[Magic Item] The Secret Eye

Burning Wheel Modifications, Hacks and Expansions
1

Hook
This object is a crystal ball, a dull ring, a cup of water, maybe even a person. (Perhaps the object looks different depending on who own it.) It is said that through it you can see the hearts of your enemies. Kingdoms have fallen in the pursuit of this elusive and mysterious artifact. Kings have succumbed because they chose to ignore its terrible powers.

Powers
The actual owner of this dangerous device may ask to see in the heart of one of his enemies. Sometimes the Eye give him exactly what he wants. Sometimes it doesn’t.

The player must declare his Intent and roll a Dice of Fate. In a 1, his character can see the future. (Roll again. If the result is not a 1, the GM choose an adversary character and narrates a scene when this enemy can fulfil one of his own Beliefs in a way that it is detrimental to the character. It is not necessary that the player had to know that this adversary was against him.) Now that you know your enemy plans, you can do something to stop him.

If the first result is not a 1, your character sees something that is happening right now, and you will not like it. Could be that the armies of your enemies are outside your castle walls, and then you hear an explosion. Could be that there is a spy in your ranks, but you can not perceive any detail of his or her person, just how he or she delivers information to your enemies that you might have preferred to remain secret. Could be that you watch an important NPC be killed in a remote location, and you can’t do nothing about it. Maybe you’ll see that your wife is cheating you… with your lifelong friend!

Limits
No one can see this object except its owner. In case the owner dies the object chooses a new proprietor. (Generally, the murderer of the former.)

To use it, the owner must be alone with the object. If the result of the Die of Fate is a 1, roll again. In a 1, your character sees his own dead. The player may declare how his chacarter die. If the group approves, that’s the way he will die before the end of the next session. (At least that you can spend not less than a deed point, a persona point and a fate point, that’s it. In that case, you are presumed dead, you lost all your possessions and even the Eye, every Fate, Persona and Deed remainder points and your resources are decreases to 0.)

If the first result is not a 1, the item will answer your question only if you can beat it in a Duel of Wits. The intention of the object may be simply that you leave it alone, or it may also wants you to do something before to show you the future. (The Eye replicates all your stats and skills, and has 1 Fate and 1 Persona points. Oneself may be its own worst enemy.)

Antecedent
The eye of a despicable villain.

2

Cool. The future as shown is changeable, it seems? That’s quite handy, since it gives the GM a handy way of giving the situation a shot in the arm by showing the players the consequences of them not acting.

But wow, the double 1 result is really brutal. I think I might prefer to make the death ‘soon’, rather than ‘before the end of the session’, as a player could use this item right at the end of the session.

How do you beat it in a Duel of Wits? Does it talk? Or is it more like a contest of wills?

The order of your explanation is a little confusing. Seems like it’s:

WHen you use the item, roll Die of Fate. On a 1, the item shows you the future. On a 2-6, the item shows you the present, then goes dark. (‘Going Dark’ explained later.)

Seeing the Future: Roll Die of Fate again. On a 1, the character sees his/her own death. On a 2-6, the eye shows the viewer

Seeing the Present: etc.

3

How do you beat it in a DoW?

4

To start a Duel of Wits with the Eye, you must be alone with it. If the Eye is a person, then it’s easy. If the Eye is a inanimate object, it speaks to you. Maybe in your mind, maybe it creates images inside your head. (You see yourself doing things that the object wants you to do.) You may even find yourself with a replica of your own person, but his eyes glow with malevolence.

The intention of the object may be simply that you leave it alone, or it may also want you to do something before returning to show the future.

Whatever seems apropiate to the situation. But if the character consults the item at the end of the session and the player has not a deed point to spend then I think the character will see his inmediate dead.

I was afraid that might happen. :slight_smile:

Roll the Die of Fate. In a 2-6, you see someting nasty, just a few seconds before it happens. If you roll a 1, roll again. In a 1, you see your dead. In a 2-6, you see one of your enemies Beliefs.

5

Yeah, but what does it roll? Am I overlooking something?

6

Ups. Maybe I am just so stupid. What about if the Eye reflects your stats and skills? One self is its own worst enemy.

7

The only safe way to use it is to injure yourself badly then use Artha! :slight_smile: