Rarity: Common
Tier Availability: Tier 1 Compatible
Form: Finished Brew
Color & Appearance: A shimmering cranberry-red liquid with a thin layer of opalescent sheen that clings to the glass like lacquered paint. When swirled, the brew briefly displays light trails that resemble stylized lettering before fading away.
Taste & Texture: Starts sweet like candied fruit, then shifts to a sharp, tart finish that wakes the tongue. It leaves a slightly waxy coat on the lips, giving them a faint glimmer as if touched by stage paint or polished lacquer.
Lore:
In the bustling trade squares of Coralis and the louder merchant boulevards of Vara-Sul, merchants learned early that shouting louder was not the same as being heard. Legend speaks of a charismatic stall-keeper known only as Red-Banner Yulo, who claimed that selling a thing was not about truth or price, but about making the world look at you first.
Tired of losing coin to more theatrical competitors, Yulo brewed a drink using dye-leaf extract, carnival gloss resin, and condensed festival-market steam. He called it Banner-Tongue Brew, saying that even the quiet could sell anything if their words left a shimmer in the air. Soon after, street hawkers, pamphlet criers, guild barkers, and even theatrical promoters began carrying small vials of the red shimmering tonic, each swearing it “puts a spotlight on whatever you speak of.”
Base Description:
This brew is not about deception or domination—it is about spotlighting. It sharpens presence in conversation, making pitches, announcements, and public declarations feel more vivid and memorable. The drinker’s words tend to “stick” briefly in the mind of listeners. It is commonly used by stall merchants, heralds, bards-for-hire, product hawkers, recruiters, festival barkers, and traveling spectacle brokers.
Tags:
Advertising Brew, Merchant’s Tonic, Banner Speech, Market Presence, Pitch Enhancer, Crowd Attention, Common Brew, Tier 1 Social Utility, Promotion Aid, Voice Shine Draft, Market Call Brew, Street Hawker’s Draft, Voice Lacquer, Crowdshine Elixir, Persuasion Gloss, Herald’s Tonic, Pitcher’s Brew, Festival Bark Ale, Red-Banner Infusion, Spotlight Sip
Passive Magic Effect (while active):
Audience Draw: The drinker gains +1 to attempts to draw attention, promote an item, attract interest to a cause, or highlight something verbally. Speech develops a subtle cadence that makes listeners more likely to look or pause before moving on. This does not force agreement, but increases the chance the subject is noticed and considered.
Active Magic Effect (once per drink):
Spotlight Phrase: Once during the duration, the drinker may deliberately declare a statement, offer, or announcement with dramatic emphasis. When they do, their words briefly shimmer in perception—listeners momentarily focus on the subject, granting one reroll or advantage-like second attempt on a persuasion attempt specifically tied to drawing notice, pitching, presenting, announcing, or hyping an object, event, or concept. If used in a non-spoken form (posting a sign, presenting a display), the sign or display appears unusually eye-catching for a short time.
If the user continues to perform and maintain presentation energy in roleplay (gestures, framing, highlighting, calling attention to details), the GM may allow the passive effect to linger longer than usual.
Places where and how this item might be bought and sold:
Festival Market Stalls in Vara-Sul and Coralis Dominion
During peak trade festivals, brightly decorated beverage counters sell Banner-Tongue Brew in small glass phials tied with ribbons. Street announcers, jugglers, and product promoters line up early to buy fresh stock before demonstrations begin. Sellers pitch it loudly as “The drink that makes your words remembered!”
Typical Cost: 7 to 10 Silver per vial, sometimes bundled with bright scrap-ribbons or hand-signs for +2 Silver.
Barker Guild Supply Carts (Traveling Sales Circuits)
Certain cities allow “Barker Guilds”—semi-official promotion bands licensed to shout news of goods, plays, or politician speeches. Their supply carts sell this brew only to those who can prove they earn coin through public voicework. Purchased with stamped tokens rather than coin.
Typical Cost: Equivalent to 1 Gold for 2 vials or 1 vial plus script scroll paper and mouth-clarifying pastilles.
Tavern Bulletin Halls and Message Walls
Some taverns have posting halls where public notices, job offers, and sales pitches are pinned. Here, small back-counter sellers offer diluted versions of the brew to those posting shop adverts or hiring statements. Served in clay cups rather than sealed bottles.
Typical Cost: 4 to 6 Silver, or 3 Silver if paired with a paid posting on the bulletin board.
Performers’ Alley in Art Districts
Street performers, circus callers, puppet-theatre heralds, and comedic orators frequent this alley. A shaded stall run by retired carnival barkers offers a more theatrical brew variant with extra gloss for stage presence. Buyers often sip it right before stepping onto makeshift platforms.
Typical Cost: 1 Gold to 1 Gold 3 Silver, includes a token that allows one minute of “priority pitch rights” at a performance circle.
Black-Market Voice Peddlers (Underground Pamphlet Networks)
Illicit pamphlet printers and whisper-network recruiters sell a sharper variant of the brew that increases attention-grab at the cost of subtlety. Used by smugglers, cult recruiters, illegal product hawkers, and false prophets. Transactions handled in coded phrases or via pamphlet drops.
Typical Cost: 2 Gold to 3 Gold per vial, or in trade for distribution rights to a particular pamphlet route.
Harborboard Trade Announcers’ Guild Booths
In major port cities, trade announcers have booths on elevated platforms overlooking docks. They cry cargo announcements at dawn to gather porters and buyers. Here, the guild keeps a supply of the brew locked in ledger-boxes and issues it only to registered announcers before shift.
Cost Equivalent: 1 Gold per shift dose, deducted as a performance expense from guild-paid wages.
Roleplay in different environments:
Crowded Marketplace or Open Bazaar
Defense — A small-time vendor surrounded by louder competitors drinks the brew and steadies their stance. Instead of panicking or shouting wildly, they pick a rhythm, hold up their wares with theatrical poise, and let the brew’s passive effect draw eyes just long enough to stop people from passing them by. Roleplay beats: the vendor’s voice gains a noticeable cadence, even in chaos; they hold attention moments longer than normal, deflecting mockery and drowning out interruptions through composed, repeated pitch phrases.
Offense — A rival merchant uses the brew to surgically strike at attention-space. They step between speeches, time their sales calls to interrupt others mid-sentence, and “steal the crowd.” Roleplay beats: snatching attention like a weapon, inserting a single dramatic phrase that turns listeners away from the previous stall toward their own.
Guild Notice Hall or Bulletin Posting Area
Defense — When posting a legal announcement or guild request, the drinker takes a measured sip and carefully pens their notice. The active effect triggers as they press the paper to the board—without magical fireworks, but people glancing past feel an irrational urge to read it before any others. Roleplay beats: a quiet satisfaction as other posters scowl when their flyers are ignored, a subtle glow of confidence as watchers linger at the user’s posting.
Offense — A more aggressive advertiser deliberately layers their posting over others and uses the brew’s shimmer effect to ensure their message overwrites all others in memory, even if physically equal in space. Roleplay beats: others complain they “swear they saw nothing but that one poster,” making it not just promotion but supremacy in messaging.
Harbor Docks Announcement Platform
Defense — New harbor announcers often get jeered or ignored. After drinking, one steps forward and projects a calm but confident list of cargo arrivals. The brew ensures listeners don’t brush them off; workers pause, listen, and take their words seriously. Roleplay beats: clattering crates slow, dockhands stop mid-shout, cynics fall silent out of reflexive curiosity.
Offense — A manipulative announcer uses the brew to twist cargo reports, pushing attention to their affiliated merchants while downplaying others. This creates economic advantage—crowds surge to the highlighted merchant before official records catch up. Roleplay beats: “By the time the real news hits, all buyers are already at my gate,” said with a smirk.
Performance Circle or Street Stage
Defense — A humble performer is losing the crowd to louder acts. They sip the brew mid-act, regain presence, and steady their delivery. Applause increases, hecklers quiet, and their act is allowed to conclude with dignity. Roleplay beats: they breathe in, speak, and even without flashy magic, their voice “catches light.”
Offense — A rival uses the brew not to steady but to cut in. They step forward, time an interruptive flourish just as another act is concluding, and claim the applause as if it were theirs. Roleplay beats: the crowd’s attention is ripped from one performance to another, applause meant for one is stolen by the other.
Political Gathering or Civic Rally
Defense — A campaign speaker or herald uses the brew to keep their platform from being drowned by opposing factions. They say fewer words but each lands more firmly, ensuring their message is recorded or remembered even in a hostile crowd. Roleplay beats: speeches cut through chants, making detractors unexpectedly pause.
Offense — A manipulative agitator drinks the brew to weaponize attention. They insert sharp slogans between peaceful words, turning audience focus to conflict triggers. The result is intentional distraction or even riot incitement—but framed as charismatic promotion. Roleplay beats: “Every head turned—good. Now plant the spark.”
Tavern or Public Hall Negotiation
Defense — During negotiation, the brew helps reinforce one’s pitch. The drinker’s explanation of a deal feels more compelling and clearly structured, turning flailing arguments into memorable hooks. Roleplay beats: a simple phrase like “This is the only shipment in town” suddenly sounds convincing even if others are dubious.
Offense — If used offensively, the drinker inserts subtle self-promotion phrases between negotiations: “Yes, but we both know my house handles these matters best.” With each shimmer-tinge, the group slowly drifts toward that idea. Roleplay beats: rivals realize too late that the crowd already believes the advertiser’s story by sheer exposure.
Underground Pamphlet Network or Shadow Market Speech
Defense — A whispered recruiter for a secret guild or smuggler network uses the brew to ensure listeners lean in rather than report them. Even in risk, the act of speaking gains an aura of legitimacy that lowers suspicion. Roleplay beats: a hush falls, ears open, suspicion replaced by curiosity.
Offense — A black-market voice peddler uses a harsher version of the brew to push illegal goods or forbidden cult slogans into the mouths of others—crowd members begin repeating slogans not because they agree, but because the phrase sticks, spreading like painted ink. Roleplay beats: watchers unknowingly advertise the user’s cause by mimicking the phrasing unconsciously.
Ethical and Social Consequences:
• Overuse turns charisma into aggression—what begins as drawing attention becomes attention-hijacking, causing resentment.
• Guilds may ban excessive use in regulated trade squares to prevent “attention duels” that disrupt order.
• Copycat users may start “brew wars,” escalating into public influence contests that draw spectators.
• Those who use it subtly may gain long-term reputation as charismatic leaders. Those who use it brutally may become infamous barkers with loud voices and few allies.
The Banner-Tongue Brew is more than promotion—it makes presence a weapon, subtle or flamboyant depending on the drinker’s soul.
Perception of Activation:
When the Banner-Tongue Brew is intentionally activated—usually by choosing to speak, gesture, or present something as if it deserves to be seen—the following sensations rise:
User’s Perspective (Internal Experience):
• Sight — Edges of objects seem to glow faintly when attention is focused on them. The item or idea you wish to promote feels visually “framed” in your mind, like a poster being centered before an audience. People’s faces become easier to read in terms of interest or disengagement.
• Sound — Your own voice gains a subtle reverberation—not louder, but more present, as if the air carries it intentionally rather than letting it fade. Ambient noise separates slightly, as though making space for your words to land.
• Touch — Lips feel warmed and faintly coated, as if lacquered. The sensation of raising a hand, pointing, or presenting an item feels theatrically significant—as though every small gesture has stage-light on it.
• Smell — A brief, sweet-and-sharp scent like festival paint and candied fruit drifts past the nose when speaking. Some describe it as “the smell of attention” or “air ready to listen.”
• Taste — A lingering candy-like tang coats the back of the tongue and seems to pulse slightly whenever the user speaks with emphasis.
• Extra-Sensory — The Mind’s Eye paints an imagined audience—even if none is present—shadow-figures turning heads when you speak a certain word. When you choose a phrase to highlight, it mentally flashes like a banner unfurled in front of the world.
Observer’s Perspective (External View):
• Sight — The user’s lips catch light slightly more than normal, giving the illusion of gloss or animation. When they gesture toward something—a product, a document, an idea—onlookers’ eyes are drawn to it as though it had a frame around it.
• Sound — The user’s speech seems to come through cleaner, like a voice projected from a well-tuned stage speaker. Even in noise, their chosen words cut through for a moment.
• Atmosphere — Listeners may not know why, but they pause for a heartbeat when the user makes a declaration or presents an object. Even if disagreement follows, the moment of willing attention is felt before reaction.
• Extra-Sensory — Those sensitive to aura feel a soft flare around the mouth and throat of the user, as if their voice paints small billboards in the air with each emphasized phrase.
Positive Effects:
• Draws initial attention to a chosen topic or object before others can steal focus.
• Helps quiet speakers claim floor space in loud environments without aggression.
• Grants dramatic weight to a pitch, announcement, or proclamation, making it linger in memory.
• Enables non-violent influence by turning attention itself into a resource to be directed.
Negative Effects:
• Overuse or aggressive promotion creates annoyance—others may feel manipulated or “sold to,” causing backlash.
• In places where subtlety is valued (noble courts, covert circles), the spotlight effect may reveal the user as a performer rather than an honest speaker.
• Rival hawkers, bards, or politicians may respond with hostility, sparking “attention duels”—public battles of presentation.
• Listeners may recall the showmanship more than the actual message, focusing on spectacle rather than substance.
The Banner-Tongue Brew does not force belief—it demands notice. What the user does with that moment of spotlight defines whether it becomes reputation, profit, or disaster.
Recipe Title: Banner-Tongue Brew of Persuasive Shine — Market-Born Method
Materials Needed:
• 1 vial of Festival Steam Condensate (collected from the hot air vents beneath a performance stage or carnival cook-stall—must capture rising steam before it cools)
• 1 scoop of Dye-Leaf Extract (a crimson plant used to make announcement banners and street paint)
• 3 drops of Carnival Gloss Resin (used by performers to coat lips and masks for stage shine)
• Pinch of Sugar-Dust or Candied Fruit Powder (must be something that clings lightly to the tongue)
• 1 shred of Public Notice Paper or torn poster scrap (must contain at least one bold letter or color stroke from a real advertisement or street notice)
• Optional Enhancement: A trace of Trumpet-Shell Powder (scraped from a street musician’s horn or speaking-cone, enhances vocal presence)
Tools Required:
• Brass or copper kettle with a bright interior (dark kettles mute the brew’s sheen)
• Stirring rod or spoon tipped in lacquer or stage-paint (to symbolically “coat” the liquid as it stirs)
• Fine wire-frame sieve or bright silk cloth (preferably dyed a loud festival color—reds, yellows, oranges)
• Glass or polished bottle (transparent—so the brew’s shimmer effect is visible)
• A heat source near a public space or somewhere noise carries—brewing in silence dulls the brew
• Optional Performer’s Tool: A small bell or click-stone to mimic the attention-grabbing chime used by barkers
Skill Requirements:
• Basic brewing and infusion knowledge
• Understanding of rhythm—must stir with cadence as if speaking to a crowd, not mechanically
• Ability to maintain confidence or theatrical presence while working (hesitation can flatten the brew’s attention-draw effect)
• Optional Vendor Training: Familiarity with framing gestures (raising the hand as if calling a crowd while adding ingredients)
Crafting Steps:
- Stage the Workspace:
Set the kettle in a spot where sound carries—alley, balcony, market stall prep bench. Some brewers lightly clear their throat before beginning as if preparing to call an audience. - Heat Festival Steam Condensate:
Pour the condensate and apply gentle heat. This base should shimmer faintly. If it lays flat, speak aloud a simple sales phrase (traditional phrase: “Hear this, and behold”) to activate the steam’s resonance. - Add Dye-Leaf Extract:
Sprinkle the extract in a swirling motion, never straight. This symbolizes drawing the eye. Stir three times in wide arcs, like painting a banner in the air. - Introduce Carnival Gloss Resin:
Drip it along the edge of the mixture. Don’t mix immediately—watch for a thin, oily sheen spreading across the surface. When the sheen touches the far edge, stir sharply as if delivering a final pitch line. - Add Sugar-Dust or Fruit Powder:
Tap it lightly with the stirring tool while speaking a phrase of confidence. The sweet note forms the hook that catches attention. If brewing silently, tap the rim of the kettle like a vendor ringing a bell. - Tear and Add Notice Scrap:
Tear the poster or notice scrap into three uneven pieces and drop them one by one. Each should float briefly like a paper flyer catching air. If it sinks without floating, your brew lacks showmanship—reheat gently and widen your stirring motions. - Optional Trumpet-Shell Powder:
Drop a single pinch from above the kettle, letting it fall like confetti. This gives the brew a sharper projection edge. - Filter with Color-Cloth:
Pour through the stained silk or bright sieve. The liquid should catch the color briefly—if you don’t see a flash of hue, stir the captured cloth gently and re-filter a small amount. - Bottle and Seal:
Pour into a bright, see-through container. Traditional barkers slap the bottom of the bottle once, like a drumbeat, to “wake the shimmer.” Some draw a quick line or exclamation mark with dye on the cork before finishing.
Red Banner That Spoke Without Being Raised
The story of the first Banner-Tongue Brew is not found in noble archives nor merchant contracts, but in half-burnt carnival posters passed from one street hawker to another. Each telling is inconsistent in wording but unwavering in spirit, always beginning with a line roughly translated as: “In the market where words were louder than trade, there walked one whose voice painted banners in the air.”
They say there was once a merchant quarter so crowded that voices stacked upon voices until the noise became a wall. No sign could be seen, no claim heard, no wares noticed unless one was willing to trample another or scream beyond breath. Amid this chaos stood a quiet stall owned by a vendor simply called Yulo, later remembered as Red-Banner Yulo, though no proof exists he ever owned a banner.
According to fragmented festival play scripts, Yulo did not shout like the others. Instead, he watched. He observed how the crowd turned only when someone struck rhythm—when a barker slapped their crate three times before speaking, or when a street performer snapped their fingers before a phrase. He muttered, not in despair, but in what scholars interpret as fascination: “Attention is not taken. It is invited.”
The tale says Yulo disappeared for three days and returned with a small vial of red glimmering liquid—a brew made from spice steam and ripped poster ink. When he drank it, witnesses claim the air seemed to hush, not in silence but in anticipation. He raised no banner but when he spoke, his words appeared above him in the imagination of listeners like painted letters catching sunlight.
His pitch was short—only three words in every version, though the translation varies wildly: “Look, then choose.” or “See first, then think.” or, in the most poetic translation, “Let the eye arrive before the mind.”
As he spoke, people stopped—not all, but enough that others turned to see what they were seeing. By the end of the day, it was said he outsold every loud merchant without once needing to raise his voice. Rivals accused him of witchcraft of the tongue, but when they tried to steal his booth, he simply stood calmly and said: “If you wish to be seen, stand where eyes rest. Not where mouths shout.” They moved aside, confused—not defeated by force, but disarmed by unexpected composure.
Later scraps claim that Yulo gave his formula not to guild scribes nor noble traders but to the street performers, saying: “You already know how to catch breath before applause. You will understand this better than the lords.” And so the brew spread, passed in hidden vials among barkers, heralds, puppet-voice artists, and festival criers. To this day, some merchants paint a thin red line on their bottle corks and claim it is homage to the first one who sold without shouting.
There is a final line, always too scratched to read clearly, but enough repeats remain to piece it together: “He sold nothing. He simply let it be looked at.”
Moral of the Story: To be heard, do not shout louder. Make the world want to listen.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (latest edition)
Name: Banner-Tongue Brew
Type: Ingested Brew (Common Street Tonic)
Duration: 1 hour (Keeper may allow extension through active public presentation roleplay)
Effect:
• Crowd Catch: Gain +10% to Fast Talk, Charm, or Persuade checks made specifically to draw attention or promote an idea, item, or announcement.
• Spotlight Phrase (1/scene): After failing a social roll intended to attract attention or highlight a subject—but before the Keeper declares outcomes—you may reroll using a different social angle (e.g., switching from Persuade to Fast Talk). Keep the second roll.
• Performance Poise: Once, you may make a Hard POW roll to avoid being drowned out or emotionally rattled during a shouted crowd exchange, performance pitch, or heated public dispute.
Side Effect: A second dose before the first effect ends requires a CON roll or the user gains –10% to Credit Rating or Reputation-impacting rolls due to coming off as excessively theatrical or insincere.
Blades in the Dark
Name: Banner-Tongue Brew
Type: Common Alchemical (1 Load)
Duration: One score or public-facing scene
Effect:
• Potency in Attention: Gain Potency when trying to draw eyes, announce, promote, or take control of public focus (i.e., Sway or Command in a performance-style context).
• Spotlight Shift (1x): After a failed roll to gain attention, but before the consequence lands, declare a new approach—roll a new action using a different style (e.g., from Sway to Command). New result stands.
• Echo of the Stage: The first time you resist a consequence caused by crowd pressure, mockery, or losing audience control, gain +1d to the resistance roll.
Complication: If Trauma is taken while under the brew, mark a segment on a long-term project clock called “Carnival Mask of Persona”—when full, your identity begins to blur into performance mannerisms, affecting future sincerity-based actions.
Dungeons & Dragons (latest rules)
Name: Banner-Tongue Brew
Wondrous Item (Consumable), Common
Use: Drink
Duration: 1 hour (GM may extend through consistent promotional performance roleplay)
Effect:
• Shimmer Speech: Gain a +1 bonus to Charisma (Performance) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks made to attract attention or promote a thing, idea, or event.
• Spotlight Phrase (1/rest while active): After rolling a Charisma-based check to promote or pitch something and before the DM reveals success or failure, you may reroll with advantage as your words momentarily take on a captivating cadence. The second result must be taken.
• Glimmer Presence: Once, you may impose disadvantage on a creature’s Insight or Perception check to ignore or overlook you when you are deliberately presenting or performing.
Overuse: Drinking another before a long rest forces a DC 12 Wisdom save or the user suffers disadvantage on Insight and Deception checks for 1 hour due to over-exaggerated manner.
Knave (latest ruleset)
Name: Banner-Tongue Draft
Type: Potion
Duration: One watch or public scene (Judge may extend if the user continues to actively promote)
Effect:
• Crowd Catcher: Gain Advantage on checks to call attention to something or to publicly present goods, ideas, or declarations.
• Spotlight Shift (1x): After failing such a check, immediately declare a new approach (shifting tone, posture, or message style) and reroll using a different relevant attribute; the new result stands.
• Festival Voice: Once during the duration, you may declare yourself center of the moment—forcing nearby creatures to Save vs WIS or pause to listen or look before acting, unless directly hostile and in combat.
Backlash: Consuming more than one before resting forces a Save vs CHA or suffer Disadvantage on subtle or non-performative speech for the next turn/watch due to bombastic delivery lingering.
Fate
Name: Banner-Tongue Brew
Type: Consumable Asset
Effect: Upon drinking, gain the temporary Aspect “All Eyes Upon My Words” with one free invoke. This Aspect may be used to draw attention, emphasize a statement, or enhance promotional or performative declarations. Once during the scene, after a failed attempt to impress or attract notice but before consequences resolve, you may invoke this Aspect to reframe your delivery and reroll using a more performative approach.
Compel Option: The GM may compel this Aspect to cause your character to speak too dramatically, drawing unwanted attention or being perceived as insincere or showy.
Numenera & Cypher System
Name: Banner-Tongue Infusion
Level: 1 Cypher (Anoetic)
Form: Liquid Brew
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: The user gains an Asset on any task involving calling attention, promoting an item or cause, or presenting a concept theatrically. Once during the duration, after failing a social task tied to attracting notice or hype, they may immediately switch to a different approach (for example, from Persuasion to Performance-style Flair) and reroll with the same Difficulty. The new result stands.
Extra Feature: Once, the user may ask the GM, “What part of this scene would draw eyes most if highlighted?” and receive a brief truthful hint.
Overuse: Drinking another before a rest forces a Speed Defense roll (Difficulty 2) to avoid suffering an Inability on tasks involving subtle or soft-spoken communication for ten minutes due to lingering showmanship.
Pathfinder (latest edition)
Name: Banner-Tongue Elixir
Consumable, Common, Level 1
Activate: Drink (Interact)
Duration: 1 hour (or longer if performance-driven roleplay continues)
Effect:
• Gain a +1 item bonus to Performance and Diplomacy checks made to attract attention, present goods, promote events, or hype a decision publicly.
• Spotlight Phrase (1x): After you fail such a check, but before the GM reveals the outcome, you may attempt a second check using a different skill that suits a new performance angle (such as switching from Diplomacy to Performance or Deception to reframe the pitch). The second result replaces the first.
• Festival Presence: Once, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus on a Will save against being ignored, silenced, or dismissed during a public scene.
Backlash: If a second elixir is consumed before resting, you must attempt a DC 12 Will save or suffer a –1 penalty to Deception or Diplomacy checks for 10 minutes due to over-exaggeration causing suspicion.
Savage Worlds
Name: Banner-Tongue Brew
Type: Alchemical Consumable
Duration: 1 hour or one major public encounter
Effect: Gain +1 to Persuasion or Performance (or equivalent linked Trait) when trying to attract notice, sell an idea, or gain attention. Once during this duration, after failing such a roll, the user may declare a “Pitch Shift” and immediately reroll using a different Trait (for example, Intimidation for a bold declaration or Performance for flair). The new roll replaces the old.
Showman’s Resilience: Once, the user gains +1 to a Spirit roll made to resist being shaken by heckling, crowd pressure, or public embarrassment.
Overuse: If another dose is taken before resting, the user must make a Spirit roll. On failure, they gain the Overconfident hindrance temporarily, or suffer a –1 penalty to subtle social rolls for 1d6 minutes due to bombastic tone overpowering nuance.
Shadowrun
Name: Banner-Tongue Brew
Type: Alchemical Ingestible (Common Street Formula)
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: Gain +1 dice to Performance, Negotiation, or Con tests made specifically to draw attention, promote an idea, or seize spotlight in a crowded scene. Once during the duration, after failing such a test, the user may declare a Promotional Shift and reroll using a different relevant skill (e.g., switching from Negotiation to Performance). The second result stands.
Crowd Presence: The first time the user faces a dice penalty from noise, crowd hostility, or being verbally overshadowed, ignore that penalty.
Overuse: A second dose before the first expires requires a Body + Charisma (Threshold 2) test. Failure gives –1 dice on Subtle or Infiltration-based social rolls for 10 minutes due to exaggerated delivery.
Starfinder
Name: Banner-Tongue Elixir
Type: Consumable (Hybrid Social Brew), Level 1, Common
Activation: Drink (Standard Action)
Duration: 1 hour or extended with active promotion roleplay
Effect: Gain a +1 insight bonus to Performance, Bluff, or Diplomacy checks used to attract notice or broadcast a message. Once during the duration, after failing a roll tied to public declaration or hype, the user may immediately reroll using a different skill reflecting a new presentation style (e.g., switching from Diplomacy to Intimidate or Profession: Barking). The new result replaces the old.
Public Projection: The user gains a +1 bonus on Will saves against being ignored, silenced, or overshadowed in crowded social scenes.
Overuse: Taking a second elixir before resting requires a Fortitude Save (DC 12). On a failure, the user takes a –1 penalty to Sense Motive and Insight-related checks for 10 minutes due to overbearing tone.
Traveller
Name: Banner-Tongue Brew
Type: Chemical Consumable, Merchant-Quarter Grade
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: Gain DM+1 to Carouse, Persuade, or Admin checks made to promote goods, gather a crowd, or present a public pitch. Once during the duration, after failing such a check, you may immediately attempt a new check using a different Skill to reflect a change in delivery method (for example, shifting from Persuade to Carouse to win attention through humor). The second roll applies.
Attention Anchor: Gain DM+1 to the next reaction roll made in a public negotiation or sales pitch while the crowd is focused on you.
Overuse: Taking another brew before rest requires an END (8+) roll. On failure, the user suffers –1 DM to Deception or Investigate checks for 1d6 minutes due to becoming too bombastic to gather quiet facts.
Warhammer (Fantasy or 40K-style using latest mechanical language)
Name: Banner-Tongue Draught
Type: Brewed Tonic, Common
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: Gain +10 to Charm or Perform Tests made to attract attention, hype a product, or deliver a proclamation. Once during the effect, after failing such a Test but before consequences are applied, the user may switch to a different Skill (such as Intimidate or Trade (Herald)) to represent a tone-shift and roll again. The new result replaces the first.
Herald’s Composure: Once, gain +10 to a Willpower Test made to avoid being shaken or silenced by mockery, crowd hostility, or stage pressure.
Backlash: If a second dose is consumed before the first ends, make a Willpower Test. On failure, suffer –10 to Fellowship Tests involving sincerety or subtle persuasion for 1d10 minutes as the user speaks in exaggerated “announcement voice.”