Codex of the Wounded Saint 519

Lore This Tier 3 artifact is the metaphysical resolution of a paradox. It was created when a Paladin of the Weeping Order carried the Tome of Agonized Adaptation into the Shrine of Jasa the Unfettered. Seeking to silence the screaming metal of the Agonized Tome, the Paladin bound it with the mossy twine of the Tome of Gentle Unburdening. The result was not silence, but a terrifying harmony. The relic no longer teaches that pain is a weapon or that grief must be released; it teaches that Pain is the fuel of Peace. It suggests that true invulnerability comes not from blocking the blow, but from accepting it so fully that it passes through you without finding purchase. It is the scripture of the “Martyr-King,” willed to those who must break themselves to fix the world.

Description A thick, imposing volume bound in “Scar-Leather”—pale, tough material that resembles healed burn tissue. The jagged, fang-like metal shards of the Agonized Tome still protrude from the cover, but they are now wrapped in the soft, moss-green twine of the Gentle Tome, preventing them from cutting the wielder—barely. The copper relief on the cover has changed: it now depicts a pair of hands gripping a sword blade, bleeding light, but holding it steady. The pages do not flutter; they turn with the heavy, deliberate weight of a tombstone. The text bleeds red ink that fades to soothing silver as it dries.

Stats

• Tier: 3
• Rarity: Legendary
• Attunement: Required (Ritual: The wielder must confess their greatest regret while holding the book over a flame, letting the heat blister their skin without flinching).
• Slots Occupied: 1 (Worn Item – hung at hip or strapped to chest)
• Weight: 10 lbs
• Durability: 120 Item HP (Regenerates 5 HP/hour; immune to non-magical damage).
• Mana Boost Generation: Produces 3 Mana Boost points per long rest.
• Cost: Priceless (Can only be forged or inherited).

Tags Tier-3, Merged-Relic, Worn-Item, Psychic-Tanking, Martyrdom, Radical-Acceptance, Pain-Synergy, Healing-Through-Hurt, Mental-Fortitude, Soul-Scarred, Aura-of-Penance, Tactical-Empathy, Blood-Written, Paladin-Scripture, Redemption-Focus, Kinetic-Redirection, Scar-Warding, Stoic-Resonance, Empathic-Anchor, Burden-Eater, Exhaustion-Fuel

Multiple Passives Magic

• Sanctified Agony: The wielder converts pain into power. Whenever the wielder takes damage from a hostile source, they gain a +1 bonus to their next Attack Roll, Skill Check, or Saving Throw (stacking up to +5). These stacks fade after 1 minute of peace.
• The Yielding Iron: The wielder is immune to the Frightened and Charmed conditions. The book absorbs the psychic pressure, vibrating violently against the wielder’s hip instead of affecting their mind.
• Aura of the Heavy Heart: Enemies within 20 feet feel the crushing weight of their own guilt. They suffer Disadvantage on Constitution and Wisdom saving throws while in the aura.
• Lesson of the Scar: The wielder gains Resistance to Psychic Damage. If they would take Psychic damage, they can choose to take half that amount as physical Slashing damage (the book cuts them) to completely negate the mental trauma.

Multiple Active Magics

• Litany of the Broken-Whole (1/Long Rest): The wielder opens the book and recites the “Verse of the Final Yield.” A shockwave of golden sorrow explodes in a 60-foot radius.
  • Enemies: Must make a Wisdom Saving Throw. On failure, they are overwhelmed by every pain they have ever inflicted, taking 8d6 Psychic Damage and being Stunned for 1 round.
  • Allies: Feel their burdens lift. They are healed for an amount equal to the highest damage taken by an enemy in the blast.
• Rite of Radical Acceptance (1/Short Rest): As a reaction to failing a Saving Throw or taking massive damage, the wielder can accept the reality of the situation instantly. They reroll the Save with Advantage OR reduce the incoming damage to 0. However, the wielder immediately takes 1 Level of Exhaustion (or a significant -2 penalty to all rolls until rest) as the physical toll of processing reality catches up to them.
• Transference of the Thorn (1/Short Rest): The wielder touches an ally afflicted by a negative condition (Poisoned, Paralyzed, Cursed, etc.). The condition is instantly removed from the ally and transferred to the wielder. For the next minute, the wielder suffers the condition but gains Resistance to all Damage types, as their suffering anchors them to existence.

Specific Slot Worn Item (Book/Relic). Hangs from a belt or strap; does not require a hand to hold for passive benefits, but must be touched/held for active powers.

Item Hit Points & Magic Disruption The Codex of the Wounded Saint 519 possesses 120 Magical Integrity Hit Points. Because the artifact is living “Scar-Leather,” it behaves more like a biological entity than an object.

• Targeting: To disable the magic, an attacker must target the “Binding of Sutures” (the spine where the moss twine stitches the scar tissue). This requires a Called Shot with a -4 penalty.
• Defenses: The Codex has an Armor Class (AC) of 22. It is Resistant to all non-magical physical damage (Bludgeoning, Piercing, Slashing) because it “accepts” trauma to strengthen itself. It is Vulnerable to Acid damage, which dissolves the scar tissue before it can heal.
• Thresholds of Destabilization:
  • 60 HP or lower (Open Wound): The pages begin to bleed fresh ink. The Sanctified Agony passive is capped; the bonus cannot exceed +2.
  • 30 HP or lower (Septic Shock): The Aura of the Heavy Heart fades completely. Using any Active Magic requires the wielder to succeed on a DC 16 Constitution save or take a level of Exhaustion immediately.
  • 0 HP (Dead Tissue): The scar-leather turns grey and necrotic; the moss twine withers. All magic ceases. The book locks shut and cannot be opened until revived.

Repairing the Item Repairing this artifact is not a crafting process, but a medical one known as the “Suturing of the Sacred Skin.”

• Materials:
  • Gold-Strand Suture Thread: Blessed by a healer (Cost: ~50 Gold).
  • Unguent of the Martyr: A salve made from crushed medicinal herbs mixed with the wielder’s own blood (Cost: ~10 HP from the wielder).
• Process: The repair takes 1 hour and must be performed in a place of sanctuary.
  • Skill Check: Requires a Medicine check (DC 18). Arcana is useless here; the book needs a doctor, not a wizard.
  • Action: The character must sew the wounds in the leather cover and apply the unguent to the “bruised” pages.
  • Result: A success restores 20 HP and restarts the book’s natural regeneration (5 HP/hour). A critical success restores it to full health instantly. Failure inflicts the Poisoned condition on the repairer for 24 hours as the book rejects the “transplant.”

The Codex of the Wounded Saint 519 is a Tier 3 Legendary Relic. It is rarely found in open commerce, as its very existence implies a philosophy of suffering that few merchants understand. It is traded in places where faith meets steel, or where the wealthy seek to buy their way out of pain.

Shops and Venues:

The Basilica of the Broken Cog (Industrial Cathedral District)

• Description: A massive, soot-stained cathedral where steam whistles serve as the choir. The priests wear vestments of chainmail and oil-cloth. The air smells of burning coal and sterilization alcohol. The Codex is kept on an altar of heated iron, vibrating softly against the metal.
• Buying/Selling: The Church does not “sell” relics; they grant stewardship. To acquire the Codex, the buyer must undergo the “Tithe of Pain.” They must place their hand on the heated altar alongside the book while negotiating the donation. If they pull their hand away before the deal is struck, the sale is void.
• Cost:5,000 – 5,500 Gold (Paid as a “Donation” to the Order’s hospital wing).
  • Note: The high price reflects the artifact’s status as a holy text of the Order.

The Red Ledger Exchange (Mercenary Warlord Auction)

• Description: An underground bunker beneath a floating fortress, accessible only by armored zeppelin. Here, wars are bought and sold. The walls are lined with captured banners. The Codex is marketed not as a holy book, but as the “Ultimate Shield Generator.” It is displayed inside a cage where a goblin occasionally pokes it with a spear to show how the book absorbs the blow.
• Buying/Selling: The atmosphere is aggressive and loud. Bidders are generals, tank-commanders, and high-level adventurers. The auctioneer highlights the Sanctified Agony ability, pitching it as a weapon of retaliation.
• Cost:6,000 – 7,000 Gold (600 – 700 Platinum).
  • Premium: The price is inflated here because the buyers value raw combat power over the item’s philosophical origins.

The Stitcher’s Den (Black Market Flesh-Crafters)

• Description: A hidden laboratory in the sewers of a megacity, illuminated by jars of bioluminescent organs. The proprietor is a Necro-Surgeon who appreciates the Codex for its “Scar-Leather” biology. The shop smells of formaldehyde and copper. The Codex is kept in a vat of nutrient fluid to keep the leather supple.
• Buying/Selling: The Stitcher views the book as a living organism. They will only sell it to someone who promises to “feed” it (by taking damage). The transaction involves a blood contract; the buyer must let the Stitcher graft a small piece of the book’s leather to their own skin to test compatibility.
• Cost:4,500 – 4,800 Gold.
  • Trade Option: The Stitcher will accept a Regenerating Troll Heart (Tier 3 Ingredient) in exchange for 2,000 Gold of the price.

The Hospice of the Hollow Reed (Remote Mountain Monastery)

• Description: A sanctuary located on a high peak above the cloud layer, where silence is absolute. It is a place for the terminally ill or curséd to find peace. The Codex rests on a pillow of white silk, guarded by monks who have taken vows of non-violence.
• Buying/Selling: The monks will only part with the book if they foresee a “Great Calamity” that requires a martyr to solve. The buyer is interviewed for days, tested on their empathy and pain tolerance. They do not ask for money; they ask for burden.
• Cost:4,000 Gold (Base maintenance fee) + The Assumption of Debt.
  • The Price: The buyer must agree to magically absorb a terminal illness from one of the patients in the hospice (using the book’s Transference of the Thorn ability) and carry it with them until they find a cure or die.

Value Adjustment for Tier 3: The Codex of the Wounded Saint is among the most expensive defensive items available.

• Base Value: 5,000 Gold.
• Platinum Conversion: 500 Platinum.
• Rhodium Conversion: 50 Rhodium.
• Reasoning: While offensive weapons (like the Scepter-Trident) are valued for their lethality, this item grants Resistance to Psychic Damage (rare), Immunity to Fear/Charm (critical for high-level play), and the unique ability to convert damage into bonuses (Sanctified Agony). This makes it a “Best-in-Slot” item for Tanks and Paladins, driving the market value up to the 5,000g+ range.

Magic spells found within the Codex of the Wounded Saint 519. These spells reflect the artifact’s philosophy: that strength is not found in avoiding pain, but in transmuting it into something holy.

Mantra of the Silver Hemorrhage 83921 Tier Level: 3 Description: A reactionary spell used when the caster takes significant damage. Upon being struck, the caster does not bleed red blood; instead, their wounds erupt with a mist of luminescent silver vapor. This mist seeks out injured allies within a 30-foot radius. The mist heals allies for an amount equal to half the damage the caster just took. Furthermore, the caster gains Resistance to the damage type that triggered the spell for the next minute, as their “Scar-Leather” soul adapts instantly to the trauma.

• Cost: 3 Mana Boost + The Health Points lost from the triggering attack.
• Duration: Instantaneous (Healing), 1 Minute (Resistance). Roleplay:
• Action: You take the blow—an arrow to the shoulder or a sword to the gut—without raising your shield. You smile sadly as the weapon connects.
• Chant (Reaction): “This blood is not mine to keep. Drink, and be whole.”
• Visual: The wound does not look gory; it looks like a cracked vessel leaking starlight. The silver mist flows like liquid silk into the wounds of your allies, stitching their flesh back together.

Burden of the First Strike 10447 Tier Level: 2 Description: The caster places a heavy, invisible seal upon a single enemy. This seal does nothing until the enemy attacks. The moment the target makes an attack roll, the “Moral Weight” of that violence crashes down upon them. They must succeed on a Wisdom Saving Throw or take 3d8 Psychic Damage and be knocked Prone. If they fail the save, their attack roll is also made with Disadvantage because their arms suddenly feel too heavy to lift their weapon.

• Cost: 2 Mana Boost.
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute (Triggers on every attack the target makes). Roleplay:
• Action: You point the Codex at the enemy, and the copper hands on the cover seem to point at them as well. You make a “lowering” gesture with your hand.
• Chant (Normal): “Do you know the weight of what you hold? Feel it. Feel the heavy sin.”
• Visual: The enemy’s weapon seems to gain mass. Their shoulders slump, their knees buckle, and sweat breaks out on their forehead, as if gravity has focused solely on them.

Suture of the Rift 55902 Tier Level: 3 Description: A high-level barrier spell that literally “sews” the air shut. The caster creates a wall of magical scar tissue up to 30 feet long and 10 feet high. The wall is opaque, rubbery, and pale pink. It has an AC of 18 and 50 Hit Points. Any creature that touches the wall or hits it with a melee attack takes 2d6 Acid Damage as the wall tries to digest the foreign object to heal itself. The wall blocks line of sight and spell effects completely.

• Cost: 4 Mana Boost.
• Duration: 10 Minutes. Roleplay:
• Action: You run your finger along the spine of the book, pulling a thread of glowing red light from the binding. You slash the air with the thread.
• Chant (Normal): “The world is cut. I am the needle. Close the wound.”
• Visual: The air splits open, revealing a wall of organic-looking tissue that knits itself together with rapid, wet sounds. The wall pulses like a giant heart.

Rite of the Yielding Iron 22819 Tier Level: 1 (Ritual) Description: A ritual of preparation performed before a battle or negotiation. The caster touches up to three willing creatures. For the next hour, their skin takes on the texture of the book’s cover—tough, leathery, and scarred. They gain +2 to Armor Class and Advantage on Saving Throws against Fear. However, they cannot choose to attack first in any combat encounter (they must wait for an enemy to attack or for the second round of combat), as the magic requires a defensive mindset.

• Cost: 1 Mana Boost.
• Duration: 1 Hour. Roleplay:
• Action: You trace the scars on the book’s cover, then trace a similar pattern on the forehead or armor of your allies.
• Chant (Ritual): “Soft as moss, hard as regret. Let the blow land, but do not let it enter.”
• Visual: A faint, ghostly image of moss-green twine wraps around the forearms of the targets. Their skin looks weathered and tough, like old parchment.

Echo of the Martyr’s Cry 67104 Tier Level: 2 Description: A sonic and psychic attack that forces enemies to experience the caster’s current pain. The caster screams—not a scream of fear, but of revelation. All enemies within a 20-foot cone take Psychic Damage equal to the difference between the caster’s Maximum HP and Current HP (capped at 30 damage). This spell is most powerful when the caster is near death.

• Cost: 2 Mana Boost.
• Duration: Instantaneous. Roleplay:
• Action: You open the book wide, holding it like a choir hymnal. You draw a deep breath, your own injuries glowing with red light.
• Chant (Shout): “SEE ME! SEE WHAT YOU HAVE WROUGHT!”
• Visual: A shockwave of red ink blasts from the pages. Enemies clutch their heads, their eyes rolling back as they phantom-feel the wounds you are suffering.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective (The Avatar):

• Sight: As you open the heavy cover, the “Scar-Leather” ripples, flushing with a feverish heat. The text on the page begins as a fresh, wet crimson hemorrhage, but as your eyes track the lines, the ink dries instantly into a beatific, shimmering silver. The world around you loses its chaotic color, desaturating into high-contrast greys and whites, except for wounds—yours and others—which glow with a soft, golden luminescence.
• Sound: The ambient noise of battle is dampened by a low, rhythmic thumping—the sound of a massive, slow heartbeat echoing from the book against your hip. When you activate a power, you hear the wet, tight sound of sutures being pulled taut through skin, followed by a collective sigh of relief from a thousand unseen voices.
• Touch: The book feels impossibly heavy, as if it contains the gravity of a small moon. The jagged metal spines wrapped in moss press against your side; they do not cut, but they dig in hard enough to bruise, a constant, dull ache that grounds you in reality. The pages feel like warm, living skin rather than parchment.
• Smell: A complex, sterile scent floods your nose: the metallic tang of fresh blood, the sharp bite of medicinal alcohol and cauterized flesh, underpinned by the soothing, earthy aroma of damp moss and old incense.
• Taste: Your mouth fills with a paradoxical flavor—the copper tang of biting your own tongue mixed with the sweet, cloying taste of communion wine and honey. It is the taste of sacrifice.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
  • The Burden of Atlas: You feel a phantom weight settle across your shoulders. It is not crushing, but stabilizing. You feel rooted to the earth, immovable, as if your pain has given you density.
  • The Empathic Web: You stop feeling pain as a signal of “Damage” and start feeling it as “Information.” You can sense the exact location and severity of every injury within 60 feet, feeling them as phantom itches on your own body.

Observer’s Perspective:

• Sight: The wielder does not glow with holy light, but rather seems to absorb the light around them, becoming a solid anchor of shadow and pale flesh tones. The copper relief on the cover (hands gripping the sword) seems to bleed real light that drips upwards like reverse rain. When the wielder takes a blow, the book pulses violently, and the wielder’s skin momentarily turns the texture of hardened leather.
• Sound: A faint, straining creak, like the wood of a ship weathering a storm, emanates from the wielder.
• Touch: The air around the wielder feels dense and humid, like the atmosphere in a recovery ward. It carries a “thick” quality that makes moving away feel easier than moving closer.
• Smell: The scent of ozone and iron (dried blood).
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
  • The Guilt of the Witness: Enemies looking at the wielder feel a sudden, crushing wave of shame. Their weapons feel heavy, and their intent to harm wavers as they are forced to empathize with the pain they are about to inflict.

Positives:

• Absolute Clarity: The acceptance of pain removes the fear of it. The wielder enters a “Flow State” of suffering where panic is impossible, allowing for perfectly rational decisions even while mortally wounded.
• Physical Anchoring: The supernatural weight of the book makes the wielder nearly impossible to knock prone or shove; they move with the inevitability of a glacier.
• Emotional Catharsis: Activating the book provides a strange sense of peace, a feeling that “the worst has already happened, and I am still here.”

Negatives:

• Phantom Agony: Even when at full health, the wielder feels a constant, low-level throb in their joints and scars, making true relaxation or sleep difficult without removing the item.
• The Martyr’s Complex: The addictive nature of the “Sanctified Agony” passive can lead the wielder to recklessly interpose themselves in dangerous situations, seeking pain to fuel their power even when tactical withdrawal would be wiser.
• Sensory Muting: To cope with the influx of pain-data, the wielder’s sense of touch becomes dulled to gentle things; soft fabrics or a gentle caress feel distant and numb.

Crafting Recipe: The Rite of the Living Suture

Items Merged:

• Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297 (Tier 2 Rare Worn Item)
• Tome of Gentle Unburdening (Tier 1 Uncommon Reference Book)

Additional Materials Needed:

• 3 Lengths of Gold-Spun Gut: Surgical thread made from the intestines of a celestial beast, cured in holy water; used to stitch the two realities together.
• 1 Vial of Cauterizing Balm: A mixture of alchemical fire and soothing aloe, used to fuse the leathers.
• Ash of a Broken Vow: Parchment containing a promise that was kept at great personal cost, burned to ash.
• The Crafter’s Own Blood: Approximately half a pint, drawn during the ritual to feed the “Scar-Leather” and awaken the passive magic.
• Moss-soaked Bandages: To wrap the metal spines during the gestation period.

Tools Required:

• Silver Suture Needle: A curved needle blessed by a cleric of a healing order.
• Heated Branding Iron: Without a symbol, used only to seal the edges of the leather.
• Basin of Saltwater: For sterilizing the materials and symbolizing the tears of the Gentle Tome.
• Anesthetics (Optional but Recommended): For the crafter, as the sympathetic pain of the ritual can be overwhelming.

Skill Requirements:

• Master Medicine: The crafter is not building a book; they are performing surgery on a magical organism.
• Expert Religion: To channel the specific energy of “Martyrdom” rather than just “Suffering.”
• Expert Bookbinding: To ensure the pages align physically while the magic aligns metaphysically.
• Constitution Save (DC 16): To finish the ritual without fainting from the phantom pain.

Crafting Steps:

1. The Flaying (Deconstruction): Place the Tome of Agonized Adaptation in the basin. Using the Silver Suture Needle, carefully unpick the binding. The book will scream psychically; you must not flinch. Strip the “Blackened Elderwood” cover back to expose the raw, bleeding magic beneath. Do the same for the Tome of Gentle Unburdening, stripping away the steam-cured vellum until only the “Lesson of Yielding” remains.
2. The Grafting (Integration): Lay the pages of the Gentle Tome between the pages of the Agonized Tome. They will try to reject each other—the Agonized pages burning hot, the Gentle pages turning cold. Pour the Crafter’s Blood over the spine. The blood acts as the biological bridge, tricking the two artifacts into recognizing each other as “Self.”
3. The Binding of Thorns (Containment): Take the jagged metal shards from the Agonized Tome’s cover. Wrap them tightly in the Moss-soaked Bandages and the Moss-Green Twine of the Gentle Tome. You are effectively “dressing the wound” of the weapon. Stitch these wrapped spines into the new cover using the Gold-Spun Gut.
4. The Scarification (Sealing): Apply the Cauterizing Balm to the seams where the two books meet. Press the Heated Branding Iron along the spine. The smell will be of burning leather and ozone. As the heat is applied, the leather will bubble and knit together, forming the pale, tough “Scar-Leather” texture.
5. The Final Acceptance (Activation): Dust the cover with the Ash of a Broken Vow. Place your hands on the cover and speak the Litany of the Broken-Whole. You must invite the pain of the book into yourself. If you succeed, the book’s temperature will normalize to match your body heat, and the copper relief on the cover will shift to depict the hands gripping the sword. The Codex of the Wounded Saint 519 is now alive.

Scripture of Meat That Does Not Die
(Recovered from the Stone-Cylinders of the First Hospital)

Here is the speaking of the Time-of-Red-Mud.

In the long-ago, the World was a mouth. It had teeth of iron. It chewed the people. The people cried, “We are soft! The World is hard! Make us stone so we do not bleed!” But the Saint-With-Open-Chest said, “No. If you become stone, you cannot feel the sun. To feel the sun, you must be soft enough to bleed.”

The Saint walked the road of glass. His feet were cut. He did not bandage them. He said, “The cut is the door where the truth enters.”

He found the Book-of-Teeth [Agonized Adaptation]. It was black and loud. It screamed like a man in a fire. It said, “Hurt them before they hurt you. Grow spikes. Be the hammer.” The Saint held the Book-of-Teeth. The spikes bit his hands. The Saint did not drop it. He kissed the spikes.

He found the Book-of-Breath [Gentle Unburdening]. It was green and quiet. It whispered like a mother to a sleeping child. It said, “Drop the stone. Forget the hurt. Be the water.” The Saint held the Book-of-Breath. It tried to make him forget his cuts. The Saint said, “No. If I forget the cut, I forget the lesson.”

The Saint sat on the Mountain-of-Ash. He looked at the two books. The Teeth wanted to eat the Breath. The Breath wanted to blow away the Teeth. The Saint said, “You are both liars. Pain is not a weapon. Peace is not a sleep. Come. I will show you the Third Way.”

He took the needle of gold. He took the thread of his own gut. He put the Book-of-Teeth inside the Book-of-Breath. The Teeth tore the pages. The Breath dampened the fire. The Saint pressed them against his chest. He hugged the war. The iron spikes dug into his ribs. The red-life [blood] flowed out. It did not drip on the ground. It soaked into the books.

The Saint screamed a holy scream. It was not a scream of “Stop!” It was a scream of “More!” He said to the books: “Do not hide the wound. Do not fight the wound. BECOME the wound.”

A great miracle happened in the red-mud. The skin of the Saint peeled away. It wrapped around the books. It became the Leather-of-Scars. The moss of the Gentle Book grew over the spikes of the Angry Book. The spikes were still sharp, but they were soft to the touch. The books stopped fighting. They drank the blood of the Saint and became drunk on his patience.

The Saint stood up. He was pale. He was thin. But he was heavy. He walked through the fire, and the fire did not burn him, because he had already burned. He walked through the swords, and the swords broke on his skin, because his skin was already broken.

He gave the New Book to the people. He said: “Look. I have sewn the scream to the lullaby. I have made a shield out of a sore.”

The people touched the book. They felt the pain of the world, but it did not crush them. It held them up. They learned that the callus is stronger than the stone.

Moral of the Story: Do not ask the gods to take away your burden, for the burden is the weight that keeps you on the earth; ask instead for the strength to let the burden become your bones, for the scar is the only skin that cannot be cut again.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

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Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Name: The Codex of the Wounded Saint Type: Mythos Artifact (Tome) Skill: Other (Martyrdom) or Hard POW Roll Cost: Variable Magic Points (MP) and Sanity (SAN) Sanity Loss: 1D4/1D8 to read; 0/1D4 to attune.

Description: A tome bound in pale, scarred human skin, stitched with mossy green twine. It radiates a faint heat, like a fever.

Statistics:

• SIZ: 10
• Hit Points: 25 (The tome is unnaturally resilient; damage causing less than 5 HP is ignored).

Mechanics:

• Attunement (Ritual): The user must burn their hand on the cover (taking 1D3 damage) to link with the artifact.
• Passive – The Yielding Iron: While carrying the Codex, the user is immune to sanity loss caused by witnessing gore or torture. They gain Armor 2 against all physical attacks as the book psychically absorbs kinetic energy.
• Active – Litany of the Broken-Whole: Cost: 10 MP and 1D6 SAN. The user recites the verse. All living enemies within 20 yards must make an Extreme POW roll or be struck by a wave of guilt, suffering a Penalty Die on all actions for 1D4 rounds. Allies within range heal 1D6 Hit Points.
• Active – Rite of Radical Acceptance: Cost: 5 MP. Instantaneous. When the user fails a Roll (Skill or Characteristic), they may push the roll automatically without risk of fumbling. However, they immediately take 1D4 damage (ignoring armor) as the cost.
• Active – Transference of the Thorn: Cost: Variable MP. The user touches an ally suffering from a poison, disease, or mania. The user spends MP equal to 1/5th the ally’s POW. The condition is transferred instantly to the user, but its duration is halved.

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Blades in the Dark

Name: Codex of the Wounded Saint Tier: III (Legendary) Load: 1 (Worn, Heavy) Type: Arcane Implement

Lore: A scripture of the Martyr-King, bound in scar-tissue. It teaches that pain is merely information.

Item Mechanics:

• Integrity Clock: [ ][ ][ ][ ][ ] (5 Segments). When you use the Codex’s Active powers or use it to resist damage, mark 1 tick. If the clock fills, the Codex becomes inert until repaired (Long-Term Project).
• Passive – Sanctified Agony: When you mark a segment of Harm (Level 1 or 2), you gain +1d to your next Action Roll.
• Passive – The Yielding Iron: You have Potency when resisting consequences related to fear, supernatural compulsion, or intimidation.
• Active – Rite of Radical Acceptance: You may mark 2 ticks on the Integrity Clock to resist a consequence immediately. You do not roll Resistance; the consequence is negated completely, but you take Level 1 Harm: “Exhausted”.
• Active – Litany of the Broken-Whole: You may mark 3 ticks on the Integrity Clock to unleash a wave of psychic judgment. All enemies in the area hesitate or falter (lose their initiative/position). You clear 2 Stress from all allies in the area.

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Dungeons & Dragons (2024 / 5th Edition)

Codex of the Wounded Saint Wondrous Item, Legendary (Requires Attunement)

This heavy tome is bound in pale, scarred leather and wrapped in moss-green twine. It feels warm to the touch, pulsing with a slow, heavy heartbeat.

Properties:

• Sanctified Agony: When you take damage from a hostile source, you gain a +1 bonus to your next Attack Roll, Ability Check, or Saving Throw made before the end of your next turn. This bonus stacks up to a maximum of +5.
• The Yielding Iron: You are Immune to the Frightened and Charmed conditions.
• Lesson of the Scar: You have Resistance to Psychic damage. Whenever you take Psychic damage, you can use your reaction to convert the damage to Slashing damage (this damage cannot be reduced).

Active Powers (3 Charges/Dawn):

• Litany of the Broken-Whole (1 Charge): As an Action, you force all hostile creatures within 60 feet to make a DC 17 Wisdom Saving Throw. On a failure, a creature takes 8d6 Psychic damage and is Stunned until the end of its next turn. Allies within 60 feet regain hit points equal to half the highest damage taken by an enemy.
• Rite of Radical Acceptance (1 Charge): As a Reaction when you fail a Saving Throw, you can choose to succeed instead. If you do, you immediately gain 1 level of Exhaustion.
• Transference of the Thorn (1 Charge): As an Action, touch a willing creature. You remove one condition afflicting it (Blinded, Deafened, Paralyzed, Poisoned, or Stunned). You immediately suffer that condition for 1 minute, but during this time, you have Resistance to all damage.

Item Statistics:

• AC: 22
• HP: 120
• Regeneration: The Codex regains 5 hit points every hour. If it reaches 0 hit points, it becomes inert and cannot be used until fully repaired.

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Knave (2nd Edition)

Name: Codex of the Wounded Saint Slots: 1 (Worn) Quality: 20 (This represents the 120 HP; roughly 6 HP per Quality point)

Description: A book of scar-leather that turns pain into power.

Mechanics:

• Passive – Sanctified Agony: If you took damage since your last turn, your attacks this turn deal Ultimate Damage (roll damage dice twice, keep the highest).
• Passive – Yielding Iron: You cannot be terrified or mind-controlled.
• Active – Radical Acceptance: When you are hit by an attack, you may choose to let the Codex take the damage instead of you. Subtract the damage from the Codex’s Quality. If Quality reaches 0, the item is destroyed.
• Active – Litany: As an action, reduce the Codex’s Quality by 2. All enemies within earshot must save vs. Spirit (Wisdom) or be stunned for 1 round, overwhelmed by guilt.
• Active – Transference: As an action, reduce the Codex’s Quality by 1. Transfer a wound or condition from an ally to yourself. You take the damage/condition, but you gain +4 Armor for the next round.

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Fate Core System

Name: Codex of the Wounded Saint Permissions: Requires the Aspect Martyr of the Weeping Order or Soul-Scarred. Cost: 3 Refresh (Legendary Artifact).

Aspects:

• Item Aspect: Bound in Scar-Leather and Moss
• Trouble: The Weight of Atlas (The wielder can be Compelled to take on burdens or refuse to retreat, even when suicidal).

Stunts:

• Sanctified Agony: When you have at least one Physical Consequence (Mild, Moderate, or Severe), you gain a +2 bonus to Fight and Will rolls. Pain focuses you.
• The Yielding Iron: You are immune to the Fear aspect. You gain Armor:2 against mental attacks attempting to Charm or Intimidate you.
• Rite of Radical Acceptance: Once per session, when you fail a Defense roll, you may choose to succeed instead. If you do, you must immediately take a Moderate Consequence (e.g., Spiritually Exhausted or Bone-Weary) that cannot be soaked by Stress.
• Litany of the Broken-Whole: You may spend a Fate Point to make a Will attack against the entire zone. Enemies take mental stress based on their guilt. Allies in the zone clear up to 2 boxes of Physical Stress.

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Numenera & Cypher System

Name: The Martyr’s Ledger Level: 9 Form: A heavy tome bound in pale, living leather that feels warm to the touch. Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check upon using Active Abilities).

Effect:

• Passive (Pain Synergy): If the user is below full Health (Might Pool), they have an Asset on all Attack and Defense tasks. If they are Impaired or Debilitated, this becomes a Double Asset.
• Passive (Mental Fortress): The user is trained in Intellect defense tasks against fear and emotional manipulation.
• Active (Litany): The user projects a wave of psychic anguish. All hostile creatures within short range must make a Level 7 Intellect defense roll. Failure causes 7 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and stuns them for one round. Allies in range recover 4 points to their Might Pool.
• Active (Radical Acceptance): When the user fails a task, they may choose to reroll it with a difficulty of 1. If they do, they immediately move one step down the Damage Track (e.g., Hale to Impaired) as the effort drains their life force.
• Active (Transference): The user touches a target and removes a negative status effect (poison, paralysis, etc.). The user immediately gains that status effect for one minute, but gains +5 Armor for the duration.

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Pathfinder (2nd Edition Remaster)

Name: Codex of the Wounded Saint Price: 40,000 gp Usage: Worn (Belt); Bulk: 2 Level: 19 Traits: Rare, Magical, Divine, Artifact, Necromancy, Mental

Description: This tome of scar-tissue pulses with a heartbeat. It grants power in exchange for suffering.

Specific Game Mechanics:

• Sanctified Agony (Passive): As long as you have less than half your maximum Hit Points, you gain a +2 status bonus to attack rolls and skill checks.
• Yielding Iron (Passive): You are immune to the Frightened and Controlled conditions.
• Scar-Warding (Passive): You gain Resistance 15 to Mental damage.

Activate — Litany of the Broken-Whole [two-actions] (auditory, divine, mental); Frequency: Once per hour. Effect: You unleash a 60-foot emanation of judgment. Enemies in the area must attempt a DC 41 Will save.

• Critical Success: Unaffected.
• Success: 4d8 mental damage.
• Failure: 8d8 mental damage and Stunned 1.
• Critical Failure: 16d8 mental damage and Stunned 3.
• Ally Effect: Allies in the area regain Hit Points equal to the highest damage taken by an enemy.

Activate — Rite of Radical Acceptance [reaction] (fortune); Trigger: You fail a saving throw. Effect: You reroll the saving throw with a +5 circumstance bonus; you must use the second result. Immediately after the reroll, you become Drained 2 (or increase your Drained value by 2). This condition cannot be removed by magical means until you rest for 8 hours.

Activate — Transference of the Thorn [two-actions] (manipulate, necromancy); Frequency: Once per day. Effect: Touch a willing ally. You remove one persistent condition (such as Poisoned, Paralyzed, or Doomed). You gain that condition for 1 minute. During this minute, you gain Resistance 20 to all damage.

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Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Name: Codex of the Wounded Saint Type: Relic (Legendary) Weight: 10 lbs Cost: Not for Sale (Holy Relic)

Description: A book that converts pain into miracles.

Specific Game Mechanics:

• Sanctified Agony: If the wielder has at least one Wound, they gain +2 to all Trait rolls (Fighting, Shooting, Casting, etc.).
• The Yielding Iron: The wielder gains the Fearless Edge.
• Power Points: The Codex has 20 Power Points that recharge at a rate of 5 per hour.
• Powers (Use Spirit to activate):
  • Stun (2 PP): “Litany of the Broken-Whole.” Area Effect (Large Blast Template). Targets resist with Spirit at -2. Trapping: Overwhelming guilt.
  • Healing (3 PP): “Soothing Mist.” Restores Wounds to allies.
  • Succor (1 PP): “Transference.” Removes Fatigue/Conditions from an ally. The caster takes the Fatigue/Condition instead.
• Rite of Radical Acceptance: The wielder may spend a Benny to automatically Soak all damage from a single attack. However, they immediately take one level of Fatigue that persists for 24 hours. This Fatigue cannot be removed by powers, only rest.

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Shadowrun (6th Edition / Sixth World)

Name: The Sanguine Codex (Codex of the Wounded Saint) Category: Power Focus (Force 6) / Unique Artifact Availability: 24F (Unique/Forbidden) Cost: N/A (Priceless) Rating: 6

Lore: A grimoire bound in magically preserved metahuman skin that radiates a background count of agony. It is sought by blood mages and toxic shamans, though its intent is protective.

Specific Game Mechanics:

• Bonding: Requires a ritual involving Blood Magic (Self-Sacrifice). The bonder takes 1 Box of Physical Damage that cannot be healed while bonded.
• Passive – Sanctified Agony: The wielder ignores all Wound Modifiers. Furthermore, for every 3 boxes of Physical Damage filled on their Condition Monitor, they gain a +1 Dice Pool bonus to all Magic and Combat skills.
• Passive – The Yielding Iron: The wielder adds their Magic rating as automatic hits to resist Fear, Intimidation, or Control Thoughts spells.
• Active – Litany of the Broken-Whole: Complex Action. The wielder screams a mantra.
  • Enemies: All hostile entities within (Magic x 2) meters resist 6S (Stun) Damage (Direct Mana Spell effect).
  • Allies: All allies within the same radius heal Stun Damage equal to the wielder’s Magic rating.
  • Drain: The wielder resists Drain Value 8 (Physical).
• Active – Rite of Radical Acceptance: Interrupt Action. When the wielder fails a Defense Test or Resistance Test, they may choose to succeed instead (generating 1 net hit).
  • Cost: The wielder takes 3 Boxes of Physical Damage immediately (unresisted). This damage cannot be soaked.

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Starfinder (2nd Edition Playtest)

Name: Codex of the Wounded Saint Item Level: 18 Price: 380,000 Credits Usage: Worn (Belt/Bandolier); Bulk: 1 Traits: Magical, Divine, Necromancy, Artifact

Description: A tome of heavy scar-leather that thrums with a heartbeat.

Specific Game Mechanics:

• Pain Synergy (Passive): While you are below half your maximum Hit Points, you gain a +2 item bonus to attack rolls and Will saving throws.
• Martyr’s Resilience: You gain Resistance 15 to Void and Mental damage.

Activate — Litany of the Broken-Whole [two-actions] (concentrate, divine); Frequency: Once per hour. Effect: You unleash a 60-foot emanation. Enemies in the area must attempt a DC 40 Will save.

• Success: Unaffected.
• Failure: 10d8 Mental damage and Stunned 1.
• Critical Failure: 10d8 Mental damage and Stunned 3.
• Ally Effect: Allies in the area regain Hit Points equal to the highest damage taken by an enemy in the blast.

Activate — Rite of Radical Acceptance [reaction] (fortune); Trigger: You fail a saving throw. Effect: You reroll the saving throw with a +5 circumstance bonus; you must use the second result. Immediately after, you become Drained 2 (or increase existing Drained condition by 2). This condition cannot be removed until you rest for 8 hours.

Activate — Transference [one-action] (manipulate); Frequency: Once per day. Effect: Touch an ally. Transfer one persistent condition (like Poisoned or Doomed) from them to yourself. You gain Resistance 20 to all damage for 1 minute.

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Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Name: The Martyr’s Interface (Codex 519) TL: 16 (Ancient/Biotech) Mass: 3 kg Cost: MCr 50 (Illegal/Artifact)

Lore: A bio-psionic storage device wrapped in synthetic flesh. It interfaces with the user’s nervous system to modulate pain receptors into energy.

Specific Game Mechanics:

• Passive – Sanctified Agony: When the user’s END or STR characteristics are reduced below their maximum, they gain DM+2 to all Psionic and Melee checks.
• Passive – Neural Hardening: The user is immune to Psionic Assaults that cause fear or coercion.
• Active – Litany of the Broken-Whole: Requires PSI 10+. The user projects a wave of empathic feedback.
  • Check: Difficult (10+) Telepathy check.
  • Effect: All enemies within Medium range take 4D Psionic Damage (ignores armor). Allies within range recover 1D points to a characteristic of their choice (simulating rapid healing/stim).
  • Cost: 4 PSI points.
• Active – Radical Acceptance: Instant. When the user takes damage, they may reduce the damage to 0.
  • Cost: The user permanently reduces their END characteristic by 1 point (can be restored via high-tech medical treatment/anagathics only).

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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Name: The Libram of the Flayed Saint Encumbrance: 2 Availability: Unique (Hidden in a Flagellant Shrine) Qualities: Indestructible, Magical

Lore: A holy book of the Cult of Sigmar (or Ilmater in other settings), bound in the skin of a martyr who refused to die until his duty was done.

Specific Game Mechanics:

• Passive – Sanctified Agony: For every Critical Wound the wielder currently suffers, they gain +10 to all Weapon Skill and Willpower Tests.
• Passive – The Yielding Iron: The wielder gains the Fearless and Painless Talents.
• Active – Litany of the Broken-Whole: The wielder spends 1 Action to recite the scripture.
  • Effect: A wave of golden light washes over the battlefield (Willpower Bonus yards radius). Daemons and Undead take 1d10+WB Damage (ignores Toughness/Armor). Living Allies remove 1 Fatigued Condition and heal 1d10 Wounds.
• Active – Rite of Radical Acceptance: When the wielder fails a Test, they may choose to succeed instead (0 SL).
  • Cost: The wielder immediately suffers a Critical Wound to a random location (Roll on the Critical Wound table as if they took damage). This wound cannot be mitigated.
• Curse: The wielder cannot heal Wounds naturally. They only heal through magic or by inflicting damage on the enemies of the faith.