Phantasmagoria Lens

From: Eclipsed Atelier

Lore: The Phantasmagoria Lens is an arcane marvel crafted by an elusive group of illusionists known as the Veilweavers. Legends suggest that the Veilweavers sought to peer beyond the boundaries of reality, delving into realms of illusion and hidden truths. The Lens is said to be the pinnacle of their craft, a fusion of illusion and divination magic that grants its wielder the ability to perceive beyond the veil of the mundane world.

The Lens itself is an enigmatic optical device, resembling a unique fusion of a telescope and a kaleidoscope. Peering through its circular lenses reveals a mesmerizing display of shifting colors and intricate patterns, akin to glimpsing into the fabric of reality itself. The swirling colors and mesmerizing imagery are said to be windows into other realms and dimensions, revealing hidden truths and concealed entities.

The Phantasmagoria Lens has multiple applications, making it a versatile tool within the Eclipsed Atelier. By adjusting its settings, users can see magical auras, detect illusions, and perceive beings or objects from alternate planes of existence. Its power also extends to uncovering concealed passages and secrets within the atelier, making it an invaluable aid in exploring the enigmatic laboratory.

However, the Lens comes with a cautionary tale. Its alluring display of colors and patterns can be overwhelming to the senses, leading to temporary or even permanent disorientation if one stares too long through its lenses. Users must exercise caution and moderation in its use to avoid becoming lost in a sea of illusion and hallucination.

The Phantasmagoria Lens – Tier One Stats:

• Size: The Phantasmagoria Lens is compact and portable, measuring approximately 1.5 feet in length (46 cm) and 6 inches in diameter (15 cm).
• Color: The Lens features a combination of metallic and glass components, with the circular lenses displaying a shifting array of colors and patterns when viewed from different angles.
• Shape: Its shape combines the cylindrical design of a telescope with the intricate, circular patterns of a kaleidoscope, blending illusion and divination elements.
• Sound: The Phantasmagoria Lens emits a soft, mystical hum when activated, resonating with the magic that courses through its mechanisms.
• Requirements: To use the Phantasmagoria Lens effectively, characters must possess a degree of attunement to magical energies or have proficiency in the arcane arts. Novices may find the Lens disorienting or challenging to control, while experienced spellcasters can more adeptly harness its abilities.
• Tags: Illusion-Divination Device, Veilweaver’s Creation, Realm Gazer, Magical, Perception, Secrets, Disorientation, Planes, Auras, Exploration, Mystical

Skills gained:

• Realm Sight: Characters using the Phantasmagoria Lens can perceive hidden magical auras, detecting illusions and seeing through veils of deception.
• Plane Glimpse: By adjusting the Lens, users can peer into alternate planes of existence, perceiving beings or objects that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye.
• Secret Finder: The Lens can reveal hidden passages and concealed secrets within the atelier, aiding adventurers in their exploration.

Cost and Selling: The Phantasmagoria Lens is an exceedingly rare and specialized artifact crafted by the elusive Veilweavers. Due to its unique nature and powerful abilities, it is not typically sold in conventional markets. Instead, the Lens is most likely to be found in hidden caches, ancient libraries, or within the possessions of skilled illusionists and diviners.

The Veilweavers guard their creations closely, and they are known to bestow the Lens upon those they deem worthy or to keep it safely hidden from those who may misuse its powers. Characters seeking to acquire the Phantasmagoria Lens may encounter it as a reward for unraveling intricate illusions or completing quests that require seeing beyond the surface of reality.

Usage and Results: Characters who possess and use the Phantasmagoria Lens gain a unique advantage in uncovering hidden truths and discerning illusion from reality. They can detect magical auras, reveal illusions, and perceive beings and objects from other planes of existence, making it invaluable in navigating the illusions and enchantments that pervade the Eclipsed Atelier.

Additionally, the Lens aids adventurers in discovering hidden passages and secrets within the atelier, making it an essential tool for exploration. However, users must exercise caution, as the mesmerizing display of colors and patterns can lead to disorientation and temporary loss of perception if they stare too long through its lenses.

When wielded wisely, the Phantasmagoria Lens allows characters to see beyond veils of deception, uncover concealed truths, and navigate the enigmatic and illusion-laden environment of the Eclipsed Atelier. Its abilities provide both strategic advantages and potential challenges, making it a captivating and essential artifact for adventurers seeking to uncover the secrets hidden within the atelier’s depths.

Vision of the Veilweavers

In the shadowed annals of time, when the earth was yet a cradle of untamed magics and the heavens spoke in tongues no mortal could grasp, there was woven a tale of the Veilweavers, a cabal of illusionists whose name was whispered in awe. From a language older than the stars, its glyphs long faded into the dust of forgotten realms, this story was passed through the trembling hands of ancient scribes, translated with reverence into the dialects of old. It tells of the Phantasmagoria Lens, an arcane marvel born of the Veilweavers’ desire to peer beyond the veil of reality, a device that unveils hidden truths but ensnares the unwary in a labyrinth of illusion, a relic that haunts the Eclipsed Atelier with its mesmerizing light.

The Veilweavers were no mere mages, but seers whose hearts burned with the fire of revelation. In an age when the lands of Saṃsāra were yet wild, their skies aflame with auroras and their seas whispering secrets to the moon, the Veilweavers dwelt in the Eclipsed Atelier, a sanctum carved from the dreams of the aether. Its halls shimmered with the breath of illusion, a place where the boundaries of reality frayed, and the winds of magic danced in patterns unseen. The Veilweavers, with their minds as sharp as the edge of dawn, sought to craft a tool that could pierce the veils of the mundane, to see the truths hidden in the folds of other planes, to glimpse the unseen and bring its secrets into the light.

With hands guided by the aether’s song, the Veilweavers forged the Phantasmagoria Lens. They shaped it as a fusion of telescope and kaleidoscope, its form a cylinder of gleaming metal and glass, a foot and a half in length, its lenses a mosaic of shifting colors—sapphire, emerald, amethyst—swirling in patterns that mirrored the cosmos. When peered through, the Lens revealed a vision of mesmerizing beauty, a display of lights and shapes that seemed to weave the fabric of reality itself, unveiling magical auras, illusions, and beings from planes beyond mortal sight. Its hum was soft, a mystical resonance that echoed the heartbeat of the aether, a sound that drew the mind into its depths. The Lens became their greatest creation, a tool to uncover hidden passages, to see through deception, to gaze into the realms of the unseen.

The Veilweavers wielded the Lens with reverence, using it to explore the Eclipsed Atelier and beyond. Through its lenses, they saw the threads of magic that wove the atelier’s halls, revealing passages hidden by illusion, secrets etched in the stone by forgotten hands. They peered into planes where spirits danced and gods whispered, glimpsing truths that reshaped their understanding of the world. The Lens became their guide, their oracle, their key to the mysteries of Saṃsāra. But its power was a double-edged blade, for the swirling colors and patterns were not mere visions—they were a siren’s call, drawing the mind deeper into the aether’s embrace. Those who stared too long found their senses overwhelmed, their perceptions fractured by illusions that bled into reality, leaving them lost in a sea of hallucination.

One among the Veilweavers, a seer named Elyndra, became the Lens’s greatest champion—and its greatest victim. Elyndra’s heart burned with a thirst for truth, and she gazed through the Lens with a fervor unmatched. She saw wonders that no other dared to seek: the dance of celestial beings in a realm of light, the shadows of forgotten gods in a plane of endless night, the threads of fate that bound Saṃsāra to the stars. But the Lens’s beauty was a trap. Elyndra lingered too long in its visions, her mind ensnared by the swirling patterns, her senses drowned in a tide of illusion. She wandered the atelier, her eyes unseeing, her voice a babble of half-formed truths, until she vanished into a hidden passage, never to return. The Veilweavers, seeing her fate, sealed the Lens away, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that their greatest creation was also their greatest peril.

The Eclipsed Atelier fell into ruin, its halls darkened by the passing of ages, but the Phantasmagoria Lens endured, hidden in a chamber veiled by illusion, its hum a faint echo in the silence. The tale of the Lens spread through the centuries, carried by scribes who translated it from tongues older than memory, a story of vision and loss that became the most known legend of the Eclipsed Atelier. Adventurers who sought the atelier spoke the Veilweavers’ name with caution, for the Lens was both a treasure and a trap, a tool that could unveil the unseen but could also shatter the mind.

Those who found the Lens and proved worthy of its power wielded it with care, using it to see through the atelier’s illusions, to uncover its hidden passages, to glimpse the beings that lurked beyond the veil. They saw magical auras that shimmered like starlight, illusions that melted away like mist, and entities from planes unseen, their forms a dance of light and shadow. But they heeded the warnings of Elyndra’s fate, gazing only briefly through its lenses, lest they too be lost in its visions. The Vision of the Veilweavers became a cautionary hymn, sung in the halls of mages and the firesides of villages, a reminder that truth, like magic, is a flame that illuminates but also burns.

Moral of the Story: Seek the unseen with eyes tempered by wisdom, for the veils of reality part only for those who can bear their light. Truth is a gift and a burden, and those who gaze too long risk losing themselves in its endless dance.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

• Overview: In Call of Cthulhu, the Phantasmagoria Lens is an occult artifact within the Eclipsed Atelier, a forsaken site steeped in eldritch energies. Crafted by the Veilweavers, it reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks driving the user mad with its mesmerizing visions. Investigators might use it to uncover secrets during an investigation, but its disorienting effects threaten their sanity, fitting the game’s cosmic horror theme.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Description: A cylindrical device, 1.5 feet long, resembling a fusion of a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Sanity Cost: Using the Lens costs 1/1D6 Sanity points due to its otherworldly visions. Prolonged use (more than 1 minute) requires a Sanity roll (1D6/1D10 loss on failure).
  • Magic Points (MP) Cost: Activating the Lens requires 5 MP per use. Each additional minute of use costs 2 MP (cumulative).
  • Skills Required: Occult (40% or higher) or Cthulhu Mythos (10% or higher) to use effectively; failure results in disorientation (see below).
• Effects:
  • Realm Sight: The user can detect magical auras and illusions within 50 feet (Spot Hidden 70% to identify specifics). Illusions are automatically revealed as false.
  • Plane Glimpse: The user can peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible entities or objects (e.g., astral beings, hidden portals). Success requires an Occult roll (60%); failure causes a vision of a random Mythos entity (additional 1/1D4 Sanity loss).
  • Secret Finder: The Lens reveals hidden passages or secrets within 50 feet (Search 70% to locate).
• Disorientation Risk: After each use, roll a POW test (Difficulty: Hard). On a failure, the user suffers -20% to all skills for 1D6 hours due to disorientation. On a critical failure (96-00), the user is permanently afflicted with a phobia (e.g., fear of mirrors) and loses 1D10 Sanity points.
• Drawback: Each use has a cumulative 10% chance per day of attracting a minor Mythos entity (e.g., a Dimensional Shambler, STR 75, CON 50, SIZ 80, DEX 60, INT 40, POW 60, HP 13, Damage 1D8+2), which hunts the user.

Blades in the Dark

• Overview: In Blades in the Dark, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a mystical artifact hidden within the Eclipsed Atelier, a forgotten arcane site in Duskwall’s underbelly. It reveals hidden truths and illusions but risks disorienting the user, fitting the game’s supernatural heist theme. A crew might use it to uncover secrets during a score, but its disorienting effects could complicate their plans, adding tension to the narrative.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Description: A 1.5-foot-long device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Tier: III (a powerful but risky artifact).
  • Load: 2 (portable but delicate).
  • Usage: Using the Lens requires an Attune or Study roll (Controlled position, Standard effect). On a 1-3, the user suffers Level 1 Harm: “Dazed” due to disorientation, unless mitigated by a resistance roll (Insight or Resolve).
• Effects:
  • Realm Sight: The user can detect magical auras and illusions within 10 yards, creating an advantage like Illusion Revealed with two free invokes (Attune roll, Controlled position). On a failure, the GM starts a 4-tick clock: “Aetheric Distortion”, causing false visions.
  • Plane Glimpse: The user can peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible entities or objects (Attune roll, Risky position, Standard effect). On a success, gain a +1d bonus to a future Attune roll against such entities. On a 1-3, the user takes Level 2 Harm: “Aetheric Overload” and attracts a ghost (Tier II).
  • Secret Finder: The user can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 10 yards (Study roll, Controlled position, Standard effect). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, the GM starts a 4-tick clock: “False Visions”.
• Disorientation Risk: After each use, roll a d6: on a 1, the user takes Level 1 Harm: “Disoriented” and suffers -1d to all actions for the scene. On a critical failure (1-3 with a complication), the user gains a Trauma: “Haunted Visions” (a new condition reflecting their fractured perception).
• Drawback: Each use adds 1 Heat due to its arcane signature, risking attention from the Spirit Wardens or rival factions.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

• Overview: In Dungeons & Dragons, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a wondrous item within the Eclipsed Atelier, a planar nexus where magic runs wild. It reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting D&D’s high-fantasy tone. Adventurers might use it to navigate the atelier’s illusions, but its disorienting effects add a strategic risk to its use.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Wondrous Item, Rare (requires attunement by a spellcaster)
  • This 1.5-foot-long device, resembling a fusion of a telescope and kaleidoscope, displays shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
• Properties:
  • Realm Sight: As an action, you can peer through the Lens to detect magical auras and illusions within 60 feet, as if using Detect Magic and See Invisibility simultaneously. Illusions appear as translucent overlays, revealing their true nature.
  • Plane Glimpse: As an action, you can adjust the Lens to peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible creatures or objects within 60 feet (e.g., ethereal beings, hidden portals). Make a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check: on a failure, you suffer the disorientation effect (see below).
  • Secret Finder: As an action, you can use the Lens to reveal hidden passages or secrets within 60 feet. Make a DC 15 Intelligence (Investigation) check: on a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, you suffer the disorientation effect.
• Disorientation Risk: After each use, make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, you are stunned for 1 minute as the swirling visions overwhelm you. On a critical failure (natural 1), you gain a short-term madness effect (DMG p.258) lasting 1d10 minutes. You can choose to end the effect early by dropping the Lens, but it cannot be used again for 1 hour.
• Charges: The Lens has 5 charges. Each use expends 1 charge (2 charges for Plane Glimpse). It regains 1d4+1 charges daily at dawn. If you expend the last charge, roll a d20: on a 1, the Lens overloads, causing a random illusion spell (e.g., Hypnotic Pattern, DC 15) centered on itself.
• Drawback: Each use has a cumulative 10% chance (resetting at dawn) of attracting an extraplanar entity (e.g., a CR 3 Shadow), which appears within 1d4 hours to investigate.

Knave (2nd Edition)

• Overview: In Knave, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a rare magical artifact found in the Eclipsed Atelier, a ruined dungeon brimming with arcane dangers. It reveals hidden truths but risks disorienting the user, fitting Knave’s minimalist, old-school vibe where items are central to character power. Adventurers might use it to navigate the atelier’s illusions, but its disorienting effects add a survival challenge.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Magic Item, 2 Slots
  • A 1.5-foot-long device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Usage: Activating the Lens requires a successful Intelligence check (DC 10) to attune to its magic. On a failure, the user takes 1d6 psychic damage from feedback.
• Effects:
  • Realm Sight: The user can detect magical auras and illusions within 30 feet (no roll needed). Illusions are revealed as false (e.g., an illusory wall appears translucent).
  • Plane Glimpse: The user can peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible entities or objects within 30 feet (Intelligence check, DC 12). On a success, gain a +1 bonus to the next attack or check against such entities. On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect (see below).
  • Secret Finder: The user can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 30 feet (Intelligence check, DC 12). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
• Disorientation Risk: After each use, roll a d6: on a 1, the user suffers Disadvantage on all rolls for 1d6 turns due to disorientation. On a second consecutive 1, the user gains a permanent flaw (e.g., “Haunted Visions: -1 to Perception rolls in bright light”).
• Charges: The Lens has 5 uses. It regains 1d3 uses each dawn. If the last use is expended, roll a d6: on a 1, it shatters, dealing 2d6 psychic damage to the user.
• Value: 300 coins (if sold to a collector or mage, though its disorienting nature makes it a hard sell).
• Drawback: Each use has a 1-in-6 chance (roll a d6) of attracting a wandering monster (e.g., a 3 HD shadow) drawn by its magical signature.

Fate Core System

• Overview: In Fate Core, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a mystical artifact within the Eclipsed Atelier, a place where planar energies converge. It reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting Fate’s narrative-driven system where aspects and stunts drive the story. Players might use it to uncover secrets in the atelier, but its disorienting effects introduce complications, adding to the game’s dramatic tension.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Description: A 1.5-foot-long device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Aspects:
    • Illusion-Divination Marvel of the Veilweavers
    • Window to Hidden Realms
    • Mesmerizing and Disorienting Visions
  • Stunt:
    • Realm Sight: Once per scene, you can invoke the Lens’s Illusion-Divination Marvel of the Veilweavers aspect for free to gain +2 to an Investigate or Notice roll to detect magical auras or illusions within 30 feet, creating an advantage like Illusion Revealed with two free invokes.
  • Stunt:
    • Plane Glimpse: You can spend a Fate Point to peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible entities or objects within 30 feet (Notice roll, Difficulty: Great, +4). On a success, create an advantage like Aetheric Sight with two free invokes. On a failure, the GM can compel Mesmerizing and Disorienting Visions to impose a -2 penalty to your next action.
  • Stunt:
    • Secret Finder: You can use the Lens to reveal hidden passages or secrets within 30 feet (Investigate roll, Difficulty: Good, +3). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, the GM gains a free invoke on Mesmerizing and Disorienting Visions to introduce a complication (e.g., a situational aspect like Fractured Perception).
• Disorientation Risk: After each use, the GM can compel Mesmerizing and Disorienting Visions, offering a Fate Point to impose a -2 penalty to your next roll or create a situational aspect like Dazed by Visions. On a critical failure (e.g., failing by 4 or more), the GM can impose a mild consequence like Haunted by Illusions.
• Narrative Impact: The Lens adds mystery and utility to the atelier, allowing players to uncover secrets but potentially escalating scenes with its disorienting effects (e.g., the user sees a false vision of a threat, creating a new challenge).

Numenera (Cypher System)

• Overview: In Numenera, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a numenera artifact within the Eclipsed Atelier, a Ninth World ruin where planar energies bleed through. It reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting the Cypher System’s focus on discovery and the weird. Characters might use it to navigate the atelier’s challenges, but its disorienting effects add risk to its use.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Level: 5
  • Description: A 1.5-foot-long device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Form: Artifact (handheld, 2 lbs).
  • Effect:
    • Realm Sight: The user can detect magical auras and illusions within short range (30 feet) without a roll, revealing them as false (e.g., an illusory wall appears translucent).
    • Plane Glimpse: The user can peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible entities or objects within short range (Intellect task, difficulty 4). On a success, gain a +1 asset to the next attack or interaction with such entities. On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect (see below).
    • Secret Finder: The user can reveal hidden passages or secrets within short range (Intellect task, difficulty 4). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d10 (roll after each use). On depletion, the Lens overloads, causing a random effect (e.g., a level 3 illusion appears, confusing the user for 1d6 rounds).
• Disorientation Risk: After each use, roll a d20: on a 1-5, the user suffers a -1 penalty to all tasks for 1d6 minutes due to disorientation. On a second consecutive failure (another 1-5), the user gains a lasting hindrance (e.g., “Blur of Visions: -1 to perception tasks for 1 day”).
• Usage Requirements: Activating the Lens requires a difficulty 3 Intellect task to attune to its magic. Failure results in 3 points of Intellect damage from feedback.
• GM Intrusion Suggestion: The Lens reveals a false vision, leading the user into danger (e.g., a character walks into a trap, taking 5 damage).
• Loot: If the Lens is destroyed (e.g., by a level 5 energy surge), it leaves behind a cypher (e.g., a level 3 Illusion Shard: casts a minor illusion for 1 minute).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

• Overview: In Pathfinder 2E, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a rare magical artifact within the Eclipsed Atelier, a planar nexus where magic runs rampant. It reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting Pathfinder’s crunchy mechanics and high-magic setting. Adventurers might use it to navigate the atelier’s illusions, but its disorienting effects add a strategic challenge.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Item 10
  • Rare, Magical, Divination, Illusion
  • Bulk: 1 (1.5 feet long, handheld).
  • Description: A cylindrical device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Activate: [two-actions] Interact (peer through the Lens); Requirements: You have the Arcana or Occultism skill at Trained proficiency or higher.
  • Effect: Choose one of the following effects (lasts for 1 minute):
    • Realm Sight: You can detect magical auras and illusions within 60 feet, as if using Detect Magic (heightened to 4th level). Illusions are automatically revealed as false (e.g., an illusory wall appears translucent).
    • Plane Glimpse: You can peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible creatures or objects within 60 feet (e.g., ethereal beings, hidden portals). Make a DC 25 Arcana or Occultism check: on a failure, suffer the disorientation effect (see below).
    • Secret Finder: You can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 60 feet. Make a DC 25 Perception check: on a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
  • Disorientation Risk: After each use, make a DC 25 Will save. On a failure, you are stunned 1 as the swirling visions overwhelm you. On a critical failure, you are confused for 1d4 rounds (as the Confusion spell, DC 25). You can drop the Lens to end the effect early, but it cannot be used again for 1 hour.
• Drawback: Each use has a cumulative 10% chance (resetting daily) of attracting a planar entity (e.g., a Level 8 Shadow), which appears within 1d4 hours to investigate.
• Destruction: The Lens can be destroyed by casting a 6th-level Dispel Magic on it while it’s active, causing it to shatter in a burst of illusion (all within 10 feet must make a DC 25 Will save or be dazzled for 1 minute).

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

• Overview: In Savage Worlds, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a powerful arcane device within the Eclipsed Atelier, a mystical ruin in a high-magic setting. It reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting Savage Worlds’ fast-paced, pulpy tone. Heroes might use it to navigate the atelier’s illusions, but its disorienting effects add a tactical challenge.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Arcane Device, Rare
  • Weight: 2 lbs. (1.5 feet long, handheld).
  • Description: A cylindrical device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Powers:
    • Realm Sight: As an action, a character with Arcane Background (any) can use the Lens (Occult roll, Target Number 4). On a success, detect magical auras and illusions within 12” (24 yards) for 3 rounds, revealing them as false (e.g., an illusory wall appears translucent). On a raise, the effect lasts 5 rounds.
    • Plane Glimpse: As an action, the user can peer into alternate planes (Occult roll, -2 penalty). On a success, see invisible entities or objects within 12” for 3 rounds, gaining +1 to attacks or checks against them. On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect (see below).
    • Secret Finder: As an action, the user can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 12” (Occult roll, Target Number 4). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
  • Disorientation Risk: After each use, roll a d6: on a 1, the user is Distracted and Vulnerable for 1d6 rounds due to disorientation. On a second consecutive 1, the user gains a Hindrance (e.g., “Haunted Visions: -1 to Notice rolls for 24 hours”).
  • Charges: The Lens has 5 Power Points (PP). Each use costs 1 PP (2 PP for Plane Glimpse). It regains 1d3 PP each dawn. If the last PP is expended, roll a d6: on a 1, it overloads, causing a Stun power effect (Target Number 6) centered on the user.
• Drawback: Each use has a 1-in-6 chance (roll a d6) of attracting a supernatural threat (e.g., a Toughness 6 spectral entity) drawn by its arcane signature.
• Bennies: The GM gains a Benny each time the Lens causes disorientation, reflecting its narrative impact.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

• Overview: In Shadowrun, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a rare magical artifact uncovered in the Eclipsed Atelier, a mana-rich site in the Sixth World. It reveals astral truths and hidden entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting Shadowrun’s blend of magic and tech. Runners might use it to uncover secrets during a run, but its disorienting effects could hinder their mission, and its use risks attracting astral threats.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Type: Magical Artifact (Focus)
  • Availability: 16R (Restricted, rare and dangerous)
  • Cost: 120,000¥ (black market value; not typically sold legally)
  • Description: A 1.5-foot-long device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Essence/Magic Requirements: Requires a Magic rating of 2+ to use. Non-awakened characters cannot activate it.
  • Activation: Using the Lens requires an Assensing + Intuition test (Threshold 3). On a glitch, the user suffers the disorientation effect (see below). On a critical glitch, the user takes 1D6 Stun damage and the Lens is unusable for 1 hour.
  • Effects:
    • Realm Sight: For the next 3 combat turns, the user gains +2 dice to Assensing tests to detect magical auras and illusions within 20 meters. Illusions are revealed as false (e.g., an astral barrier appears translucent).
    • Plane Glimpse: The user can peer into alternate planes, seeing astral or invisible entities within 20 meters (Assensing + Intuition test, Threshold 4). On a success, gain +2 dice to the next Sorcery or Conjuring test against such entities. On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
    • Secret Finder: The user can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 20 meters (Perception + Intuition test, Threshold 3). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
  • Disorientation Risk: After each use, roll 1d6: on a 1, the user suffers -2 dice to all tests for 1D6 minutes due to disorientation. On a second consecutive 1, the user gains a temporary Negative Quality (e.g., “Aetheric Echoes: -1 to Perception tests for 24 hours”).
  • Astral Signature: Each use increases Background Count by +1 (to a maximum of 5) for 1 hour, risking attention from spirits or corp mages.
• Drawback: Each use has a 1-in-6 chance (roll 1d6) of alerting an astral entity (e.g., a Force 4 Spirit), which arrives within 1d6 minutes to investigate.

Starfinder (1st Edition, 2024 Updates)

• Overview: In Starfinder, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a hybrid tech-magic artifact discovered in the Eclipsed Atelier, a drifting station in the Drift where planar energies converge. It reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting Starfinder’s sci-fi fantasy blend. A party might use it to navigate the atelier’s illusions, but its disorienting effects could complicate their mission.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Level: 10
  • Price: 18,000 credits
  • Bulk: 1 (1.5 feet long, handheld)
  • Category: Hybrid (Magic/Tech)
  • Usage: 1 charge/use (holds 5 charges; recharges 1 charge per day in a mana-rich environment)
  • Activation: Activating the Lens requires a successful DC 25 Mysticism or Perception check (1 action). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect (see below).
  • Effects:
    • Realm Sight: For 1 minute, you can detect magical auras and illusions within 60 feet, as if using Detect Magic (heightened to 4th level). Illusions are revealed as false (e.g., an illusory wall appears translucent).
    • Plane Glimpse: You can peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible creatures or objects within 60 feet (Mysticism DC 25). On a success, gain a +2 bonus to the next attack or skill check against such entities. On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
    • Secret Finder: You can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 60 feet (Perception DC 25). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
  • Disorientation Risk: After each use, make a DC 25 Will save. On a failure, you are flat-footed and take a -2 penalty to all skill checks for 1d4 rounds. On a critical failure, you are confused for 1d4 rounds (as the Confusion spell, DC 25).
  • Drawback: Each use has a 20% chance (roll percentile dice) of attracting a Drift entity (e.g., a CR 6 Akata Voidstalker), which arrives within 1d4 hours to investigate.
• Destruction: The Lens can be destroyed by overloading it with a 4th-level Energy Ray (force damage), causing it to shatter in a burst of illusion (all within 10 feet must make a DC 25 Will save or be dazzled for 1 minute).

Traveller (2nd Edition, Mongoose Publishing 2022 Update)

• Overview: In Traveller, the Phantasmagoria Lens is reimagined as an ancient psionic artifact found in the Eclipsed Atelier, a derelict station in a mana-rich nebula. It reveals hidden truths and psionic entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting Traveller’s sci-fi exploration theme where psionics are treated as magic. Travellers might use it to navigate the atelier’s challenges, but its disorienting effects add risk to its use.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Tech Level: 15 (Ancient, beyond modern understanding)
  • Weight: 1 kg (1.5 feet long, handheld)
  • Cost: 800,000 Cr (black market estimate; not legally sold)
  • Description: A cylindrical device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Activation: Using the Lens requires a Psionics skill check (8+, 1 action). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect (see below). On an Effect of -4 or worse, the Lens is unusable for 1 hour.
  • Effects:
    • Realm Sight: For 1 minute, the user gains DM +2 to Recon checks to detect psionic signatures or cloaked objects within 20 meters. Cloaked objects are revealed as false (e.g., a holographic wall appears translucent).
    • Plane Glimpse: The user can peer into psionic dimensions, seeing invisible entities or objects within 20 meters (Psionics check, 9+). On a success, gain DM +2 to the next attack or skill check against such entities. On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
    • Secret Finder: The user can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 20 meters (Recon check, 8+). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
  • Disorientation Risk: After each use, roll 2d6: on a 2, the user suffers DM -2 to all skill checks for 1d6 minutes due to disorientation. On a second consecutive 2, the user gains a temporary hindrance (e.g., “Psionic Echoes: DM -1 to Perception for 24 hours”).
• Drawback: Each use has a 1-in-6 chance (roll 1d6) of emitting a psionic signature detectable by Imperial sensors or hostile psionic entities, drawing a response (e.g., a Zhodani psi-team arrives in 1d6 days).
• Destruction: The Lens can be destroyed by dealing 10 points of damage (Armor 5), but doing so causes a psionic burst: 2d6 damage in a 5-meter radius (INT 8+ to halve).

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

• Overview: In Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, the Phantasmagoria Lens is a Chaos-tainted artifact within the Eclipsed Atelier, a ruined elven structure corrupted by warpstone energies. It reveals hidden truths and otherworldly entities but risks disorienting the user, fitting WFRP’s grim and perilous tone. Adventurers might use it to navigate the atelier’s illusions, but its disorienting effects and warpstone influence pose significant risks.
• Stat Block and Mechanics:
  • Phantasmagoria Lens
  • Type: Artefact (Chaos-Tainted)
  • Encumbrance: 1 (1.5 feet long, handheld)
  • Price: Priceless (coveted by wizards and Chaos cults alike)
  • Availability: Unique
  • Description: A cylindrical device, blending a telescope and kaleidoscope, with shifting colors and intricate patterns in its lenses, emitting a soft, mystical hum.
  • Traits: Chaos (Tzeentch), Magical, Unstable
  • Activation: Using the Lens requires a Lore (Magic) test (DN 5). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect (see below). On a Critical Failure, the user gains 1 Corruption point.
  • Effects:
    • Realm Sight: For 1 minute, the user gains +20 to Perception tests to detect magical auras and illusions within 20 yards. Illusions are revealed as false (e.g., an illusory wall appears translucent).
    • Plane Glimpse: The user can peer into alternate planes, seeing invisible entities or objects within 20 yards (Lore (Magic) test, DN 6). On a success, gain +20 to the next Weapon Skill or Ballistic Skill test against such entities. On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
    • Secret Finder: The user can reveal hidden passages or secrets within 20 yards (Perception test, DN 5). On a success, uncover a hidden feature (e.g., a secret door). On a failure, suffer the disorientation effect.
  • Disorientation Risk: After each use, make a Challenging (+0) Cool test. On a failure, the user suffers -20 to all tests for 1d10 minutes due to disorientation. On a Critical Failure, the user gains a Minor Miscast (Core Rulebook p.237) and 1 Corruption point.
  • Corruption Risk: Each use requires a Challenging (+0) Cool test. On a failure, the user gains 1 Corruption point due to its warpstone influence.
• Drawback: Each use has a 10% chance (roll percentile dice) of attracting a Chaos cult or daemonic entity, who arrive within 1d10 days to claim the device.
• Destruction: The Lens can be destroyed by a Dispel Magic spell (DN 6) while active, causing it to shatter in a burst of illusion (all within 5 yards must make a Challenging (+0) Cool test or be Dazed for 1d10 rounds, gaining 1 Corruption point).