GearAscendancy.com

Claws 492 of the Shifting Scavenger

—

by

Dale
in

The Claws 492 of the Shifting Scavenger appear as reinforced, articulated brass caps that slide over an avatar’s natural talons or nails. They are connected by thin, glowing magic circuits that pulse with a faint amber light, ebbing and flowing like the weather patterns of Saṃsāra. These caps are not solid but are composed of a series of micro-plates that slightly rearrange themselves based on the material they strike. They were originally developed by disenfranchised scrap-hunters in the industrial megacities who needed to transition quickly between scaling skyscraper walls and delicately dismantling steam-powered machinery.

  • Lore
    • In the dense, vertical metropolises of the 73 island countries, space is a luxury and adaptability is a requirement for survival. The Shifting Scavenger series was mass-produced during the early industrial age when steam-driven factories began expanding into the dark cave systems. Avatars who found themselves possessed by memories of master craftsmen or urban explorers often found their natural claws insufficient for the varied textures of a world built from both ancient stone and modern brass. These claw covers allow a Tier 1 avatar to interface with the world not just as a predator, but as a tool-user, bridging the gap between biological evolution and magical industry.
  • Tier 1 Statistics
    • Slot: Claws (Worn/Attuned).
    • Tier: 1.
    • Material: Alchemical Brass and Magic-Infused Leather.
    • Weight: 0.8 lbs per set.
    • Durability: Moderate.
  • Skills Gained (When Openly Worn)
    • Improvisational Engineering: The avatar gains basic proficiency in manipulating steam-valves and mechanical power transmission systems, allowing them to use their claws as precision wrenches or screwdrivers.
    • Surface Intuition: The avatar can instantly sense the vibration and heat levels of any mechanical surface they touch, providing a better understanding of how to interact with it safely.
  • Passive Magic
    • Friction Modulation: The micro-plates on the claw tips automatically adjust their texture to provide a grip bonus on any surface, whether it is slick from elemental water or rough from volcanic rock.
    • Alchemical Hardening: When the claws come into contact with a material harder than brass, the magic circuits briefly reinforce the tips with magical flow, preventing the natural claws underneath from breaking or chipping.
  • Active Magic
    • Thermal Shift (Normal Casting): By flourishing the claws and speaking a command word (less than 6 seconds), the avatar can cause the claw tips to rapidly heat or cool. This is used to fuse small metal links or brittle-snap thin locks.
    • Talon Extension (Silent Casting): With a thought, the avatar can cause the brass plates to extend an additional two inches. Due to the silent nature of this activation, the kinetic force is reduced, resulting in 25% less damage if used in an immediate strike, but allowing for a longer reach to grab out-of-the-way levers.
  • Additional Information
    • As a Tier 1 item, these claws count toward the limit of 19 worn items.
    • The item is attuned automatically when the avatar slides them over their limbs, provided the ritual requirements or the one-minute standard attunement time is met for worn gear.
    • Wearing these claws while also attempting to use handheld tools may cause slot interference if the tools require high manual dexterity, though the Claws 492 are designed to minimize this conflict through their articulated plates.
    • If the avatar possesses a mana boost, they can expend one point of “silver fire spell power” through a successful claw strike to bypass the physical resistance of copper-plated automatons or reinforced steam-pipes.
  • Tags
    • Adaptive, Industrial, Utility, Steam-Era, Tier 1, Brass, Enhancement, Mechanical, Scavenger, Versatile, Urban, Articulated, Alchemical, Kinetic, Reinforced, Tactical, Modular, Precision

In the world of Saṃsāra, obtaining the Claws 492 of the Shifting Scavenger requires navigating the localized and often volatile markets of the island countries. Because there are no centralized price lists or digital marketplaces, an avatar must physically seek out the specific industrial hubs or trade districts where steam-power and magic-driven manufacturing intersect.

Methods of Acquisition

  • Industrial Salvage: Given their common rarity, these items are frequently recovered from the remains of defunct steam factories or abandoned mining operations in the dark cave systems. Since non-possessed monsters do not vaporize, an avatar might find a set of these claws still attached to the remains of a creature that was utilized as a laborer or guardian in an industrial setting.
  • Barter and Trade: In the high-density skyscrapers and floating cities, avatars often trade up for Tier 2 equipment. A Tier 1 avatar might obtain these claws by offering specialized services or other Tier 1 gear to a seller who has recently advanced and no longer needs basic adaptive tools.
  • Guild Allocation: Scavenger guilds and industrial cooperatives often keep a stock of these items for their entry-level members. Acquisition through a guild usually requires the performance of a specific task, such as navigating a labyrinthine steam-pipe network to clear a blockage, rather than a direct currency exchange.

Shop Descriptions and Atmospheric Context

The establishments that deal in items like the Claws 492 are typically located in the “Steam Guts” or the lower mechanical levels of a metropolis. These shops are characterized by the constant hiss of elemental steam and the rhythmic clanking of power transmission shafts overhead.

  • The Brass-Monger’s Emporium: These shops are cluttered, vertical spaces where every inch of wall is covered in gears, belts, and pulleys. The air is thick with the smell of alchemical grease and ozone. Items are rarely displayed neatly; instead, they hang from the ceiling or are stored in reinforced brass bins. The shopkeeper is usually an avatar with a high degree of mechanical skill who uses their Mind’s Eye to verify the integrity of the magic circuits in the gear they buy and sell.
  • Scavenger Depots: These are less like formal shops and more like open-air stalls near shipyard docks or airship hangars. They specialize in “second-life” gear. The atmosphere here is one of intense negotiation. Because it is a sellers’ market, the shopkeepers are often indifferent to the needs of the buyer, requiring the avatar to prove they have the currency or trade-goods necessary before even being allowed to handle the merchandise.
  • Alchemical Outfitters: These shops are cleaner and more organized, focusing on the magical flow components of gear. They cater to those who value the “Identify” ability and the precise calibration of magic crystals. The Claws 492 would be found here as part of a “Starter Explorer Kit,” often kept in velvet-lined boxes to protect the brass micro-plates from premature wear.

Purchasing and Selling Process

Buying and selling in Saṃsāra is an exercise in “buyer beware.” There are no fixed prices, and the cost of the Claws 492 will fluctuate based on the local availability of alchemical brass and the current demand for salvage labor in that specific island country.

  • The Negotiation: A seller will initially observe the avatar using their Mind’s Eye to gauge the buyer’s tier and desperation. If the avatar appears to be a new soul with few items, the seller may inflate the price significantly. The buyer must inspect the item to ensure the attunement circuits are not frayed, as a malfunctioning set of claws can cause the painful health loss associated with god-enforced consequences if the item is perceived as “broken” or “over-tiered” by the world’s mechanics.
  • Transaction Standards: Transactions are conducted in person with physical currency. In an industrial island with a surplus of brass, the item might be cheaper than in a remote jungle ruin where metal is scarce. Sellers rarely accept returns; once the one-minute attunement process is complete, the item is considered the buyer’s responsibility.

Estimated Costs

While there is no set price, the cost for Tier 1 items like these is generally expressed in silver or electrum, depending on the seller’s greed and the item’s condition.

  • Typical Price Range: 15 to 40 Silver pieces.
  • Electrum Conversion: In markets where higher-tier items are more common, the price might be set at 3 to 8 Electrum pieces.
  • Mundane Trade: In desperate situations or smaller communities, a seller might accept a large quantity of copper (150–400 coins), though the weight of such a payment makes it less desirable for the seller.
  • Seller’s Market Influence: If a sudden disappearance of a nearby island occurs or a major steam-conduit fails, the price for adaptive gear like these claws can triple overnight as avatars scramble for tools to aid in repairs or relocation.

Adaptive Applications of the Claws 492 in Saṃsāra

The roleplay utility of the Claws 492 of the Shifting Scavenger is defined by the avatar’s ability to manipulate their environment through the item’s micro-plate construction and magical conductivity. Because Saṃsāra is a world where geography dictates the ebbing and flowing of magic, the way an avatar employs these claws changes significantly based on the surrounding infrastructure and safety tier.

  • Industrial Megacities and Skyscrapers
    • Offense: In the cramped corridors of a metropolis, an avatar can use the “Talon Extension” to strike at foes from behind the cover of steam pipes or brass railings. The extension allows for a piercing attack that can reach into the gaps of a foe’s armor. Roleplaying this involve describing the metallic “shink” sound as the brass plates slide forward to catch an opponent by surprise in the dim light of a magic-circuit-lit alleyway.
    • Defense: When navigating the verticality of a city, defense is often synonymous with positioning. An avatar can use the “Friction Modulation” to lock themselves onto a vertical shaft or the underside of a floating platform, effectively using the terrain as a shield. By gripping a steam-vent, the avatar can brace themselves against incoming blows, utilizing the triple AC bonus of a designated safe area if they are within a guarded district.
  • Dark Cave Systems and Underwater Population Centers
    • Offense: In the lightless depths where moisture is prevalent, the “Thermal Shift” active magic becomes a primary offensive tool. An avatar might roleplay the heating of the claw tips to a glowing red, using the steam generated by the contact with damp cave walls to create a localized fog, obscuring the foe’s Mind’s Eye while delivering searing slashes to vulnerable spots.
    • Defense: In these environments, surfaces are often slick with bioluminescent algae or condensation. The “Alchemical Hardening” passive is vital here; the avatar can roleplay parrying the heavy, crushing blows of cave-dwelling monsters by crossing their claws. The magical reinforcement ensures that the impact of a stone-club or a giant chitinous limb does not shatter the avatar’s natural digits, allowing them to maintain their defense even in “Unsafe” areas where their AC is halved.
  • Floating Cities and Airships
    • Offense: During high-altitude combat on the decks of a zeppelin, the “Surface Intuition” skill allows an avatar to identify the most vibration-sensitive parts of the ship’s rigging. A calculated strike with the claws can sever a tension cable or jam a pulley, using the environment itself to disable a foe or grounded an enemy air-mount.
    • Defense: The danger of falling is a constant threat in the skies. Roleplaying defense in this context involves using the claws to “anchor” the avatar to the deck during a violent maneuver or a gust of magical weather. If an opponent attempts to push the avatar overboard, the “Friction Modulation” allows them to grip the very grain of the enchanted wood or the seams of the metal plating, preventing a fatal drop.
  • Ancient Ruins and Backwood Jungles
    • Offense: In the overgrown parts of Saṃsāra, the Claws 492 act as a bridge between the industrial and the primal. An avatar can use the “Silent Casting” of the talon extension to strike through dense foliage without rustling leaves, maintaining the element of surprise. Even with the 25% damage reduction, the ability to strike from a hidden position within a jungle labyrinth is a significant tactical advantage.
    • Defense: Against the unpredictable attacks of unique monsters in “Normal” or “Deathly” areas, the avatar must rely on the “Improvisational Engineering” skill to turn ancient ruins into temporary fortifications. This might involve using the claws to quickly pry a stone slab loose or to jam a rusted gear in a ruin’s trap mechanism, creating a physical barrier between themselves and the predator.
  • Social and Political Intrigue
    • Offense: Offense is not always physical. In a “Sellers’ Market,” showing off the well-maintained brass and pulsing circuits of the Claws 492 can be a sign of status and competence. An avatar might use the “Thermal Shift” subtly during a negotiation to light a pipe or heat a drink, demonstrating control over their gear to intimidate a rival.
    • Defense: The “Surface Intuition” allows an avatar to touch a wall or a table in a meeting room to detect the vibrations of someone listening from behind a partition or the heat of a hidden steam-camera. This provides a sensory defense against espionage and political traps within the skyscrapers of the 73 island countries.

Perception of Activation:

The activation of the Claws 492 of the Shifting Scavenger, particularly when utilizing the Thermal Shift or Talon Extension, triggers a cascade of sensory and extra-sensory feedback for both the avatar and those in the immediate vicinity.

  • Visual Perception
    • Description: The amber magic circuits along the brass housing transition from a low, rhythmic pulse to a steady, intense glow. During Thermal Shift, the brass micro-plates and the tips of the claws turn a translucent cherry-red, emitting a faint shimmering haze of heat distortion in the air.
    • Positives: Provides a reliable light source in dark industrial conduits or cave systems and visually confirms that the magical flow is operating at peak capacity.
    • Negatives: The bright glow makes stealth operations difficult in “Unsafe” or “Deathly” areas, as the avatar becomes a prominent visual target for predators or hostile guards.
  • Auditory Perception
    • Description: A sharp metallic “shink” occurs during physical extension, followed by a low-frequency hum similar to the vibration of a distant steam turbine. When the Thermal Shift interacts with moisture, a distinctive, high-pitched hissing sound of evaporating elemental water is produced.
    • Positives: The mechanical sounds provide audio feedback for precise calibration, and the hissing can be used as a distraction or to mask the avatar’s breathing.
    • Negatives: The humming can be detected by creatures with sensitive hearing, and the sharp sound of mechanical deployment can give away the avatar’s intent just before a strike.
  • Tactile Perception
    • Description: The avatar feels a gentle, buzzing vibration through the leather lining of the gear, accompanied by a controlled warmth that never reaches the level of pain unless the gear is over-tiered. The micro-plates can be felt shifting and locking into place, providing a sense of structural rigidity.
    • Positives: The physical feedback allows the avatar to “feel” the integrity of the surface they are gripping, enabling them to find purchase on otherwise impossible angles.
    • Negatives: Prolonged activation can lead to a temporary numbness in the digits due to the constant magical vibration, slightly reducing fine motor skills for a short period after the item is deactivated.
  • Olfactory Perception
    • Description: A pungent scent of heated brass, scorched alchemical grease, and ionized air (similar to the smell before a lightning storm) emanates from the magic circuits.
    • Positives: Experienced scavengers can use the scent to diagnose the health of the magic crystals; a “sweet” smell indicates optimal flow, while a “bitter” smell warns of a potential circuit overload.
    • Negatives: The scent of ozone and hot metal is distinct and unnatural in wilderness environments, potentially alerting unique monsters that an industrial-equipped avatar is nearby.
  • Gustatory Perception
    • Description: A metallic, copper-like taste manifests on the avatar’s tongue through the sympathetic link of the magic flow.
    • Positives: Serves as a secondary internal alert system for the avatar to know the item is drawing mana or active power without having to look at their hands.
    • Negatives: The constant metallic taste can be distracting and may interfere with the avatar’s ability to taste food, which is necessary for the 20-minute meal HP recovery process.
  • Extra-Sensory: Chronos-Vibration
    • Description: The avatar perceives a slight “dragging” sensation in the flow of time as the micro-plates calculate the best configuration for the surface they are touching.
    • Positives: Grants the avatar a fraction of a second of mental clarity to adjust their grip before a slip occurs.
    • Negatives: Can cause brief bouts of vertigo or disorientation when rapidly switching between different materials.
  • Extra-Sensory: Mana-Atmospheric Resonance
    • Description: The avatar feels a “tugging” sensation in the air, as if the claws are pulling on invisible threads of the world’s magical weather.
    • Positives: Increases the avatar’s awareness of the local ebb and flow of magic, making it easier to sense when a magic-based trap is about to trigger.
    • Negatives: Makes the avatar more sensitive to magical disruptions or “weather” changes, which can cause phantom pains if the local magic flow becomes too chaotic.
  • Extra-Sensory: Host-Memory Sync
    • Description: The character’s memories and the avatar’s predatory instincts align, creating a mental overlay of “vectors” showing where the claws can most effectively penetrate or grip.
    • Positives: Dramatically reduces the learning curve for a character to master their new avatar’s biological weapons.
    • Negatives: The intense focus on predatory vectors can temporarily suppress the character’s more complex thoughts, leading to a momentary lapse in social or tactical judgment during the heat of combat.

Blueprint for the Fabrication of Claws 492 (Shifting Scavenger)

Recreating this adaptive gear requires a synthesis of traditional metallurgy and the precise application of magical circuitry. In the world of Saṃsāra, this process is typically performed in high-magic industrial districts where elemental fire and water are readily available for steam-powered machinery.

  • Materials Needed
    • Refined Alchemical Brass (1.5 lbs): A specialized alloy treated with quicksilver and copper, capable of conducting magic flow without melting under thermal shifts.
    • Untreated Magic-Infused Leather: Sourced from creatures native to high-magic realms, used as a non-conductive buffer between the brass housing and the avatar’s biological skin.
    • Finely Drawn Silver Wiring: Three meters of hair-thin silver thread to serve as the primary conduits for the magic circuits.
    • Crushed Mana Crystals: Low-grade crystals ground into a fine powder and mixed with adhesive resin to create “magic-trace” paste for the etched channels.
    • Articulated Steel Rivets: A set of 24 micro-rivets to allow the micro-plates to slide and overlap during expansion.
    • Elemental Fire Essence (Small Vial): A distilled liquid used to prime the thermal shifting properties of the plates.
  • Tools Required
    • Precision Jeweler’s Hammer and Anvil: Used for the cold-shaping of the brass micro-plates.
    • Steam-Powered Etching Needle: A tool connected to a magic-circuit battery used to engrave the circuit pathways into the metal.
    • Fine-Point Soldering Iron: Used with silver solder to connect the wiring to the internal contact points.
    • Magnifying Mind’s Eye Lens: A specialized glass that allows the crafter to see the flow of magic as they work, ensuring no breaks in the circuit.
    • Adjustable Sizing Mandrel: To ensure the inner diameter of the brass caps matches the specific dimensions of the avatar’s claws.
  • Skill Requirements
    • Basic Metallurgy: Proficiency in working with non-ferrous alloys and understanding the stress points of articulated joints.
    • Magic Circuitry (Level 1): The ability to lay down consistent paths of magical conductivity without causing a short circuit.
    • Alchemical Bonding: Knowledge of how to safely handle and apply elemental essences to physical objects.
    • Mind’s Eye Focus: The mental discipline required to maintain concentration during the active activation of the etching process.
  • Crafting Steps
    • Plate Preparation: The alchemical brass is hammered into twenty thin, overlapping plates (ten per limb). Each plate must be curved to follow the natural arc of the avatar’s claws.
    • Circuit Etching: Using the steam-powered needle, the crafter carves intricate, interconnecting channels into the interior and exterior of each plate. These channels are then filled with the crushed mana crystal paste.
    • Wiring and Integration: Silver wiring is laid into the primary etched channels. These wires are soldered to the central bus-bar that will sit against the avatar’s wrist or limb-base to facilitate the mental link.
    • Articulation Assembly: The micro-plates are joined using the steel rivets. The placement must be exact to allow for the “Talon Extension” function without the plates binding or jamming.
    • Elemental Priming: The interior of the claw tips is coated with a thin layer of elemental fire essence. This is then “sealed” by a quick application of steam, which permanently bonds the essence to the brass for the “Thermal Shift” ability.
    • Lining and Fitting: The magic-infused leather is stitched into the interior of the brass housing. This provides comfort and prevents the magical vibration of the circuits from causing premature pain to the avatar.
    • Final Attunement Calibration: The finished item is placed on a calibration mandrel and a small amount of mana is pulsed through it. The crafter uses their Mind’s Eye to verify that the amber glow is steady and that the “Friction Modulation” plates react to different surface textures.

Many-Fingered Wanderer and Breath of Brass Mountain

In the time of the first dawn-memory, when the sky was not yet a roof but a shifting sea of vapor, there walked a being named Kraul-of-the-Seven-Isles. In the old scripts, Kraul is called “The One Who Grasps the Unseen.” At this hour of the world, the avatars were not yet masters of the steam-heart; they were merely children of the mud and the jagged stone, their natural claws breaking against the hardness of the world that the gods had cast down from the high places.

Kraul possessed a soul that had traveled from a far-off, forgotten star-realm. In his old life, he had been a shaper of small things, a weaver of intricate webs that did not catch flies but caught the very thoughts of the wind. When he woke upon the island of Saṃsāra, he found his hands were but bone and keratin, and they wept blood when he tried to climb the Obsidian Spire to reach the floating garden of the sky-lords.

“Why must the world be so sharp while I am so soft?” Kraul asked of the Great Steam-Cloud. He sat at the base of the Brass Mountain, a place where the earth itself bled hot water and the rocks hummed with the songs of the fire-dwellers.

For three turnings of the moon, Kraul watched the Great Scavenger-Beetle of the Brass Mountain. This beetle did not have claws of meat; it had limbs of gleaming sun-metal that could peel the bark from the iron-trees as if it were the skin of a ripe fruit. Kraul, using the Eye of his Mind—which in the ancient tongue is called the “Window to the Hidden Essence”—saw that the beetle was not merely a beast, but a circuit of the mountain’s own blood.

Kraul gathered the discarded shells of the metal-beetles. He took the copper-tears of the mountain and the silver-hair of the lightning-ghosts. He did not have a forge, for the gods had not yet given the secret of the combustion-spark to the low-dwellers. Instead, Kraul used the “Magic-That-Flows-Like-Water.” He sang to the brass until it became soft as clay, and he pressed his own bleeding claws into the metal to teach the brass the shape of his hunger.

The brass remembered. It became the first set of the 492. These were not mere covers, but “The Claws That Think for the Limbs.” When Kraul slid them over his broken nails, the magic of the world—the amber weather that flows through all things—rushed into the silver-hair circuits. The brass did not just sit; it shifted. It became a second skin that knew the language of the stone.

When Kraul climbed the Obsidian Spire again, the stone did not break him. The claws whispered to the rock, and the rock became a ladder. When the night-terrors came with their skins of frozen ice, Kraul breathed upon his hands, and the brass glowed with the “Heart of the Fire-Elemental,” turning the cold-monsters into puddles of gray salt. He became the first of the Shifting Scavengers, the one who could adapt to the hunger of the islands.

But the translation of the ancient scroll becomes dark here. It says that Kraul became so enamored with his “Steel-Grasp” that he forgot the feel of the soft moss and the touch of his kin. He began to see the world only as things to be dismantled, gears to be turned, and surfaces to be conquered. He climbed so high that he reached the gears of the sky-cities, and there he stayed, becoming part of the great mechanical pulse of the world, his soul merging with the very brass he had shaped.

The story is told in the steam-taverns of the 73 islands to every new soul who arrives with a hunger for power. They say Kraul is still there, his amber circuits pulsing in the dark levels of the megacities, waiting for a buyer who is willing to pay the price of “The Claw That Never Lets Go.”

  • The Moral of the Story: He who arms himself to conquer every surface may find at last that he has lost the ability to feel the world he has mastered.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Artifact Name: The Brass Talons of the Deep City

This item is treated as a rare technological artifact of unknown origin, possibly related to the Great Race of Yith or an advanced underground civilization.

  • Item Type: Artifact / Weapon
  • Damage: 1d6 + DB (Physical) or 1d8 + 2 + DB (Thermal Active)
  • Skill: Fighting (Brawl)
  • Specific Mechanics:
    • Surface Intuition: Grants a Bonus Die to any Climb checks on artificial or stony surfaces.
    • Active: Thermal Shift: By spending 1 Magic Point, the user can cause the brass to heat to an incandescent glow. This lasts for 1d10 rounds. During this time, the damage increases to 1d8 + 2 + DB and can ignore up to 3 points of non-magical armor.
    • Active: Talon Extension: The user can extend the blades for reach. This grants a Bonus Die on maneuvers intended to Disarm or Trip an opponent from a short distance.
  • Sanity Cost: Initial attunement and the sensation of the brass micro-plates “thinking” for the user’s hands requires a 0/1d4 Sanity roll.
  • Syntax Note: The item uses the “Fighting (Brawl)” skill for all offensive applications.

Blades in the Dark

Item Name: Spark-Craft Scavenger’s Vambraces

This is a piece of Specialized Gear (Load: 1) utilized by Leeches or Cutters who frequent the death-lands or the high-rises of Charterhall.

  • Item Tier: I (Quality)
  • Mechanics:
    • Fine Quality: This item is considered Fine Quality for the purpose of scaling and resistance.
    • Integrated Tool: When performing a Tinker action to dismantle or sabotage steam-based machinery, you gain +1 Effect.
    • Adaptive Grip: You may expend 1 Stress to take +1d on an Action Roll involving climbing, balance, or maintaining your grip in a high-speed chase (e.g., hanging onto a moving carriage).
    • Thermal Solder: You can use the heat-generation feature to perform a Finesse or Tinker action to bypass a metal lock or seal without needing a full set of locksmith tools.
  • Syntax Note: This item is a “Fine Hand-to-Hand Weapon” and an “Integrated Tool Set.”

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Item Name: Scavenger’s Adaptive Gauntlets

Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)

  • Item Description: While wearing these brass-plated claw covers, you gain the following benefits:
  • Passive: Surface Grip: You have a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You gain a +2 bonus to any ability check made to maintain your grip on a surface or to resist being disarmed.
  • Active: Thermal Strike: As a bonus action, you can cause the claws to glow with intense heat. Your next successful unarmed strike or claw attack deals an extra 1d4 fire damage. Once used, this feature cannot be used again until the start of your next turn.
  • Active: Telescopic Reach: As a bonus action, you can extend the claws. Until the end of your turn, your reach for melee attacks with these claws increases by 5 feet. If you use this reach to make an attack, the damage roll for that attack suffers a -2 penalty.
  • Tool Proficiency: While wearing these gauntlets, you are considered proficient with Thieves’ Tools for the purpose of interacting with mechanical steam-valves, gears, and clockwork locks.
  • Syntax Note: Attacks made with this item are considered “Unarmed Strikes” unless the avatar has a specific “Claws” racial trait.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Item Name: Cogs-Claw

In the high-lethality environment of Knave, these claws occupy a valuable gear slot and provide utility over raw power.

  • Item Slots: 1
  • Armor Bonus: +1 (only against parried melee attacks)
  • Durability: 3
  • Mechanics:
    • Masterwork Tool: While worn, the user has an Advantage on any check to climb or to salvage parts from mechanical constructs.
    • Internal Heat: The user may spend a turn to activate the thermal plates. This allows the user to cut through thin metal bars or chains as if they were wood. This action reduces the item’s Durability by 1.
    • Adaptive Fittings: When found, the Cogs-Claw can be adjusted to fit any wearer during a ten-minute rest, provided they have the necessary mechanical intuition.
  • Syntax Note: The item is treated as a “Hand Weapon” (d6 damage) and a “Utility Tool.”

Fate (Core/Condensed)

Name: Shifting Scavenger Talons

  • Type: Extra (Requires an Aspect related to mechanical or predatory nature)
  • Functional Aspect: Articulated Brass Claw-Caps
  • Stunts:
    • Adaptive Grip: Because I have Shifting Scavenger Talons, I get a +2 to Overcome obstacles with Athletics when climbing or maintaining my balance on industrial or mechanical surfaces.
    • Thermal Shift: Once per scene, I can use the talons to create a “Heated Metal” or “Small Fire” Advantage on a target or object without needing to roll, provided I can make physical contact.
    • Talon Extension: I can use my claws to attack or interact with objects in an adjacent zone, but the effort is clumsy; I take a -2 penalty to the roll, but the target cannot defend with Physique to maintain distance.
  • Cost: 1 Refresh.

Numenera & Cypher System

Name: Adaptive Brass Digits

  • Level: 1d6 (Level 3 typical)
  • Form: Articulated metal caps worn over fingers or claws, pulsing with amber energy.
  • Effect:
    • Internalized Mechanics: The wearer is trained in all tasks related to climbing and tasks related to dismantling or repairing mechanical devices.
    • Depletion: — (Passive) / 1 in 1d20 (Active)
    • Active: Searing Touch: The wearer can trigger the internal heat of the digits to deal 3 additional points of damage on a successful melee attack or to melt through a small metal lock over the course of one minute. If used to deal damage, roll for depletion.
    • Active: Extension: The wearer can extend the claws to reach an object or foe within “immediate” range that would normally be just out of reach. This does not require a depletion roll but cannot be used for high-precision tasks.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Name: Scavenger’s Brass Shifters

  • Item Level: 1
  • Price: 15 Silver Pieces (Regional variation applies)
  • Usage: Worn (Gloves/Claws); Bulk: L
  • Description: These brass caps reinforce an avatar’s natural weaponry with industrial precision.
  • Traits: Infused, Magical, Transmutation.
  • Mechanics:
    • Climbing Aid: While wearing these, you gain a +1 item bonus to Athletics checks to Climb. If you have the Combat Climber feat, you gain a +2 item bonus instead.
    • Active: Thermal Shift (One Action): (Enchantment, Fire) You flourish the claws, causing them to glow. Your next successful Strike with your claws before the end of your next turn deals an additional 1 fire damage.
    • Active: Reach Extension (One Action): The brass plates extend. Your reach with your claw unarmed attacks increases by 5 feet for the next Strike you make this turn. This Strike takes a -2 penalty to the damage roll (minimum 1 damage) as the extension reduces the kinetic leverage.
  • Syntax Note: These function as an “Item Bonus” and follow the rules for “Unarmed Attacks.”

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Name: Brass Industrial Talons

  • Type: Personal Gear
  • Weight: 1 lb.
  • Armor Piercing: AP 2 (When Thermal Shift is active)
  • Mechanics:
    • Climber: The wearer adds +2 to Athletics (climbing) rolls on any surface that isn’t completely smooth (like glass).
    • Adaptive Tool: The wearer ignores up to 2 points of penalties when performing Repair or Thievery rolls involving steam-valves, gears, or mechanical locks.
    • Active: Thermal Shift: As a limited free action, the wearer can heat the claws. Successful Fighting rolls deal Str+d4 damage. On a Raise, the target may also catch fire (see Fire in Savage Worlds).
    • Active: Extension: The wearer gains Reach 1 for a single attack, but the damage die is reduced by one step (e.g., d4 becomes d4-1) due to the loss of physical leverage.
  • Syntax Note: This item is considered “Adventuring Gear” and a “Natural Weapon Enhancement.”

Shadowrun (6th World Edition)

Name: Alchemical Brass Talons (Focus)

In the sprawl of Saṃsāra, these are treated as a form of Qi Focus or Weapon Focus specifically for those with natural claw weapons.

  • Item Type: Weapon Focus (Tier 1 / Rating 1)
  • Availability: 2(I)
  • Cost: 4,000¥ (Equivalent in Silver/Gold)
  • Mechanics:
    • Surface Intuition: When worn and bonded, the user adds +1 die to Athletics tests involving climbing or navigating industrial terrain.
    • Active: Thermal Shift: Spend 1 Minor Action to heat the brass plates. The Weapon Focus adds its Rating to the Damage Value (DV) of the claw attack and changes the damage type to Fire. This lasts for Rating + 1 rounds.
    • Active: Talon Extension: The user may take a -1 attack penalty to increase their Reach by 1. This reflects the telescopic extension of the brass plates.
  • Syntax Note: This item requires Bonding Karma equal to its Rating x 2 to function as more than mundane brass caps.

Starfinder (2nd Edition / Playtest)

Name: Scavenger’s Articulated Striker

  • Level: 1
  • Price: 250 credits (Regional variation in Silver)
  • Hands: 0 (Worn)
  • Bulk: L
  • Description: A set of brass claw-attachments that interface with the user’s natural physiology and magical flow.
  • Mechanics:
    • Passive: Micro-Plate Grip: You gain a +1 item bonus to Athletics checks to Climb. You gain the “Combat Climber” feat while these are attuned and worn.
    • Active: Thermal Shift (One Action): The strikers glow with intense heat. Your next melee Strike with your claws deals an additional 1d4 Fire damage.
    • Active: Modular Reach (One Action): You extend the striker plates. Your Reach with your claws increases by 5 feet for the next Strike you make this turn. This Strike takes a -2 penalty to the damage roll.
  • Syntax Note: This item uses the “Tech” and “Magical” traits and functions as a weapon crystal or attachment for unarmed strikes.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Name: TL 4-5 Steam-Integrated Claw Caps

  • Tech Level: 4 (Advanced Steam/Early Industrial)
  • Weight: 0.5 kg
  • Cost: Cr 400 (Local exchange rates apply)
  • Mechanics:
    • Industrial Utility: The user gains a DM+1 to any Mechanic or Electronics (Basic) check when working on steam-power systems or mechanical rotational power components.
    • Passive: Magnetic-Friction Grip: The user gains a DM+2 to Athletics (Dexterity) checks to climb metal or stone surfaces.
    • Offense: Damage is 1d6 + Strength DM.
    • Active: Thermal Shift: By venting a small amount of heat from the magic circuit, the claws deal an additional +2 damage. This can be sustained for a number of rounds equal to the user’s END characteristic before the item requires a 10-minute cooldown.
  • Syntax Note: This is treated as “Personal Gear” and follows the rules for augmentations or specialized tools.

Warhammer (Age of Sigmar: Soulbound)

Name: Chamonite-Brass Scavenger Claws

  • Availability: Rare
  • Cost: 350 drops (Regional variation in Electrum)
  • Mechanics:
    • Adaptive Tool: You have Advantage on Tests made to climb or to disable mechanical traps and devices.
    • Active: Thermal Shift: As a Free Action, you can spend 1 Mettle to heat the claws. For the remainder of the round, your claw attacks gain the Rending and Burning Traits.
    • Active: Talon Extension: When you make a Melee Attack with your claws, you can choose to increase the Range to Short. If you do so, the Difficulty of the Test increases by 1.
  • Syntax Note: This item is categorized as “Articulated Gear” and is typically found in the industrial sky-ports of the Kharadron or the workshops of Chamon.