[Cosmos] Item - Powerjack

Nodes on the fingertips allow for extremely fine real-time control of the technomantic weave. Such gloves are a requirement for circumventing the most sophisticated cybersecurity.

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POWERJACK
Wondrous item, technomancy, very rare (requires attunement)

This glove functions as a holopad and a set of hacker's tools. While wearing it, you have proficiency with hacker's tools if you don't already have it, and you can remotely interface with technomantic terminals up to 30 feet away even if they would normally require a physical connection.

Discharge Current. While wearing this glove, you can cast the jolting spark* cantrip from it at will. You can also cast the lightning bolt spell from it (spell save DC 17) once, regaining the ability to cast it at next dawn.

Inject Executable. If you gain system access to a device or holoscreen you can also inject malicious commands into it using this glove. For the duration of your access, you can manipulate it in one of the following ways, if applicable.

• Hijack Image (Holoscreen Only). You can use an action to display another image of your design on the screen. A creature that uses its action to examine the image can determine it has been hijacked with a successful DC 15 Intelligence check using Arcana, Investigation, or hacker's tools.

• Overcharge (Any Device or Holoscreen That Sheds Light). You can use an action to overload the device or screen, which flashes brilliant bright light out to a radius based on the target's size: 5 feet (Tiny), 10 feet (Small), 20 feet (Medium or Large), or 40 feet (Huge or larger). Each creature in the bright light must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be blinded until the start of your next turn.

• Switch (Any Device or Holoscreen). You can use an action to turn the device or screen on or off.

Root Override. You can use an action to cast the command spell on a Construct with the Technomancy tag (spell save DC 17). If the Construct succeeds on the save or when the spell ends, that Construct is immune to this property for the next 24 hours.

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Legendary Variant. The legendary version of this glove has these changes. Its spell save DC for the Discharge Current and Root Override properties are 18 insead of 17. While wearing it, you can also cast channel technovirus* from it once (save DC 18), regaining the ability to cast it at next dawn.

Prosthesis Variant. This version of the item is a prosthesis instead of a glove, which replaces a lost arm. While attuned to it, it functions identically to an arm and cannot be removed from you against your will.

*See Cosmos 3 - Spells.

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DESIGN COMMENTARY

The first of a couple hacking-related items - the Powerjack is of course, a riff on the incredible aesthetic of a hacker with a keyboard mounted on its glove. It's the Power Glove but (hopefully) much cooler.

As the best hacking item in the book, it grants proficiency with hacker's tools (minoir), with the ability to interface remotely. I treat this like a mage hand cantrip, with arcane trickster perks. The full rules will be fleshed out later in the book, but for now just note that hacking physical things always requires wired connections (as you would lockpick a door).

Discharge Current grants a cantrip and a single 3rd-level spell.

Inject Executable grants 2 roleplay options (that any character can sort of already do). The stand-out is Overcharge, which can briefly blind enemies at will; a good player can basically make it happen every turn. Though it seems powerful, characters at this level of play are already equally effective just making attacks (3d8 cantrips!), so this feature's power level is overall considered minor.

Root Override is a sort-of ribbon ability, in that it's situational, but the specific targets do show up more often in the setting. Technomancy Constructs are drones and security mechs (but not cyborgs). I estimate it'll see use maybe 3 times per day at most.

All-in-all, this item is ~3 cantrips, (mage hand, jolting spark, minor illusion), three 1st-level spells, one 3rd-level spell, one proficiency, and one persistently helpful effect. It's definitely stronger than rare, but given the limited effectiveness of its abilities, does not rival other legendary items. The Powerjack sits well within Very Rare.