Ancestral Connections Locket 417

Lore: In the far-flung archipelagos of Saṃsāra, where the mist clings to the rocky spires and the history of a thousand generations is etched into the very cliffs, isolation is a constant threat. The Ancestral Connections Locket 417 was originally crafted by the sea-faring nomads of the equatorial belt, designed not for kings or warriors, but for scouts, lone travelers, and the bereaved. Crafted from tarnished silver and a shard of “memory glass”—obsidian formed during volcanic eruptions that coincided with great festivals—these lockets serve a simple, profound purpose: to ensure that no one ever walks truly alone.

The magic of the locket is one of “Accompaniment.” It does not provide the overpowering guidance of a general, nor the heavy expectations of a monarch. Instead, it offers the gentle, reassuring presence of a beloved relative or a silent guardian. It is a favored item among young adventurers leaving their home islands for the first time. To wear Locket 417 is to carry a “Passenger”—a benign ancestral spirit who observes, comforts, and occasionally points out what the living eye might miss. The locket is often passed down when the previous owner dies, meaning the “Passenger” within might be the very person who wore it last.

Detailed Stats

Tier: 1
Rarity: Common
Slot: Neck
Weight: 0.1 lbs
Value: 90 Silver (Prices may vary by region)
Attunement: Required (1 minute standard attunement; usually involves whispering one’s name to the locket).
Material: Tarnished Silver, Memory Glass (Obsidian), Leather Cord.

Passive Magics

Passive Activation – The Empty Chair: The wearer never feels the psychological crushing weight of loneliness. When sleeping alone in the wilderness or exploring a dark dungeon, the wearer feels a vague, comforting warmth against their chest, reducing the difficulty of any fear-based checks caused by isolation or magical silence.
Passive Activation – Second Pair of Eyes: The “Passenger” is always watching. If the wearer is about to be ambushed or step into a trap, they might feel a sudden cold chill or a sharp “tug” on the necklace chain. This grants a small bonus to passive perception or initiative rolls, representing the split-second warning given by the spirit.
Passive Activation – Shared Burden: Minor emotional traumas are dampened. The locket absorbs a fraction of the wearer’s grief or panic, storing it within the memory glass (which may darken temporarily). This allows the wearer to keep a level head during stressful social interactions or tragic events.

Activable Magics

Active Activation – Manifest Companion:
- Action: The wearer holds the locket and speaks the name of an ancestor (or simply asks for “The Passenger”).
- Effect: A translucent, spectral figure appears adjacent to the wearer. This figure cannot fight, speak loudly, or interact with physical objects. However, it can walk alongside the wearer, sit by the fire, or point silently at things. The figure provides a source of dim light (5-foot radius). The primary mechanical benefit is “Accompaniment”—having the spirit active grants an advantage on saving throws against psychic damage or madness, as the wearer’s mind is reinforced by the presence of another.
- Duration: 10 minutes.
- Cooldown: Requires a cooldown period of 1 hour to allow the spirit to rest.
Active Activation – Ancestral Recall:
- Action: The wearer opens the locket and stares into the obsidian shard.
- Effect: The wearer can “replay” a memory that the locket has witnessed in the past (either from the current wearer or a previous one). This functions like a magical recording device for visual and auditory memories. This is useful for recalling a specific map, a face in a crowd, or the exact wording of a contract seen days or years ago.
- Cost: Uses 1 Charge (Item holds 2 Charges, recharges at midnight).

Tags: Tier 1, Neck Slot, Jewelry, Spirit, Comfort, Utility, Memory, Social, Ancestral, Common, Accompaniment, Emotional, Observation, Recording, Spectral, Mental, Light, Exploration, Support, Passive, Guardian, Focus

In the sprawling and magically active economy of Saṃsāra, the Ancestral Connections Locket 417 is a commodity that balances on the line between sentimental jewelry and practical survival gear. Because it is a Tier 1 Common item, it is accessible to the working class and novice adventurers, but its value fluctuates heavily based on the “Passenger” currently inhabiting it or the emptiness of the vessel waiting to be filled. The transaction is rarely cold; it involves a touching of souls and a testing of compatibility.

The Bereavement Boutique In the high-density metropolises where skyscrapers pierce the clouds and steam pipes rattle in the alleyways, death is a business. Bereavement Boutiques are quiet, carpeted establishments often located near the great necropolises or temples. These shops smell of lilies and preservatives. The lockets here are polished to a high sheen, displayed on black velvet busts. The shopkeepers are soft-spoken, dressed in somber grays, and they sell the locket not as magic, but as closure. They market the item to widows, orphans, and those grieving a recent loss, promising that “they never have to say goodbye.”

Buying Experience: The customer is invited to sit in a private booth. The shopkeeper brings out a tray of lockets. The customer uses their Mind’s Eye to feel the emotional resonance of each. If the locket is empty, the shopkeeper offers a “binding service” to transfer a spirit from a dying relative into the glass. It is a slow, tearful process, treated with maximum dignity.
Cost: 12 Gold (120 Silver). The premium price accounts for the “grief counseling” atmosphere and the guarantee that the silver is pure.

The Dockside Outfitter At the bustling airship docks or the salty seaports where the 73 Island nations trade, these lockets are sold alongside compasses, dried rations, and sleeping rolls. The vendors here are loud, practical, and superstitious. They know that the ocean and the sky are lonely places. They sell the locket as a necessity for mental health, a way to stave off “sky-madness” or the crushing isolation of a solo voyage. The lockets here hang on brass hooks, swinging in the wind, often tarnished by the sea air.

Buying Experience: Fast and functional. The vendor might shout, “Don’t fly alone, lad! Take a Passenger!” The buyer is encouraged to quickly touch the locket to see if the spirit inside is compatible. A “grouchy” spirit might be sold at a discount, while a “motherly” spirit commands a higher price. There is a strong “buyer beware” element here; you might end up with an ancestor who nags you about your knot-tying skills.
Cost: 9 Gold (90 Silver). This is the standard market price, though a savvy negotiator might trade a crate of foreign spices or a good map to lower the cost to 8 Gold.

The Village Elder’s Hut On the smaller, uncharted islands or within the indigenous communities of the deep jungles, these lockets are not sold—they are commissioned. The shop is usually the home of the village shaman or spirit-walker, a place filled with smoke and hanging bone charms. The locket is crafted from local materials, the obsidian harvested from the village’s own volcanic history.

Buying Experience: This is a ritualistic exchange. The buyer must prove they are worthy of “Accompaniment.” The Elder might ask, “Who walks with you?” If the buyer is an outsider, they might be sold a locket containing the spirit of a village guardian to act as a guide. The transaction involves sharing a meal and a story. The “sellers’ market” here is absolute; if the Elder does not like your vibe, no amount of coin will buy the locket.
Cost: 7 Gold (70 Silver) or equivalent trade. They often prefer practical items like steel tools, medicine, or fabric over coin, as gold has less utility in the jungle.

The Pawn Broker / The Fence In the “unsafe” areas—the slums beneath the floating cities or the pirate havens—lockets are found in piles of loose jewelry. These items were likely stripped from the bodies of adventurers who didn’t survive their journey. The “Passenger” inside might be traumatized, angry, or silent. The shops are cage-fronted counters in dark alleys, presided over by individuals with shifting eyes and a crossbow under the table.

Buying Experience: Risky. The buyer uses their Mind’s Eye at their own peril, as peering too deeply into a traumatized spirit locket might cause a backlash of psychic pain. The Fence doesn’t care who is inside the locket; they only care about the weight of the silver.
Cost: 5 Gold (50 Silver). It is a bargain, but the buyer runs the risk of acquiring a cursed or hostile “Passenger” that provides no comfort, only nightmares.

The Traveling Carnival Mystic In the caravans that travel between towns, there is often a tent painted with stars and moons. The Mystic inside sells “destiny” and “connection.” They present the lockets as mysterious artifacts, weaving tall tales about the spirits inside—claiming one holds the soul of a princess or a great warrior.

Buying Experience: Theatrics. The Mystic uses sleight of hand and cold reading to make the buyer feel a “destined connection” to a specific locket. It is almost certainly a sales tactic, but the magic is real enough. The buyer pays for the story as much as the item.
Cost: 1 Platinum (10 Gold / 100 Silver). The price is inflated by the performance and the “exotic” nature of the traveling show.

Defense: The Vigilant Passenger

The Ancestral Connections Locket 417 transforms defense from a reactive physical action into a proactive sensory partnership. In the world of Saṃsāra, where threats can be as subtle as a poisoned drink or as blatant as a steam-powered construct, the “Passenger” in the locket serves as an early warning system and an emotional bulwark.

In the Wilds (Dark Caves, Dense Jungles, Open Ocean)

The Sixth Sense: Defense here is roleplayed as supernatural intuition. When trekking through a dense jungle where visibility is low, the wearer relies on “Second Pair of Eyes.” If a predator is stalking the party from the canopy, the player describes a sudden, icy sensation against their chest—the spirit reacting to intent that the living eye missed. The wearer might duck not because they saw the arrow, but because the necklace physically “yanked” them downward.
Mental Fortitude: In the terrifying depths of a cave system or a “Deathly Area” where the pressure of isolation breaks lesser minds, the “Empty Chair” passive is vital. When the party is separated or the lights go out, the wearer roleplays a calm demeanor. They are not brave; they simply aren’t alone. They might be heard whispering to the empty air, “I know, I see it too,” keeping their panic at bay while others succumb to fear effects.

In the City (Crowded Markets, Political Balls)

Emotional Shielding: Defense in the city is often about maintaining composure. When a rival diplomat delivers a crushing insult or a terrifying threat, the “Shared Burden” activates. The player describes the locket darkening, the obsidian absorbing the shock of the emotion. The character remains unnaturally stoic, their face a mask of calm, because the “Passenger” is taking the emotional hit for them. This defense prevents the character from being provoked into a rash decision.
The Social Bodyguard: If a pickpocket attempts to lift a coin purse or an assassin tries to slip a dagger between the ribs in a crowd, the spirit notices. The defense is roleplayed as a sudden, reflex action—catching the thief’s wrist without looking, guided by the spirit’s peripheral vision.

Offense: The Coordinated Strike

While the locket is not a weapon, it turns the avatar into a duo unit. Offense is no longer about one mind controlling one body; it is about two minds coordinating to exploit the enemy’s gaps.

In Combat (Skirmishes, Duels)

Blind-Spot Targeting: The “Passenger” can see what the wearer cannot. In a duel, the wearer might act on information they shouldn’t have. The player roleplays striking at an enemy behind them without turning around, or parrying a blow from a hidden rogue because the spirit whispered, “Left.” The offense is fluid and unnerving to enemies, as the wearer seems to have 360-degree vision.
Lighting the Target: By using “Manifest Companion,” the wearer can turn the environment against a lurking foe. If an enemy is hiding in magical darkness or deep shadow, the wearer commands the spirit to walk over and stand next to them. The spectral glow of the companion illuminates the target, stripping away their stealth advantage and allowing the wearer (and allies) to strike with precision. The spirit doesn’t attack; it simply points, marking the target for death.

In Investigation and Strategy (Puzzle Rooms, Crime Scenes)

Weaponized Memory: Offense can be informational. When trying to solve a puzzle or find a weakness in a monster’s armor that was seen days ago, the wearer uses “Ancestral Recall.” The roleplay involves the character staring into the obsidian, their eyes glazing over as they replay the tape. They then snap back to reality with the perfect answer: ” The golem limped on its right leg three days ago; strike the knee.” This turns information into a direct combat advantage.
The Scout: In a dungeon scenario, the wearer can send the “Manifest Companion” ahead to the limit of its tether (usually close, but effective around corners). The spirit can silently point out the location of guards. The offense then becomes a pre-emptive strike (Alpha Strike), allowing the party to attack before the enemy even knows they are there.

Universal Roleplay Mechanic: The Dialogue The key difference between this item and a standard buff is the relationship.

Visuals: In combat, the wearer might be seen shouting instructions to empty space, “Watch my back!” or “Where are they?” The locket might swing violently on its chain even if the wearer is standing still, pointing like a compass needle toward danger.
Atmosphere: When the wearer is on the offensive, they move with the confidence of a pack, not a lone wolf. Their strikes are timed as if they are waiting for a signal only they can hear.

Perception of Activation:

Visual Perception (Sight)

User’s Perspective: When the “Manifest Companion” is triggered, you see the air beside you ripple like heat haze before coalescing into a translucent, pale-blue silhouette of the ancestor. It is never fully solid, appearing more like a memory projected onto smoke. When “Shared Burden” activates during high stress, you see the black obsidian shard in the locket swirl with internal gray fog, becoming temporarily opaque as it “eats” your panic.
Observer’s Perspective: To an onlooker, the air around you seems to grow dim, and your shadow might appear to split or elongate unnaturally. When the companion is fully manifest, they see a faint, ghostly outline standing at your shoulder, shedding a radius of dim light. If looking closely at the locket, they see the stone pulse with a dull, rhythmic light, like a dying ember.
Positives: The visual manifestation is subtle enough not to blind the party but distinct enough to provide comfort. The “darkening” of the stone is a good visual indicator to allies that you are under stress.
Negatives: The spectral glow makes hiding in absolute darkness impossible. The “ghost” can be terrifying to superstitious NPCs who mistake it for a haunting rather than a guardian.

Auditory Perception (Sound)

User’s Perspective: You hear the “Passenger” clearly, though not through your ears. It sounds like a voice speaking directly into your brain stem—familiar and close. When the “Second Pair of Eyes” triggers, you hear a sharp intake of breath or a warning hiss right behind your ear. When the locket is idle, you might hear the faint, comforting sound of a second set of footsteps crunching on the ground in time with your own.
Observer’s Perspective: The activation is largely silent to the world. However, animals (dogs, horses) will often whine or bark at the empty space next to you. If the environment is dead silent, a sensitive observer might hear a low-frequency hum, like a finger running around the rim of a crystal glass.
Positives: Perfect for stealth communication; you can receive warnings without a sound being made.
Negatives: The “phantom footsteps” can make the user paranoid if they forget the item is active. It can be disconcerting to have a voice in your head that no one else hears.

Tactile Perception (Touch & Somatic)

User’s Perspective: The locket acts as a physical barometer of danger. It rests cold against the skin when idle but warms up pleasantly when the “Empty Chair” passive is soothing you. If danger is imminent (“Second Pair of Eyes”), the chain feels like it tightens momentarily, or the locket feels like it “kicks” against your chest, waking you from a daydream. When the spectral companion is close, the air on that side of your body feels static-charged, making the hair on your arm stand up.
Observer’s Perspective: Touching the user while the companion is active can result in a mild static shock. If the observer tries to touch the locket while it is absorbing grief, it feels uncomfortably cold, bordering on painful, like touching dry ice.
Positives: The physical “kick” is an unignorable warning system that works even if the user is deafened or blinded. The warmth is a major comfort in cold environments.
Negatives: The “tightening” sensation can feel like choking to those with claustrophobia. The static charge can ruin sensitive magical components or delicate social touches (like a handshake).

Olfactory Perception (Smell)

User’s Perspective: Activation brings a scent memory specific to the ancestor inside. It might be the smell of pipe tobacco, sea salt, lavender, or old books. This scent creates a “bubble” of familiarity that overrides the stench of a dungeon or a battlefield.
Observer’s Perspective: A faint, inexplicable odor drifts around the user. To an enemy, it might smell like ozone or stale air (the smell of a crypt). To an ally, it smells harmless but old.
Positives: Helps ground the user against nausea-inducing smells (rotting flesh, sulfur).
Negatives: Distinct smells can give away position to predators with heightened scent tracking (e.g., wolves or lycanthropes).

Extra-Sensory Perception: The Mind’s Eye (Magic Sense)

User’s Perspective: You perceive a silver “cord” or tether connecting your heart to the locket, and from the locket to the spectral figure. You can sense the emotional state of the Passenger—usually calm, vigilant, or protective. When using “Ancestral Recall,” your vision overlays with the sepia-toned or washed-out visuals of the memory, allowing you to “see” the past while still seeing the present.
Observer’s Perspective: A viewer using the Mind’s Eye sees the user as a “binary star system”—two souls orbiting a single center of gravity. The user’s aura is not their own; it is bolstered by a secondary, older aura that wraps around them like a cloak. The locket appears as a small singularity, a hole in the fabric of the immediate now where the past is leaking through.
Positives: It makes the user appear magically larger and more formidable. The dual-aura can confuse mind-reading attempts, as the telepath might read the ancestor’s thoughts instead of the user’s.
Negatives: Necromancers or undead perceive the user as a beacon of trapped soul energy, potentially making them a priority target.

Extra-Sensory Perception: Emotional Resonance

User’s Perspective: A profound sense of “Being Watched” that has been inverted to be comforting rather than creepy. It feels like the safety of being a child while a parent watches from the porch. The “Shared Burden” feels like a pressure valve being released; panic hits you, then immediately drains away into the stone, leaving you coldly rational.
Observer’s Perspective: Standing next to the user feels “crowded.” There is a sense that the conversation is not private. Sensitive observers might feel a sudden, inexplicable wave of sadness if they stand too close while the locket is processing the user’s grief.
Positives: Prevents emotional burnout and PTSD mechanics.
Negatives: The “emotional dampening” can make the user seem unfeeling or robotic to their allies during tragic moments. The user might struggle to express genuine joy because the locket dampens all intense emotion to maintain stability.

Recipe: Ancestral Connections Locket

Tier: 1 Category: Enchanted Jewelry / Spirit Container Time to Craft: 3 Hours Success Chance: Difficulty Rating (DR) 11

Materials Needed:

1x Ingot of Reclaimed Silver: Must be silver that was previously worn or owned by a sentient being (old coins, cutlery, or jewelry). “New” silver has no memory and cannot hold a passenger.
1x Shard of Memory Glass (Obsidian): Harvested from a volcanic region. It must be flawless and black, capable of acting as a mirror.
1x Phial of Purified Sea Water: Collected at high tide (representing the connection between land and the pull of the moon).
1x Organic Binding Strand: A braid of leather, silk, or hair. If crafting for a specific person, hair from the intended wearer or their ancestor increases the quality.
1x Pinch of grave dirt or bone dust: To “prime” the vessel for necrotic energy.

Tools Required:

Jeweler’s Kit: Precision pliers, wire cutters, and a small hammer.
Spirit Lamp: A small, open-flame burner to heat the silver (magic-infused flame preferred).
Lapidary Wheel or Sandpaper: For polishing the obsidian lens.
Etching Stylus: A diamond-tipped tool for inscribing the interior.

Skill Requirements:

Crafting (Metalsmithing): Level 1.
Knowledge (Spirituality or Occult): To understand the geometry of soul-housing.
Mind’s Eye: Required to visualize the “empty space” inside the glass.

Crafting Steps:

Forging the Cradle: Melt down the Reclaimed Silver over the Spirit Lamp. As it softens, use the Jeweler’s Kit to hammer it into a small, hinged casing. You are not just making a box; you are making a tiny room. The metal must be worked while whispering words of welcome (“Safety,” “Rest,” “Home”) to align the metal’s lattice for spiritual habitation.
Polishing the Void: Take the Memory Glass (Obsidian) and grind it against the wheel or sandpaper. You must polish it until it is no longer a rock, but a dark mirror. When you look into it and see your own reflection clearly, it is ready to receive a second reflection.
The Etching of Invitation: On the inside of the silver casing (where the stone will sit), use the Etching Stylus to scribe the rune for “Open Door.” Dust this rune with the grave dirt. This tells spirits that this is not a prison, but a guest room.
Quenching the Memory: Heat the obsidian shard slightly, then drop it into the Phial of Sea Water. The thermal shock must be controlled so the glass does not crack. As it hisses, the water imparts the energy of the tides—the ability to pull memories in and wash emotions out.
Setting the Stone: Press the cooled obsidian into the silver cradle. Bend the silver prongs to hold it tight. Once set, the locket should feel strangely cold to the touch.
The Final Binding: Thread the Organic Binding Strand through the locket’s loop. To finish the item, you must hold it open and breathe gently onto the glass, fogging it up. As the fog fades, the item becomes “Active” and ready to be attuned by its first owner.

Saga of the Two-Souled Voyager
(Recovered from the basalt tablets of the Sunken Atoll, Third Dynasty)

In the time before the great steam engines breathed life into the iron ships, when the oceans were wide and the maps were blank, there lived a people who feared not the storm, but the Silence. For it is known that the sea is vast, and the mind of a man is small, and when the land is lost to the curve of the world, the Silence creeps in to eat the soul.

There were two brothers, born of the same tide—Jorin the Strong and Kael the Watcher. They were [soul-bound], inseparable as the hull and the keel. But the Age of Ash descended upon their island, the great mountain awoke with fire, and the sky turned to black glass.

In the chaos of the flight, a stone from the mountain’s throat struck Jorin. He fell upon the deck of their small skiff, his life bleeding into the salt water. Kael, weeping, held his brother as the darkness took him. But Jorin, fierce in his love, whispered, “I shall not leave you to the Silence. Bind me, brother. Make me the shadow at your heel.”

Kael took a shard of the black obsidian that had fallen from the sky—the very stone that had slain his kin. He polished it with his tears until it was a mirror of endless night. He took the silver clasp from his brother’s cloak and bent it with hands shaking from grief. As Jorin breathed his last, Kael held the black glass to his brother’s lips, catching the final exhalation, the final spark of will.

The glass went cold. The body of Jorin was given to the deep, but the weight of him remained.

Kael was alone on the endless gray water. Days turned to weeks. The food rotted, and the water skins grew light. Then came the true enemy: The Madness of the Hollow Horizon.

The Sky-Demons came—not beasts of flesh, but spirits of isolation. They circled Kael’s boat, whispering, “You are a speck. You are forgotten. You are one, and one is nothing.”

Kael felt the icy grip of terror squeeze his heart. He felt the urge to cast himself into the sea to end the loneliness. But as his mind began to crack, the black stone against his chest grew hot—burning hot.

The gray fog in his mind was pulled away, sucked into the stone. Kael gasped, his head suddenly clear, his heart steady. He looked down and saw the stone swirling with smoke. Jorin had taken the fear. Jorin had eaten the despair so Kael could stand.

That night, a storm rose—a tempest that no single pair of hands could master. The waves were mountains of crushing water. Kael steered the rudder, blind in the spray. He could not see the jagged reef approaching from the starboard side.

But suddenly, Kael felt a violent yank on his neck, as if a strong hand had grabbed his collar. He stumbled, jerking the rudder hard to the left. The boat heeled over, missing the razor-rock by the width of a breath.

In the flash of lightning, Kael looked to his side. There, standing on the prow, was a figure of pale blue mist—a silhouette of familiar shoulders, pointing the way through the churning foam.

“We are two!” Kael shouted into the roaring wind. “We are two, and we do not break!”

Kael returned to the remnant of his people, gray-haired and weather-beaten, but unbroken. He wore the locket until his final breath. When he died, he did not ascend alone. He simply closed his eyes, and the locket passed to his daughter, heavy with the love of two fathers.

Thus, the craft was taught. Thus, we learned that death is a door, but love is the hinge that keeps it from closing.

The Moral of the Story: The burden of the journey is too heavy for one set of shoulders; to walk with the dead is to never walk alone, for a shared grief is lighter than a solitary joy.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Name: The Mourner’s Mirror (Locket 417)

Description: A tarnished silver locket containing a piece of volcanic glass. It feels unnaturally cold until bonded to a keeper, after which it radiates a sickly, comforting warmth. It is rumored to house a “Passenger”—a spirit that eats the keeper’s fear in exchange for a ride.

Stats & Mechanics:

Cost: N/A (Occult Item)
Era: Any (1920s or Modern)

Powers:

The Empty Chair (Passive): The keeper is immune to Sanity loss caused purely by isolation, claustrophobia, or darkness. The Passenger whispers assurances that keep the mind tethered to reality.
Shared Burden (Reaction): When the keeper fails a Sanity (SAN) roll, they may voluntarily touch the locket. If they do, the SAN loss is reduced by 1D3. However, the obsidian shard clouds over. If this ability is used three times without a “cleansing ritual” (an hour of speaking to the spirit), the locket shatters, inflicting 1D6 damage and 1D4 SAN loss as the spirit departs violently.
Manifest Companion (Spell-like Ability): Cost: 3 Magic Points and 1 Sanity point. The keeper summons the spectral form of the Passenger for 10 minutes. The spirit provides a Bonus Die on Spot Hidden and Listen rolls, as it points out dangers the keeper misses. The spirit emits a faint, non-electric glow (1-yard radius).

Blades in the Dark

Name: Spirit-Vessel Locket

Description: A common trinket among Tycherosi sailors and superstitious scoundrels. It holds a ghost-echo, not fully alive but aware enough to watch your back.

Stats & Mechanics:

Load: 0 (Jewelry / Arcane Implement)
Tier: I (Common quality)

Abilities:

The Passenger (Assist): Once per score, the locket’s spirit can “Assist” you on a Survey or Study roll without a crewmate needing to spend Stress. The spirit points out a detail or whispers a warning.
Emotional Damping (Resistance): When you make a Resolve resistance roll against fear, terror, or supernatural presence, you take +1d. If you roll a critical (6,6), you clear 1 Stress as the locket absorbs the shock.
The Second Watch (Special): If you are asleep or unconscious and danger approaches, the locket will physically jolt you awake (Potency: Standard). You cannot be easily murdered in your sleep while wearing this.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition / 2024 Rules)

Name: Locket of the Silent Passenger Wondrous Item, Common (Requires Attunement)

Description: This silver amulet holds a shard of obsidian. When you attune to it, you designate a specific non-hostile humanoid spirit (such as an ancestor) to inhabit it. The locket feels warm when you are safe and cold when you are watched.

Mechanics:

Passive – Never Alone: While wearing this locket, you have Advantage on Saving Throws against being Frightened. Additionally, you cannot be surprised while you are conscious, provided the spirit inside the locket is not incapacitated (see below).
Active – Manifest Companion: As a Bonus Action, you can command the spirit to manifest. It appears as a translucent, Medium-sized humanoid within 5 feet of you. It has AC 10, 1 Hit Point, and a movement speed of 30 feet (hover). It cannot attack or interact with objects physically, but it sheds Dim Light in a 10-foot radius.
- While manifest, the spirit can take the Help action to aid you on Wisdom (Perception) or Intelligence (Investigation) checks.
- The manifestation lasts for 10 minutes or until dismissed (no action required). Once used, this property cannot be used again until you finish a Long Rest.
Active – Ancestral Recall: As an Action, you can query the spirit about a visual memory from the last 24 hours. You can recall any visual detail you have seen in that timeframe with perfect clarity, as if looking at a photograph.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Name: Ghost-Glass Locket

Description: A silver pendant with a black glass center. Whispers when opened.

Stats & Mechanics:

Slots: 1
Durability: 3

Traits:

Companion: The locket contains a minor spirit. You are immune to panic or morale failure caused by being alone or in darkness.
Watchman: If you sleep while wearing the locket, the spirit stays awake. It will wake you instantly if a creature approaches within 30 feet.
Absorb: If you would take Psychic damage or damage from a fear-based source, you can choose to have the locket take the damage instead (reducing its Durability). If Durability reaches 0, the glass breaks and the spirit is freed.

Fate (Core / Condensed)

Name: Locket of the Silent Passenger

Description: A tarnished silver locket with a center of dark volcanic glass. It contains the “echo” of a loved one who acts as a silent guardian against the psychological tolls of adventuring.

Aspects:

High Concept: Vessel of the Ancestral Passenger
Trouble: The Dead Are Always Watching

Stunts & Mechanics:

Shared Burden: You gain +2 to Will when Defending against mental attacks, fear, or attempts to inflict emotional consequences. The locket absorbs the shock.
Second Pair of Eyes: Because the spirit watches your blind spots, you can use Empathy instead of Notice to determine turn order (Initiative) in a physical conflict.
Manifest Companion: Once per session, you can open the locket to release the spirit. This automatically places the Situation Aspect Spectral Guidance on the scene with one free invoke. You can use this invoke to aid in investigation, scouting, or intimidation.

Numenera & Cypher System

Name: Mnestic-Echo Locket

Level: 3

Form: A metallic casing containing a synth-obsidian storage crystal.

Effect:

Passive: The wearer has an Asset on all Intellect defense tasks involving fear, intimidation, or telepathic intrusion. The onboard sub-routine (the “Passenger”) creates a mental firewall.
Active (Intellect cost 2): The wearer activates the holographic interface. For the next ten minutes, a translucent projection of a humanoid walks alongside the wearer. This projection provides an Asset to any perception-based tasks (searching, spotting ambushes) as it scans data the wearer misses.
Active (Intellect cost 3): The wearer triggers the “Recall” function. They can replay the last 10 minutes of visual and auditory input with perfect clarity, freezing and zooming in on details.

Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (Check each time an Active ability is used).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Name: Locket of the Vigilant Ancestor Item 3 Price: 60 gp Usage: Worn (Neck); Bulk: – Traits: Uncommon, Divination, Mental, Invested, Magical

Description: This silver pendant holds a shard of obsidian that seems to swirl with gray mist. When worn, the user feels a comforting presence, as if a friend is walking just a step behind them.

Passive Effect: While invested, you gain a +1 item bonus to Will saves against Fear effects. Additionally, you gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks for Initiative, as the spirit warns you of danger.

Activate [>>] Interact (Visual, Auditory); Frequency once per day; Effect You call forth the spirit within the locket. A ghostly, translucent figure appears in an adjacent square. The spirit sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius. For the next 10 minutes, whenever you attempt a Recall Knowledge check or a Seek action, the spirit aids you, granting you a +1 circumstance bonus to the check. The spirit cannot attack or be attacked, but it can point out details you might miss.

Activate [R] Envision; Trigger You fail a saving throw against an emotion effect; Effect The locket absorbs the emotional turmoil. You get a failure result instead of a critical failure, or a success instead of a failure. The locket becomes inert (no passive or active abilities) for 24 hours.

Savage Worlds (SWADE)

Name: Locket of the Passenger

Type: Enchanted Item Weight: 0.2 lbs Cost: $750 (Adjust based on setting economy)

Description: A simple silver locket that hums with spiritual energy. It grants the wearer the company of a ghost who acts as a scout and counselor.

Mechanics:

Never Alone: While wearing the locket, the character gains a +2 bonus to Fear checks. The spirit whispers courage into their mind.
Second Sight: The wearer gains the benefits of the Danger Sense Edge. If the character already has this Edge, they gain a +2 bonus to the Notice roll to detect the ambush.
Ghost Light: As a free action, the wearer can command the spirit to manifest. This functions as the Light power (no Power Points required). While manifest, the spirit can float up to 12 yards (6 squares) away to scout, though it cannot open doors or manipulate objects.
Recall: The wearer can make a Spirit roll to perfectly recall a specific detail (a face, a map, a document) seen within the last 24 hours. On a success, the GM must provide the specific detail requested.

Shadowrun (Sixth World / 6e)

Name: Spirit-Keeper Locket Category: Magic Item (Qi Focus / Detection Focus) Force: 3 Karma Cost: 6 Availability: 6R Cost: 4,500 Nuyen

Description: A silver locket containing a flake of obsidian. It is a common artifact among shamans and those who follow the Ancestor Spirit tradition. To the Awakened, the locket appears to have a small, dormant spirit attached to it, like a remora fish, which feeds on the wearer’s anxiety in exchange for vigilance.

Game Mechanics:

Bonding: Requires a Bonding Ritual (Cost: 6 Karma).
Shared Burden (Passive): The locket adds +2 dice to the wearer’s dice pool when resisting Manabolt, Stunbolt, or any spell with the Mental or Illusion tag. The spirit acts as a buffer for the user’s psyche.
Watcher’s Warning (Interrupt Action): When the wearer is subject to a Surprise Test, they may spend 1 Edge to allow the spirit to scream a warning directly into their mind. The wearer gains a +3 bonus to the Surprise Test and is considered to have Astral Perception for that specific test only (allowing them to react to astral threats).
Manifest Companion (Simple Action): The wearer can command the spirit to manifest as a visible, glowing vapor. This acts as a localized Clairvoyance sensor. The spirit can move up to (Magic x 2) meters away. The wearer can see what the spirit sees, but while doing so, their physical body takes a -2 penalty to all actions due to divided attention.

Starfinder (1st Edition)

Name: Mnestic-Companion Locket Level: 3 Price: 1,200 Credits Type: Hybrid Item (Magic/Tech) Bulk: L Slot: Neck

Description: This amulet combines a psychometric-reactive crystal (obsidian) with a micro-projector. It is favored by Kasathan explorers and Shirren mystics. The crystal stores the personality engram of a deceased relative, while the projector allows them to manifest visually.

Game Mechanics:

Capacity: 20 Charges (Uses a standard battery).
Emotional Dampeners (Passive): The locket’s crystal harmonizes with the wearer’s neural field. The wearer gains a +2 insight bonus to Will saving throws against fear and emotion-based effects.
Holo-Spirit (Move Action): Consumes 1 Charge. The wearer activates the projector, creating a hologram of the stored ancestor. The hologram sheds dim light in a 20-foot radius. For the next 10 minutes, the hologram can aid the wearer on Perception or Sense Motive checks (using the “Aid Another” action with a total bonus of +2). The hologram has no physical substance and cannot attack.
Black Box Recall (Standard Action): Consumes 2 Charges. The wearer can access the crystal’s visual buffer. They can replay the last hour of visual data recorded by the locket. This allows the wearer to make a Perception check to notice details they missed in the moment (e.g., a code on a datapad, a hidden enemy) with a +4 circumstance bonus.

Traveller (Mongoose 2e)

Name: Psionic Echo-Stone TL: 8 (Pre-Stellar / Psionic) Mass: – Cost: Cr 10,000 (Highly illegal in Imperial space, treated as Psionic Contraband)

Description: A primitive silver locket containing a psionically resonant volcanic glass. It is often dismissed as tribal jewelry, but in the hands of a Psion, it acts as a secondary mind.

Game Mechanics:

Requirement: User must have PSI 1+ to attune.
Mental Fortitude (Passive): The echo-stone acts as a mental heat-sink. The wearer treats their PSI characteristic as +2 higher for the purposes of resisting telepathic intrusion or fear-inducing psionic assaults.
The Passenger (Minor Action): The wearer can expend 1 Psi Point to awaken the echo. For the next combat round, the wearer cannot be Surprised. If an ambush occurs, the wearer acts on their normal Initiative score rather than being surprised.
Remote Viewing (Significant Action): Cost: 2 Psi Points. The wearer can close their eyes and see through the “spiritual” perspective of the locket. This grants DM+1 on any Investigate or Recon checks made to search a room, as the “second pair of eyes” highlights anomalies that the conscious mind ignores.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Name: The Widow’s Comfort Type: Trapping (Magical Talisman / Religious Relic) Encumbrance: 0 Availability: Scarce Price: 5 Gold Crowns (GC)

Description: A tarnished silver locket holding a piece of black glass, often sold by priests of Morr or hedge witches. It is said to hold the spirit of a departed loved one who guards the wearer against the terrors of the dark.

Game Mechanics:

Steel of the Ancestors: When making a Cool or Willpower Test to resist Fear or Terror, the wearer gains +1 Success Level (SL). The spirit whispers courage, preventing panic.
The Second Watch: If the wearer is Sleeping and an enemy approaches within 10 yards, the wearer makes an immediate Perception Test (Hard -20). If successful, the spirit wakes them instantly with a sharp, cold sensation on the chest, preventing the Surprised Condition.
Grief Eater: If the wearer gains a Corruption point from a mental source (such as witnessing a Daemon or reading a grimoire), they may choose to shatter the glass inside the locket. If they do, the Corruption point is negated, but the item is destroyed forever, and the spirit departs with a mournful wail.