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Time 357 of the Gorget of the Ashen Encore

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by

Dale
in

Lore In the volcanic mountain ranges of the Blasted Peaks, communities of dragon-kin and fire-touched avatars revere the raw, destructive power of flame. To them, fire is not just an element, but a moment—a singular, perfect instant of creation and destruction. Their chronomancer-smiths forge protective gorgets for their initiates, not from steel, but from the discarded scales of the lesser fire-drakes that roost in the mountains. By quenching the heated scales in sands that have been warmed by dragon fire for centuries, they trap temporal echoes within the material. The resulting gorget doesn’t just protect the wearer’s throat; it allows them to manipulate the very moment of their breath, making a single fiery exhalation linger, repeat, or sustain itself beyond the normal laws of time.

Description This is a robust piece of neck armor, a gorget made of interlocking scales of a deep, iridescent bronze color. The scales are tough yet surprisingly flexible, and they are perpetually warm to the touch, no matter the ambient temperature. In the center of the gorget, protecting the throat, is a single, larger scale into which a polished, disc-shaped piece of sunstone has been set. The stone seems to contain a flickering ember within its depths. The entire item gives off a faint, shimmering heat-haze, like the air above hot asphalt, an effect of the subtle temporal magic woven into its structure.

Detailed Stats

  • Quality: Common
  • Tier: 1
  • Defense Value: 5
  • Durability: 75/75
  • Attribute Modifier: +1 to Constitution.
  • Skill Modifier: Provides a +5 bonus to rolls made to control or aim the user’s fire breath ability.

Passives Magic

  • Thermal Echo: The wearer’s vision is augmented by the gorget’s magic, allowing them to perceive the faint, shimmering heat trails left by living creatures in the last minute. This retrocognitive heat-vision allows them to track targets in low visibility and gives them an edge when predicting the movements of a dodging opponent.
  • Lingering Embers: The fire produced by the wearer has its temporal presence extended. Any surface ignited by their fire breath burns for several extra seconds. Furthermore, the area of their fire breath remains dangerously hot for a moment after the visible flames have subsided, causing minor damage to anyone who immediately moves into that space.

Activable Magics

  • Ashen Encore: Once per minute, immediately after using a fire breath ability, the wearer can activate the gorget. A second, ghostly gout of temporal flame erupts from their mouth. This echo-flame perfectly follows the path and area of the original breath but deals half the damage. It is excellent for catching enemies who moved back into what they thought was a safe area.
  • Sustained Burn: Three times per day, the user can activate the gorget as they begin to exhale their fire breath. The magic stretches the “moment” of the breath, turning what would be a single puff or short burst into a continuous, controllable jet of fire that lasts for up to three seconds. This allows the wearer to sweep the flames across a wider arc or concentrate them on a single, durable target. Using this ability is physically taxing and leaves the user winded.

Specific Slot: Neck Slot

Tags: Time Magic, Common, Tier 1, Fire Breathing, Combat, Draconic, Armor, Area of Effect, Retrocognition, Echo, Elemental (Fire), Heat, Tracking, Breath Weapon, Cult-Forged, Damage Over Time, Sustain

The Time 357 of the Gorget of the Ashen Encore is a highly specialized piece of equipment. Its market is narrow, catering almost exclusively to avatars with the rare ability to breathe fire. As such, it would not be found in common armor shops but in niche establishments that deal in exotic, monstrous, or draconic wares.

1. The Draconic & Scaled Outfitters

Location and Description: In cities with a significant dragon-kin population or in fortress-towns near volcanic regions like the Blasted Peaks, one can find outfitters dedicated to “scaled folk.” The shop itself is often built on a larger scale, with high ceilings and wide doorways. The air smells of brimstone, hot metal, and exotic leathers. The proprietor is typically a dragon-kin or an artisan who has dedicated their life to crafting for them. On display are oversized weapons, armor custom-fitted for scaled or unusual bodies, and items like the Gorget of the Ashen Encore.

Transaction Method: This is the most direct and reputable place to purchase the item. The shopkeeper would recognize the gorget as a standard, if valuable, piece of equipment for a fire-breathing warrior. The transaction would be professional. The proprietor might even ask the buyer for a small demonstration of their fire-breath ability to ensure their wares are going to a worthy and appropriate user.

Cost: As a “common” item within this specific market, the price is fair but firm, reflecting its status as functional, enchanted armor. A new gorget would cost 5 Gold.

2. The Monster Hunter’s Guildhall

Location and Description: At a guildhall or frontier outpost where hunters trade trophies and take on bounties for dangerous beasts, a wide variety of strange items can be found. The hall is a rustic, noisy place, decorated with the skulls, hides, and claws of fantastic creatures. The quartermaster’s office is a storeroom filled with reclaimed weapons, armor, and alchemical ingredients harvested from slain monsters.

Transaction Method: A gorget would be found here as battlefield loot, likely taken from a formidable fire-breathing humanoid, such as a dragon-blooded cultist leader or a kobold shaman. The guild quartermaster selling it would know its basic properties from observation—that it’s durable scale armor worn by fire-breathers. They would likely advertise it as such: “Tough gorget, protects the throat. The fire-lizard chieftain who wore it could spit a second flame. Good piece for the right specialist.” The temporal magic aspect would be unknown to them.

Cost: The item is priced as a piece of minor magical armor with a curious fire-related property. Unaware of its true chronomantic nature, the guild would sell it for 3 Gold and 5 Silver. An astute buyer who understands its time-magic capabilities would be getting a significant bargain.

3. The Black Market “Exotic Wares” Stall

Location and Description: In the depths of a city’s black market, there are dealers who specialize in goods that are either illegal or simply too strange for mainstream shops. Their stall might be a curtained-off alcove, filled with items crafted from monstrous parts: cloaks of displacer beast hide, daggers of gargoyle horn, and, occasionally, armor like the gorget.

Transaction Method: The dealer is a shrewd merchant who acquired the gorget from a scavenger or a thief. They would not understand the intricacies of its magic but would recognize its exotic origin and obvious power. They would play up its rarity and mystery, highlighting the iridescent scales and the warm-to-the-touch sunstone. The transaction would be secretive and would involve haggling.

Cost: The dealer prices the item based on its rarity and visual appeal. Knowing that a dragon-kin or fire-mage would pay a premium for such a thematic piece, they would set an initial price of 7 Gold. A determined negotiator might be able to talk them down to 5 Gold and 5 Silver. Selling a gorget to this dealer would be difficult, but one might get 2 Gold if the dealer is convinced they have a buyer lined up.

4. The Traveling Caravan of Wonders

Location and Description: A large, brightly-colored caravan that travels the trade routes between the 73 countries often contains a tent dedicated to “Wonders from a Thousand Lands.” The merchant is a well-traveled storyteller who buys and sells strange and unique items from their journeys. The gorget would be displayed prominently on a mannequin, presented as a treasure from a far-off, dangerous land.

Transaction Method: The merchant sells the story as much as the item itself. “From the very peaks of the fire-drakes!” they might proclaim. “Forged by the dragon-priests who can make flame dance a second time! A hero’s gorget!” They would have a grand, romanticized tale of how they acquired it. They are often amenable to barter, especially for other exotic goods that would give them a new story to tell.

Cost: The price is inflated by the merchant’s showmanship and the item’s exoticism. The asking price would be high, likely starting at 8 Gold and 1 Electrum (85 Silver). However, due to their love of trade, they might be convinced to part with it for a combination of coin and an equally interesting item, valuing the total package at around 7 Gold.

The Time 357 of the Gorget of the Ashen Encore is a versatile combat tool, allowing an avatar to manipulate their fire breath in ways that are both brutally offensive and tactically defensive. Its use is a display of control over a seemingly chaotic element, dictating the flow and timing of battle with flame.

Environment 1: A Cramped Dungeon Hallway

In the tight, enclosed spaces of a ruin or cavern, the gorget becomes a devastating tool for area control and denial.

Offensive Roleplay: The avatar stands as a bulwark against a horde of goblins charging down a narrow stone corridor. Taking a deep breath, they unleash a wide cone of fire that engulfs the front ranks. The initial blast sends the goblins reeling in pain and terror. As the survivors in the back assess the damage and prepare for a second rush, the avatar’s gorget pulses with a warm light. They activate the Ashen Encore. A second, ghostly wave of fire erupts, perfectly mimicking the first. This unexpected second wave catches the goblins completely off guard, breaking their morale and incinerating those who thought the danger had passed. The offense is a one-two punch designed to maximize shock, awe, and damage in a choke point.

Defensive Roleplay: The avatar needs to conduct a tactical retreat, but they are being pursued relentlessly. Instead of turning to fight, they use their fire breath defensively. Activating Sustained Burn, they project a continuous jet of fire not at the enemies, but at the floor and walls of the corridor as they back away. The goal is not to kill, but to create an impassable barrier. Thanks to the Lingering Embers passive, the flames lick the stone walls for several seconds longer than normal, and the flagstones glow with scorching heat. The pursuing enemies are forced to halt at the wall of fire or risk wading through a scorching-hot kill zone, granting the avatar the time and space needed to escape or prepare an ambush.

Environment 2: An Open Field Against Disciplined Foes

On an open battlefield where maneuverability is key, the gorget allows for tactical, predictive attacks and suppressive fire.

Offensive Roleplay: The avatar is facing a trained soldier who is expertly dodging their attacks. The avatar uses the Thermal Echo passive, their eyes seeing not just the soldier, but the faint, shimmering heat-trail of their recent movements. They see the soldier’s pattern: dodge left, then right. The avatar unleashes their fire breath, aiming deliberately for the spot where the soldier was a moment ago. The soldier, as predicted, dodges right into the path of the flame. Even if the soldier was fast enough to avoid this, the avatar could immediately trigger the Ashen Encore, ensuring the second, temporal blast materializes in the space the soldier now occupies. This offense is a calculated, intellectual act of predicting and trapping a skilled opponent.

Defensive Roleplay: The avatar is being pinned down by enemy archers while swordsmen attempt to flank their position. They need to control a wide area. They use Sustained Burn, sweeping the continuous jet of fire in a long, suppressive arc in front of the archers’ position. The wall of flame forces the archers to take cover and disrupts their aim. At the same time, the Lingering Embers passive leaves a wide swath of superheated, hazardous ground between the avatar and the advancing swordsmen. This fiery barrier slows the flankers, forcing them into a longer, more difficult approach and effectively defending against two different threats with a single, elegant action.

Environment 3: A Dense Forest Against a Swift Predator

In a cluttered forest environment against a fast, hit-and-run creature, the gorget is a tool for tracking and environmental manipulation.

Offensive Roleplay: A monstrous, phase-shifting beast is darting between trees, almost impossible to target directly. The avatar stops trying to hit the beast itself. Instead, they use Sustained Burn to ignite a large patch of dry undergrowth, creating a roaring bonfire. They then use Ashen Encore to ignite a second, overlapping patch. The goal is to reshape the battlefield, using walls of fire to limit the beast’s paths of attack and escape. This offensive use of environmental control flushes the beast out from its cover and forces it into a predictable area where the avatar or their allies can land a decisive blow.

Defensive Roleplay: The beast is a blur, its movements too fast to follow with normal sight. The avatar takes a defensive stance and focuses inward, relying on the Thermal Echo. To their vision, the world becomes a cooler, darker space, but it is crisscrossed with the vibrant, shimmering heat-trails of the beast’s recent passage. They can’t see the creature, but they can see exactly where it has been. By watching the trails appear and fade, they can anticipate the direction of the next lightning-fast attack. When a new, bright heat-trail suddenly appears to their left, they can raise their shield or dodge in the opposite direction before the beast even fully materializes, turning their magical perception into a life-saving defense.

Perception of Activation:

Sensory Perceptions

Sight

  • User’s Perspective: As the first gout of fire leaves their lips, the user experiences a momentary “double exposure.” They see both the real flame roaring outwards and a faint, shimmering, ghostly imprint of that same flame already existing in the timeline, waiting to be unleashed. The sunstone on their gorget flares with the intensity of a miniature sun for a split second.
  • Observer’s Perspective: An observer witnesses the first, roaring blast of fire. A moment later, they see the sunstone on the user’s throat flash with a brilliant orange light. A second, ghostly, semi-transparent wave of fire then erupts from the user’s mouth, perfectly and silently mimicking the path and shape of the first. This “echo-flame” distorts the air around it like an intense heat haze.

Sound

  • User’s Perspective: The initial, deafening roar of their own fire breath is immediately followed by a deep, resonant “whoosh” that seems to echo inside their own chest. It is the sound of their own power being repeated, a temporal reverberation only they can hear.
  • Observer’s Perspective: An observer hears the loud, crackling roar of the first burst of fire. The second, ghostly flame is eerily silent, or is accompanied at most by a low, dry hiss, like hot wind rushing over sand. The lack of a second roar is deeply unsettling and unnatural.

Smell

  • User’s Perspective: The user experiences an intense, layered scent of brimstone, hot metal, and super-heated air, far more potent than a single breath should create. It is the smell of two moments of intense heat compressed into a single sensory experience.
  • Observer’s Perspective: The initial smell of smoke and burning material is immediately followed by a second, distinct wave of scent—this one sharper, with notes of ozone and dry, baked stone, as the temporal flame passes.

Touch

  • User’s Perspective: The gorget becomes intensely hot against their skin, a deep, radiating heat that feels ancient and powerful. They feel the muscular contraction of their first exhalation immediately trigger a second, involuntary sympathetic contraction, as if their body is forced by the magic to repeat the action.
  • Observer’s Perspective: An observer would feel the initial wave of heat from the real flame, followed a moment later by a second, distinct wave of heat from the silent echo-flame.

Taste

  • User’s Perspective: A sharp, acrid taste of ash, charcoal, and superheated metal floods their mouth, as if they have just inhaled the fiery residue of their own doubled breath.
  • Observer’s Perspective: There is no taste perception for an observer.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

Chronomancy (Temporal Sense)

  • User’s Perspective: The user feels their own immediate past action “imprint” itself onto the present. It is a sensation of grabbing a moment that just occurred and forcefully dragging it forward to repeat itself. It feels powerful and authoritative, like a dragon’s roar echoing back from a mountain with equal force.
  • Observer’s Perspective: A magically sensitive individual would perceive a jarring “stutter” in causality. The first burst of fire is a natural event. The second, however, feels fundamentally wrong. It is not a new event, but a perfect, magical “replay” of the previous one. This forced repetition leaves a dissonant, humming scar on the local timeline that fades quickly.

Aura / Empathic Sense

  • User’s Perspective: The user feels a profound surge of raw, elemental power and draconic pride. It is the satisfying feeling of their innate ability being amplified beyond its natural limits, a confirmation of their mastery over their element.
  • Observer’s Perspective: An empath would feel a sharp, clean spike of fiery, destructive intent from the user, followed by a second, identical spike a moment later. An aura-seer would witness the user’s aura, already blazing with fiery colors, suddenly flare as a ghostly, perfect duplicate of that same aura erupts from it before being reabsorbed.

Perspectives and Ramifications

User’s Perspective The activation is a thrilling and definitive expression of power. It feels like a natural and seamless amplification of their own abilities. They are not just breathing fire; they are commanding the very moment of the fire, making it echo their will. It fosters a sense of immense confidence and martial prowess.

Observer’s Perspective The effect is shocking and terrifying to witness. An enemy who weathers or dodges the first attack is given a false sense of security, which is immediately shattered by the second, impossible wave of flame. It makes the user seem like a true master of fire magic, capable of feats that defy the normal laws of action and reaction. It is a powerful tool for breaking enemy morale.

Positives

  • It provides a massive tactical advantage, effectively doubling the user’s area-of-effect damage or area denial in a single turn.
  • It is exceptionally effective at catching agile enemies who dodge the initial attack.
  • It is a potent psychological weapon, demonstrating a level of power that can intimidate and demoralize opponents.

Negatives

  • The ability has a cooldown, and becoming reliant on it can be a liability in a prolonged fight.
  • It encourages a focus on the “trick” of the second flame rather than on improving the raw power of the initial breath.
  • It is a very overt and dramatic display of powerful magic, which will undoubtedly draw a great deal of unwanted attention from rivals, magic-hunters, and those who would seek to possess such an item for themselves.

The Forge-Rite of the Second Ember

This document describes the traditional smithing ritual used by the dragon-kin of the Blasted Peaks to craft their signature piece of armor. The process is less about delicate enchanting and more about a brutal, rhythmic smithing technique that uses immense heat and specific, temporally-charged materials to trap an echo of fire within the armor itself. Success requires not just skill, but immense fortitude and perfect timing.

Materials Needed

  • 1x Set of Mature Fire-Drake Scales: Approximately 30-40 scales are needed, harvested from a mature fire-drake. The scales must be whole and free of cracks.
  • 1x Flawless Sunstone: A raw, uncut piece of sunstone of high quality, with a deep, fiery core.
  • 1x Hide of a Greater Salamander: To be cut into durable, fire-resistant leather straps.
  • 1x Cauldron of Dragon’s Breath Sand: Sand that has been collected from a true dragon’s lair, where it has been subjected to the heat of a dragon’s breath for no less than a century. This is the most crucial temporal component.
  • 1x Pouch of Volcanic Ash Flux: A mixture of fine volcanic ash and powdered iron used as a binding agent during high-heat forging.

Tools Required

  • A Volcanic Forge: A forge that draws its heat directly from a natural lava flow or a bound fire elemental. Standard forges cannot reach the required temperatures.
  • A Dragon-Bone Anvil: A massive, heat-resistant anvil carved from the fossilized bone of an ancient dragon. Its surface is naturally imbued with faint magical resistance.
  • Heavy Smith’s Hammer & Tongs: Standard smithing tools, but forged from tempered obsidian or meteoric iron to withstand the extreme heat.
  • Scale Punch and Rivet Set: Tools for punching holes in the tough scales and setting the rivets that link them.
  • Lapidary Wheel: A grinding wheel, often powered by a steam-piston system, for shaping the sunstone.

Skill Requirements

  • Armorsmithing (Adept): The crafter must be highly skilled in the creation of scale armor.
  • Endurance (Adept): The ability to work for hours in the extreme, oppressive heat of a volcanic forge is essential. Fainting during the Temporal Quench will ruin the item.
  • Arcane Engineering (Novice): The crafter does not need to cast spells, but must understand the theory of how specific heating and quenching processes can imbue an object with magical properties.
  • Lapidary (Novice): Required for the basic shaping and polishing of the sunstone focus.

Crafting Steps

Step 1: Shaping the Sunstone Before beginning the forge-work, the crafter must prepare the focus stone. Using the lapidary wheel, the raw sunstone is carefully cut and polished into a smooth, thick disc, designed to bring out the “flickering ember” at its core. It is then set aside.

Step 2: Forging the Scales This is the primary labor of the rite. One by one, each fire-drake scale must be heated in the searing heart of the volcanic forge until it glows a brilliant, molten orange. Using the tongs and hammer, the scale is then shaped on the dragon-bone anvil. Holes are punched for the leather straps and rivets. This process is repeated for every scale, each one needing to be perfectly shaped to interlock with its neighbors.

Step 3: Cold Assembly Once all scales are forged and have cooled, they are laid out and assembled. They are linked and riveted together over a shaped leather dummy to form the final gorget shape. The large, central scale is fitted with a setting for the sunstone, but the stone is not yet placed. At this point, the item is a masterwork, but mundane, piece of armor.

Step 4: The Temporal Quench This is the crucial and dangerous moment where the magic is born. The entire assembled gorget is placed back into the volcanic forge and heated evenly until every scale glows with the heat of a miniature sun. The timing must be perfect. The crafter, judging the color of the metal and the shimmering of the air, must pull the gorget from the forge and, in one swift motion, plunge it deep into the cauldron of Dragon’s Breath Sand.

Step 5: The Echo-Chant As the gorget cools rapidly in the sand, letting off a deafening hiss, the crafter must immediately begin a rhythmic, percussive chant. The chant has no words, but is a series of deep, guttural exhalations that mimic the sound of a double heartbeat or an echoing roar: HA-ha… HA-ha… HA-ha… This rhythmic vibration, combined with the shock of the cooling process in the temporally-charged sand, forces an “echo” of the immense heat and fiery energy back into the very structure of the scales. A flawed rhythm will result in a mundane item.

Step 6: Final Setting and Awakening After a full hour of cooling, the gorget is removed from the sand. It will no longer be searing hot, but will now carry a perpetual, deep warmth. It is cleaned of all sand and debris. The final step is to carefully set the polished sunstone into its housing on the central scale. As the stone clicks into place, it will seem to “awaken,” its inner ember beginning to flicker as it resonates with the trapped temporal energy of the gorget. The salamander-hide straps are then attached, and the item is complete.

Roric and Flame’s Second Breath

In the high mountains that scrape the belly of the sky, there lived the dragon-kin. It was known to all that the measure of a man was the strength of the fire in his throat. Their chieftain was a great and ancient one, Old Vald, and his breath was a roaring furnace that could melt stone. But the fire of young Roric was a weak thing, a sputtering ember, a puff of smoke that brought him shame. His pride was a cold stone in his throat where a hot fire should have been.

And so Roric, in his shame, decided he would not accept his fate. He would forge for himself a gorget of power, a magic of his own making. The clan legends spoke of the Forge-Rite, a dangerous trial of smithing. To the jagged cliffs he went, and he hunted a fire-drake for its bronze scales. To the mouth of the cave of the Great Drake he crept, and while the beast slept, he stole a cauldron of the sand that had known the heat of a true dragon’s breath for a thousand years.

In the heart of the volcanic mountain, he found a forge fed by the world’s own fire. And he began the rite. He heated the scales until they were suns. He hammered them on an anvil of old bone. And when the gorget was shaped, he heated it one last time until it wept with light, and he plunged it into the dragon-sand. And as the steam and smoke rose, he chanted the two-hearted beat, a song of the echo, HA-ha… HA-ha…, until his own heart nearly broke from the strain. He worked not as a master smith, but as a desperate man, and when he was done, he had forged a gorget, and it was warm with a secret power.

Roric, wearing his new creation, went before Old Vald. He struck the challenge-gong. He demanded the Trial of Embers for leadership of the clan. The old chieftain laughed, a sound like grinding rocks. But the law was the law.

They stood on the dueling peak. Old Vald took a great breath, and from his mouth came a torrent of fire, a wave of roaring flame that set the very air alight. It was a great storm that lasted for a moment. In defiance, Roric breathed his own fire. It was a small flame, a candle against the furnace. The clan members watching from the cliffs looked away in shame for him.

But Roric, feeling the heat of the gorget on his neck, commanded the magic within. And as his own small flame died, a second flame, a ghost of the first, erupted from his lips. It too was small, but it shocked the old chieftain. It was the Ashen Encore. Vald, angered by this trick, breathed his fire again.

This time, Roric used the second gift of the gorget. He breathed, and activated the Sustained Burn. His small flame did not burst forth and die. It became a thin, continuous jet of white-hot fire, a spear of flame that he could aim with care.

The chieftain’s fire was a great, wild thing that burned everything in a wide path. But Roric’s fire was a small, sharp thing that he could control. He swept his jet of flame back and forth. It was the patient river against the raging flood. While the chieftain was breathing in for another great blast, Roric’s flame was still burning, still reaching. He used the jet to draw a line of fire on the ground around the chieftain, penning him in. He used the Ashen Encore to place a second burst of flame where the chieftain was about to step.

The duel ended not with a great roar, but with a quiet sigh. Old Vald stood in a circle of fire, his breath spent, his body singed from the ghost-flames he did not expect. Roric, his own energy failing, stopped his thin jet of fire. He had won. Not with power, but with time.

And so Roric became chieftain. He taught his people that the measure of a fire is not in its size, but in its duration and its echo. For a great fire that dies in a moment is but a memory, while a small flame that can be made to burn twice, or to burn longer, is a true weapon. And the Gorget of the Ashen Encore became the right of every new warrior, a tool to make the most of what power they were given.

The moral of the story is this: A great power used for a single moment is soon forgotten. But even a small power, if it can be made to last, can change the world.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Gorget of the Echoing Flame Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement by a creature with a fire-based breath weapon)

This protective neck guard is made of interlocking, iridescent bronze scales that are perpetually warm to the touch. A polished sunstone is set in the center, containing what looks like a flickering ember.

While wearing this gorget, you gain the following benefits:

  • Lingering Embers: When a creature fails its saving throw against your fire-based breath weapon, it takes an additional 1d4 fire damage at the start of its next turn as temporal embers cling to it.
  • Ashen Encore: The gorget has 3 charges. When you use your action to exhale your breath weapon, you can expend 1 charge to cause a temporal echo. A second, ghostly wave of fire erupts from you in the same area. Each creature in the area must make the same saving throw, taking 2d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The gorget regains 1d3 expended charges daily at dawn.

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Gorget of the Cthughan Initiate This is a strange, primitive neck guard made of overlapping bronze-like scales of an unknown creature. The metal is always warm. It is an artifact used by fire-worshipping cults to grant their chosen disciples a semblance of their master’s power.

Game Mechanics: An Investigator must make a permanent sacrifice of 1d4 points from their POW score to attune to the gorget, a process that is agonizing and costs 1/1d6 SAN. Once attuned, it cannot be removed.

  • Breath of Cthugha: The wearer gains the ability to breathe a 5-yard cone of fire. To do so, the Investigator must succeed on a POW x 5 roll and spend 2 Magic Points. All targets within the cone must make a Dodge roll or suffer 1d10 fire damage. Fumbling the POW roll means the Investigator takes the full damage themselves as the fire erupts in their throat.
  • Temporal Echo: Immediately after a successful use of Breath of Cthugha, the wearer can force the moment to repeat itself. This costs an additional 4 Magic Points and 1 SAN point. The Breath of Cthugha effect triggers again in the same area, dealing half damage (1d6). The physical strain of this requires a Hard CON roll or the Investigator is overcome with violent, wracking coughs, losing their next action.

Blades in the Dark

Gorget of the Ashen Echo Artifact, Demonic, Rare

A heavy gorget of interlocking bronze scales that feels warm, as if it just came out of a forge. It is bound with the echo of a fire demon, allowing the wearer to exhale gouts of ghostly flame and command its lingering heat.

Game Mechanics: This item is a heavy item that uses 2 load. When you wear it, you can feel a constant, simmering heat in your chest.

  • Passive (Thermal Echo): You can see the world in terms of heat. When you Survey a location, you can ask “Where has the most intense heat or violence occurred recently?” as a free question.
  • Active (Echoing Flame): You can suffer 2 Stress to unleash a blast of ghostly fire as a Wreck or Skirmish action. This action has Scale (it affects a small gang) and is obviously supernatural and terrifying. When you use this ability, you may choose to suffer an additional 1 Stress to activate the Ashen Encore. A second, identical blast of fire erupts a moment after the first, giving your action increased Potency against a tough target or allowing it to affect an even wider area.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Drake-Scale Gorget Item, 1 Inventory Slot, Armor

A protective neck guard made of tough, iridescent bronze scales. It provides +1 to your Armor defense. The gorget is perpetually warm and seems to hum with a low energy.

  • Granted Ability (Fire Breath): Three times per day, you may use an action to breathe a 15-foot cone of fire. All creatures within the cone must make a Dexterity save. On a failure, they take 2d6 damage. On a success, they take half damage.
  • Temporal Encore: Once per day, immediately after using your Fire Breath ability, you may activate the gorget’s magic. The Fire Breath effect happens a second time in the exact same area. The damage for this second burst is 1d6 instead of 2d6.

Fate Core System

Gorget of the First and Second Flame

This item’s power is best represented as a Stunt that grants and enhances a powerful offensive ability. It can also be treated as an Aspect.

  • Aspect: Wears the Dragon-Kin Gorget This can be invoked for a bonus when dealing with dragon-kin, showing respect for their traditions, or when intimidating others with a display of fiery power. It can be compelled to draw unwanted attention from monsters who are drawn to or angered by the scent of draconic magic.
  • Stunt: The Ashen Encore Because I wear the Gorget of the First and Second Flame, I can make a Physique attack using a gout of fire against all targets in an adjacent zone. Furthermore, immediately after a successful fire breath attack, I can spend a Fate Point to create a temporal echo. The attack occurs a second time in the same zone with the same attack roll. Any consequences inflicted by this echo attack are narrative (e.g., “Pinned Down by Ghost-Fire,” “Terrified by the Second Flame”) rather than additional stress boxes.

Numenera & Cypher System

Drake-Scale Pyro-Ejector

  • Level: 6
  • Form: A heavy gorget made of interlocking, iridescent bronze scales with a glowing sunstone set at the throat.
  • Effect: The artifact bonds with the wearer’s biology and allows them to generate and expel chemical fire.
    • Primary Function (Fire Breath): As an action, the wearer can project a 15-foot cone of fire. All targets in the cone take 6 points of damage. The wearer must make a new depletion roll each time this primary function is used.
    • Secondary Function (Temporal Echo): Immediately after using the fire breath, the wearer can choose to take 3 points of Speed damage (ignoring Armor). This forces a temporal echo of the attack. The fire breath effect triggers again in the same area, but deals only 3 points of damage. This secondary function does not require a depletion roll.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d20.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Gorget of the Twice-Breathed Flame – Item 6 Uncommon, Evocation, Invested, Magical

  • Price 250 gp
  • Usage worn neck; Bulk 1
  • Prerequisites You must have a breath weapon that deals fire damage to invest this item.

This gorget is made of interlocking bronze-colored scales and is warm to the touch. It allows you to manipulate the temporal energy of your own breath weapon.

  • Activate [one-action] Echoing Breath; Frequency once per 10 minutes; Trigger You have just used an activity with the breath trait that deals fire damage.
  • Effect You cause a temporal echo of your attack to erupt from you. This creates a duplicate of your breath weapon’s area. All creatures in the area take 3d6 fire damage, with a basic Reflex save against your class DC or spell DC, whichever is higher. This damage is in addition to the effects of the original breath weapon.
  • Passive You can alter the nature of your fire. When you use your breath weapon, you can choose to change its area to a 30-foot line. If you do, reduce the size of the damage dice by one step (for example, d6s become d4s).

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition (SWADE)

The Dragon’s Throat Amulet This is a heavy bronze gorget made of interlocking scales. It is a magical item that attunes to a user with an innate fire ability, allowing them to amplify and reshape their power.

  • Requirements: The wearer must have an ability that functions as a fire-based attack, such as the Burst or Bolt powers with a fire trapping.
  • Effect (Ashen Encore): When the wearer successfully activates a fire-based power, they may choose to spend a Benny. If they do, the power activates a second time a moment later, using the same template placement as the first. The damage for this second activation is rolled separately.
  • Effect (Sustained Burn): The wearer can choose to modify their fire power on the fly. When activating the Burst power, they may choose to have it manifest as a Stream, as per the Damage Field power modifier. The power costs 1 Power Point per round to sustain after the initial activation.

Shadowrun, Sixth World

Saeder-Krupp ‘Wyrm-Throat’ Focus A rare piece of magical hardware developed by Saeder-Krupp’s draconic research division. The gorget is made of interlocking scales of a proprietary bronze alloy, with a large, heat-sync sunstone at the throat. It is a specialized magical focus designed to augment the innate abilities of drakes and other fire-breathing metahumans.

  • Focus Type: Weapon Focus (Breath Weapons)
  • Force: 2
  • Availability: 14F
  • Cost: 24,000 nuyen
  • Game Mechanics:
    • This is a Force 2 Weapon Focus that only applies to a character’s natural, magical fire-based breath weapon attack. It adds its Force (2) to the dice pool for that attack.
    • Passive (Thermal Vision): The gorget’s sunstone provides the user with thermographic vision.
    • Active (Temporal Encore): When the user makes a breath weapon attack, they may choose to take 1 point of unresisted Physical damage from the intense magical feedback. If they do, a ghostly echo of their breath erupts a moment later. Make a second attack roll with a dice pool equal to the user’s Magic attribute + the weapon’s Force (2). This second attack has a Damage Value equal to half the normal DV of the breath weapon. This ability can only be used once per combat round.

Starfinder

Gorget of the Solar Echo

  • Level 7; Price 6,800 credits
  • Hands –; Bulk 1
  • Type Magic Item; Armor Slot neck

This gorget of iridescent bronze scales is warm to the touch and contains a flickering sunstone. It is a favored item among dragonkin mercenaries and other species with innate fire abilities, allowing them to amplify their natural gifts by manipulating temporal energy.

  • Game Mechanics:
    • Prerequisite: To attune to and use this item, you must have a breath weapon that deals fire damage.
    • Lingering Burn: When you damage one or more creatures with your fire breath weapon, those creatures gain the burning condition (dealing 1d6 fire damage).
    • Echoing Breath: Once per day, when you use your breath weapon, you can spend 1 Resolve Point to cause a temporal echo. The breath weapon immediately triggers a second time from you in the same area. This echo deals half the number of damage dice as the original breath (for example, a breath weapon that deals 8d6 fire damage would have an echo that deals 4d6 fire damage).

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Gene-Spliced Fire Gland Modulator A sophisticated piece of military biotech (TL-14) that appears as a form-fitting gorget. It must be surgically integrated with a creature’s biological fire-generating organs to function. It is designed to regulate and enhance natural breath weapons for specialized troops.

  • Tech Level: 14
  • Cost: Cr 150,000
  • Power: Internal (24 hours)
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Passive Sensors: The gorget is equipped with thermal sensors, granting the user DM+1 on any Recon checks involving heat detection.
    • Sustained Jet: As an action, the user can modulate their breath weapon from a cone into a focused, 10m-long stream. This requires an Electronics (sensors) check with a difficulty of 8+. If successful, the attack targets a single individual and deals +1d6 damage. Failure means the attack is a normal cone, but the device overheats and cannot be used for 1d6 hours.
    • Stored Charge: The device can store a ‘charge’ of the user’s biological fire energy. Once per day, after using their breath weapon, the user can use a reaction to release the stored charge. This creates a second cone of fire in the same area that deals half the damage of the original attack.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Gorget of the Aqshy Echo A magical artifact of the Bright College, this gorget of polished bronze scales is worn by battlemages who favor the Lore of Fire. A sunstone, enchanted to resonate with the Wind of Aqshy, is set at the throat. It allows a wizard to create temporal echoes of their fiery spells.

  • Magical Item: This is a magical instrument that aids in channelling.
  • Game Mechanics:
    • Lingering Heat: Any enemy that suffers a Wound from a spell you cast with the Fire trait gains a Blazing Condition with a value equal to your Willpower Bonus.
    • Echoing Cascade: When you successfully cast a spell with the Fire trait, you may spend 3 of your stored Advantage points to cause a temporal echo of the spell. The spell’s effect is duplicated a moment later, originating from you and affecting the same target or area. The duplicated effect uses the same final Success Level as the original casting but does not generate new Overcasting levels. This ability can only be used once per round. The overt display of such power is terrifying and impressive, and you may immediately make a free Intimidate Test against all who witnessed it.