Aether Steam Appraisers Claw 8417

Lore: Forged in the pressurized depths of a submerged artisan vault, this creation merges the meticulous Renaissance-era engineering of Valthor of the Gears with the rugged, wilderness-tested design of the Aquilonian Shimmerdrake gauntlet. A master aquatic engineer sought to create the ultimate exploratory tool, binding the magical circuits and miniature brass steam engine of an analytical caliper directly into the framework of a multitool gauntlet. The result is a mechanical marvel passed down through elite Valyrn relic hunters—a single device capable of measuring the arcane resonance of an ancient artifact one moment and sawing through dense jungle vines the next.

Description: A heavily reinforced mechanical gauntlet forged from a lightweight, steam-tempered alloy and deep-sea brass. Instead of standard fingers, the gauntlet culminates in retractable, highly sensitive caliper-claws that double as fine-tuning instruments and survival tools. A miniature, glowing steam engine is seamlessly integrated into the wrist housing, emitting a soft, rhythmic hiss. Thin, magically infused circuit threads glow faintly blue beneath the metal plating, pulsing with elemental power whenever the internal lockpicks, mini-saw, or dagger are deployed.

Stats

Tier: 2
Intelligence: +3
Dexterity: +2
Strength: +1
Constitution: -1

Skills Gained While Openly Worn

Masterful Analytics: Grants a +3 bonus to Investigation checks regarding structural integrity and physical properties.
Arcane Appraisal: Grants a +3 bonus to Arcana checks for detecting enchantment layers and magical resonance.
Ingenious Survivor: Grants Advantage on all Crafting, Repairing, and Survival checks (including foraging, hunting, and setting camp).

Tags: Tier-2, Worn-Item, Steam-Power, Magical-Circuits, Appraisal-Tool, Multitool, Retractable-Claws, Shimmerdrake-Design, Valyrn-Legacy, Precision-Mechanics, Survivalist, Gear-Dependent, Elemental-Recharge, Engineering-Marvel, Arcane-Mechanics, Lock-Breaker, Trap-Sense, Dimensional-Grasp, Tinkerer-Tech, Wilderness-Tech, Mana-Sift, Resonance-Lock, Steam-Burst, Artificer-Claw

Multiple Passives Magic

Harmonious Stability: The gauntlet’s internal magical circuits emit a localized energy field, granting the wearer a 10% resistance to magical interference and a permanent +1 bonus to all fine-motor Dexterity checks.
Resonant Tactile Feedback: The caliper-claws passively vibrate in the presence of structural weak points or hidden mechanisms, ensuring the wearer cannot be surprised by mechanical traps or collapsing terrain.

Multiple Active Magics

Precision Dismantle (1 use per hour): The user activates the wrist-mounted steam engine to supercharge the retractable tools (saw, lockpick, or dagger). For 1 minute, the gauntlet’s jaws lock onto a target’s structural or arcane weak point, granting Advantage and a +4 bonus to any attempt to break, unlock, or repair the object. The focused steam expenditure imposes a -1 penalty to Constitution checks for the following minute.
Resonant Extraction Scan (2 uses per day): The gauntlet vents a soft hiss and releases a wave of blue elemental energy. For 10 minutes, the wearer can physically “feel” the layers of enchantments on objects or the layout of mechanical locks, gaining a +4 to Arcana and Thievery. Activating this ability carries a 20% chance of complete steam depletion, which renders the gauntlet’s active and passive magics inert until recharged at an elemental source.

Specific Slot: Worn Item (Hands)

Structural Integrity and Restoration of the Aether-Steam Gauntlet

As a Tier 2 mechanical and magical construct, the Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417 is highly durable but relies on a delicate balance of steam pressure and magical circuitry to function.

Item Hit Points and Disablement The gauntlet possesses 18 Hit Points and an Armor Class (AC) of 15 due to its steam-tempered alloy plating.

Integrity Threshold (9 HP): If the gauntlet is reduced to half its hit points, the casing around the miniature steam engine cracks. The Precision Dismantle and Resonant Extraction Scan active magics are immediately disabled, as the engine can no longer maintain the necessary pressure. The steam hiss becomes erratic and loud, negating any stealth advantages.
Magical Disablement (0 HP): At zero hit points, the internal magical circuits sever, and the retractable tools jam. The gauntlet loses all magical passives, skill bonuses, and stat modifiers, becoming little more than a heavy, cumbersome metal glove.
Environmental Disablement: Complete submersion in anti-magic fields instantly shorts out the circuit threads (Disabling the item), though mundane lockpicking and sawing are still possible. Submersion in mundane water does not damage it, but extreme cold (ice spells) can freeze the steam valve, temporarily disabling active magics until thawed.

Repair and Restoration Repairing the gauntlet requires technical precision and elemental realignment.

Field Patching: If the item is above 0 HP but below its Integrity Threshold, a character with the Tinkerer’s Tools or Smith’s Tools proficiency can spend one hour performing a temporary patch, restoring 1d4+1 HP. This requires no extra materials, just mechanical realignment.
Arcane Realignment: If the magical circuits are damaged (0 HP), the gauntlet requires a master engineer or artificer. The repair process takes 4 hours and requires 1 Ounce of Steam Sealant and a successful Master Metalworking or Expert Magical Circuitry check.
Engine Reboot: Once physically repaired from 0 HP, the miniature steam engine is completely dry. It must be submerged in an elemental spring or directly exposed to a pure elemental fire/water source for 1 hour to recharge its core before any magical properties return.

The Acquisition and Specialized Commerce of the Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417

In the world of Saṃsāra, obtaining a Tier 2 hybrid artifact like the Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417 is a significant milestone for any specialist. Because it bridges the gap between high-precision appraisal and rugged wilderness survival, it is rarely found in general general stores. Acquisition usually requires navigating the higher tiers of the Valyrn trade networks or commissioning a master engineer.

Methods of Acquisition

The Master’s Commission: The most direct method is to hire a Master Valyrn Tinkerer. A seeker must provide the base components—a functional 6473 Caliper and a high-grade Shimmerdrake Gauntlet—along with a rare Elemental Recharge Crystal. The engineer then performs the “Aether-Steam Binding,” a process that takes several days of pressurized enchanting.
Relic Hunter Inheritance: Many of these claws are found in the possession of veteran explorers. If a legendary appraiser retires or falls in a “Dark Cave System,” their gear is often recovered and sold to high-end boutiques or kept as a family heirloom for technical mastery.
Salvage from Industrial Ruins: In the submerged vaults or jungle ruins of the 73 islands, one might find a “dormant” version of the claw. While physically intact, these salvaged items often require an Engine Reboot and a fresh application of Steam Sealant before they can be attuned.

Market Locations and Transaction Dynamics

The commerce of the 8417 model reflects its dual nature: a blend of high-magic prestige and pragmatic utility.

1. Valyrn Steam-Engineering Emporiums Located in the primary industrial hubs like the city of Myrkal, these shops are the pinnacle of technical commerce.

Trade Style: Clinical and prestigious. The claws are displayed on rotating brass pedestals under magical lanterns. Master engineers demonstrate the Precision Lock on various rare alloys to prove the item’s integrity.
Estimated Purchase Price: 1,800 to 2,400 Gold Pieces.
Estimated Sell-Back Price: 900 Gold Pieces (Requires a full diagnostic check by the shop’s lead engineer).

2. Elite Adventurer Outposts Found at the edge of uncharted territories or near high-altitude trade pavilions.

Trade Style: Rugged yet high-end. These outposts sell the claw as the “Ultimate Survivalist’s Multi-Tool.” It is often sold alongside grav-chutes and enchanted climbing gear.
Estimated Purchase Price: 1,500 to 1,900 Gold Pieces.
Estimated Sell-Back Price: 750 Gold Pieces (Merchants here prioritize the condition of the Ingenious Survivor tools).

3. Underwater Precision Vaults Deep-sea markets accessed via pressurized airlocks, catering to aquatic explorers and relic appraisers.

Trade Style: Meticulous and silent. Negotiations often happen via telepathy or written magical contracts. The item’s value is higher here due to the difficulty of maintaining steam-pressure in a high-pressure aqueous environment.
Estimated Purchase Price: 2,200 to 2,800 Gold Pieces.
Estimated Sell-Back Price: 1,100 Gold Pieces (Payment is often requested in rare pearls or luminescent coral brass).

4. Floating Artisan Bazaars Nomadic markets that drift between islands, specializing in “Cross-Multiversal” technology.

Trade Style: Vibrant and chaotic. The claw might be sold by a traveling artificer who salvaged it from a distant ruin. Bargaining is expected, and the quality can fluctuate.
Estimated Purchase Price: 1,400 to 1,700 Gold Pieces.
Estimated Sell-Back Price: 600 Gold Pieces (Sellers are wary of “shorted” magical circuits).

Selling and Bartering

When selling the Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417, the seller must prove the “Steam Reserve” is not leaking. A common test involves extending the mini-saw while the Resonance Scan is active; if the hiss remains soft and the blue glow doesn’t flicker, the item is considered “Grade A.” If the item has sustained permanent HP damage, its value is halved, as the costs for Arcane Realignment are exorbitant for most merchants.

Tactile Sovereignty: Roleplaying the Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417

Roleplaying with the Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417 is about the fusion of sensory precision and mechanical power. Your movements are punctuated by the rhythmic hiss of the steam engine and the whirring of gears. You don’t just “hit” things; you dismantle them. You don’t just “see” traps; you feel their heartbeat through your fingertips.

Urban Megacities (The Myrkal Market District)

Offense: While chasing a thief through the iron rafters of a warehouse, you use the Flash of the Star-Anise to instantly extend your claw-jaws, hooking onto a moving steam-pipe to swing across the gap. Once cornered, you activate Precision Dismantle to analyze the structural weak point of the floor beneath the thief. With one calculated strike of the integrated mini-saw, the floorboards give way, dropping your target into a holding cell below.
Defense: In a crowded street, a rival mage attempts to hex your gear. Your Harmonious Stability passive creates a faint blue hum that deflects the interference. When a thug lunges with a knife, you use your +2 Dexterity bonus to catch the blade between your caliper-claws, the steam engine hissing loudly as it locks the weapon in place, leaving the attacker helpless against your follow-up.

Dark Cave Systems and Underwater Vaults

Offense: In the pitch-black “Undercroft,” you activate Resonant Extraction Scan. The world becomes a map of vibrations. You “feel” the resonance of an ancient stone guardian and identify the enchantment layer powering its joints. You roleplay the precision of a surgeon, sliding your retractable dagger into the exact gap in its armor to short-circuit the magical flow, causing the titan to collapse into rubble.
Defense: As a tectonic shift causes the cavern ceiling to buckle, you use the Resonant Tactile Feedback. You feel the vibration in your gauntlet a split second before the stone cracks. You use your +3 Investigation bonus to identify a load-bearing stalactite and, using the gauntlet’s strength, wedge a metal brace into place, creating a triangular pocket of safety for your party as the cave-in settles around you.

High-Altitude Rifts and Floating Cities

Offense: During an aerial skirmish on a swaying trade platform, you use the Ingenious Survivor skill to sabotage an enemy airship’s mooring lines. You roleplay the retractable saw cutting through enchanted rope like butter. As an enemy combatant closes in, you use the Precision Dismantle to analyze their gravity-belt, pinpointing the regulator. A quick jab with the lockpick tool causes their belt to fluctuate, sending them floating harmlessly into the clouds.
Defense: Caught in a sudden mana-storm, you activate the Resonant Extraction Scan. You roleplay “seeing” the layers of the storm’s energy. Using the gauntlet’s claws to grip the railing, the Circuit Harmony helps you ground the magical discharge through the gauntlet’s frame, protecting your internal organs from the arcane shock while you steer your allies to the safety of an airlock.

Jungle Ruins and Wilderness Outposts

Offense: To bypass a massive, magically warded stone door in a jungle ruin, you combine the Precision Lock with your Arcane Appraisal. You roleplay locking the calipers onto the door’s hinge, the steam engine screaming as it applies immense pressure. You find the “Resonance Gap” and use the mini-saw to vibrate at the same frequency as the ward, shattering the magical lock and allowing the door to swing open with a heavy thud.
Defense: While being hunted by a pack of Shimmerdrakes, you use the Ingenious Survivor skill to set a complex series of snare traps in seconds. You roleplay the retractable tools working in a blur of silver and blue light. When a drake pounces, the Resonant Tactile Feedback alerts you to the shift in air pressure, allowing you to raise the gauntlet and block the strike with the reinforced alloy plating, the hiss of steam echoing through the trees as you stand your ground.

Roleplay Focus: The Machine-Bond

When using the 8417, emphasize the Gear-Dependency. Describe the heat of the brass against your skin and the smell of hot oil and ozone. Your character shouldn’t just be “good at things”—they should be a master of their equipment. When the steam reserve runs low, describe the slowing of the gears and the cooling of the metal, signaling a return to mundane, unenhanced reality.

Perception of Activation:

User’s Perspective

Sight: The moment you engage the internal gears, the etched draconic runes on the alloy plating flare with a sharp, electric-blue luminescence. A translucent holographic grid—the “Analytical Overlay”—flickers into existence before your eyes, highlighting structural stress points in red and magical resonance layers in shifting violet.
Sound: A pressurized hiss-clunk echoes as the steam valve opens, followed by the high-pitched, steady whir of miniaturized brass gears spinning within the wrist. When the calipers lock, a resonant, metallic “ping” vibrates through your arm, signaling a successful data fix.
Touch: You feel a rhythmic, warm vibration pulsing against your hand and forearm, mimicking a mechanical heartbeat. The gauntlet grows noticeably warmer as the steam engine peaks, and the tips of the caliper-claws tingle with a static charge, making your fingertips feel hyper-sensitive to the textures of whatever you grasp.
Smell: A sharp, invigorating bouquet of heated brass, lubricating lunar oil, and ozone fills your nostrils, instantly cleared by a secondary puff of wildflower-scented steam from the wildflower-infused sealant.

Observer’s Perspective

Visual: They see the heavy gauntlet suddenly “wake up” as glowing blue circuit lines trace the user’s hand. Retractable tools slide out with predatory grace, and a small, concentrated plume of white steam vents from the wrist-mounted engine, occasionally catching the light and creating tiny, fleeting rainbows.
Auditory: To a bystander, the sound is a sophisticated mechanical melody—a mix of clockwork ticking and the soft, rhythmic sigh of steam. It sounds like a precision laboratory instrument merged with a dangerous weapon.
Tactile: Those standing within a few feet feel a sudden localized rise in temperature and a faint, dry prickle on their skin from the magical energy field the gauntlet radiates.

Extra-Sensory Perceptions

Resonance Synchronization: You “hear” the pitch of magical enchantments around you; a stable ward sounds like a low hum, while a volatile trap screams like a discordant violin string.
Structural Empathy: You feel a phantom ache in your own palm when looking at a cracked wall or a weakened bridge, an intuitive physical manifestation of the object’s structural fatigue.
Technological Clairvoyance: For a fleeting moment, your mind merges with the internal steam engine, allowing you to “feel” the precise amount of pressure remaining in the reserve as if it were your own breath.

Positives

Heightened Competence: The overwhelming feeling of being a master of the physical world; locks feel like puzzles for children, and complex enchantments feel like readable text.
Tactile Certainty: The vibration feedback removes all guesswork from manual tasks, granting a sense of absolute control over the environment.
Aura of Authority: The visible and audible activation often causes NPCs to view the user as a high-ranking expert or a dangerous artificer, aiding in intimidation or professional negotiations.

Negatives

Sensory Overload: In environments crowded with many enchanted objects or complex machinery, the holographic grid and resonance “screams” can cause a splitting headache or blurred vision.
Metabolic Strain: The focused energy required to interpret the caliper’s data causes a noticeable physical drain, leaving the user’s arm feeling heavy and sluggish once the activation ends.
Stealth Compromise: The rhythmic hiss and bright blue glow make it nearly impossible to remain undetected in dark or quiet environments once the active magics are engaged.

The Alchemical Binding of the Valyrn Predator: Crafting the Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417

Items Merged

Steam-Powered Caliper Analyzer 6473: The core analytical engine, miniature steam engine, and enchanted brass framework.
Multitool Claw Gauntlet: The retractable tool housing, steel alloy plating, and Shimmerdrake-inspired claw tips.

Additional Materials Needed

1 Elemental Recharge Crystal (Pulsing): To act as a central power conduit that bridges the mechanical steam energy with the magical circuit threads.
2 Ounces of Volcanic Steam Sealant: Infused with wildflower essence to prevent magical leakage during the high-pressure binding.
3 Yards of Silver-Astral Wire: To extend the circuit threads from the caliper arms down into the individual fingertips and retractable tools of the gauntlet.
A Vial of Shimmerdrake Oil: A rare lubricant that ensures the calipers and multitools can extend simultaneously without mechanical friction.
Enchanted Brass Rivets (x6): To physically fuse the caliper housing to the gauntlet’s wrist guard.

Tools Required

Precision Tinkering Set: For the delicate task of aligning miniaturized gears from the caliper engine with the gauntlet’s spring system.
Arcane Infuser (Tier 2): To synchronize the magical resonance of the circuits with the physical vibrations of the steam engine.
Steam-Powered Press: For shaping the alloy plates of the gauntlet to accommodate the internal steam reserve of the analyzer.
Coral-Tipped Stylus: For etching the final draconic “Lock” runes that enable the Precision Dismantle feature.

Skill Requirements

Master Metalworking: Proficiency in tempering lightweight alloys and fitting complex brass machinery.
Expert Magical Circuitry: The ability to weave astral wire into existing circuit threads without short-circuiting the elemental core.
Advanced Steam Engineering: Mastery over pressure-regulation and the assembly of miniaturized enchanted engines.
Survivalist Lore: Knowledge of the Shimmerdrake’s claw anatomy to ensure the tools retract with predatory efficiency.

Crafting Steps

Dismantling the Analytical Core: Carefully remove the 6473’s adjustable arms and steam engine from the original belt-strap, preserving the integrity of the delicate magical circuits.
Structural Expansion: Use the Steam-Powered Press to widen the wrist-guard of the Multitool Gauntlet, creating a cavity specifically sized for the miniature steam engine.
The Circuitry Bridge: Thread the Silver-Astral Wire from the engine’s output through the gauntlet’s frame. Using the Arcane Infuser, solder the wire to the base of each retractable tool (saw, lockpick, and dagger).
Caliper Integration: Mount the extendable caliper jaws onto the dorsal side of the gauntlet. Use the Enchanted Brass Rivets to lock the mechanism into place, ensuring the jaws can extend over the knuckles.
The Elemental Pulse: Embed the Pulsing Elemental Recharge Crystal at the heart of the steam engine. Use the Shimmerdrake Oil to coat every moving gear, spring, and sliding tool joint.
Pressure Sealing: Apply the Volcanic Steam Sealant around the engine’s valves and the circuit entry points. This creates the airtight environment necessary for the “Steam Hiss” to function without losing potency.
Runework Etching: Using the Coral-Tipped Stylus, etch the “922” and “8417” synchronization runes across the knuckles. These runes act as the interface for the Resonant Extraction Scan.
The First Vent: Perform a controlled steam release. If the hiss is rhythmic and the blue light travels from the wrist to the claw tips without flickering, the merge is complete. Attune the item by allowing the Resonant Tactile Feedback to sync with the crafter’s pulse.

CLOUD-BREATH MEASURE-CLAW 8417

(Words of the Translator-Priest: I found these markings scratched onto a metal-leaf in the dry-sand-sea. The language is the “Squeak-Clank-Tongue” of the old machine-worshippers. It is very much difficult. The word for “steam” is the same as the word for “angry-water-ghost,” and the grammar walks in circles. I give you the bestness of my brain.)

In the before-time of the before-time, when the sky was heavy and the ground was full of the buried-secrets, the people of the meat-bodies had a great sadness. They could not open the locked-boxes of the old-gods. They could not see the invisible-danger-lights [magic traps]. Their meat-sticks [fingers] were too soft for the hard-metal, and their eye-balls were too stupid for the magic-math.

There was a man of the walking-legs named Brain-Of-Wheels. Brain-Of-Wheels had the two sacred things. On his belt-string, he wore the “Crab-That-Measures-The-Unseen” [Caliper 6473]. It had the angry-water-ghost [steam engine] inside it and made the blue-sky-lines [magical circuits]. On his hand, he wore the “Hand-Shoe-Of-The-Shiny-Lizard” [Multitool Gauntlet]. It had the sleeping-knives and the tiny-tree-cutters [mini-saws] that hid inside the metal skin.

Brain-Of-Wheels looked at the great locked-door of the Mountain-That-Eats-Fools. He said, “If I hold the Crab, I cannot use the Hand-Shoe. If I use the Hand-Shoe, I cannot see the invisible-danger-lights. I am only one meat-body. I must make the two into the one. I must make them do the great kissing of the metals.”

Brain-Of-Wheels went to the fire-hole in the ground. He took the star-blood [silver wire] and the oil-of-the-shiny-lizard. He put the Crab-That-Measures and the Hand-Shoe into the hot-smash-place. He banged them with the heavy-rock. He tied the blue-sky-lines to the sleeping-knives. He trapped the angry-water-ghost inside the wrist-bone of the metal hand.

The metal made a great screaming sound, like a bird made of iron. Then, it made the hiss-clunk. The blue-sky-lines woke up. The angry-water-ghost breathed the hot-cloud. It was born. It was the “Cloud-Breath Measure-Claw Eight-Four-One-Seven” [Aether-Steam Appraiser’s Claw 8417].

Brain-Of-Wheels put the Measure-Claw on his meat-arm. Immediately, his brain became filled with the floating-math-ghosts [holographic overlay]. He looked at a rock, and the Measure-Claw told him, “This rock is weak in the middle, it is a sad rock.” He looked at a tree, and the Measure-Claw said, “This tree is secretly a magic-bomb.” Brain-Of-Wheels felt like the king of the touching-things.

He walked to the Mountain-That-Eats-Fools. The great locked-door was covered in the invisible-danger-lights. The door had a lock made of trick-metal that bites fingers.

Brain-Of-Wheels pointed the Measure-Claw. He did the “Pull-Out-The-Secrets-Scan” [Resonant Extraction Scan]. The angry-water-ghost hissed very loud. A wave of blue-light washed over the door. The invisible-danger-lights became visible. They looked like angry purple snakes.

“I see your purple snakes!” shouted Brain-Of-Wheels.

The door tried to do the brain-melting magic on him. But the Measure-Claw made the “Humming-Shield-Of-Togetherness” [Circuit Harmony]. The brain-melting magic bounced off him like rain off a turtle shell.

Then, Brain-Of-Wheels did the “Take-Apart-With-Much-Violence-And-Math” [Precision Dismantle]. The sleeping-knives and the tiny-tree-cutters shot out of the knuckles. The metal claws locked onto the trick-metal lock. The Measure-Claw vibrated with the deep-shaking. Brain-Of-Wheels felt the exact weak-spot of the door in his own bones. He twisted his wrist. The tiny-tree-cutter sawed through the magic-iron. The lock-picker tickled the inside of the door’s belly.

The great locked-door fell down into many pieces of crying metal.

But Brain-Of-Wheels was a fool of the eager-blood. He was so happy with the breaking of the door, he forgot the hunger of the angry-water-ghost. He had pushed the blue-sky-lines too hard. He had made the Measure-Claw breathe too much of the hot-cloud.

Suddenly, the Measure-Claw made a sad cough sound. The blue-sky-lines went dark. The angry-water-ghost went to sleep. The hot-cloud was all empty.

When the angry-water-ghost died, the heavy-tiredness [Constitution penalty] hit Brain-Of-Wheels. His meat-arm felt like it was made of mountains. His brain felt like thick mud. The Measure-Claw was no longer a smart-tool; it was just a very heavy, stupid metal glove.

Brain-Of-Wheels fell down in the dirt, right in the doorway of the Mountain-That-Eats-Fools. He could not walk. He did the heavy-snoring for three days and three nights. While he was doing the heavy-snoring, the small-thieves of the woods came. They walked right past his sleeping meat-body and took all the shiny-rocks from the Mountain.

When Brain-Of-Wheels woke up, he had the open door, but he had no treasure. He only had a heavy, dead metal hand that smelled like cold water and sadness. He had to walk for many moons to find the magic-water-hole [elemental spring] to wake up the angry-water-ghost again.

This is why the people of the gears say, a smart hand is good, but a smart hand needs a smart brain to tell it when to stop breathing.

Moral of the Story: The tool that sees all secrets and breaks all doors is a mighty friend, but if the man wearing the tool forgets to feed the ghost inside the machine, the man will become nothing but a tired stone guarding an empty house.

Suggested conversions to other systems: