Lore: Long before the first airships dared to skim Saṃsāra’s capricious skies, a flotilla of bumbling sea-priests set forth in oversized gourds lashed together by optimism and pickled kelp. Their chief navigator, hilariously named Captain Merryblunder, proclaimed that celestial currents could be read through interpretive dance, punctuated by shrill giggles. When their flotilla miraculously returned laden with preserved lampfish and wildly inaccurate charts, the Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly was among their prize discoveries: a magical compass-buoy designed to guide voyagers by the stars, the waves, and fits of contagious laughter. Its influence remains potent for those whose journeys thrive on comic mishap and unshakable good cheer.
Description: A palm-sized spherical buoy of polished driftwood, etched with dancing constellations. It is suspended in a net of dyed twine studded with bright jingle-bells that tinkle at the faintest movement. A grinning face is carved on one hemisphere, mouth agape in permanent mirth. When activated, the buoy rotates slowly and emits occasional squeaks that echo like stifled giggles.
Detailed Stats
Tier: 1
Rarity: Common
Weight: 1 lb
Slot: Held or Hung (counts as one hand-held or worn item)
Durability: Moderately resilient to water and impact
Resonance: Attunes instantly upon first deliberate activation
Passive Magic
Guiding Chuckles – While holding or wearing this buoy, the bearer always knows the general direction of the nearest coastline, but only if they maintain a cheerful demeanor or narrate their observations in a humorous tone. If they lapse into seriousness, the buoy emits a disappointed sigh and ceases guiding for one hour.
Waves of Mirth – All allies within 20 feet gain a minor boon: advantage on morale checks during extended travel by sea, air, or overland so long as the bearer makes at least one loud comedic observation every hour.
Celestial Jest – During clear nights, the buoy’s carvings softly glow in correspondence with actual star positions, though occasionally they flicker and swap positions for comedic effect, requiring the bearer to “correct” them aloud to resume normal guidance.
Activable Magics
Path of Guffaws – Once per day, the bearer can activate the buoy to project a shimmering trail of tiny, laughing motes over water or open terrain. This trail points to the last known destination in the bearer’s mind and lasts for ten minutes. While visible, creatures attempting to track or follow gain advantage on related checks, and all who see the motes must succeed on a simple willpower test or break into giggles for a few moments.
Seas of Slapstick – Twice per day, the bearer can invoke this effect to cause the buoy to spin wildly and emit a chorus of giggling squeaks. For one minute, any natural hazard the bearer navigates (such as reefs, shifting sandbars, or ice flows) becomes visually highlighted by dancing illusions of bright jester masks. The illusions cannot be mistaken for anything else but may distract observers, requiring a focus check to avoid tripping or stumbling.
Specific Slot: Held in one hand, or hung from belt or sash as a worn item.
Tags: Navigation, Comedy, Oceanic, Wayfinding, Roleplay, Illusion, Humor-Infused, Guidance, Low-Tier, Seafaring, Star-Magic, Cartography, Mirthful Aura, Expedition, Trickster Relic, Compass, Adventure Aid, Laughter Magic, Buoyant Charm, Jestful Navigation, Seaside Relic
The Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly circulates mainly among coastal communities, traveling circuses, and itinerant traders who find equal value in guidance and comic spectacle. While not rare, it is unusual enough that specialized shops and eccentric dealers are its most reliable sources. Below is a description of the types of establishments where this item is bought and sold in the world of Saṃsāra, along with typical pricing:
1. Mariner’s Humorium
These peculiar seafaring supply shops specialize in navigation gear with odd enhancements, such as compasses that meow or star-charts drawn on tanned jellyfish skins. Their proprietors are usually old sailors with a fondness for practical jokes. The Navigational 47 is often displayed in glass cases shaped like oversized clamshells.
Cost: 75–90 gp
2. Jester’s Curio Carts
Mobile wagons painted in riotous colors, packed with comedic props, enchanted joke scrolls, and trickster talismans. These carts appear near docks and market squares during festival seasons. Buyers often must endure a barrage of puns and juggling demonstrations before any serious negotiation.
Cost: 60–80 gp
3. Navigators’ Guild Outposts
Respectable guild chapters maintain sections devoted to unconventional instruments collected during exploratory voyages. The Navigational 47 is sometimes sold to junior navigators looking for reliable direction and morale-boosting antics. Each item is accompanied by a leather-bound booklet explaining its lore (half of which is in rhyme).
Cost: 85–100 gp
4. Floating Bazaar Barges
Large trade ships converted into marketplaces, anchored offshore near busy ports. Vendors hawk magical supplies, rare sea harvests, and peculiar relics. Transactions here are swift, and the price can be influenced by haggling, contests of wit, or recited limericks.
Cost: 70–95 gp
5. Laughing Lantern Taverns
Tavern-shops catering to sailors, actors, and wandering alchemists. Back rooms display shelves of enchanted curiosities traded over tankards of spiced grog. A merry patron with coin in hand can often strike a favorable deal, especially if willing to trade a bawdy story or two as part of the payment.
Cost: 50–75 gp
6. Zephyrclad Airship Emporiums
Merchants aboard mid-tier airships keep stockpiles of wayfinding gear to sell during lengthy layovers in floating cities. Here, the Navigational 47 is marketed as an ideal gift for new pilots and adventurous merchants.
Cost: 80–95 gp
7. Archivist’s Moonlight Market
Secret night markets in old ruin plazas or underground vaults. Discreet brokers sell relics with questionable origins. Buyers must often provide references or proof of purpose before being shown the item.
Cost: 70–85 gp
Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly is seen as a common but cherished aid—its value rising in communities where laughter is regarded as a crucial counterbalance to long, perilous journeys.
In Saṃsāra, the Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly is not a dedicated weapon or shield, yet its blend of magical guidance and laughter-induced distraction makes it an effective, if unconventional, tool for both defense and offense in roleplay across varied environments. Here is a detailed explanation of how it can be used in different contexts:
Seafaring Environments
Defense:
When navigating treacherous reefs, pirate ambushes, or storms, the buoy can project illusions of jester masks over hazards (Seas of Slapstick), helping allies spot dangers before collisions or boarding attempts. If hostile ships close in, activating Path of Guffaws creates a trail of laughing motes across the waves, confusing enemies attempting to follow the trail or making them underestimate the urgency of pursuit. The comic spectacle can stall an attack long enough to slip away.
Offense:
During boarding actions or naval skirmishes, the bearer can toss the buoy into an opponent’s boat and activate its illusions, causing disorientation as attackers stumble over highlighted hazards. The giggling motes can provoke fits of laughter or distraction, making it easier to shove enemies overboard or sabotage rigging unnoticed.
Urban Streets and Markets
Defense:
In crowded alleys or bazaars, Path of Guffaws can create a shimmering, laughing trail that draws onlookers’ attention, masking the bearer’s true escape route. If cornered, the buoy’s illusions can transform barrels, crates, or doorways into jester-faced decoys, buying precious seconds to slip away while pursuers are bewildered.
Offense:
When pursuing a thief or fleeing adversary, the buoy’s illusions can herd them by making certain passages appear blocked by absurdly large grinning masks. The trail of motes also helps allies coordinate movement through dense crowds without shouting.
Jungle or Forest
Defense:
While navigating dense undergrowth, the buoy can highlight hidden tripwires, pitfalls, or camouflage traps. If ambushed by beasts or brigands, the burst of laughter and dancing illusions creates a moment of confusion, granting time to prepare spells, retrieve gear, or regroup.
Offense:
As part of a tactical ambush, the buoy’s giggling motes can lure creatures toward specific clearings or traps. Those unaccustomed to magic may be frightened or startled into revealing themselves.
Mountain Passes and Caves
Defense:
In winding tunnels or cliffside switchbacks, illusions of jester masks warn of unstable ledges or concealed predators. The Path of Guffaws provides a visual breadcrumb trail in darkness, helping the group avoid getting lost under pressure. If cornered, the comedic distractions can momentarily unbalance attackers on precarious ledges.
Offense:
During a standoff in narrow passages, the buoy’s laughter may echo confusingly, disorienting opponents who rely on sound to pinpoint positions. The illusions can be used to make the tunnel seem blocked, pushing enemies to retreat or hesitate.
Airships and Floating Cities
Defense:
While crossing gangways between airships or negotiating high platforms, the buoy can highlight damaged sections or hidden rigging that could be used by saboteurs. If the vessel comes under attack, a sudden bloom of giggling motes and illusions can obscure the defenders’ true numbers or distract boarders.
Offense:
The Path of Guffaws can lure an enemy force across a gangplank rigged to collapse. The illusions’ absurd humor can also erode discipline among lightly trained crews, providing an opportunity to disable machinery or seize control.
Roleplay Emphasis of Comedy
In all settings, the bearer’s behavior is essential to unlocking the full potential. The item thrives on a comedic approach—exaggerated antics, loud declarations, and irreverent humor. Roleplay often includes:
- Narrating discoveries in flamboyant verse.
- Imitating the buoy’s giggles.
- Mock-saluting illusions of jester faces.
- Encouraging allies to join in the laughter, reinforcing morale.
This performance creates a blend of magical distraction and emotional buoyancy, enabling the Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly to serve as an unorthodox but potent aid to defense and offense alike.
Perception of Activation:
User’s Perspective
Sight: The carved constellations on the buoy ignite in soft golden light, tracing intricate, shifting star maps across the surface. The grinning face gleams with a warm amber glow, and faint motes of flickering laughter spiral around the item.
Hearing: A chorus of delicate, stifled giggles rises from within the buoy, mingled with bright jingling from the bells. The giggles seem to echo just behind the eardrums, as though the buoy shares a private joke with the bearer.
Smell: A briny aroma of salt-laden breezes drifts outward, undercut by the sweet scent of sun-warmed driftwood.
Touch: A tingling warmth seeps into the palm, spreading up the arm like a reassuring squeeze. The buoy vibrates gently in rhythm with the giggles.
Taste: A faint tang of salt and caramel lingers on the tongue.
Extra-sensory:
—A phantom compass rose flickers over the bearer’s vision, rotating until it settles pointing in the direction of the last mental destination.
—A diffuse sense of presence hovers behind the shoulder, as if an unseen guide is watching with benevolence and mischief.
—Subtle intuition sharpens, granting clarity about the safest path forward—but only while maintaining a mood of good humor.
Positives:
—Heightened awareness of safe routes.
—Emotional uplift, reducing fear and tension.
—Boosted confidence in navigation, even under pressure.
Negatives:
—Mild compulsion to laugh or grin, sometimes at inappropriate moments.
—Disorientation if concentration lapses or the mood turns grim.
—Occasional visual distortions of illusions lingering after deactivation.
Observer’s Perspective
Sight: The buoy’s constellations glow and swirl in playful arcs. Motes of shimmering laughter drift outward, circling the bearer in lazy orbits. The grinning face seems almost to wink when glanced at from the corner of the eye.
Hearing: Soft, overlapping giggles fill the air, accompanied by the crisp chime of the buoy’s bells. The sound appears to move around the bearer rather than stay fixed in one place.
Smell: A hint of ocean spray and fresh wood drifts past.
Touch: No direct tactile effect unless contact is made, at which point the buoy hums faintly under the fingers.
Taste: No notable taste.
Extra-sensory:
—A subtle awareness that the buoy is actively scanning the environment, like a sympathetic beacon.
—A vague impression of contented amusement projected into the minds of nearby observers.
Positives:
—The illusions and sounds can uplift or reassure onlookers.
—Enhances group morale during shared journeys.
Negatives:
—Distraction during delicate maneuvers or combat.
—Potential embarrassment for allies unaccustomed to overtly comedic magic.
—Illusions sometimes obscure critical details or blend with real hazards.
Crafting the Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly
Materials Needed:
– 1 Palm-Sized Sphere of Polished Driftwood (harvested from sea-worn trees along ancient coastal ruins)
– 3 Feet of Dyed Twine (bright indigo or sapphire, soaked in brine for three lunar cycles)
– 7 Brass Jingle-Bells (engraved with simple runic laughter sigils)
– 1 Vial of Starlit Resin (collected during an equinox night from flowering moonlilies)
– 1 Pinch of Salted Amber Dust (from fossilized sea-amber, finely ground)
– 1 Laughing Spirit Charm (a tiny effigy of a grinning face, blessed with a ritual of mirth)
– 1 Slip of Weathered Cartographer’s Parchment (bearing an incomplete star map)
– 2 Drops of Kraken Ink (as a bonding agent for the illusions)
Tools Required:
– Carver’s Awl (for engraving constellations)
– Fine Polishing Cloths
– Needle and Sailmaker’s Hook (for net assembly)
– Small Brazier (to heat and liquefy resin)
– Inscribing Stylus (for runic etching)
– Ritual Basin (for magical infusion)
– Spirit Lantern (to house the Laughing Spirit Charm during activation)
Skill Requirements:
– Intermediate Artisan Skill in Woodcraft
– Basic Knowledge of Wayfinding Traditions
– Novice Illusion Weaving
– Familiarity with Humor Charms and Emotional Resonance Magic
Crafting Steps:
- Prepare the Driftwood Sphere:
Polish the driftwood sphere until smooth, removing any rough grain. Use the carver’s awl to engrave a sequence of star constellations based on the partial map. - Infuse with Starlit Resin:
Warm the starlit resin in a brazier until liquid. Pour it slowly into each engraved line, allowing it to settle and harden. This creates the luminous inlay. - Apply Amber Dust:
Sprinkle the salted amber dust evenly across the sphere’s surface while the resin is still tacky. This will bind the resin to the wood and create a slight magical luminescence. - Weave the Net:
Using dyed twine, knot a snug net around the sphere. Attach the brass bells securely at seven equidistant points along the net’s nodes. - Affix the Laughing Spirit Charm:
Place the charm inside the Spirit Lantern and perform a brief mirthful chant while heating the Kraken Ink. Carefully paint the charm’s base with the ink and affix it inside the net, directly opposite the grinning face. - Enchant with Illusion Weaving:
With the sphere in the ritual basin, focus on humorous memories and recite an incantation of navigation and laughter. The buoy should briefly vibrate and emit a single giggle. - Finalize the Binding:
Wrap the weathered parchment strip around the buoy’s circumference and burn it away in the brazier. This seals the navigational intent into the object. - Polish and Test:
Wipe the entire surface with polishing cloths until smooth. Lift the buoy: if properly crafted, it will emit a gentle laugh and orient itself toward the nearest shoreline when held.
The completed Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly is now ready to attune and guide, blending comedic mischief with reliable wayfinding magic.
Merryblunder’s Drifting Jest
And lo, in the Epoch of Many Drippings, when the moon did not yet blink with steady eye, there arose the flotilla of seaborne fools whose gourds were tied by knots of lunatic purpose. Among these damp voyagers was Captain Merryblunder, he who wore twelve hats stacked as testament to his unfathomable command of the wandering sea-ways.
It is told by grandmothers of salt and barnacle that this Captain did convene counsel with his own reflection upon a puddle most shallow. “O Reflecting One,” spake Merryblunder, “where lies the continent of Infinite Lampfish, whose scales glimmer bright as the bottomless laughter?”
The puddle, having no tongue, gurgled a reply of ambiguous favor. Thereafter did Merryblunder conscript the seven Grin-Practitioners, those who trained the faces of infants to cackle before they could speak. They did gather driftwood from the shores where spirits flung shipwrecks as toys, binding it with twine stolen from the laundries of unlucky widows.
As the sphere grew round and most polished, each Grin-Practitioner dribbled a measure of starlit resin across its skin, whispering names of stars that never agreed upon their places. Bells were fixed, that they should tinkle at any breeze or sneeze. Into this object, the Captain pressed the Laughing Spirit, captured on a day when all fish did forget how to swim and flopped in spontaneous amusement.
When the first voyage was begun, they called the buoy “Wayfinder’s Folly,” though none could recall who first uttered this title. It bobbed in the Captain’s hands, humming the tunes of ancient jesters who once navigated by insult and song. In the darkness, the buoy shed motes of flickering laughter, illuminating reefs and dancing illusions of grotesque jester masks. Many a matey fell overboard in paroxysms of giggle-fits, only to be hauled up by nets woven from comedic curses.
For nine-and-nine nights they drifted, led by the buoy’s unsteady pointing. One dawn, as gulls performed derisive serenades, the flotilla did arrive not at the fabled Lampfish Continent, but rather the Slumbering Shoals, where all voices echoed thrice, each repetition more ridiculous than the last. There they traded barrels of pickled nonsense for sea-charts drawn by mollusks, and the buoy was declared an artifact of victory, though none could say what had been conquered.
The Grin-Practitioners departed to establish schools of instructive hilarity, and Merryblunder did retire to an overturned canoe, wherein he composed treatises on the value of navigational tomfoolery. The buoy remained, a testament to journeys accomplished by neither prudence nor clarity, but by the contagious power of mirth.
Moral of the Story: Only through the voyage of laughter may the lost become found, though the finding oft be stranger than all expectation.
Suggested conversions to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Item Name: Wayfinder’s Folly Sphere
Description:
A polished driftwood buoy netted in dyed twine with brass bells, engraved with erratic constellations. Emits giggling sounds when activated.
Mechanics:
– Navigate (Sea) Bonus: Grants +20% to Navigate when used for plotting ocean routes, but user must narrate directions humorously aloud or lose the bonus.
– Sanity Effect: Each activation requires a POW roll. Failure results in temporary euphoria (1d4 rounds of uncontrollable laughter, no other actions).
– Illusory Guidance: Once per session, can project a trail of luminous motes pointing to the last mentally imagined destination, lasting 5 minutes.
– Distraction Field: When activated in stressful situations, imposes a –10% penalty to enemies’ Spot Hidden rolls due to distracting illusions and laughter.
Value: 30 gp equivalent in rare curiosities.
Tags: Navigation, Humor, Minor Illusion
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Blades in the Dark
Item Name: Guffawing Compass Buoy
Description:
A palm-sized buoy wrapped in netting, etched with shifting star patterns. Emits squeaks and illusions when used.
Mechanics:
– Load: 1
– Effect: When studying a route across open water or unfamiliar districts, gain Potency on rolls to Survey or Navigate, but only if you make a comedic remark each time you gather information.
– Flashback Use: Spend 1 stress to reveal you preemptively used the buoy to chart a path or lay false markers (automatically creates a small advantage in a subsequent engagement).
– Illusory Trail: 1 use per score, produce illusions that confuse pursuers, forcing them to mark increased Heat if they fail to track you.
– Drawback: If used for more than 10 minutes at a time, you and nearby allies gain the Level 1 Harm “Hysterical Distraction.”
Cost: 2 Coin to acquire from a specialized fence.
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Dungeons & Dragons (5e)
Item Name: Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly
Wondrous Item (Common), requires attunement
Description:
A driftwood sphere etched with constellations, suspended in netting with small bells. When activated, it projects illusions and giggling sounds.
Mechanics:
– Guiding Chuckles: While attuned, you always know the general direction of the nearest coastline, provided you remain in a cheerful mood.
– Seas of Slapstick (1/day): As an action, highlight hazards within 30 feet with illusions of laughing jester faces for 1 minute. Creatures in the area have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice anything else.
– Path of Guffaws (1/day): As a bonus action, project a trail of dancing motes pointing toward your mentally selected destination for 10 minutes.
– Morale Booster: Allies within 10 feet gain advantage on saving throws against fear effects while you hold the buoy.
Slot: Held or worn on belt.
Knave
Item Name: Mirthful Drift Buoy
Description:
A wooden buoy wrapped in knotted twine, etched with star-maps and adorned with bells that ring with giggling resonance.
Mechanics:
– Guidance: When held, grants advantage on any checks to navigate or avoid becoming lost, provided the user describes the route in a comedic fashion.
– Illusory Path: Once per day, creates a visible trail that guides the group to a remembered location (lasts 1 hour).
– Distracting Humor: Once per day, create illusions of laughing masks for 10 minutes. Enemies who fail a WIL save are distracted, imposing Disadvantage on their attempts to track or pursue.
– Burden: The buoy is delicate—if dropped or mishandled, it risks cracking and losing all magic.
Encumbrance: 1 slot
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Fate
Item Name: Laughing Wayfinder Buoy
Aspect: Sphere of Navigational Mirth
Description:
A polished driftwood buoy engraved with wandering constellations and netted in bright twine, punctuated by bells. It emits illusions and giggling echoes when invoked.
Mechanics:
– Invoke: Spend a Fate Point to gain +2 on any Overcome or Create an Advantage action related to navigation, orientation, or pathfinding. This bonus only applies if you narrate a comedic commentary or joke while using it.
– Create an Advantage: Once per session, create the situational Aspect “Trail of Laughing Lights” with two free invokes, representing the illusory motes marking your path.
– Compel: The buoy’s unpredictable illusions may distract allies. The GM can compel this Aspect to create confusion or mishap when precise focus is required.
Refresh Cost: 1 Refresh to own if treated as a permanent magical item.
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Numenera & Cypher System
Item Name: Navigational Folly Sphere
Level: 3
Form: Small wooden sphere wrapped in colorful netting and bells
Effect:
– Navigation Aid: Grants an Asset on all navigation, survival, and pathfinding tasks in open terrain or at sea when the user narrates their route humorously.
– Illusory Path: Once per day, project a trail of glowing motes in the air pointing toward a mentally envisioned destination for 1 hour. Anyone can follow this trail without additional rolls.
– Distracting Echo: Once per day, as an action, create illusions of giggling jester masks within Short range for 10 minutes. Enemies within the area suffer hindered perception-based tasks.
– Drawback: Each activation requires an Intellect defense roll (Difficulty 2) or the user becomes briefly overcome with laughter and loses their next action.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (only rolls when Illusory Path or Distracting Echo are used)
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Pathfinder (2e)
Item Name: Navigational 47 of Wayfinder’s Folly
Item 3, Uncommon
Consumable: No
Usage: Held in 1 hand
Bulk: L
Description:
A polished driftwood buoy etched with dancing constellations, netted with bells that chime with laughter when activated.
Activate: Single Action (Interact) Frequency: Once per day
Effect: You create a trail of illusory, giggling motes in a 60-foot line pointing toward any destination you think of. This trail lasts 10 minutes and grants you and allies a +2 item bonus to Survival checks to Navigate or Track along this path.
Activate: Single Action (Interact) Frequency: Once per day
Effect: You cause illusions of laughing jester faces to manifest within a 20-foot burst. All creatures in the area must attempt a DC 17 Will save:
– Success: No effect.
– Failure: The creature is flat-footed for 1 round.
– Critical Failure: The creature is flat-footed and must spend its next action laughing uncontrollably.
Passive Effect: While you are holding the buoy, you always know the cardinal direction of the nearest coastline, provided you speak in a jovial tone.
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Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Item Name: Wayfinder’s Folly Buoy
Description:
A driftwood buoy encased in dyed twine and brass bells, pulsing with comedic illusions and faint giggling sounds.
Mechanics:
– Guidance: Grants +2 to all Boating and Survival rolls related to navigation, but only if the user narrates their course in comedic fashion.
– Illusory Path: Once per session, as an action, project a line of glowing motes up to 10” long. Allies following the path ignore Difficult Ground penalties.
– Jester’s Mirage: Once per session, create a Medium Burst Template of illusory laughing faces. All enemies in the area must make a Spirit roll or become Distracted and Vulnerable until the end of their next turn.
– Drawback: On a Critical Failure with any roll assisted by the buoy, the user becomes Shaken by a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
Encumbrance: Negligible
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Shadowrun (6th Edition)
Item Name: Laughing Navigator Talisman
Description:
A driftwood sphere etched with chaotic star maps, netted with colored cords and brass bells that chime with unsettling laughter.
Mechanics:
– Navigation Bonus: Grants +2 dice to Navigation Tests when used in any environment, but the user must vocalize comedic commentary during the test.
– Distraction Pulse: Once per session, as a Complex Action, the talisman can emit a burst of illusory jester masks and giggling motes in a 10-meter radius. All enemies in the area must resist (Willpower + Logic, Threshold 3) or suffer –2 dice penalty to all actions for 1 Combat Turn.
– Astral Signature: The talisman has a strong astral presence detectable with Assensing (+2 dice to detect).
– Drawback: Every activation requires a Composure Test (Threshold 2) or the user suffers a –1 dice pool penalty for 1 hour due to hysterical distraction.
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Starfinder
Item Name: Navigational Buoy of Gleeful Charts
Level 3 Item
Price: 1,250 Credits
Bulk: L
Slot: Held
Description:
This buoy of polished driftwood is etched with shifting constellations and secured in colorful netting adorned with brass bells.
Usage: 2 charges per day
Activation: Standard action
Mechanics:
– Star Laughter Trail: Expend 1 charge to create a trail of giggling motes in a 60-foot line pointing toward a designated location. Allies following the trail gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Survival checks to navigate. Lasts 10 minutes.
– Disorienting Jesters: Expend 1 charge to project illusions of grinning masks within a 20-foot radius. All creatures in the area must succeed at a Will save (DC 15) or become off-target for 1 round.
– Guidance Field: While held, grants a +2 insight bonus to Piloting checks to avoid hazards if the user remains in good humor.
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Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)
Item Name: Mirthful Drift Sphere
Description:
A hand-sized buoy carved with ancient star patterns and woven with bells that tinkle with laughter when used.
Mechanics:
– Navigation Aid: Provides DM+1 to Astrogation and Survival checks while held, provided the user maintains a humorous commentary.
– Illusory Trail: Once per week, project an illusory route to a designated location. The projection lasts for 1 hour and provides DM+2 to Navigation checks along that route.
– Distraction Field: Once per week, create distracting illusions of laughing masks in a 6-meter radius. All targets must make an Average (8+) INT or EDU check or suffer –1 DM to all actions for 1D6 minutes.
– Drawback: Each time it is activated, roll 2D6. On a roll of 2, the user becomes overwhelmed by mirth, losing their next action.
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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)
Item Name: Navigational Folly Buoy
Encumbrance: 0
Availability: Rare
Price: 18 Gold Crowns
Description:
A palm-sized sphere of driftwood engraved with constellations, suspended in a net of brightly dyed twine and bells. Emits laughter and illusions.
Mechanics:
– Guiding Mirth: While held, the user gains +20 to Navigation Tests, provided they narrate directions in a comedic tone.
– Laughing Path: Once per session, as a Full Action, the buoy projects a glowing trail that grants +20 to any Track or Navigate Test made to follow it. The trail persists for 1 hour.
– Disrupting Giggles: Once per session, as a Full Action, create illusions of jester masks within 20 yards. All creatures in the area must pass a Cool Test or suffer –10 to all Tests for 1 round due to distraction.
– Drawback: Each activation requires a Willpower Test or the user gains 1 point of Fatigue from hysterical laughter.