New Items, Feats, and Techniques: Talismans
Today, guest author Maddie brings you another fine bit of homebrew – a prominent piece of Sheikah culture and history, now available for your players to use – or to be used against them. Check it out!
“So your wandering monk has completed their Monastic Training, but you’d like to spread harmony and enlightenment with more than just the might of their staff? Or your party is visiting the nearby Sheikah village for the local festival and you want to take some charms for your journey? Or do you just need that last piece for your Secret Yiga Giant Steel Ball Assault Technique?”
“Whatever your needs, Maddie the Wise has you covered! That’s right, Talismans! The means to craft them, and ways to employ them in combat that would make both Master Maz Koshia and Kohga proud! Spell tags, sacred charms, ofuda – you want it? It’s yours my friend, as long as you have enough rupees!”
While physical prowess and resources may solve many problems in the world, there are some which require a more metaphysical touch. Magic is a very powerful tool and those scholars who have mastered it are revered – and rightfully so – but what are the more mundane or less mystically talented to do when faced with the need for a magical solution? From traveling priests offering a solution to the common folk even in their absence to the peddlers in street markets hawking protective charms, the Talisman is a respected source of pre-packaged magical potency.
A small strip of cloth decorated with a magical phrase, mantra, or mystical pattern which befuddles many save for those versed in the enchanting arts, a Talisman is a sure sign that mystical forces are at play. Talismans are often employed at sacred sites or in areas plagued by lingering evil. Known by many as a Sheikah cultural object, there are some such as the dreaded Yiga outcasts who employ these charms for more aggressive purposes.
Learn more about Talismans – how to obtain them, what they can do for you (or to you!), and how to add them to your campaign – below!
Talismans are a Consumable, and may occasionally be found for sale in towns with a particular tie to the Sheikah or some other cultural mysticism, or from charm peddlers in larger cities. A Talisman costs twice as much as a Material of the same Rank.
Buyer Beware: Some Talismans may be a Trick Talisman being sold as a Talisman of another type. When a Trick Talisman would be activated in any way (typically using the methods to activate any other type of Talisman after application or use), the Talisman will simply burn away as usual and have no apparent effect… or did it…? While a Rank 0 Trick Talisman may fizzle away with little aplomb, higher Rank Talismans may more likely pose a danger to the user, often backfiring and inflicting a status effect on the user rather than the expected effect.
Alternatively, a Hero with access to a teacher well versed in the art of Talisman Inscription or whose background is particularly closely connected to a culture which commonly practices Talisman use may learn to craft Talismans using the Sacred Scribe Feat.
Using a Talisman
Any character capable of Rational intelligence can use a Talisman without any special training. A Talisman may be applied to an adjacent friendly character or unattended object with a Standard Action, or applied to an enemy with a Strike Basic Attack as if it was a 1-Handed Weapon with an Accuracy of 3. A Talisman has a Durability of (1 + (3 x Rank)), although most Talismans burn away and are destroyed with harmless magical fire when activated.
New Feats
Sacred Scribe
6 Tokens
Learn Requirement: Enchanting 3
Effect: You may craft Talismans.
Crafting a Talisman may be done anywhere during an Extended Rest. Talismans costs a single piece of Cloth and a Monster Part of the desired Rank or higher, as well as access to a Quill and Ink or to a Painting kit. You may craft a Talisman of a Rank up to (your base Enchanting / 2) rounded down. Using higher Rank material to craft a Talisman will yield a Talisman of the highest Rank you can craft.
You may read the inscription on an unknown Talisman to learn the exact effect contained within, if there is one. You may also remove any applied Talismans of a Rank which you could craft without activating them. Activated Talismans removed in this manner burn away immediately.
Additionally, you gain a bonus of (Talisman’s Rank) to your Accuracy for rolls to hit an enemy with a Talisman.
Talisman Tosser
3 Tokens
Learn Requirement: Accuracy 3
Effect: You may apply Talismans to targets by using the Throw Weapon (1-Handed) Basic Attack with that Talisman. This attack has an Accuracy of (3 + Talisman’s Rank). This attack does not gain the Accuracy bonus from Sacred Scribe. This does not harm the target, and instead applies the Talisman to them. A thrown talisman burns away with no effect if it misses its target.
New Techniques
Three Tags
6 Tokens
Learn Requirement: Talisman Tosser
Cost: 10 Stamina
Use Requirement: Talisman
Range: Projectile 6
Effect: Select 3 Talismans you possess. Make three separate Throw Weapon Basic Attacks with these Talismans using Talisman Tosser. These Throws do not need to target the same enemy, but you cannot move between Throws.
Talisman Tag
6 Tokens
Learn Requirement: Sacred Scribe
Cost: 4 Stamina
Use Requirement: You make an Attack
Reaction
Effect: When you make an Attack, select a Talisman you possess. You perform a Strike Basic Attack against one target of the attack using the selected Talisman. If you know Talisman Tosser, you may instead make a Throw Weapon Basic Attack using Talisman Tosser against one target in Range.
New Spell
Sanguine Inscription
3 Tokens
Learn Requirement: Sacred Scribe
Cost: Up to 6 Health
Range: Melee
Effect: Choose a type of Talisman. You inscribe and apply the chosen Talisman on your target using your own blood. The Rank of the Talisman is (Health Spent in this Spell – 1). The Rank of this Talisman may not exceed the Rank of Talismans you could craft.
Special: If you know Talisman Tosser, you may Spend (Health Spent in this Spell) Magic to increase the Range of this Spell to Projectile 6.
Talisman Shops
Shrines and Charm Shops are Shops which offer Talismans for purchase. These Shops offer specific varieties of Talisman based on Rank, with higher Ranks offering all the Talismans of their Rank or lower, per the table below. Additionally, Talismans purchased from them may be a Rank up to the Rank of the Shop.
| Rank | Talismans Offered |
| Rank 0 | Trick Talisman, Purifying Talisman |
| Rank 1 | Warding Talisman |
| Rank 2 | Cursed Talisman, Tracking Talisman |
| Rank 3 | Searing Talisman |
| Rank 4 | Summoning Talisman |
| Rank 5 | Transport Talisman |
On rare occasions, the Shop may offer a small number of Talismans typically available at the next Rank higher.
The apparent legitimacy and status of the Shop tends to depend on the cultural quality of the town in which they are found, ranging from a venerated place of worship in a more cultural village to a kitschy peddler to the superstitious in a more secular town. Charm Shops and Street Peddlers might offer more varied or unusually potent goods more often but are more likely to have Trick Talismans among their selection, while Shrines pride themselves on the reliability of their wares, but are less likely to contain Talismans of a higher Rank than normal or may specialize in only one or two varieties of Talisman based on the traditions of that population.
Types of Talismans
Cursed Talisman
When crafted, select a single Status Effect. When applied, the Talisman inflicts the chosen Status Effect to the target, after which it burns away in magical, harmless fire.
If you use Sanguine Scribe with this Talisman, you must roll To-Hit as normal.
Purifying Talisman
When crafted, select a single Status Effect. When applied to a character or unattended object, this Talisman activates when a roll is made to apply that status to the target this Talisman is attached to and provides (Rank + 1) to all of the target’s Guard Stats versus that attempt. The Talisman burns away in magical, harmless fire when it activates or during the next Long Rest, regardless if the Status successfully applies or fails. A character or Object may not benefit from more than 1 Talisman per round, and may not benefit from the same Talisman more than once until the next Short Rest.
Searing Talisman
When this Talisman is crafted, select an Element or Physical Damage Type. On hit, this Talisman immediately explodes with a small blast of the element stored within, dealing (3 x (Rank + 1)) damage of the selected damage type to the target and destroying the Talisman.
Summoning Talisman
While placed upon an unattended Small (or smaller) object, you may Spend (8 – Rank) Magic as a Standard Action to summon that object directly into your hand or into an empty space within (Rank + 1) spaces.
For every Size Category above Small that the object is, the cost to summon the object is doubled, and the number of Talismans required to summon the object increases by 1. The summoned object may be returned to the location it was summoned from at no cost, as long as that space is empty. Summoned objects may contain other objects which fit within them, but may not contain living creatures, which are left behind when the object is summoned. Each Talisman on the object loses 1 Durability each time they are summoned, but not when returned.
Tracking Talisman
While applied to a character or object, you may concentrate to learn the general direction and distance to this Talisman as a Standard Action. Alternatively, you may activate this Talisman as a Standard Action and Spend (Rank) Magic to gain a Knack for Perception Checks to discover the precise location of this Talisman, and you gain a bonus of (Rank) to this check, after which this Talisman burns away in harmless magical flames, regardless if the check was successful.
When applying this Talisman, roll (Your Guile + Talisman Accuracy) vs Concentration; on hit, the target is unaware of this Talisman’s presence. The target may not use Evasion instead of Concentration for this effect.
Any character may remove this Talisman as a Standard Action. If this Talisman is removed in this way or the character it is applied to becomes Helpless or the object it is applied to is destroyed, this Talisman disintegrates as if activated and you immediately receive a psychic pulse alerting you of precisely which Talisman was removed and the general direction and distrance to its last location. If this Talisman is removed by a character using Sacred Scribe, you are not alerted. This Talisman loses 1 durability for each day it is applied, after which it disintegrates and alerts you as if it was removed.
Transport Talisman
This Talisman may be thrown without the use of the Talisman Tosser Feat, and throwing the Talisman is a Minor Action. During your next turn, you may Spend (16 – (Rank x 2)) Magic as a Movement Action to instantly teleport yourself to the space where the Talisman had landed (or the nearest empty space if the target space is not empty). The Talisman disintegrates upon being used to teleport or at the end of your next turn if unused. Teleporting using this Talisman does not end any effects which would normally be ended by Movement, although you may now be out of Range to perform certain Actions which have a Melee Range. You may not transport objects you cannot carry or other characters when teleporting using this Talisman. You may attempt to become hidden when activating this Talisman.
Warding Talisman
This Talisman protects against evil spirits. When a foe moves within ((Rank + 1) x 2) Squares of the surface or object the Talisman is placed upon, it produces Bright Light in Burst 10 for (Rank + 1) Rounds and the Talisman burns away in harmless magical flames.
Roll To-Hit the Concentration of each foe within Burst ((Rank + 1) x 2); on hit, they may not become Invisible or use the Phasing Passive Ability for (Rank + 1) Rounds.
Additionally, the Talisman produces the effect of Farewell to Gibdos in Burst ((Rank + 1) x 2) with a Musical Power of (Rank + 1).
This Talisman loses 1 Durability each day it is applied to an object, after which it burns away with no effect. At Rank 5, this Talisman never loses Durability. When this Talisman activates, you receive a psychic pulse which makes you aware of the activation and exactly which Talisman activated, but not the circumstances.
Trick Talisman
When this Talisman is crafted, select a Status Effect. When the user of this Talisman attempts to activate it in any way, the Talisman disintegrates as expected. The Talisman rolls To-Hit the user’s Concentration; on hit, apply the chosen Status Effect to the user of this Talisman.
This Talisman has an Accuracy of (3 + Rank) to apply its Status Effect. This is not affected by any ability that would normally affect Talisman Accuracy (such as Sacred Scribe).
This Talisman may be crafted without using any Monster Parts. A Trick Talisman crafted this way has no apparent effect when activated, and simply leaves an inky black smudge where it was applied. This smudge is difficult to clean off.
Talismans In Your Story
Festival Foolishness
The Village you are visiting is in the throes of a beloved festival! Every year, the people here make and fly kites bearing special Talismans which grant a blessing of protection over the whole village. The Festival lasts for seven days, each day a different group flies their kites. However, today – the first day of the festival – dangerous mischief unfolds. Someone has replaced some of the Talismans with Trick Talismans! Innocent prank or malicious act, people are being hurt as the Talismans activate and afflict their victims with terrible conditions, and there are to be 6 more days of this! Can the party find the tampered Talismans, the culprit, and the motive before more people are injured? Or will they have to convince the elders to cancel the sacred festival this year, and face the evils they have staved off for all this time?
Wolf Tickets for Snake Oil
Upon entering the town, the party is confronted by a rather boisterous merchant vending wares from a stall. The wares on offer are all clearly extremely high quality and authentic, although the prices seem far too low to be real for such rare and well-crafted wares! The party may discover from their own experience, or overhear from the townsfolk rumors that the goods sold by the merchant have seemingly vanished before they could be made of any use, and many suspect foul play, although no evidence of theft or accomplice has been found in investigation. Will the party discover the method of the thefts, possibly that the tags on the goods are Summoning Talismans being used to magically recover the items for resale? Will they be able to find the charlatan to regain the money now that the unscrupulous merchant has seemingly disappeared? And wasn’t the town’s sacred Pedestal right there just a second ago?
Sealing the Immortal Evil
Talismans have long been used to consecrate holy sites and to ward off evil spirits… but some Evil must be contained rather than expelled. The Village you are visiting trembles under the looming shadow of a rampant demonic beast, one which plagues the land and cannot be defeated by mundane means. A brave monk – perhaps the only survivor of their temple’s sect – has devised a plan to defeat the monster once and for all: to seal the beast with a powerful Talisman, locking it away forever! The only problem is the monk cannot leave the town unprotected to gather the resources they need. Of particular importance are the specific sealing prayers to bind the beast. The Heroes must seek out the lost records of the ritual in the ruined temples and shrines in the nearby area, all while avoiding the dark juggernaut they seek to defeat, and ultimately set and spring the trap and lock the monster away! Hopefully for good…
Secret Bonus Feat
Hidden Ritual: Sealing Talisman
3 Tokens
Learn Requirement: Sacred Scribe, Quest Reward or GM Approval Only
Effect: You may now craft Sealing Talismans using Sacred Scribe.
Sealing Talisman
When this Talisman is crafted, name a specific enemy of Demonic or Undead nature or who represents or serves a Great Evil, and select a specific type of behavior such as moving, speaking, or using a specific ability that enemy possesses. While applied to the specified enemy, that enemy may not perform the specified action or employ the specified ability. The chosen enemy cannot remove this Talisman by any means.
This Talisman has no effect on an enemy of a higher Rank. This Talisman loses 1 durability each day while it is applied. If multiple Talismans of the same action are applied, only 1 Talisman of that action loses durability each day.
Sealing Talismans In Shops
Sealing Talismans are a complex and rarely-taught Talisman, the formulas for which are typically only known by specific groups or individuals. Sealing Talismans will not likely be available at most Shops, although some rare Shrines may carry them among their Rank 4 Inventory.
To be crafted by a Hero, the formulas and scripts for a Sealing Talisman must first be learned in some way, and thus the knowledge to craft them may only be gained with GM permission.