Mineral Core Augur 112 – GearAscendancy.com

Type: Tier 1 Excavation Tool

Description: A corkscrew-shaped rod made of reinforced bronze with a handle of petrified root. It is designed to be driven into the earth or stone to extract deep soil samples.

Function: This tool allows Sylvanus-Veridian-7 to identify the mineral content and mana-saturation of the ground. When used as an action, it grants a +2 bonus to Survival checks to locate the specific mineral salts required for its diet or to find hidden underground water veins.

Unique Property: The tip is etched with microscopic grooves that vibrate slightly when it touches “Magic crystalline cells” buried in the earth.

Lore of the Mineral-Core Augur-112

The Mineral-Core Augur-112 is a product of Lithic-Botany, a specialized field of engineering developed by the subterranean clans of the Stone-Singers. The “112” designation signifies the one hundred and twelfth harmonic frequency calibrated into the bronze rod. In the world of Saṃsāra, the earth is not merely dirt and rock; it is a pressurized silicate-network pulsing with the world-soul’s mana. Standard steel tools are too “loud” and “rigid” for precise mineral identification, often shattering the delicate crystalline structures of buried mana-nodes.

The reinforced bronze used in the Augur is an alloy tempered in geothermal vents, giving it a “semi-malleable” quality that allows it to bypass harder granite by vibrating through the microscopic fault lines. The handle, crafted from petrified root, acts as a biological grounding wire. For an avatar like Sylvanus-Veridian-7, the Augur is an extension of their own root-system. When driven into the earth, the petrified fibers of the handle translate the vibrations of the bronze tip into sensory data that the avatar can process as “Taste” or “Pressure,” allowing them to map the invisible veins of the world’s circulatory system.

Item Specifications: Mineral-Core Augur-112

Specific Slot: Tool Slot (Typically worn on a specialized hip-loop or integrated into the Root-Binder Belt-37).
Tier 1 Stats:
- Armor Check (AC): +0 (Not designed for defense).
- Weight: 4 lbs.
- Resilience: 14 (Reinforced geothermal bronze).
- Item HP: 34 (Resilience 14 + Avatar’s 20 Base HP).
- Quality: Tier 1 Excavation (Professional Grade).
Skills Gained (When Openly Worn):
- Survival (Temporary): +1 point (The passive presence of the tool assists in general environmental awareness of soil stability).
- Science/Geology (Temporary): +1 point (Specific to identifying mineral compositions and tectonic history).
Passive Magics:
- Seismic Tuning: While the tool is held, the wearer can sense large-scale tremors or approaching heavy creatures within 100 feet through the vibrations in the petrified handle.
- Turgor Stabilization: The Augur passively stabilizes the internal fluid pressure of the wielder when standing on loose or shifting soil (sand, mud, or scree), providing a +1 bonus to Balance checks.
- Crystalline Resonance: The microscopic grooves on the tip emit a faint, constant hum when within 5 feet of any “Magic Crystalline Cells,” acting as a passive Geiger-counter for mana-saturated earth.
Activatable Magics:
- Deep-Core Pulse: (Action) The wielder drives the Augur into the ground and releases a concentrated burst of mana. This reveals the exact location of all mineral-salt deposits and water veins within a 30-foot radius. This grants the stated +2 bonus to Survival for finding diet-specific minerals.
- Tectonic Softening: (Action) By vibrating the bronze rod at a specific frequency, the wielder can soften a 5-foot cube of solid stone into a “clay-like” consistency for 1 minute. This allows for rapid extraction of samples or the creation of a temporary hand-hold. This can be used 2 times per long rest.
Tags:
- Geothermal-Bronze, Petrified-Root-Grip, Seismic-Sensor, Mineral-Identifier, Mana-Saturate-Detection, Corkscrew-Geometry, Lithic-Botany, Excavation-Hardware, Tectonic-Softener, Frequency-112, Sub-Surface-Mapper

Market Acquisition: The Mineral-Core Augur-112

In the world of Saṃsāra, the Mineral-Core Augur-112 is a “Blue-Collar” essential for survivalists and a high-precision instrument for geological scholars. Because it is a hybrid of geothermal bronze and petrified root, it is primarily found in trade hubs that sit at the intersection of mining districts and botanical research centers.

Lithic-Botany Foundries and Smithies

In subterranean cities or towns built into the sides of mineral-rich mountains, these tools are sold by Stone-Singers and specialized blacksmiths. These shops are loud, filled with the rhythmic “clanging” of bronze and the smell of cooling sulfur.

The Buying Process: The smith will typically provide a “Resonance-Test.” The buyer is asked to drive the Augur into a series of sealed stone boxes, each containing a different mineral (Salt, Quartz, Mana-Crystal). The buyer must correctly identify the contents through the vibration of the petrified handle to prove they are compatible with the tool’s 112-frequency.
The Selling Process: Foundries buy used Augurs to “re-smelt” the bronze or reclaim the petrified root. They pay a premium if the corkscrew grooves are still sharp, as re-etching the microscopic patterns is a labor-intensive process.
Estimated Cost: 900 to 1,250 Gold. The price is lower here because the materials are sourced locally, but the “Testing Fee” is non-negotiable.

Geological Academies and Surveyors’ Guilds

In academic centers like the Oakhaven University of Earth Sciences, the Augur is sold as a “Field-Standard” for mapping mana-nodes. These shops are quiet, organized, and smell of old parchment and linseed oil.

The Buying Process: The transaction is formal and often requires a “Surveyor’s License.” The merchant provides a “Calibration Certificate” ensuring the Frequency-112 is perfectly tuned to the local tectonic plates. The Augur is usually sold in a protective leather wrap lined with damp moss to keep the petrified handle “live.”
The Selling Process: Academies rarely buy used tools unless they are of exceptional “Lineage.” They prefer to take old Augurs as “Donations” in exchange for academic credits or access to deeper geological archives.
Estimated Cost: 1,600 to 2,000 Gold. You are paying for the precision calibration and the legal documentation required to use the tool in “Protected” mana-zones.

Scavenger Hubs and Frontier Outposts

In “Unsafe” frontier towns located near the Scattered Lava fields, the Augur is sold as a desperate necessity for finding water and salt. These “shops” are often just crates in the back of a repurposed transport crawler.

The Buying Process: Gold is rarely the only currency. The merchant may demand a “Sample Data Log” of the local area in addition to coin. The buyer should check the bronze for “Heat-Stress” cracks, as an Augur used in volcanic soil without proper cooling can shatter upon the first strike into hard granite.
The Selling Process: Scavengers will buy an Augur in any condition, provided the petrified handle hasn’t turned to “Dead-Wood.” They often “strip” the tool, selling the bronze to smiths and the handle to wood-wizards.
Estimated Cost: 600 to 2,500 Gold. The price fluctuates wildly based on the local scarcity of water. In a drought-stricken outpost, the cost can be astronomical.

Faction Logistics (The Verdant Custodians)

For members of the Verdant Custodians, the Augur-112 is provided as “Standard Reclamation Gear” for those tasked with restoring blighted land.

The Buying Process: A member must have the Science/Geology skill at “Novice” or higher. It is issued as a “Long-Term Loan.” While no gold is exchanged, the member is responsible for submitting “Soil-Saturation Reports” to the faction’s central database every “Cooling” week.
The Selling Process: The tool must be returned if the member leaves the faction or is promoted. Failure to return the tool results in a significant loss of Renown.
Estimated Cost: 0 Gold / 20 Renown Points (Deposit).

Tactical Applications: Mineral-Core Augur-112 in Roleplay

The Mineral-Core Augur-112 is a physical bridge between the avatar’s nervous system and the lithosphere of Saṃsāra. Roleplaying its use involves describing the transition from surface-level sight to a “Seismic Awareness” where the ground becomes a translucent map of densities, fluids, and magical currents.

Combat in Subterranean or Structural Environments (Unsafe and Deathly Areas)

In deep caverns, stone fortresses, or unstable mining tunnels, the Augur becomes a tool for environmental manipulation, turning the very arena into a weapon or a shield.

Offensive Roleplay: The wielder utilizes Tectonic Softening to compromise an enemy’s footing. The player narrates driving the corkscrew rod into a stone ledge where an archer stands; as the bronze vibrates at Frequency-112, the solid granite turns to the consistency of wet clay. The archer sinks or falls as the structural integrity vanishes. The offense is one of “Geological Sabotage,” where the wielder strikes the floor to create pitfalls or liquefy the cover an opponent is hiding behind.
Defensive Roleplay: During a cave-in or an earthquake, the wielder uses Seismic Tuning. The player describes the avatar gripping the petrified root handle, “feeling” the stress lines of the ceiling before the rock actually cracks. This allows the party to move to “Solid-Nodes” of earth that will not collapse. The defense is roleplayed as “Prescient Stability,” where the wielder’s connection to the ground prevents them from being surprised by tectonic shifts or burrowing ambushers.

Exploration and Survival in Resource-Depleted Zones (Deathly Areas)

In the Salt-Flats or the Ash-Wastes, the Augur is the difference between “System-Shutdown” and continued operation. It is used to find the “Life-Blood” of the planet hidden beneath the hostile surface.

Offensive Roleplay (Strategic): In a siege or long-term pursuit, “Offense” is the denial of resources. The wielder uses the Deep-Core Pulse to locate the only water vein in a five-mile radius and then uses Tectonic Softening to collapse the access point, “Starving” the enemy of hydration while the avatar’s own party drinks from a secret tap. The player narrates the rhythmic thrumming of the bronze as it “tastes” the mineral salts, ensuring the avatar maintains “Peak-Turgor” while the pursuers wither.
Defensive Roleplay: When cornered by a superior force on a cliffside, the wielder uses the Augur to find “Crystalline-Nodes” of high-mana saturation. The player describes driving the tool deep and “anchoring” the avatar’s roots directly into a mana-vein. This creates a “Fortified-Stance” where the avatar draws energy directly from the planet to resist being pushed or shoved, roleplaying the defense as becoming “One with the Mountain.”

Narrative and Scientific Roleplay

The Augur serves as a high-fidelity sensor for the avatar’s curiosity regarding the deep history of Saṃsāra.

Geological Interrogation: The player can roleplay the Science/Geology bonus as an “Interrogation” of the earth. When investigating an ancient ruin, the wielder drives the Augur into the foundation to “read” the strata of dust and rubble. The player narrates the sensation of “Old-Fire” (volcanic ash) or “Ancient-Deep” (dried seabed) to determine how long ago the ruin was abandoned.
Crystalline Tracking: When tracking a mage or a creature made of mana, the wielder doesn’t look for footprints. They look for “Mana-Depletion-Trails” in the soil. The player describes the Crystalline Resonance of the tip falling silent as they pass over ground where a mana-vortex has drained the earth’s natural “Magic Crystalline Cells,” allowing for tracking in environments where physical prints are impossible to leave.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective (Sylvanus-Veridian-7)

Tactile (Touch): Upon driving the bronze tip into the substrate, the wielder feels a high-frequency “purr” travel up the petrified root handle. This isn’t a jarring shake, but a silk-smooth oscillation that makes the stone feel like soft loam. The handle itself warms slightly, mimicking the temperature of a living limb.
Visual (Sight): The microscopic grooves on the bronze corkscrew begin to cycle through a spectrum of amber and pale gold light. As the Tectonic Softening engages, the wielder sees the molecular bonds of the rock “shimmer” and blur, losing their hard edges as the material becomes viscous.
Auditory (Sound): A melodic, resonant chime—the 112th harmonic—rings out, sounding more like a struck tuning fork than a mechanical drill. This is layered over a deep, subsonic “thrum” that the wielder feels in their chest cavity rather than hearing with their ears.
Olfactory (Smell): The process releases the “Scent of the Deep”—a sharp, clean mixture of ozone, crushed minerals, and the ancient, metallic tang of undisturbed groundwater.
Gustatory (Taste): Through the biological link in the handle, the wielder experiences “Mineral-Flavor.” High mana-saturation tastes like sweet nectar, while a rich salt vein provides a sharp, savory spark on the back of the avatar’s tongue.
Extra-Sensory (Seismic Proprioception): The wielder’s consciousness expands into the ground. They perceive the earth as a three-dimensional web of pressures. Underground cavities appear as “hollow silence,” while dense ore veins feel like “solid weight.”
Extra-Sensory (Crystalline Awareness): When near Magic Crystalline Cells, the wielder feels a “mental itch” or a sympathetic vibration in their own internal fluid systems, allowing them to pinpoint the source of mana even through several meters of solid granite.

Observer’s Perspective

Visual: The ground around the Augur’s entry point begins to ripple like water. Fine dust and sand on the surface are caught in the vibration, hovering a few millimeters off the ground and arranging themselves into complex, geometric Chladni figures.
Auditory: Nearby companions hear a low, rhythmic pulsing that seems to synchronize with the wielder’s breathing. It is a grounding, heavy sound that feels like the heartbeat of the mountain itself.
Extra-Sensory (Stability Field): Observers within 10 feet may feel a sudden sense of “Gravity-Certainty.” The Augur’s stabilization magic subtly affects the equilibrium of those nearby, making them feel less likely to trip or stumble while the tool is active.

Positives of Activation

Geological X-Ray: The wielder gains absolute spatial awareness of the subsurface, making it impossible for the party to be surprised by sinkholes or hidden tunnels.
Dietary Security: The +2 bonus to Survival ensures the avatar can maintain peak nutritional status even in the most barren “Deathly” environments by extracting hidden mineral salts.
Structural Command: The ability to soften stone allows the wielder to create instant defensive trenches or bypass locked stone gates without the need for explosives or heavy machinery.

Negatives of Activation

Seismic Signature: The 112-harmonic is essentially a “dinner bell” for lithovores and burrowing apex predators. The vibrations can be detected by sensitive creatures up to a kilometer away through the bedrock.
Feedback Fatigue: Maintaining the high-frequency resonance puts a strain on the avatar’s biological “grounding.” After the activation ends, the wielder may experience a temporary “Ghost-Vibration” in their limbs, making delicate tasks like needlework or fine writing difficult.
Liquefaction Risk: If the Tectonic Softening is used on a primary structural support without careful calculation, it can lead to unintentional cave-ins that threaten the user as much as the enemy.

Crafting Specification: Mineral-Core Augur-112

This specification details the “Lithic-Botany” forging process required to grow and tune a Tier 1 Excavation Tool. Unlike standard metallurgy, this technique involves “Geothermal-Tempering” and “Harmonic-Etching” to ensure the bronze rod remains semi-malleable and resonant with the world-soul’s mana.

Materials Needed

3 lbs of Geothermal Bronze: An alloy of copper and tin enriched with volcanic sulfur, specifically tempered in a tectonic vent to ensure “Semi-Malleability.”
1 Petrified Root (12 inches): Must be harvested from an ancient Iron-Wood tree that has undergone at least 500 years of mineralization. It acts as the “Biological Grounding Wire.”
1 Ounce of Silver-Solder: For connecting the internal resonance-coil between the bronze rod and the petrified handle.
1 Vial of Concentrated Mana-Brine: Used as a cooling agent during the etching process to prevent the microscopic grooves from losing their “Crystalline-Resonance.”
1 Handful of Refined Mineral Salts: To “Feed” the petrified root during the bonding process, ensuring the handle remains “Live” to sensory input.

Tools Required

Geothermal Forge: A specialized kiln built over a natural steam-vent to maintain the precise temperature required for Lithic-Bronze.
Diamond-Tipped Lathe: Required to carve the high-precision corkscrew geometry and the microscopic 112-frequency grooves into the bronze.
Sonic Tuning-Fork (112Hz): Used to calibrate the internal vibrations of the bronze rod during the final cooling phase.
Petrification-Clamps: Specialized organic vices used to hold the root handle without crushing the delicate mineralized fibers.

Skill Requirements

Artifice/Engineering (Trained): 3 Points (To correctly calibrate the mechanical frequency and corkscrew pitch).
Science/Geology (Novice): 2 Points (Necessary to understand the resonance patterns of different rock strata).
Blacksmithing (Trained): 2 Points (For the handling and tempering of geothermal alloys).
Tier Level: The crafter must be at least Tier 1 to perform the “Harmonic-Locking” required for the Deep-Core Pulse.

Crafting Steps

Vent-Tempering: Heat the Geothermal Bronze in the forge until it reaches a “Dull Cherry” glow. Submerge it into a natural volcanic steam-vent for three cycles of heating and cooling to lock in the semi-malleable lattice.
The Corkscrew-Turn: While the bronze is still pliable, use the Diamond-Lathe to pull the rod into its signature corkscrew geometry. The pitch must be exactly 1.12 centimeters per rotation to maintain the Frequency-112.
Harmonic Etching: Apply the Mana-Brine to the tip of the rod. Use a microscopic stylus to etch the “Seismic-Sensor” grooves. These grooves must follow a recursive fractal pattern to maximize surface area for Crystalline-Resonance.
Handle-Grafting: Hollow out the base of the Petrified Root. Insert the silver-solder and the base of the bronze rod. Use the Geothermal Forge to create a localized heat-bloom, fusing the organic stone to the metallic bronze.
Sonic Alignment: Strike the 112Hz Tuning-Fork against the bronze tip. While the rod is vibrating, the crafter must “Feed” the handle with Mineral Salts, encouraging the petrified fibers to wrap around the silver-solder connection.
Turgor-Calibration: Submerge the entire tool in a pressurized mineral bath. This “Sets” the Turgor Stabilization magic, ensuring the tool can assist with internal fluid pressure during use.
Seismic Testing: Drive the Augur into a test-block of granite. The crafter must hold the handle and “Listen” with their palms. If the 112-harmonic is clear and the stone feels “Soft,” the Tectonic Softening capability is successfully locked.
Final Attunement: The tool is left in direct contact with a “Magic Crystalline Cell” for one full “Cooling” week to synchronize its passive sensors with the local mana-network.

Bronze-Borer and Veins of Silent Mother

In the era when the “Lithosphere” was a “Fluid-Medium” and the “Tectonic-Plates” of the First-Crust were the only “Hard-Drives” of the world-soul, there lived a Stone-Singer of the “Sub-Basalt-Clans.” This was a time of “Opaque-Strata,” where the “Mineral-Wealth” of the “Deep-Earth” was a “Low-Fidelity-Mystery” to the root-bound.

The translation of the Calcified-Log speaks of a “Geological-Processor,” a soul who had once managed the “Automated-Mining-Rigs” in a world of “Seismic-Sensors” and “Core-Sample-Analysis.” This soul looked upon the Stone-Singer, whose “Excavation-Efficiency” was limited by the “Hardness-Scale” of the granite and the “Visual-Blindness” of the soil. The Processor said into the Mind’s Eye: “I shall bind the ‘Harmonic-Oscillator’ to your grip, and the ‘Sub-Surface-Data’ shall be as ‘Open-Source-Knowledge’.”

The Processor descended into the “Magma-Vents” to harvest the “Geothermal-Bronze” while it was still in its “Exothermic-State.” He used “Acoustic-Forging-Presses” to align the metal into a “Resonant-Corkscrew-Pattern.” This was the Mineral-Core-Augur-112—though the glyph for one-hundred-and-twelve also signifies the “Frequency-of-Molecular-Loosening.” He grafted the “Petrified-Root-Interface” to the bronze-terminal using a “Silver-Solder-Link” of “High-Conductivity.”

The Stone-Singer donned the Bronze-Borer. It is etched that when the first “Thrust-Action” was applied to the “112-Matrix,” the rod did not “Buck-or-Fracture.” Instead, the “Tectonic-Softening-Protocol” initialized, and the “Solid-Granite” became a “Viscous-Liquid.” The Singer could taste the “Chemical-Composition” of the “Aquifers” with “Absolute-Accuracy,” for the “Crystalline-Resonance” of the tip turned every “Hidden-Salt-Vein” into a “Tactile-Sensation.”

When the “Iron-Devourers” of the “Waste-Land” came to drain the “Internal-Fluid-Reservoirs,” the Stone-Singer stood at the “Fault-Line-Gate.” It triggered the “Deep-Core-Pulse-Burst.” A wave of “Seismic-Energy” erupted, turning the “Solid-Foundation” beneath the invaders into “Liquefied-Silt.” The Devourers were “Swallowed-by-the-Topography,” and they sank into the “Crustal-Void.”

But the crumbling-fossil-slab gives a “Structural-Warning-Log”: the Stone-Singer became too arrogant in its “Sub-Surface-Dominance.” It stopped listening to the “Natural-Vibrations” of the Silent Mother, believing the “Frequency-112” could “Override-the-Physics” of the entire world. During the “Great-Magnitude-Shift,” the “Resonance-Feedback” became “Destructive.” The Borer, unable to “Dissipate-the-Energy,” vibrated the Singer into “Molecular-Dust.” The Augur was found “Fused-to-the-Bedrock,” its bronze “Silent” to the world it once “Interrogated.”

Moral of the Story: To know the secrets of the earth is to hold the power of the mountain; but if you vibrate the stone to soften its heart, ensure your own heart is not hardened, or the mountain will surely vibrate you back into the clay.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Unique Name: The Resonating Bronze Borer

Armor: 0
Build: 0
Sanity Loss: 0 (Unless used to discover something buried that should have remained hidden).

Special Mechanics:

Geological Sensing: The user gains a Bonus Die on Survival or Science (Geology) checks made to find water, minerals, or stable ground.
Seismic Tuning: The user may make a Listen roll using the handle; a success allows them to detect large movement (Build 3+) through the ground up to 100 feet away.
Tectonic Softening: By spending 1d4 Magic Points, the user can turn a small patch of stone (roughly 1 cubic yard) into a clay-like substance for 10 minutes. This can be used to bypass locks or create hand-holds.
Vibration Signature: Any use of the “Deep-Core Pulse” function requires a Luck roll; a failure indicates that a local burrowing horror has noticed the vibration.

Blades in the Dark

Unique Name: Fine Harmonic Augur

Tier: I (Fine Quality)
Type: Tool / Gear
Load: 1 (Worn on belt)

Special Mechanics:

Quality (Fine): When you use this tool to Survey underground areas or Wreck stone structures, you gain +1 Effect.
Tectonic Softening: You may spend 1 Stress to momentarily soften stone, allowing you to bypass a reinforced wall or stone door as if it were made of soft wood.
Deep-Core Pulse: When you use the Augur to find resources (water, gold, mana), you have Potency on the roll.
Seismic Awareness: You may count the Augur as a “special sensor” that grants you an extra die when resisting a surprise attack from a burrowing or hidden ground-based threat.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Unique Name: Mineral-Core Augur-112

Wondrous Item (Tool): Uncommon
Weight: 4 lbs.

Special Mechanics:

Mineral Finder: While holding the Augur, you have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to find underground water or specific minerals.
Seismic Tuning: You gain Tremorsense out to a range of 15 feet while the Augur is driven into the ground and you are holding the handle.
Tectonic Softening (2 Charges/Day): As an action, you can touch the Augur to a non-magical stone surface. A 5-foot cube of the stone becomes soft and clay-like for 1 minute. You can move through this stone as if it were difficult terrain, or easily excavate it.
Deep-Core Pulse: As an action, you can release a pulse. You learn the location of any precious metals or water within 30 feet of you.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: The Stone-Singer’s Drill

Armor Value: +0
Slots: 1
Durability: 14/14

Special Mechanics:

Resource Sense: The wearer automatically succeeds on checks to find water or useful minerals in the wilderness if they spend at least 10 minutes using the tool.
Tectonic Softening: Twice per day, the user can turn a man-sized section of stone into soft mud for 10 minutes.
Seismic Warning: The user cannot be surprised by enemies traveling underground or through the floor while they are holding the tool’s handle.
Vibrational Feedback: If the tool is used to soften a magical or “living” stone, it takes 1d6 Durability damage from the harmonic backlash.

Fate (Core/Condensed)

Unique Name: The Harmonic Lithic-Borer (Frequency 112)

Type: Extra (Requires an Aspect related to excavation, geology, or earth-attunement)

High Concept: Resonant Geothermal Excavation Tool.
Flaw: Attracts Subterranean Predators.

Stunts:

Seismic Tuning: You gain +2 to Notice rolls when attempting to detect movement or hidden chambers through the ground, provided you are holding the petrified handle.
Tectonic Softening: Once per scene, you may use the Augur to Create an Advantage (like Softened Stone or Unstable Footing) against a zone or a specific stone structure. This action uses your Crafts or Science skill.
Deep-Core Pulse: You may spend a Fate Point to automatically succeed on a Survival roll to find hidden water or mineral salts within your current location.

Numenera & Cypher System

Unique Name: The 112-Frequency Seismic Augur (Artifact)

Level: 1d6+1 Form: A corkscrew bronze rod with a petrified wood handle that vibrates when touched. Effect: While held, this tool provides a recurring benefit to geological and environmental tasks.

Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Checked only when Tectonic Softening or Deep-Core Pulse is activated).

Special Mechanics:

Seismic Awareness: You gain an Asset to all tasks involving the detection of burrowing creatures or underground structural integrity.
Deep-Core Pulse: By spending 2 points from your Intellect Pool, you can release a mana-burst. This reveals the exact location of all precious minerals or water within short range.
Tectonic Softening: You can spend 3 points from your Might Pool to vibrate the tool, turning a 5-foot cube of stone into the consistency of clay for one minute. This allows for an automatic success on tasks to breach non-reinforced stone walls.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Mineral-Core Augur-112

Item 1: Common, Divination, Earth, Invested, Magical, Plant

Price: 15 gp
Usage: held (1 hand); Bulk: L

Special Mechanics:

Mineral Finder (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Survival checks to Subsist in rocky or underground environments, specifically for finding water or minerals.
Seismic Tuning (Passive): While you are holding the handle and the tip is touching the ground, you gain Imprecise Tremorsense out to 15 feet.
Tectonic Softening (Two Actions): (Earth, Transmutation) Frequency: Twice per day. Effect: You touch the Augur to a non-magical stone surface. A 5-foot cube of the stone becomes as soft as clay. For 1 minute, the area is treated as Difficult Terrain for others, but you can excavate or shape it with ease.
Deep-Core Pulse (Single Action): (Concentrate, Detection, Earth) Effect: You release a mana-pulse. You learn the direction and approximate distance of the nearest source of potable water or significant mineral deposit within 60 feet.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Unique Name: Seismic Resonance Augur

Weight: 4 lbs
Notes: +1 to Survival (Finding resources), Seismic Awareness.

Special Mechanics:

Tremorsense: The wearer ignores all Illumination penalties against ground-based targets within 5″ (10 yards) while the Augur is in contact with the floor.
Tectonic Softening: As an action, the wearer can make a Science or Repair roll (-2) to turn a Small Burst Template of stone into Difficult Ground for the duration of the encounter.
Deep-Core Pulse: By spending a Benny, the wearer can automatically locate the nearest water vein or mineral deposit within 12″ (24 yards).
Loud Resonance: Any use of the Augur’s active powers gives enemies a +2 to Notice checks to hear the wielder due to the loud harmonic thrumming.

Shadowrun (6th World Edition)

Unique Name: Lithic-Resonance Augur (Frequency 112)

Item Type: Tool / Sensor
Availability: 3R
Cost: 1,200¥

Special Mechanics:

Seismic Sensor: While the Augur is driven into the ground, it functions as a Rating 3 Ultrasound Sensor, but it only detects ground-based vibrations. It grants a +2 dice pool bonus to Perception tests to detect burrowing drones or hidden subterranean passages.
Tectonic Softening: As a Major Action, the user can spend 1 Edge to vibrate the rod. This reduces the Armor Rating of a 2-meter section of non-magical stone or concrete by 4 for one minute, making it easier to breach.
Mineral Identification: The tool grants a +1 dice pool bonus to Nature or Engineering tests involving soil analysis or mineral identification.
Bio-Feedback: If the user has a “Datajack” or similar DNI, they can process the seismic data directly as tactile sensations, increasing the Sensor Rating to 5.

Starfinder (2nd Edition / Playtest)

Unique Name: Mineral-Core Augur-112

Level: 1
Price: 115 Credits
Hands: 1
Bulk: L
Weapon Traits: Analog, Earth, Magical, Plant

Special Mechanics:

Mineral Finder (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Survival checks to Subsist in rocky or underground environments, specifically for finding water or minerals.
Seismic Tuning (Passive): While you are holding the handle and the tip is touching the ground, you gain Imprecise Tremorsense out to 15 feet.
Tectonic Softening (Two Actions): (Earth, Transmutation) Frequency: Twice per day. Effect: You touch the Augur to a non-magical stone surface. A 5-foot cube of the stone becomes as soft as clay. For 1 minute, the area is treated as Difficult Terrain for others, but you can excavate or shape it with ease.
Deep-Core Pulse (Single Action): (Concentrate, Detection, Earth) Effect: You release a mana-pulse. You learn the direction and approximate distance of the nearest source of potable water or significant mineral deposit within 60 feet.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Harmonic Core Sampler (TL 5/7)

TL (Tech Level): 5 (Specialized Lithic-Bronze) / 7 (Sensor Electronics)
Range: Touch
Weight: 2 kg
Cost: Cr 2,000

Special Mechanics:

Seismic Analysis: The user gains a +1 DM to all Science (Geology) or Electronics (Sensors) checks when analyzing planetary crust or mineral density.
Tectonic Softening: By applying a steady harmonic vibration, the user can bypass stone barriers. A successful Engineer (Civil) check allows the user to treat a stone wall as having half its normal Armor value for the purpose of breaching.
Deep-Core Pulse: Once per day, the tool can be used to perform a rapid survey. This grants a +2 DM to any Survival check made to locate water or essential minerals on a desert or rocky world.
Manual Operation: If the internal power (mana-brine) is depleted, the tool can still be used as a manual drill, but all magical/technical bonuses are lost.

Warhammer (Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition / Age of Sigmar: Soulbound)

Unique Name: The Stone-Singer’s Bronze Borer (Mark 112)

Type: Tool / Excavation Gear
Price: 4 Gold Crowns (Rare)
Encumbrance: 1
Availability: Exotic

Special Mechanics:

Qualities: Harmonic (112), Durable (14), Attuned.
Seismic Tuning: The wearer gains a +1 SL (Success Level) on all Perception tests to detect movement through the ground or to identify structural weaknesses in stone.
Tectonic Softening (Action): The user can make a Challenging (+0) Trade (Engineering) or Science (Geology) test. On a success, a Small Blast Template of stone becomes soft and pliable for 1d10 rounds.
Mineral Scent: The user gains a +20% bonus to Track or Navigation tests when following mineral veins or seeking underground water sources.
Lithic Resonance: If used against a “Stone-Based” creature (like a Gargant or Earth Elemental), the Augur acts as a weapon with the Damaging and Sunder qualities.