Embedded Wristbands

From: Nimble Evasion Rune

Lore: The Rune-Embedded Wristbands hold a history intertwined with the legendary warriors of an ancient civilization known for their unparalleled agility and graceful combat techniques. These warriors, known as the Whirling Winds, sought a way to further augment their already impressive acrobatic skills. Through a combination of intricate enchantments and masterful craftsmanship, they embedded the Rune of Nimble Evasion into flexible wristbands. These wristbands became symbols of the Whirling Winds’ mastery over movement, granting them enhanced flexibility, reflexes, and the ability to evade and deflect incoming attacks with ease.

Use: The Rune-Embedded Wristbands are versatile defensive and acrobatic tools. By wearing these wristbands, the character gains enhanced flexibility and reflexes, allowing them to execute acrobatic movements with exceptional grace and ease. The rune’s power enhances the wearer’s natural agility, making them more nimble and able to navigate challenging terrain or perform intricate maneuvers. Additionally, the wristbands provide an extra layer of defense by empowering the wearer to deflect or dodge incoming attacks more effectively.

Tier One Stats:

• Bonus to Acrobatics: +2 (providing a +2 bonus to acrobatics-related skill rolls)
• Bonus to Defense: +1 (providing a +1 bonus to the character’s defense against incoming attacks)

Skills: The Rune-Embedded Wristbands enhance the following skills for the wearer:

• Acrobatics: The character’s agility and flexibility are significantly enhanced, allowing them to perform acrobatic maneuvers with remarkable skill and finesse.
• Defense: The wristbands improve the character’s ability to evade or deflect attacks, providing an added layer of defense against incoming strikes.

Preparation: Creating Rune-Embedded Wristbands requires a skilled enchanter or artisan with knowledge of both runic inscriptions and flexible materials. The process begins with selecting high-quality and flexible wristbands made from leather or similar resilient materials. The artisan then engraves the intricate Rune of Nimble Evasion onto the surface of the wristbands, carefully channeling magical energy into the runes to imbue them with their desired effects. The final step involves a ritualistic activation, infusing the wristbands with the essence of agility and defense. Once completed, the wristbands are ready to be worn and utilized in combat.

Cost: The Rune-Embedded Wristbands are highly sought after by agile warriors, acrobats, and those who value both style and functionality. The cost of these wristbands varies depending on the quality of materials used, the level of craftsmanship, and the rarity of the Rune of Nimble Evasion. At level one, a pair of Rune-Embedded Wristbands may cost around 100-150 gold pieces. The price reflects both the skill of the artisan and the advantages they provide in terms of enhanced acrobatics and defense.

Process Tags: Enchanting, Artisan craftsmanship, Agility enhancement, Defense augmentation, Whirling Winds, Acrobatic maneuvers, Evasion and deflection, Runic Inscription, Flexible Material, Magical Energy, Ritualistic Activation, Enhanced Reflexes, Terrain Navigation, Combat Maneuvers, Enchantment Slots, Accessory

Rune-Embedded Wristbands are versatile tools that find utility in various environments and situations. Their enhanced flexibility and reflexes make them ideal for traversing treacherous terrains, such as dense forests, winding cliffs, or ancient ruins. In combat, the wristbands offer additional defensive capabilities, allowing the wearer to dodge or deflect incoming attacks more effectively. Adventurers who rely on agility and acrobatic maneuvers benefit greatly from the Rune-Embedded Wristbands, using them to outmaneuver enemies, navigate challenging environments, and improve their overall defense.

The recipe for Rune-Embedded Wristbands can be found in various places where skilled enchanters, artisans, or merchants specialize in magical accessories or protective gear. Here are details on where and how this recipe is sold, as well as the environment and usage of the end results:

• Enchanter’s Emporium: Established enchanters with expertise in crafting magical accessories often operate enchantment shops or emporiums. These establishments serve as hubs for those seeking enchanted items and runes. Knowledgeable enchanters can be found in magical cities, renowned wizard towers, or hidden within secluded enclaves. Acquiring the recipe may require proving one’s worth or fulfilling a quest for the enchanter. These establishments also offer customizations, allowing adventurers to personalize their wristbands with additional enchantments or modifications.
• Adventurer’s Guild: Established guilds that cater to adventurers, mercenaries, and fighters often have connections with artisans and enchanters. Guilds maintain their own network of skilled craftsmen who offer various services, including the creation of magical items. The recipe for Rune-Embedded Wristbands may be available for purchase or obtained as a reward for completing guild missions or rising in rank within the organization. Guild halls or designated marketplaces within guild territories are common places to find these wristbands.
• Rare Magical Bazaars: Occasionally, temporary or traveling magical bazaars appear in remote locations or during special events. These bazaars gather skilled artisans, eccentric enchanters, and magical item collectors. Adventurers seeking unique and powerful items visit these bazaars in hopes of finding rare treasures. The recipe for Rune-Embedded Wristbands might be offered by elusive merchants or obtained through negotiation or bartering. These bazaars are vibrant and bustling environments filled with magical artifacts and curiosities from all corners of the world.

The end results and usage of the Rune-Embedded Wristbands are as follows:

• Enhanced Agility and Acrobatics: The Rune-Embedded Wristbands grant the wearer enhanced flexibility, reflexes, and balance. Adventurers can perform acrobatic movements with exceptional grace and ease, such as leaping, tumbling, and evading obstacles. These wristbands are particularly valuable for characters who rely on agility and finesse, such as rogues, monks, or acrobats.
• Defense and Evasion: The wristbands provide an additional layer of defense by empowering the wearer to deflect or dodge incoming attacks more effectively. The enhanced reflexes and agility afforded by the wristbands make it easier for characters to evade blows or redirect them harmlessly. They are especially valuable in situations where physical defense is crucial, such as close-quarters combat or facing powerful adversaries.
• Versatile Enchantment Slots: Depending on the craftsmanship and customization options, Rune-Embedded Wristbands may feature additional enchantment slots. These slots allow adventurers to further enhance their wristbands with other enchantments or magical gems, tailoring the wristbands to suit their specific needs and playstyle. This versatility ensures that the wristbands remain useful even as the character progresses and encounters more challenging situations.

Rune-Embedded Wristbands are widely used in various environments and scenarios. Their benefits are especially noticeable in:

• Urban Settings: The wristbands are invaluable in navigating crowded streets, rooftops, or narrow alleyways where agility and balance are paramount. They assist characters in traversing urban obstacles and performing stealthy movements with precision.
• Wilderness and Exploration: Adventurers exploring dense forests, treacherous mountain ranges, or ancient ruins benefit from the enhanced agility and balance provided by the wristbands. They enable characters to traverse challenging terrains, leap across gaps, and maintain stability in precarious environments.
• Combat Encounters: The wristbands play a significant role in combat situations, enhancing the wearer’s defensive capabilities and agility. They are particularly useful against agile opponents or enemies with swift and unpredictable attacks. By evading blows or redirecting them, characters can gain a significant advantage in battle.

Rune-Embedded Wristbands are sought after by agile warriors, acrobats, and those who value both style and functionality. Their availability in enchantment shops, guilds, or rare magical bazaars ensures that characters can seek them out in various locations. Once acquired, the wristbands become essential tools in the adventurer’s arsenal, enhancing their agility, defense, and overall combat prowess.

Whispers of the Whirling Wind’s Legacy

The scrolls, brittle and faded, speak of a time long before the rise of kingdoms, when the land was a tapestry of untamed wilds and scattered tribes. Within this primeval expanse, nestled amidst a valley ringed by jagged peaks and whispering waterfalls, dwelt a people known only as the Sons of the Shifting Zephyr, though time and clumsy tongues have warped the name to what we now call the Whirling Winds.

These were not warriors in the common sense, not raiders or conquerors. They were dancers of the blade, acrobats of the battlefield, moving with a grace that defied the very notion of gravity. Their battles were not fought with brute force, but with flowing movement, each step a calculated evasion, each parry a redirection of force. Legends say they could walk on the edge of a falling leaf, dance upon the morning dew, and leap across canyons on the breath of the wind.

But even such gifted people faced threats. Great beasts stalked the lands, and rival tribes, envious of the Sons of the Shifting Zephyr’s peaceful valley, coveted their lands. The elders, wise in the ways of the wind and the whispers of the earth, sought a way to protect their people, not through strength of arms, but through the perfection of their art.

They gathered under the pale light of the twin moons, upon a plateau where the wind howled its ancient song. For seven days and seven nights, they fasted and meditated, seeking guidance from the spirits of the air. On the final night, as the first rays of dawn kissed the horizon, a vision came to their eldest, a woman named Whisperwind.

She saw wristbands, crafted not of rigid metal or unyielding bone, but of the supple hide of the swift-footed mountain deer, creatures known for their impossible leaps and uncanny balance. Upon these wristbands, runes were to be etched, not with crude tools, but with sharpened quills from the wings of the sky-piercing falcons, dipped in an ink made from crushed moon-silver petals and the luminescent dust of cave-dwelling fireflies.

The vision detailed the ritual, a complex dance that mimicked the movements of the wind itself, each step imbuing the runes with a fragment of the dancer’s agility, their reflexes, their very essence. As the dance reached its crescendo, the runes would glow with an ethereal light, signifying the awakening of the magic within.

The Sons of the Shifting Zephyr followed Whisperwind’s vision to the letter. They crafted the wristbands, painstakingly etching the runes, each line a prayer to the spirits of agility and evasion. The ritual dance was performed, and as the final step was taken, the wristbands pulsed with a soft, silver light, humming with contained power.

When worn, these wristbands granted the Sons of the Shifting Zephyr an even greater mastery over their movements. They could anticipate attacks before they were launched, weave through a hail of arrows as if they were mere raindrops, and scale sheer cliffs with the ease of a mountain cat. Their enemies, witnessing this breathtaking display, were often struck with awe and fear, choosing flight over futile confrontation.

The valley remained protected, not by walls of stone or armies of soldiers, but by the graceful dance of the Whirling Winds, enhanced by the magic woven into their wristbands. Generations passed, and the legend of the wristbands spread, whispered on the wind, carried by traveling bards and wide-eyed merchants.

But as with all things, time took its toll. The Sons of the Shifting Zephyr, perhaps complacent in their safety, or perhaps fractured by internal disputes, began to fade. Their dances became less frequent, their connection to the wind less strong. The wristbands, once revered as sacred artifacts, were treated as mere ornaments, their power forgotten, their true purpose obscured by the mists of time.

Eventually, the valley was overrun, not by force of arms, but by a slow, creeping encroachment of other tribes, drawn by tales of fertile lands and a peaceful people. The Sons of the Shifting Zephyr scattered to the winds, their legacy reduced to fragmented tales and half-remembered legends. The original wristbands, it is said, were lost, scattered amongst the ruins of their once-great civilization, waiting to be rediscovered, their power dormant but not extinguished. The clumsy translations of the text, coupled with the sheer age do not show a true and accurate record.

Moral of the Story: True strength lies not in brute force or overwhelming power, but in the mastery of one’s own self, in the harmony between body and spirit, and in the wisdom to seek protection not through aggression, but through grace and understanding. Even the greatest gifts can be lost if they are not cherished and understood, and the lessons of the past, however faded, should always be heeded.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Artifact)
• Lore: Remnants of a forgotten cult dedicated to a minor aspect of agility associated with Nyarlathotep. The runes are unsettling to behold, subtly shifting in a way that strains the sanity.
• SAN Cost: 1/1D4 Sanity points upon first successful use in a session.
• Mechanics:
  • Grants a +10% bonus to the wearer’s DEX roll when attempting to dodge an attack.
  • Grants a +10% bonus to any Athletics or Acrobatics roll involving agility or balance (e.g., jumping, climbing, balancing).
  • Curse (Optional): Each time the wristbands are used, the Keeper may secretly roll 1D100. On a roll of 95-100, the wearer experiences a brief, disturbing vision related to the Outer Gods, incurring a minor phobia or obsession (Keeper’s discretion). This effect accumulates – a second triggering roll adds to the existing phobia/obsession.
  • Mythos skill is not increased because this item does not come from the mythos.
  • Build Points: 5 build points to create a custom magic item.

Blades in the Dark

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Fine Dexterity Item)
• Description: Supple leather wristbands etched with unsettlingly fluid runes. They feel strangely warm to the touch.
• Effect: When you roll Finesse or Prowl, you may choose to push yourself to activate the wristbands:
  • Take 2 stress.
  • Gain +1d to your roll.
  • On a 1-3 result on any of the dice, suffer a complication related to overexertion or a fleeting glimpse of a disturbing reality.
  • Take one tick on your injury clock as minor cuts appear on your wrists.
• Quality: Fine (+1d to engagement rolls when used for relevant actions)
• When used gain one tick on your downtime.
• Requires 2 load.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Wondrous Item, Uncommon, Requires Attunement)
• Description: These leather wristbands are inscribed with glowing, silver runes that pulse faintly with magical energy.
• Properties:
  • While attuned to these wristbands, you gain a +2 bonus to Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks.
  • While attuned to these wristbands, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
  • You may choose to use your reaction with advantage, when you are attacked, you can use your reaction to attempt to deflect the blow. Make a Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. The DC is equal to the attack roll. On a success, the attack misses you. You must decide to use this feature before you know the result of the attack roll.

Knave

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• Description: Thin leather wristbands covered in delicate, silver runes. They seem to hum with a faint energy.
• Effect:
  • Advantage on any Agility-based saves or tests (including Defense rolls against attacks targeting Agility).
  • Occupies one item slot.
  • Overload (Optional Rule): If the wearer fails an Agility-based save or test by 5 or more while wearing the wristbands, the runes flare painfully, causing 1d4 damage that ignores armor. This reflects the strain of pushing the magic beyond its limits. The player must make a successful save throw with a bonus of +4, on a failed save, the player has disadvantage for one round.
• When worn by anyone over tier 1, for each tier above 1 the avatar suffers 1d4 of damage. (See general rules.)
• The Avatar my use this item up to their tear level. If they use this ability above that level then damage from overload (above) may be applied.

Fate (Core)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• Aspect: Whispers of the Whirling Wind
• Permissions: Allows the use of the skill Acrobatics in place of Physique for defense, as long as the defense involves active dodging or maneuvering, not brute strength.
• Skills Affected: +2 to Acrobatics when used to Create an Advantage related to agility, balance, or evasion.
• Stunt: Whirlwind Parry: Once per scene, when you succeed with style on an Acrobatics defense, you may immediately create a Boost aspect representing a counter-attack or opening created by your skillful movement.
• Stunt: Once per game session the user can choose to use a Fate point (without spending it) on a successful test of Acrobatics.
• Cost: 1 Refresh (to represent the inherent power of the item)

Numenera & Cypher System

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Artifact, Level 3)
• Form: Leather wristbands with glowing, shifting runes.
• Level: 3 (The level affects the difficulty of tasks related to understanding or modifying the artifact)
• Effect:
  • Grants an asset on Speed defense rolls.
  • Grants an asset on any Speed-based tasks involving agility, balance, or acrobatics.
• Depletion: 1 in 1d20 each time a Speed defense roll is made, using the asset. On depletion, the runes dim, and the artifact ceases to function until repaired (a task with a difficulty of 3).
• Cypher Option (If used as a Cypher): One-time use. Grants the user an asset on Speed defense and all Speed-based tasks involving agility for the next hour. After the hour, the runes crumble to dust.

Pathfinder (Second Edition)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Item 3)
• Usage worn bracers; Bulk L
• Traits: Invested, Magical, Abjuration
• Description: Intricately worked leather bracers, inscribed with glowing runes.
• Activate envision (reaction); Trigger You are targeted by an attack; Effect The runes flare, granting you a +1 circumstance bonus to AC against the triggering attack. If the attack misses, you can Step.
• Craft Requirements Supply a casting of jump or a similar spell related to enhanced agility.
• In addition, you get a +1 item bonus to Acrobatics checks.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Minor Relic)
• Description: Supple leather wristbands adorned with shimmering, silver runes.
• Powers:
  • +2 to Athletics rolls made to perform acrobatic maneuvers (jumping, balancing, tumbling, etc.).
  • +2 to Agility rolls made to avoid area-effect attacks.
  • Deflection: As a free action, once per round, the wearer can gain +2 Parry until their next turn. If they are the target of a successful melee attack, they can spend a Benny to attempt to negate the hit entirely; they make an opposed Athletics roll against the attacker’s Fighting roll. On a success, the attack is completely negated.
• Drawback (Optional): The wearer becomes slightly overconfident in their agility. They take a -1 penalty to Notice rolls to perceive traps or ambushes that rely on stealth rather than speed. This reflects a tendency to focus on movement over careful observation. This drawback only applies if the GM feels the player is overusing the wristbands or relying on them too heavily.
• Requires the arcane background edge.

Shadowrun (6th Edition World)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Focus, Force 3)
• Description: Leather wristbands, intricately tooled with glowing, arcane runes that pulse with a faint, internal light. The leather feels unusually supple and warm.
• Type: Agility Focus (Enhancement)
• Availability: 8F (Forbidden – requires a license to own legally)
• Cost: 9,000¥ (3 x 3,000¥)
• Effect:
  • Provides a +2 dice pool modifier to all Agility-based skill tests that involve acrobatic movement, dodging, or balancing (e.g., Gymnastics, Running, Sneaking (if based on agility)).
  • Provides a +1 dice pool modifier to defense tests against melee attacks.
  • Burnout Risk (Optional): If the user rolls more 6s on a skill test using the wristbands than their Magic attribute, they risk Burnout as the magic overwhelms their system (see core rulebook for Burnout rules). This represents the strain of channelling the magic through an imperfect vessel. This is not likely in this world because there is no magic burnout.
• Requires Karma to activate (bond) the item.
• The character may not bond with another item that has the same effect.

Starfinder (Core Rulebook)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Hybrid Item, Level 3)
• Level: 3
• Price: 1,500 credits
• Bulk: L
• Description: These wristbands are made of a flexible, bio-engineered material that resembles leather, but shimmers with embedded micro-circuitry that resembles runic patterns.
• Effects:
  • +1 equipment bonus to Acrobatics checks.
  • +1 equipment bonus to Reflex saves against effects that allow a save to avoid being knocked prone or to reduce the effects of a trap.
  • Once per day, as a reaction when targeted by a melee attack, the wearer can attempt an Acrobatics check (DC = 10 + attacker’s CR). On a success, the attack misses.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (TL-5 Artifact)
• Description: Wristbands crafted from an unknown, flexible material, etched with intricate designs that glow faintly. They feel strangely weightless.
• Cost: Cr8,000 (highly unusual and likely only available on the black market)
• Weight: Negligible
• Effects:
  • +1 DM to all DEX-based skill checks involving agility, balance, or dodging (e.g., Acrobatics, Athletics, Pilot (if dodging maneuvers are involved)).
  • +1 DM to any attempt to escape restraints.
  • Psionic Enhancement (Optional): If the wearer has any psionic talent, the wristbands grant a +1 DM to Telekinetic skill checks. This reflects the ancient connection between the runes and manipulation of kinetic energy.
• Requires one week and special training to attune.

Warhammer (Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition)

Rune-Embedded Wristbands

• (Minor Magic Item)
• Description: Leather wristbands inscribed with glowing, silver runes that hum with subtle power. They feel cool to the touch.
• Availability: Rare
• Cost: 200 gc
• Encumbrance: 0
• Effects:
  • +10 bonus to all Tests involving Agility, including Dodge, and any relevant skill tests like Climb or Stealth (if the GM deems the skill use relies on agility).
  • Unstable (Optional): Each time the wearer fails an Agility Test by a significant margin (e.g., 5 or more SL), the runes flare, and the wearer suffers 1 Wound that ignores Toughness Bonus and armor. This reflects the unpredictable nature of the magic.
• Requires Identify to learn about, after learning about this item it may be attuned.