Lore: A small, dark totem carved from the wood of an ancient, haunted tree and imbued with the essence of Baba Yaga herself. The totem is notorious for its double-edged magic. It offers protection by casting curses on foes but can also be volatile if used unwisely. The legend goes that this item was created for a mortal who sought the darker aspects of Baba Yaga’s wisdom. In its creation, the crone of the forest imbued the object with a sliver of her ability to afflict those who are deemed deserving of misfortune.
Stats:
- Slot: One accessory slot
- Tier: 1
- Rarity: Common
Roleplay: Characters using this item may find themselves morally conflicted, constantly walking the fine line between justified use and abuse of its power. It opens up a myriad of ethical dilemmas and character development opportunities, especially when it comes to the deployment of its curses.
Costs:
- Gold: 50 coins
- Mana: Drains 5 points for activating a curse
Magics:
- When activated, choose a target within 20 feet. That target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be afflicted with a minor curse. The curse could be a minor ailment like a persistent cough, clumsiness, or temporary loss of a sense (e.g., vision blurriness, dulled hearing). The effect lasts for 10 minutes.
- Can be activated once per long rest.
Tags: Magical, Cursed, Baba Yaga, Affliction, Defensive, Offensive
Defense and Offense in Different Environments:
- Forest: Extremely effective as it synergizes with the natural energies, making the curse more potent.
- Dungeon: Effective but risky, as the confined spaces might make it easier to accidentally afflict an ally.
- Open Field: Less effective due to the lack of natural energies to draw upon.
- Urban: The risk of affecting innocent bystanders increases, requiring the user to be cautious.
In a defensive capacity, the item could be used to afflict approaching enemies, effectively reducing their combat capabilities. On the offensive side, it can be used to target specific creatures or individuals, making them easier to defeat or capture. However, the afflictions are often unpredictable, and there’s always the risk of unintended consequences, both for the target and the user.
Perception of the Five Senses:
- Sight: The totem is dark, almost obsidian, intricately carved with arcane symbols and a vague form resembling Baba Yaga’s visage.
- Positives: Easy to identify due to its unique appearance.
- Negatives: Could attract unwanted attention due to its ominous look.
- Touch: The totem feels slightly cold and has a texture resembling bark and bone fused together.
- Positives: Durable and resistant to wear and tear.
- Negatives: Unpleasant to touch for extended periods.
- Smell: The item emits a subtle scent of damp earth and herbs, tinged with a note of something burning.
- Positives: The smell might be nostalgic or comforting to some.
- Negatives: The scent could be off-putting to others and may attract certain creatures.
- Taste: Not applicable, as it is not intended for oral consumption.
- Sound: When activated, a faint whispering can be heard, as though murmuring the curse that will be inflicted.
- Positives: Provides auditory confirmation of activation.
- Negatives: The whispering could be disturbing or draw attention.
- Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
- Magical Aura: Detectable as a mix of protective and malevolent energies intertwined.
- Positives: Easily identifiable by those with the ability to sense magic.
- Negatives: The complex aura could be interpreted as a sign of dangerous, unpredictable magic.
- Emotional Resonance: Those sensitive to emotions might feel a swirl of contradictory feelings like wisdom, malice, and cunning emanating from the item.
- Positives: Can provide insights into the item’s nature.
- Negatives: The emotional noise could be distracting or upsetting.
- Magical Aura: Detectable as a mix of protective and malevolent energies intertwined.
Recipe for Creation:
- Ingredients:
- One branch from a haunted tree, approximately 12 inches in length
- A vial of crow’s feather ink
- Soil from a crossroad collected during a new moon
- Ash from a burned sage bundle
- A drop of the creator’s blood
- Steps:
- Carve the branch into a totem shape, incorporating symbols and images related to Baba Yaga and affliction.
- Lay the carved totem on a flat surface and form a circle around it using the soil from the crossroad.
- Light the sage bundle and let it burn to ash. Sprinkle the ash over the totem.
- Use the crow’s feather ink to darken the carvings, adding more weight to the symbols.
- Chant an incantation dedicated to Baba Yaga, invoking her spirit and asking for a sliver of her power.
- Conclude the ritual by adding a drop of the creator’s blood to the totem, binding the magic within.
- Leave the totem in the circle until the first light of dawn, after which it is ready for use.
Tale of Afflicted Wisdom Totem
Long-before-time, in wood deep and murky, where spirits roam and trees whisper, came totem from Baba Yaga, crone of magics dark and light. One young-man-heart-filled-with-greed, wander into wood. Seek power, seek magic, never understanding costs.
Totem find him, or maybe he find totem. No tell which first. He grasp totem in hand, and whispers fill air. He feel strong. He feel invincible. Eyes wide with lust for more. He break village rules, take what not belong, harm those weak.
But totem, it tricky. It also fill him with pain, slow and creeping. Skin turn to bark, veins turn to vine. He become part of wood he once roam. Stuck forever, a warning sign to others.
People say, totem still there, somewhere in wood. Sometimes bring pain, sometimes bring wisdom, depending who hold. But always, always, it echo the essence of Baba Yaga herself. Complex, unfathomable, neither black nor white.
Moral of the Story: In grasp for power, overlook not the costs; for every boon has its bane, and every wisdom its folly.
Suggested conversion to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Rarity: Common
- Effects:
- Sanity Loss: 1d4 upon activation
- Gain insight into a problem or mystery at hand
- Risk of mild hallucinations
- Cost: 5 Cthulhu Mythos points to activate
Dungeons & Dragons 5e
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Rarity: Common
- Slot: One hand
- Properties:
- Requires Attunement
- You gain advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks for 1 minute.
- You suffer 1d6 psychic damage upon activation.
- Cost: 25 gold pieces
Knave
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Rarity: Common
- Slots: 1
- Use:
- Gain the ability to speak with animals for 10 minutes.
- Suffer a -1 penalty to all saving throws for the duration.
- Cost: 20 silver coins
Numenera & Cypher System
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Level: 1
- Effect:
- User gains the ability to identify poisons for 28 hours.
- User takes 2 points of Intellect damage.
- Cost: 5 shins
Pathfinder 2e
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Level: 1
- Price: 25 gp
- Usage: Held in 1 hand
- Activate: 1 action
- Effect:
- Gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks for 1 minute.
- Suffer a -1 penalty to AC for the duration.
Savage Worlds
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Rarity: Common
- Effects:
- Gain +2 to Notice rolls for 3 rounds.
- Suffer a -1 penalty to Toughness for the duration.
- Cost: 50 credits
Shadowrun
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Availability: 3
- Effect:
- Gain +2 to Assensing Tests for 3 minutes.
- Suffer a -2 penalty to all Charisma-linked tests for the duration.
- Cost: 200¥
Starfinder
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Level: 1
- Price: 250 credits
- Usage: Held in one hand
- Effect:
- Gain a +1 insight bonus to Mysticism checks for 1 hour.
- Suffer a -1 penalty to Will saving throws for the duration.
Warhammer
Item: Afflicted Wisdom Totem
- Rarity: Common
- Effect:
- Gain +10% to Magical Sense tests for 2 turns.
- Suffer -10% to all Defensive tests for the duration.
- Cost: 2 Gold Crowns