Harmony Chime

From: GleamStar Emporium

Description: The Harmony Chime is a beautiful musical instrument with a slender, silver-toned frame adorned with intricate patterns that shimmer when the light catches them. Suspended from the frame are a series of small, finely-tuned chimes, each emitting a clear, resonant tone. The chimes are made from a special alloy that produces a rich, soothing sound when struck, even by those with limited musical skill.

Lore: The Harmony Chime is a creation born from Lumina Prismwind’s desire to spread the joy of music and enchantment to all, regardless of their musical abilities. It is said that Lumina was inspired by the melodies of the natural world and the desire to share that magic with everyone. The chime is often associated with tales of bringing harmony to gatherings and lifting the spirits of those who hear its gentle tones.

Tier One Stats:

• Rarity: Uncommon
• Use: The Harmony Chime can be played by anyone, even those with minimal musical training. When played, the chime creates enchanting melodies that have a calming and uplifting effect on those who hear them.
• Enchantment Duration: The effects of the chime’s melody last for 10 minutes after it’s played.
• Charges: The Harmony Chime can be used three times per day, and it recharges at dawn.
• Attunement: Requires attunement.

Cost: The Harmony Chime is a cherished item, reflecting both its enchanting properties and its ability to create moments of joy and serenity. It typically costs 120 gold pieces.

Tags: Musical Magic, Harmonious, Enchanted Instrument, Community, Soothing Sound, Uplifting Melody, Accessible Magic, Calming Effect, Beginner Friendly, Mood Enhancer, Tranquility, Charged Item

Use: The Harmony Chime serves as a versatile item with a variety of uses:

• Calming Influence: When played, the chime can soothe restless individuals, easing tension and creating an atmosphere of tranquility.
• Uplifting Atmosphere: The chime is perfect for gatherings, celebrations, or other events where a positive and harmonious mood is desired.
• Ease of Use: The chime’s enchantment allows even those with little or no musical training to create enchanting melodies, making it accessible to a wide range of individuals.

The Harmony Chime embodies Lumina’s dedication to making magic accessible and enjoyable for everyone. Its enchanting effects are simple yet impactful, creating moments of shared joy and harmony, making it a cherished item for those who seek to bring light and positivity to the world of Saṃsāra.

Perception of the Harmony Chime during activation through various senses:

• Sight (Visual Perception)
  • Perceived: Shimmering frame, vibrating chimes, interaction with light.
  • Description: When the Harmony Chime is played, the finely-tuned chimes may exhibit subtle vibrations. The intricate patterns etched into the slender, silver-toned frame catch ambient light, producing a gentle, shimmering effect, possibly enhanced by the flow of enchantment. The instrument might possess a soft, elegant radiance while active, appearing aesthetically pleasing and well-crafted.
  • Positives: The visual elegance reinforces the chime’s enchanting nature, providing a pleasant visual focus that complements the auditory experience. The shimmer adds a touch of magical wonder.
  • Negatives: The shimmering light could potentially be a minor distraction for someone nearby attempting to concentrate visually on a demanding task. In low-light conditions, any generated radiance, however subtle, might unintentionally draw visual attention.
• Sound (Auditory Perception)
  • Perceived: Enchanting melodies, clear and resonant tones.
  • Description: Activation produces distinct, clear, and resonant musical notes from the special alloy chimes, blending into harmonious and enchanting melodies. The sound quality is rich and soothing, possessing an inherent magical quality that is pleasant regardless of the player’s musical skill.
  • Positives: The primary intended effect; the sound actively calms listeners, uplifts spirits, eases tension, and fosters an atmosphere of tranquility and positivity. It can help mask minor, jarring background noises and provides a shared positive experience for those within earshot.
  • Negatives: The sound is unmistakable evidence of the chime’s activation, potentially alerting anyone nearby, including those with hostile intent. While enchanting, the specific melodies could become predictable or slightly monotonous if heard repeatedly in short succession. Stealthy use is impossible due to the sound produced.
• Touch (Tactile Perception)
  • Perceived: Smooth frame, gentle vibrations, effortless interaction.
  • Description: Holding the Harmony Chime, the silver-toned frame feels cool and smooth to the touch, perhaps warming slightly as magical energy flows during activation. Playing the instrument generates gentle, harmonious vibrations that resonate through the frame and into the holder’s hands. The act of striking the chimes feels responsive and requires little force.
  • Positives: Provides pleasant tactile feedback, reinforcing the player’s connection to the instrument and its magic. The subtle vibrations can contribute to the soothing sensation for the person playing it.
  • Negatives: Individuals hypersensitive to tactile stimuli might find the constant vibrations subtly jarring or uncomfortable. Activating the chime requires at least one hand, potentially limiting the player’s ability to perform other actions simultaneously.
• Smell (Olfactory Perception)
  • Perceived: Primarily ambient air; possibly a faint metallic note.
  • Description: The Harmony Chime itself likely emits only a very faint, clean metallic scent associated with its silver and alloy construction. The activation process does not inherently create or release any specific odors. While the calming atmosphere might lead some to subjectively perceive the air as “fresher” or “cleaner,” this is likely a psychosomatic effect linked to the mood change rather than a direct olfactory stimulus.
  • Positives: Its lack of a distinct scent ensures it won’t be offensive, trigger allergies, or clash with other environmental smells. It does not provide an olfactory signature that could be easily tracked.
  • Negatives: It cannot be used to mask strong existing odors or provide any olfactory cues or signals. Its neutrality means it offers no benefit in situations where scent is relevant.
• Taste (Gustatory Perception)
  • Perceived: Ambient air characteristics.
  • Description: Activating the Harmony Chime does not produce any taste. The air within the area of effect remains unchanged in terms of flavor profiles. While the induced positive mood might lead to a metaphorical sense of the atmosphere being “sweeter,” there is no actual gustatory component to the chime’s magic. Direct contact (licking) would likely result only in a plain metallic taste.
  • Positives: Does not interfere with the tasting of food, beverages, or potions. Does not introduce any potentially unpleasant or distracting tastes into the environment.
  • Negatives: Offers no utility in situations involving taste, such as identifying substances, enhancing flavors, or creating gustatory illusions.
• Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
  • Emotion (Empathic/Emotional Perception)
    • Perceived: Sensations of calm, upliftment, harmony, joy, reduced tension.
    • Description: Individuals within earshot experience a noticeable emotional shift. Feelings of restlessness, anxiety, and mild hostility tend to dissipate, replaced by a sense of calm, contentment, and general upliftment. The chime fosters an atmosphere conducive to positive social interaction and shared tranquility.
    • Positives: Directly counters negative emotional states like stress, fear, and irritability. Promotes cooperation, improves morale, and can help de-escalate tense social situations. Creates a welcoming and pleasant environment.
    • Negatives: The induced calm could potentially lower necessary alertness or impair appropriate aggressive responses in situations requiring vigilance or combat readiness. Individuals resistant to external emotional influence might perceive the effect as invasive or unnatural. It provides temporary relief but doesn’t address the root causes of emotional distress.
  • Magic/Aura (Magical Perception / Passive Mind’s Eye)
    • Perceived: Gentle flow of enchantment, a benevolent magical aura.
    • Description: Utilizing passive magical senses (like the Mind’s Eye automatically provides) reveals a soft, benevolent magical aura emanating from the Harmony Chime when active. One can perceive the gentle channeling of stored enchantment being converted into the sonic effect. The magic feels harmonious, soothing, relatively simple in structure (befitting its Tier), and non-threatening.
    • Positives: Confirms the item’s magical nature and its current state of activation. Allows magical identification of its general purpose (soothing enchantment). The aura signature is pleasant and unlikely to cause distress to magically sensitive beings.
    • Negatives: The distinct magical aura clearly marks the chime as an active source of enchantment, potentially attracting unwanted attention from those who detect magic (friend or foe). The simplicity of the aura might lead powerful magic users to dismiss it or underestimate its utility in specific contexts.
  • Harmony/Order (Conceptual Perception)
    • Perceived: A subtle sense of congruence, alignment, or “rightness.”
    • Description: Beyond the emotional impact, the chime’s activation might instill a subtle, abstract perception of harmony and order in the immediate environment. Discordant elements might feel momentarily less jarring on a conceptual level, fostering a sense that things are temporarily aligned or “fitting together” properly.
    • Positives: Can subtly aid concentration for tasks benefiting from a sense of order, such as organizing thoughts, simple mediation, or cooperative planning. Reinforces the item’s core theme of harmony.
    • Negatives: This induced sense of order is superficial and temporary, potentially creating a misleading feeling of resolution or security in situations where underlying conflict or chaos persists. It doesn’t actually impose physical or logical order, only a feeling of it.

Recipe: Chime of Gentle Harmony — This recipe outlines the process for crafting a musical chime imbued with soothing and uplifting enchantments, similar in function and spirit to the well-known Harmony Chime. Success requires careful craftsmanship and precise magical infusion.

• Materials Needed:
  • High-Purity Silver: 6 ounces, refined for magical conductivity. Used for the primary frame.
  • Echoing Tin Alloy: 4 ounces. A specific alloy known for its ability to hold and resonate sonic enchantments cleanly. Used for the individual chime pieces.
  • Vial of Distilled Serenity: 1 measure. A potent magical essence gathered from naturally tranquil locations or moments of pure concord, used to impart the calming enchantment.
  • Powdered Sun Motes: A small pouch. Microscopic crystalline particles that react to ambient light, used within the decorative patterns to create a shimmer.
  • Aetheric Capacitor Gel: 1 application unit. A stabilizing agent used during enchanting to set the charge limits and daily recharge cycle.
  • Artisan Polishing Paste: Standard grade for fine metals.
• Tools Required:
  • Masterwork Jeweler’s Hammer and Micro-Anvil: For fine shaping of metal components.
  • Precision Smelting Crucible & Magic-Infused Heat Source: For controlled melting and alloying, capable of maintaining stable temperatures.
  • Set of Resonance Tuning Forks: Magically calibrated instruments sensitive to harmonic frequencies and subtle magical vibrations.
  • Arcane Etching Needle: A tool capable of scribing enchantment patterns onto magically conductive metals.
  • Focusing Crystal Stand: To aid in concentrating magical energy during the infusion process.
  • Variable-Speed Steam Polisher: Fitted with soft buffing wheels for achieving a high polish without damaging delicate parts.
  • Standard Safety Gear: Protective eyewear, heat-resistant gloves, apron.
• Skill Requirements (Trained):
  • Fine Metalsmithing: Proficiency in working with precious metals like silver and specialized alloys, including shaping, joining, and finishing techniques. Requires dedicated training.
  • Sonic Enchanting: Specific training in imbuing items with sound-based or emotion-affecting magic, including handling magical essences and stabilizing enchantments.
  • Harmonic Resonance Tuning: A trained skill involving the use of tuning tools to adjust physical objects to precise sonic frequencies, ensuring musical harmony.
  • Intricate Pattern Application: Basic training in detailed etching or inlay work on small surfaces.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Frame Construction: Using the High-Purity Silver, meticulously craft the slender frame. This involves careful heating, shaping with the jeweler’s hammer and anvil, ensuring both elegance and structural soundness. Apply the chosen intricate patterns using the etching needle, incorporating the Powdered Sun Motes into the grooves or surface treatment before the final polish. Requires Fine Metalsmithing and Intricate Pattern Application skills.
  • Chime Forging: Heat and forge the Echoing Tin Alloy in the crucible. Cast or carefully hammer out the individual small chimes, ensuring consistent size and shape according to the design. Allow them to cool under controlled conditions to preserve the alloy’s resonant qualities. Requires Fine Metalsmithing skill.
  • Component Polishing: Utilize the Variable-Speed Steam Polisher and Artisan Polishing Paste to bring the silver frame and all individual alloy chimes to a brilliant, smooth finish. Handle components carefully to avoid scratches or deformation.
  • Harmonic Tuning: Suspend each chime temporarily. Using the Resonance Tuning Forks, gently strike each chime and listen intently to the tone and resonance. Make minute adjustments by carefully filing tiny amounts of material or using precise heating/cooling applications until each chime produces the desired clear, resonant tone and aligns harmonically with the others. This requires Harmonic Resonance Tuning skill and patience.
  • Assembly: Carefully attach the tuned chimes to the designated points on the silver frame using fine wire or precisely engineered attachment points made from the same silver. Ensure they hang freely and can resonate without obstruction.
  • Enchantment Preparation: Place the assembled chime securely on the Focusing Crystal Stand. Prepare the Vial of Distilled Serenity and the Aetheric Capacitor Gel. Ready the Arcane Etching Needle for the infusion.
  • Magical Infusion: Channel magical energy through the Focusing Crystal Stand towards the chime. Using the Arcane Etching Needle and Sonic Enchanting skill, draw the Distilled Serenity from its vial and carefully inscribe the necessary enchanting runes onto a non-obtrusive part of the frame. Focus the intent on imbuing the properties of calming, upliftment, and harmony into the item’s matrix. As the enchantment settles, apply the Aetheric Capacitor Gel according to standard enchanting procedures to establish the daily usage charges and the dawn-based recharge cycle. This step consumes the essence and gel.
  • Final Resonance Test & Priming: Allow the enchantment to stabilize for several minutes. Gently activate the chime once by striking a chime lightly. Verify that the emitted sound is clear, harmonious, and carries the intended soothing and uplifting magical effect. Perform a final priming step as per local enchanting custom to prepare the item for user attunement. The Chime of Gentle Harmony is now ready.

Ancient Telling of the Sky-Metal Song

Hear now, as it is imperfectly recalled from times before memory, passed through tongues now silent, the story that clings like dust to the item known by some as the Harmony Chime, though its first name is swallowed by ages. This is the telling most often repeated, though details fray like old cloth.

In a valley nestled between mountains that frowned upon the sun, there existed a settlement. Let it be called the Village of Clipped Wings, for joy flew not there. The people, spirits weighted, moved as if wading through unseen mud. Their words were sharp stones thrown, their silence thick with unspoken anger. Laughter was a forgotten language; smiles were crooked things, quickly hidden. They vied for meager resources, yes, but more, they fought the shadows in each other’s eyes, seeing only threat, feeling only lack. The very air felt thin and grey. Whether a curse lay upon them, or simply the slow grinding of hardship, the oldest fragments of this telling do not agree. Misery was the water they drank, the bread they ate.

Into this grey quietude, a figure appeared. The accounts diverge wildly here, as script erodes meaning. Was it a traveler lost? A being descended from the shimmering curtain of night? Some ancient carvings, poorly understood, hint at a name like Luminous Zephyr, or perhaps She Who Polishes Light. Let us use the latter rendering, though its truth is uncertain. She Who Polishes Light did not arrive with thunder or pronouncements. Her steps were soft, her eyes held reflections of a sky not seen in that valley. She observed the clipped wings, the weighted spirits, the silent, aching discord.

It is said, this being felt the people’s sorrow as a physical weight. Not with pity that weakens, but with a desire to mend the broken music of their souls. She did not offer grand solutions, nor judge their bitterness. Instead, she began to gather. From the reluctant earth, she coaxed forth veins of silver, metal that remembered starlight. She sought also another substance, a strange alloy, perhaps iron kissed by fallen stars or bronze cooled in sacred springs – the translation falters, calling it only ‘echo-metal’. Her tools were simple, yet her methods seemed… resonant. Fire was used, but it seemed to cleanse more than consume. Hammer falls sounded less like violence, more like the rhythmic pulse of a sleeping world.

Days were spent in this quiet work. She shaped the starlight-silver into a frame, slender and curved like a held breath. Intricate lines were worked upon it, patterns that seemed to shift and gleam even in the valley’s thin light, as if holding trapped dawn-motes, which some later tellings insist were physically part of the material. From the echo-metal, she formed small, hanging shapes – tongues, bells, leaves? – each distinct yet clearly part of a whole. The crafting was not loud, nor boastful. It was an act of listening, of finding the shape that waited within the materials.

When the object was complete, She Who Polishes Light held it aloft. It caught the meager light and seemed to return it, softened. Then, with a touch gentle as falling blossom, she grazed one of the hanging echo-metal shapes. A sound emerged. Not a shout, but a clear, sustained tone that seemed to polish the air itself. It resonated, clean and pure. She touched another, and a second tone joined the first, different yet perfectly allied. It was a harmony simple, yet profound.

She offered the instrument then, not to the village elder or the strongest warrior, but to a young child known for clumsy hands and a fearful heart. Hesitantly, the child reached out, finger tapping against the metal. The same clear, harmonious sound bloomed, untainted by the child’s lack of skill. The magic, it was seen, was not in the player, but held within the chime itself, freely given.

She Who Polishes Light, or perhaps the child now, continued to play. The melody, simple, enchanting, drifted through the Village of Clipped Wings. It did not demand attention like a war horn; it seeped into hearing like water into dry earth. It traveled past ears, finding paths to the tight-closed places in the heart. Shoulders heavy with old burdens seemed to lighten. Brows furrowed in suspicion smoothed. Hands that were clenched opened. The sharp stones of angry words remained unthrown. For a span – the texts say ‘ten measures of shadow,’ a phrase obscure now – a fragile quiet fell, not of fear, but of… listening. Of feeling something other than the grey weight. The air felt, somehow, warmer, less thin.

The story concludes that She Who Polishes Light departed as quietly as she arrived, her task complete. The chime remained. It was discovered that its song held power only for three activations before the next rising of the sun. Then, it fell silent, needing time to gather its inner light, its resonant magic, once more. It became a sacred object, a tool to gently nudge the village back towards balance when discord threatened to overwhelm. Its story, passed down, fragmented, retranslated, is what we possess today, a pale echo of the Sky-Metal Song and She Who Polished Light.

The Moral, as best as can be discerned through the layers of time: True harmony comes not from skilled hands alone, but from an open heart willing to share, and even the simplest beauty can lighten the heaviest soul, if only it is allowed to resonate.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

• Stat Block:
  • Item: Harmony Chime
  • Description: An exquisitely crafted musical chime with a silver frame displaying intricate, shimmering patterns. Its alloy bars produce remarkably clear and soothing resonant tones when played. Though seemingly mundane, its effect on agitated minds is noteworthy. It is not inherently tied to the Mythos.
  • Mechanics: An Investigator who spends one minute carefully playing the chime may affect themselves and any individuals within earshot (approx. 30 feet) who choose to listen attentively. Each attentive listener (including the player) may attempt a Psychology roll at Normal difficulty (or Easy if the environment is already calm, Hard if chaotic).
    • Success: The listener feels a wave of unnatural calm. For the next 10 minutes, they may ignore the behavioural effects (phobias, manias, panic attacks) of one current bout of madness (GM discretion). This offers no protection from further Sanity loss and does not cure indefinite insanity. Alternatively, a character not currently suffering a bout of madness may recover 1 Sanity point (maximum 1 SAN point per character per day recovered via this item).
    • Failure: The chime’s tones fail to resonate properly with the listener’s troubled mind; there is no effect.
    • Fumble (00): A discordant note or unsettling resonance causes unease; the listener loses 0/1 Sanity points.
  • Uses: The chime’s soothing properties can be effectively invoked up to 3 times per day. Subsequent uses before the next dawn yield no benefit.
  • Rarity/Cost: Represents a high-quality artisan piece or valuable antique. Possesses significant monetary value but no inherent POW cost to use.

Blades in the Dark

• Stat Block:
  • Item: Harmony Chime
  • Tags: Fine, Esoteric, Musical, Soothing
  • Description: A beautifully made silver chime whose resonant tones can quiet troubled spirits and foster an atmosphere of calm. Requires Attunement (takes 1 Load if attuned, 2 if not).
• Game Mechanics:
  • Soothing Atmosphere: When you play this chime during a score to influence individuals or a group (possibly using Sway or Command), you might improve your Effect level if the goal is to de-escalate tension, foster temporary goodwill, or create a serene distraction. State your intent and ask the GM if playing the chime grants increased Effect.
  • Stress Relief: When you perform the Indulge Vice downtime activity, describe incorporating playing or intently listening to the chime into your indulgence. If appropriate to your vice, clear 1 additional Stress.
  • Group Calming: You can attempt to bring calm to a tense social situation or prevent panic among allies. When you play the chime, Attune to its resonant magic. Roll your Attune rating. On a hit (4/5 or 6), you create a palpable aura of calm for a few minutes; NPCs might hesitate to escalate, allies might steel their nerves (perhaps resist a consequence like fear with improved effect). On a 7-9, choose one: it takes longer than expected, the calm is fragile and easily broken, or you take 1 Stress from the effort. On a miss (1-3), the attempt backfires, perhaps shattering the chime, drawing unwanted attention, or inflaming tensions further.
• Usage Notes: Does not use charges but relies on fictional positioning and action rolls. Frequent use might draw unwanted attention from spirits or factions interested in esoteric items.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition)

• Stat Block:
  • Harmony Chime
    • Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
  • This slender, silver-toned chime features intricate, shimmering patterns on its frame and hanging bars of a special resonant alloy.
  • The chime has 3 charges. It regains all expended charges daily at dawn.
  • While holding the chime, you can use an action to expend 1 charge and play it. Choose one of the following effects:
    • Soothing Melody: Choose any number of creatures within 30 feet of you (including yourself) that can hear the chime. Each target gains 5 temporary hit points. For the next 10 minutes, any target that gained temporary hit points from this effect has advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
    • Wave of Tranquility: Choose one creature within 30 feet of you that can hear the chime. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be affected for 1 minute. While affected, the creature cannot take hostile actions or reactions. This effect ends if the affected creature takes damage or is targeted by a harmful spell or effect. A creature immune to being charmed automatically succeeds on this saving throw.
  • If you expend the last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the chime cracks and becomes nonmagical.

Knave (Designed with 2nd Edition principles in mind)

• Stat Block:
  • Item: Harmony Chime
  • Slots: Takes 1 inventory slot. Requires 1 hand to hold and play effectively.
  • Description: A finely crafted silver chime with shimmering patterns. Produces soothing, harmonious tones when played for at least one minute.
  • Mechanics:
    • Calming Presence: Playing the chime for one minute creates an atmosphere of calm within earshot (~30 ft). Hostile creatures capable of emotion or reason who hear the full minute of playing must make a successful Save versus Magic (or Will Save, per GM ruling) or cease hostilities for as long as the playing continues uninterrupted (they may defend themselves if attacked). Creatures that succeed on the save are unaffected by further playing for the next hour. Mindless creatures or those incapable of being calmed are unaffected.
    • Morale Boost: Allies (including the player) who listen attentively for one minute feel their spirits lifted. They gain a +1 bonus to their next Morale check or Save vs Fear made within the next 10 minutes.
  • Uses: The chime holds 3 uses. Mark off one use each time it is played for a full minute to invoke either the Calming Presence or Morale Boost effect. It regains all uses if left undisturbed in a peaceful, quiet location from one sunrise to the next.

Fate (Core / Condensed / Accelerated)

• Representation: Treat the chime primarily as a prop that justifies certain actions and allows for the creation or invocation of Aspects.
  • Item Aspect: Enchanting Harmony Chime (This aspect can be invoked for a bonus or reroll, or compelled by the GM).
• Game Mechanics:
  • Create an Advantage: A character proficient in music, performance, or perhaps even rapport might spend time playing the chime (taking longer than a single exchange, potentially requiring concentration) to Create an Advantage. Roll an appropriate skill (e.g., Perform, Rapport).
    • On Success: Create a relevant situational Aspect like Soothing Atmosphere, Momentarily Pacified Crowd, or Uplifted Spirits with one free invocation.
    • On Success with Style: Create the Aspect with two free invocations.
  • Invoking Aspects:
    • The free invocations can be used for a +2 bonus or a reroll related to the situation (e.g., persuading the calmed crowd, resisting fear while uplifted).
    • Any player (or the GM) can spend a Fate Point to invoke the item’s inherent aspect (Enchanting Harmony Chime) or a created aspect (Soothing Atmosphere) to gain a similar bonus or reroll, provided the chime’s influence makes sense in context (e.g., getting a bonus to mediate a dispute after playing it, compelling an NPC calmed by the chime to hesitate before attacking).
  • Permission: Possessing and playing the chime grants narrative permission to attempt to influence mood or de-escalate situations through music in ways that might otherwise be impossible or face greater opposition.
• Usage Limit: While Fate doesn’t typically use hard charges, the GM might increase the difficulty of creating the same advantage repeatedly or rule that the effect becomes less potent if overused in a short period, reflecting narrative limitations.

Numenera / Cypher System

• Stat Block:
  • Item: Harmony Chime
  • Type: Artifact
  • Level: 3
  • Form: A handheld musical chime crafted from silvery metal alloys, featuring intricate, light-catching patterns.
  • Effect: When played continuously for one minute, the chime emits complex sonic frequencies that induce tranquility. All non-mindless creatures within short range who can hear the chime must succeed on an Intellect defense task or feel a sense of pervasive calm and goodwill for the next ten minutes. Affected creatures find their aggression suppressed (they will not initiate attacks but can defend themselves) and interaction tasks based on positive persuasion or diplomacy against them are eased by one step.
  • Depletion: 1 in 1d10 (Check after each successful one-minute activation).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

• Stat Block:
  • HARMONY CHIME ITEM 3
  • UNCOMMON, AUDITORY, EMOTION, ENCHANTMENT, MAGICAL
  • Price 60 gp
  • Usage held in 1 hand; Bulk L
  • Description This slender, silver-toned chime features intricate, shimmering patterns etched into its frame. Its finely tuned bars produce exceptionally soothing tones when played correctly.
  • Activation [Two-Actions] Interact (Auditory, Concentrate)
  • Frequency three times per day
  • Effect You play a soothing melody on the chime. Choose one of the following effects:
    • Inspire Calm: Creatures of your choice in a 15-foot emanation gain 5 temporary Hit Points and a +1 status bonus to saving throws against fear effects. Both benefits last for 1 minute.
    • Dispel Agitation: Attempt a counteract check with a +7 modifier against one emotion effect affecting a creature within 15 feet. The counteract level is 2. On a critical success, you also counteract the effect on all other creatures within the emanation currently affected by the same effect from the same source.
  • Reset The chime regains all uses during your daily preparations.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition – SWADE)

• Representation:
  • Item: Harmony Chime
  • Weight: 1; Notes: Requires one hand to play. Uncommon magical item.
  • Description: A beautiful silver chime whose enchanting melodies are known to soothe the savage breast… or at least calm frayed nerves.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires a Performance roll as an action.
  • Effect:
    • Success: Creates a calming atmosphere in a Medium Burst Template centered on the user for 10 minutes. Anyone attempting Intimidation within the template suffers a -1 penalty. Allies within the template who are Shaken may immediately make a free Spirit roll to recover.
    • Raise: As above, plus the penalty to Intimidation increases to -2, and allies gain a +1 bonus to their free Spirit roll to recover from Shaken.
  • Charges: The chime’s magic can be invoked 3 times per day. Uses refresh automatically at dawn. Track uses manually.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

• Stat Block:
  • Item: Harmony Chime (Enchanting Focus)
  • Rating: 2
  • Availability: 10R
  • Cost: 8,000 Nuyen
  • Description: An elegantly crafted musical chime, often of Elven or Tir Tairngire make, featuring a silver and resonant alloy construction with subtle orichalcum inlays that shimmer under light. It feels distinctly magical and requires bonding.
  • Bonding: Requires Rating x 1 Karma (2 Karma) and takes Rating x 2 hours (4 hours) of uninterrupted focus.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires the Enchanting skill and the ability to use foci. As a Major Action, make an Enchanting + Magic [Rating] test versus a threshold determined by the desired subtlety (e.g., Threshold 3 for a noticeable calming effect in a room).
  • Effect: If successful, the chime generates an aura of magical tranquility extending outwards (Rating x 3 meters, so 6 meters). For the next (Rating x 5) minutes (10 minutes):
    • Any character attempting an Intimidation test against a target fully within the aura suffers a dice pool penalty equal to the chime’s Rating (-2 dice).
    • Characters fully within the aura add the chime’s Rating (+2) dice to any Composure tests made to resist mundane fear, panic, or social stress (does not apply to magical fear unless cast with Force less than chime’s Rating).
  • Usage Limit: Can be successfully activated up to 3 times per day. The focus becomes inert to activation attempts until the following sunrise after the third successful use.

Starfinder

• Stat Block:
  • HARMONY CHIME LEVEL 3
  • Price 1,450 credits; Level 3; Hands 1; Bulk L
  • Type Wondrous Item (Magic); Category Held
  • Description This intricate chime is made from resonant silver-toned alloys that seem to capture and refract light in shimmering patterns. When played, its tones evoke feelings of peace and fellowship. It feels distinctly magical, possibly of Lashunta or Kasathan design.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: As a standard action, you can play the chime. This does not require proficiency, but the magic only functions if the chime is activated intentionally.
  • Effect: The chime has 3 charges, which renew daily after 8 hours of inactivity. You can expend 1 charge to create one of the following effects:
    • Aura of Calm: Creatures you designate within a 20-foot radius centered on you gain a +2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects for 10 minutes. This is a mind-affecting, sense-dependent (auditory) effect.
    • Soothing Vibration: Target one creature within 20 feet. The target gains 5 temporary Hit Points which last for 10 minutes. If the target is suffering from the frightened condition, that condition is suppressed for the duration the temporary Hit Points last or 10 minutes, whichever is shorter.
  • Special: Sentient constructs and creatures immune to mind-affecting effects are typically immune to the chime’s effects.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition – Assuming Standard Setting)

• Representation (High-Tech Acoustic Device):
  • Item: Psychoacoustic Harmoniser (‘Harmony Chime’ model)
  • TL: 10
  • Skill: Persuade (general use) or Electronics (fine-tuning/repair)
  • Cost: Cr 6,500; Mass: 0.5 kg
  • Power: Internal power cell (standard S Cell), provides 20 minutes cumulative operational time.
  • Description: A sleek, handheld device encased in polished alloy, resembling an artistic chime. Contains sophisticated sonic emitters projecting complex, mood-altering frequencies disguised as pleasant musical tones.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires 1 round to activate and direct properly.
  • Effect: When activated and directed at individuals or a small group (within 10m) for at least one minute, it creates a measurable calming effect. The user gains Boon (1d) on Persuade or Diplomat checks made against affected targets within the next 10 minutes, as long as the interaction remains non-threatening. Targets must be capable of hearing and susceptible to sonic/psychological influence (e.g., ineffective against robots or truly alien biologies without specific research). Excessive or obvious use might be considered manipulation or use of a controlled device in some jurisdictions.
  • Alternative Effect: A character suffering from psychological stress (GM determines applicability) who listens for one minute may make an Average (8+) Willpower check; success allows them to temporarily ignore associated task penalties for 10 minutes.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

• Stat Block:
  • Item: Chime of Concord
  • Enc: 10
  • Price: 15 GC (Gold Crowns)
  • Availability: Scarce
  • Description: A masterfully crafted chime, possibly of High Elven make though some Guilds produce similar items. Silvered metals form intricate, flowing patterns around resonant alloy bars. Emits exceptionally pure tones that seem to resonate with the soul’s calmer aspects. Feels faintly of Ulgu or Hysh.
• Game Mechanics:
  • Activation: Requires one hand free and the ability to concentrate. As an Action, spend 1 Resolve point and make an Average (+20) Entertain (Any Instrument) or Charm Test.
  • Effect: On success, the air around the user (approx. 3 yards) becomes palpably calm and harmonious for SL (Success Levels) rounds.
    • Calming Aura: Any creature attempting an Intimidate Test against a target within the aura suffers a penalty equal to your Willpower Bonus (minimum -1).
    • Respite: You and allies within the aura may immediately test to remove 1 Fatigued Condition (if suffering any).
    • Focus: You and allies gain +1 Advantage at the start of each turn they remain within the aura, due to the serene focus it provides (up to normal maximum Advantage).
  • Failure: The Resolve point is spent, but the chime merely produces pleasant, non-magical tones.
  • Astounding Failure or Miscast: As failure, plus the chime emits a discordant clang, potentially attracting unwanted attention or briefly inflicting 1 Fatigued Condition on the user from psychic feedback.
  • Usage Limit: The magical resonance fades after 3 successful activations per day. It becomes inert until the next sunrise.