew directly for the Grand Emberforge, the holy heart of the city. The Stone-Guard formed a wall, but the horrors flew over them. All seemed lost.

Then, from a high rooftop, came a great hiss of steam and a concussive boom.

It was the Gear-Wright, Sar-Elun, wearing his Steam-Striders. He landed in the plaza before the temple, the stone cracking under his great weight. The largest of the Skree-Vultures, a beast the size of a bull, charged him. Sar-Elun did not move. He spoke a word, and with a great thump-click, the boots did lock him to the stone. This was the Stance of the Unmoving Mountain. The beast crashed upon him like a wave upon a cliff. Its body was broken, but Sar-Elun had not moved an inch.

The smaller horrors shrieked and swarmed him. But he was gone. With another boom, he was in the air. This was the Leap of the Crashing Meteor. He did not fly, but launched himself with the force of a catapult, a blur of dark metal and steam. He crossed the great plaza in a single, impossible step, and his hammer crashed into one of the beasts, turning it to dust. He was a mountain that had learned to strike like lightning.

Again and again, he used the Un-Made Step, his landings like thunderclaps, his hammer a blur. He was everywhere at once, not with the grace of a dancer, but with the brutal, calculated efficiency of a siege engine. He was the immovable object and the unstoppable force, made one.

He did not kill them all, but he broke their attack. The remaining horrors fled back into the darkness, for they had met a thing they could not understand: a stone that could chase the wind.

The Greybeards were silent. They looked upon the cracked plaza, and upon the Youthful Engineer who stood panting in a cloud of steam, and they understood. True strength was not just in the enduring, but in the doing.

The Moral of the Story: A mountain that stands still can be ignored, but a mountain that learns to leap will shake the world.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Greaves of the Unstoppable Force

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement)

These articulated greaves are a marvel of compact magi-tech, blending layered obsidian with reinforced steel housings. They constantly emit soft hisses of steam and the faint clicking of internal, self-calibrating gears.

While wearing these greaves, you gain the following benefits:

You have advantage on saving throws made against being knocked prone.
Controlled Descent. When you take fall damage, you can use your reaction to reduce the fall damage by an amount equal to five times your proficiency bonus.

The greaves have 3 charges. They regain 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn. You can expend charges to gain the following benefits:

Piston Dash (1 Charge). As a bonus action, you can move up to 20 feet in a straight line to an unoccupied space. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks. If you end this movement within 5 feet of a creature, your next melee weapon attack against that creature this turn is made with advantage.
Anchor Stance (1 Charge). As a bonus action, you can activate the greaves’ anchor system. Until the start of your next turn, your speed is 0, you cannot be moved against your will by any means, and you cannot be knocked prone.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Pneumatic Actuator Struts

A piece of dangerous, experimental technology from a mad Arkham inventor, these heavy, articulated leg braces are powered by a miniature, high-pressure steam boiler. They are incredibly loud and prone to malfunction, but provide bursts of immense kinetic force.

Loud Operation: The struts are constantly hissing and clicking. The wearer suffers a penalty die on all Stealth rolls. However, their intimidating and noisy presence grants a bonus die on Intimidate rolls.
Reinforced Stability: The wearer gains a bonus die on any DEX or STR roll made to avoid being knocked over.
Kinetic Lunge (Piston Dash): The user can attempt a “Kinetic Lunge” as part of their movement. This requires a Hard (–20) Mechanical Repair or Drive Auto roll. If successful, they launch themselves up to 10 yards in a straight line, ignoring difficult terrain. On a Fumble, a piston misfires, inflicting 1D6 damage to one of the user’s legs and rendering the struts inoperable until a successful Mechanical Repair roll is made.
Anchor Lock (Anchor Stance): As an action, the user can engage the anchor system. For the next round, they cannot be moved by any physical force. Any attempt to do so requires an opposed STR roll, with the user of the struts gaining two bonus dice.

Blades in the Dark

Ironsea Anchor Greaves

Heavy, articulated greaves salvaged from an Ironsea Docker’s rig or a failed military prototype. They hiss with steam power and can be used to perform incredible feats of force and stability, at the cost of all subtlety.

This is a piece of special, heavy gear. When you wear them:

Fictional Permissions: You are equipped with a powerful, steam-powered mobility and anchoring system. You can perform short, violent bursts of movement or root yourself to the spot.
When you Wreck a structure by charging into it, or Command a crowd by making a forceful entrance, you gain +1 effect.
When you need to hold your ground against an overwhelming physical force (a charging carriage, a massive thug, a crushing gate), you can take 2 Stress to engage the anchors. For the next few moments, you cannot be moved by any means.
You can take 1 Stress to perform a “piston leap,” allowing you to cross a wide gap or get to a high ledge that would otherwise be out of reach.
Cost: The greaves are incredibly loud. When you use any of their abilities, you create a loud, mechanical BOOM. You forfeit any chance of being stealthy, and the GM may tick a relevant clock (such as “Alerting the Bluecoats” or “Structural Collapse”).

Knave (2nd Edition)

Piston Greaves

A pair of heavy, articulated steel greaves with integrated, steam-powered pistons. They hiss and click constantly, venting small clouds of vapor.

Slots: Takes up 2 inventory slots (Legs).
Defense: Counts as part of Heavy Armor (Defense 15 if worn with a cuirass).
Passive: You have advantage on saves made to resist being pushed or knocked prone.
Drawback: You have disadvantage on all checks related to stealth.
Abilities:
- Rocket Dash (3 uses per day): As your entire turn’s action, you can launch yourself 60ft in a straight line to an open space. This move is incredibly loud.
- Anchor (1 use per day): You can activate the anchors for 1 minute. During this time, your speed is 0, but you cannot be moved from your position by any non-magical means.

Fate Core System

The Unstoppable Stride of the Artificer

This is an Extra, representing a significant piece of personal technology that defines how a character moves and stands their ground.

Aspects:
- High Concept: Prototype Kinetic Mobility System
- Trouble: Loud, Unsubtle, and Prone to Venting Steam
Stunts:
- Anchor Stance: Because you can lock your greaves to the ground, you get a +2 to Physique when you Defend against any attempt to physically move you from your zone or knock you prone.
- Piston Charge: Once per scene, you can move up to two zones in a straight line as a free action, provided there is a clear path. This is incredibly loud and creates the situational aspect Here I Am! for any enemies in the destination zone.
- Controlled Descent: Because the pistons can absorb and vent kinetic energy, you always use your Athletics skill with a +2 bonus to Overcome obstacles related to falling. You never take physical stress from a fall as long as you can land on a solid surface.

Numenera & Cypher System

Kinetic Impetus Greaves

This is an artifact, a pair of heavy, articulated leg armor powered by an unknown, self-contained steam-like system. They hiss and click with every movement.

Level: 5
Form: A pair of heavy, articulated greaves with visible gears and piston housings that hiss with steam.
Effect:
- Passive: The wearer is trained in all tasks related to balancing and resisting being knocked over. However, the constant noise from the greaves hinders all stealth-related tasks by one step.
- Active (Piston Dash): Action: The user launches themself an immediate distance in a straight line, ignoring any intervening difficult terrain or ground-based obstacles.
- Active (Anchor Stance): Action: For the next minute, the user cannot be pushed, pulled, or knocked prone by any physical force up to level 7.
Depletion: 1 in 1d10 (Check each time an Active ability is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Artificer’s Leaping Greaves

Item 9 Uncommon, Magical, Transmutation Usage worn greaves; Bulk 1

These heavy, articulated greaves are a marvel of brass gears and steel pistons, constantly venting small puffs of steam. When worn, they clamp securely around the leg from ankle to thigh.

Passive These greaves are loud and constantly hiss. You take a –2 item penalty to Stealth checks. You gain a +2 item bonus to your Fortitude and Reflex DCs against being Shoved or Tripped.

Activate [one-action] Piston Dash (Move) Frequency once per minute; Effect You Stride up to 30 feet in a straight line. This movement does not trigger reactions that are normally triggered by movement.

Activate [one-action] Anchor Stance (Stance) Frequency once per hour; Effect You lock the greaves into the ground. You gain a circumstance bonus to your Fortitude DC against being Shoved equal to your level, and you are immune to being knocked prone. Your Speeds become 0 while in this stance. You can exit the stance as a free action on your turn.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

Va-Korrum ‘Line-Breaker’ Greaves

A masterpiece of Kwe-Sar magi-tech, these heavy greaves allow a warrior to control the battlefield through sheer kinetic force and immovable stability.

Requirements: Seasoned, Vigor d8+
Bonuses:
- Armor: The greaves are made of reinforced plate, granting +3 Armor to the legs.
- Stability: The wearer gains a +2 bonus on all rolls to resist being pushed, grappled, or knocked prone.
- Impact Absorption: The wearer is immune to falling damage from heights of up to 10″ (20 yards).
Abilities:
- Piston Charge: Once per turn as a free action, the wearer can move up to their Pace in a straight line. This move ignores Difficult Ground and does not cause a Shaken roll for running.
- Anchor: As an action, the wearer can anchor themselves. For as long as they remain anchored (which they can end as a free action), they cannot be moved by any physical means and their Parry is reduced by 2.
Hindrance: The greaves are loud and obvious. The wearer has the Quirk (Minor) – Clanky and Hissing Hindrance, imposing a –2 penalty to all Stealth rolls.

Shadowrun, Sixth World

Saeder-Krupp ‘Stahl-Sprung’ Leg Actuators

A set of full, obvious cyberlegs from Saeder-Krupp’s heavy industrial division. Marketed towards construction, demolition, and corporate security, the Stahl-Sprung system sacrifices all subtlety for raw, kinetic power. They are notoriously loud, with the hiss of pneumatics and the thud of heavy pistons accompanying every step.

Type: Cyberware (Cyberlimbs – Full Legs, Obvious)
Rating: 4
Essence: 2.0
Availability: 14R
Cost: 75,000¥

Game Effects:

Enhanced Attributes: The legs come standard with Strength and Agility attributes of 4. They can be enhanced further as normal for cyberlimbs. The built-in gyros provide a +2 dice pool bonus to resist being knocked prone.
Drawback – Loud Operation: The system is incredibly noisy. The user takes a -3 penalty on all Stealth tests involving movement.
Kinetic Dash (Simple Action): The user can vent the pistons for a massive burst of speed. They can immediately move up to 15 meters in a straight line. This movement ignores difficult terrain but must end on a solid surface.
Anchor Mode (Simple Action): The user can deploy micro-anchors from the feet and lock the leg joints. As long as this mode is active, the user’s movement speed becomes 0, but they cannot be unwillingly moved from their position by any physical force short of a vehicle collision. Disengaging this mode is a Free Action.

Starfinder

Greaves of the Adamantine Ram

Level 12; Price 35,000 credits; Slot feet; Bulk 2

These heavy greaves are forged from plates of adamantine alloy and feature complex, magitech pistons. When active, they vent clouds of superheated steam and glow with internal power, allowing the wearer to perform incredible feats of momentum and stability.

Effects:

You gain a +4 item bonus to Acrobatics checks to balance and to Athletics checks to jump.
Whenever you are subject to an effect that would knock you prone, you can make a DC 15 Reflex save as a reaction to negate it.
Impact Absorption: You can fall up to 30 feet without taking any damage.
Ram’s Charge (1/minute): As a standard action, you can move up to 30 feet in a straight line. This movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If you end this movement with a creature in your melee reach, you can make a single melee attack against it as part of this action. This attack deals one additional die of weapon damage.
Unmoving Stance (1/day): As a move action, you can root yourself to the spot. For 1 minute, you cannot be unwillingly moved from your space, and you are immune to the prone condition.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Imperial Marine ‘Breacher’ Legs

A set of articulated, powered leg braces designed for Imperial Marine boarding parties and riot control units. They are intended to be worn over a standard combat armor suit and are powered by the suit’s own energy pack.

TL: 12
Mass: 10 kg
Power: 2/minute of active use
Cost: Cr 250,000

Effects:

The braces provide DM+1 on all Athletics (strength) checks for jumping or climbing. The wearer is also immune to being knocked prone as long as the system is powered.
J-MOD (Jump Module): The user can activate the jump module as a significant action. This allows the user to move up to 10 meters in any direction, including vertically, ignoring difficult terrain. Each use drains 1 minute of power.
A-MOD (Anchor Module): The user can activate the anchor module as a significant action. For the next minute, the user cannot be moved by any physical force less than that of a vehicle collision. Activating this drains 1 minute of power.
Drawback: The system is loud and unsubtle. All Stealth checks made by the wearer are made with DM-3.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

The Iron-Strider’s Pistons

An experimental and dangerously unreliable marvel from the Imperial Engineers’ Guild. This contraption consists of heavy, articulated iron and brass leg braces powered by a volatile, dwarf-inspired steam boiler worn on the back. It constantly hisses, drips oil, and groans like a dying man.

This is a rare and experimental device.

Qualities: Complex, Dangerous, Unreliable.
Passive Effects:
- Reinforced Stance: The wearer gains a +20 bonus to all Tests made to resist being moved or gaining the Prone Condition.
- Increased Bulk: The wearer adds +10 to their Strength for the purposes of calculating their Encumbrance limit.
Active Abilities:
- Steam-Powered Leap: As an Action, the wearer can attempt a Challenging (+0) Drive Test to activate the pistons. If successful, they can immediately move a number of yards in a straight line equal to their Movement characteristic x2. This move ignores all difficult terrain. If they Fumble this test, they must immediately roll on the ‘Oh, Not Again!’ table from the Engineer Career as the device catastrophically malfunctions.
- Locking Stance: As an Action, the wearer can lock the pistons. Until they take another Action, they cannot be moved from their current position by any non-magical means short of a cannonball impact.
Drawback: The device is incredibly noisy. The wearer suffers a -30 penalty to all Stealth Tests.

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