Earthdawn 4E: Anatomy of a Thread Item 48 - Quicksilver

This is the forty-eighth 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 in collaboration with a player who wanted a spell matrix, a bonus to Physical Defense, and a boost to Initiative. All of which can be seen on the even rank abilities. The rest I used to fill in the blanks between these themes and work with their Name.


Quicksilver

Maximum Threads: 2
Mystic Defense: 14

Legend Point Cost: Warden

These soft leather boots are comfortable and largely non-descript outside of the glyph imprinted into the leather on each boot. Once donned, they give any wearer a slight spring in their step.

Thread Rank One
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn the boots’ Name.
Effect: The boots contain a Standard Matrix with rank equal to the Thread Rank.

Thread Rank Two
Effect: The wearer gains the Quicksilver ability. As a Free action for 1 Strain, the boots shine like liquid metal and the wearer moves fluidly across the battlefield. The wearer gains +2 ranks to Avoid Blow until the end of the next round.

Thread Rank Three
Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn who created the boots.
Effect: The wearer gains +1 to Physical Defense.

Thread Rank Four
Effect: The bonus from Quicksilver is now +3 ranks to Avoid Blow.

Thread Rank Five
Key Knowledge: The wearer must learn about the glyph on the boots.
Effect: As a Free action for 1 Strain, the wearer gains +3 to their next Initiative test.

Thread Rank Six
Effect: If the wearer has Quicksilver active, they can use the following special maneuver:

Quicksilver (Wearer, Avoid Blow): Energy from movement is conserved and transferred by the boots. The wearer can spend additional successes on Avoid Blow tests to gain +1 to their next Initiative test. These bonuses are cumulative; e.g., two additional successes from one Avoid Blow test and one additional success from a second gives a total of +3 to the wearer’s next Initiative test.

Thread Rank Seven
Key Knowledge: The owner must learn what leather the boots were made from.
Effect: The Standard Matrix is now an Enhanced Matrix.

Thread Rank Eight
Effect: The wearer gains +2 to Physical Defense and the bonus from Quicksilver is now +4 ranks to Avoid Blow.