Ethereal Veil Shawl

From: Actarism

Woven from ethereal threads representing the interconnectedness of all things, this shawl grants its wearer the ability to temporarily phase in and out of the material world. This skill is akin to the fluid movements of a dancer, enabling the wearer to evade physical attacks and pass through obstacles. When used offensively, the shawl can create illusions that disorient opponents, making them question the reality of their actions and intentions.

Lore: The Ethereal Veil Shawl holds a legend that traces back to a skilled dancer who sought a deeper connection with Actara’s cosmic dance. Guided by visions and meditations, the dancer wove the threads of this shawl using ethereal fibers, said to be harvested from the interstitial spaces between realms. The shawl is a testament to the dancer’s mastery of the harmonious energies that flow through all existence. It embodies the notion that every step and movement is part of a greater dance, and every connection is part of a grand tapestry.

Values and Level One Stats:

• Ethereal Phasing: Once per combat encounter, the wearer can use the shawl to temporarily phase out of the material world, granting them a 50% chance to evade a physical attack.
• Illusionary Disorientation: Once per combat encounter, the wearer can create illusory distractions that disorient opponents, imposing a -15% penalty to their next action.

Skills:

• Ethereal Manipulation: The wearer gains a +10% bonus to Ethereal Manipulation skill checks, enabling them to master the art of phasing and creating illusions.

Cost and Requirements:

• Cost: 500 gold coins
• Requirements: Must have received training in Ethereal Manipulation and demonstrated exceptional skill in dance or movement arts. Requires approval from a recognized authority in Actarism.

Tags:

• Mystical: The shawl is steeped in mystical energies, woven from ethereal threads.
• Evasive: The shawl enhances the wearer’s evasive abilities and is associated with fluid movements.
• Illusionary: The shawl’s abilities involve creating illusions that can disorient opponents.
• Additional: Transcendent, Phantasmal, Ephemeral, Mirage, Shiftweave, Harmonious, Veilbound, Spectral, Aetherwoven, Enigmatic

Selling and Availability: The Ethereal Veil Shawl is a rare and coveted artifact, typically not available for open sale. It can be acquired through a combination of skill, dedication to Actarism, and attunement to the harmonious energies it represents. Temples of Actarism might organize trials or quests that test a follower’s mastery of Ethereal Manipulation and their alignment with Actara’s teachings. Successfully passing these tests could lead to the shawl being awarded as a sacred gift.

Environment and Combat Usage: The shawl is most commonly used in environments that emphasize fluid movements and a connection to the spiritual realm. Temples, meditation spaces, and serene natural settings are where followers of Actarism often practice using the shawl’s abilities. In combat, wearers can use the shawl to evade physical attacks by temporarily phasing out of the material world, rendering them intangible and harder to hit. Alternatively, the shawl’s illusionary abilities can create distractions that disorient opponents, causing them to hesitate or question their actions. This strategic use of illusions aligns with the belief in the interconnected nature of actions and consequences within Actarism’s philosophy.

Perception of Activation:

• User’s Perspective:
  • Sight: The shawl shimmers as if catching unseen light, shifting between deep violet, silver, and translucent blue. The edges ripple like liquid silk, and for a brief moment, the world appears distorted, as though layers of reality are overlapping.
  • Sound: A soft hum resonates, like the distant chime of unseen bells or a whispering wind that moves without direction. The sound is neither loud nor obtrusive but lingers at the edge of awareness.
  • Touch: The fabric feels weightless yet firm, like holding a cool breeze in one’s hands. When phasing begins, an odd tingling sensation spreads across the skin, as if standing between warmth and cold at the same time.
  • Smell: A faint trace of morning mist and aged parchment lingers in the air, giving the impression of something ancient yet fleeting.
  • Taste: A subtle, electric tingle on the tongue, reminiscent of the moment before a storm breaks.
  • Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
    • Dimensional Shift: A sensation of moving without moving, as if existing in two places at once for a fraction of a second.
    • Harmony Awareness: A brief but deep understanding of the interconnected nature of all things, as if each movement affects unseen threads of fate.
    • Temporal Distortion: Time feels stretched or condensed depending on motion, creating a sense of fluidity in perception.
• Observer’s Perspective:
  • Sight: The wearer of the shawl flickers between visibility and shadow, momentarily appearing as a translucent silhouette before solidifying again. The air around them distorts subtly, like heat rising from a sunlit road.
  • Sound: A barely perceptible shift in the ambient noise, as if a note has been removed from the surrounding soundscape.
  • Touch: If another attempts to grab the wearer while they are phasing, their hand momentarily passes through empty space before the sensation returns.
  • Smell: A fleeting hint of fresh rain, quickly fading as if it were never there.
  • Taste: None, unless directly interacting with the energy of the shawl, in which case a strange metallic coolness may be felt.
  • Extra-Sensory Perceptions:
    • Uncertainty Effect: Those nearby may momentarily feel unsure of their own movement, as if questioning whether their position in space is truly fixed.
    • Echo of Presence: Even after the wearer moves, an indistinct afterimage lingers for a heartbeat, leaving a sense that they were still there.
• Positives:
  • Enhances evasiveness, allowing the wearer to move unpredictably.
  • Creates a sense of disorientation in enemies, making it harder for them to strike with certainty.
  • Offers a fleeting glimpse into the hidden nature of reality, granting deeper awareness of surroundings.
  • The phasing ability enables movement through barriers and obstacles when timed correctly.
• Negatives:
  • The wearer may feel briefly disconnected from their physical form, leading to momentary dizziness upon returning to full solidity.
  • Those untrained in Ethereal Manipulation might experience a delay in regaining full control of movement.
  • Prolonged use can create an unsettling sensation of detachment, making it harder to engage fully in the material world.
  • The illusionary effects may not work as intended against foes with heightened perception or those immune to visual distortions.

Crafting Recipe: Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Materials Needed:
  • Aetherwoven Threads (5 spools) – Delicate fibers spun from the interstitial space between realms, gathered during moments of cosmic alignment.
  • Phantom Silk (3 yards) – Fabric harvested from the cocoons of dream-weaving spirit moths, capable of shifting between physical and ethereal states.
  • Luminous Essence (1 vial) – A concentrated form of ambient energy, distilled from places where reality bends, such as ley line convergences or astral rifts.
  • Veilbinder Runes (6 small inscriptions) – Mystical symbols engraved on thin silver plates, designed to anchor the shawl’s shifting energies.
  • Moonshadow Dye (1 flask) – A rare pigment infused with liquid stardust, used to grant the fabric its shifting hues and spectral appearance.
• Tools Required:
  • Aetheric Loom – A specialized weaving tool capable of working with non-physical materials without disrupting their essence.
  • Runic Etching Stylus – Used to inscribe the Veilbinder Runes onto the silver plates with precision.
  • Spirit Needle & Thread of Midnight – Enchanted sewing tools that allow the seamless merging of ethereal and material fabrics.
  • Phantom Wind Bell – A chime that resonates with dimensional shifts, ensuring the shawl remains attuned to the wearer’s movements.
  • Ritual Brazier of Twilight – Used for the final consecration, imbuing the shawl with its illusionary and phasing properties.
• Skill Requirements:
  • Ethereal Weaving (Expert Level) – Required to properly combine the shifting fabrics without unraveling their delicate energy structure.
  • Illusion Crafting (Intermediate Level) – Necessary for embedding the shawl’s ability to create disorienting mirages.
  • Runic Inscription (Advanced Level) – The Veilbinder Runes must be inscribed with precise intention to stabilize the phasing effect.
  • Spatial Attunement (Basic Level) – Ensures the crafter can maintain awareness of both physical and ethereal states during crafting.
  • Meditative Dance (Optional, but Beneficial) – Those trained in movement arts may find the process easier, as their rhythm aligns with the fabric’s flowing nature.
• Crafting Steps:
  • Prepare the Loom & Materials: Arrange the Aetherwoven Threads and Phantom Silk on the Aetheric Loom. Ensure the workspace is surrounded by dim light to prevent interference from strong physical forces.
  • Infuse the Fabric with Moonshadow Dye: Slowly work the dye into the Phantom Silk using steady, circular motions, allowing the pigment to shift and settle naturally. The fabric should now begin to flicker between colors.
  • Weave the Ethereal Threads: Using the Spirit Needle and Thread of Midnight, carefully integrate the Aetherwoven Threads into the Phantom Silk, ensuring each stitch remains loose enough to allow fluid movement between realms.
  • Engrave the Veilbinder Runes: Using the Runic Etching Stylus, inscribe the six runes onto their silver plates. Each must be placed at key points along the fabric to stabilize its shifting properties.
  • Anchor the Luminous Essence: Pour the Luminous Essence gently along the seams of the shawl while ringing the Phantom Wind Bell. This step binds the fabric’s energies to the wearer’s presence, allowing seamless phasing.
  • Consecration in the Ritual Brazier of Twilight: Drape the shawl over the brazier and chant the binding incantation, ensuring the fabric attunes to the harmonic balance of the veil. The shawl should flicker and ripple unnaturally, indicating a successful infusion.
  • Final Calibration & Testing: Wear the shawl and move through a series of dance-like steps, testing its responsiveness to motion. If successful, the fabric will begin shifting between tangible and intangible states, and illusions will briefly shimmer in the air when moved swiftly.

Completion & Use: Once completed, the Ethereal Veil Shawl is fully functional, allowing the wearer to phase between realms and create illusions with practiced movement. Proper attunement ensures the shawl’s abilities respond intuitively, making it a treasured tool among skilled dancers, illusionists, and seekers of hidden pathways.

The Dancer Who Stepped Between Worlds

Long before the sky knew stars and before the rivers learned to flow, there was one who danced. This one was neither seen nor unseen, neither here nor gone, but always moving, always between. With feet like wind and hands like drifting shadow, this one danced not for joy, nor for sorrow, but because the world called, and the dance was the answer.

But the world was heavy. The land was thick with stone, and the air full of weight, and those who walked did not know how to move, only how to stand still. And so they built walls to keep out what they did not know. They shaped roads only to follow the ones before them. They feared what they could not touch, for they believed only what stayed was real.

The dancer wished to teach, but the people did not listen. They saw only movement where they wished for stillness, only steps where they sought roots. So the dancer left, but not to go. The dancer moved between. Between the places that touch and do not touch, between the steps taken and the steps that never were. And from this place-between, the dancer wove a veil, a thing of not one thread but many, each taken from where the world was thinnest, where the sky nearly touched the earth, where the breath of the sea nearly kissed the land, where the dream nearly became the waking.

With this veil, the dancer returned, not in one place, not in one time, but in many. When the wind whispered, the dancer was there. When the water shimmered, the dancer was seen. And when the people, in their stillness, closed their eyes, they felt the dance move within them. And slowly, the weight of the world grew less. Some stepped where before they would not. Some turned where before they stood still.

But one, a hand like stone and a heart like iron, did not move. This one saw the veil and wished it to be theirs, to hold it, to still it, to make it real so that it could no longer slip between. With a word of stone and a thought of weight, this one reached for the veil, but the veil did not stay. It unraveled and rewove, slipped and shimmered, until it was neither held nor lost, only changed. The dancer was gone, but the veil remained, scattered in the spaces between things.

Now, those who listen when the world moves may find a thread, may catch a piece of the dance. They may step not here, not there, but between, and if they move with the world instead of against it, they may find the veil waiting to be woven anew.

Moral: The world does not wait for those who stand still, but for those who move with it, the path is endless.

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition) Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Type: Mythos Artifact
• Sanity Cost: 1d4 upon first activation (due to the unnatural sensation of phasing)
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing: Once per scene, the wearer may attempt a Hard DEX roll to phase out of reality, making them immune to physical attacks for 1d4 rounds or until they take an action.
  • Illusionary Disorientation: As an action, the wearer may create shifting illusions, forcing all onlookers to make an INT roll. On failure, they suffer a penalty die to their next action due to confusion.
• Drawback: Extended use (more than three activations in a day) requires a SAN check (0/1d6 loss) as the wearer begins to feel detached from reality.

Blades in the Dark Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Item Type: Fine Cloak (Load: 1)
• Quality: Tier III (Requires attunement through meditation or movement-based training)
• Abilities:
  • Ethereal Phasing: The wearer may push themselves to phase partially out of reality for one round, making all physical attacks against them Risky Position, Reduced Effect.
  • Illusionary Disorientation: Once per score, the wearer may create an illusion, forcing enemies within sight to make a Resolve roll or suffer Reduced Effect on their next action due to momentary confusion.
• Drawback: The shawl resists direct aggression—any attempt to launch a violent first strike while wearing it results in a Desperate Position on the next action.

Dungeons & Dragons (5th Edition) Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Wondrous Item, Rare (Requires Attunement by a Monk, Bard, or Rogue)
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Recharge 5-6): As a reaction when targeted by an attack, the wearer may roll a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw to phase out of the material plane, causing the attack to miss. The effect ends at the start of the wearer’s next turn.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Action, 1/Long Rest): The wearer may create a veil of shifting mirages in a 15-foot radius. All enemies in the area must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw or have disadvantage on their next attack roll or ability check.
• Curse: Prolonged attunement (over one month) makes the wearer partially ethereal at random intervals, causing -1 to Strength-based ability checks as their form begins slipping between worlds.

Knave Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Type: Wondrous Item
• Effect:
  • Ethereal Phasing: Once per combat, the wearer may roll 2d6; on a 9+, they phase out of existence until the start of their next turn, avoiding all attacks.
  • Illusionary Disorientation: Once per dungeon delve or major event, the wearer may create phantasmal images, forcing enemies within 10 feet to make a Wisdom save or suffer Disadvantage on their next action.
  • Encumbrance: Takes up 1 inventory slot.
• Drawback: If the wearer uses the shawl too frequently (3+ times per day), they must pass a Wisdom save or suffer a -1 penalty to all physical actions for the next hour, as their body struggles to reintegrate with reality.

Fate Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Aspect: A Fabric Woven Between Worlds
• Function:
  • Ethereal Phasing: Once per scene, the wearer may invoke this aspect for free to become untouchable for one exchange, avoiding all physical attacks and obstacles.
  • Illusionary Disorientation: As an action, the wearer may create a veil of shifting mirages, placing a temporary aspect on an enemy (e.g., “Uncertain Reality” or “Phantom Doubt”), which can be invoked for free once.
• Compel Effect: Prolonged use may cause the wearer to experience fleeting dissociation, making it harder to interact with the physical world.

Numenera & Cypher System Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Level: 6
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (1 Intellect Point, Action): The wearer shifts partially out of phase for one round, making them immune to non-energy-based attacks. Moving through solid objects is possible, but they cannot take physical actions.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (2 Intellect Points, Action): The wearer distorts their image, forcing all enemies within Immediate Range to make an Intellect Defense roll (Difficulty 6) or suffer Hindered on their next action.
• Depletion: 1 in 1d20 – Excessive use may destabilize the shawl’s ethereal weave, requiring recalibration through a one-hour ritual.

Pathfinder (2nd Edition) Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Wondrous Item, Rare (Invested, Illusion, Transmutation, Mental)
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Reaction, 1/Hour): When targeted by an attack, the wearer may attempt a DC 17 Reflex save. On success, they become incorporeal until the start of their next turn, causing the attack to miss unless it is force or ghost-touch damage.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Two Actions, 1/Day): The wearer may create an illusion around themselves, forcing all creatures within 30 feet to make a DC 19 Will save or become Flat-Footed for 2 rounds.
• Curse: If the shawl is used excessively (more than three times per day), the wearer must succeed on a DC 18 Will save or gain the Stupefied 1 condition for one hour, as their mind struggles to adjust to reality.

Savage Worlds Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Type: Wondrous Item
• Rarity: Rare
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Action, 1/Encounter): The wearer becomes Ethereal until the start of their next turn, making them immune to non-magical attacks and allowing them to pass through solid objects.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Action, 1/Scene): All enemies within a Medium Burst Template must make a Spirit roll (TN 6) or suffer Distracted and Vulnerable conditions for one round.
• Drawback: The shawl is unstable—each time the wearer activates it, they must make a Spirit roll (TN 4) or become Shaken due to the lingering effects of slipping between realities.

Shadowrun (6th Edition) Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Type: Magical Item (Foci, Rating 4)
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Simple Action, Magic + Reaction vs. Attack Roll): The wearer may attempt to phase out of reality when targeted by a physical attack. If successful, the attack passes through them harmlessly unless it is magical or affects the astral plane.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Complex Action, Magic + Charisma vs. Willpower + Intuition): The wearer distorts their form, forcing all enemies within 10 meters to resist or suffer -3 dice pool penalty to Perception and Attack rolls for one combat round.
  • Drain Value: 3
• Drawback: The shawl cannot be used in full-body armor and loses effectiveness in high-tech security areas due to interference from technological countermeasures.

Starfinder Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Item Level: 8
• Type: Magic Item
• Slot: Worn (Shoulders)
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Reaction, 1/Short Rest): When attacked, the wearer may attempt a DC 20 Reflex save to become incorporeal until the start of their next turn, causing the attack to miss unless it is energy-based or force damage.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Standard Action, 1/Day): The wearer creates illusory afterimages, forcing all enemies within 30 feet to make a DC 18 Will save or suffer Flat-Footed for 2 rounds as they struggle to track the real target.
  • Usage: The shawl has 3 charges per day and regains all charges at dawn.
• Drawback: The wearer experiences mild spatial instability, suffering a -1 penalty to Acrobatics checks while the shawl is attuned.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition) Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Type: Experimental Artifact
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Reaction, 1/Hour): The wearer may attempt an Average (8+) Dexterity or Intelligence check to phase out of physical reality for one round, making them immune to non-energy-based attacks.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Action, 1/Day): The wearer distorts their form, forcing all enemies within Short Range to make an Intelligence or Endurance check (Difficulty 10+) or suffer a -2 DM penalty to all actions for one round due to visual dissonance.
  • Limitations: The shawl does not function in vacuum environments or areas with heavy electromagnetic interference.
• Special: Those trained in psionics or precognition may use the shawl’s abilities twice as often without suffering side effects.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP 4E) Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Type: Magical Garment
• Encumbrance: 1
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Reaction, 1/Hour): When targeted by an attack, the wearer may attempt a Challenging (+0) Agility Test to phase out, making the attack automatically miss unless it is magical.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Action, 1/Scene): The wearer creates a mirage effect, forcing all enemies within 10 yards to pass a Challenging (+0) Cool Test or suffer a -10 penalty to all actions for one round due to visual confusion.
• Drawback: Extended use causes the wearer to gain one Corruption Point per day, as their form begins slipping unnaturally between worlds.

Warhammer 40K (Wrath & Glory) Adaptation

Ethereal Veil Shawl

• Type: Relic (Sacred Vestment)
• Keywords: Imperial, Relic, Warp-Touched
• Effects:
  • Ethereal Phasing (Reaction, 1/Scene): When targeted by an attack, the wearer may attempt a DN 3 Agility test to phase out, avoiding all damage for one round unless struck by a psychic or warp-infused attack.
  • Illusionary Disorientation (Action, 1/Combat Encounter): The wearer distorts their form, forcing all creatures within 10 meters to make a DN 4 Willpower test or suffer the Hindered condition for one round.
• Corruption Risk: Frequent use may subtly attune the wearer to the warp, requiring a DN 3 Corruption test after each battle to avoid acquiring 1 Corruption Point.