Contract 12 of the Shifting Scales

Appearance:  This contract takes the form of a small, delicately engraved silver locket. The engravings depict stylized scales in a constant state of flux, never quite reaching a perfect balance.

Lore:   Legends speak of an indecisive judge who forever agonized over the weight of their verdicts. Desperate for clarity, they sought guidance from a capricious fey creature known for its love of riddles and bargains. The fey offered the judge this enchanted locket, claiming it would bring balance to troubled thoughts… at a price.

Detailed Stats:

• Slot: Necklace
• Roleplay Emphasis: Ambivalence. The wielder often sees both sides of an issue, leading to indecision, frustrating neutrality, or even a sense of internal conflict.
• Costs: 300 gold (Common)

Passive Magics:

• Ambivalent Mind: The wearer has Advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to discern motives and analyze situations but suffers Disadvantage on Charisma (Persuasion) and Charisma (Intimidation) checks.

Active Magics:

• Tipping the Scales (3 uses per day): The wearer can focus on a creature within 30 feet as an action. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be plagued by indecision. For the next minute, the target has Disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks.

Tags: Arcane, Fey, Enchantment

Roleplaying Notes:

• The wielder might constantly weigh options, change their mind mid-conversation, or express contradictory opinions.
• This internal conflict might manifest as physical hesitation or a tendency to outwardly seek advice from others.
• The locket offers a glimpse into the weight of decisions, but at the cost of the wearer’s own ability to act decisively.

The Price of the Contract:  There’s always a cost. Is there a hidden fee the character unknowingly pays, a task to be completed for the fey patron, or a subtle manipulation of their judgment with unforeseen consequences?

The Duality of Indecision: Contract 12 of the Shifting Scales in Action

• Defense (Social Situations):
  • Weakening Resolve: When facing intimidation or persuasion attempts, the Tipping the Scales ability can turn the tables. By making opponents doubt themselves, the character can lessen the threat or create an opening for escape.
  • Playing Devil’s Advocate: The Ambivalent Mind ability allows the character to identify flaws in arguments, making them difficult targets for manipulation or deception. However, this can also lead to being seen as argumentative or disruptive.
  • Feigned Detachment: By expressing an air of detached neutrality, the character can discourage others from seeking their support or involving them in conflicts. However, this can isolate them or make them seem untrustworthy.
• Offense (Social Situations):
  • Planting Seeds of Doubt: The character can subtly use their Ambivalent Mind to point out potential flaws or risks in an opponent’s plan, sowing seeds of uncertainty that unravel their confidence.
  • Exploiting Indecision: By identifying an opponent’s wavering resolve, the character can use Tipping the Scales to push them over the edge and force a rash decision. This could be used to create an opening for an attack or to manipulate a negotiation in their favor.
  • Creating Confusion: The character can play both sides, expressing contradictory opinions that leave others bewildered and unable to predict their next move. This can be used to distract adversaries or create a window of opportunity for subterfuge.
• General Roleplay
  • The Paralysis of Analysis: The character’s indecisiveness can be a hindrance in fast-paced situations, leading to missed opportunities or delayed reactions. This can be both a comedic and frustrating aspect of their personality.
  • Unforeseen Consequences: Using Tipping the Scales can backfire. An opponent might use their own indecision to their advantage, or the character might create chaos they can’t control.
  • The Price of Neutrality: While neutrality can be a shield, it can also prevent the character from forming strong bonds or taking a stand for what they believe in.
• Remember:
  • The key to successful roleplay is to explore both the benefits and drawbacks of the locket’s magic. Don’t let the character become a one-note cynic.
  • Look for creative ways to utilize the character’s indecisiveness. Can they use it to their advantage in unexpected situations?
  • Consider how the character might grapple with the internal conflict the locket creates. Are they seeking a way to break the contract or learn to control its effects?

Perception of Activation:

• Sight
  • Perceived: The engravings on the locket seem to ripple and flow, never settling into a fixed pattern. A faint, opalescent glow surrounds the locket.
  • Description: The visual effect is subtle yet unsettling, reflecting the constant flux of uncertainty the locket embodies.
  • Positives: The shifting engravings serve as a visual reminder of the item’s power and the potential for influencing decisions.
  • Negatives: The constantly changing patterns can be distracting if the wearer focuses on them too intently.
• Sound
  • Perceived: A faint, whispering sound emanates from the locket similar to the rustling of dry leaves or sand shifting in the wind.
  • Description: The sound is almost subliminal, suggesting the subtle influence the locket has on thoughts and decisions.
  • Positives: The whispering can be oddly soothing to the wearer, offering a sense of shifting possibilities.
  • Negatives: The constant subtle sound could be irritating to some or make it difficult to concentrate.
• Touch
  • Perceived: The locket feels slightly cool to the touch, and its surface seems to ripple beneath the wearer’s fingers.
  • Description: The tactile sensation reinforces the unsettling nature of the item’s magic and hints at its influence over balance.
  • Positives: The sensation can serve as a grounding reminder of the locket’s presence and its effects.
  • Negatives: The unusual feeling might cause some wearers to be wary or even slightly repulsed by the item.
• Extra-Sensory Perception: Mind’s Eye
  • Perceived: When the locket is activated, the wearer experiences fleeting visions of scales tipping back and forth, reflecting conflicting choices or unresolved dilemmas.
  • Description: These visions are momentary and abstract, symbolizing the state of internal debate induced by the locket’s magic.
  • Positives: Provides a visual representation of the item’s ability to influence decisions.
  • Negatives: The constant barrage of visions can become disorienting or even distressing, especially for those seeking firm answers.
• Extra-Sensory Perception: Empathic Resonance
  • Perceived: The wearer develops a heightened sensitivity to the doubts and unspoken anxieties of others.
  • Description: This perception manifests as subtle emotional impressions or intuitive senses of hidden motivations and conflicts.
  • Positives: Grants a greater understanding of people’s complexities and allows the wearer to anticipate potential conflicts.
  • Negatives: The constant influx of external doubts can be emotionally draining or make it difficult to separate one’s own feelings from those of others.

Recipe: The Locket of Deliberation

• Materials Needed:
  • Fey-Touched Silver: Silver infused with subtle fey magic, identifiable by a faint, iridescent sheen. Enough is needed to form a delicate locket.
  • Uncut Gemstone: A gemstone known for its balanced properties and subtle color change, such as opal or moonstone. This will become the heart of the locket.
  • Whispers of Indecision: This could be dried herbs associated with confusion, a drop of quicksilver, or a shard of a broken mirror – something that symbolizes uncertainty.
  • Enchanted Ink: Ink infused with the magic of enchantment and illusion, used for inscribing the locket.
• Tools Required:
  • Jeweler’s Tools: A precision kit for working with silver and gemstones.
  • Engraving Tools: Necessary for inscribing the delicate shifting scale design onto the locket.
  • Enchanter’s Workspace: A secure location with access to wards and specialized tools for imbuing items with magical properties.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Arcana (Proficiency): Knowledge of arcane principles, especially those related to fey magic, illusions, and the manipulation of perceptions.
  • Jewelcrafting (Advantage): Expertise in jewelcrafting allows for finer work on the locket and proper setting of the gemstone.
  • Nature (Advantage): Knowledge of fey lore and the natural world can aid in identifying suitable materials and understanding the symbolism of the Whispers of Indecision.
• Crafting Steps
  • Forge the Locket:
    • With meticulous care, forge the fey-touched silver into a delicate locket, leaving a cavity for the gemstone.
    • Etch the shifting scale design onto the locket’s surface, drawing upon your Arcana knowledge to infuse the symbols with subtle enchantment.
  • Imbue the Gemstone:
    • Focus your intent on the gemstone, imbuing it with the essence of uncertainty. Visualize shifting colors and a constant flux of potential within the gem.
    • Carefully place the Whispers of Indecision in contact with the gemstone to further enhance its properties.
  • Enchanted Assembly:
    • Secure the imbued gemstone within the locket.
    • Using the enchanted ink, inscribe a brief invocation to a fey being known for their fickle nature or a cryptic riddle about the nature of choice.
  • Fey Blessing:
    • Under the light of a waning moon, leave the completed locket in a secluded forest clearing or at a fey crossing.
    • Recite a plea for balance and clarity of thought, acknowledging the capricious nature of the fey and their potential price for such a boon.
• Important Notes:
  • The specifics of the fey being invoked are crucial to the item’s function and potential drawbacks.
  • The crafting process can be infused with ritual or ceremony, enhancing the connection to the fey origins of the artifact.
  • Crafting this item requires a delicate balance of mundane skill and arcane understanding.

Locket of Fickle Fate
A Boon or a Curse?

Through whispers on the wind and tales etched on crumbling clay tablets comes a legend of a sculptor, their hands as steady as the mountain, their heart as cold and unfeeling as polished marble. Their creations, though breathtakingly lifelike, held no warmth, no spark of emotion. Desperate to infuse their art with the essence of life, the sculptor embarked on a perilous journey.

They braved treacherous canyons and swam across starlit seas, seeking the fabled realm of the Fae. Finally, after months of hardship, they reached a hidden grove bathed in perpetual twilight. There, they encountered a creature of impossible beauty, its form shimmering like moonlight on water. This was the Queen of Fae, her gaze as captivating as it was unsettling.

The sculptor poured out their woes, their voice echoing through the silent grove. The Queen listened with amusement, then spoke in a voice like tinkling bells, “Life is a dance between joy and sorrow, certainty and doubt. You seek a single note, yet the melody lies in their harmony.”

Intrigued, the Queen offered a deal. She would grant the sculptor a locket, imbued with a sliver of her fickle essence. “Through it,” she spoke, “you shall perceive the fleeting beauty of doubt, the unexpected grace of uncertainty.” But remember, “Fae bargains come with a twist.”

The sculptor, desperate in their ambition, readily agreed. Upon returning, they created their masterpiece – a statue that seemed to shift and change depending on the light and the viewer’s perspective. Awe turned to bewilderment, however, as the statue’s expression mirrored the audience’s own doubts and anxieties. The sculptor, horrified by their creation, shattered it, destroying the locket in the process.

Moral: Though certainty offers comfort, true beauty lies in the dance of life’s complexities. Embrace the fleeting moments of doubt, for they are what give meaning to moments of clarity.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

• Artifact: The Locket is likely a Minor Artifact imbued with a subtle touch of the fey, likely tied to creatures from the Dreamlands or another otherworldly realm.
• Sanity Cost: Prolonged use of the Locket imposes a sanity cost (perhaps 1/1D4), as its whispers of doubt and subtle manipulations of perception erode the wearer’s certainty.
• Skill Bonuses: Provides bonuses to Insight, Psychology, or a Lore skill related to the fey and otherworldly beings.
• Mythos Connection: Extended use, investigation into its origins, or exposure to a powerful fey might increase the character’s Cthulhu Mythos rating.

Blades in the Dark

• Vice Purveyor: The Locket functions as a unique Vice Purveyor, offering a glimpse into hidden motivations at the cost of inner turmoil.
• Stress Cost: Using both the passive and active abilities of the Locket inflicts Stress as the wearer grapples with the implications of what is revealed, forcing difficult choices that are never entirely clear.
• Claims: The Tipping the Scales ability could be used to create Claims against those whose indecision has been amplified, representing future leverage that might backfire spectacularly.
• The Whisper Mechanic: The locket’s influence can be a special ability, complicating scenes or fueling desperate, contradictory actions depending on the situation, in line with a Whisper’s chaotic nature.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

• Rarity: Likely a Rare wondrous item.
• Attunement: The Locket might require attunement, reflecting the bond formed between the wielder and its unsettling magic.
• Stat Bonuses: +2 Wisdom (Insight), potential bonuses to Intelligence (Investigation) or Charisma (Deception) depending on the character’s focus.
• Tipping the Scales: Modeled as a spell-like ability (similar to the low-level Charm Person spell), usable 3/day with Wisdom as the casting ability.
• Lore: Extensive lore surrounding the Feywild or another suitable plane, as well as the specific fey entity who granted this boon, will be essential for integrating this item into your campaign.

Knave

• Treasure: The Locket is a unique Treasure with a hefty value, reflecting the potential power it holds for the right (or wrong) individual.
• Skill Check Replacements: Bonuses to Insight and relevant social skills translate to replacing a d20 roll with a d8 or d10, in line with Knave’s mechanics.
• Whispers of Doubt as Intrusion: The Locket’s constant whispers and shifting perceptions are fantastic GM Intrusion tools, throwing unexpected complications, confusing information, or bouts of internal conflict into the scene.
• Tipping the Scales as a Complication: This ability is potent but risky. Failed social rolls could trigger dire Complications, as per Knave’s rules.

Fate (Core or Accelerated)

• Artifact of Power: The Locket functions as a powerful artifact with its own unique set of aspects and narrative weight.
• Aspects: Examples include “Scales of Shifting Perspective,” “Whispers of Indecisive Winds,” and “Bound by a Fey Bargain.” These aspects can be invoked, compelled, and influence tag bonuses.
• Stunts: Encourage the creation of custom stunts to enhance the use of the Locket. Potential stunts could provide bonuses to create advantages relating to discerning hidden motivations, sowing seeds of doubt in others, or temporarily breaking free from the locket’s paralyzing influence.
• Consequences: Each use of the Locket should have Consequences ranging from mild mental stress (“Clouded Judgement”) to attracting unwanted attention from the fey or those drawn to its manipulative power.

Numenera & Cypher System

• Artifact: The Locket functions as a level 4-6 artifact, granting potent perceptual abilities. It might be a unique cypher with limited uses and a chance of unintended consequences.
• Descriptor: The Locket grants the descriptor “Hesitant” or “Fey-Touched.”
• Abilities: Reduces the difficulty of tasks related to Insight, reading emotions, or identifying ulterior motives by one or two steps. The Tipping the Scales ability is a potent power with a hefty cost in Intellect points, or a cypher-like effect with a risk of unintended consequences or depletion.
• Depletion: A 1 in d100 chance of depletion upon use, reflecting the volatile nature of its transformative magic. Depletion could result in a period of unshakable certainty (ironically limiting the character), or the fey patron demanding a favor for continued use.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

• Rarity: Likely a Rare or Unique magic item.
• Item Bonus: +2 Item Bonus to Perception checks, with potential bonuses to other skills like Sense Motive (to interpret intentions) or Society (to understand shifting public opinion).
• Invested: This item likely requires the wearer to be Invested to properly channel its arcane nature.
• Action: Tipping the Scales: A special action (possibly two Actions) with a Will save by the target. Success reveals the user’s intent, while failure imposes a condition like “Flat-Footed” or “Stupefied” for a short duration.
• The Fey Patron: The Locket could offer a unique Background choice for the wielder, with thematic boons and potential drawbacks reflecting their connection to a fickle fey entity.

Savage Worlds

• Hindrance: The potential for indecision and internal conflict aligns well with a custom Hindrance (Major), offsetting the Locket’s benefits.
• Edges: Consider custom Edges like “Eyes of Ambivalence” (providing bonuses to Notice and social rolls where reading people is key) or “Whispers of Doubt” (allowing the character to sow confusion among opponents).
• Power: Tipping the Scales: Model it as a new Arcane Power with the Trappings of fey illusions and mental manipulation. Potential Backlash upon failure ties into Savage Worlds’ mechanics.
• Setting Specific: Adjust lore and the nature of the fey patron to fit your chosen Savage Worlds setting. (Deadlands, Weird War II, etc.)

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

• Focus: The Locket functions as a magical focus, specifically a Power Focus. Its social and mental manipulation powers make it ideal for Face or Mage archetypes.
• Tradition: The fey origins suggest a Hermetic or Shamanic focus, though a custom tradition focused on doubt and illusions could be even more thematic.
• Drain: Using the Locket should incur a significant Drain Value (4-6), especially for activating its Tipping the Scales ability.
• Astral Signature: The Locket’s constant arcane activity leaves a distinct astral signature, potentially attracting unwanted attention from other mages who recognize the hint of fey magic or entities drawn to its aura of uncertainty.

Starfinder

• Hybrid Item: It fits thematically as a hybrid item (both magical and technological).
• Rarity and Level: Likely a Rare item, around item level 7-10.
• Skills: Bonuses to Insight, Sense Motive, and perhaps Diplomacy to reflect its ability to read hidden conflicts and subtle manipulations.
• Tipping the Scales as an Exploit: Model Tipping the Scales as a technomancy exploit, but with a chance of temporary system malfunction on a failed social roll, caused by the unpredictable nature of the locket’s magic.
• Alignment and Patron: Consider if the Locket has a specific alignment restriction, potentially reflecting the nature of the fey patron (chaotic vs. lawful, etc.). It could also be of alien origin, the focus of a mysterious xenoarchaeological find.

Traveller (MgT2)

• Psionic Artifact: The Locket could be a relic of a lost psionic civilization or a minor psionic artifact with a focus on uncertainty and social manipulation.
• Psionic Skills: Provides bonuses to relevant skills like Scrutiny, Counselor, or even Telepathy to tap into the empathic nature of perceiving doubt.
• Psionic Strain: Using active abilities, especially Tipping the Scales, should cause psionic strain, reflecting the mental exertion involved.
• The Trickster Patron: The fey patron becomes a mysterious plot hook – perhaps an enigmatic psionic entity from the distant past with a fondness for chaos, a manipulative alien intelligence, or an artificial intelligence seeking to understand human uncertainty.

Warhammer (Fantasy or 40,000 – Rogue Trader)

• Warp-Touched Artifact: This item screams “touched by the Warp/Chaos!” Its focus on doubt and internal conflict makes it an unusual Warp-touched artifact linked to a lesser-known Chaos Power or a renegade, trickster entity.
• Forbidden Lore: The Locket provides a bonus to various Lore Skills depending on the edition (Scholastic Lore, Numerology, etc.), as well as a bit of Forbidden Lore related to the Warp or the fickle denizens that reside within.
• Corruption/Insanity: Using the Locket risks Corruption in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, or Insanity in Warhammer 40k: Rogue Trader. This risk is slightly lower than with typical tainted items as its influence is primarily internal, but the danger remains.
• The Fickle Patron: The true ‘patron’ of this artifact is likely a daemon of a minor Chaos power, a warp entity drawn to amusement, or a xenos entity with an inscrutable fascination with human doubt.