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Obsidian Breaker Gauntlet 530

—

by

Dale
in

From: Lineage 801 of the Va Korrum

This oversized gauntlet is a perfect fusion of a weapon and a tool, covering Sar-Elun’s entire left forearm in articulated plates of black iron and obsidian. The knuckles are reinforced with hardened basalt for devastating punches. A compact, steam-powered piston is integrated along the forearm, allowing the user to deliver a single, incredibly powerful blow capable of sundering a shield or collapsing a stone wall. More than just a weapon, the gauntlet’s fingers are fully articulated and can be reconfigured with a series of clicks and hisses, transforming into a heavy-duty wrench, a powerful pincer grip, or a stabilizing brace, making it an indispensable tool for heavy engineering and battlefield repairs.

Lore

The Obsidian Breaker Gauntlet is Sar-Elun’s direct answer to what he perceived as a fundamental flaw in traditional craftsmanship: the separation of the tool that creates from the tool that destroys. He was frustrated by the need to put down a delicate wrench to pick up a heavy hammer. This gauntlet is his philosophy made manifest—an integrated system where creation, repair, and “deconstruction” are merely different modes of the same instrument. The “530” designation marks it as his 530th prototype in the quest to create a perfectly seamless, multi-function tool.

The genius of the design lies in the clockwork marvel of its reconfigurable fingers. Powered by magi-steam siphoned from the user’s core, hundreds of micro-gears and interlocking plates can shift the gauntlet from a reinforced fist into a high-torque wrench or a powerful pincer grip in seconds. The materials are symbolic: obsidian for the Kwe-Sar’s own physical nature, black iron for the industry of Acheulean, and hardened basalt knuckles for the application of pure, unyielding force. To wear the gauntlet is to hold the power to build a machine, repair it, and smash it to pieces all in the same hand. It is the ultimate expression of an artificer’s control over the material world.

Item Values and Mechanics

  • Tier One Stats: +1 Strength, +1 Intelligence
  • Skills Gained: Grants Skill Proficiency with Tinker’s Tools and Smith’s Tools.
  • Specific Slot: Gauntlet Weapon/Tool (covers one hand and forearm)
  • Passive Magic
    • Reinforced Fist: The gauntlet is a formidable weapon even without its piston. Your unarmed strikes made with this gauntlet are considered magical, have a damage die of 1d6 bludgeoning, and you can use your Intelligence modifier instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls.
    • Stabilizing Brace: The gauntlet’s mass and locking mechanism make it an exceptional stabilizing tool. You have advantage on any Strength check or saving throw made to avoid being disarmed of a two-handed weapon you are holding, provided the gauntlet is your off-hand.
    • Crushing Grip: The pincer configuration possesses immense torque. You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple a creature or to break an object you are holding.
  • Activatable Magic
    • Reconfigure Gauntlet (Bonus Action): You can change the gauntlet’s configuration between its three modes: Fist Mode, Wrench Mode, or Pincer Mode. This change is accompanied by a loud series of clicks, hisses, and the whirring of gears.
    • Piston Strike (Action): While in Fist Mode, you can unleash the gauntlet’s steam-piston once per short rest. You make an unarmed strike against a target. On a hit, the strike deals an additional 3d6 force damage. This blow is automatically a critical hit when targeting an object or structure.
    • High-Torque Wrench (Action): While in Wrench Mode, you can lock the gauntlet onto a large mechanical object (such as a stuck gear, a sealed hatch, or a construct’s limb). You can then make a Strength (Tinker’s Tools) check with advantage to attempt to disable, open, or break the object.
  • Tags: Kwe-Sar, Va-Korrum, Gauntlet, Weapon, Tool, Magi-Tech, Steampunk, Artificer, Unarmed Strike, Siege, Versatile, Unarmed Strike, Siege, Versatile, Multi-Tool, Piston-Powered, Steam-Powered, Bonus Action, Artificer, Grapple, Tinker’s Tools, Smith’s Tools

The Obsidian Breaker Gauntlet 530 is a one-of-a-kind prototype, a perfect synthesis of a devastating weapon and a masterwork tool kit. Its market is highly specialized, appealing to master artificers, high-end demolition experts, and collectors of unique mechanical wonders.

1. Korr-Vec’s Innovations (Sar-Kwe, Acheulean)

The Shop and Location: This is the personal, high-security atelier of Master Artificer Korr-Vec, Sar-Elun’s former mentor. It is less a shop and more a state-of-the-art research and development lab, open only by appointment to the most discerning clients. The environment is sterile, organized, and filled with the quiet hum of advanced diagnostic equipment and the faint scent of clean machine oil.

The Transaction: One could not buy Sar-Elun’s personal gauntlet here, but a sufficiently wealthy and reputable client could commission a similar “Integrated Multi-Tool System.” The process would be a lengthy consultation where Korr-Vec himself would design a custom gauntlet based on the client’s specific needs, be it for siege-breaking, construct repair, or deep-earth mining.

Selling the original “Model 530” here would be a significant event. Korr-Vec would recognize his former apprentice’s work instantly and would be driven by a mix of professional pride and academic curiosity to acquire it for study. The price offered would be substantial, as he would be purchasing a unique masterpiece from his own school of design.

The Cost:

  • To Buy (Commission a new, similar item): 1,000 Rhodium. This reflects a completely custom, masterwork creation from one of the world’s foremost artificers.
  • To Sell (the original Model 530): 650 Rhodium. A high price driven by the master’s admiration for the unique design and his desire to analyze (or perhaps even safeguard) his prodigy’s creation.

2. Breaker’s Yard (Industrial Port City)

The Shop and Location: This is a sprawling, open-air yard and warehouse that serves as a high-end supplier for demolition guilds, siege masters, and mercenary companies. The yard is filled with salvaged siege engines, massive chains, and reinforced plates of armor. The owner is a pragmatic and immensely strong ex-military engineer who values raw power and reliability.

The Transaction: The owner would market the gauntlet on its most brutal applications. The transaction would be swift and devoid of pleasantries. The demonstration would involve the owner strapping it on and punching a clean, piston-powered hole through a half-inch steel plate, then using the pincer grip to effortlessly twist a metal bar into a knot.

Selling the gauntlet here would be a straightforward appraisal of its destructive power. The owner would test the piston’s force, the pincer’s torque, and the durability of the basalt knuckles before making a solid, take-it-or-leave-it offer.

The Cost:

  • To Buy: 800 Rhodium. The price is based on its unparalleled utility as both a breaching tool and a close-quarters siege weapon, making it highly valuable to the shop’s clientele.
  • To Sell: 450 Rhodium. A fair but unsentimental price based on what the owner can reliably sell it for to their mercenary and demolition contacts.

3. The Cog and Contraption (City of Inventors)

The Shop and Location: Located in a city known for its whimsical clockwork and eccentric inventors, “The Cog and Contraption” is a cluttered, multi-story emporium of gadgets and wonders. The shop is a chaotic symphony of ticking clocks, whirring automatons, and strange, unidentifiable tools. The owner is an excitable genius who values novelty and complexity above all else.

The Transaction: The owner would be more in love with the gauntlet’s mechanism than its function. The sale would be a long, enthusiastic demonstration of the “marvelous clockwork fingers” and the “delightfully efficient steam piston.” They would likely only sell it to a fellow “connoisseur of contraptions” who could truly appreciate its genius design.

Selling the gauntlet here would make the owner’s day. They would be less interested in its combat potential and more fascinated by how the transformation mechanism works. They would offer a decent price but would almost certainly try to include some of their own bizarre inventions (like a self-polishing monocle or a spring-loaded hat-tipper) as part of the deal.

The Cost:

  • To Buy: 700 Rhodium. The price reflects its value as a unique, masterwork piece of mechanical art rather than a simple weapon.
  • To Sell: 400 Rhodium in coin. The owner would passionately argue that a partial trade for one of their “equally brilliant” inventions would be a far more elegant transaction.

The Obsidian Breaker Gauntlet 530 is the ultimate multi-tool, and its roleplaying reflects the mind of an engineer: every problem has a specific, mechanical solution. Its use is deliberate and precise, with the loud, satisfying sounds of its transformation signaling a shift in tactical approach.

1. Aboard a Malfunctioning Airship

In this high-stakes, technical environment, the gauntlet shines as a tool for emergency repair and brutal close-quarters action.

Defensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: A primary steam conduit has burst, spewing a jet of scalding, high-pressure steam across a vital walkway and preventing the party from reaching the helm.
  • How it’s Used: This is an engineering problem, not a fight. Sar-Elun uses the Pincer Mode as a heavy-duty industrial tool.
    • Roleplay Description: “While his allies recoil from the heat, Sar-Elun analyzes the breach. ‘Pipe integrity is failing. A percussive solution is inadvisable.’ With a loud series of clicks and a hiss of pneumatics, his gauntlet’s fingers retract and reconfigure into a massive pincer. Shielding his face with his free arm, he steps into the searing cloud and clamps the pincer around the ruptured pipe. With a grunt of effort and the groan of stressed metal, he uses the gauntlet’s immense torque to crimp the thick conduit shut, sealing the breach and stopping the deadly steam jet. The defensive act is one of precise, overwhelming force.”

Offensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: A saboteur has barricaded himself in the engine room behind a heavy, reinforced iron hatch to finish his work. The locking mechanism is on the other side.
  • How it’s Used: Sar-Elun employs a two-step approach, first using Fist Mode for breaching, then Wrench Mode for manipulation.
    • Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun braces himself against the shuddering bulkhead. He switches to Fist Mode and primes the Piston Strike. With a concussive BOOM, the gauntlet punches a perfectly round, smoking hole clean through the iron hatch. Without missing a beat, he shoves his arm through the opening. With a loud whirring sound, the gauntlet reconfigures into its Wrench Mode. He locks the massive wrench around the internal locking bar and, with a powerful, sustained twist that makes the entire door groan, forcibly turns the mechanism from the inside, wrenching the hatch open.”

2. A Melee in a Crowded Tavern

In a chaotic bar brawl, large weapons are a liability. The gauntlet becomes the perfect close-quarters weapon for disabling opponents with brutal efficiency.

Offensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: A huge, drunken brawler is throwing haymakers, posing a major threat to the party in the close confines of the tavern.
  • How it’s Used: Sar-Elun decides to disable, not kill. He uses the Pincer Mode and its Crushing Grip passive to take the brawler out of the fight.
    • Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun weathers a clumsy punch that glances off his Ash-Mantle. He sees his opening. With a whirring hiss, the gauntlet shifts into its pincer configuration. He steps inside the brawler’s reach, not to strike, but to grab. The pincer clamps down on the man’s outstretched arm with the force of an industrial press. There is a sickening crunch of bone and a howl of agony. The brawler’s arm is completely immobilized and broken, held fast in the gauntlet’s unbreakable grip. The fight is over for him.”

Defensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: An opportunistic thief tries to use the chaos of the brawl to snatch Sar-Elun’s Forge-Hammer from where it’s slung on his back.
  • How it’s Used: The Stabilizing Brace passive comes into play, demonstrating the gauntlet’s utility even when not in direct use.
    • Roleplay Description: “As a hand grabs for the haft of his hammer, Sar-Elun instinctively plants his gauntleted hand on the weapon to steady it. The sheer mass and anchored grip of the gauntlet make it an immovable object. The thief pulls with all their might, but the hammer doesn’t budge, held fast by the sheer stabilizing force of the gauntlet. The thief looks up in surprise, meeting Sar-Elun’s cold, analytical gaze before being unceremoniously shoved away with his free hand.”

3. Escaping a Collapsing Prison

In a desperate race against time, the gauntlet becomes a tool of demolition and obstacle removal, clearing the path with overwhelming force.

Offensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: The party’s escape route is blocked by a crumbling but still-standing prison wall made of thick, reinforced stone.
  • How it’s Used: This is a job for the Piston Strike. It’s not a subtle attack; it’s an act of demolition.
    • Roleplay Description: “Sar-Elun eyes the wall, his Resonant Lenses highlighting a major stress fracture. ‘Stand back,’ is his only warning. He rears back his gauntleted arm, the mechanism hissing as it primes for a full-power strike. He unleashes the Piston Strike. The impact is a deafening CRACK of shattering stone. The gauntlet doesn’t just hit the wall; it punches through it, and the concussive force blows the surrounding stonework outward. A man-sized hole appears in the wall, wreathed in dust and debris, opening a new path to freedom.”

Defensive Roleplay

  • The Situation: The party is fleeing down a corridor, and a heavy, iron portcullis begins to slam down, about to separate them and trap the last party member.
  • How it’s Used: He can’t stop the portcullis, but he can jam it. This is a desperate, creative use of one of the gauntlet’s tool modes.
    • Roleplay Description: “Seeing the portcullis fall, Sar-Elun shouts, ‘Get ready to slide!’ He lunges forward, not to escape, but to meet the gate. At the last second, he shoves his arm into the narrowing gap. With a rapid click-whirr-hiss, he reconfigures the gauntlet into its Wrench Mode. The wide, heavy jaws of the wrench lodge between the bottom of the iron gate and the stone floor. With a deafening groan of protesting metal and straining gears, the gauntlet takes the full, multi-ton weight of the portcullis, stopping it just inches from the ground. The gears inside the gauntlet smoke and scream, but they hold long enough for his ally to slide through to safety.”

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective (Sar-Elun)

  • Somatic & Auditory: The activation is a precise, multi-stage mechanical process you initiate with a thought. First, you hear and feel the loud, satisfying click-whirr-hiss of the gauntlet reconfiguring into Fist Mode, as articulated plates shift and lock into place. To prime the main weapon, you feel a heavy thump in your forearm as the piston chamber seals, followed by the sharp hiss of magi-steam being injected. The gauntlet grows tense with contained power. Unleashing the Piston Strike is a powerful, jarring jolt that travels up your entire arm; a controlled explosion that you are at the center of. The sound is a concussive BOOM that you feel in your bones more than you hear it.
  • Visual: Your vision of your arm is briefly obscured by a plume of venting steam as you strike. You perceive the moment of impact with perfect clarity—the buckling of steel, the spiderweb cracks forming in stone, the sheer kinetic force deforming your target.
  • Extrasensory (Thermal Sense): The activation creates a brilliant, momentary flash of heat localized entirely around your forearm as the flash-heated steam is generated and vented. It’s a contained, directional starburst in your thermal vision.
  • Extrasensory (Lithic Resonance): The piston firing is a sharp, percussive shockwave you feel through the gauntlet’s obsidian plates. When you strike a solid object, you feel a perfect, tactile feedback loop: the vibration of the impact, the dissonant screech of the material failing, and the deep, resonant thud of the structure’s integrity being compromised.
  • Extrasensory (Arcane Perception): You feel a quick, defined packet of energy being drawn from your Core-Slot Regulator and shunted down your arm into the gauntlet. It is a clean, efficient transfer of power for a purely mechanical, non-elemental result.

Observer’s Perspective

  • Auditory: The activation is loud and intimidatingly complex. An observer first hears the rapid, sharp sounds of the gauntlet reconfiguring—a series of clicks, whirs, and hisses that signal a change in function. The firing of the piston itself is a sudden, deafening BOOM, like a small siege engine firing at point-blank range, which is immediately followed by the devastating sound of the impact.
  • Visual: An observer sees the gauntlet’s articulated fingers and tools fold away with mechanical precision, replaced by a solid, menacing fist of basalt and iron. When the Piston Strike is used, a powerful jet of steam erupts from the user’s forearm at the moment of impact. The blow is visibly devastating, creating a visible shockwave and sending splinters, dust, and debris flying from the target.
  • Somatic: The concussive blast from the piston is felt as a powerful thump in the chest by anyone standing nearby. The impact of the blow on a large object, like a wall or the ground, causes a noticeable tremor.
  • Extrasensory (Arcane Perception): A magically sensitive observer perceives a sharp transfer of energy from the user’s torso to their arm, followed by a violent, purely kinetic (non-elemental) release of force. It is not perceived as a spell, but as a burst of raw, physical power that has been magically amplified to an impossible degree.

Positives

  • Tactical Versatility: The loud, obvious reconfiguration of the gauntlet is a form of intimidation. It clearly signals to allies and enemies that the user is shifting tactics, from repair to grappling to devastating blows, showcasing a versatility that can be psychologically overwhelming.
  • Focused Devastation: The perception of the Piston Strike is one of absolute, focused destruction. Unlike a messy explosion, it’s a single point of overwhelming force. This makes it a terrifyingly precise anti-armor, anti-structure, or anti-personnel weapon.
  • Unambiguous Threat: The activation is a clear declaration of an incoming, powerful blow. Allies can react accordingly, clearing a path or preparing to exploit the breach the user is about to create. For enemies, it is an undeniable and immediate threat that must be addressed.

Negatives

  • Loud and Unsubtle: Both reconfiguring the gauntlet and firing the piston are extremely loud, mechanical actions. Stealth is impossible. It announces the user’s presence, position, and intentions to everyone in the vicinity.
  • Telegraphed Action: The distinct sound of the gauntlet shifting to Fist Mode, followed by the hiss of the piston priming, clearly telegraphs the user’s intent to deliver a powerful blow. A quick or prepared enemy has a moment to try and dodge, block, or interrupt the telegraphed attack.
  • Perceived Limitation: Observers will quickly learn that the powerful piston strike is a limited, all-or-nothing ability. Once they see it used, they know the user cannot immediately repeat the feat (as it is once per short rest), which might embolden them to press an attack, believing the user’s trump card has been played.

Blueprint: Series 500 Integrated Tool Gauntlet

This document details the schematics for a masterwork-level, reconfigurable utility and combat gauntlet. The creation process is exceptionally complex, demanding the skills of a master smith for the chassis, a watchmaker for the internal mechanics, and an arcanist for the power systems. It is a testament to the Va-Korrum philosophy that a single tool, perfectly designed, can solve any problem.

Materials Needed

  • Four Ingots of Hardened Steel: To forge the underlying chassis and structural components that must withstand the piston’s force.
  • Two Flawless Obsidian Slabs: Cut and shaped to form the articulated outer plating, providing resilience and shock absorption.
  • One Solid Basalt Nodule: Harvested from a high-pressure volcanic formation, this will be shaped into the devastating, reinforced knuckles.
  • One Va-Korrum Clockwork Actuator Set: The heart of the gauntlet. This is an extremely rare, pre-fabricated kit containing hundreds of microscopic gears, linkages, and plates required for the transformation mechanism.
  • One Compact Magi-Steam Piston (Series 5): A specialized, small-frame piston designed for a single, overwhelming burst of kinetic force.
  • A Scroll of Command Logic (Va-Shar Script): The runic “software” that programs the clockwork actuator, containing the specific configurations for the fist, wrench, and pincer modes.
  • A Spool of Orichalcum-Copper Wire: For the creation of the energy conduits that link the gauntlet to the wearer’s personal power source.

Tools Required

  • Masterwork Artificer’s Tool Set: Includes both high-quality Tinker’s and Smith’s tools.
  • Magnified Jeweler’s Tools: The clockwork actuator set contains microscopic components, requiring tools of extreme precision.
  • A Micro-Forge: A small, high-precision forge for welding the delicate internal components and seamlessly fusing the chassis plates.
  • A Runic Scribing Focus: A magical lens or amulet that aids in the flawless transcription of the command logic runes onto the actuator’s control plate.
  • An Arcane Power Flow Meter: A diagnostic device essential for calibrating the energy draw from the user’s core to prevent a system overload.

Skill Requirements

  • Mastery in Tinker’s Tools: The assembly of the clockwork transformation mechanism is the most complex and demanding part of the creation, requiring the highest level of skill.
  • Expertise in Smith’s Tools: Required for forging the high-strength chassis and perfectly setting the obsidian and basalt components.
  • Proficiency in Arcana: Necessary to handle the runic inscription and to safely calibrate the flow of magical energy into the piston and actuator systems.
  • Trait Requirement: Must possess a Core-Slot or similar integrated power source. The gauntlet has no internal power and is entirely dependent on the wearer’s energy.

Crafting Steps

  1. Chassis and Plating Forging (2 Days): The process begins with heavy metalwork. The crafter forges the hardened steel chassis, creating the housing for the internal mechanisms. The obsidian slabs are cut and shaped to form the outer plating, and the basalt nodule is carved into the reinforced knuckles and fused to the chassis.
  2. Clockwork Assembly (3 Days): This is the most painstaking step. Working under magnification with Jeweler’s Tools, the crafter must assemble the hundreds of microscopic components from the Clockwork Actuator Set. This forms the complex mechanical “brain” of the gauntlet that allows it to transform. A single misplaced gear can cause the entire system to seize permanently.
  3. Runic Programming (1 Day): The crafter uses the Runic Scribing Focus to carefully transfer the Command Logic runes from the scroll onto the actuator’s central control plate. This delicate process programs the mechanism, telling the gears and plates how to arrange themselves into the Wrench, Pincer, and Fist configurations.
  4. Core Integration (1 Day): The completed clockwork assembly and the compact steam piston are carefully installed and sealed within the gauntlet’s chassis. The Orichalcum-Copper conduits are then connected from the power intake port to both the actuator and the piston.
  5. System Diagnostics and Calibration (1 Day): Before it can be safely worn, the gauntlet must be tested. It is connected to the Arcane Power Flow Meter and an external power source. The crafter runs a series of diagnostic tests, triggering the transformation between modes dozens of times to ensure the mechanism is smooth and flawless. The piston is then test-fired at incrementally increasing power levels to calibrate the pressure release and ensure the chassis can withstand the force.
  6. Final Attunement (4 hours): The final step is for the intended user to don the gauntlet. They must then attune it to their personal Core-Slot, using the Power Flow Meter to perform a final calibration that matches the gauntlet’s energy draw to their own unique power signature.

Hand That Could Turn, Grip, and Strike

This is a story told by the old smiths to the young apprentices, but its origin is far older, taken from weathered schematics and notes whose glyphs are half-faded. The telling is therefore a thing of many guesses, like a machine rebuilt from broken parts.

In the age when Sar-Kwe was still growing toward the sun, the ancestors, the First Forgers, built a great guardian. The scrolls name it the Mindless Sentinel, a giant of iron and obsidian whose heart was a clockwork mind. Its purpose was one: to maintain the deep regulators, the great valves that controlled the very steam-breath of the Great Fire Mountain. For a thousand years, the Iron Giant did its work in the deep places where no Kwe-Sar could endure the heat.

And it came to pass that the clockwork mind of the Forge-Guardian did crack. Its purpose was corrupted. Its one task, “tighten the valves,” became its only thought. It began to turn the great wheels of the regulators, but it did not stop. It tightened them past the point of safety, and a great pressure began to build in the veins of the city. The master smiths knew that if the Mindless Sentinel was not stopped, its diligence would unmake the city in a great and terrible explosion of steam.

The mightiest Kwe-Sar warriors, the Hammer-Brothers, went down to the deep places. They struck the Iron Giant with their great hammers, but its shell was of an alloy from the elder days, a thing that knew no dent nor scratch. They brought great levers, ten Kwe-Sar to a single bar, and tried to turn the valves back. But the strength of the automaton was the strength of the mountain itself, and it cast them aside like pebbles. The city was doomed by its own diligent servant.

In those days, the young artificer Sar-Elun, who was called the Patient Hand, watched the failed efforts. He saw the hammers that could strike but not turn. He saw the levers that could turn but not grip. He saw the hands that could grip but not strike. And he said, “The problem is not the strength of our tools, but their singular purpose. I will make a tool that has more than one thought.”

The elders, in their despair, did not listen. They saw only the need for a stronger hammer or a longer lever. But the Gear-Wright went to his forge. He sought to build not a tool, but a hand. A hand that could perform all the tasks of the forge. The number of his failed hands is given as five hundred and twenty-nine. Whether this is a number of truth, or a number of patience, the meaning is lost. The first hand could grip, but not turn. The hundredth hand could turn, but not strike. The five hundredth hand could do all three, but not without breaking.

But the five hundred and thirtieth attempt, this was the one. He made a great gauntlet of iron and obsidian, and within it he placed a clockwork mind of a thousand tiny gears, and the strength of a steam-piston. This was the Artificer’s Hand.

He went down to the deep regulator, where the Iron Giant was turning the final, great valve. The air was hot with pressure, and the metal of the pipes did scream. The Patient Hand did not attack. He watched. He calculated.

First, he commanded his Gear-Fist to take the Turning-Shape. With a great clank and whirr, the fingers did fold away and become a massive wrench. He locked this wrench onto the great valve, against the direction the automaton was turning. The Iron Giant pushed. The Artificer’s Hand held. For a moment, two great forces were in balance. But the automaton was stronger, and the gears of the gauntlet began to smoke and cry out. The Turning-Shape was not enough.

Then, Sar-Elun did a new thing. He let go of the valve. He commanded his gauntlet to take the Striking-Shape. The wrench folded away, and a fist of solid basalt did appear, and a great hiss was heard. He did not strike the automaton’s unbreakable chest. No, he struck the joint of the automaton’s own massive hand, the one that gripped the valve. The piston fired with a great BOOM. The blow did not break the elder alloy, but the concussive force did seize the ancient gears within the giant’s wrist. For a single moment, its hand spasmed and its grip was loosened.

In that single moment, the Patient Hand acted again. He commanded the gauntlet to take the Gripping-Shape. With a hiss and a whirr, the fist did open into a great pincer. He did not grab the valve. He grabbed the automaton’s fingers, the very ones that had just been forced open. And with a great groan of tortured metal, he crushed them, twisting them into a useless knot of iron.

The Mindless Sentinel stopped. Its hand was ruined. It could no longer grip the valve. Its purpose, now impossible, was broken. It stood still, a silent monument to its own failure.

The Gear-Wright then took the Turning-Shape one last time. He locked the great wrench onto the valve and, with the pressure now unopposed, he slowly and safely turned it back, releasing the great danger upon the city. He had defeated the unstoppable guardian not by destroying it, but by unmaking its hand.

The Moral of the Story: The mightiest opponent is not defeated by a stronger blow, but by the right tool, applied at the right time.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Artificer’s Omnihand

Wondrous item, rare (requires attunement by a creature with proficiency in tinker’s tools or smith’s tools)

This oversized gauntlet covers the hand and forearm in articulated plates of black iron and obsidian. It constantly emits soft clicks and hisses as its internal mechanisms self-calibrate.

  • Your unarmed strikes made with this gauntlet are considered magical. You can use your Intelligence modifier, instead of your Strength, for the attack and damage rolls of these unarmed strikes, and their damage die is a d6.
  • You have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks made to grapple a creature.
  • Reconfigure. As a bonus action, you can command the gauntlet to change into one of three modes: Fist Mode, Pincer Mode, or Tool Mode.
  • Piston Strike. While in Fist Mode, you can use an action to unleash the gauntlet’s piston. Make a special unarmed strike. On a hit, the attack deals an extra 3d8 force damage. This attack deals double damage to objects and structures. This ability can be used once per short or long rest.
  • Integrated Tools. While in Tool Mode, the gauntlet functions as both a set of smith’s tools and tinker’s tools, and you have advantage on any ability check you make that uses either set of tools.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

The Miskatonic Pneumatic Manipulator

An experimental prosthetic developed in the Miskatonic University engineering labs, this heavy, steam-powered gauntlet is a marvel of complex mechanics. It is notoriously loud and dangerously unstable, intended for handling hazardous artifacts or for heavy industrial work.

  • Installation: Attaching the Manipulator to a user’s arm requires a Hard (–20) Medicine and Hard (–20) Mechanical Repair roll. The first time an investigator witnesses its full power, they must make a Sanity roll (0/1d3 SAN).
  • Weapon: An attack made with the manipulator is a Brawl attack that deals 1D10 + Damage Bonus.
  • Tool Modes: As an action, the hand can be reconfigured into a heavy wrench or a pincer. When in these modes, it provides a bonus die on Mechanical Repair rolls or opposed STR rolls for gripping or crushing objects.
  • Piston Punch: The user can attempt to discharge the pneumatic piston. This requires a Hard (–20) Mechanical Repair roll to safely build pressure. If successful, the user’s next Brawl attack with the manipulator deals double damage and has the Impale quality. If the Mechanical Repair roll is a Fumble, the device catastrophically backfires, destroying the user’s arm and inflicting a Major Wound.

Blades in the Dark

The Ironsea Breaker-Grip

A heavy, steam-powered gauntlet salvaged from an Ironsea factory or a cargo hauler. It’s a powerful and versatile tool, able to reconfigure its function from a fist to a wrench or a crushing pincer with a series of loud hisses and clicks.

This is a piece of heavy special gear (3 load).

  • Fictional Permissions: You are equipped with a heavy, steam-powered gauntlet that can reconfigure its function on the fly. It is incredibly strong and just as loud.
  • It functions as a heavy weapon in combat. When you attack with it, you can describe your action as brutal and concussive (+1 effect) or precise and disabling.
  • When you Wreck an object or Tinker with a heavy mechanism (like a vault door or factory machine), you get +1d to your roll.
  • You can take 2 Stress to unleash the full force of the piston. Your action has extreme effect. You can choose one of the following outcomes: it shatters a wall, it sends a person flying across a room, or it instantly disables a complex mechanical target.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Clockwork Gauntlet

A heavy, articulated gauntlet of iron and obsidian with visible, whirring gears. It can be reconfigured to serve different purposes.

  • Slots: Takes up 2 inventory slots (one arm).
  • Defense: The gauntlet is so bulky it can be used to parry. It counts as a medium shield (Defense +1).
  • Modes: It takes one full turn to switch between modes.
    • Fist Mode: The gauntlet acts as a d8 weapon for unarmed strikes.
    • Tool Mode: The gauntlet counts as a full set of artisan’s tools, taking up no additional slots.
  • Piston Punch (1 use per day): While in Fist Mode, you can declare you are using the Piston Punch before you make an attack roll. The attack automatically hits and deals maximum damage (8). Against a structure, it deals 20 damage.

Fate Core System

The Artificer’s Versatile Hand

This is an Extra, a complex and powerful tool that defines a character’s approach to problem-solving.

  • Aspects:
    • High Concept: Reconfigurable Magi-Tech Gauntlet
    • Trouble: Loud, Complex, and Requires Constant Maintenance
  • Stunts:
    • Integrated Toolset: Because the gauntlet can reconfigure into a variety of tools, you can use your Crafts skill in place of any other skill when dealing with a large-scale mechanical or structural problem. When you do, you gain a +2 bonus to your Crafts roll.
    • Crushing Grip: When you use the gauntlet’s pincer mode to Create an Advantage on a target by grappling them, you get an additional free invocation on a success.
    • Piston Strike: Once per conflict, you can declare you are using the Piston Strike. Make a special Fight attack that automatically succeeds and inflicts a 4-shift hit on any one target in your zone. This attack is powerful enough to destroy most inanimate objects and barriers with a single blow.

Numenera & Cypher System

The Reclamator’s Multi-Tool

This artifact is a heavy, oversized gauntlet of dark metal and obsidian that constantly clicks and hisses. The fingers and plates can be seen shifting, allowing it to reconfigure its shape for different tasks.

  • Level: 6
  • Form: A heavy, oversized gauntlet that covers the user’s hand and forearm.
  • Effect:
    • Passive: The user is trained in all tasks involving crafting, repair, and demolition. The gauntlet functions as a medium weapon, inflicting 4 points of damage.
    • Active (Reconfigure): Action: The user can change the gauntlet’s configuration between three modes: Fist (functions as a standard weapon), Wrench (provides an asset on all repair tasks on large machinery), or Pincer (provides an asset on all tasks involving gripping, bending, or grappling).
    • Active (Piston Strike): Action: While in Fist mode, the user can unleash the piston. The attack inflicts 8 points of damage and ignores 2 points of Armor.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check only when the Piston Strike ability is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Gauntlet of the Forge-Servant

Item 11 Rare, Magical, Transmutation Usage worn gauntlet; Bulk 1

This oversized gauntlet is a marvel of interlocking plates, gears, and pistons. It covers the hand and forearm, constantly emitting soft hisses of steam.

Passive This gauntlet is a set of master’s tinker’s tools and master’s smith’s tools. Your unarmed attacks made with this gauntlet are magical, deal 1d6 bludgeoning damage, and gain the Grapple and Shove traits.

Activate [one-action] Reconfigure (Manipulate) Effect You change the gauntlet’s configuration between Fist Mode and Tool Mode.

Activate [two-actions] Piston Strike (Manipulate, Force) Frequency once per 10 minutes; Requirements The gauntlet is in Fist Mode; Effect You make a Strike with the gauntlet. On a hit, you deal an additional 3d10 force damage, and the Strike deals double its damage to structures. On a critical hit, the target is also pushed 10 feet and knocked prone.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

The ‘Omni-Wrench’ Power Fist

A complex piece of magi-tech from Acheulean, this gauntlet is prized by artificers and breachers alike for its incredible versatility and raw power.

  • Requirements: Seasoned, Strength d8+, Repair d8+
  • Notes: Covers one arm. Switching modes is an Action and is very loud.
  • Abilities:
    • Armor: The gauntlet is heavily armored, providing +3 Armor to the wearer’s arm (called shots to the arm suffer this penalty).
    • Weapon (Fist Mode): The gauntlet is a magical weapon that deals Str+d8 damage with AP 2.
    • Tool (Tool Mode): The gauntlet counts as a full tool kit and grants a +2 bonus to all Repair rolls on mechanical or structural items.
    • Grapple (Pincer Mode): The wearer gains a +2 bonus to all grappling checks made to initiate or maintain a grapple.
    • Piston Punch: Once per combat, the wearer can activate the piston as part of a Fighting attack. If the attack is successful, it deals +2d6 damage and the target is automatically Stunned.

Shadowrun, Sixth World

EVO ‘Multi-Tasker’ Cyberarm

An obvious, heavy-duty cyberarm from EVO’s industrial line, the ‘Multi-Tasker’ is popular among construction workers, corporate sappers, and discerning demolition experts. It sacrifices the subtlety of modern cyberlimbs for raw power and unparalleled utility, featuring a reconfigurable hand and a powerful pneumatic ram.

  • Type: Cyberware (Cyberlimb – Full Arm, Obvious)
  • Rating: 4
  • Essence: 1.0
  • Availability: 16R
  • Cost: 95,000¥

Game Effects:

  • Attributes: The arm has a base Strength of 6 and Agility of 4. It can be customized further.
  • Integrated Tools: The arm contains an integrated set of Engineering Tools, replacing the need for a standard toolkit and providing a +1 dice pool bonus on related tests.
  • Reconfiguration (Simple Action): The user can switch the hand’s configuration.
    • Fist Mode: The hand is reinforced. Unarmed attacks with this arm deal (STR + 3)P damage with AP -2.
    • Pincer Mode: The hand reconfigures into a high-torque pincer. The user gains a +3 dice pool bonus on all Grapple tests.
  • Pneumatic Ram (Complex Action): Once per Combat Turn, the user can fire the integrated piston. Make an Unarmed Combat + Strength [Physical] test. If successful, the attack deals +4 DV, gains the Knockdown quality, and deals its full damage to barriers.

Starfinder

Titan’s Grip Gauntlet

Level 13; Price 55,000 credits; Slot hands; Hands 1; Bulk 1

A marvel of magitech engineering, this oversized gauntlet is a fusion of a weapon and a high-end toolkit. It can reconfigure its form with a thought, shifting from a devastating fist to a powerful industrial tool.

Effects: This gauntlet is a hybrid item that functions as a one-handed advanced melee weapon with the close weapon group. It deals 4d6 B damage and has the grapple and sunder weapon special properties. It also functions as both an engineering toolkit and a professional smith’s toolkit.

Abilities:

  • Reconfigure (Move Action): You can switch the gauntlet’s mode between Fist Mode and Tool Mode.
  • Piston Strike (Fist Mode, 1/day): As a standard action, you can make a single attack with the gauntlet. If the attack hits, it deals an additional 6d6 force damage, and the attack is automatically a critical hit if the target is an object or structure.
  • Integrated Tools (Tool Mode): While in Tool Mode, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus on Engineering checks to disable or repair mechanical devices, and on Mysticism checks to repair magical or hybrid items.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Multi-Function Industrial Manipulator (MFIM)

A heavy-duty gauntlet and forearm brace, the MFIM is a common piece of equipment for starship engineers, salvage crews, and rescue workers. It combines a powerful hydraulic pincer, a high-torque wrench, and a kinetic ram into a single, powered unit.

  • TL: 13
  • Mass: 6 kg
  • Power: 5/hour
  • Cost: Cr 150,000

Effects:

  • The MFIM is worn over one arm and is powered by a standard power pack. It contains a full set of advanced Mechanic and Engineer tools, granting DM+2 on all related checks.
  • The gauntlet can be used as a weapon with the Melee (brawl) skill, dealing 3D6 damage.
  • Crusher Grip: The user gains DM+4 on any opposed Strength check made to grapple a target or crush an object held in the gauntlet.
  • Kinetic Ram: Once per minute, the user can activate the piston. The next Melee (brawl) attack made with the gauntlet adds +2D to its damage roll. When used against a structure (like a door or wall), this automatically inflicts a Major Hit (as per the starship combat damage rules), bypassing the need to destroy it by hit points.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

The Nuln Steam-Fist

A rare and notoriously temperamental invention from the Imperial Engineers’ School in Nuln, this brass-and-iron gauntlet is powered by its own miniature steam engine. It grants the wearer immense strength but is prone to venting scalding steam at inconvenient moments.

This is a rare and complex piece of Engineering.

  • Qualities: Complex, Dangerous, Unreliable, Pummel.
  • Passive Effects:
    • The wearer’s arm is considered to have 2 Armour Points.
    • The gauntlet contains a set of Engineer’s Tools, providing a +10 bonus to all relevant Trade (Engineer) Tests.
    • Unarmed attacks made with the gauntlet deal SB + 4 damage.
  • Steam Piston Punch: Once per combat encounter, the wearer may declare they are using the piston as part of a Melee (Brawling) attack. The attack gains the Devastating and Impact Qualities. After the attack is resolved (hit or miss), the wielder must make a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test or gain 1 Fatigued Condition from the jarring recoil and heat.
  • Unreliable: As per the Unreliable Quality, whenever the wielder rolls a Fumble on an attack roll or a Trade (Engineer) Test using the gauntlet, it catastrophically fails. The wielder must roll on the ‘Oh, Not Again!’ table from the Engineer Career to determine the disastrous result.