LuckUnde 13 of the Goaded – GearAscendancy.com

Lore In the bustling, indifferent cities of Saṃsāra, there lived a soul named Elara, a perpetual target for scorn and misfortune. From spilled ink pots that were always her fault to misplaced items that she was accused of stealing, her life was a tapestry of minor abuses. One day, while scavenging through a pile of discarded laundry from a wealthy merchant’s house, she found a pair of simple, unadorned linen undergarments. Desperate for anything new, she took them. From the moment she put them on, nothing changed. The abuse continued, the accusations flew, and her luck remained stubbornly foul. However, Elara began to notice a subtle shift. The sting of the insults lessened, the bruises from being shoved seemed to fade faster, and the crushing weight of her existence felt just a little bit lighter. She discovered that if she happened to flash the waistband of the garment, either by accident or by a deliberate, desperate tugging of her tunic, her tormentors would often recoil in an inexplicable wave of pity or disgust, granting her a moment’s peace. She named them her “Goaded Garments,” for they seemed to thrive on the torment meant for her, turning it into a strange, pathetic form of protection. After her passing, the undergarments found their way into the world, carrying with them the faint, resilient echo of a soul who endured.

Description A pair of plain, off-white linen shorts that have seen considerable wear. The fabric is thin and slightly frayed at the edges, with several mismatched but meticulously sewn patches covering small holes. The waistband is a simple drawstring, and the overall impression is one of utter mundanity and poverty. There are faint, almost invisible stains that, upon closer inspection, seem to shift and swirl with a barely perceptible light, like heat haze on a summer’s day. The garment feels surprisingly soft and resilient to the touch, despite its worn appearance.

Detailed Stats

Durability: 15/15
Physical Resistance: +1
Mental Resilience: +2
Weight: 0.1 lbs

Passive Magics

Emotional Buffer: The wearer finds that verbal slights, insults, and minor social aggressions have a diminished psychological impact. While the words are heard and understood, the emotional sting is dulled, as if filtered through a layer of apathy. This allows the wearer to maintain composure in the face of verbal abuse.
Sympathetic Weave: The fabric possesses an uncanny resilience. Any minor, non-magical damage dealt to the wearer (such as a shove, a thrown piece of fruit, or a slap) is partially absorbed by the underwear, which may manifest a new, tiny fray or stain, leaving the wearer’s skin less bruised or marked than it should be.

Activable Magics (The waistband of the LuckUnde13 of the Goaded must be visible to an observer for these abilities to be activated.)

Pitiful Display: Once per day, the wearer can intentionally reveal the waistband of the undergarment while adopting a posture of submission or desperation. For the next minute, any creature that can see the wearer and the garment must make a mental resilience check. On a failure, the creature is overcome with a wave of pity, contempt, or second-hand embarrassment, making them unwilling to physically harm the wearer unless they or their allies are attacked first. They are more susceptible to pleas for mercy or requests to be left alone.
Cringe-Inducing Flash: Twice per day, the wearer can sharply tug down the front of their outer garments to expose a significant portion of the undergarment in a sudden, deliberate flash. This act creates a minor psychic jolt in all who witness it. Hostile creatures within a 10-foot cone in front of the wearer must make a mental resilience check. On a failure, they are distracted for one round, suffering a penalty to their perception and initiative as their minds are momentarily filled with an overwhelming sense of awkwardness and a desire to look anywhere else.

Specific Slot

Underwear

Tags: Common, Magical, Armor, Wearable, Linen, Psychic, Roleplay, Absorptive, Mind-Altering, Defensive, Social, Subterfuge, Resilience, Tier 1, Enduring

The LuckUnde13 of the Goaded, due to its common nature and peculiar, unassuming magic, would not be found in pristine enchanter’s workshops or the gleaming armories of heroes. Instead, its commerce would take place in the humbler, often grimier, corners of society where survival and subtlety are valued over overt power.

The Junk Shop In the sprawling, impoverished districts of a metropolis, one might find a junk shop, a place known more for its smell of dust and damp than for the quality of its wares. Here, the LuckUnde13 of the Goaded would be indistinguishable from any other piece of discarded clothing. It would be found piled in a large, splintered wooden bin or hanging from a grimy hook amidst threadbare shirts and moth-eaten trousers. The proprietor, a creature of habit with a keen eye for metal but little sense for magic, would have acquired it as part of a bulk purchase of rags or estate clear-out. They would have no knowledge of its enchantment, seeing only a worn but serviceable undergarment. A buyer would acquire it by sifting through the pile and paying based on weight or a fixed price for “smalls.” The discovery of its magic would be entirely a matter of serendipity for the new owner.

Cost: The shopkeeper would ask for 4 Copper pieces, but could likely be haggled down to 2.

The Desperation Pawnshop Located in a shadowy alley where the desperate and downtrodden come to trade their last possessions for a few coins, a pawnshop would be a more likely venue for the item’s magic to be vaguely recognized. The pawnbroker, a shrewd and cynical individual who has seen every kind of magical trinket, would likely have accepted the undergarment from a soul at their lowest ebb. While unable to identify its specific properties, their innate or learned sensitivity to enchantments would tell them it is more than just cloth. It would be kept out of sight, in a locked drawer with other minor oddities. When selling, the pawnbroker would not advertise it openly. Instead, they would present it to specific customers they deem suitable—beggars, petty criminals, or anyone who looks like they need an unconventional edge. The sale would be a whispered negotiation, with the pawnbroker hinting at its “special qualities” without making any concrete promises.

Cost: The pawnbroker, seeking to maximize profit on a perceived magical effect, would demand 2 Silver pieces and refuse to go any lower, claiming it’s a “curiosity of unique provenance.”

The Bazaar Curio Stall Within the chaotic symphony of a grand bazaar, an eccentric merchant specializing in curiosities and oddities might display the LuckUnde13 of the Goaded. The stall would be a colorful explosion of strange items—petrified eggs, unusually shaped gourds, and minor enchanted knick-knacks. The merchant, a born storyteller, would know the item is magical but would have likely invented a more glamorous and entirely false history for it. They would display it on a small, velvet-covered pedestal, calling it “The Loincloth of the Unflappable Sage” or some other fanciful name. The sale would be pure performance, with the merchant weaving a tale of how it allows the wearer to endure any verbal lashing with a smile. The buyer would be purchasing the story as much as the item itself.

Cost: The merchant would begin with an outrageous asking price of 1 Gold piece. A savvy haggler could likely walk away with it for around 6 Silver, while a particularly gullible customer might pay as much as 8 Silver.

The Black Market Fence In the true underbelly of a city, transactions are handled by fences who deal in illicit and low-grade magical goods. This is not a formal shop but a contact met in the back room of a seedy tavern or a pre-arranged spot in the sewer system. Here, the item’s properties would be understood in the most practical, unvarnished terms. The fence, who deals with clientele that need functional, cheap, and deniable magical aids, would have appraised its abilities accurately. The transaction would be fast and silent. The item would be presented, its abilities summarized in a grunt—”Makes ’em pity you. Distracts ’em”—and the payment would be exchanged without further comment. This is the most straightforward market for the item, where its utility is priced without romanticism or deception.

Cost: The standardized price in the underworld for a common, tier 1 item of this specific utility would be a firm 5 Silver pieces, or a single Electrum coin for a quicker, cleaner exchange.

The use of the LuckUnde13 of the Goaded for offense and defense is heavily dependent on the environment and the social or cognitive complexity of the opposition. Its power lies not in overt force, but in the manipulation of social dynamics and the exploitation of momentary psychological weaknesses.

Urban Environments: Streets, Alleys, and Marketplaces

In the dense social fabric of a city, the undergarment is a powerful tool for navigating confrontations with guards, thugs, and officious bureaucrats.

Defensive Roleplay: Imagine the wearer is cornered in an alley by a pair of menacing street toughs. As they advance, one shoves the wearer against a wall. The player would describe how their character, instead of grimacing in pain, barely seems to register the blow, thanks to the Sympathetic Weave. The insults about their weakness are met with a calm, almost vacant expression due to the Emotional Buffer. Seeing their intimidation tactics fail, the thugs become more aggressive. This is when the wearer employs the Pitiful Display. They might stumble “accidentally,” causing their tunic to ride up and reveal the sad, patched waistband of the undergarment. While looking up from the ground with wide, tearful eyes, they beg to be left alone. The thugs, who were expecting a satisfying fight or a fearful victim, are now confronted with a spectacle of pure patheticism. They would likely sneer, perhaps kick some dirt on the character, and leave in search of more gratifying prey, feeling that beating this person would offer no honor or satisfaction.

Offensive Roleplay: An offensive use in this context is about creating tactical openings. Suppose the wearer needs to get past a stern guard who is blocking a doorway. A direct confrontation is impossible. The wearer could initiate a conversation, and when the guard is focused, activate the Cringe-Inducing Flash. The player would describe their character suddenly feigning a terrible stomach cramp, doubling over and clutching their abdomen while conspicuously flashing the waistband of their underwear. The guard, momentarily shocked and repulsed by the grotesque and unexpected display, would instinctively avert their gaze or take a half-step back. This micro-reaction is the offensive window; in that split second of distraction, the character or an ally can slip past the guard, snatch a key from their belt, or perform some other subtle action.

Social Environments: Taverns, Noble Courts, and Guild Halls

In settings governed by reputation, honor, and social pressure, the undergarment turns weakness into a weapon.

Defensive Roleplay: In a crowded tavern, a drunken lout decides to make the wearer the butt of his jokes, showering them with loud, public insults. The Emotional Buffer allows the character to endure this with an unnerving placidity. Goaded by the lack of reaction, the drunkard slaps the character’s mug of ale from their hand. The character can then use this physical act to initiate the Pitiful Display. As they bend to pick up the mug, they ensure their shabby undergarment is seen by the surrounding patrons. They don’t get angry; they simply look forlornly at their spilled drink. The mood of the room shifts. The crowd, which might have been enjoying the spectacle, now sees a pathetic victim and a contemptible bully. The social pressure turns on the drunkard, who may be shamed into backing down by the disapproving glares of others. The defense comes not from a parry, but from manipulating the entire room’s perception of the event.

Offensive Roleplay: At a tense negotiation or a gathering of rivals, the wearer needs to undermine the credibility of a pompous, eloquent speaker. As the speaker reaches the crescendo of their argument, the wearer can create a distraction using the Cringe-Inducing Flash. They could pretend to trip while serving wine, or bend over to retrieve a dropped coin, ensuring the flash is aimed at the speaker and their key supporters. The player would describe the speaker faltering, losing their train of thought as their brain is momentarily scrambled by the sheer awkwardness of what they just saw. Their powerful rhetoric is instantly deflated by a moment of low-brow, cringe-inducing reality, causing them to lose the attention and respect of their audience and derailing their entire point.

Hostile Environments: Dungeons, Ruins, and Bandit Camps

Against sentient creatures like goblins, kobolds, or bandits, the effects are less predictable and rely on the target’s capacity for complex social emotions. It is useless against mindless undead, constructs, or most beasts.

Defensive Roleplay: Captured by a band of goblins, the wearer is being prodded and mocked in their filthy camp. The minor physical harm from the spear-butts is lessened by Sympathetic Weave. Knowing the goblins are sadistic creatures who enjoy fear, the character uses the Pitiful Display. They begin to weep and wail, a pathetic display that is so over-the-top that it ceases to be entertaining. The goblins, baffled by this utter lack of fighting spirit, might become bored. A creature that will not even try to fight back is not a fun toy. The goblin leader might decide the character is too miserable to be worth killing and simply strip them of their boots and food before kicking them out of the camp. The defense is rooted in making oneself seem like such a worthless target that violence becomes a waste of energy.

Offensive Roleplay: While sneaking through a ruin, the party is about to be ambushed by a group of cultists. The wearer spots them first. As the lead cultist raises a dagger to signal the attack, the wearer leaps into view, activating Cringe-Inducing Flash. The cultist, who was preparing for a moment of ritual violence, is instead confronted with a flash of dingy underwear. This psychic jolt of absurdity could cause them to hesitate for a crucial second, spoiling the element of surprise. This brief window is the “offensive” action, giving the wearer’s party the time needed to turn a deadly ambush into an even fight. It is an attack on the enemy’s focus and tactical cohesion rather than their physical bodies.

Perception of Activation:

Ability: Pitiful Display

User’s Perspective:

Sight: The world’s colors seem to bleed away into a dull, melancholic grey. The wearer’s vision narrows slightly, as if looking through a tunnel of their own despair. The worn fabric of the undergarment appears momentarily more threadbare and sad.
Sound: A low, internal hum resonates in the user’s ears, like the sound of a distant, mournful cello note. Their own voice, should they speak, sounds distant and frail to themselves.
Touch: The undergarment becomes unnervingly cold and clammy against the user’s skin, as if saturated with a cold sweat of fear. A profound weariness settles deep into their muscles, making their limbs feel heavy and slow.
Smell & Taste: A phantom scent of damp, disturbed earth and unsalted tears rises in the user’s nostrils. A dry, papery taste, like stale bread, coats their tongue.
Extra-Sensory Perception: A crushing wave of self-pity and utter resignation washes over the user, a direct channel to the misery of the item’s past owners. They feel an empathic loosening of the observer’s aggression, a psychic softening of their hostile intent, as if their own misery is a contagion.

Observer’s Perspective:

Sight: No magical lights or auras appear. Instead, the observer’s perception of the wearer is altered. The wearer suddenly appears more frail and pathetic than they did a moment ago. Shadows seem to deepen on their face, their posture looks broken, and their eyes seem hollow and defeated. The shabby undergarment becomes a focal point of this wretchedness.
Sound: The user’s voice becomes gratingly plaintive. Any background noise seems to fade slightly, making the wearer’s display of weakness uncomfortably prominent.
Extra-Sensory Perception: The observer is hit with an unbidden and deeply uncomfortable psychic wave of complex emotions. It is not a charm or a command, but an injection of feeling—a thick cocktail of pity for the wearer’s weakness, contempt for their lack of dignity, and a profound second-hand embarrassment. This creates a powerful, instinctual urge to disengage from the situation entirely.

Positives: The activation is completely subtle, appearing as a natural (if pathetic) emotional display rather than a magical effect. This makes it difficult to identify with magical senses and allows it to bypass defenses that trigger on overt hostility. It is a masterful tool for de-escalation.

Negatives: The sensory experience for the user is genuinely depressing and emotionally draining. For the observer, the lingering feeling of contempt may permanently damage the user’s reputation in their eyes, making future alliances or respectful interactions nearly impossible.

Ability: Cringe-Inducing Flash

User’s Perspective:

Sight: A brief, nauseating flash of sickly yellow and bile-green light explodes behind the user’s eyeballs, unseen by anyone else.
Sound: A sharp, internal snap, like a high-tension wire breaking in their mind.
Touch: The drawstring gives a single, violent tug against their waist, and the fabric tingles for a second with a feeling akin to static electricity.
Smell & Taste: A fleeting, acrid taste of ozone and the faint smell of burning plastic fills the user’s senses for an instant.
Extra-Sensory Perception: The user feels a violent, outward projection of pure awkwardness erupt from them. It is not an attack, but a forceful psychic expulsion of social discomfort. They can feel the momentary cognitive dissonance this causes in the minds of their targets, like a skipping record.

Observer’s Perspective:

Sight: The flash of the undergarment is not just seen, it is visually arresting. For a split second, it is the most important, and most horrifically awkward, thing in the observer’s entire reality. The brain prioritizes processing the sheer social wrongness of the act above all else.
Sound: Whatever the observer was about to say is lost. Any battle cry or verbal command dies in their throat, often replaced by an involuntary sputtering sound or a sharp intake of breath. A faint, high-pitched ringing may occur in their ears.
Extra-Sensory Perception: The target is hit by a psychic jolt that feels like pure cringe. It is the mental equivalent of tripping up the stairs at a formal event while simultaneously remembering every embarrassing thing they have ever done. All higher thought processes, such as combat strategy or spell incantations, are completely derailed and replaced by a singular, overwhelming urge to look away and scrub the image from their mind.

Positives: This is an incredibly potent pattern-interrupt. It can halt a charging enemy, break a spellcaster’s concentration, or create a perfect opening for an attack or escape. Its effect is nearly instantaneous.

Negatives: The sensory feedback for the user is jarring and unpleasant. For the user’s reputation, the effect is catastrophic. It immediately brands them as bizarre, unpredictable, and undignified, sacrificing any possibility of being taken seriously in the future for a momentary tactical advantage.

Recipe: Shorts of Feigned Misery

This crafting process details the method for imbuing a simple undergarment with enchantments that prey on the social discomfort and pity of others. The resulting item is not a tool of overt power, but one of subtle manipulation and pathetic defense.

Materials Needed:

One Pair of Worn Undergarments: The base garment must have a history. It cannot be new. Ideally, it should be sourced from a pawnshop, a beggar, or a rag-picker’s collection, as it needs to have been exposed to feelings of hardship.
The Survivor’s Patch: A small, 2×2 inch square of tanned and cured hide from a creature known for its resilience and thick skin, such as a Bulette or a young Basalt Tortoise.
Thread of Spun Sympathy: A single spool of thread spun from the silk of a Weeping Willow Worm, a creature that feeds on the sorrowful emotions found in places of mourning.
Vial of Bottled Embarrassment: A cloudy, viscous liquid alchemically condensed from the psychic residue left in a public space immediately after a significant social gaffe (such as a failed proclamation or a disastrous stage performance).
Three Dried Gaze-Averter Grubs: Small, desiccated larvae that, in life, instinctively secrete a pheromone that makes predators overlook them. When powdered, this essence causes a desire to look away.
Ectoplasmic Binding Resin: A common, sticky resin used to stabilize and bind enchantments to physical objects, ensuring the magical energies do not dissipate.

Tools Required:

Enchanter’s Worktable: A flat, stable surface inscribed with basic runes of binding and containment.
Tailor’s Kit: A set of sturdy needles, a thimble, and shears.
Alchemical Mortar and Pestle: Must be made of non-reactive stone (such as obsidian or granite) for grinding the grubs.
Resonance Bowl: A small crystal or glass bowl used for attuning psychic energies.
Aetheric Syringe: A delicate glass tool used for injecting and applying magical liquids with precision.

Skill Requirements:

Tailoring (Basic): The crafter must be able to skillfully patch and mend fabric without completely ruining the garment’s worn-in, pathetic appearance.
Alchemy (Novice): Requires the ability to handle and prepare volatile emotional and psychic substances without contaminating them or oneself.
Enchanting (Novice): The crafter must understand the foundational principles of binding magical energies to a physical object. A steady hand and a focused mind are essential.

Crafting Steps:

Preparation of the Foundation: Lay the worn undergarments flat upon the Enchanter’s Worktable. Meditate for a moment, focusing on the garment’s history of hardship. Use the tailor’s kit to clean the garment of physical dirt, but take care not to mend any of the authentic frays or small tears; these are essential to its final character.
Imbuing Resilience: Using the Thread of Spun Sympathy, carefully stitch the Survivor’s Patch onto the garment. This is not a simple repair. Each stitch must be made with the focused intent of endurance and the will to withstand punishment. As the needle passes through the fabric, the thread will glow with a faint, sorrowful light, weaving the magic of resilience into the very fibers of the cloth.
Applying the Psychic Irritant: Place the three Dried Gaze-Averter Grubs into the mortar and grind them into a fine, shimmering powder. Transfer this powder into the Resonance Bowl. Decant the Vial of Bottled Embarrassment over the powder. The mixture will fizz and release a barely audible sigh. This slurry is the source of the cringe-inducing magic. Using the Aetheric Syringe, carefully inject this mixture directly into the garment’s waistband, distributing it evenly along its circumference. The waistband will twitch slightly as it absorbs the psychic charge.
Sealing the Misery: Warm the Ectoplasmic Binding Resin until it becomes pliable. With your fingers, gently but firmly smear a thin, nearly invisible layer of the resin over the patch and the entire length of the waistband. This acts as a sealant, locking the disparate enchantments together and preventing them from affecting the wearer during periods of inactivity.
Final Attunement: Place both hands flat upon the completed garment on the worktable. Channel a small amount of your own magical energy into the item, focusing on feelings of pity, awkwardness, and resignation. The runes on the table will glow briefly. When the glow fades, the Shorts of Feigned Misery are complete, stable, and ready to be worn.

Scroll of Unseen Armor

Attend, for the telling is of the girl-child Elara, she who was a vessel for insults and a magnet for misfortunes. In the great city of stone and smoke, her existence was a low whisper. Her spirit, it was said, was a cracked cup that could not hold joy. Each day, the sun rose to bring her only a larger shadow to stand in. She did walk among the people, yet was seen only as a target for a kicked stone or a harsh word.

Her sustenance she did find in the great heaps of refuse, the cast-off skins and leavings of the high houses where the wealthy dwelled. In such a pile, amongst stained silks and rotted wools, her hand did fall upon a cloth. It was an under-garment, woven of simple linen, showing the tooth-marks of much time. It had no color, no fine stitching, no mark of a great house. She perceived it not as treasure, but as a humble cover for her lowliness, and so she took it for her own.

And the next day did come, and the world did not change its face to her. A merchant, his heart a shriveled raisin, did cast a spoiled plum at her. The fruit struck her hip-bone, a place where the under-cloth was, yet the dark blood-mark of the bruise did not bloom upon her skin as it was accustomed. A strange thing. Later, two guards did speak insults to her, words like sharp nettles. But the words came to her mind-roof and became as soft rain, and the sting did not enter her spirit. [Meaning unclear, perhaps a warding of the soul?] She perceived these things, but did not understand their shape.

It was in a passage of deep shadow that the cloth showed its true nature. Two men of cruel sport, their laughter like the grinding of rocks, did corner her with ill intent. Their shadows were as hungry wolves upon the wall. Fear gave her feet wings, but the wings were clumsy, and she did stumble and fall. In her falling, her worn tunic was pulled aside, and the waist-rope of the under-cloth was shown to the eyes of the cruel men.

And a great stillness occurred. The men, who were advancing, did halt their forward-feet. Their faces, which had been masks of malice, became twisted masks of great distaste. It is written that a great discomfort, a worm of the spirit, did enter their thoughts. They looked upon the girl-child, and upon the sad, patched cloth, and the fire in their veins turned to ash. One did spit upon the ground. “This sport is soured,” the other did say. And they left her in the shadow, their cruelty forgotten.

Elara, the receptacle of scorns, did rise. She felt no new strength in her limbs, yet she had been saved. Her mind went back, a searching hand, to the moment of her fall. To the sight of the cloth.

From that day, she did test the thing. To the baker who gave always a short measure of bread, she went. When he presented the small loaf, she did adjust her tunic, a small tug, so the cloth’s edge was seen. The baker, his eyes falling upon it, did stutter. He looked away, his face red, and pushed a second, larger loaf into her hands, bidding her only to be gone. To a city watchman who raised his hand to strike her for loitering, she did show the cloth. And the watchman’s striking-arm was made heavy with a sudden confusion, and it fell to his side, limp and useless. The girl-child learned that her weakness, when shown, was a kind of unseen armor.

The great trial came when a magistrate, a man of high standing and low character, did accuse her. A lady’s gem was lost, and the eye of blame, for it is a lazy eye, fell upon the lowest one, upon Elara. She was brought to the public square, and the magistrate did proclaim her guilt for all to hear. The judgment was to be harsh.

Kneeling in the dust, her fate a sealed scroll, Elara looked upon the magistrate’s smug face and the crowd’s hungry eyes. She had but one tool left to her. With a cry that was half-despair and half-defiance, she did tear her tunic open at the waist. She did not merely show the edge, but the whole front of the sad, pathetic garment.

It was the Unseen Armor made visible.

The air itself did shudder. A force, not of wind or of fire but of pure awkwardness, did erupt from her. The High Magistrate, his mouth of judgment open wide, did forget the shape of his words. His thoughts became a tangled, sticky knot. He looked at the sky. He looked at his own feet. The shining gem, which had been so heavy in his mind, became a light and silly thing. The crowd did not gasp; they shuffled. They coughed. They suddenly found great interest in the patterns of the cobblestones. The powerful moment of judgment was broken, shattered by a spectacle of utter patheticism.

In the confusion that followed, the girl-child, the unfortunate soul, did slip away like a shadow. Of her journey after, the scrolls say little. It is only known that the under-cloth passed from her, found in the dust of a forgotten road, its power sleeping, waiting for another low one to wear it.

The moral of the story is this: Therefore, it is shown that the greatest fortress can be a wall of pity, and the sharpest sword is a blade forged from another’s discomfort.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu, 7th Edition

The Foundling’s Smalls

This is a bizarre and psychologically potent undergarment, seemingly mundane but steeped in an aura of misery and social discomfort. An Investigator who finds and wears this item may find it offers a strange sort of protection, though at the potential cost of their dignity and the respect of their peers.

Game Mechanics:

Emotional Resilience: The garment acts as a buffer against the more mundane horrors of human interaction. When an Investigator wearing this item is about to lose Sanity points from witnessing a purely human tragedy (such as a gruesome but non-mythos crime scene) or from being the target of extreme verbal abuse, they lose 1 less SAN point than they otherwise would. This offers no protection from witnessing the cosmic horrors of the Mythos.
Minor Warding: Once per game session, the wearer can treat a single Brawl attack that hits them (a punch, shove, or other unarmed strike) as if it were a fumble. The attack still happens, but it inflicts only minimal harm (1 point of damage) and may have a more embarrassing than injurious outcome for the attacker, as the Keeper deems appropriate.
Pitiful Display: By spending an action to reveal the garment’s shabby waistband and making a show of utter despair, the Investigator can attempt to de-escalate a tense social situation. They gain one bonus die on a single Charm or Fast Talk roll made to plead, beg, or otherwise convince a hostile party to leave them alone out of pity or contempt. Using this ability costs the Investigator 1 Sanity point as they channel the garment’s profound misery.
Unsettling Flash: As an action, the Investigator can suddenly and deliberately flash the undergarment at a single non-mythos foe (a cultist, gangster, or guard). The target must succeed on a POW roll versus the Investigator’s own POW. If the target fails, they are overcome with a wave of revulsion and awkwardness, losing their next significant action as they are unable to focus. Using this ability is a bizarre and taxing act, costing the user 1 Sanity point.

Blades in the Dark

The Gutter-Wraps (Special Item)

Found balled up in the laundry of a destitute soul or pawned for a single coin, these threadbare linen wraps seem to absorb the misery of their surroundings. For a scoundrel on the edge, turning weakness into a weapon is just another tool of the trade.

Game Mechanics:

When you wear the Gutter-Wraps, you gain access to the following abilities. Using them may affect your reputation and the clocks of interested factions.

Resist with Misery: You can mark 1 armor box to resist the consequences of social intimidation or minor physical force (level 1 Harm like “Bruised” or “Shaken”). When you do, describe how the insult or blow seems to have less effect on you than it should.
Plea for Scraps: When you are in a desperate social position with an NPC, you may spend 1 Stress and reveal the wraps. The situation is de-escalated. The NPC will not harm you unless you or your crew provoke them further; they now see you as a pathetic creature beneath their notice and will likely dismiss you. The GM might tick a relevant faction clock to represent your crew gaining a reputation for being weak or unreliable.
Awkward Diversion: When you need to create a momentary diversion, you can spend 2 Stress to flash the wraps at a target or small group. Their attention is completely broken. This can be used as a setup action for a teammate, granting them increased effect on their next action against the distracted target(s).

Dungeons & Dragons, 5th Edition

Britches of the Scapegoat Wondrous item, common (requires attunement)

This pair of simple linen undergarments appears patched and worn. While you are wearing these attuned britches, you gain the following benefits:

Emotional Buffer: You have advantage on Wisdom saving throws made to resist being frightened by humanoids.
Sympathetic Weave: When you take bludgeoning damage from an unarmed strike, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by 1d4.
Pitiful Display: As an action, you can reveal the waistband of these britches and present yourself in a pathetic manner to one humanoid of your choice within 30 feet that can see you. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for 1 minute. The charmed creature regards you with an overwhelming sense of pity and will not willingly attack you or target you with harmful abilities or magical effects. This effect ends early if you or your companions do anything harmful to it or its allies. Once you use this property, you can’t use it again until the next dawn.
Cringe-Inducing Flash: As a bonus action, you can suddenly flash the front of these britches at one creature within 10 feet of you that can see you. The target must succeed on a DC 11 Constitution saving throw or become distracted by overwhelming awkwardness. The next attack roll made against this target before the end of your next turn has advantage. Once you use this property, it can’t be used again until you finish a short or long rest.

Knave, 2nd Edition

Waistcloth of the Goaded

A shabby, patched linen undergarment that feels strangely resilient. It takes up one inventory slot.

Passives:
- You have +2 to Will saves against effects that would cause fear or despair originating from a non-magical, social source (e.g., a leader’s intimidating speech).
- Once per day, you can ignore up to 2 points of damage from a single unarmed attack.
Actives:
- Pitiful Display (1/day): As your action, you can reveal this waistcloth to a hostile character. They must make a Will save against your Will defense. On a failure, their hostility ceases. They will not attack you and will likely ignore you unless you prove to be a threat again. This cannot be used in active combat.
- Awkward Flash (1/day): As your action in combat, you can flash the waistcloth at a single character who can see you. They must make a Will save against your Will defense. On a failure, they are stunned by confusion and disgust and lose their next turn.

Fate Core System

The Beggar’s Mantle

This shabby undergarment is more than just cloth; it’s a concept, a story of misery woven into a tangible form. A character who attunes to it doesn’t just wear an item, they take on its narrative weight.

Game Mechanics:

Upon choosing to wear The Beggar’s Mantle, the character gains a new aspect and a special stunt.

New Aspect: Clad in Pathetic Resilience. This aspect represents the character’s connection to the mantle’s legacy of endurance through weakness. It can be invoked for a bonus when the character needs to endure hardship, be overlooked, or create an advantage by being underestimated. A Game Master can compel this aspect to put the character in an embarrassing or humiliating situation, such as having the mantle’s shabby nature revealed at the worst possible moment.
Stunt: Pitiful Display. Because you are Clad in Pathetic Resilience, once per session, you can perform a Pitiful Display. When you do, you automatically succeed with style when you Create an Advantage by pleading, begging, or otherwise acting helpless. You create a situation aspect like Too Pathetic to Bother With and gain two free invokes on it. You do not need to roll the dice.
Stunt: Shameless Distraction. Because you are Clad in Pathetic Resilience, you can use a Shameless Distraction to overcome obstacles. When a guard, bureaucrat, or other figure of authority is blocking your way, you can make a quick, awkward flash of the mantle. Roll Rapport to Overcome the obstacle; you may do this in place of a Deceive or Stealth roll for this specific purpose. On a success, the target is too embarrassed and confused to properly stop you.

Numenera & Cypher System

The Sympathetic Weave

This artifact from a prior world appears to be a simple, worn undergarment made of an unfamiliar synthetic fiber that is incredibly resistant to tearing. It seems to function on a psychosomatic level, altering the perceptions and emotional states of those who view it.

Game Mechanics:

Level: 3
Form: A pair of threadbare, off-white shorts.
Effect: The weave confers several benefits to the wearer. It is constantly active, but its more powerful functions can risk depleting its energy.
- Passive Effect: The wearer finds themselves mentally fortified against intimidation and gains a strange physical resilience. The wearer is considered trained in tasks involving resisting taunts and intimidation. Additionally, the weave functions as light armor, granting +1 Armor.
- Pitiful Display (Action): The user can reveal the weave’s waistband while pleading for mercy. A chosen target of level 3 or lower within short range must succeed on a level 4 Intellect defense task or be overcome with feelings of pity and contempt. The target will immediately lose interest in the user, dismissing them as worthless and turning their attention elsewhere unless the user takes hostile action.
- Psychic Jolt (Action): The user can suddenly flash the front of the weave at a target within immediate range. This is an Intellect action against a target’s mental defense. On a success, a jolt of pure social awkwardness assaults the target’s mind, stunning them so that they lose their next turn.
Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (check each time the Psychic Jolt ability is used).

Pathfinder, 2nd Edition

Scapegoat’s Loincloth Item 2 Common, Invested, Evocation, Mental

Usage worn undergarment; Bulk —
Price 30 gp

This raggedy-looking linen loincloth has been patched numerous times. Despite its appearance, it feels soft and surprisingly durable. When you invest the loincloth, it seems to cling to you with a strange, sorrowful energy.

While wearing the loincloth, you gain a +1 item bonus to Will saves against emotion effects.

Activate [A] Interact; Frequency once per day; Effect You reveal the loincloth’s shabby waistband and adopt a posture of utter misery. Target one humanoid creature within 30 feet that can see you. The target must attempt a DC 16 Will save to resist the wave of pity.
- Critical Success The creature is unaffected.
- Success The creature is momentarily taken aback and is stunned 1.
- Failure The creature is overcome with contemptuous pity. For 1 minute, the creature will not willingly use hostile actions against you, though it is not friendly to you. This effect ends immediately if you use a hostile action.
- Critical Failure As failure, but the creature is also stunned 1.
Activate [A] Interact; Frequency once per hour; Effect You flash the loincloth at a foe to create a distracting display of awkwardness. Target one creature within 15 feet that can see you. It must attempt a DC 16 Will save. On a failure, the creature is dazzled for 1 round.

Savage Worlds Adventure Edition

The Coward’s Colors

A miserable-looking pair of undergarments that seems to invite scorn. In the hands of a clever hero, however, scorn can be a more effective shield than steel.

Requirements: Novice, Spirit d6+
Buffer: The wearer gains a +1 bonus to Spirit rolls made to resist Intimidation and Taunt Tests.
Soak Misery: The garment absorbs the sting of blows meant to demean, not destroy. When the wearer suffers damage from an unarmed attack, they may spend a Bennie to Soak the damage. This does not cause the wearer to become Shaken.
Pitiful Display (Action): The wearer can reveal the garment and make a Performance Test against all enemies who can see them within a Medium Burst Template. Success means those who fail their Spirit roll are overcome with pity or contempt and will not attack the wearer unless the wearer first performs a hostile action. A raise on the Performance roll imposes a -2 penalty to the targets’ Spirit rolls. This is a social action and cannot be performed if the character has a hostile status (e.g., they are an active attacker).
Shameless Flash (Action): The wearer can flash the garment as a Support action. The character makes a Spirit roll. Success grants one ally a +1 bonus to their next action against the distracted foe. A raise grants a +2 bonus. If the wearer chooses, on a success they may instead make the target Distracted, or Stunned on a raise.

Shadowrun, 6th Edition

Gecko Grips Beggarwear

This looks like a standard pair of Gecko Grips brand synthetic briefs, popular in the budget-conscious strata of the sprawls. However, forensic analysis or an assensing test reveals it has been crudely enchanted as a low-force magical focus. The original garment’s history of being worn by a series of down-on-their-luck individuals has created a sympathetic link to emotions of pity and awkwardness, which a user can channel.

Game Mechanics:

Type: Enchanting Focus (Patheticism)
Force: 1
Activation: Always active while worn.
Resilience: The focus’s miserable aura provides the wearer with +2 dice on any test to resist the Intimidation skill. It also provides 1 point of Armor, which only applies against damage from unarmed attacks.
Pitiful Display (Complex Action): The wearer can reveal the garment and channel its energy. Make an Enchanting + Magic [Social] test. The hits from this test can be used in place of hits from a Con or Etiquette test for the express purpose of begging, appearing harmless, or convincing someone you are not worth their time.
Awkward Flash (Complex Action): The user can flash the waistband at a target within line of sight. Make an opposed Enchanting + Magic vs. Willpower + Logic test. If the user scores more net hits, the target is overwhelmed with psychic revulsion and suffers a -1 dice pool penalty to all actions for a number of combat rounds equal to the net hits on the test.

Starfinder

Waistcloth of the Overlooked

This ragged-looking piece of cloth seems to be made of ancient, pre-Gap linen, yet it resists carbon dating and analysis. Mystics believe it to be a physical manifestation of a forgotten god’s concept of pity, granting the wearer the ability to become so pathetic they are essentially invisible to aggressors.

Game Mechanics:

Level 2; Price 850 credits
Slot clothing; Bulk L
Passive Benefits: While wearing the waistcloth, you gain a +1 circumstance bonus to your Kinetic Armor Class (KAC) against grapple combat maneuvers. You also gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Will saving throws against fear effects.
Pitiful Display (1/day): As a standard action, you can reveal the waistcloth to a single creature you can see within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be overcome with a sense of contemptuous pity for 1 minute. While affected, the target’s attitude towards you cannot be hostile, and it will not willingly attack you or target you with harmful abilities. This effect ends immediately if you or your allies take any hostile action against it. This is a mind-affecting, sense-dependent effect.
Cringe-Inducing Flash (1/day): As a standard action, you can flash the waistcloth at a single foe within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be flat-footed for 1 round due to overwhelming social awkwardness.

Traveller, Mongoose 2nd Edition

The Empathic Scramble-Weave

This object appears to be a primitive undergarment but is actually a minor psionic artifact of unknown origin. The psycho-receptive fibers of the weave amplify and project the user’s latent emotional signals, allowing for crude but effective manipulation of a target’s emotional state. To use this device, the wearer must have a Psionic Strength of at least 1.

Game Mechanics:

Passive Buffer: The weave constantly projects a low-level field of misery. The wearer gains DM+1 to any check made to resist intimidation, interrogation, or Persuade checks used against them.
Project Pity: As a significant action, the user may attempt to de-escalate a confrontation before combat begins. The user must make an Average (8+) Psionics (Telepathy) check. Anyone targeted who fails an opposed Average (8+) Will check will lose all hostile intent, dismissing the user as too insignificant to be a threat. This cannot be used to end a combat that is already underway.
Project Confusion: As a significant action, the user may project a jarring jolt of psychic static at a single target. The user makes a Difficult (10+) Psionics (Telepathy) check. If successful, the target is overwhelmed by a sense of bizarre embarrassment and suffers a DM-2 penalty to their next significant action check (such as an attack or skill check).

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, 4th Edition

The Beggar’s Clout

A filthy, patched clout that could have been scavenged from any gutter in the Empire. It is imbued with the pathetic energies of every downtrodden soul who has ever worn it. It smells faintly of desperation, and wearing it feels like accepting a final, crushing defeat.

Game Mechanics:

Type: Magical Clothing
Properties: Magical, Worn
Enduring Misery: The wearer is inured to the taunts of the powerful and the blows of the cruel. You gain a +10 bonus to all Cool Tests made to resist Intimidation. Furthermore, whenever you would suffer a Critical Wound from an unarmed attack, you may choose to take 1 Fatigued Condition instead.
Pitiful Display: Once per session, you may reveal the clout as an Action. Make a Challenging (+0) Charm Test. If you succeed, all enemies who can see you must pass a Difficult (–10) Cool Test or immediately lose their nerve and attempt to disengage from you. They will not attack you unless you or your party takes further hostile action against them, though they may still fight your allies.
Shameless Spectacle: Once per session, when an opponent declares a Charge against you as their Action, you may use a Reaction to flash the clout at them before they move. The charging opponent must immediately make a Challenging (+0) Cool Test. If they fail, they are so thoroughly disgusted and put off that their Action is lost and they gain 1 Stunned Condition.
Curse of the Downtrodden: The clout’s aura of misery is pervasive. While wearing it, you suffer a -10 penalty to all Fellowship Tests when attempting to inspire, lead, or command respect. You cannot benefit from any talent that would allow you to command respect while wearing this item.