Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Thread Item 26 - Patternwrack

This is the twenty-sixth 4E Anatomy of a Thread Item, an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

A thread item written for an online game I offered to help with thread items. This was written with the request of an amulet. So I tried some things with a pretty narrow effect, but some interesting boosts to it.


Patternwrack

Maximum Threads: 2
Mystic Defense: 14

Legend Point Cost: Warden

A single, bold glyph adorns the otherwise plain obsidian amulet. It hangs from the wearer’s neck on a leather thong affixed to the amulet with wrapped silver wire.

The amulet resizes to the wearer and never pierces their skin when a thread is attached.

Thread Rank One
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the amulet’s Name.
Effect: The wearer gains +1 rank to Spellcasting.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: The wearer gains +1 Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Three
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the glyph’s meaning.
Effect: The wearer gains the Patternwrack ability if they are casting or weaving threads for an “astral” or “spirit” spell (this can be in the spell’s name). As a Simple action for 1 Strain, darkness spills out of the amulet and down the wearer’s arms, forming ghostly glyphs along them. If the wearer’s next Spellcasting test is successful, the targets suffer a -2 penalty to their Mystic Armor until the end of the next round. The Spellcasting test does not have to be a spell. None of the penalties from Patternwrack are from a spell.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: When the wearer uses the Patternwrack ability, the glyphs become more distinct and prevalent. If the wearer uses the Patternwrack ability, they can also use the Stagger Pattern special maneuver.
Stagger Pattern (Wearer, Spellcasting): The wearer can spend additional successes on their Spellcasting test to inflict a -1 penalty per success spent to all Attack and Spellcasting tests until the end of the next round. This affects all targets of the Spellcasting test.

Thread Rank Five
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the Name of the spirit bound to the amulet.
Effect: When the wearer uses the Patternwrack ability, the glyphs and darkness stretch across their body. The targets also suffer a -2 penalty to Mystic Defense until the end of the next round.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: When the wearer uses the Patternwrack ability, a halo of darkness spreads behind them. The penalties to Mystic Defense and Mystic Armor are now -3.

Thread Rank Seven
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn about the amulet’s creator.
Effect: The wearer gains +2 ranks to Spellcasting and +2 Mystic Armor.

Thread Rank Eight
Effect: When the wearer uses Patternwrack, the darkness pools around their feet in tendrils. These tendrils curl up and attach to the limbs of everyone in the area, either providing comfort and leaving silvery glyphs on their skin, or searing at their pattern. Every adjacent ally gains +1 to their Mystic Defense and every adjacent opponent suffers a -1 penalty to Mystic Defense (this is cumulative with the penalty to Mystic Defense from being targeted with Patternwrack).