Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill

Lore

Born from island cultures where high mountains touch cold winds and spirits are called through stillness rather than fire.
The Breathbound Chill was created for those who learned that freezing is not only cold, but restraint, patience, and the power of stopping motion.
Elders say the totem listens to held breath and rewards those who do not rush heat back into the world.
It is believed ancestors taught that cold preserves truth, while heat distorts it.

Description

A palm-length totem carved from pale driftwood and frost-smoothed stone, bound with white fiber cord.
Shell fragments etched with spiral patterns are set into the surface, always cool to the touch.
When activated, a faint crystalline sheen forms along the carvings, as if thin ice were growing without moisture.

Rarity and Tier

Common
Tier 1

Slot

Trinket (neck-hung totem, wrist charm, or chest-bound cord; must be openly worn)

Skills Gained While Openly Worn

+1 Endurance, Discipline, or Concentration-related checks
+1 Survival or Environmental Adaptation checks in cold, wind, or exposed conditions

Passive Magical Effects

Held Breath Calm
- The wearer instinctively slows breathing and movement, reducing shivering, panic, or heat loss in cold environments.
Cold Acceptance
- Environmental cold feels muted, allowing longer exposure without distraction or fatigue.
Stillness of Ice
- While remaining motionless or moving slowly, the wearer’s presence becomes harder to notice, as heat and motion signatures subtly dampen.

Activatable Magical Effects

Breathbound Freeze (2/day):
- By holding breath briefly and focusing, the wearer channels ancestral cold, causing surfaces touched to stiffen with numbing frost, slowing movement or actions.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/day):
- A thin, invisible chill barrier forms close to the body, reducing incoming heat-based effects and dulling sudden impacts.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/day):
- For a short duration, footsteps leave no condensation, sound, or warmth trace, aiding silent movement in cold or temperate terrain.

Roleplay Notes

The totem grows colder the longer the wearer remains calm and controlled.
Quick, heated emotions cause the chill effect to weaken.
Elders warn that relying on cold too often can numb empathy as well as flesh.

Tags
TribalMagic, Totem, Ritual, Freezing, Cold-Spirit, Breath-Control, Stillness, Environmental-Magic, Preservation, Nonlethal, Ancestral-Chill, Cold-Adaptation, Frost-Aura, Thermal-Dampening, Breath-Discipline, Motion-Suppression, Chill-Infusion, Silent-Movement, Heat-Resistance, Ice-Signature, Environmental-Control, Stoic-Defense

How This Item Might Be Obtained

Rite of the Cold Watch
- Earned by standing an overnight vigil in a high, wind-exposed place such as a mountain pass, cliff shrine, or storm-swept ridge without fire or shelter.
- The totem is given at dawn by elders after the watcher proves control of breath, movement, and emotion in the cold.
Ancestral Craft Exchange
- Crafted and bestowed after assisting a ritual community during a season of cold winds, frost damage, or high-altitude travel.
- Often requires helping preserve food, protect water sources from freezing, or escort ritual dancers through exposed terrain.
Recovery from Abandoned Cold Shrines
- Found at neglected highland altars, glacier-edge markers, or wind-polished stone circles once used for breath-holding rites.
- Such totems are inert until worn openly and carried through a cold night without complaint or heat source.

Shops Where It Might Be Bought or Sold

Highland Ritual Lodges

Stone-and-wood structures located near mountain paths or elevated settlements.
Operated by cold-season ritualists, breath-masters, or weather readers.
Sale is quiet and deliberate; buyers are often questioned about discipline and intent.
Typical Cost:
- 9–13 Silver, depending on altitude and recent weather severity.

Cold-Route Outfitter Halls

Found along trade routes that cross high passes or wind-exposed regions.
Serve guides, scouts, caravan outriders, and messengers.
Totems are treated as survival aids rather than sacred objects.
Typical Cost:
- 11–16 Silver, often bundled with cold-weather gear or provisions.

Frontier Spirit Exchanges

Seasonal markets near glaciers, volcanic highlands, or storm-exposed islands.
Items may be traded for services, endurance displays, or preserved goods.
Sellers favor buyers who demonstrate restraint and patience.
Typical Cost:
- 7–11 Silver, or equivalent value in supplies or labor.

Resale and Trade Considerations

The item loses value if kept hidden or used recklessly in warm, crowded spaces.
Communities may refuse repurchase if the totem was used aggressively rather than defensively.
Demand increases sharply during long winters or periods of abnormal cold, raising prices toward the upper range.

Roleplay use by environment

High mountains, glaciers, and wind-exposed ridges

Defense:
- The Breathbound Chill stabilizes the wearer’s body temperature and breathing, allowing them to endure exposure without panic or exhaustion.
- Ancestral Cold Ward dulls sudden impacts from falling ice, debris, or glancing blows while the chill barrier absorbs shock.
Offense:
- Breathbound Freeze can stiffen climbing surfaces, ropes, or enemy gear, slowing pursuit or forcing careful movement.
- Controlled frost on handholds can deny access without direct confrontation.

Forests, jungles, and mixed terrain

Defense:
- Stillness of Ice reduces the wearer’s heat and motion signature, making ambush less likely when moving slowly or remaining hidden.
- Frost-Quiet Step prevents condensation or disturbed foliage in cold or damp undergrowth.
Offense:
- Breathbound Freeze numbs exposed limbs or weapons briefly, disrupting attacks without lethal force.
- Cold-induced stiffness can create openings for escape or restraint.

Urban environments, ruins, and stone structures

Defense:
- Cold Acceptance allows calm movement through drafty corridors, shadowed alleys, or exposed rooftops without loss of focus.
- Ancestral Cold Ward mitigates sudden blows or heat-based effects from traps or thrown devices.
Offense:
- Frost-Quiet Step enables silent approach over stone, tile, or metal without leaving warmth traces.
- Localized freezing of locks, hinges, or mechanisms can delay pursuers or secure escape routes.

Open plains, coasts, and exposed routes

Defense:
- Held Breath Calm counters wind chill and exposure during long crossings.
- Reduced shivering and visible breath make the wearer harder to spot at distance.
Offense:
- Breathbound Freeze stiffens wet ground, nets, or equipment to impede movement without escalating violence.
- Cold manipulation disrupts coordination rather than inflicting harm.

Underground caverns and cold subterranean spaces

Defense:
- Cold Acceptance aligns the wearer’s body with ambient chill, preventing fatigue in damp, icy tunnels.
- Stillness of Ice reduces sound and thermal cues in echo-heavy environments.
Offense:
- Frost-Quiet Step allows controlled movement across slick stone without noise.
- Breathbound Freeze can create temporary frost barriers to control chokepoints.

Roleplay emphasis across all environments

Defense focuses on endurance, restraint, and preservation rather than direct confrontation.
Offense emphasizes slowing, denying, and controlling space instead of dealing lethal damage.
The totem reinforces the philosophy that cold is not cruelty, but the discipline of stopping motion at the right moment.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective

Sight:
- Fine crystalline patterns briefly form along the totem’s carvings, like frost tracing grain lines before settling into a steady, pale shimmer.
- The surrounding air appears slightly clearer and sharper, as if edges have slowed and stopped blurring.
Sound:
- Ambient noise softens and spreads out, with sharp sounds muted as though absorbed by snow.
- The wearer hears their own breath more clearly, each inhale and exhale becoming deliberate and measured.
Touch:
- A cool pressure settles across the chest and hands, not painful but firm, encouraging stillness.
- Skin temperature equalizes, reducing the shock of cold surfaces or sudden wind.
Smell:
- A faint, clean scent emerges—dry stone, frozen air, and distant water locked beneath ice.
Extrasensory Perceptions:
- Movement nearby feels slowed in intent, as if actions are forming but have not yet committed.
- Heat and agitation register as disturbances rather than threats, standing out against the calm cold field.
- Time seems slightly restrained, giving the wearer space to decide before acting.

Observer’s Perspective

Sight:
- A thin halo of frost mist forms close to the totem, drifting downward rather than outward.
- The wearer’s breath becomes faint or briefly invisible, even in cold air.
Sound:
- Footfalls and fabric movement near the wearer seem quieter, as though sound is being dampened.
Environmental Reaction:
- Moisture in the air may crystallize briefly before settling, especially in still environments.

Positives

Encourages calm, controlled reactions under pressure.
Reduces distraction from cold, fear, or sudden motion.
Supports non-lethal control by slowing, numbing, or denying movement.

Negatives

Emotional warmth and urgency are muted, which may delay decisive action.
Prolonged activation can cause detachment from allies’ distress or rapid developments.
The subtle frost effects may draw attention in warm or dry environments.

Recipe: Rite of the Breathbound Chill

Materials Needed

Driftwood gathered from a cold shoreline or high-altitude lake edge, naturally weathered and pale
A smooth stone shaped by frost, wind, or glacial water
White or translucent shell fragments etched by sand or ice
Braided fiber cord treated with salt, ash, and cold water
Fine frost-ash made from burned pale wood or dried grasses
Meltwater collected at dawn from frost, snow, or ice
A small amount of the crafter’s breath captured in still air (symbolic focus, not a container)

Tools Required

Carving knife suitable for wood and stone
Stone file or shell shard for fine etching
Small bowl for mixing ash and meltwater
Soft cloth, hide, or woven fiber for polishing
Binding weights or clamps
An exposed, cold place where wind can pass freely

Skill Requirements

Knowledge of ritual breath control and stillness practices
Basic carving and binding craftsmanship
Environmental awareness in cold or exposed conditions
Ability to remain motionless and focused for extended periods

Crafting Steps

Rinse the driftwood and stone in meltwater to remove warmth and residue, allowing them to cool naturally.
Carve slow, open lines into the driftwood, never closing a shape, representing halted motion and held breath.
Etch shallow spirals and breaks into the stone and shell fragments, symbolizing preserved moments.
Bind the stone to the driftwood using braided fiber, tightening gradually while maintaining alignment.
Press shell fragments into carved channels, leaving edges uneven rather than polished smooth.
Mix frost-ash with meltwater and rub it into select grooves, then wipe away excess so residue remains only within the carvings.
Suspend the bound totem in open air, allowing wind and cold to pass over it for several hours.
At dusk or dawn, stand with the totem held openly against the chest and perform controlled breathing, slowing each breath until condensation fades.
Focus on stillness rather than summoning; the ritual succeeds when the totem feels evenly cool and the carvings briefly show a crystalline sheen.
If warmth spreads or frost fails to form, the ritual must be repeated after another cold cycle.

Breath That Stopped the Sea

This telling is broken. The words were carved first into bone, then sung, then remembered wrongly. What is written here was never meant to be read quickly.

Before the islands learned warmth, before fire was taught to stay, the world moved too fast. Waves struck before warning. Winds tore canoes from hands. Creatures ran until they broke themselves. People died not because they were weak, but because nothing ever paused.

Among the ancestors there was one whose name does not remain. The sound of it was long and required breath that modern mouths no longer hold. This one did not shout to spirits. This one listened until the listening hurt.

When the cold season came and would not leave, others begged for heat. They burned too much wood. They sang too loudly. The storms answered them with hunger.

The one with the long name walked into the wind and did not fight it. They stood where breath turned white and did not chase it away. They learned the weight of a held breath and how the body becomes stone if it is not afraid of stillness.

It is said the ancestors noticed not because the watcher called, but because the watcher stopped calling everything else.

The sea slowed near them. Ice formed without cracking. A wave rose and did not fall until permission was given. The one with the long name pressed driftwood and stone together and bound them while breathing less and less, until even the wind leaned closer.

When others touched the carving, their hands burned. When the watcher touched it, it cooled.

The people begged to use it as a weapon. The watcher refused. They said freezing is not for killing, but for choosing when movement is allowed again.

When enemies came later, the carving did not strike them down. It slowed their feet. It numbed their grip. It gave the village time to move children, to close doors, to wait.

After the watcher died, others tried to force the cold. Those carvings cracked. Those users froze themselves from the inside.

Only the totems made by those who understood restraint endured. They worked best when used rarely, and weakest when used in anger.

The last line of the story is incomplete. It ends with a pause where a word should be, and scholars argue what was lost. Most agree it was not a word at all, but a held breath.

The Moral of the Story:
That cold is not the absence of warmth, but the wisdom of stopping motion before it becomes destruction.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Ancestral Freezing Totem

Type

Enchanted Totem Trinket (worn; must be openly worn)

Attunement

1 minute of stillness and controlled breath; only one owner at a time

Passive Effects

Held Breath Calm
- Gain a bonus die on CON-based rolls to resist cold exposure, panic, or shaking hands during stress.
Cold Acceptance
- Gain a bonus die on Spot Hidden or Listen when environmental cold would normally distract or impose penalties.
Stillness of Ice
- When moving slowly or remaining motionless, gain a bonus die on Stealth rolls due to dampened heat and motion cues.

Active Effects

Breathbound Freeze (2/day)
- After holding breath briefly, you can numb a touched surface or object and stiffen it with frost. Gain a bonus die on an attack, grapple, or special maneuver intended to slow or hinder rather than kill; targets may suffer reduced action effectiveness at the Keeper’s discretion.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/day)
- For a short interval, reduce incoming heat-based harm and dull sudden impacts; gain a bonus die on Dodge or a relevant resistance roll against fire/heat or shock.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/day)
- For one scene of travel or stealth, your movement leaves reduced sound and warmth trace; gain a bonus die on Stealth and reduce the chance of being tracked by heat or condensation cues.

Complication

If two actives are used in the same scene, emotional dulling sets in; the Keeper may apply a penalty die to one interpersonal roll requiring empathy or urgency.

Blades in the Dark
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: The Breath-Frozen Totem

Type

Gear (Worn Totem)
Load: 1
Requirement: Must be worn openly

Passives

Held Breath Calm
- Take +1d to Prowl or Resist when cold, fear, or stress would shake your hands or break focus.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore one level of environmental discomfort or impairment from cold during a scene of travel or watch.
Stillness of Ice
- When you remain motionless or move slowly, take +1d to Prowl because your presence and heat signature are dampened.

Actives

Breathbound Freeze (2 uses per score)
- Create the situational aspect “Numbing Frost” on a target or surface; take +1 effect on a control, escape, or restraint action that relies on slowing rather than harming.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1 use per score)
- Reduce harm from heat, fire, or sudden impacts by one level for a scene; or gain improved position when resisting such threats.
Frost-Quiet Step (1 use per score)
- For one scene, your movement is muffled and leaves minimal trace; take +1d to Prowl and reduce Heat by 1 if stealth is central to the plan.

Drawback

Cold Detachment
- Using two actives in one scene starts a short clock; completion causes a complication tied to delayed urgency or blunted empathy.

Dungeons & Dragons (5e, current)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill
Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)

Worn Slot

Trinket/amulet (must be worn openly)

Passive Properties

Held Breath Calm
- You have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to resist extreme cold, and on saving throws to maintain concentration when exposed to cold wind or freezing spray.
Cold Acceptance
- You ignore difficult terrain caused by non-magical ice or packed snow for up to 10 minutes per short rest.
Stillness of Ice
- While you are not moving, you gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to remain unseen.

Activated Properties

Breathbound Freeze (2/long rest)
- As an action, after holding your breath briefly, you can coat a touched object or surface in numbing frost for 1 minute. A creature that touches or is struck by it must succeed on a Constitution save (DC 12) or have its speed reduced by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/long rest)
- As a bonus action, you gain resistance to fire damage for 1 minute and reduce bludgeoning damage you take by 2 (to a minimum of 0) for the same duration.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/long rest)
- As an action, for 10 minutes you leave no visible condensation or warmth trace and make no sound from footsteps; you have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, and tracking you by mundane signs is made at disadvantage.

Limitation

The item is designed to slow, preserve, and evade; it does not increase direct damage.

Knave (2nd Edition)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Totem of Held Frost

Type

Magical Trinket (Worn)
Slots: 1 (must be worn openly)

Passives

Held Breath Calm
- Gain advantage on checks to endure cold, maintain focus, or resist panic/shaking.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore one penalty per scene caused by environmental cold or freezing wind.
Stillness of Ice
- When motionless or moving slowly, gain advantage on checks to remain unseen.

Actives

Breathbound Freeze (2/day)
- Touch a surface or target to numb and stiffen; gain advantage on one check to slow, restrain, or escape.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/day)
- Reduce damage from heat/fire or sudden impacts for one scene (GM adjudication), or gain advantage to resist such harm.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/day)
- For one scene, you move silently and leave minimal trace; gain advantage on stealth or evasion checks.

Downside

Emotional Cooling
- If two actives are used in one scene, take disadvantage on the next check requiring urgency, warmth, or empathy until you rest.

Fate (Condensed / Core)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Aspect of the Held Winter

Type

Ancestral Totem (worn ritual focus)

Aspects

High Concept: Tribal Totem That Freezes Motion Through Breath and Stillness
Trouble: When I Slow the World, I Slow Myself Too

Stunts

Held Breath Calm
- Gain +2 to Physique when resisting cold, panic, or physical stress caused by exposure or shock.
Cold Acceptance
- Gain +2 to Survival or Will when environmental cold would normally impose disadvantage or distraction.
Stillness of Ice
- Gain +2 to Stealth when remaining motionless or moving slowly, as heat and motion are dampened.

Invocations (Limited Uses)

Breathbound Freeze (2 per session)
- Create the situational aspect “Numbing Frost” on a target or surface with one free invoke, usable to slow, restrain, or deny movement.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1 per session)
- Create the situational aspect “Cold-Shielded” with one free invoke, usable to reduce incoming harm from heat or impact.
Frost-Quiet Step (1 per session)
- Create the situational aspect “No Heat, No Sound” with one free invoke for stealth, evasion, or withdrawal.

Compels

Emotional detachment delays urgent action.
Overuse dulls empathy and responsiveness.

Numenera / Cypher System (Discovery / Destiny)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Ancestral Cold Totem

Artifact Type

Wearable Ritual Totem (Endurance / Stealth Focus)

Level

Level 2

Wear Slot

Worn totem or chest-bound charm

Passive Effects

Held Breath Calm
- The wearer gains an asset on Might defense tasks against cold, shock, or panic.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore one level of hindrance from cold environments or freezing wind.
Stillness of Ice
- The wearer gains an asset on stealth tasks when moving slowly or remaining still.

Usable Abilities

Breathbound Freeze (2 uses per day)
- Reduce the difficulty of a task to slow, restrain, or deny movement by two steps using cold or numbing frost.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1 use per day)
- Reduce damage from heat, fire, or sudden impact by 3 points for one minute.
Frost-Quiet Step (1 use per day)
- For one scene, reduce the difficulty of stealth tasks by two steps and negate tracking by heat or condensation.

Depletion

1 in 20. On depletion, the totem becomes inert until it is carried through a full cold night without shelter.

Pathfinder (Second Edition)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill
Item 1
Magical, Cold, Invested, Worn

Usage

Worn trinket or chest-bound totem; invested

Passive Effects

Held Breath Calm
- Gain a +1 item bonus to Fortitude saves against cold effects and to resist fatigue from exposure.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore the first square of difficult terrain per move caused by ice or snow.
Stillness of Ice
- While you do not move on your turn, gain a +1 item bonus to Stealth checks to remain hidden.

Activate

Breathbound Freeze (Two Actions; Frequency twice per day)
- Touch a creature or surface; the target must succeed at a Fortitude save or become slowed 1 until the end of its next turn.
Ancestral Cold Ward (Reaction; Frequency once per day)
- Trigger: You take fire or physical damage.
- Effect: Gain resistance 3 against the triggering damage until the end of the current turn.
Frost-Quiet Step (One Action; Frequency once per day)
- For 10 minutes, your movement leaves no tracks or condensation and reduces sound; gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Stealth.

Drawback

After using two activations in one encounter, take a –1 circumstance penalty to Perception and Diplomacy checks until you rest.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Totem of Held Frost

Type

Worn Ritual Totem

Requirements

Must be worn openly; requires controlled breathing to activate

Passive Benefits

Held Breath Calm
- Gain +1 to Vigor rolls to resist cold, shock, or panic.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore up to –1 in penalties from cold environments or freezing wind.
Stillness of Ice
- Gain +1 to Stealth when you do not move more than Pace/2 during the round.

Powers

Breathbound Freeze (2/day)
- Gain +2 to a single roll to slow, restrain, or impede a target using frost or numbing cold; on a raise, the target is Shaken.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/day)
- Reduce damage from fire or impact by 2 for one scene.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/day)
- For one scene, you make no sound from movement and leave no visible tracks; gain +2 to Stealth rolls.

Hindrance

Cold Detachment
- If two powers are used in the same scene, suffer –1 to Spirit-based rolls until the scene ends due to emotional numbing.

Shadowrun (Sixth World Edition)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Ancestral Cold Fetish

Type

Ritual Fetish (Worn Totem)

Bonding

Requires 10 minutes of controlled breathing and stillness
Only one bonded user at a time

Passive Effects

Held Breath Calm
- Gain +1 die on Body or Willpower tests to resist cold exposure, shock, or panic effects.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore 1 die of environmental penalty from cold, wind chill, or freezing conditions on Physical tests.
Stillness of Ice
- When you move no more than a walk or remain still, gain +1 die on Sneaking tests due to reduced heat and motion cues.

Active Effects

Breathbound Freeze (2/day)
- Major Action. Touch a surface, object, or opponent; gain +2 dice on a test to restrain, slow, disarm, or escape. Targets affected suffer reduced mobility at the GM’s discretion rather than direct damage.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/day)
- Minor Action. For one scene, reduce incoming Fire or Impact damage by 2 (after soak), representing numbing cold dispersal.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/day)
- Minor Action. For one scene, movement produces minimal sound and thermal trace; observers suffer –2 dice on Perception tests relying on heat, condensation, or footfall noise.

Drawback

Emotional Cooling
- If two active effects are used in the same scene, suffer –1 die on Charisma-based social tests until the scene ends.

Starfinder
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Totem of Held Winter

Item Level

Type

Hybrid Magical Trinket

Slot

Accessory (worn openly)

Passive Effects

Held Breath Calm
- Gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves against cold, fatigue, or environmental shock.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore the first penalty from cold terrain or freezing wind on movement or skill checks.
Stillness of Ice
- Gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Stealth checks when you move no more than half speed.

Activated Abilities

Breathbound Freeze (Standard Action; 2/day)
- Touch a creature or surface; the target must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 12) or have its speed reduced by 10 feet and take a –2 penalty to Acrobatics and Athletics checks for 1 round.
Ancestral Cold Ward (Reaction; 1/day)
- Trigger: You take fire or kinetic damage.
- Effect: Reduce the triggering damage by 5.
Frost-Quiet Step (Standard Action; 1/day)
- For 10 minutes, you leave no heat signature or condensation and gain a +2 bonus to Stealth checks.

Limitation

The totem manipulates cold and restraint, not lethal force.

Traveller (Mongoose Traveller, 2nd Edition)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Totem of Held Motion

Type

Ritual Environmental Totem

Slot

Worn accessory

Passive Effects

Held Breath Calm
- Gain DM+1 on END checks to resist cold, panic, or shock.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore DM–1 penalties from cold or wind exposure.
Stillness of Ice
- Gain DM+1 on Stealth or Recon checks when remaining still or moving slowly.

Active Effects

Breathbound Freeze (2/day)
- Gain DM+2 on a check to restrain, delay, or deny movement using cold or numbing contact; targets suffer reduced movement for the round (Referee adjudication).
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/day)
- Reduce damage from fire, heat, or sudden impact by 3 points for one encounter.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/day)
- For one scene, you produce no condensation, sound, or heat trace; gain DM+2 on Stealth checks.

Restrictions

The totem cannot be used to directly inflict lethal damage.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)
Tribal 417 of the Breathbound Chill: Totem of Held Frost

Type

Enchanted Trinket (Worn)

Availability

Rare outside cold, highland, or ritual cultures

Passive Effects

Held Breath Calm
- Gain +10 to Endurance tests to resist cold, fear, or physical shock.
Cold Acceptance
- Ignore up to –10 in penalties caused by cold weather or freezing conditions.
Stillness of Ice
- Gain +10 to Stealth tests when remaining still or moving slowly.

Activated Effects

Breathbound Freeze (2/day)
- Gain +20 to one test made to restrain, disarm, or slow a target using numbing cold; on success, the target suffers –10 to Agility-based tests for one round.
Ancestral Cold Ward (1/day)
- Reduce damage from fire or impact by your Toughness Bonus for one scene.
Frost-Quiet Step (1/day)
- For one scene, you make no sound from movement and leave no visible tracks or condensation; observers suffer –20 to Perception tests to notice your passage.

Side Effect

Cold Detachment
- If two activated effects are used in the same scene, suffer –10 to Fellowship-based tests until the scene ends due to emotional numbing.