Witch Hunter Gauntlets

 

Game Stats

• Range: 150 ft.
• Bonus: +2 / +5 to WitchTech rolls

 

Description

Witch hunter gauntlets are ClockTech mechanisms sewn into leather gauntlets that cancel and dispel thaumaturgical effects.  The precise method of their operation is a closely guarded secret of the Panopticon (some suspect magnetism), but it is known to be non-magical.  Apart from the enchantments that enable all ClockTech technogy, witch hunter gauntlets are purely mechanical devices.

 

The Panopticon has been known to sell witch hunter gauntlets to certain customers, but they charge exorbitant rates to all but witch hunters of the [Brethren], who are in any case the only institution outside the Panopticon with the knowledge of how to operate the complex devices.  The devices all appear to be handmade, and are quite robust - some known examples of witch hunter gauntlets are hundreds of years old.  Some have quite bulky ClockTech machinery; others are almost indistinguishable from ordinary leather gauntlets.  Some are festooned with bits of scripture and holy relics; others are plain.  Two details of construction appear consistent.  All witch hunter gauntlets are made of leather, although only speculation exists as to why.  Another consistent trend is that older gauntlets have mechanisms made of brass and other plain metals, whereas more recently created models appear to have the critical components constructed of mithril or thaumic iron.  A few examples that appear to be made completely of these materials have been seen on high-ranking witch hunters.

 

Method of Operation

Witch hunter gauntlets are operated by means of a series of levers in the palm of the gauntlet.  Each gauntlet is constructed with a number of "shunts," each of which is capable of dispelling or otherwise manipulating a small amount of thaum.  Individually, a single shunt is overloaded by the thaumic power of most spells.  However, shunts are more powerful when used in concert than the sum of their parts.  Skilled use of a witch hunter gauntlet requires the witch hunter to use each gauntlet's available shunts together to overcome the thaumic power of a spell.  This is a task that requires quick wits and quick reflexes.

 

Advantages

A witch hunter gauntlet's primary advantage is its mechanical nature.  A skilled witch hunter can hold his own against two or even three mages.  The most veteran users have been known to take on as many as five thaumaturges at once.  Because a witch hunter gauntlet is mechanical, a witch hunter's abilities do not diminish with prolonged conflict, whereas thaumaturges will tire and exhaust themselves with prolonged spellcasting.

 

Equally formidable is the gauntlets' pscyhological effect.  Most thaumaturges grow accustomed to having a natural advantage in any confrontation.  The shock of having their most powerful spells fizzle at the press of a lever is difficult to recover from when a trained witch hunter is bearing down on them.

 

Disadvantages

Witch hunter gauntlets are formidable tools, but they must be activated manually.  A witch hunter who is slow on the draw or unable to master the complexities of his gauntlets can be overwhelmed by powerful magical attacks.  The gauntlets provide a tactile warning in the presence of spells or spellcasting (the usual warning is for the levers to vibrate slightly against the palm), but the user must still have the presence of mind and the reflexes to activate the proper sequence of levers to counter the threat.  A witch hunter who is ambushed by a thaumaturge may not even have time to bring his gauntlets into play.

 

Variants

Witch hunter gauntlets are hand-crafted by Panopticon artisans, and vary in quality.  The main variables appear to be the materials used and the skill of the maker.  Higher quality witch hunter gauntlets have more capable shunts, thus making it easier to counteract spells with a fewer number of lever presses (which effectively decreases the reaction time required for a given task).  Even a nondescript pair of witch hunter gauntlets can pose an almost insurmountable obstacle to the average thaumaturge, but high quality gauntlets are much prized.

 

Party Associations

Rene Dubois recovered a pair of witch hunter gauntlets from Dr. Thaddeus Renkvand.  Since Rene's re-death with the assistance of Juliette Kustinof, the gauntlets remain in the party's possession.  Monica Jasmine has taken an interest in them, though she lacks any training in their use.

 

Game Rules

[Editor's Note: The Circle currently has somewhere between two and three magic systems, which necessarily change the rules for using anti-magic items such as witch hunter gauntlets.  This article will give rules for use with the system currently used in the 1699 game, with alternate rules in brackets for the system under development on this wiki.]

 

Using a witch hunter gauntlet in combat is a WitchTech check against a character's agility, with a bonus to the roll conferred by the quality of his gauntlet.  Using a witch hunter gauntlet in combat requires the hand wielding that gauntlet to be free, as the character must touch his fingertips to the triggers in the palms of the gauntlet.  If a character succeeds in his check, he has acted fast enough to utilize the gauntlet against an incoming spell.  Whether the character will succeed in the action is determined by the check's margin of success, as described in more detail below.  If two witch hunter gauntlets are used in concert against a single target, make two separate rolls but add together their margins of success.

 

A witch hunter gauntlet can have the following effects:

 

Fizzle Spell

This ability cancels a single spell or magical effect within 150 feet to which the witch hunter has line of sight (though he may not, of course, be able to actually perceive the spell with his eyes).  It can be used to dispel enchantments or to counteract spells as they are being cast.  It can even be used to cancel spells after they are cast, if the effect of the spell is to create some thaumaturgical construct such as a thaumic fireball (provided, of course, the witch hunter is sufficiently quick on the draw).  Spells of sufficient power can overpower this ability.

 

Fizzling a spell requires the use of only one gauntlet, although both gauntlets may be used in conjunction against a single spell.  Each gauntlet is capable of fizzling one spell per round, and if used to fizzle, cannot perform any other functions that round.  Both gauntlets may be used in conjunction to counteract particularly powerful spells. 

 

Characters fizzling a spell with witch hunter gauntlets make one WitchTech check per gauntlet.  Characters using both gauntlets in conjunction against a single spell make two WitchTech checks, one per gauntlet, and add the margins of success.

 

Fizzling succeeds against a spell unless the spell cost an amount of thauma equal to the WitchTech roll's (or rolls') margin of success times 10.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), he can counteract the target spell unless it cost more than 50 thauma points to cast.

 

[Fizzling succeeds against a spell unless the spell cost an amount of thauma equal to the WitchTech roll's (or rolls') margin of success.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), he can counteract the target spell unless it cost more than 5 thauma points to cast.]

 

Feedback

This ability is used to route a thaumaturge's thauma harmfully through his body, causing physical damage and using some of the mage's thauma points at the same time.  It can be used against any thaumaturge within 150 feet to which the witch hunter has line of sight.  It does not cancel spells, even if used against a thaumaturge in the act of casting, unless the feedback burns enough thauma that the thaumaturge no longer has enough thauma points to cast his spell.  It cannot be used on spells that have already been cast.

 

Feedback requires the use of only one gauntlet, although both gauntlets may be directed against the same target.  Each gauntlet is capable of making one feedback attack per round, and if so used, cannot perform any other functions that round.

 

Characters attacking with feedback using witch hunter gauntlets make one WitchTech check per gauntlet.

 

Feedback burns an amount of thauma equal to the WitchTech roll's margin of success.  It deals damage equal to an amount up to 1d8 per full 3 points of thauma so burned.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), he can burn 5 thauma points and deal up to 1d8 points of damage.  The witch hunter may choose to deal less damage (down to a minimum of 0) after the damage dice have been rolled.  The target thaumaturge may make a Shock Resistance check to avoid the damage.  If the Shock Resistance check succeeds by more than the WitchTech roll, the thaumaturge takes no damage but still loses the thauma points.

 

[Feedback burns an amount of thauma equal to the WitchTech roll's margin of success divided by 5, rounded up.  It deals damage equal to an amount up to 1d8 per full 1 point of thauma so burned.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), he can burn 1 thauma point and deal up to 1d8 points of damage.  The witch hunter may choose to deal less damage (down to a minimum of 0) after the damage dice have been rolled.  The target thaumaturge may make a Shock Resistance check to avoid the damage.  If the Shock Resistance check succeeds by more than the WitchTech roll, the thaumaturge takes no damage but still loses the thauma points.]

 

Anti-Magic Field

This ability projects a spherical field up to 100 feet in diameter in which spells other than ClockTech enchantments fizzle or fail to function.  Spells of sufficient power can penetrate an anti-magic field.

 

Projecting an anti-magic field requires the use of both gauntlets.  Once activated the field does not have to be maintained by further use of the gauntlets, although an active field does prevent either gauntlet from doing anything else.  The field is always centered on the witch hunter projecting it (specifically, on a point equidistant between the two projecting gauntlets).

 

Characters projecting an anti-magic field with witch hunter gauntlets make two WitchTech checks, one for each gauntlet, and keep only the better of the two rolls.

 

An anti-magic field will automatically cancel any spell (other than a ClockTech enchantment) or magical effect within, or passing through, its area of effect unless the spell cost an amount of thauma equal to the WitchTech roll's margin of success times 5.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), his anti-magic field will cancel all spells costing 25 thauma points or less.  More costly spells will penetrate the field.  Spells cancelled by an anti-magic field still cost the caster thauma points.

 

[An anti-magic field will automatically cancel any spell (other than a ClockTech enchantment) or magical effect within, or passing through, its area of effect unless the spell cost an amount of thauma equal to the WitchTech roll's margin of success divided by 2, rounded up.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), his anti-magic field will cancel all spells costing 3 thauma points or less.  More costly spells will penetrate the field.]

 

Freeze Thauma

This ability prevents a thamaturge within 150 feet to which the witch hunter has line of sight from using some portion of his thauma points.  Prolonged use of this ability can make a thaumaturge slightly ill, but it does not have any serious or immediate adverse effects.  A thaumaturge under the effect of a freeze ability is still able to cast spells, provided he can do so using the un-frozen portion of his thauma points.

 

Freezing thauma requires the use of only one gauntlet, although both gauntlets may be used against a single target for a greater effect.  The effect lasts for ten minutes from initial activation, during which time the gauntlet (or gauntlets) cannot be used for other functions but the witch hunter's hands are free.

 

Characters freezing thauma with witch hunter gauntlets make one WitchTech check per gauntlet.  Characters using both gauntlets against a single thaumaturge make two WitchTech checks, one per gauntlet, and add the margins of success.

 

Freezing automatically succeeds, and freezes an amount of thauma points equal to the WitchTech roll's (or rolls') margin of success times 5.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), his target cannot use his last 25 thauma points.

 

[Freezing automatically succeeds, and freezes an amount of thauma points equal to the WitchTech roll's (or rolls') margin of success divided by 2, rounded up.  Thus, if a witch hunter succeeds by 5 (including the bonus from his gauntlets), his target cannot use his last 3 thauma points.]