Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody

Lore

• Forged in prison-forges and watch-halls where chains are counted daily and doors are trusted more than words.
• Inspired by the ancient tupilak as a guardian spirit, reshaped to embody restraint, vigilance, and lawful containment rather than destruction.
• Said to have first been made for a gaoler who feared not escape, but forgetting which prisoner deserved mercy and which did not.
• Among wardens, it is believed the tupilak does not hate the captive; it hates disorder.

Description

• A compact bone idol reinforced with iron bands, etched with tally-marks and locking sigils.
• One eye is sealed shut with riveted metal; the other is an inset crystal that dims or brightens based on confinement strength nearby.
• Fine chains and latch-plates subtly shift when the item senses resistance or intent to flee.

Rarity and Tier

• Common
• Tier 1

Slot

• Trinket (belt-hung charm, keyring idol, or chest-mounted custody badge)

Skills Gained While Openly Worn

• +1 Custody, Guarding, or Prisoner-Handling related checks
• +1 Insight or Perception checks when watching restrained, detained, or confined beings

Passive Magical Effects

• Custodian’s Awareness
  • While worn, the avatar gains an intuitive sense when a restrained creature nearby attempts escape, deception, or sabotage.
• Measured Authority
  • The wearer’s presence subtly reinforces discipline; restrained creatures find it harder to test limits, lie about compliance, or feign helplessness.
• Chainbound Balance
  • Grants steadier posture and grip when holding keys, manacles, chains, or control devices, reducing mishaps under stress.

Activatable Magical Effects

• Binding Pulse (2/day):
  • The idol emits a low metallic hum that tightens existing restraints, briefly reinforcing manacles, cages, bindings, or containment fields.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/day):
  • The crystal eye flares cold and pale, imposing hesitation, fear, or submission in a restrained or cornered target, making resistance weaker for a short time.
• Sentinel Mark (1/day):
  • The idol marks a restrained creature with an invisible custodial imprint, allowing the wearer to sense direction and distance if the captive escapes confinement for a limited duration.

Roleplay Notes

• The idol grows heavier-feeling when a prisoner lies about their intentions.
• Some gaolers swear it “counts breaths” when danger of riot or escape rises.
• Breaking or discarding the item is said to cause locks nearby to jam out of spite.

Tags
Tupilak, Gaoler, Custody, Restraint, Defensive, Control, Trinket, Magical, Bonecraft, Lawbound, Imprisonment, Watchful, Authority, Binding, Sentinel, Detention, Warden-Craft, Iron-Bound, Compliance, Anti-Escape, Order

How this item might be obtained

• Issued as formal equipment to a newly appointed gaoler after proving discipline, patience, and restraint rather than violence.
• Earned as payment for safely transporting prisoners between settlements, especially when escape attempts were expected.
• Recovered from decommissioned prisons, watchtowers, or forgotten detention vaults where older custodial magic still lingers.
• Crafted as part of service to a civic authority, with the avatar required to swear an oath to uphold lawful containment before receiving it.

Shops where it might be bought and sold

Civic Armories and Watch-Halls

• Operated by city guards, magistrates, or custodial orders.
• Items are stored behind counters and issued sparingly, often logged with serial marks or registry seals.
• Buyers are questioned about intended use; some locations require proof of authority.
• Typical cost ranges from 7 to 11 silver, reflecting reliability and lawful certification.

Prison-Forge Workshops

• Located near jails, stockades, labor camps, or fortress keeps.
• Run by smith-artificers who specialize in restraints, locks, and containment charms.
• Items may be custom-weighted or keyed to local manacle designs.
• Cost usually ranges from 6 to 10 silver, depending on customization and materials.

Curio and Relic Dealers

• Shops that trade in culturally adapted spiritual tools repurposed for modern roles.
• Sellers emphasize the tupilak’s spiritual authority rather than legality.
• Negotiation is common, and provenance is often vague.
• Cost varies widely, typically between 5 and 13 silver.

Frontier Law Posts and Traveling Wardens

• Mobile sellers attached to caravans, border forts, or island outposts.
• Items are sold as practical necessities for order in unstable regions.
• Supply is inconsistent, but demand is high.
• Cost generally ranges from 8 to 12 silver due to scarcity and risk.

Back-Alley Lockmakers and Enforcement Dens

• Unofficial workshops catering to bounty hunters, private jailers, and mercenary custodians.
• Items may have quirks or heavier enforcement bias.
• Lower prices but higher risk of unreliable enchantment balance.
• Cost typically falls between 4 and 8 silver, with quality varying sharply.

Roleplay use by environment

Urban streets and cities

• Defense:
  • The idol subtly tightens the wearer’s grip on keys or restraints when a detainee shifts weight or watches for escape routes.
  • Its crystal eye dims or brightens as crowds grow restless, warning of riots, jailbreak attempts, or coordinated interference.
• Offense:
  • Binding Pulse reinforces improvised restraints during street arrests, preventing sudden breaks or grabs.
  • Gaoler’s Glare is used to freeze resistance in its early moments, asserting control before violence escalates.

Prisons, stockades, and holding cells

• Defense:
  • Custodian’s Awareness provides constant unease when prisoners whisper, plan, or test limits, allowing the gaoler to intervene early.
  • Sentinel Mark ensures escaped captives cannot vanish without leaving a felt direction.
• Offense:
  • The idol’s hum is used deliberately to remind prisoners that their confinement is being actively watched.
  • Gaoler’s Glare reinforces authority during inspections, transfers, or discipline without physical punishment.

Wilderness and frontier routes

• Defense:
  • While escorting captives through forests, ruins, or open terrain, the idol warns of sudden escape attempts using terrain or wildlife distractions.
  • Reinforced bindings hold during falls, ambushes, or forced marches.
• Offense:
  • Binding Pulse can secure prisoners mid-movement after sudden resistance.
  • Sentinel Mark allows pursuit after breakaways, even in dense or unfamiliar terrain.

Underground complexes and cave systems

• Defense:
  • The idol resonates with echoes and vibrations, alerting the wearer to digging, lock tampering, or hidden tunnel usage.
  • The steadying influence helps maintain order in confined, high-tension environments.
• Offense:
  • Gaoler’s Glare feels oppressive in tight spaces, breaking resolve quickly.
  • Reinforced restraints resist leverage attempts using stone or walls.

Naval vessels and airships

• Defense:
  • The idol reacts to changes in motion that coincide with escape attempts, such as sudden turns, turbulence, or docking chaos.
  • Binding Pulse compensates for shifting decks and sudden drops.
• Offense:
  • Sentinel Mark ensures that captives thrown overboard, cut loose, or dropped cannot easily disappear.
  • Gaoler’s Glare is used during boarding actions or transfers to assert dominance amid noise and confusion.

Social and legal environments

• Defense:
  • The idol’s presence reinforces legitimacy during trials, negotiations, or custody exchanges.
  • Subtle warnings help the wearer detect bribery attempts, feigned compliance, or coordinated interference.
• Offense:
  • Gaoler’s Glare becomes a tool of psychological pressure during questioning.
  • The idol’s visible authority discourages resistance before it begins.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective

• Sight:
  • The sealed eye remains dark while the crystal eye ignites with a cold, pale-blue glow, steady rather than pulsing.
  • Iron bands briefly etch themselves with faint locking sigils that appear, align, and vanish like closing latches.
• Sound:
  • A deep, measured clink resonates through the idol, like a lock engaging far away.
  • Fine chains give off a restrained metallic murmur, never rattling wildly, always controlled.
• Touch:
  • A noticeable increase in weight, as if gravity itself leans into the idol.
  • A tightening sensation in the forearms and shoulders, reinforcing grip and posture.
• Smell:
  • Cold iron, old stone corridors, and a faint scent like extinguished torches.
• Extrasensory (Mind’s Eye / custodial intuition):
  • A clear awareness of restraint integrity nearby: bindings, cages, doors, and wills resisting confinement register as tension points.
  • A directional pull toward any captive whose intent shifts toward escape or defiance.

Observer’s Perspective

• Sight:
  • The crystal eye brightens sharply, casting a narrow, disciplined glow rather than spilling light.
  • Nearby locks, chains, or metal fixtures may subtly realign or tighten on their own.
• Sound:
  • A single authoritative metal click marks the exact moment activation completes.
  • Ambient noise seems briefly dampened, as if sound itself is being held still.
• Environmental reaction:
  • Loose chains stop swaying.
  • Dust motes settle unnaturally fast, giving the impression of order being imposed.

Positives

• Provides immediate, unmistakable confirmation that containment is reinforced.
• Enhances confidence and authority without requiring raised voice or force.
• Reinforces discipline and focus, especially in high-stress custodial situations.

Negatives

• The sudden weight and pressure can cause fatigue if used repeatedly.
• The visible glow and environmental stillness may escalate fear or panic in captives.
• Sensitive or empathetic avatars may feel emotional heaviness, as if absorbing the burden of confinement themselves.

Recipe: Rite of Ironbound Custody

Materials Needed

• Carved bone core from a creature associated with endurance, discipline, or confinement
• Cold-forged iron bands etched with simple locking sigils
• One single-facet crystal capable of holding steady, non-flaring light
• Fine iron chain links, deliberately mismatched to represent many captives
• Alchemical binding resin mixed with powdered rust and bone ash
• Lock-oil or warding grease used for long-term mechanical seals
• Personal token from a lawful authority or the intended wearer (key fragment, badge scrap, or oath-marked strip of metal)

Tools Required

• Bone carving tools and fine chisels
• Small anvil and precision hammer for shaping bands
• Engraving needle for sigils and tally-marks
• Alchemical bowl and heat source for resin preparation
• Iron clamps to hold components during curing
• Balance scale to test weight and alignment

Skill Requirements

• Custodial craft, locksmithing, or restraint-making proficiency
• Basic bonecraft or carving skill
• Familiarity with ironworking and lock mechanisms
• Minor magical manipulation or ritual discipline skill

Crafting Steps

• Carve the bone core into a compact idol form, hollowing interior channels while preserving structural integrity.
• Forge and fit the iron bands around the core, ensuring each band locks into the next rather than overlapping freely.
• Engrave locking sigils and tally-marks onto the bands, keeping each mark deliberate and evenly spaced.
• Set the crystal eye into its socket, sealing the second eye permanently shut with iron to symbolize vigilance without distraction.
• Thread the fine chains through anchor points, allowing limited movement without noise.
• Mix the binding resin with rust and bone ash, sealing all seams and joints, then allow it to cure under pressure.
• Perform the Rite of Custody, holding the authority token while focusing on restraint, responsibility, and measured force.
• Test the idol by applying strain to nearby bindings; successful activation is marked by a single, heavy metallic click and increased weight sensation.

One Who Held Door

These words come from fragments scratched on iron sheets and bone slats, translated wrong, then translated again by hands that no longer trusted memory. What is written here is said to be true, though the order may not be.

In the time when walls first learned to stand still, there was no keeper of those who should not roam. Doors existed, but they were polite. Chains existed, but they were uncertain. The guilty fled, the dangerous wandered, and the repentant were never found again because nothing remained where it had been placed.

In that age lived one who was not named gaoler, for the word had not yet been made. The texts call them Holder, Counter, Quiet Hand, and once simply Weight. They were given a place where others were put, and were told only this: keep what must remain.

At first the Holder used strength. Strength failed. Then fear. Fear failed faster. Then mercy, which failed without leaving a mark. Those confined learned that nothing truly watched them. Locks were fooled. Words were shaped. Promises were hollow. The Holder slept little.

So the Holder made a thing.

Bone was taken from one that had endured long seasons without moving. Iron was taken from bars that had failed before. One eye was sealed because watching too much leads to doubt. One eye was left open because ignoring leads to loss. Chains were added not to bind others, but to remind the thing what it existed for.

When the thing was finished, it was heavier than expected. The Holder could not explain why.

When it was carried, those confined felt it before they saw it. Not pain, not fear, but pressure, as if the room itself had decided where they belonged. When lies were spoken, the thing grew heavier. When escape was imagined, it grew colder. When violence was chosen, it clicked once, like a door agreeing to close.

The Holder learned not to threaten. The thing did not respond to anger. It responded only to intent. It did not care if the captive believed they were innocent. It cared only whether they would flee.

Once, the Holder tried to leave the place. The thing resisted. It became unbearable to carry beyond the walls it was sworn to. So the Holder returned and understood: custody is not ownership. It is obligation.

Many came later to copy the thing. Most made it wrong. Some made it cruel. Some made it weak. But a few made it correctly, though none agreed on why it worked. Each claimed different prayers. Each claimed different metals. None could remove its weight once sworn.

When the Holder died, the doors did not open. The thing was found beside them, heavier than ever, its open eye dim, its closed eye rusted shut. The confined remained confined until others learned to carry the weight.

The Moral of the Story:
To hold another is not power, but burden, and only those willing to bear it should ever close a door.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

—

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: The Gaoler’s Counting Charm

Type: Enchanted Custodial Talisman (worn; openly worn to function)
Attunement: 1 minute of focused handling; only one owner at a time
Tone Note: Works as protective folklore-tech in pulp or high-magic variants; in grim horror, treat it as “order that costs.”

Passive Effects

• Custodian’s Awareness
  • Once per scene, if a restrained captive within line of sight attempts escape, sabotage, or deception in the next minute, the idol signals it.
  • Mechanic: You may ask the Keeper “Is a restrained person about to attempt escape or violent resistance?” The Keeper must answer yes/no truthfully.
• Quiet Authority
  • Gain a bonus die on one Intimidate or Persuade roll per scene when dealing with restrained or cornered targets.
• Steady Hands
  • Gain a bonus die on one Mechanical Repair or Locksmith roll per scene involving locks, restraints, cages, or confinement devices.

Active Effects

• Binding Pulse (2/day)
  • Trigger: A restrained target attempts to break free, or you apply restraints.
  • Effect: Either impose a penalty die on their next escape attempt, or grant a bonus die to your roll to restrain them (Keeper adjudicates the exact skill).
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/day)
  • Opposed test: Your POW vs target’s POW.
  • On success, the target hesitates and loses their next immediate action (or acts last next round, Keeper’s call).
• Sentinel Mark (1/day)
  • Mark a restrained target for 1 hour. If they escape, you gain a directional sense to them (no distance number), and you may gain a bonus die on one Tracking or Navigate roll made to pursue during that hour.

Complication Hook

• When the charm activates, its “order” can be felt. Particularly sensitive NPCs may react with fear, compliance, or anger.

—

Blades in the Dark
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: The Warden’s Lockbone Idol

Type: Gear (Worn Charm)
Load: 1
Requirement: Must be worn openly to function

Passives

• Custodian’s Awareness
  • Once per score, you get +1d to Survey or Study when watching captives, secured cargo, or a held position for signs of escape or sabotage.
• Measured Authority
  • When you Command a restrained, cornered, or outnumbered group, take +1 effect (or improved position, GM choice).
• Chainbound Hands
  • Take +1d to Tinker when applying, improving, or defeating restraints and locks during a score.

Actives

• Binding Pulse (2 uses per score)
  • When a captive resists or a lock is being worked, you may spend a use to either:
    • Increase effect by +1 on an action to restrain, secure, or lock down, or
    • Impose reduced effect on a foe’s attempt to escape or sabotage confinement.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1 use per score)
  • Use Command to cow a target within close range. On a success, they hesitate: their next action is impaired or they lose initiative position (GM chooses based on fiction).
• Sentinel Mark (1 use per score)
  • Mark a captive you currently have contained. If they escape during the score, you immediately know the direction and approximate range (close/medium/far) until the score ends.

Drawback

• The idol’s presence is obvious. It can attract attention from authorities, rivals, or those who hate confinement.

—

Dungeons & Dragons (5e, current)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: Ironbound Custody Charm
Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)

Worn Slot

• Trinket/Amulet (must be worn openly)

Attunement

• One creature at a time; attunement takes 1 minute. If another creature attunes, the former attunement ends immediately and the former wearer senses the break.

Passive Properties

• Warden’s Poise: While wearing the charm, you gain a +1 bonus to Wisdom (Insight) checks and Charisma (Intimidation) checks made against creatures that are restrained, grappled, or confined.
• Restraint Sense: While wearing the charm, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice attempts to pick locks, slip bonds, or tamper with restraints within 30 feet.

Activated Properties

• Binding Pulse (2/long rest): As a bonus action, choose one creature within 30 feet that is restrained, grappled, or locked in a confinement you can see. The next time that creature attempts to escape before the start of your next turn, it has disadvantage. Alternatively, when you apply restraints, you may gain advantage on the check to do so.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/long rest): As an action, choose one creature within 30 feet that can see you. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom or Charisma modifier, chosen when you attune) or be cowed until the end of your next turn. While cowed, it can’t take reactions and has disadvantage on the next check or saving throw it makes to escape restraints.
• Sentinel Mark (1/long rest): As an action, mark one creature you can see within 30 feet that is restrained or confined. For 1 hour, if it escapes, you know the direction to it as long as you are on the same plane of existence.

—

Knave (2nd Edition)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: Lockbone Gaoler Idol

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

Passives

• Escape-Intent Ticking: Once per exploration turn, if a restrained captive nearby is about to attempt escape, sabotage, or sudden violence within the next minute, you may ask the GM: “Is a captive about to break confinement?” The GM answers yes/no truthfully.
• Warden’s Presence: You gain advantage on checks to intimidate, command, or steady prisoners, captives, or detained foes.
• Chainbound Hands: You gain advantage on checks to bind, lock, cage, or otherwise secure creatures or objects.

Actives

• Binding Pulse (2/day): Choose a restrained captive. Their next attempt to escape is made at disadvantage, or your next attempt to restrain them is made at advantage (choose on use).
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/day): A nearby foe makes a WIS check. On failure, they lose their next action to hesitation or compliance (GM adjudicates to fit pacing).
• Sentinel Mark (1/day): Mark a captive you have currently restrained. If they escape within the next hour, you know the direction to them and gain advantage on the next check to pursue, track, or corner them.

Downside

• Weight of Custody: If you use two or more actives in a single scene, the idol becomes noticeably heavier and cold; the GM may impose disadvantage on stealth or delicate movement until the scene ends.

—

Fate (Condensed / Core)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: Aspect of the Counting Gaoler

Type

• Custodial Gadget-Idol (worn trinket)

Aspects

• High Concept: Ironbound Tupilak of Custody and Order
• Trouble: Every Escape Feels Like a Personal Failure

Stunts

• Custodian’s Awareness
  • Gain +2 to Notice when watching prisoners, restrained foes, secured doors, cages, or guarded locations for signs of escape, sabotage, or resistance. This may be used once per scene without spending a Fate point.
• Chainbound Authority
  • Gain +2 to Provoke or Rapport when dealing with restrained, cornered, or legally detained targets.
• Steady Gaoler’s Hands
  • Gain +2 to Crafts when applying restraints, locks, cages, or containment devices under pressure.

Invocations (Limited Uses)

• Binding Pulse (2 per session)
  • After a captive attempts escape or resistance, reduce their effectiveness by one step or immediately create the situational aspect “Reinforced Restraints” with one free invoke.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1 per session)
  • Force a restrained or cornered target to take the mild consequence “Cowed by Authority,” or allow you to immediately create an advantage using Provoke with one free invoke.
• Sentinel Mark (1 per session)
  • Place the situational aspect “Marked for Custody” on a restrained target. If they escape during the scene, you automatically know the direction and relative distance.

Compels

• The idol grows heavier when custody fails.
• Order attracts scrutiny from rebels, criminals, and those who despise authority.

—

Numenera / Cypher System (Discovery / Destiny)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: Lockbound Tupilak Artifact

Artifact Type

• Subtle Wearable Artifact (Custodial Focus)

Level

• Level 2

Wear Slot

• Worn trinket

Passive Effects

• Custodial Sense
  • The wearer gains an asset on perception tasks to notice escape attempts, sabotage, or hostile intent from restrained or confined creatures.
• Gaoler’s Discipline
  • The wearer gains an asset on tasks involving restraint, intimidation, interrogation, or maintaining order.

Usable Abilities

• Binding Pulse (2 uses per day)
  • When a restrained creature attempts to escape, hinder their action by two steps. Alternatively, grant an asset on the wearer’s next task to restrain or secure a target.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1 use per day)
  • One creature within short range must succeed on an Intellect defense task or be dazed for one round, during which all escape or resistance actions are hindered.
• Sentinel Mark (1 use per day)
  • Mark a restrained creature for one hour. If it escapes, the wearer always knows its direction as long as both remain on the same plane.

Depletion

• 1 in 20. When depleted, the idol becomes inert but may be repaired.

—

Pathfinder (Second Edition)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: Ironbound Custody Tupilak
Item 1
Magical, Invested, Worn, Control

Usage

• Worn trinket; invested

Passive Effects

• Custodian’s Awareness
  • Gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks to detect escape attempts, tampering, or hostile actions by restrained or confined creatures.
• Chainbound Authority
  • Gain a +1 item bonus to Intimidation checks against restrained or cornered creatures.
• Steady Hands
  • Gain a +1 item bonus to Thievery or Crafting checks involving locks, restraints, or containment devices.

Activate

• Binding Pulse (Reaction; Frequency twice per day)
  • Trigger: A restrained creature attempts to Escape.
  • Effect: The creature takes a –2 circumstance penalty to the Escape attempt.
• Gaoler’s Glare (One Action; Frequency once per day)
  • One creature within 30 feet must attempt a Will save. On a failure, the creature is frightened 1 and takes a –10-foot circumstance penalty to Speed until the end of its next turn.
• Sentinel Mark (One Action; Frequency once per day)
  • Mark a restrained creature for 1 hour. If it escapes, you know its direction and approximate distance.

—

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: The Counting Gaoler Idol

Type

• Worn Magical Gadget

Requirements

• Must be worn openly to function

Passive Benefits

• Custodian’s Sense
  • Gain +1 to Notice rolls made to detect escape attempts, lock tampering, or restrained hostility.
• Authority of the Chain
  • Gain +1 to Intimidation and Persuasion rolls when dealing with restrained or detained targets.
• Steady Restraint
  • Gain +1 to Athletics or Thievery rolls when applying or maintaining restraints.

Powers

• Binding Pulse (2/day)
  • When a restrained foe attempts to break free, they suffer –2 to the roll, or the wearer gains +2 to a roll to restrain them.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/day)
  • Make an opposed Intimidation roll against a target within 6 inches. On success, the target is Distracted and cannot attempt escape actions until the end of their next turn.
• Sentinel Mark (1/day)
  • Mark a restrained target. If they escape within the next hour, the wearer knows the direction to them and gains +2 on the first roll made to pursue or recapture.

Drawback

• Weight of Custody
  • Each time two powers are used in the same scene, the idol’s burden increases, potentially imposing situational penalties at the Game Master’s discretion.

—

Shadowrun (Sixth World Edition)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: The Counting Custodian Idol

Type

• Enchanted Custodial Focus (Worn Charm)

Bonding

• Requires 10 minutes of focused handling to bond
• Only one bonded owner at a time; bonding breaks immediately if another character attunes

Passive Effects

• Custodian’s Awareness
  • Gain +1 die to Perception tests made to notice escape attempts, restraint tampering, or hostile intent from restrained or detained targets.
• Authority of the Chain
  • Gain +1 die to Intimidation or Leadership tests when dealing with prisoners, captives, or cornered opponents.
• Steady Enforcement
  • Gain +1 die to Engineering, Hardware, or Mechanic tests involving locks, restraints, cages, or containment systems.

Active Effects

• Binding Pulse (2/day)
  • Triggered when a captive attempts escape or resistance.
  • Impose –2 dice on the target’s Escape or Athletics test, or grant +2 dice to the wearer’s test to restrain or secure them.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/day)
  • Opposed test: Willpower + Intuition vs target’s Willpower.
  • On success, the target is Hesitant, suffering –2 dice on their next action and unable to use reactions.
• Sentinel Mark (1/day)
  • Mark a restrained target for 1 hour. If they escape, the wearer automatically knows the direction to the target as long as both remain on the same plane.

Drawback

• Audible ticking and metallic pressure cues may compromise stealth or draw unwanted attention.

—

Starfinder
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: Ironbound Vigil Tupilak

Item Level

• 1

Type

• Hybrid Technomagical Trinket (Worn)

Slot

• Accessory

Passive Effects

• Custodial Insight
  • Gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Perception checks to detect escape attempts, sabotage, or hostile intent from restrained creatures.
• Warden’s Discipline
  • Gain a +1 circumstance bonus to Intimidate checks and to Engineering checks involving restraints or containment.

Activated Abilities

• Binding Pulse (Reaction; 2/day)
  • Trigger: A restrained creature attempts to escape.
  • Effect: That creature takes a –2 penalty to the escape attempt.
• Gaoler’s Glare (Standard Action; 1/day)
  • One creature within 30 feet must succeed at a Will save or be shaken and flat-footed until the end of its next turn.
• Sentinel Mark (Standard Action; 1/day)
  • Mark a restrained creature for 1 hour. If it escapes, you know its direction and approximate distance while on the same plane.

Special

• Counts as both magical and technological for detection and interference effects.

—

Traveller (Mongoose Traveller, 2nd Edition)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: Lockbound Custodian Charm

Type

• Exotic Custodial Device (Adapted TL equivalent)

Slot

• Worn accessory

Passive Effects

• Custody Awareness
  • Gain DM+1 to Recon or Sensors checks to detect escape attempts, sabotage, or hostile behavior by restrained targets.
• Authority Presence
  • Gain DM+1 to Advocate, Intimidate, or Leadership checks when dealing with prisoners or detainees.
• Steady Handler
  • Gain DM+1 to Mechanic or Engineer checks involving restraints, cages, or secure compartments.

Active Effects

• Binding Pulse (2/day)
  • When a restrained target attempts escape, impose DM–2 on their Athletics or STR check, or grant DM+2 to the wearer’s attempt to restrain.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/day)
  • Opposed INT or SOC check. On failure, the target loses their next minor action due to hesitation or compliance.
• Sentinel Mark (1/day)
  • Mark a restrained target for 1 hour. If they escape, the wearer knows the direction and approximate distance to the target.

Limitations

• Audible metallic cues may draw attention in quiet environments.

—

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)
Tupilak 619 of Ironbound Custody: The Ironbound Counting Idol

Type

• Enchanted Trinket (Worn)

Availability

• Rare; typically issued to wardens, gaolers, or fortress keepers

Passive Effects

• Custodian’s Sense
  • Gain +10 to Perception tests made to detect escape attempts, lock tampering, or hostile intent from restrained characters.
• Authority of Order
  • Gain +10 to Intimidate or Charm tests when dealing with prisoners, captives, or cornered enemies.
• Steady Enforcement
  • Gain +10 to Trade (Engineer), Trade (Tinker), or Sleight of Hand tests involving restraints or locks.

Activated Effects

• Binding Pulse (2/day)
  • Triggered when a restrained target attempts escape.
  • Impose –10 to the target’s test to escape or resist confinement.
• Gaoler’s Glare (1/day)
  • Target must succeed at a Willpower test or gain the Broken Condition until the end of their next turn.
• Sentinel Mark (1/day)
  • Mark a restrained target for 1 hour. If they escape, the wearer knows the direction to them and gains +10 on the first test made to pursue or recapture.

Side Effects

• The idol’s oppressive presence unsettles onlookers; superstitious NPCs may react with fear, resentment, or obedience.