Scrimshaw Charms

Scrimshaw Charms

There are three aspects to creating a Charm: Level, Medium, and Pattern.

There are three Levels of Charm, Novice, Initiate, and Master.
Novice Charms are the easiest to craft, but are also the weakest.
Master Charms are the hardest to craft, but are also the most powerful.
Initiate Charms are somewhere in the middle.

The effects they offer are many and varied, they depend on the pattern carved into the medium.

Aspects of Charms and Bone

The Medium is always Bone, though there are two further aspects of the Bone that must be known; the Quantity, and the Quality.

The Quantity of the Bone depends on how much you have to work with. If you have an entire skeleton, you can afford to spoil your work many times before being forced to stop. If you have merely a knuckle-bone, you have no such second chance.
The Quantity of Bone you have is recorded as either a Pittance, a Bundle, or a Heap. A Pittance is mostly equivalent to a few good finger bones. A Bundle is mostly equivalent to a majority or so of a fully grown human's skeleton. A Heap is mostly equivalent to a good few humans' full skeletons.

The Quality of the Bone depends on many factors, and represents the power inherent in the Bone. Higher Quality Bone makes it easier to craft a charm, and Master level Charms require high Quality Bone to even begin. Some of the Factors that influence the quality of the Bone are the type of creature you took it from, the potency of the creature in life, and how whole the Bone is. Some charms will favour some types of Bone, and will treat the Bone as if it were higher quality than it is. Quality is recorded as either Poor, Fine, or Brilliant. Poor Bone is usually broken badly in some way. Fine Bone is what most people have in their bodies; deformed in each person's unique way, or bearing some small defect. Brilliant Bone is flawless, and a taxonomic exemplar of a species' Bones.

When You First Learn Scrimshaw

If you have learned Scrimshaw at character creation, you know Charm Patterns of your choice equal to 1 plus your choice of your Wisdom or Intelligence modifier, and 1 Minor Pattern. You also begin with Sets of Bone equal to the Modifier you didn't choose, generated as if bought from a Bone Merchant.

If you learn Scrimshaw during play, when you gain your first rank, you learn Randomly selected Charm Patterns equal to 1 plus your choice of your Wisdom or Intelligence Modifier, and 1 minor Pattern.  

Recording Your Bone

Every load of Bone you possess for the purposes of Scrimshaw is called a Set, and always has the properties of Quantity and Quality, and sometimes others.
Each set of Bone should be recorded in this manner; a [Quantity] of [Quality] [Creature Type] Bone.

For example; a Bundle of Fine Fey Bone.

Any further details, such as specific bones gathered or traits of the being you gathered Bone from, should be recorded beneath the primary description of the set. When using bone with that specific extra detail, such as if you are using spell-caster bone, always treat those specific Bones as having a Quantity of Pittance.
For example, you might have a:

Trove of Fine Humanoid Bone
- Spellcaster Bone
- Scapulas
- Diseased Bone

If you use these more specific types of Bone, and the dice say you should deplete them, merely remove them from that set of Bone, the Quantity of the main Set is not affected, unless it is also a Pittance with no other specific Bones, in which case it is also depleted. They are also always treated as being the same Quality of Bone as their parent Set. If they are higher Quality, then they belong to a different Set of Bone don't they?

Types of Pattern

There are a wide, wide variety of Patterns, and they determine the effects the charms have, and they are themselves divided into seven categories: Curse, Luck, Skill, Odd, Spell, Spirit, and Ward. There are also minor Charms that have similarly limited powers known by most that carve Bone.

Curse charms are bound with magics that bring misfortune or harm on others. They are more potent when crafted with Bone that is related by species or blood to the target.

Luck charms are wound with lines that bring fortune to you or deflect harm from you. They are more potent when crafted with Bone that is related by species or blood to you.

Skill charms are run about with engravings that enhance your abilities and provide knowledge. They are more potent when crafted with Bone from a being skilled in the knowledge you wish the charm to provide.

Odd charms are adorned with a chaos of lines and dots that provide a plethora of effects that are not easily placed in other categories. There is no way to predict what Bones will enhance their potency until the first time the pattern is attempted.

Spell charms are marked with arcane runes and equations that mimic the effects of a spell when broken. They are more potent when crafted with the Bones of spellcasters.

Spirit charms are marred by faux-tooth and claw marks that can be used to call upon a spirit creature to do the crafter’s will. They are most potent when crafted with the Bones of the animal whose spirit will be called on.

Ward charms are emblazoned with sigils that offer protection and safety to their creator. They are most potent when crafted with the Bones of a creature that was resistant to the type of the danger the charm itself offers protection to.

Minor Charms have only slight works and lines written into them, and off small benefits or charms for their makers. Minor Charms are also unique in four ways; there is no chance of failure when crafting them, they can only be made at novice level, they can only benefit the person who crafted them, and they do not require attunement. Anyone with ranks in Scrimshaw knows a number of minor patterns equal to their Scrimshaw Ranks.

To use a Charm, one must only have it on their person. They must be attuned to as if they were magic items; though you may attune to a number of Bone Charms equal to your proficiency modifier using 1 attunement slot if you crafted the Charms, if you did not craft the Charms, you can attune to a number equal to half your proficiency modifier (rounded down) using a single attunement slot. Charms whose effects are triggered when broken do not require attunement. Charms that target creatures other than those attuned to them must still be attuned to a creature for their effects to work. Minor Charms do not require attunement.

Retrieving Bone

Buying

Bone can be bought from the right people, though often in limited quantities and qualities. A typical Bone-seller’s inventory will have d4 lots of Bone for sail. 

For each lot, roll a d6. Each roll of 1, 2, or 3 represents a lot of Poor Quality Bone. If the roll was a 1, it is a Pittance; if it was a 2 it is a Bundle, if it was a 3 it is a Heap. 

Each roll of 4, or 5 represents a lot of Fine Quality Bone. If the roll was a 4, it is a Pittance; if the roll was a 5, it is a Bundle. 

Each roll of 6 represents a lot of Brilliant Quality Bone. Brilliant Quality Bone is always offered as in a Pittance.

For a lot of Poor Quality roll a d4. For a lot of Fine Quality, roll a d6. For a lot of Brilliant Quality, roll a d10. Use the table below to determine the type of creature the Bone came from:

1 - Beast
2 - Humanoid
3 - Monstrosity
4 - Undead
5 - Giant
6 - Aberration
7 - Fey
8 - Dragon
9 - Celestial
10 - Infernal

Specific Bones cannot usually be bought, though they might be "ordered" in advance, at the DM's discretion.
Prices are determined at the DM’s discretion.

Harvesting

Using the corpse of a creature, Bone can be retrieved using your Medicine, Nature, or Scrimshaw skill.

When you harvest Bone from a creature, take a number of dice equal to your ranks in your choice of your Medicine, Nature, or Scrimshaw skill +1, and roll them. You may pair up dice that show the same result. For each pair of 1, 2, or 3, you have found some Poor Quality Bone. If the roll was a 1, it is a Pittance; if it was a 2 it is a Bundle, if it was a 3 it is a Heap. For each pair of 4, or 5, you have found some Fine Quality Bone. If the roll was a 4, it is a Pittance; if the roll was a 5, it is a Bundle. For each pair of 6, you have found Brilliant Quality Bone. Brilliant Bone is always found as a Pittance.

If you can match no dice, you find no worthwhile Bone.

For each spare dice you have no paired or have chosen not to pair, you may also specify a specific bone to be included in that set of Bone, which should be recorded with it.

It takes 10 minutes to attempt to harvest bone from a creature, or 20 minutes if the creature is huge or larger.

You can only harvest Bone from any given creature once.

Finding/Looting in Dungeon

Generally, Bone that you find amongst the debris of adventuring that you don't personally and bodily tear free from a creature you have recently slain will not be suitable for carving Bones. If it is, your Dungeon Master should tell you so, and any special aspects that it may have (though you may need to investigate the Bone further to discern them if the DM deems necessary). Generally, these Bones will always be a Pittance, and your DM will tell you what Quality they are. You should probably record these separately from your other sets of Bone.

Searching during Down-Time 

If you have access to truly gargantuan quantities of bone, such as those in a catacomb, you may harvest Bone during your Down-Time. For each day's worth of searching you do, you may test your Scrimshaw skill (with difficulty depending on the source of the Bone at the DM's discretion), and if you succeed, you may determine one set of Bone in the same way as you would determine one from a Bone-Seller's inventory, though it is always of the appropriate type and species for the source of Bone you utilise.

Increasing Amounts of Bone You Already Have

If you find a type of Bone from a type of creature that shares a Quality which you already have and has a higher Quantity, replace it with the higher Quantity. If it has a lower Quantity, it gives no extra benefit. If it has the same Quantity, put a check next to the Bone, and roll a d6. If you roll more than the number of checks, there is no change, but leave the checks there. If you roll the same as, or less than the number of checks, increase the Quantity.

You can't increase the Quantity of a Hoard. 

Discovering Patterns

You can discover a pattern by researching, similarly to researching a new spell.

To research, you should choose whether you are researching a pattern of any kind, a pattern from a specific Category, or if you wish to find a Pattern with a specific effect (or create a new Pattern with an effect of your devising).

If you wish to discover a random pattern, take a pool of 3d4. At the end of each day spent mostly researching, roll the pool, and remove any 1s. When you have no dice left in your pool, you discover a pattern.

If you wish to discover a pattern from a specific category, take a pool of 4d8. At the end of each day spent mostly researching, roll the pool, and remove any 1s. When you have no dice left in your pool, you discover a pattern.

If you wish to discover a specific pattern (or create a new pattern), take a pool of 5d12. At the end of each day spent mostly researching, roll the pool, and remove any 1s. When you have no dice left in your pool, you discover a pattern.

You may stop researching a pattern at any time, but if you do, all progress is lost unless you start researching the same pattern where you left it off.

Crafting a Charm

When you wish to make a Charm, you must decide on the Pattern you wish to engrave, the Level you wish to engrave it at, and the Medium you will carve it on. If you are told to treat your Bone as being levels of Quality higher than it actually is, you can increase the level of Quality beyond Brilliant; record it as Brilliant+The number of increased Quality levels, eg. Brilliant+2

When carving a Curse Charm, you must use a Bone from the same species as the creature you want to be affected by the Charm. You also treat Bone that is from a creature related to the Target as being 1 level of Quality higher than it actually is, and Bone that is from the specific creature as being 2 Quality higher.

When carving a Luck Charm, you treat Bone that is from the same species as you as being 1 Quality higher than it actually is, and Bone that is from you as being 2 Quality higher.

When carving a Skill Charm, you treat Bone from a creature who had at least 1 rank in the relevant skill as being 1 Quality higher, and Bone from a creature who had at least 3 ranks in the relevant skill as being 2 Quality higher.

When carving an Odd Charm, roll two d20 on the table below to determine two Bone aspects. If the Bone matches one aspect, it is counted as being 1 Quality higher than it actually is, and if it matches both aspects, it counts as being 2 Quality higher than it actually is.

Bone Aspect Table
1 - Beast Bone
2 - Humanoid Bone
3 - Monstrosity Bone
4 - Undead Bone
5 - Giant Bone
6 - Aberration Bone
7 - Fey Bone
8 - Dragon Bone
9 - Celestial Bone
10 - Infernal Bone
11 - Magic User Bone
12 - Non-Magic User Bone
13 - Bone from a Small or smaller Creature
14 - Bone from a Large or larger Creature
15 - Bone from someone related to you (including you)
16 - Bone that is at least 100 years old.
17 - Bone that is less than a year old.
18 - Bone that bears the mark of a strange disease.
19 - Bone that has shed blood before.
20 - Saint's Bones.

When carving a Spell Charm, you treat Bone from a creature that could cast any spells at all as being 1 Quality higher than it actually is, and Bone from a creature that could cast at least 4th level spells as being 2 Quality higher.

When carving a Spirit Charm, you treat Bone from a creature that matches the type of spirit the pattern will summon as being 1 Quality higher than it actually is, and Bone from a creature of at least double its normal hit dice that matches the type of spirit the pattern will summon as being 2 quality higher.

When carving a Ward Charm, you treat Bone from a creature that had resistance to the type of damage the pattern wards against as being 1 Quality higher than it actually is, and Bone from a creature that is immune to the type of damage the pattern wards against as being 2 higher.

Novice Charms are relatively easy to make, and a skilled Scrimshaw carver can have no chance of failure with a high Quality piece of Bone. Initiate Charms are somewhat trickier to make, though a skilled Scrimshaw carver with a high Quality piece of Bone will still have a very good chance of succeeding on the first try. Master Charms are very challenging to make, and even a master Scrimshaw carver could fail multiple times even with a high Quality piece of Bone.

When choosing a piece of Bone to work, the high the Quality of the Bone, the easier it will be to craft. Having a high Quantity of Bone will not directly increase your chances of success, but it will give you extra chances should you fail. You can only choose one piece of Bone to work at any one time.

When crafting the Charm itself, take a dice depending on the Level of charm you are attempting to craft.

If you wish to craft a Novice charm, take a d8. 

If you wish to craft an Initiate charm, take a d12. 

If you wish to craft a Master charm, take a d20. 

When using Poor Quality Bone, your target number is 1. 

If you are using Fine Quality Bone, your target number is 3. 

If you are using Brilliant Quality Bone, your target number is 7. 

When using Bone of a Quality higher than Brilliant, add double the bonus levels to your Target Number. E.g. if you are using Brilliant+2 Bone, your target number is 11. 

If your Scrimshaw skill is at least equal to the Target Number, you may roll twice and take the better result; treating Target Numbers higher than 7 as 7 for this purpose. 

You must roll beneath the Target Number. 

Each time you roll, you must also roll a dice to see if your stock of Bone is depleted. 

For a Pittance, roll a d4. 

For a Bundle, roll a d6.

For a Heap, roll a d8.

On the roll of a 1, you decrease the Quantity of Bone you are working with one step, or remove it entirely if it has a Quantity of Pittance. If using a specific type of Bone from a set, rolls of 1, or 2 deplete that specific Bone type, though remember this has no effect on the Parent Set unless it is also a Pittance with no other specific types of Bone as a part of it. 

Regardless of success or failure, each attempt takes 2 hours for a Novice charm, 8 hours for an Initiate charm, and 1 week for a Master charm.

Example in Action:

Jerrick has a Scrimshaw skill of 3, and has the following set of Bone:

A Bundle of Poor Humanoid Bone
- Spellcaster Bone (2nd level)
- Rib Bone

He wishes to carve an Initiate level Spell Charm using his Spellcaster's bone. The spellcaster had 2nd level spells, so he increases the quality of his bone to Brilliant for the purposes of crafting the charm. His target number is thus 7. He takes his d12, and only rolls it once since his skill is less than the target number. He rolls a 4, and takes 8 hours to craft the Charm. He then rolls a d4 to see if he depletes his Spellcaster Bone since it is always treated as a Pittance, and rolls a 2, so the Bone is depleted, but this has no effect on the Parent Set other than that.

Bone Charm Patterns

Notes to DM: Charms numbered 1 through 10 are the basic Charms that can be randomly researched. Charms marked with a * were made by a player requesting a specific effect. Will probably add a few letters to mark which player created which pattern.

When reading the effects, when there are words in italics separated by /’s, they separate the effects of Novice/Initiate/Master charms.

Curse Charms
1 - If something kills you, they too shall die within a year/month/week.
2 - The target suffers seemingly endless and cruel Dreams, for a week/a month/a year.
3 - The target suffers end of Love, to their gain/to no particular hurt/in the worst way possible.
4 - The target finds it all too easy to wander off/get lost/be hopelessly astray.
5 - The target contracts a minor illness/a serious condition/a deadly plague.
6 - Animals find the target uncomfortable to be around/an annoyance/an active threat.
7 - The target will often find themselves mildly unlucky/somewhat unlucky/desperately unlucky.
8 - The target will never be able to sleep more than 6/4/2 hours each night.
9 - The target will find themselves drawn into an endless sleep for d4 days/d4 weeks/d4 months.
10 - If you use two Bones in this charm, you can cause mild/serious/deadly antipathy between two targets.

Luck Charms
1 - When you roll a d20, your rolls of 4/5/6 are counted as 8/10/12.
2 - When you roll a d20, also roll a d8/d10/d12 with it, and use the higher roll.
3 - If a ranged weapon attack misses your AC by 1, if you make a successful dexterity save with a DC of the attack roll, the attack hits something else within 5/10/15 feet of you.
4 - Add a +1/+2/+3 bonus to a saving throw that you add no proficiency to (decide when you craft the charm).
5 - You score a critical hit on rolls of 19/18/17 or higher. (Cannot be further modified)
6 - Every week, roll a d10. On the roll of a 10, you gain a few coins/a handful of coins/a purse of coins.
7 - When you roll for regaining HP, or gaining HP because of a level up, your results are counted as being 2/3/4 if they would be lower.
8 - Add a +1/+2/+3 to a skill that you are not proficient in (decide when you craft the charm).
9 - When you suffer a critical hit, you have a 1 in 6/2 in 6/3 in 6 chance to ignore the extra damage and effects.
10 - When you fail a skill check, you may try again if you choose. This charm has 1/3/7 uses.

Skill Charms
1 - Add a +d4/+d6/+d8 to all skill checks to do with Nautical activities.
2 - Add a +d4/+d6/+d8 to all skill checks to do with Meat.
3 - Add a +d4/+d6/+d8 to all skill checks to do with interacting with Animals.
4 - Add a +d4/+d6/+d8 to all skill checks to do with restraining someone.
5 - Add a +d4/+d6/+d8 to all skill checks to do with Doors.
6 - Add a +d4/+d6/+d8 to all skill checks to do with Foraging or Hunting for Food.
7 - Add a +d4/+d6/+d8 to all skill checks undertaken in Total Darkness.
8 - While you hold this charm, you have advantage on all checks using one/two/all set(s) of tools with which the creature whose Bone you used to craft this charm was proficient with (choose when you craft the charm, if you choose a tool set with which the creature was not proficient with, the charm has no effect).
9 - While you hold this charm, you roll one/two/three additional d20s, choosing the highest result on all history checks to do with the species whose Bone you used to craft this charm.
10 - You learn skills 1/3/7 days quicker than normal.

Odd Charms
1 - You can talk to your choice of one/two/three of rats, bats, cats, and gnats (choose when you craft the charm).
2 - Can be planted, and 1/2d4/3d8 mushrooms with strange powers will grow there 1 minute later.
3 - You grow gills while this charm is in your mouth. Can be used for 1/10/100 minutes each day.
4 - Your dreams are slightly/kind of/somewhat prophetic.
5 - Your touch is slightly/kind of/somewhat reassuring.
6 - You can eat some/a meals worth of/all your food needs of spoiled food.
7 - Will point at the nearest grave within a mile/10 miles/100 miles when dropped.
8 - This Charm is a whistle, and can mimic a noise chosen when the charm is crafted/a noise you have heard within the last hour/a noise you have heard in the last day. Once a noise is chosen, that is the only noise it can mimic.
9 - You sound like a specified individual chosen when this charm was crafted/at least a day in advance of/just before you hold this charm to your throat. Once an individual is chosen, that is the only individual it can imitate.
10 - When broken, this charm releases a swarm of flies/rats/locusts that obey the first order you give them, for no longer than 1 hour/1 day/1 week.

Spell Charms
1 - You cast blade ward/sanctuary/pass without trace
2 - You cast produce flame/fog cloud/web3 - You cast true strike/detect magic/detect thoughts
4 - You cast friends/charm person/enthrall
5 - You cast light/faerie fire/scorching ray
6 - You cast minor illusion/disguise self/invisibility
7 - You cast spare the dying/false life/blindness or deafness
8 - You cast prestidigitation/goodberry/enhance ability
9 - When a spell is cast within 10 feet of you, you gain one/three/seven temporary hit points.
10 - You may memorise one/two/four more spells than you normally could.

Spirit Charms

All summoned creatures will serve faithfully for a maximum of 1 month, or until they use up their allotted abilities.
1 - When you break this charm, you summon a cat that knows 1/3/7 random 1st level wizard spells, that can teach them to you over 10 minutes, though you can't write these spells down in any way.
2 - When you break this charm, you summon a bat that will faithfully spy/report on 1/2/4 areas, using any senses at its disposal.
3 - When you break this charm, you summon a wolf with 1/2/4 hit dice that serves you faithfully.
4 - When you break this charm, you summon a raven that will whisper 1/2/4 secrets in your ear.
5 - When you break this charm, you summon a rat that will faithfully fetch 1/2/4 items that a rat could feasibly carry at your request.
6 - When you break this charm, you summon an owl that will translate 1/3/7 conversation(s) or paragraph(s) of any language that it hears or reads, and whisper them in your ear.
7 - When you break this charm, you summon a terrible worm that will destroy any object that could conceivably be eaten over the course of 1 day/1 hour/1 minute.
8 - When you break this charm, you cast find familiar, though it will only serve for 1 day/1 week/1 month.
9 - Any creatures that are summoned by magic within 10 feet of this charm have 1/2/4 extra bonus hit die.
10 - When you break this charm you cast animal friendship/beast sense/animal messenger.

Ward Charms
1 - A creature that has just dealt you damage has a -1/-2/-4 to hit you for the next day.
2 - A creature that inflicts a condition on you has a 1 in 6/1 in 4/1 in 2 chance of suffering it too.
3 - All creatures have a -1/-2/-4 modifier to all opposed strength and dexterity skills involving you.
4 - You reduce the damage each dice of fire damage deals to you by 1/2/3.
5 - You reduce the damage each dice of cold damage deals to you by 1/2/3.
6 - You reduce the damage each dice of lightning damage deals to you by 1/2/3.
7 - You reduce the damage each dice of thunder damage deals to you by 1/2/3.
8 - You reduce the damage each dice of acid damage deals to you by 1/2/3.
9 - You reduce the damage each dice of poison damage deals to you by 1/2/3.
10 - You reduce the damage each dice of radiant and necrotic damage deals to you by 1/2/3.

Minor Charms
1 - You may eat this charm to gain the benefits of a small meal taken from the animal whose bone the charm was carved from, though it provides no relief from hunger.
2 - If you carve this Charm on a bone that matches a place on your body where you have suffered a wound, it will heal twice as quickly.
3 - If you burn this charm, it burns for 24 hours, and will not go out unless you specifically douse it.
4 - Leaving this charm under your pillow while you sleep protects you from bad dreams and other such unconscious interference (equivalent to advantage on any saves against such effects).
5 - Carrying this charm gives you a small friendship with rats for a number of days equal to the number of knuckle-bones you used to craft the charm.
6 - Carrying this charm protects you from the evil eye (equivalent to advantage on any saves against such effects). This charm must be carved from a skull fragment that includes a whole eye-socket.
7 - This charm feels cold when malevolent spirits are present. It must be carved from the bone of a murderer.
8 - This charm always points north when dropped. It must always be carved from a matching pair of Ribs.
9 - Planting this charm in a field of crops ensures they will not be blighted for a month. This Charm must be carved from a Pelvis.
10 - Intergrating this charm into the walls of a building ensures it will not be blown down by storms. This Charm must be carved from at least 3 Spinal Vertebrae.