Tuesday Magic Item – Roqard’s Gauntlet of Challenges

As Roqard and his clique swept through the halls of court, scattering courtiers and servants in front of them who reformed in worried groups in their wake.

Roqard at last found his prey, the young Chevalier D’Jaq who was chatting with one of the Queen’s handmaids next to the Seven Mermaid Fountain.  He realized too late that he was being stalked.  He looked around for a way out, but unless he retreated through the fountain, he was trapped.

“I have heard that you have insulted my prowess, Chevalier,” Roqard said and snapped his glove across the young man’s face.  “Meet me on the field of Honour at dawn tomorrow or be branded a liar and a coward.”

The young man felt the sting of the glove and debated if the shame of dishonour was a greater fear than Roqard’s blade.  “At dawn,” he agreed.

Roqard’s Gauntlet of Challenges

These exquisite gloves are usually made of silk reinforced with fine leather and silver thread.  They are beautiful yet practical wear for a duelist.

Worn on the belt or carried, they provide a +3 competence bonus to Intimidate checks.  Worn on the hands, as gloves should be, they provide a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls made with a weapon held in the gloved hands.

Once a day, when used to challenge someone to a duel by striking said someone, if the duel is refused, the mark of the glove is visible for 3+3d10 days and imposes a -3 penalty to all Charisma-based checks made by the marked person and may trigger other social sanctions.

Aura moderate enchantment; CL 5th
Slot none or hands (see above); Price 5,000; Weight 1 lb
Construction Requirements
Craft Magical Arms and Armor, Craft Wondrous Item, arcane mark, cat’s grace, eagle’s splendor, fear; Cost 2,500

Notes: Something courtly to contrast with the Vigilant Eye of the Republic, it was this sort of item that increased bitterness against the aristocracy.

Photo by liz west and used under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.