Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297

Lore:
The Tome of Agonized Adaptation was born when two relics, each powerful yet incomplete, were bound in a ritual of anguish and revelation. A tormented artist’s twisted sculpture — the Feng Shui 842 of Agony — was melted into the embossed frame of the Tome of Adaptation, fusing suffering with wisdom. The process was said to echo with screams that bent the air and whispers that taught survival through pain. Those who hold it sense a paradox: agony that sharpens clarity, torment that unlocks versatility. The wielder learns that endurance and adaptation come not only from knowledge but also from suffering’s crucible.

Description:
This heavy tome is bound in blackened elderwood, its cover inset with jagged shards of warped metal that protrude like fangs. Symbols shift constantly across the surface, glowing faintly in sickly hues of green, purple, and gold. Its pages glimmer with diagrams that rearrange themselves in response to the reader’s focus, while faint, anguished whispers rise from its spine. To open the Tome is to feel as though one’s own thoughts are being dissected, reshaped, and re-forged in fire and sorrow. It is as much a tool of enlightenment as it is a relic of dread.

Tier: 2
Rarity: Rare
Slot: Worn Item (counts as a single worn item when strapped to body or hung at side)

Tags: Knowledge, Agony, Psychic, Fear, Adaptation, Lore, Enhancement, Arcane Wisdom, Mental Resilience, Survival, Decision Mastery, Ritual, Torment, Tactical Insight, Transformation, Suffering, Corruption, Binding, Forbidden, Persistence, Shifting, Endurance, Resonance, Shadowed Knowledge, Soulforged

Passive Magics

Aura of Adapted Anguish: Allies within 15 meters gain a 15% chance to inflict an additional 1d4 psychic damage on successful melee or ranged attacks. The wielder also gains a +2 bonus to Intimidation checks.
Pages of Shifting Resolve: When consulting the Tome during a rest or pause, the wielder may reroll one failed saving throw against environmental hazards, fear, or confusion once per day.
Tormented Insight: The wielder has advantage (or equivalent bonus) on checks made to adapt strategies in battle or negotiations, but suffers disadvantage on Charisma checks against creatures immune to fear.

Active Magics

Wail of Suffering Adapted (1/day): As an action, the wielder may channel the Tome to unleash a psychic shriek of both pain and knowledge. All creatures within a 10-meter radius must make a Wisdom saving throw. On failure, they take 2d6 psychic damage and are Frightened until the end of their next turn. On success, they take half damage but are still Disoriented (−1 on attack rolls) until the start of their next turn.
Path of Agony’s Choice (1/day): By chanting from the Tome for greater than 6 seconds, the wielder may impose a forced decision upon fate. After rolling any attack, saving throw, or skill check, they may roll a second die and choose the result. This power comes at a cost: the wielder takes 1d4 psychic damage as their mind splits briefly between paths.
Adaptive Torment (1/week): Through a minute-long ritual, the wielder may inscribe a temporary glyph upon themselves or an ally. For the next hour, that creature gains resistance to one damage type (chosen at activation), but suffers a −2 penalty to Wisdom saving throws during that time, haunted by whispers of the Tome.

Item Hit Points & Disabling Magic:
The Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297 is a Tier 2 rare item and carries its own resilience. It has 30 item hit points (HP). To disable its magic, an attacker must specifically target the Tome and reduce these HP to 0 with appropriate damage (psychic, radiant, or force damage is most effective; mundane slashing/piercing damage is far less efficient, counting as half damage unless enhanced by magic). When reduced to 0 HP, the Tome becomes inert — the jagged metal warps into brittle slag, the pages turn blank and lifeless, and all magical properties are suspended until repaired.

Repairing the Tome:
Repair requires both physical restoration and ritual renewal:

Physical Restoration:
- 1 day of blacksmithing to reforge the twisted metal frame (requires 2 pounds of iron or steel and basic smithing tools).
- Rebinding pages with magical thread or binding agent (such as Binding Wax or Silver Thread).
Ritual Renewal:
- A 2-hour arcane or divine ritual performed by a caster or scholar proficient in enchantment or ritual magic.
- Ingredients: powdered amethyst (50 gp), ink infused with sage’s blood or nightshade (10 gp), and incense for focus (5 gp).
- At least one participant must willingly suffer 1d4 psychic damage during the ritual to reawaken the essence of agony bound to the Tome.

When completed, the Tome regains its full 30 HP and all magical abilities are restored.

The Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297 is the kind of relic that draws both scholars and shadow-dealers. Because it is both a tier 2 rare item and carries a reputation for psychological danger, its presence in commerce is always veiled with caution. Below are the kinds of shops and the costs where it might appear in the world of Saṃsāra:

1. Arcane Curio Houses (Esoteric Knowledge Dealers)

These establishments are often tucked deep inside university districts or mage-guild quarters. Dim corridors and incense-scented vaults hold tomes, scrolls, and relics of learning. Here, the Tome is valued not only as a magical weapon but as a source of ritual knowledge.

Price: 2,000–2,800 gold (depending on how intact and legible its shifting runes remain).
Buying/Selling Method: Official transactions with written contracts, oaths of non-misuse, and sometimes soul-binding seals to track ownership.

2. The Black-Iron Bazaars (Shadow Markets & Smuggler’s Alleys)

Hidden beneath cities or held in labyrinthine alleys, these are lawless markets where agony and power are considered equal currencies. The Tome is whispered about here as a “pain-book” and is traded more like a weapon than a text.

Price: 1,200–1,600 gold (cheaper due to risk, but often stolen, cursed, or incomplete copies).
Buying/Selling Method: Silent auctions, secret handshakes, or under-the-table barter with dangerous artifacts or even memories as payment.

3. Noble House Antiquaries (Curated Collections)

Certain noble lineages of Saṃsāra maintain private galleries of art and relics. The Tome of Agonized Adaptation, being both sculpture and scripture, appeals to collectors of “disturbing beauty.” A noble antiquary would value its craftsmanship almost as much as its function.

Price: 3,000–3,800 gold (steep markups due to prestige and exclusivity).
Buying/Selling Method: Sold through invitation-only salons or high-stakes auctions, often with elaborate rituals of verification.

4. Traveling Esoteric Merchants

Caravans or lone wanderers with scarred reputations sometimes carry dangerous artifacts from city to city. These merchants play on desperation, telling tales of the Tome’s origin and swearing it grants unmatched adaptability.

Price: 1,800–2,200 gold (mid-range; inflated by the merchant’s storytelling, sometimes discounted if cursed backlash has been reported).
Buying/Selling Method: Roadside barter, often demanding coin plus “a personal secret” or item with emotional resonance to “feed” the Tome’s nature.

5. The Shifting Emporium (Semi-Legendary Shop)

Said to appear only under certain moons or after specific chants, this mystical storefront is known for dealing in blended or unique items — especially those born of fusion like this Tome. Within its mirrored halls, the item may sit on a pedestal surrounded by wards of silence.

Price: 2,500–3,000 gold (a “fixed” value for those who manage to find the shop).
Buying/Selling Method: Paid in rare coinage (electrum or rhodium preferred) or exchanged for another fused item of equal tier.

6. Temples of Dual Doctrine (Pain & Knowledge Faiths)

A few religious orders who revere both torment and enlightenment may keep such items as sacred tools. These temples rarely sell them but might release one to a supplicant who proves worthy through ordeal.

Price: Not sold outright — instead, access is granted after a costly pilgrimage or ritual sacrifice. Equivalent cost is about 2,000–2,500 gold worth of offerings, relics, or life-essence tithes.
Buying/Selling Method: Acquired only through ceremonial gifting; a relic transferred with solemn rites.

The Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297 is not a simple tool but a hybrid relic of survival and torment, and its roleplay varies wildly depending on the environment in which it is used. Both its defensive and offensive uses take on distinct tones depending on where the wielder wields it:

Urban Environments (Cities, Markets, Alleys)

Defense:
In crowded marketplaces or narrow alleys, the Tome becomes a weapon of atmosphere. Simply opening its jagged, metal-framed cover releases unsettling whispers that ripple across the street. Intimidation is a shield here — guards hesitate, cutpurses falter, and rival negotiators may think twice. Defensively, its Aura of Adapted Anguish makes allies bolder, their attacks bolstered by psychic edge in a brawl where space is tight.

Offense:
Offensively, the wielder might use Wail of Suffering Adapted to turn the crowd itself against their foes. In a tavern brawl, the psychic scream could scatter aggressors, leaving enemies isolated while the wielder’s allies gain momentum. Even in political confrontations, brandishing the Tome while whispering from its shifting pages could unnerve opponents into tactical mistakes.

Dungeon or Ruin Environments (Enclosed, Subterranean, Forgotten Spaces)

Defense:
In the claustrophobic dark, the Tome’s aura is amplified by echo and shadow. Defensively, its shifting pages can reveal adaptive strategies, giving the wielder advantage in resisting traps or ambushes. The faint glow of diagrams and runes can substitute for a lantern, casting eerie light that unsettles foes before they strike.

Offense:
The Path of Agony’s Choice shines here. In confined combat where one bad roll might mean falling into a pit or being pinned by a monster, the reroll option gives the wielder power over fate itself — but at the cost of their own psyche. The psychic wail is especially terrifying underground, reverberating off stone until enemies cower, buying time for the party to regroup or push forward.

Battlefield Environments (Plains, Armies, Sieges)

Defense:
On open ground, the Tome is a psychological bulwark. Held aloft before lines of allies, its aura carries across formations, bolstering resolve while spreading dread through enemy ranks. Soldiers fighting under its influence strike harder, more viciously, as if fueled by shared torment.

Offense:
The wielder can step into the fray and unleash Adaptive Torment before a charge — granting resistance against fire arrows, poisoned blades, or magical bombardments. Offensively, the Tome becomes a rallying banner: the shriek of agony sown among clustered foes can cause mass panic, breaking formations. Its very presence disrupts morale, allowing commanders to exploit hesitation in enemy lines.

Wilderness Environments (Forests, Deserts, Mountains)

Defense:
In the wild, the Tome’s adaptability shines. Defensive roleplay emphasizes survival: consulting its glowing diagrams helps adapt to storms, poisonous plants, or sudden ambushes by beasts. Its aura lends courage to allies facing predators, while the shifting text suggests hidden pathways or safer routes.

Offense:
Against beasts or raiders, the Tome’s wail mimics the cries of something unnatural — enough to scatter wildlife or intimidate would-be attackers. The Adaptive Torment ritual can turn the tide by granting resistance against natural threats (fire in a volcanic range, cold on frozen peaks, venom in jungles), even as it whispers dread into the bearer’s mind.

Social/Political Environments (Courts, Councils, Noble Houses)

Defense:
Here, the Tome is less about raw damage and more about presence. Its jagged cover and faint whispering script make it a symbol of dread authority. Defensively, the wielder leverages its passive intimidation to hold ground in negotiations, forcing adversaries to second-guess themselves.

Offense:
Offensively, quoting directly from the Tome’s shifting script or letting its aura wash across the chamber becomes a weapon in itself. Rivals may buckle under the creeping despair it emanates. In moments of political standoff, the wielder can unleash a controlled psychic scream to shatter the nerve of the opposition, gaining advantage in swaying decisions.

Naval/Aerial Environments (Ships, Zeppelins, Airships, Hot Air Balloons)

Defense:
At sea or in the skies, morale is fragile. The Tome’s aura steadies allies battered by storms or sky-raids, making them feel their own suffering pale in comparison to the anguish emanating from the artifact. Defensive use often involves rallying terrified sailors or airmen into action when natural disasters or enemy boarding parties strike.

Offense:
On the offensive side, Wail of Suffering Adapted can echo across waves or through the sky like a banshee’s cry, unbalancing boarding attackers or shaking enemy crews. In a zeppelin duel, its whispers could be amplified by the wind, undermining the confidence of foes who hear the phantom voices rising from nowhere.

Perception of Activation:

Sight

User’s Perspective: Symbols crawl across the Tome’s cover in sickly green, purple, and gold, shifting like living scars. The jagged metal edging twitches as though the book is breathing. Pages ripple and redraw themselves in fractal diagrams.
Observer’s Perspective: A halo of warped light surrounds the wielder’s hands, shadows stretch unnaturally, and the Tome’s cover gleams with a molten inner glow.
Positives: Illuminates surroundings with eerie clarity, useful in darkness or intimidation.
Negatives: Prolonged staring disorients vision, inducing migraines or vertigo.

Sound

User’s Perspective: Whispers rise directly inside the mind, countless voices murmuring in forgotten tongues. The words harmonize briefly, then fracture into shrieks.
Observer’s Perspective: A low hum seeps from the Tome, building into a resonant wail like a distant chorus of agony.
Positives: Can bolster resolve by drowning out fear with focus on the whispers.
Negatives: May overwhelm concentration, leaving the wielder distracted or shaken.

Touch

User’s Perspective: The cover pulses like diseased flesh, cold shards biting into the skin. The pages flex as if resisting, soft one moment and razor-edged the next.
Observer’s Perspective: The wielder’s hands appear to tremble as though gripping ice and flame at once.
Positives: Heightened sensory awareness sharpens reflexes and decision-making.
Negatives: Lingering ache or numbness may set in, symbolizing the cost of channeling agony.

Smell

User’s Perspective: Acrid tones of scorched parchment mix with hints of iron, herbs, and decay. The air feels heavier, as though infused with damp crypt-stone.
Observer’s Perspective: A sharp metallic scent spreads outward, noticeable within a few meters.
Positives: Creates a defensive aura of unease, discouraging enemies from drawing closer.
Negatives: Can nauseate allies and reduce comfort in close quarters.

Taste

User’s Perspective: A sudden tang of iron and bitter ink spreads across the tongue, even without contact. With chanting, the taste deepens into something acrid and ash-like.
Observer’s Perspective: Those nearby may feel a dry bitterness in their mouths as if the air itself carries the taste.
Positives: Reinforces the feeling of channeling forbidden knowledge.
Negatives: May cause retching or parched throat if overused.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

Mind’s Eye Resonance: The wielder sees dozens of potential futures split like broken glass, each path tinged with either triumph or despair.
Aura of Despair: Observers feel their courage wilt, a sensation of futility pressing on their chest.
Psychic Echo: Wielder senses faint memories of the tormented artist’s soul still bound within, its pain bleeding into their own thoughts.
Positives: Provides powerful foresight and adaptability; enemies hesitate, allies gain resolve under shared dread.
Negatives: Extended activation risks psychic backlash, hallucinations, or temporary personality bleed from the trapped soul.

Recipe of Fused Resilience and Agony

Items Merged:

Tome of Adaptation (Tier 1)
Feng Shui 842 of Agony (Tier 1)

Additional Materials Needed:

3 pounds of tempered steel filings (to weld knowledge with torment)
Powdered obsidian (1 pouch, to anchor psychic resonance)
Ink of Duality (brewed from crushed moonstone, sage’s blood, and nightshade extract)
Ash of Burned Vellum (from a destroyed magical scroll, symbolizing sacrifice)
Soulglass Shard (a crystal capable of holding psychic echoes)
Blood of the Crafter (a single drop willingly given to bind torment and wisdom)

Tools Required:

Arcane Forge (capable of melding metals and parchment without fire damage)
Runecarver’s Etching Set (fine chisels and gravers for dual glyphs)
Scribe’s Mirror (reflective tool to align shifting symbols with the sculpted frame)
Binding Tongs (enchanted clamps to hold the two items in fusion)
Meditation Brazier (herb-smoke to stabilize the mind during forging)

Skill Requirements:

Master Blacksmithing: To meld warped metal into the Tome’s frame.
Advanced Arcane Enchantment: To harmonize two disparate magical auras.
Arcane Scribing (Intermediate): To rewrite runes so they adapt and torment simultaneously.
Psychic Endurance (Trained): The crafter must resist the fusion’s backlash during the final ritual.

Crafting Steps:

Preparation of Base Items:
- Place the Tome of Adaptation on the forge altar.
- Heat the Feng Shui 842 of Agony sculpture until its surface softens, but do not allow it to lose its shape entirely.
Fusion of Materials:
- Mix tempered steel filings and powdered obsidian with the molten edge of the sculpture.
- Spread this mixture across the Tome’s cover, embedding jagged shards of warped metal into its frame.
Inscription of Dual Glyphs:
- Dip the Runecarver’s Etching Set into Ink of Duality.
- Etch glyphs of Adaptation (flowing lines) over glyphs of Agony (jagged marks) so that one overlays the other, sealing both forces together.
Psychic Binding:
- Place the Soulglass Shard at the Tome’s spine.
- Scatter Ash of Burned Vellum over the Tome’s open pages while chanting an incantation of resilience and torment.
Blood Seal:
- Prick the crafter’s finger and let one drop of blood fall onto the Tome’s center.
- The Tome will shimmer; pages ripple as voices whisper.
Stabilization:
- Place the Tome upon the Meditation Brazier, letting calming herbs burn around it.
- Meditate for one hour, resisting the psychic backlash of merging torment with wisdom. A successful endurance check is required (failure risks psychic scarring).
Completion:
- After the brazier smoke clears, the Tome hardens. Its frame is jagged metal, its pages alive with shifting diagrams and whispers of pain.
- The fusion is complete, producing the Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297 (Tier 2).

Tale of Tome That Wept and Bit

Long ago, in the time before times, there was a Scribe who was also an Artist, and he was made of tears. He held one book that taught the many ways to change, and he held one sculpture that sang with screams of iron. The people say the Scribe wanted to be both strong and soft, to bend like grass and to cut like sword, but he was none, for he was hollowed by sorrow.

The Scribe wrote in the Book of Changing. His letters swam like fishes and danced like smoke, showing how the man may eat the fruit of storm and live, how the woman may cross the hot desert and not thirst. Yet while he wrote, he also carved. He struck the iron until it twisted, bent, and cried. And the sculpture became a mirror of his pain. Those who looked at it said their stomach turned inside out, for they saw his torment.

One day the Scribe brought book and sculpture together, wishing to make them one, so no man could say, “he is only soft,” and no woman could say, “he is only cruel.” He burned the sculpture until its voice was liquid, and he poured it upon the book until the pages bled with purple fire. He carved the signs of pain into the words of wisdom. He mixed his blood with the soot of a burned scroll, and the book drank it all.

The people watched from a distance, for the screams of the Scribe filled the valley like thunder. Some say he shouted in one hundred tongues at once. Some say his heart leapt from his chest and turned into a black bird that flew away. Others say he smiled as his flesh broke, for at last he found the joining of torment and knowledge.

When the fire cooled, there was no Scribe, only the Book that was also Fang. Its cover bore jagged teeth of metal, its pages twisted with living diagrams, and its voice never silent. Those who touched it heard whispers telling them how to survive the river’s flood, yet also felt nails in their mind. Those who opened it saw the path of tomorrow, yet tasted iron blood on their tongue.

Kings desired it, for it gave wisdom. Warriors desired it, for it gave terror. Priests feared it, for it gave no mercy. Many hands carried it across the ages: the Merchant who sold it for rhodium and died mad; the Captain who chained it to the mast to steer through storm and drowned hearing its laughter; the Queen who hid it beneath her throne and ruled for fifty winters, but in every dream she wept with black eyes.

Always the Book returned. It never burned in fire, nor drowned in water, nor rotted in tomb. For it was made of both change and agony, bound by blood, sealed by scream.

Now the elders say: if you hear the whispers of a thousand tongues in an empty hall, if you see the letters crawl like worms across stone, beware. The Tome That Wept and Bit may be near. If you open it, you will learn how to live in all weathers, in all trials, in all wars — but you will carry the artist’s anguish in your bones.

Moral of the Story: To hold both wisdom and suffering is to walk with a double-edged gift; the one who seeks strength in torment must be ready to bleed with every lesson learned.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Item: The Tome That Wept and Bit (Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297)
Type: Mythos Tome / Haunted Artifact
Rarity: Unique
Sanity Cost: 1D6/1D10 upon first study
Effects:

Study: Reading requires 4 weeks (8 hours per week). On completion, the reader gains +5% to Psychology and +5% to Occult. The reader also permanently loses 1D4 Sanity.
Aura of Adapted Anguish: Allies within 10 yards gain a 15% chance of inflicting +1D4 psychic damage on successful attacks.
Tormented Insight: Once per session, the reader may reroll a failed Idea (INT) or Luck roll, but suffers 1D3 Sanity loss when doing so.
Wail of Suffering Adapted (1/day): As an action, the wielder unleashes psychic anguish. All within 5 yards must make a POW vs. POW contest. Failure inflicts 1D6 psychic damage and causes temporary phobia (Fear) for 1D6 rounds. Success halves damage.

Blades in the Dark

Item: The Fang-Page (Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297)
Type: Arcane Asset (Haunted, Rare)
Load: 1
Quality: Fine + Haunted
Effects:

Passive Aura: When carried openly, gain +1D on Command or Intimidation rolls. However, take −1D on Consort rolls due to unsettling whispers.
Adaptive Insight: Once per score, reroll a failed Survey or Study roll when facing unfamiliar environments or foes.
Wail of Suffering (Special Action): Push yourself to brandish the Tome. Instead of gaining extra dice, all foes in Near range must make a Resolve roll. Failure causes them to suffer level 2 harm (Psychic Shock).
Drawback: Carrying the Tome inflicts +1 Stress at the start of each downtime phase as its voices erode stability.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Wondrous Item, rare (requires attunement)
Slot: Worn Item (counts as one worn item, may be strapped or hung at side)

Properties:

Aura of Adapted Anguish: Allies within 15 feet of you have a 15% chance (treat as rolling 17–20 on a d20) to deal an additional 1d4 psychic damage on a successful weapon attack.
Tormented Insight: You gain advantage on Intimidation checks, but disadvantage on Charisma checks against creatures immune to the frightened condition.
Pages of Shifting Resolve: Once per long rest, you may reroll a failed saving throw against environmental effects (heat, cold, poison gas, etc.).
Wail of Suffering Adapted (1/day): As an action, you unleash psychic torment. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet must succeed on a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw or take 2d6 psychic damage and become frightened until the end of their next turn. On success, they take half damage and are not frightened.
Path of Agony’s Choice (1/day): After making an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check, you may roll again and choose which result to use. You take 1d4 psychic damage each time you use this ability.

Knave (Revised 2nd Edition)

Item: The Book of Shifting Pain (Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297)
Tier: 2 (Rare)
Slots: 2 (counts as a worn item)
Effects:

Aura of Adapted Anguish: While carried, allies within Near gain a 1-in-6 chance to deal an extra 1d4 psychic damage on a successful attack.
Tormented Spirit: Gain +1 to Charisma-based checks involving intimidation.
Adaptive Resilience: Once per session, reroll a failed Save against environmental danger, confusion, or fear.
Wail of Suffering (1/day): As an action, all within Close must Save vs. Wisdom or take 1d6 psychic damage and be Frightened for 1 turn.
Path of Pain’s Choice (1/day): After rolling any check, reroll and choose the higher. You immediately lose 1d4 HP from psychic feedback.

Fate Core System

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Type: Arcane Asset / Relic

Aspect: The Tome That Wept and Bit
Invoke: Gain a +2 bonus when making Overcome actions related to resisting fear, surviving environmental hazards, or intimidating others.
Compel: The Tome’s whispers overwhelm the user, causing hesitation, mental backlash, or social alienation.
Stunt – Aura of Adapted Anguish: Allies within one zone may inflict an additional 2 shifts of stress once per scene on a successful attack when the Tome is brandished.
Stunt – Wail of Suffering (1/session): Spend a Fate Point to unleash psychic torment in your zone. All enemies must defend with Will; failure causes 2 shifts of mental stress and the “Frightened” aspect (with 2 free invokes) until the end of the next exchange.
Drawback: Carrying the Tome creates the permanent Aspect Haunted by Anguish, which the GM may compel for psychic consequences.

Numenera & Cypher System

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Level: 7
Form: A jagged metal-bound tome filled with shifting glyphs and psychic whispers
Type: Artifact

Effect:

Aura of Adapted Anguish: Allies within Immediate range gain an asset on their next attack roll once per round, 20% chance to inflict +1d4 Intellect damage.
Tormented Insight: User gains an asset on Intellect defense tasks against fear, confusion, or environmental effects, but increases GM Intrusion chance by +1 whenever consulted.
Wail of Suffering (1/day): As an action, the wielder unleashes psychic torment. All creatures within Short range must succeed on a Difficulty 6 Intellect defense roll or take 8 points of Intellect damage (ignores Armor) and be Frightened for one round.
Path of Agony’s Choice (1/day): After any roll, the wielder may reroll and choose either result, taking 3 points of Intellect damage as psychic backlash.

Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (when activated).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Type: Worn Relic (Book)
Rarity: Rare
Level: 11
Usage: Held in 2 hands or strapped to body (worn item)
Bulk: L

Activation – Wail of Suffering Adapted [2 actions] (once per day):
You open the Tome and release a scream of agony. All creatures within a 20-foot emanation take 6d6 mental damage (basic Will DC 28 save). On a failure, they are also Frightened 1.

Aura of Adapted Anguish (Passive): Allies within 30 feet deal an extra 1d4 mental damage on a Strike with a 15% chance, rolled separately.

Tormented Insight (Passive): You gain a +2 item bonus to Intimidation checks, but take a –2 penalty to Diplomacy checks against creatures immune to fear.

Path of Pain’s Choice (Reaction, once per day): After failing a saving throw, reroll with a +2 circumstance bonus, but take 2d6 mental damage from psychic feedback.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Type: Legendary Relic
Rarity: Rare
Slot: Worn Item

Effects:

Aura of Adapted Anguish (Passive): Allies within a Medium Burst Template gain +1 to damage rolls. Additionally, when they roll a Raise on an attack, they deal +1d4 extra psychic damage.
Tormented Spirit: The wielder gains +2 to Intimidation, but suffers –2 on Persuasion rolls.
Wail of Suffering Adapted (1/day): As an action, the wielder unleashes psychic torment. All creatures within a Medium Burst Template must make a Spirit roll at –2. On a failure, they suffer 2d6 damage (ignores Armor) and are Shaken. On a Critical Failure, they gain the Frightened Condition for 1d4 rounds.
Path of Agony’s Choice (1/session): After rolling any Trait test, reroll and choose the better result. The wielder immediately suffers a level of Fatigue from psychic backlash.

Drawback: Prolonged possession forces a Spirit roll at –2 at the start of each session. Failure causes 1 level of Fatigue (psychic erosion), which only recovers after a full day of rest without the Tome.

Shadowrun (Sixth World Edition)

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Type: Magical Focus (Knowledge/Psychic)
Availability: 18F
Cost: 65,000¥
Force: 6

Effects:

Aura of Adapted Anguish (Passive): Allies within 10 meters gain a +1 dice pool bonus on melee or ranged attacks; on a critical hit, deal +1d4 Stun damage (psychic).
Tormented Insight (Passive): +2 dice pool bonus to Intimidation, but –2 dice penalty to Negotiation.
Wail of Suffering Adapted (Complex Action, 1/day): Targets within 10 meters resist with Willpower + Logic vs. Force 6. On failure, they take 6 Stun damage (AP –2) and gain the Frightened status for 1 Combat Turn.
Path of Agony’s Choice (Interrupt, 1/day): After any failed test, reroll the entire dice pool and choose the better result. Wielder takes 2 Stun damage unresisted.

Drawback: After each activation, the wielder resists Drain (Force 6, Stun) with Willpower + Charisma.

Starfinder (latest edition)

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Level: 11
Price: 25,000 credits
Slot: Worn (counts as one worn item)
Bulk: 1
Rarity: Rare Hybrid Item

Effects:

Aura of Adapted Anguish (Passive): Allies within 20 feet deal +1d4 psychic damage on weapon attacks 15% of the time (roll 17–20 on d20).
Tormented Spirit (Passive): +2 insight bonus to Intimidation checks, –2 penalty on Diplomacy against creatures immune to fear.
Wail of Suffering Adapted (1/day): As a standard action, release psychic anguish. All creatures within a 30-foot radius must succeed on a Will save (DC 20) or take 6d6 psychic damage and become Frightened 1 round. Success halves damage and negates fear.
Path of Agony’s Choice (1/day): As a reaction after rolling, reroll the check and use the better result. Wielder takes 1d6 damage ignoring DR/energy resistance.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Tech Level: 13 (Psionic/Arcane Hybrid)
Mass: 2.5 kg
Rarity: Unique
Value: 200,000 Cr

Effects:

Aura of Adapted Anguish (Passive): Allies within 10 meters gain DM+1 to all attack rolls. On a natural 12, add +1d4 Psionic damage.
Tormented Insight (Passive): Gain DM+2 on Intimidate, but DM–2 on Persuade rolls.
Wail of Suffering Adapted (Minor Action, 1/day): All targets within Short range must roll END at DM–2. On failure, suffer 2D6 Psionic damage and the Confused condition for 1D3 rounds.
Path of Agony’s Choice (1/day): After any failed check, reroll with DM+1. On activation, wielder takes 1D3 END damage (temporary).

Drawback: Extended use requires a Psionic Strength (PSI) check at DM–2 each week. Failure results in losing 1 permanent PSI point.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Item: Tome of Agonized Adaptation 297
Type: Relic (Wondrous Tome)
Rarity: Unique, Enchanted (Dhar-tainted)
Encumbrance: 2
Availability: Very Rare

Effects:

Aura of Adapted Anguish (Passive): Allies within 20 yards may add +1 SL (Success Level) to melee or ranged attack rolls; on a Critical Hit, inflict +1D4 Wounds ignoring Armor.
Tormented Spirit (Passive): +10 bonus to Intimidate Tests, –10 to Charm Tests.
Wail of Suffering Adapted (Half Action, 1/day): Unleash psychic wail in a 12-yard cone. Targets must succeed on a Willpower Test (Average +20). Failure causes 1D10+5 Wounds (ignores non-magical Armor) and the Afraid Condition for 1 Round. Success halves Wounds and ignores fear.
Path of Agony’s Choice (1/day): After any Test roll, reroll once and choose the higher. Wielder suffers 1D5 Wounds that bypass Toughness Bonus.

Drawback: At the start of each session, wielder must pass a Willpower Test or gain 1 Corruption Point due to constant whispers of anguish.

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