New Item: Stone of Agony

Today, we have a new item from one of our community members and moderators, Nintaku! This is an item I never thought would really “work” in a tabletop environment, but I’m glad he’s proven me wrong. We’re happy to present his write-up of the Stone of Agony, straight from the N64 era, below.

Secrets abound in the world. Whether put there deliberately or simply created by pure chance, the sheer amount of things hidden from the casual glance can give even the most ardent explorer a lifetime’s worth of nooks and crannies to peer into, always finding something new. What if you had a way to find these things easier? A dowsing rod for the hidden things? Some might want to exploit such a gift, but even gifts can be double-edged.

The Stone of Agony is a hand-sized rock, carved into the shape of a rectangular block with the symbol of the Triforce as a cameo on its surface. Normally it does nothing, but under certain circumstances, it can reveal that which is hidden with a low rumble. The Stone needs life energy to fuel it, however, so using such a thing can be a curse if one relies on it too heavily.

The origins of this strange rock are shrouded in mystery. Some say its attunement to the hidden is a demon’s curse, drawing the holder to things they were never meant to find. Others have suggested it might be a trapped spirit, struggling to break free when it senses something amiss. Whatever the case, the Stone exacts a toll on those who use it. What few texts even mention it in passing suggest it has some connection to the Lens of Truth.

As an unusual Magical Tool, the Stone of Agony is only required to be in a Hand or on your Belt, and is passively activated when you fail a Perception check. With the Stone equipped, you will always succeed on failed Perception checks, but at a cost of 2 Health (burned) each time it activates. To keep it from activating, you’ll need to put the Stone back in your Pack. This Tool can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on how often you fail your checks.

Variant Stones of Agony

There are rumors of other Stones, each granting the user mastery over another skill, but at the cost of their life. One Stone is said to give its wielder the gift of knowledge (always passing Civilization checks), while another gives a silver tongue (always passing Guile checks). It’s said that twenty four of these stones exist in all, though just what they each do is a secret to everyone.

Further still, legends tell of a Stone of Ignorance, the reverse of the original: this one keeps people from seeing what’s right in front of them, in exchange for giving them added protection! These stones force the user to always fail successful Perception checks, but gain 4 Temporary Health each time. Could there be counterpart Stones of Ignorance for each of the other rumored Stones of Agony?

Adventure Seeds

A master thief is stealing riches that no one could have known the location of. The victims will pay a rich reward to whoever finds this mysterious figure and reveals their secret. (Hint: It’s the Stone.) But do they want to stop the thief, or take control of such a powerful gift for themselves?

A hapless villager found the Stone! He’s found his way into a whole nest of monsters preparing to attack the town, and now the heroes need to deal with it before the inhabitants realize they’ve been discovered and start the attack early!

The heroes find the Stone of Agony, but it seems to be tracking something specific. What could it be leading them to, and why? When it turns out to be its own Stone of Ignorance counterpart, which itself has a blind spot for the Stone of Agony, what will the heroes do to reset the Stones to stop tracking each other?

The locations of the other Stones of Agony have been uncovered! Among those seeking these artifacts are a madman aspiring to collect the Stones to create a golem of pain and skill, and a group of archaeologists who want to put the Stones in a museum. Now it’s a race to see who can collect them first!