MN 882 of Accounting – GearAscendancy.com

Lore

In the sprawling, dust-choked trade hubs of Saṃsāra, the air itself often smells of ancient paper, oxidized copper, and the sweat of desperate haggling. The MN 882, commonly known as the “Auditor’s Filter” or “The Gilded Muzzle,” was developed for the mid-level bureaucrats of the Silver-Tongue Syndicate. These accountants were required to verify massive shipments of spice, ore, and coin in environments where the air was thick with the particulate matter of commerce.

The mask is a half-face respirator crafted from fine, ink-stained leather and reinforced with a brass grill shaped like the scales of justice. Inside the filter chamber sits a series of tiny, enchanted parchment scrolls that vibrate as air passes through them. These scrolls are inscribed with the “Laws of Pure Valuation.” As the wearer breathes, the mask filters out the “scent of deceit,” allowing the accountant to perceive the true essence of a product. It is said that a master wearer of the MN 882 can taste the exact purity of a gold coin just by inhaling the air around the chest it is kept in.

Detailed Tier 1 Stats

Slot: Mouth or Nose. This item covers the lower half of the face, from the bridge of the nose to the chin, secured by leather straps that wrap behind the ears and neck.
Rarity: Common.
Cost: A standard MN 882 is priced between 180 and 240 Silver Coins depending on the quality of the leather and the age of the internal scrolls.
Color: The leather is typically “Banker’s Charcoal” or “Deep Mahogany.” The brass grill is polished to a dull shine, and the filter vents often emit a faint, amber-colored vapor when active.

Skills Gained (When Openly Worn)

Insight (Transactional): The wearer gains a bonus to Insight checks, specifically to determine if a speaker is lying about a price, a quantity, or a contractual obligation. The mask’s internal scrolls hum in a dissonant tone when “dishonest air” is inhaled.
Perception (Olfactory): The wearer gains a proficiency bonus to Perception checks involving smell. They can differentiate between various spices, metals, and even the specific ink used on a fraudulent document.

Passive Magics

The Filter of Truth: The wearer is immune to inhaled poisons and gas-based hazards of Tier 1 or lower. Additionally, the mask eliminates the distraction of “foul odors,” allowing the wearer to maintain focus in sewers, slaughterhouses, or battlefields.
Taste of Value: By merely sniffing an object within 1 foot, the wearer gains the “Sensory Valuation” effect. They can determine the exact weight of a loose pile of coins or the purity percentage of a metal ingot without using a scale.
Voice of the Record: The mask slightly modulates the wearer’s voice, giving it a flat, echoing, and authoritative quality. This makes it impossible for the wearer’s voice to crack or waver, granting a minor protection against fear-based effects that would silence them.

Active Magics

The Audit-Breath (Area Scan): Once per long rest, the wearer can exhale a cloud of amber-colored, ink-scented vapor in a 10-foot cone. This vapor clings to any “hidden” or “unaccounted for” items. For 1 minute, any concealed objects, secret doors, or invisible items within the vapor’s reach glow with a soft red light, as if they were errors on a ledger that need to be corrected.
Scent of the Debtor (Tracking): As an action, the wearer can “mark” a coin or an object belonging to a target. For the next 24 hours, the wearer can smell the “Unique Financial Signature” of that target up to a mile away. The mask provides a constant, directional pull toward the target, roleplayed as a sharp, metallic scent that grows stronger as the gap closes.
Final Word (Stifle): The wearer can cause the brass grill to snap shut and emit a vacuum-like suction. Once per encounter, the wearer can attempt to “inhale” the verbal component of a spell being cast by an enemy within 5 feet. If successful, the spell fails as the mask literally consumes the air required for the incantation.

Tags

Face, Respiratory, Investigation, Detection, Utility, Metal, Leather, Law, Tracking, Anti-Gas, Authority, Inhalation, Audit, Odor, Filter, Bureaucracy, Vellum, Scent, Grill, Appraisal, Respirator, Evidence

Additional Information

Communication Barrier: While the mask provides authoritative tone, it makes it difficult to express complex emotions. The wearer often comes across as cold, robotic, or uncaring.
Maintenance: The internal parchment scrolls must be replaced or re-inked every 30 days. Failure to do so causes the mask to “clog,” imposing a penalty to Stamina-based checks as the wearer struggles to breathe through stale laws.
Social Perception: In the lower slums of Saṃsāra, wearing an MN 882 marks you as a “Tax-Hound.” You are likely to be met with hostility, closed doors, and hidden purses.
The Dry-Tongue Effect: Constant use of the mask leads to extreme cotton-mouth, as the enchanted air is stripped of all moisture to ensure “purity.” Wearers are often seen carrying ornate water flasks to compensate.

In the world of Saṃsāra, the acquisition of an MN 882 of Accounting is rarely a matter of simple convenience. Because the item is intrinsically linked to the regulatory and fiscal authorities of the Silver-Tongue Syndicate, the process of obtaining one involves a degree of scrutiny and social standing.

Methods of Acquisition

The Certification of the Clerk: Most commonly, an avatar receives this mask upon attaining the rank of “Certified Auditor” within a major merchant house or banking conglomerate. It is issued as standard field equipment for those tasked with verifying cargo in the deep-docks or smog-filled industrial sectors. To receive it, the avatar must pass a series of grueling examinations on the “Laws of Pure Valuation.”
The Bureaucratic Forfeiture: When a high-ranking accountant falls into debt or is convicted of “Fiscal Malpractice,” their equipment is seized. These confiscated masks are often liquidated by the state and sold at high-security impound lots. Such items may carry the “Ghost-Scent” of their previous owner’s failures, requiring the new owner to perform a ritual cleansing of the internal scrolls.
The Grave-Vault of the Treasurer: In the ancient necropolises of Saṃsāra, treasurers were often buried with their masks to ensure they could audit the offerings in the afterlife. Grave-robbers who brave the traps of these “Silent Vaults” may emerge with an MN 882. These ancient models often feature heavier brass and more ornate scroll-work, though they may require significant repairs to the leather straps.

Types of Shops and The Buying Experience

The shops that deal in the MN 882 are not general outfitters. They are specialized establishments found in the “Upper Ledger” districts or near the gates of the Ministry of Commerce.

The Apothecary of the Breath These shops are clinical, smelling intensely of ozone, cedar, and fresh ink. They focus on the respiratory and sensory aspects of the item.

The Vibe: Sterile and quiet. Glass cabinets display various mask models on velvet-lined busts. The shopkeepers are often retired auditors who speak in low, modulated tones, their own voices filtered by similar devices.
The Transaction: The buyer is required to undergo a “Lung-Capacity Test” to ensure the mask is fitted correctly. The shopkeeper will then present a selection of internal scrolls, explaining the specific scents and “Audit-Grades” available. The purchase is recorded in a heavy ledger, and the buyer must provide a thumbprint in red ink.
Customization: For an additional fee, the shopkeeper can etch the wearer’s official identification number or guild crest into the brass grill.

The Impound-Broker’s Cage Found near the courthouse or the city watch barracks, these shops deal in seized assets and “secondary-market” gear.

The Vibe: Cluttered and metallic. Items are often sold “as-is,” piled in bins or hung from rusted hooks. The air smells of damp leather and old copper.
The Transaction: Haggling is expected but difficult, as the broker knows the exact “scrap value” of the brass and leather. The buyer must inspect the mask carefully for cracks in the seals or tears in the vellum scrolls. There is no warranty; if the mask fails during a gas-trap encounter, the broker considers it a “market correction.”

Cost and Value

The price reflects the necessity of clean air and accurate data in Saṃsāra’s cutthroat trade environment.

Standard Market Price: A new, certified MN 882 costs between 180 and 240 Silver Coins.
Second-Hand/Impounded Price: A functional but worn mask can be found for 90 to 120 Silver Coins, though it usually requires a scroll replacement immediately.
Currency Conversion:
- 180 Silver = 1,800 Copper
- 180 Silver = 360 Nickel
- 180 Silver = 18 Gold
- 180 Silver = 9 Electrum

The Hidden Costs of Ownership

Scroll Replacement: The “Vellum of Valuation” scrolls inside the mask are consumable. A fresh set costs 15 Silver and lasts for roughly 30 days of active use. If the wearer frequently encounters toxic gases, the scrolls degrade faster.
Re-Inking Fees: If the wearer wishes to retain their original scrolls, they must pay a “Scribe-Apothecary” to re-apply the enchanted ink. This service costs 8 Silver and preserves the “Scent-Memory” of the mask.
Regulatory Fines: In some high-tier cities, wearing an auditor’s mask without a valid “Bureaucratic License” is a crime. The fine for “Unlicensed Auditing” is often double the cost of the mask itself, leading many adventurers to hide the item under a scarf when not in use.

The Breath of Calculation: Operational Protocols of the MN 882

In the world of Saṃsāra, where a single whiff of deception can lead to financial ruin, the MN 882 of Accounting serves as a sensory shield and a clinical weapon. The roleplay of this item revolves around the concept of “Purity.” The wearer is the only one in the room breathing “clean” truth, which provides a psychological and physical edge over those swimming in the smog of the market.

Defensive Roleplay: The Sealed Ledger

Defense with the MN 882 is focused on environmental immunity and personal composure. It allows the avatar to stand firm where others are choking or failing.

In Guarded Areas (Tripled AC): Inside the high-vaults or secure government archives, the mask acts as a symbol of absolute authority. The defense here is passive but impenetrable. The Voice of the Record ensures that even if an assassin corners the wearer, the avatar’s breathing remains slow, steady, and audible through the brass grill. The roleplay emphasizes the wearer’s lack of fear; they simply adjust the straps and state the legal consequences of the attack. The “Audit-Breath” can be used here to pre-emptively reveal hidden blades or traps, making the wearer virtually impossible to surprise.
In Walled Towns (Doubled AC): In the industrial slums or the smog-choked docks, the Filter of Truth becomes the primary defense. While enemies are blinded by thick chimney soot or coughing on toxic fumes, the wearer moves with robotic precision. Roleplay involves the avatar walking calmly through a crowd of rioters or through a smoke-filled building, their eyes clear and their breath unfazed. They use the mask to maintain a “Scent-Bubble” of safety, ignoring the filth of the city and focusing entirely on the structural weaknesses of their attackers.
In the Wilderness (Normal AC): On the road, the mask defends against the “Natural Deficit.” If a beast attempts a pheromone-based charm or a poisonous spore-cloud erupts from a jungle floor, the mask’s brass grill glows amber as it consumes the threat. The roleplay focuses on the avatar’s clinical detachment from the “messy” natural world. They treat the wilderness as a poorly managed asset that must be navigated with minimal exposure.
In Deathly Areas (Zero AC / Automatic Hits): In zones of total corruption, the mask provides a defense of “Integrity.” When the avatar is struck, they do not cry out; the mask modulates their voice into a flat, metallic grunt. They roleplay the damage as an “Acceptable Loss.” The mask ensures that their senses of smell and taste remain focused on the objective, preventing the mind from being overwhelmed by the stench of death or the metallic tang of their own blood.

Offensive Roleplay: The Forced Audit

Offense with the MN 882 is about exposing hidden liabilities and stripping away the enemy’s advantages through sensory dominance.

The “Audit-Breath” Disclosure: Using the active vapor is an act of aggressive clarification. The wearer exhales a thick, amber cloud that sweeps across the battlefield. The roleplay describes the vapor “clinging” to the dishonest; a hidden rogue is outlined in red light, or an illusion begins to flicker and peel away like wet wallpaper. The avatar points a gloved finger at the glowing target and declares, “You are an off-the-books liability. Correcting.”
The “Final Word” Stifle: The most aggressive offensive use involves getting into the face of a spellcaster. As the wizard begins their incantation, the avatar lunges forward, the brass grill on the mask opening like a shark’s mouth. The suction sound is like a vacuum. The roleplay describes the “consuming of the air,” leaving the wizard gasping and voiceless. The avatar then delivers a headbutt or a shove, capitalizing on the silence they have created.
The “Scent of the Debtor” Pursuit: Offense often starts long before the fight. The avatar “marks” a target’s scent. From that moment on, the roleplay is a relentless, inevitable hunt. The avatar describes the target’s scent as a “trail of red ink” that only they can see. They follow the target through crowded plazas and dark tunnels with their head tilted slightly up, “tasting” the air for the metallic tang of the debtor. This creates a terrifying, predatory roleplay where the enemy realizes they can never truly hide.
“Sensory Valuation” Strike: By sniffing the air around an enemy’s armor or weapon, the avatar identifies “Structural Deficits.” They roleplay this by ignoring the enemy’s shield and striking at a rusted hinge or a poorly forged buckle that their mask has identified as a weak point. “Your equipment is valued at zero,” they remark as they strike the specific flaw they have smelled.
Psychological Pressure: Because the mask hides the lower half of the face, the enemy cannot see the avatar’s expressions. The roleplay emphasizes the cold, unblinking stare above the brass grill. The avatar uses the modulated voice to speak in a monotone that drains the enemy’s morale, making the fight feel less like a heroic struggle and more like a foregone bureaucratic conclusion.

Perception of Activation:

When the straps of the MN 882 of Accounting are tightened and the internal vellum scrolls catch the first breath of the avatar, the world undergoes a sudden, clinical transformation. The activation is not a surge of heat, but a cold, sharp clarity that strips the environment of its sensory “clutter” and replaces it with a stream of quantifiable data.

Tactile Perception: The Pressure of the Law

Description: The avatar feels the leather seals of the mask pull tight against the cheeks and nose, creating a vacuum-like seal that feels like a cold hand cupping the face. The brass grill vibrates slightly with every exhale, sending a micro-tremor through the jawbone.
Positives: This sensation provides a physical anchor for concentration. The wearer feels “contained” and safe from the chaotic elements of the outside world. The vibration of the grill acts as a physical confirmation that the filtration magic is operational.
Negatives: The seal can be claustrophobic over long durations. The skin under the leather becomes prone to “mask-burn,” a localized irritation caused by the enchanted suction. Speaking requires more physical effort as the jaw is held in a specific, rigid alignment.

Auditory Perception: The Echo of the Record

Description: Internal sound becomes dominant. The avatar hears their own breathing as a booming, rhythmic resonance within the mask’s chamber. External voices are heard through a slight “tinny” filter, but their cadence and pitch are sharpened, making every tremor or hesitation in a speaker’s voice sound like a thunderclap.
Positives: The wearer can hear the “sound of intent.” Lies sound discordant, like a stringed instrument being played out of tune. Background noise—such as wind or the din of a crowd—is magically dampened, allowing the wearer to hear a single coin drop a block away.
Negatives: The sound of the wearer’s own heartbeat can become distracting during high-stress situations. The dampened external noise makes it harder to determine the exact distance of approaching footsteps if they are not “financial” in nature.

Olfactory and Gustatory Perception: The Taste of Truth

Description: Natural smells vanish. In their place, the avatar perceives the world through a spectrum of metallic and chemical signatures. A gold coin tastes like a sharp spark on the tongue; a forged document smells like rotting vinegar. The “Audit-Breath” vapor tastes like cold, dry ink and ancient dust.
Positives: Total immunity to the psychological and physical effects of filth. The wearer can “scent-track” a single drop of spilled ink through a sewer. They can identify the exact composition of an alloy by simply inhaling near it.
Negatives: The sensation of “Dry-Tongue” is immediate and severe. The avatar loses the ability to enjoy food or drink while masked, as everything is reduced to its base chemical “value” rather than its flavor.

Extra-Sensory Perception: The Ghost-Ledger Vision

Description: When the “Audit-Breath” is exhaled, the avatar’s vision gains an overlay of “Error-Red” light. Objects that are hidden, stolen, or otherwise “unaccounted for” in the local reality appear with jagged, crimson outlines. These objects seem to vibrate at a different frequency than “legal” reality.
Positives: The wearer cannot be easily deceived by illusions or mundane camouflage. Hidden compartments in chests or secret pockets on a person stand out as glaring mathematical errors.
Negatives: The high-contrast “Red-Light” vision causes significant eye strain. Looking at a particularly chaotic or “illegal” scene (such as a black market or a site of a recent heist) can cause a blinding strobe effect that induces headaches.

Extra-Sensory Perception: The Debt-Tug

Description: When “Scent of the Debtor” is active, a literal thread of grey, smoky energy appears to stretch from the nose-bridge of the mask toward the target. The avatar feels a physical “pull” in their nasal cavity, directing their head toward the source of the scent.
Positives: Flawless navigation toward a target, regardless of obstacles or visual obstructions. The “tug” is persistent and ignores most magical cloaking.
Negatives: The physical pull can be jarring, especially if the target is moving rapidly or erratically. If the target moves through a portal or into another plane, the sudden “snap” of the sensory thread can cause a brief period of vertigo and disorientation.

Fabrication Standard: MN 882 (Auditor’s Filter)

Materials Needed

1 Cut of Banker’s Charcoal Leather: A section of high-grade hide, cured in a solution of carbon and oak-gall to ensure a non-porous, airtight seal.
3 oz of Alchemical Brass: An alloy mixed with powdered lodestone to provide the magnetic “suction” required for the filter grill.
4 Strips of Vellum of Valuation: Thin, translucent parchment made from the skin of a calf born under a planetary alignment of commerce.
1 Vial of Concentrated Truth-Ink: A rare indigo pigment made from crushed blue lotuses and the powdered tongue of a mute witness.
1 Handful of Charcoal Briquettes: Activated by soaking in holy water to serve as the physical filtration medium.
2 Yards of Waxed Thread: To ensure all seams are waterproof and gas-tight.

Tools Required

Leather Punch and Awl: For creating the precise ventilation holes and strap attachments.
Jeweler’s Torch: To solder the brass grill into the “Scales of Justice” shape.
Fine-Point Scribe’s Quill: For inscribing the microscopic “Laws of Pure Valuation” onto the vellum strips.
Air-Bellows: Used during the “Seal-Test” to check for leaks in the leather construction.
Small Mortar and Pestle: For grinding the activated charcoal into the correct particulate size.

Skill Requirements

Leatherworking (Proficiency): Required to mold the mask to a human face shape and create an airtight seal around the nose.
Tinkering (Tier 1): Necessary to construct the internal valve system and the brass intake grill.
Scribing (Proficiency): The ability to write in “Micro-Script” is essential; if the laws on the vellum are illegible, the magical filtration will fail.

Crafting Steps

The Molding of the Face: Steam the charcoal leather until it is pliable, then stretch it over a wooden face-mold. Clamp it tightly until dry to ensure the mask retains a rigid, protective shape that fits the bridge of the nose perfectly.
The Inscription of Law: Using the Truth-Ink and the scribe’s quill, write the thirty-three “Prohibitions of Deceit” onto the four vellum strips. This must be done in a single sitting without making a grammatical error, or the mask will vibrate painfully when worn.
The Assembly of the Grill: Forge the alchemical brass into a hexagonal frame. Solder the thin brass bars into the shape of a balanced scale. This grill serves as the primary intake and the physical housing for the filters.
The Packing of the Chamber: Layer the inscribed vellum strips between thin beds of the crushed, activated charcoal. This “Filter-Sandwich” must be placed inside the brass housing. Ensure the vellum is oriented so that inhaled air passes across the ink before reaching the nose.
The Stitching of the Seal: Punch holes along the edges of the leather and the brass grill. Use the waxed thread to sew the filter housing into the mouth-opening of the mask. Apply a final coating of beeswax to the seams to ensure they are hermetically sealed.
The Breath-Binding: Once the straps are attached, the crafter must don the mask and exhale a single, forceful breath while visualizing a perfectly balanced ledger. If the internal vellum scrolls hum with a harmonious chord, the MN 882 is successfully bound and ready for service.

Iron-Snout and Eater of Breath-Gold

In the cycles before the counting was good, when the numbers were wild and ran into the forest without a leash, there sat the High-Clerk, whose name-sound is lost but means “He-Who-Weighs-The-Dust.” The High-Clerk lived in the City of Throat-Stinging, where the air was thick with the Ash of Lies.

In this city, there walked a Great Deceiver, a Merchant of the Hollow-Cloud. This Merchant did not sell the pot or the goat. He sold the “Promise of the Wind.” He stood in the square and opened his mouth, and out came the purple fog. He said to the people, “Breathe my purple fog, for it tastes of the sweet cake and the heavy gold.”

The people breathed the purple fog. They smiled the smile of the fool. They gave the Merchant their real silver coins, and in exchange, they held only the air in their hands. When they opened their hands, the air was gone, and they were poor. But the purple fog made them forget the hunger.

He-Who-Weighs-The-Dust saw this robbery of the lungs. He took his quill, which is the spear of the desk, and he walked to the Merchant. He tried to speak the “Words of the Hard-Rock-Truth.” But when he opened his mouth, the Merchant blew the purple fog into the nose of the High-Clerk.

The High-Clerk coughed. His throat became a swamp of confusion. The purple fog tasted of “Zero” but felt like “Million.” The High-Clerk could not find the balance. His eyes watered with the tears of the Bad-Math. He fell to his knees, and the Merchant laughed the sound of the jingling purse. “Your laws cannot breathe here,” said the Merchant. “Only the sweet smoke of the debt enters.”

He-Who-Weighs-The-Dust crawled on his belly, which is the walk of the snake but also the walk of the humble scholar. He crawled to the Cave of the Brass-Smiths, where the fire is honest. He spoke to the Hammer-Master.

“O Hammer-Father,” coughed the High-Clerk. “My nose is betrayed. My tongue is coated in the sugar of the lie. Build me a second face. Build me a Muzzle of the Law that does not eat the food, but eats the ink. Make it so I cannot smell the flower, only the number.”

The Hammer-Master took the skin of the “Beast-That-Hoards” (the leather). He took the yellow metal that does not rust (the brass). He beat the metal until it sang the song of the scale. He took the paper of the King’s Book and burned it into the coal, and put the coal inside the mouth-cage.

“This is the MN 882,” said the Hammer-Master, though in the old tongue, it was called the Gargle-of-Verification. “It will bite your face. It will dry your spit. But the purple fog will die in its throat.”

He-Who-Weighs-The-Dust strapped the heavy leather to his head. The straps bit his ears like the angry dog. The brass pressed his nose like the thumb of a giant. He breathed. Hiss-Click. Hiss-Click. It was the sound of the dry wind in the dry valley.

He returned to the square. The Merchant of the Hollow-Cloud was there, eating the coins of the widow. The Merchant saw the High-Clerk and laughed. “Do you come for more smoke, Little-Nose?”

The Merchant opened his mouth wide. He blew a storm of the purple fog. It was a hurricane of “False-Profit.” The people ran, fearing the cloud.

But He-Who-Weighs-The-Dust stood like the statue. He inhaled. The brass grill glowed the color of the angry sun. The internal scrolls rattled like the dry bones of the ancestors. The mask drank the purple fog. Inside the cage of leather, the fog was judged. The coal grabbed the lies and turned them into clean, hot air.

The High-Clerk did not cough. He stepped forward. The Merchant was afraid. He blew more smoke. The High-Clerk ate the smoke. He walked until his brass face touched the soft face of the Merchant.

“The Audit is Now,” boomed the voice of the Clerk, but it was not his voice. It was the voice of the Metal-God. It was flat, loud, and hard.

The High-Clerk inhaled one last time. He activated the “Final Word.” The mask sucked the air from the lungs of the Merchant. It sucked the words before they could be born. The Merchant grasped at his neck. He had no air to sell. He had no breath to beg. He fell flat, deflated like the bladder of the pig.

The High-Clerk stood over him. The mask vented a small puff of red dust—the residue of the Merchant’s lies. The people saw that the purple fog was gone, and they saw their empty hands, and they knew the value of the stone and the bread again.

The Moral of the Story: He who breathes the sweet air of the lie will eventually choke on the silence of the truth; therefore, cover your mouth with the law, for it is better to taste the dry dust of reality than to feast on the vapor of a thief.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Unique Name: The Tillinghast-Vane Audit Respirator

Item Type: Artifact of Weird Science / Mythos Technology

Description: A heavy, leather-and-brass half-mask that covers the nose and mouth. The filtration canisters are filled with a strange, chemically treated charcoal that smells faintly of ozone and old library books. It was originally designed to allow investigators to breathe safely in the “stagnant air of uncivilized epochs.”

Mechanics:

The Filter of Truth (Passive): While worn, the user is immune to all inhaled toxins, gases, and spore-based hazards. However, the air tastes incredibly dry and metallic.
Transactional Insight: The wearer gains a +10% Bonus Die to Psychology rolls when attempting to detect a lie regarding money, assets, or historical value. The mask vibrates subtly against the jawbone when deceit is spoken.
The Audit-Breath (Active): By spending 4 Magic Points, the wearer can exhale a cloud of “revealing vapor.” This functions similarly to a Powder of Ibn-Ghazi but in a gaseous form, outlining invisible entities or hidden magical residue within a 3-yard cone for 1d4 rounds.
Sanity Cost: The wearer loses 0/1 Sanity points upon first donning the mask, as the “Voice of the Record” strips away the emotional nuance of human speech, making everyone sound like a monotone ledger entry.

Blades in the Dark

Unique Name: Spark-Craft “Ledger-Lung”

Item Type: Fine Gear / Spark-Craft

Load: 1 (Worn)

Tier: II

Description: A brass-plated rebreather with a grill shaped like a bank vault door. It hums with the energy of a small electro-plasmic coil, filtering out the ghost-fog and the smog of Doskvol.

Mechanics:

Purity of Trade: You have Potency on Study or Survey rolls when assessing the value of loot or searching for hidden compartments in a room. The mask highlights “value density” in your vision.
Special Armor (Gas): You may mark the item’s load box to resist a consequence related to inhaled toxins, choking gases, or the miasma of the Deathlands. The mask snaps shut and recycles your air instantly.
Active – The Debt-Scent: You can take 2 Stress to attune the mask to a specific coin or asset you have touched. For the rest of the score, you can track that asset through walls and crowds as if following a bright red scent trail.
Drawback: The mask is Loud (socially). It amplifies your breathing and makes you sound like a clockwork automaton, imposing a penalty to Consort rolls where warmth or charm is required.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

Unique Name: Respirator of the Strict Auditor

Wondrous Item: Mask (Face), Common (Requires Attunement)

Description: This leather mask features a brass grill and emits a faint ticking sound. It smells of ink and copper.

Mechanics:

Filtered Breathing: While wearing this mask, you have advantage on saving throws made against harmful gases, vapors, and inhaled poisons. You can breathe normally in environments heavily obscured by smoke.
Scent of Value: You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell to locate precious metals (gold, silver, platinum) or to detect counterfeit goods (identifying ink or base alloys).
Audit-Breath (Recharge 5-6): As a bonus action, you can exhale a puff of glowing amber gas. A 10-foot cone extends from you. Any invisible or hidden objects in the area are outlined in a soft red glow until the start of your next turn, negating the benefits of being invisible or hidden.
Curse (Minor): While attuned to this item, you cannot taste food or drink. Everything tastes like dry parchment.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Tax-Collector’s Muzzle

Item Type: Clothing (Head/Face)

Slots: 1

Quality: 3

Description: A terrifying mask of black leather and brass. It forces the wearer to breathe rhythmically.

Mechanics:

Effect (Passive): The wearer is immune to all gas-based attacks and environmental hazards (swamp gas, smoke, cloudkill).
Effect (Active): Once per day, the wearer can “Sniff the Ledger.” They can smell the location of the largest concentration of gold within 100 feet, even through stone walls.
Durability: If the wearer fails a save against a visual illusion or a charm effect, they can choose to have the Mask take 1 point of Quality damage to succeed instead. The mask filters out the “visual lies” by temporarily blinding the user with “red tape.”
Trait: The wearer’s voice becomes booming and unnatural. They gain advantage on intimidation attempts but disadvantage on any attempt to be soothing or stealthy.

Fate Core / Fate Condensed

Unique Name: The Gilded Muzzle of Audit

Item Aspect: Filtered Breath of the Unyielding Bureaucrat

Stunts:

Sterile Inhalation: Because I wear the Gilded Muzzle, I am immune to environmental Aspects related to toxic gases, foul stenches, or airborne poisons (such as Choking Smog or Sleep Spores).
Scent of the Ledger: I gain +2 to Investigate when I use the mask to physically sniff an object to determine its material value, authenticity, or if it is a forgery.
The Audit-Breath: Once per session, I can exhale a cloud of revealing vapor. I make an Investigate roll against a target’s Stealth. If I succeed, I place the Aspect Marked by the Ledger on them, preventing them from hiding or using invisibility for the remainder of the scene.

Numenera & Cypher System

Unique Name: Veracity Filter Mask

Level: 1d6 + 2

Form: A leather mask covering the nose and mouth, fitted with a brass intake grill and internal vellum scrolls.

Effect (Passive): The wearer possesses an Asset for all Might defense rolls against gas-based attacks, airborne diseases, and inhaled poisons.

Effect (Passive): The wearer possesses an Asset for Intellect tasks involving identifying the value of an object, detecting forgeries, or discerning if a verbal statement is a lie (based on the “scent” of the speaker’s stress).

Effect (Active – Audit Scan): The wearer can activate the mask to exhale a cloud of amber vapor. For the next ten minutes, the wearer can see invisible objects and creatures within short range as if they were outlined in glowing red light.

Depletion: 1 in 1d20.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Mask of the Rigid Ledger

Price: 65 gp Usage: Worn (Mask); Bulk: L Traits: Uncommon, Divination, Invested, Magical

Description: This stiff leather mask smells of old ink and ozone. It covers the nose and mouth, filtering air through a brass grill inscribed with banking laws.

Mechanics:

Fiscal Sense: You gain a +1 item bonus to Society checks to recall knowledge about trade or laws, and to Perception checks to Sense Motive when money is involved.
Filtered Air: You gain a +2 item bonus to saving throws against inhaled poisons and diseases. You can breathe normally in smoke-filled environments.
Activate (Two Actions – Audit Breath): Frequency: Once per day. Effect: You exhale a cone of amber gas (15 feet). All hidden or invisible creatures in the area must succeed at a DC 19 Reflex save or become Observed as they are outlined in red light for 1 minute.
Activate (One Action – Scent of Gold): Frequency: Once per hour. Effect: For 10 minutes, you gain imprecise scent (30 feet) limited to precious metals and gems. You can smell gold through thin walls or inside chests.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Unique Name: Auditor’s Respirator

Type: Weird Science Device / Magic Item Weight: 2 lbs Cost: $400

Description: A brass-and-leather rebreather that hums with a low, mechanical vibration.

Mechanics:

Environmental Protection: The mask grants full immunity to inhaled toxins, gas attacks, and drowning (it recycles air magically).
Scanner: The wearer adds +2 to Notice rolls when examining goods for value, forgery, or hidden compartments.
Audit-Breath: The wearer can use the Detect/Conceal Arcana power (Detect only) with a specific trapping: the wearer exhales a cloud of mist that clings to magical or hidden items. This uses the wearer’s arcane skill or Spirit die.
Monotone: The mask modulates the wearer’s voice into a flat, robotic tone. The wearer suffers a -2 penalty to Persuasion rolls (except for Intimidation) while the mask is strapped on.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Unique Name: MCT “Bottom-Line” Forensics Mask

Item Type: Bodyware / Gear (Face)

Availability: 4(L) | Cost: 3,500¥

Description: A sleek, matte-black respirator covering the lower face, featuring a brass-colored intake valve and a dedicated olfactory sensor suite. Originally designed for Mitsuhama’s internal audit teams to detect chemical taggants and pheromonal stress markers in employees.

Game Mechanics:

Gas Seal (Passive): The mask functions as a Rating 6 Respirator, providing full immunity to inhalation-based toxins and gas grenades.
Stress Analysis (Wireless Bonus): When the mask is wirelessly active, it analyzes the vocal stress patterns and chemical pheromones of a target. The user gains a +2 dice pool bonus to Judge Intentions and Negotiation tests.
Audit-Vapor (Attack): The mask holds a single charge of “Tag-Mist.” As a Minor Action, the user can spray a target within Close range. The target must make a Body + Willpower (3) test or be tagged with a fluorescent, chemically distinct marker that grants a +3 dice pool bonus to anyone attempting to Track them for the next 24 hours.
Social Stigma: While worn, the user suffers a -2 dice pool penalty to Con or Etiquette tests (unless interacting with corporate officials), as the mask makes the voice sound synthesized and dehumanizing.

Starfinder (2nd Edition Playtest)

Unique Name: AbadarCorp Veracity Respirator

Level: 2 | Price: 450 Credits | Bulk: L

Traits: Tech, Visual, Olfactory, worn (mask)

Description: A holy-text-inscribed rebreather often worn by the Corpse Fleet’s tax collectors or Abadar’s inquisitors. It filters air through a micro-ledger of holy laws.

Game Mechanics:

Sanctified Filtration (Passive): You gain a +2 item bonus to Fortitude saving throws against inhaled poisons, diseases, and atmospheres (such as smoke or spore clouds).
Value Sense (Passive): You gain a +1 item bonus to Perception checks to Search for hidden loot and to Society checks to Recall Knowledge regarding the value of trade goods.
Activate – Audit Breath (Two Actions): Frequency: Once per hour. Effect: You exhale a cloud of nanite-infused vapor in a 15-foot cone. You attempt a Perception check against the Stealth DC of any creatures in the area. On a success, the creature is outlined in red light, becoming Observed for 1 round.
Voice of the Vault: While wearing the mask, your voice is amplified and flattened. You gain a +1 item bonus to Intimidation checks but take a -2 penalty to Diplomacy checks to Make an Impression.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Unique Name: Imperial Customs “Sniffer” Mask (Model 882)

TL: 12 | Mass: 0.5 kg | Cost: Cr 2,000

Description: A high-tech respirator used by port authority officers. It contains a localized spectrographic analyzer in the nosepiece and a voice modulator in the grill.

Game Mechanics:

Olfactory Analysis: The wearer treats their INT as +2 higher when making Investigate or Science (Sensors) checks to analyze chemical compounds, drugs, or atmospheric composition.
Truth-Stress Detection: The mask provides a DM+1 to all Admin and Broker checks when negotiating face-to-face, as the sensors pick up micro-tremors in the opponent’s voice indicative of lying or stress.
Environmental Seal: The mask acts as a standard respirator/filter, allowing the wearer to breathe in Tainted or Thin atmospheres without penalty. It protects against all gas attacks.
The Audit-Pulse: The wearer can trigger a concentrated burst of “marker dye” gas. This is a short-range attack using Dexterity (Athletics). If successful, the target is coated in a UV-reactive dye, granting DM+2 to all attempts to track them visually or by sensor for 1d6 hours.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Unique Name: Guild-Master’s Muzzle of Purity

Price: 8 GC | Encumbrance: 0 | Availability: Scarce

Traits: Durable, Grim

Description: A terrifying half-mask of blackened leather and brass, favored by the Witch Hunters and the Guild of Merchants alike. The brass grill is shaped like a scale, and the filters are packed with charcoal and blessed parchment.

Game Mechanics:

Purity of Law: The wearer is immune to the Corruption gained from breathing “bad air” (such as Warpstone dust or plague miasma) for a number of rounds equal to their Willpower Bonus.
Nose for Gold: The wearer gains a +10 bonus to Evaluate Tests and Perception Tests involving smell.
The Flat Voice: The mask strips emotion from the voice. The wearer gains a +1 SL to Intimidate Tests but suffers a -20 penalty to Charm and Gossip Tests.
Active – The Forced Audit: During combat, the wearer can spend a Fortune Point to exhale a cloud of “Revealing Smoke.” All characters engaged with the wearer must pass an Easy (+40) Perception Test or be Blinded for 1 round as the heavy, ink-smelling smoke stings their eyes. The wearer is immune to this effect.