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Jinn 4192 of the Masons Ember Plumb

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by

Dale
in
  • Lore: Forged in the stone-quarries of the island nation of Erlitou, this iron-bound stone level was blessed by a master builder who struck a pact with a minor jinn of smokeless fire. The architect sought a tool that could reveal structural flaws hidden deep within stone and ensure that foundations would endure the violent earth-tides of Saṃsāra. Bound with an elemental flame that never consumes its casing, the device warms the hands of the builder while casting an ember-like glow over lines of stress, load, and ancient masonry.
  • Description: A heavy rectangular block of dark basalt bound in tarnished brass bands, featuring a hollowed center channel that holds a sealed, heat-resistant quartz cylinder. Instead of liquid and an air bubble, the cylinder contains a suspended, smokeless flame-orb that shifts precisely along etched runic markers. A fine bronze chain hangs from the top ring, allowing it to be suspended as a plumb line. When active, the basalt body radiates a steady thermal heat, and the suspended flame-orb projects narrow beams of ultraviolet light along structural planes.
  • Detailed Stats:
    • Item Tier: Tier 1 (Common)
    • Required Character Tier: Tier 1 or higher
    • Recommended Value: 16 Gold (Varies by local market, access, and buyer demand)
    • Resilience: 10
    • Maximum Item Hit Points: 10 (Item Base: 10 × Tier 1 = 10, plus maximum avatar hit points)
    • Armor Check (AC): 0
    • Attunement: Requires 1 minute of simple attunement while held in hands.
    • Material Composition: Dark Basalt, Tarnished Brass Bands, Quartz Cylinder, Bronze Chain.
  • Passives Magic:
    • Structural Intuition: The architect gains a bonus to perception, insight, and skill checks made to evaluate architectural stability, spot load-bearing weaknesses, locate hidden rooms, or analyze ancient masonry techniques.
    • Warmth of the Stonemason: The bound elemental spirit radiates a constant, comforting warmth through the architect’s hands and forearms, preventing physical numbness in freezing conditions and granting advantage on checks made to resist cold-weather fatigue during long building operations.
    • Foundation Memory: The architect’s Mind’s Eye passively records the exact dimensions, angles, and structural composition of any building or ruin examined, allowing them to recall full architectural schematics at any time.
  • Activable Magics:
    • Ember-Line Alignment: As an action, the architect holds the item and speaks a somatic flourish. The quartz cylinder projects bright, smokeless ultraviolet grid-lines up to 30 feet across surrounding surfaces for 10 minutes. This highlights weak stress points, hidden latches, or structural flaws in walls, floors, and ceilings. On an attack targeted at a structural weak point, the attack applies its standard damage plus tier damage (1d4 at Tier 1).
    • Seal of the Smokeless Vault: As an action, the architect chants a brief somatic phrase while touching the plumb to a doorframe, archway, or wall seam. A barrier of superheated air and fine ash seals the boundary for 1 minute, increasing the Difficulty Class (DC) to break, force open, or bypass the portal. (Chanted silently: duration is reduced by 25%; Chanted as a ritual lasting longer than 6 seconds: extends the effect duration to 10 minutes).
  • Specific Slot:
    • Hand Slot (Left or Right, held item)
  • Tags:
    • Jinn, Architect, Tier 1, Common, Hand Slot, Basalt, Quartz, Brass, Masonry, Structure, Mind’s Eye, Conduit, Masonry, Plumb, Blueprint, Construction, Vault, Heat, Furnace, Alignment, Keystone, Foundation, Stonecraft

Acquisition and Transaction Dynamics of the Mason’s Ember-Plumb

  • Family-Owned Stonecraft Shops and Guild Tool Outfitters
    • Location and Setting: Located along the artisan corridors of state cities or within the stonemason quarters surrounding central capital cities. These small, family-run shops cater to master builders, stonecutters, and structural engineers seeking specialized crafting tools.
    • Buying Process: Independent proprietors evaluate the item through physical examination and their Mind’s Eye. Transactions involve direct haggling under the traditional “buyer beware” principle, where value is negotiated based on local availability and buyer demand.
    • Selling Process: Shopkeepers buy from adventuring avatars at a markdown to ensure resale profit, recording the transaction in local ledgers for municipal tax reviews.
    • Cost to Buy from Merchant: 16 Gold coins for standard buyers. Active members of recognized stonemason or architect guilds receive a 10% discount per character tier level (14 Gold and 4 Silver coins for a Tier 1 character).
    • Cost/Payout when Selling to Merchant: Merchants haggle starting around 10% of the item’s suggested value per character tier level. A Tier 1 avatar selling this item receives approximately 1 Gold and 6 Silver coins, deposited directly into their World Bank account.
  • Guildhall Engineering Depots and Official Supply Vaults
    • Location and Setting: Official guildhalls established within cities of five thousand or more residents, administered by an appointed military official or veteran Guild Master.
    • Buying Process: Access is structured and regulated. Avatars must present official credentials or guild membership badges to purchase specialized architectural or siege-engineering equipment. Prices strictly follow local guild tariffs.
    • Selling Process: Guild depots acquire certified construction gear and residual magic items to supply city public works and novice builders. Items are thoroughly inspected for structural integrity, hit points, and attunement status.
    • Cost to Buy from Merchant: 16 Gold coins base value. Officially registered Guild Members receive a 10% discount per character tier level (14 Gold and 4 Silver coins at Tier 1).
    • Cost/Payout when Selling to Merchant: Depots pay the standard regulated merchant rate of 10% of item value per character tier level (1 Gold and 6 Silver coins at Tier 1), processed through World Bank ledgers.
  • Black-Market Salvage Fences and Covert Brokers
    • Location and Setting: Operating in hidden backrooms of rural taverns, secluded dockside warehouses outside city gates, or underground excavations far from state guard posts.
    • Buying Process: All transactions are conducted strictly in physical gold coins rather than World Bank transfers. No questions are asked regarding where the item was recovered, and no records are kept for local tax assessors.
    • Selling Process: Black-market dealers assess the item for its covert utility, such as using its active abilities to breach vault walls, identify structural weak points in fortresses, or seal security doors during illegal operations.
    • Cost to Buy from Merchant: Sold at full value or higher due to the covert nature of the trade, ranging from 16 Gold coins to 32 Gold coins depending on local demand and seller greed. Faction and guild discounts do not apply.
    • Cost/Payout when Selling to Merchant: If the dealer has an immediate buyer or highly values the item’s breach capabilities, they pay up to twice the standard merchant rate (3 Gold and 2 Silver coins in physical gold cash for a Tier 1 seller). If demand is low, they pay the standard merchant rate of 1 Gold and 6 Silver coins in physical gold cash while keeping the trade completely secret.

Application of the Mason’s Ember-Plumb in Combat and Roleplay Operations

  • Sun-Drenched Ruined Temples (Surface Land Environment)
    • Offensive Roleplay Application: Suspended high above an ancient temple courtyard on a decaying stone balcony, the architect activates Ember-Line Alignment. Holding the basalt plumb line steady, bright ultraviolet grid-lines sweep across the stone structures below, illuminating a hidden stress fault in a massive support pillar shielding an enemy commander. The architect directs the party’s heavy strikes toward that exact keystone, causing the pillar to collapse under its own weight and dealing full physical damage plus fire-infused tier damage to the target.
    • Defensive Roleplay Application: When ambushed by ancient stone guardians emerging from subterranean crypts, the architect chants a brief somatic phrase and touches the plumb to the ancient stone archway of a narrow passageway. Activating Seal of the Smokeless Vault, a barrier of superheated air and fine ash seals the doorway, increasing the difficulty for the massive guardians to push through and giving the party time to retreat or establish defensive positions.
  • Flooded Caverns and Sunken Vaults (Underwater and Surface Water Environment)
    • Offensive Roleplay Application: Wading through waist-deep water in a flooded subterranean ruin, thick mist and rising vapors obscure vision. Using Structural Intuition, the architect analyzes the water-worn masonry without needing clear line of sight, identifying an unstable underwater wall segment. Reaching out with a crowbar or heavy hammer, the architect strikes the identified weak point, releasing a torrent of trapped water and loose masonry onto approaching amphibious predators.
    • Defensive Roleplay Application: The damp, freezing atmosphere of subterranean flooded vaults can quickly numb a builder’s hands and make holding tools impossible. The plumb’s Warmth of the Stonemason continuously circulates an ember-like warmth through the architect’s forearms and hands. This prevents physical numbness, allowing the architect to maintain a steady grip on weapons, shields, or lockpicks while executing critical skill checks in freezing water.
  • Mage Tower Cloud Complexes and Airships (Atmospheric Environment)
    • Offensive Roleplay Application: During a high-altitude assault on a floating mage tower or cloud fortress, structural integrity is paramount to keeping the structure airborne. The architect uses their Foundation Memory passive via the Mind’s Eye to mentally recall the complete blueprint of the tower’s levitation core chamber from a previous inspection. Relying on this stored schematic, the architect leads the team directly through airducts and maintenance shafts to sabotage the central engine room.
    • Defensive Roleplay Application: When an enemy airship initiates a boarding action against a floating tower, the architect performs an extended ritual version of Seal of the Smokeless Vault. By chanting the spell for longer than six seconds, the thermal ash barrier on the main access bridge expands its duration to 10 minutes. This superheated wall blocks boarding parties, protecting fragile flight conduits and forcing attackers onto narrow, exposed approach paths.
  • High-Magic Steampunk Factories and Urban Depots (Industrial Environment)
    • Offensive Roleplay Application: Inside a steam-powered manufacturing plant filled with heavy machinery and iron support girders, the architect activates Ember-Line Alignment to project glowing grid-lines across the factory floor. By targeting high-pressure steam pipes or structural rivets holding up heavy overhead cranes, the architect guides ranged attacks to sever specific supports, dropping industrial equipment onto hostile constructs or rogue technicians.
    • Defensive Roleplay Application: Cornered in a narrow factory vault by armored automata, the architect uses the heavy basalt block of the plumb line as a improvised defensive focal point. Touching the item to the heavy reinforced vault door frame, the architect triggers Seal of the Smokeless Vault, superheating the door jambs and locking the heavy steel doors in place from the inside, effectively creating a temporary safehouse for the party to rest and recover.

Perception of Activation:

  • User’s Perspective
    • Sight: Upon invoking an activation, the suspended flame-orb inside the quartz cylinder flares from a quiet ember into a brilliant, smokeless fire-core. Bright, laser-sharp ultraviolet and orange alignment grid-lines project outward from the stone body, painting geometric blueprints across nearby masonry, walls, and archways. When activating Seal of the Smokeless Vault, a shimmering wall of superheated air and fine floating ash rises along the chosen doorframe or wall seam.
    • Sound: A low, resonant hum—resembling a distant stone organ note—vibrates through the basalt casing, accompanied by the quiet, steady crackle of a controlled furnace hearth.
    • Touch: The heavy basalt block radiates a sudden, deep wave of elemental warmth through the palm and fingers, relaxing tired wrist joints and driving away cold-weather stiffness.
    • Smell: The user detects a sharp, dry aroma of crushed limestone, hot granite, and baked clay, reminiscent of a sun-baked stone quarry at high noon.
    • Taste: A faint, dry mineral sensation reminiscent of stone dust and warm copper rests on the back of the palate.
    • Extra-Sensory Perception (Mind’s Eye): The user experiences a instantaneous spatial expansion. Their Mind’s Eye visualizes the internal structural anatomy of surrounding stone—highlighting hollow cavities, load-bearing stress points, mortar decay, and hidden structural chambers in crisp mental clarity.
    • Extra-Sensory Perception (Ether-Touched Alignment): The user senses the steady, immovable presence of the bound jinn within the quartz chamber, feeling the spirit’s elemental weight settle like a heavy keystone into their own conscious awareness.
  • Observer’s Perspective
    • Sight: Onlookers witness the dark basalt block illuminate as narrow beams of amber and ultraviolet light shoot out in crisp geometric planes. The surrounding stone walls light up with glowing grid-lines that trace every seam and crack in the masonry. If Seal of the Smokeless Vault is triggered, observers see a 1-minute (or 10-minute ritual) veil of shimmering heat distortion and glowing ash seal a portal.
    • Sound: Nearby companions hear a soft, subterranean rumble followed by the crisp sound of air rushing into a small furnace draught.
    • Touch: Anyone standing within arms’ reach feels a sudden, localized burst of dry heat radiate from the plumb line, warming the ambient air like an open oven door.
    • Smell: Observers downwind catch a warm, dusty scent like heated brickwork and dry desert sand.
    • Taste: Observers in close proximity feel a mild drying sensation in their throat as the ambient humidity in the immediate air drops.
    • Extra-Sensory Perception (Resonant Alignment): Arcane sensitive onlookers perceive a dense, highly structured surge in the surrounding mana flow, witnessing a geometric cage of elemental fire manifest around the architect’s hands.
  • Positives
    • Precision Structural Breach: Active grid-lines expose hidden load-bearing flaws, granting extra fire-infused tier damage when targeting architectural weak points or stone foes.
    • Impenetrable Area Control: The thermal barrier created on doorways or passages significantly increases the difficulty for hostiles attempting to break through or breach party lines.
    • Cold Immunity & Precision: Keeps the user’s hands perfectly warm, preventing skill penalties or physical fumble risks during intricate engineering, lockpicking, or structural checks in frozen dungeons.
  • Negatives
    • High-Visibility Beams: The bright ultraviolet grid-lines instantly light up unlit rooms, making stealth impossible and revealing the architect’s position to nearby enemies.
    • Auditory Resonance: The low stone hum and furnace crackle announce the activation to creatures listening through doors or adjacent halls.
    • Dehydration Risk: Continuous exposure to the item’s dry thermal emissions causes mild physical thirst, requiring the architect to drink extra water during extended dungeon delves.

Crafting Recipe: Mason’s Ember-Plumb of the Keystones

  • Materials Needed
    • 1 Tier 1 Magic Crystal: A small, coin-sized magic crystal used as the primary mystical battery and magical catalyst for the item.
    • 1 Block of Dark Basalt: A dense, heat-resistant stone block shaped into a rectangular body with a hollowed center channel.
    • 4 Tarnished Brass Bands: Refined brass straps used to bind and reinforce the stone housing against physical impact.
    • 1 Heat-Resistant Quartz Cylinder: A clear, thick quartz sleeve engineered to hold the suspended elemental fire-core.
    • 3 Feet of Fine Bronze Chain: Durable bronze links attached to an anchoring ring for suspending the item as a plumb line.
    • 1 Vial of Jinn-Touched Fluid: Elemental fluid or tree-specific sap extracted via fluid collector from places of intense subterranean heat or volcanic vents.
    • 1 Rune of Structural Insight or Earth-Binding: An etched or written spell rune containing the magical blueprint for masonry analysis and heat manipulation.
  • Tools Required
    • Stone Chisels and Carving Mallets: For shaping the basalt block, cutting the central channel, and engraving runic markers.
    • Metalworking Files and Riveting Hammer: For fitting and securing the brass bands around the stone frame.
    • Alchemical Crucible and Small Forge: Used to temper the quartz cylinder and fuse the magical ingredients.
    • Fluid Collector: Used to safely handle and inject the volatile Jinn-touched fluid during infusion.
  • Skill Requirements
    • Stonemasonry or Armorsmithing Skill Level: Level 6 or higher (5 base required + 1 for Tier 1 output).
    • Arcane or Alchemical Crafting Skill Level: Level 6 or higher (5 base required + 1 for Tier 1 output).
  • Crafting Steps
    • Stone Shaping and Channeling: Carve the dark basalt block into a rectangular frame. Hollow out a central viewing channel and carve precise runic alignment markers along the interior edges.
    • Band Forging and Fitting: Heat the brass bands in the forge and wrap them tightly around the upper and lower ends of the basalt body. Rivet the bands in place and attach the bronze suspension chain ring to the top band.
    • Catalyst and Flame Matrix: Crush half of the Tier 1 Magic Crystal into fine powder using a pestle. Mix the crystal powder with the vial of Jinn-touched fluid inside a heated beaker until the solution emits a smokeless, orange-ultraviolet glow.
    • Quartz Cylinder Sealing: Inject the illuminated Jinn-touched solution into the quartz cylinder alongside the remaining piece of the Tier 1 Magic Crystal. Seal both ends of the cylinder with molten brass caps, trapping the suspended, unburning flame-orb inside.
    • Mounting and Elemental Binding: Fit the sealed quartz cylinder snugly into the hollowed channel of the basalt frame. Soak the entire assembly in an alchemical salt bath for eight hours, allowing the elemental fire matrix to bind deeply with the stone and bronze.
    • Attunement Ritual: The crafter holds the completed plumb line over an open hearth and performs a 10-minute ritual attunement while reciting somatic activation runes, permanently setting the item’s passive structural intuition and active abilities.

Fire-Plumb and Unshakable Wall

Many turns of the sun-wheel ago, before the great stone towers of the sky-kings did crumble into dusty rubble, there lived a master builder named Kaelen. In those old days when the earth did tremble with frequent rock-quakes, the people of the river valley did build their homes from soft clay and loose river stones. But when the earth-tides did rise, the walls did fall down like dry grass in a gale, crushing the belongings and hopes of the villagers beneath heavy piles of debris.

Kaelen did wander through the mountain lands, carrying his bronze hammer and wooden square, seeking a secret way to bind stone unto stone so that no quake could shake it. His hands were calloused and his mind was sharp, but the mysteries of deep foundations were hidden from mortal eyes. Many times did his archways collapse during construction, for he could not see the hidden cracks inside the mountain rock before he placed it upon the walls. Furthermore, when the freezing mountain frosts did descend upon the quarries, his hands became stiff like frozen branches, causing him to drop his iron chisels and spoil the costly marble blocks.

Upon a day of great storm in the month of earth-turning, Kaelen did follow a vein of dark basalt deep into a subterranean cavern beneath the island of Erlitou. In the center of the dark cavern stood a grand altar of ancient masonry, upon which rested a bright flame that did burn without wood, oil, or smoke. From this unconsuming fire did arise a grand jinn of the earth-depths, a spirit of the smokeless flame whose body was like polished brass and whose voice did rattle the cavern walls like falling boulders. The spirit did roar with great anger, demanding to know why a fragile mortal did bring iron tools into the sacred hearth of stone.

Kaelen did not drop his tools in fear, nor did he weep or flee toward the cavern mouth. He did set down his hammer upon the rock and did bow his head before the burning spirit, saying: “O mighty guardian of the subterranean hearth, my people perish because their walls fall down when the earth shakes, and my hands grow numb when the mountain air turns to ice. I ask not for your jewel hoards, nor for a crown of silver, but only for a small measure of your fire so that my buildings may stand firm against the storm.”

The jinn did gaze upon the mortal builder with great wonder, for few men did enter the deep cavern with quiet reverence in their hearts. The spirit did reach into its own unburning hearth and did pluck out a glowing core of smokeless fire. With a mighty breath of superheated air, the jinn did seal this fire-core inside a cylinder of clear quartz, binding the glowing spirit-essence into a block of dark basalt wrapped with bands of brass and a chain of bronze.

The spirit did hand the heavy stone plumb to Kaelen, saying: “Take this keystone of ember-glass, builder of the valley. When you suspend this weight against a wall, your eyes shall see every hidden crack and load-bearing flaw within the rock, and your hands shall never freeze while holding the tools of trade. Your structures shall endure through the earth-tides. But heed this warning: a light that reveals the secrets of the stone cannot be hidden in the dark, and those who seek to breach your strongholds will always see where your foundations are laid.”

Kaelen did give thanks to the great spirit and did journey back to his valley. When he did suspend the basalt plumb line against the stone quarries, the quartz cylinder did flare with a brilliant ultraviolet light. Through the lens of his mind, he could see the hidden structural lines of the earth, plotting the precise placement of every pillar and archway. The hidden fractures inside the stone no longer deceived his eyes, and the bound jinn did radiate a comforting warmth that kept his fingers limber through the harshest winter frosts.

For sixty winters, Kaelen did build great cities, fortresses, and aqueducts across the seventy-three island nations using the jinn-bound plumb line. He became known across the lands as the greatest architect of his era, constructing vaults that survived cataclysmic earth-quakes, sea floods, and siege bombardments. He did raise grand walls for the innocent and did teach his apprentices how to honor the earth spirits of the world.

Yet, as the jinn had foretold, the stone level was a tool of great peril to its owner. Whenever Kaelen did invoke the full power of the item to project active alignment lines across a construction site, the bright ultraviolet grid-lines and the glowing core did shine like a fallen sun in the dark. Roval warlords and subterranean beasts from leagues away could spot his worksites in the night, and many times was he forced to defend his half-built fortresses against invaders who were drawn directly to his blinding light. The dry heat of the spirit did also leave his skin forever dry, requiring him to carry heavy water jars wherever his building projects took him.

When Kaelen grew very old and his body did finally grow tired of heavy labor, he did not bury the level beneath the earth. He suspended the basalt plumb from the highest keystone of the central hall in the city he had built, so that future architects and reincarnated builders might take up the tool and use its fire to build safe havens for the generations yet to come.

Moral of the Story: The wisdom that reveals the flaws in your foundation will also expose your sanctuary to the eyes of the world; true mastery lies not merely in building walls that cannot fall, but in guarding the light that made those walls possible.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition) The Mason’s Ember-Plumb of the Desert Keystones

  • Item Type: Arcane Relic / Mythos Artifact
  • Sanity Cost to Attune/Use: 1 Sanity point upon first attuning to the bound jinn within the basalt frame.
  • Skill Bonus: +15% to Art/Craft (Stonemasonry/Architecture), Spot Hidden (when examining structures/doors), and Mechanical Repair (when bypassing or reinforcing physical portals).
  • Special Abilities:
    • Structural Intuition: The Investigator automatically detects load-bearing weaknesses, hidden rooms, or unstable masonry within 30 feet without needing a dice roll unless under active combat pressure.
    • Ember-Line Alignment: The Investigator can spend 2 Magic Points to project ultraviolet grid-lines onto a structure. Targeted attacks against structural weak points deal standard damage plus an extra 1d4 fire damage to the masonry or structural target.
    • Seal of the Smokeless Vault: The Investigator can spend 4 Magic Points to touch the plumb to a door or archway, summoning a thermal barrier for 1d4 rounds. Forcing open or breaching the sealed portal requires an Extreme STR check or inflicts 1d6 fire damage upon forcing a passage.
    • Warmth of the Stonemason: Passively grants a +20% bonus to CON checks made to resist physical fatigue or freezing cold environments during prolonged labor.
  • Drawbacks: When active grid-lines or the thermal barrier are engaged, the bright ultraviolet flare grants nearby hostiles a +15% bonus to Spot Hidden checks to detect the Investigator in dark environments.

Blades in the Dark The Mason’s Ember-Plumb

  • Item Load: 1 Load (Equipped / Hand Slot)
  • Tier Alignment: Tier I Relic
  • Quality / Fine Item Bonus: Counts as a Fine Tool (+1 Quality) for actions involving demolition, structural analysis, breaching vaults, or crafting masonry defenses.
  • Mechanics & Stress Costs:
    • Keystone Breach (1 Stress): Push yourself while making a Wreck or Survey action against stone structures, vault doors, or fortifications. The projected grid-lines reveal critical stress points, granting +1d or +1 Effect to breach or collapse the structure.
    • Vault Seal (1 Stress): Take 1 Stress to activate a thermal barrier across a doorframe or choke point during a Setup or Tinker action, increasing the difficulty of enemy pursuit (improving position or effect for defensive holds).
    • Mason’s Furnace (Passive): The wielder automatically resists cold-based environmental hazards and fatigue without expending Stress.
    • Devil’s Bargain Option: The GM may offer a Devil’s Bargain when projecting structural grid-lines: “The grid-lines expose the vault’s exact weak point—allowing an instant breach—but the brilliant flare alerts every guard in the estate to your exact room.”

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition – 2024 Revision) Mason’s Ember-Plumb

  • Wondrous Item, Common (Requires Attunement)
  • Item Slot: Held (Hand)
  • Weight: 2 lbs.
  • Passive Benefits:
    • Structural Intuition: You have Advantage on Intelligence (Investigation) and Wisdom (Perception) checks made to spot structural weak points, hidden doors, or traps built into stone masonry.
    • Furnace Warmth: You suffer no harm from ambient temperatures as low as -50 degrees Fahrenheit, and you have Advantage on Constitution saving throws made to resist fatigue from cold exposure or prolonged manual labor.
  • Active Properties:
    • Ember-Line Alignment: As a Bonus Action, you project glowing grid-lines across structures within 30 feet for 10 minutes. When you or an ally hit a structural weak point identified by this ability, the attack deals its normal damage plus an extra 1d4 fire damage. Once used, this property cannot be used again until you finish a Short or Long Rest.
    • Seal of the Smokeless Vault: As an Action, you touch the plumb to a doorway or passage to create a barrier of superheated air lasting for 1 minute. The Strength (Athletics) DC required to force open or breach the portal increases by 5, and any creature forcing its way through takes 1d4 fire damage. Once used, this property cannot be used again until you finish a Long Rest.
  • Drawbacks: While Ember-Line Alignment or Seal of the Smokeless Vault is active, the plumb emits bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet, imposing Disadvantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide.

Knave (Second Edition) The Architect’s Ember-Plumb

  • Item Slots: 1 Slot (Held / Hand)
  • Durability: 3 / 3
  • Item Quality: High Quality (+1 bonus to relevant Item Checks)
  • Mechanics:
    • Mason’s Eye: The wielder adds +1 to Intelligence or Wisdom checks when examining masonry, locating hidden vault doors, or assessing structural stability.
    • Structural Breach (1 Action): Spend 1 point of item Durability to project grid-lines onto a stone wall or door. Attacks targeted at the weak points of that structure deal standard weapon damage plus an additional 1d4 fire damage.
    • Vault Seal (1 Action): Spend 1 point of item Durability to seal a doorframe or archway with a superheated thermal barrier for 10 turns (10 minutes). Enemies suffer a -2 penalty on checks made to break down or bypass the door, and take 1d4 fire damage if they force their way through.
    • Warmth: Occupies 1 slot and acts as a continuous warmth source that protects the character from cold environment penalties.
    • Complication: Activating the grid-lines or thermal barrier creates a bright ultraviolet glow visible from up to 100 yards away in dark dungeons, making stealth impossible.

Fate (Fate Core System) The Mason’s Ember-Plumb of the Desert Keystones

  • Item Type: Aspect / Extra (Item)
  • Aspects:
    • Aspect: Bound Jinn of the Subterranean Hearth
    • Invoke: Invoke when assessing architectural stress points, breaching fortified masonry, or maintaining physical endurance against severe cold during heavy construction tasks to gain a +2 bonus or a reroll on Crafts, Notice, or Physique checks.
    • Compel: Compel when the sudden flare of the ultraviolet alignment lines gives away your position to guards, or when the dry elemental heat leaves you dehydrated and fatigued.
  • Stunts:
    • Ember-Line Alignment: Once per scene, you can spend 1 Fate Point to project glowing grid-lines onto a structure or stone construct. When you or an ally succeed on a Crafts or Fight attack targeting a structural weak point, you increase the weapon rating of the attack by +2 (converting the extra stress into fire damage).
    • Seal of the Smokeless Vault: You can spend 1 Fate Point to trigger a thermal barrier across a doorway or portal for the rest of the scene. You gain a +2 bonus on Crafts or Athletics checks made to defend or hold the choke point against physical entry.
    • Furnace Warmth: You gain a +2 bonus to Physique rolls made to overcome freezing environmental conditions or cold-based hazards.
  • Refresh Cost: 1 Refresh (if taken as a permanent Extra).

Numenera & Cypher System The Mason’s Ember-Plumb

  • Item Type: Artifact (Level 2)
  • Form: A rectangular dark basalt block bound in tarnished brass straps, housing a quartz cylinder with a suspended flame-orb and suspended from a bronze chain.
  • Effect:
    • Passive Effect: The wearer eases all tasks related to stonemasonry, structural analysis, identifying hidden doors, and navigating ancient ruins by one step. The wielder also automatically succeeds on tasks to resist non-magical ambient cold.
    • Active Effect (Depletion Roll): Upon activation, the wielder can project glowing alignment grid-lines onto stone or masonry for ten minutes. Tasks made to breach, dismantle, or strike structural weak points of the targeted architecture are eased by one step, dealing 2 additional points of fire energy damage on a successful strike. Alternatively, the wielder can seal a doorway with a thermal barrier for ten minutes, increasing the difficulty of any task to force open or breach the portal by one step.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d10 (check at the end of each activation or scene where an active ability was used).
  • Side Effect / Complication: While an active ability is engaged, the plumb projects bright ultraviolet light, making any attempt to remain unseen two steps more difficult.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition) Mason’s Ember-Plumb

  • Item Name: Mason’s Ember-Plumb
  • Item Level: Level 1
  • Traits: Item 1, Uncommon, Magical, Evocation, Fire
  • Usage: Held in 1 hand; Bulk: L
  • Description: Constructed from a block of dark basalt bound in tarnished brass, this stone level houses a clear quartz cylinder containing a suspended flame of smokeless fire. Bound to a minor jinn of the subterranean hearth, it reveals structural stress points and protects the builder’s hands from freezing weather.
  • Passive Benefits:
    • You gain a +1 item bonus to Crafting checks related to stonemasonry or engineering, and to Perception checks made to locate hidden stone doors or structural weak points.
    • You treat cold environmental effects as one step less severe (e.g., severe cold becomes mild cold), and you gain a +1 item bonus to Constitution checks to resist fatigue from long-distance travel or heavy labor.
  • Activate: Action (Interact)
    • Frequency: Once per day.
    • Effect: You speak the command word to project glowing ultraviolet grid-lines across structures within 30 feet for 10 minutes. Attacks made against identified structural weak points or stone constructs deal an extra 1d4 fire damage on a hit.
  • Activate: Action (Interact)
    • Frequency: Once per day.
    • Effect: You touch the plumb line to a doorway or archway to activate a thermal barrier of superheated air lasting for 1 minute. Athletics checks to force open or breach the portal take a -2 item penalty, and any creature forcing its way through takes 1d4 fire damage.
    • Drawback: While either active ability is engaged, the plumb emits bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light for an additional 5 feet. You take a -2 item penalty to Stealth checks to remain hidden while illuminated.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition) The Mason’s Ember-Plumb

  • Item Type: Arcane Relic (Hand Slot)
  • Weight: 2 lbs.
  • Min Str: d4
  • Major / Minor Powers:
    • Architect’s Vision (Passive): The wielder gains +1 to Repair and Notice rolls when assessing architectural weak points, hidden doors, or structural integrity in stone buildings.
    • Thermal Protection (Passive): The wielder gains +2 to Environmental Vigor rolls made to resist freezing temperatures and cold-weather fatigue.
    • Ember-Line Alignment (Active): As a Free Action, the wielder can activate the bound jinn to project alignment grid-lines onto a wall, door, or stone foe. Attacks targeting the structural weak points gain +1d4 damage (Fire type).
    • Vault Seal (Active): As an Action, the wielder touches the plumb line to a doorframe to create a thermal barrier for 1 minute (5 rounds). Opponents suffer a -2 penalty on Strength or Athletics rolls made to force down the door and take 1d4 fire damage if successful.
  • Complication (Illumination): Whenever an active ability is used, the plumb flares with bright ultraviolet light, granting enemies +2 to Notice rolls made to spot the wielder in low-light or dark environments.

Shadowrun (6th World Edition) The Mason’s Ember-Plumb of the Keystones

  • Item Category: Magical Artifact / Focus (Hand Wear/Held)
  • Force: 2
  • Karma Cost to Attune: 4 Karma
  • Availability: 3R
  • Cost: 2,500 Nuyen (Varies based on local street vendor or black market demand)
  • Mechanics & Stat Block:
    • Structural Intuition (Passive): While held and attuned, the user adds +1 Bonus Die to all Engineering or Perception tests made to evaluate structural stability, locate hidden chambers, or spot stress weaknesses in stone or concrete.
    • Furnace Warmth (Passive): The artifact acts as an elemental thermal buffer, granting +2 dice on Tests to resist Environmental Hazards caused by cold weather or freezing conditions.
    • Ember-Line Alignment (Active): As a Minor Action, the user commands the bound spirit to project ultraviolet alignment grid-lines across structures within 10 meters. Attacks targeting identified structural weak points or stone barriers gain +1 DV (Damage Value) with the Fire damage type.
    • Seal of the Smokeless Vault (Active): As a Major Action, the user touches the plumb line to a doorframe or hatch to generate a thermal barrier for 3 combat rounds. Forcing open or breaching the sealed portal requires a +2 Threshold modifier on physical tests, and any character breaching it takes 2S (Stun/Fire) damage.
    • Complication (Glow): While Ember-Line Alignment or Seal of the Smokeless Vault is engaged, the plumb’s bright ultraviolet illumination grants enemies +2 Bonus Dice on Perception tests to spot the user in low-light or dark settings.

Starfinder (2nd Edition) Mason’s Ember-Plumb

  • Item Level: Level 1
  • Category: Hybrid Item (Magic / Tech Hand Wear)
  • Price: 350 Credits
  • Hands: 1 (Held / Hand Slot); Bulk: L
  • Mechanics & Stat Block:
    • Passive Properties:
      • Structural Intuition: Grants a +1 item bonus to Perception and Engineering checks to analyze structural integrity, spot load-bearing flaws, or locate secret stone doors.
      • Thermal Regulation: Grants the wearer a +2 item bonus to Fortitude saves against cold environmental hazards and extreme weather.
    • Active Ability (Ember-Line Alignment):
      • Activate: Single Action (Interact).
      • Frequency: 3 times per day (refreshes after a 10-minute rest or daily reset).
      • Effect: The user projects glowing alignment grid-lines onto structures within 30 feet for 10 minutes. Attacks made against targeted structural weak points or stone constructs deal an additional 1d4 fire damage on a hit.
    • Active Ability (Seal of the Smokeless Vault):
      • Activate: Single Action (Interact).
      • Frequency: Once per day.
      • Effect: The plumb line projects a thermal distortion barrier over a portal or doorway for 1 minute. Athletics or Skill checks made to force open or bypass the portal suffer a -2 penalty, and creatures forcing passage take 1d4 fire damage.
      • Drawback: While either active property is engaged, the plumb emits bright light in a 5-foot radius, imposing a -2 penalty to Stealth checks to remain hidden.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition) The Architect’s Ember-Plumb

  • Item Type: Strange Artifact / Primitive Anomaly (Hand Held)
  • TL (Tech Level): Special (Magical / Pre-Industrial Anomaly)
  • Weight: Negligible
  • Cost: Cr 1,500 (Varies depending on antique dealers and black-market collectors)
  • Mechanics & Stat Block:
    • Structural Assessment (Passive): The user receives DM+1 on all Engineer (Structure) or Sensors checks when evaluating masonry, detecting hidden bulkheads, or locating structural flaws in stone or concrete buildings.
    • Thermal Protection (Passive): The localized heat radiated by the basalt frame provides cold environmental protection equivalent to standard Cold Weather Clothing (DM+2 on END checks to resist cold exposure).
    • Ember-Line Alignment (Active):
      • Action: 1 Minor Action to activate.
      • Effect: Projects alignment grid-lines across targeted structures. Demolition or attack rolls aimed at structural weak points deal +1 extra damage and convert the impact type to thermal/fire damage.
    • Seal of the Smokeless Vault (Active):
      • Action: 1 Minor Action to trigger against a doorframe.
      • Effect: Creates a superheated barrier across a door or archway for 10 minutes. Opponents attempting to force open or breach the portal suffer DM-2 to their check, taking 1 point of thermal damage if they force passage.
    • Drawback: Activating the grid-lines or thermal barrier grants an opposing observer DM+2 on Recon checks to spot the user in dark or unlit conditions.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition) The Mason’s Ember-Plumb of the Keystones

  • Item Category: Magical Relic / Arcane Appliance (Hand Held)
  • Encumbrance: 0
  • Availability: Rare
  • Cost: 3 Gold Crowns, 5 Shillings
  • Mechanics & Stat Block:
    • Passives Magic:
      • Structural Intuition: The wielder adds a +10% bonus to Trade (Stonemason/Building) and Perception Tests made to detect structural weaknesses, hidden doors, or unstable masonry.
      • Warmth of the Stonemason: The wielder gains the Warmth trait, making them immune to the effects of minor cold weather and granting a +10% bonus to Endurance Tests to resist severe cold or fatigue.
    • Activable Magic (Ember-Line Alignment):
      • Action: 1 Free Action before making an attack against a structure or stone foe.
      • Effect: The wielder projects ultraviolet grid-lines to reveal stress points. Attacks targeting those points deal standard Weapon Damage + Damage Bonus, plus an extra +2 Fire Damage to the structure or creature.
    • Activable Magic (Seal of the Smokeless Vault):
      • Action: 1 Action.
      • Effect: The wielder touches the plumb to a doorway to generate a superheated air barrier for 10 minutes (10 Rounds in combat). Tests made to break down or force open the portal suffer a -10% penalty, and any creature forcing passage suffers 1 Fire Damage.
      • Drawback: While an active ability is engaged, the plumb flares with bright ultraviolet light. Enemies gain a +10% bonus to Perception Tests to spot the wielder in dark environments, and the wielder suffers a -10% penalty to Stealth Tests while illuminated.