From: Tome of Gentle Unburdening
A supportive chant for use when allies are overwhelmed by despair or confusion. All participants who join hands or stand within arm’s reach feel their breath synchronize. Halting sobs slow, trembling ceases, and fragmented morale realigns.
Can end minor fear effects if participants truly engage with the moment.
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Lore
Long before organized orders of healers existed, wandering Breathbinders traveled across Saṃsāra. They relied on simple unity magic: the idea that breathing together brings survival together. In ancient battlefields, families would clutch one another’s hands and chant to hold fear at bay. Shipwrecked sailors would form a circle in raging storms to steady their souls. Even today, this ritual remains among the first lessons taught to peace-clerics and counselors within major cities.
It is whispered that the spell originally formed when the first souls arrived in Saṃsāra — confused, terrified, and scattered — and someone decided to take the hand of the stranger beside them. Magic answered that choice.
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Description
Upon casting, faint ripples of silver-blue light pulse outward from the caster’s heart. Those linked by the ritual draw a single, calm collective breath. The anxious heartbeat slows, racing thoughts quiet, and panic finds no purchase — at least for a little while.
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Stats, Skills, Cost, Requirements, Tags
Tier Requirement: Tier 1 or higher
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self and allies within arm’s reach or physically linked in a chain
Prerequisite: At least one ally must willingly make physical contact with the caster
Duration: Approximately 1 minute or until the link is broken
Mechanical Effects (Saṃsāra rules)
• Halts trembling hands, stuttering speech, and panic reactions
• Ends minor fear conditions (non-magical terror, intimidation panic, anxiety surges)
• Allies gain +2 Will checks (morale) for duration
• Emotionally stunned allies may act normally again for the duration
• Heavily magically induced terror is reduced one severity step
Spell Costs
• 1 Mana equivalent (or small stamina focus)
• Once per day per caster — shared breath cannot be forced repeatedly
Tags:
Support, Group-Ritual, Breath-Magic, Calm-Mind, Fear-Relief, Cooperative, Emotional-Stability, Trauma-Care, Ally-Boost, Close-Contact, Pacifistic, Harmony-Ritual, Mind-Link, Empathic-Coherence, Stress-Reduction, Collective-Will, Crisis-Stabilization, Mutual-Resilience
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Roleplay Use + Tactics
• Combat Environment
Often cast just before a charge or just after a horror is revealed.
A rally-point ritual — soldiers regain sanity long enough to coordinate.
• Social or Diplomatic Scenes
Defuses crowd anxiety, calms an angry mob, or removes the edge from hostile negotiations — provided there is physical unity.
• Disaster / Crisis
Ideal for saving panicked civilians in burning buildings, collapsing caverns, or flooded decks — turning chaos into coordinated escape.
• Therapeutic or Long-term Support
Healers use it during recovery from trauma:
a reminder that no one heals alone.
Tactical Approach
The caster takes center position, offering both hands, voice steady:
“Breathe with me.”
The group forms a ring or line; as breath synchronizes, action resumes.
It does not eliminate fear — it dissolves its grip long enough to choose wisely.
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Weaknesses and Limitations
• Must have willing physical contact; cannot be used if allies are scattered
• Only works on allies — attackers feel nothing
• Prolonged panic or madness will return afterward
• Vulnerable moment: ritual signals a nonviolent pause within danger
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Perception of Activation: Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Sight
What is perceived: Subtle shimmering currents between every participant’s chest, as if breath is visible—soft threads of pale silver converging toward a shared rhythm.
Description: Calm light pulses gently outward in time with synchronized breathing. Fidgeting bodies still, blurred motions settle into harmony.
Positives: Encourages unity, visually confirms success of ritual.
Negatives: Slightly noticeable aura may expose the group’s location to attentive observers in tense situations.
Sound
What is perceived: Breaths fall into the same cadence. Heartbeats feel like they align. Spoken words gain a soft echo, as if the air agrees with them.
Description: Each inhalation sounds deeper, smoother, the group creating a collective hush like wind through reeds.
Positives: Establishes rhythm and focus, eases panic responses.
Negatives: Any loud interruption feels jarringly amplified; maintaining quiet may be difficult in chaotic areas.
Touch
What is perceived: Hands feel warm when linked, shaking stops, weight lifts from shoulders. A shared steadiness travels through limbs.
Description: A gentle pulse—like a heartbeat spread across everyone—moves from center outward.
Positives: Restores balance and grounding for those overwhelmed or faint.
Negatives: Too much physical closeness may discomfort individuals unused to touch or anxious about vulnerability.
Smell
What is perceived: Air takes on a clean, rain-washed scent with faint herbal notes akin to lavender or crushed mint.
Description: Fear sweat and acrid panic scents diminish, replaced by fresh neutrality.
Positives: Calming olfactory reinforcement helps clear the mind.
Negatives: Unnatural scent shift may alert creatures or adversaries with keen tracking senses.
Taste
What is perceived: A slight coolness on the tongue like morning dew. Breaths feel easy and light.
Description: Bitter tension fades, replaced with a neutral, breathable clarity.
Positives: Reduces breathing discomfort that accompanies panic.
Negatives: Can highlight dehydration or exhaustion once spell ends.
Extra-Sensory Perception 1 — Breath-Link Awareness
What is perceived: The avatar senses the presence and emotional state of every participant through the shared breath—fear peaks, relief grows, courage takes root.
Description: A mild empathic bond forms; the group feels like one being with many minds.
Positives: Perfect for rallying morale, coordinating movement under stress.
Negatives: Strong negative emotions—even briefly—can ripple through everyone if not immediately soothed.
Extra-Sensory Perception 2 — Rhythm of Resolve
What is perceived: A quiet internal verdict, whispering that “now is a moment to endure.” Decisions previously warped by panic regain clarity; impulses settle.
Description: The world’s chaos slows just enough for thought to catch up with reality.
Positives: Excellent for maintaining group order during retreat, negotiation, or evacuation.
Negatives: After the spell ends, individuals may struggle when the external pressure resumes full force.
Extra-Sensory Perception 3 — Shared Center of Gravity
What is perceived: The group instincts align—everyone leans the same direction, braces the same foot, stands against fear as a single stance.
Description: Movement becomes coordinated without speech, like dancers in unspoken formation.
Positives: Can aid tactical repositioning or defensive formation under threat.
Negatives: Unexpected change in leadership or direction can cause momentary collective hesitation.
Three Who Forgot to Breathe
In the days before the counting of days, when the world was still choosing what shape to take, there were Three Companions. They were not heroes then. They were merely three lonely wanderers who shared no path except that they walked beside each other.
The First Companion carried fear in his ribs like a starving wolf.
The Second Companion carried sorrow like stones tied to the ankles.
The Third Companion carried anger like a red hook behind the eyes.
Because fear runs fast, the First Companion pulled ahead.
Because sorrow drags low, the Second Companion fell behind.
Because anger blazes hot, the Third Companion stormed aside.
They spoke no more. Their breaths no longer met in the air.
Soon, dark things of the No-Path Forest smelled the broken rhythm.
The creatures who eat panic slinked after the First.
The creatures who drink tears trailed the Second.
The creatures who swallow rage hunted the Third.
One night, the moon refused to rise. The air grew hungry.
All Three Companions, lost in different thickets, cried out to the sky.
Though they could not hear each other’s voices,
their breaths rose in the same moment—ragged, frightened, burning.
The world itself heard.
A gust of remembering wind gathered their scattered breaths
and braided them into one thread of air.
The Three felt it—
fear easing,
sorrow lifting,
anger cooling.
With one shared breath,
they stepped toward the sound of each other’s hearts.
The Companions found one another in a small clearing,
hands shaking, chests tight.
Unsure what else to do, they reached out
and took each other’s hands.
The first breath after joining sounded like the sea against quiet shores.
The second breath sounded like sunlight through curtains.
The third breath sounded like steadiness.
The hungry creatures drew close—
but found no panic to sip,
no misery to lap,
no rage to feast.
In confusion they slunk away,
for unity is not a meal.
From that moment, the Three walked together
at the same pace,
on the same road,
breathing from the same courage.
And the air learned this truth well:
sometimes peace is not the absence of fear—
but the presence of another breathing with you.
Moral of the Story: When despair divides footsteps, share breath and walk as one; harmony is the refuge that confusion cannot devour.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
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Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Type: Ritual (Supportive, Emotional, Calm-Inducing)
Casting requires at least one ally within arm’s reach who willingly joins hands or maintains contact. The caster speaks a slow, rhythmic chant.
Cost: 1 Magic Point per participant, 0/1 Sanity loss (only on first learning or casting)
Test: Hard POW roll to maintain synchronization under duress
Duration: 1D4 rounds
Effects:
• All participants gain one bonus die on Sanity rolls vs. fear, panic, or confusion
• Participants may ignore the effects of being Intimidated or temporarily confused
• If any participant breaks physical contact or panics, the effect ends immediately
Drawback:
• Participants become emotionally open; roleplay vulnerability strongly recommended.
• Creatures that feed on emotion may sense the ritual’s stabilizing aura.
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Blades in the Dark
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Type: Ritual (Support Action)
Use: When the crew is overcome by fear, chaos, or breakdown in the moment
Cost: 1 Stress for the leader (or 2 if more than three allies involved)
Effect:
• When participants take a Group Action immediately after the casting, no one suffers Stress from failed rolls (they still suffer consequences normally)
• Participants gain +1d on Resolve-related actions for a short scene
Position and Effect:
• Best leveraged in desperate or chaotic circumstances
• GM may reduce severity of mental fallout after terrifying encounters
Consequence:
• The user becomes vulnerable to emotional influence for a few minutes afterward
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Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Level 1 Abjuration (Support)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch (up to 6 willing creatures in a chain)
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute
Usage: 1/day per caster
Effect:
• Creatures linked by contact have advantage on saving throws vs. frightened and vs. effects that impose confusion or panic
• When a linked creature would become frightened, they can choose instead to roll a new Wisdom save as a reaction
• If at least one participant succeeds, all participants may immediately drop the frightened condition if afflicted
Requirement: Requires cooperation; unwilling or unwillingly panicked targets cannot benefit
Scaling: No additional effect when cast using higher slots (ritual philosophy: unity over power)
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Knave (2nd Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Category: Supportive Spell (Soul)
Casting: Requires all allies linked hand-to-hand or shoulder-to-shoulder
Usage: 1/day, lasts 3 turns
Effect:
• All linked allies gain advantage on Morale checks
• Allies ignore penalties from fear or mental strain until spell ends
• Damage to Mind is reduced by 1 for each ally linked beyond the first (maximum reduction of 3)
Limitation: If physical contact breaks, the effect ends instantly
Note: Cannot be used aggressively; attempt to weaponize calm immediately breaks its power
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Fate Core / Fate Condensed
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Aspect Granted: We Breathe as One
Casting requires at least two allies in physical contact forming a chain or circle.
Invoke: Spend 1 Fate Point to grant all linked allies +2 on an action to resist panic, intimidation, loss of morale, or mental confusion for an entire exchange.
Free Boosts: When cast in a moment of shared fear or despair, GM may allow one free invocation.
Stunt Option: Because we share breath and calm, once per scene the group may ignore a fear-based compel or mental setback inflicted by the GM.
Compel:
• Emotional vulnerability after the effect ends
• Allies may rely too heavily on the calm unity and delay vital action
Narrative Effect: The group visually and emotionally stabilizes. Panic loses its grip.
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Numenera & Cypher System
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Level: 2
Cost: 2 Intellect points
Range: Immediate (hand-to-hand chain)
Duration: 1 minute
Effect:
• All linked participants ease all Intellect defense tasks against fear, confusion, or emotional manipulation by two steps
• Participants may take their next action without penalties from mental distress
• If any participant breaks contact, the effect ends
Special:
If cast in a high-chaos environment (combat, collapse, storm), the effect grants an additional +1 Armor vs. psychic attacks.
Hindrance:
Caster must maintain focus; any mental intrusion or shock forces an immediate concentration roll.
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Pathfinder (2nd Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Spell 1
School: Abjuration, Emotion, Mental
Cast: 2 actions (Somatic, Verbal, Touch to form chain)
Range: Touch (chain up to 6 creatures)
Duration: 1 minute
Frequency: Once per day
Effects:
• All participants gain a +1 status bonus to Will saves vs. fear and mental effects
• When any participant critically succeeds a Will save vs. fear, all in the chain reduce frightened condition by 1
• Breaking contact ends the spell for that creature only
Heightened (+2): Status bonus increases to +2 and frightened cannot increase above 1 for duration.
Drawback: After spell ends, allies take a –1 penalty to Diplomacy vs. hostile observers who misread the coordinated calm as eerie or unnatural.
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Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Rank: Novice
Power Points: 2
Range: Touch (chain up to 5 allies)
Duration: 3 rounds
Trapping: Soft, synchronized breathing glow
Effect:
• All linked characters gain +1 Spirit and ignore Fear penalties
• Group automatically succeeds fear checks from environmental dread (GM’s discretion)
• Panic-inducing Intimidation attempts against the group suffer –2
Raise:
+2 Spirit instead and one linked ally may immediately recover from the Shaken condition.
Limitation:
If any participant becomes Shaken again, they must spend their first action each round maintaining the link or lose benefits.
Side Effect:
Observers may mistake the circle for a ritual of mind-control, potentially provoking hostility.
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Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Type: Mana
Range: Touch (chain)
Duration: Sustained
Drain: F–2 (minimum 2)
Effect:
• Caster and linked targets (up to Magic rating) gain +2 dice on Composure and Defense tests against intimidation, fear, and emotional manipulation
• A target who is Panicked may reroll one failed Willpower test to regain self-control
• Requires physical contact chain; breaking the chain ends benefits for that target
• Can be cast only once per day by the same caster
Risks:
If the caster becomes Stunned, the chain may collapse emotionally causing each linked ally to resist a sudden Fear test.
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Starfinder
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Level: 1
School: Abjuration, Mind-Affecting
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Touch (chain up to 6 creatures)
Duration: 1 minute
Frequency: 1/day
Effect:
• Participants gain a +1 morale bonus to Will saves vs. fear, confusion, or emotion effects
• Participants ignore the Shaken condition once during duration
• Calm Breathing: Once during the duration, one participant may reroll a d20 on a failed Will save
Heightened (+3): Increases morale bonus to +2 and allies cannot be reduced below friendly attitude toward each other for the duration.
Drawback:
After effect ends, participants must attempt a DC 10 Will save or suffer –1 to initiative for the next encounter due to mild emotional drain.
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Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
Psionic Discipline: Telepathy
Level: 1
Range: Close (touch required)
Duration: 1 minute
PP Cost: 2
Effect:
• All linked allies gain DM+1 to any check resisting panic, fear, confusion, or miscommunication
• One chosen ally immediately gains DM+2 for a single Will or Leadership check
• Participants may take a round to break a fear effect without additional difficulty
Drawback:
If hostile observers witness the ritual, negative DM–1 to social checks against them due to suspicion of unnatural coordination.
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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)
Shared Breath of Equilibrium 064
CN: 7
Lore: Heavens or Light
Casting Time: 1 Full Action
Range: Touch (circle of up to Fellowship Bonus allies)
Duration: Willpower Bonus rounds
Once per day
Effect:
• All linked characters gain +10 to Psychology tests vs. Fear or Terror and may ignore the first Fear Condition they would gain
• If any ally successfully resists Fear or Intimidation, all allies remove 1 Negative Psychology Condition
• Cooperative Calm: if holding actions together, group gains Advantage +1 collectively
Miscast Risk:
On a Minor Miscast, caster alone feels dread surge afterward (Frightened 1 for one round).
On Major Miscast, all allies suffer Stress +1 after spell ends.