Originally posted on the official website on March 1st, 2021
Sheikah Slate Core v2.01
Table of contents
Art by Nintendo
The Sheikah Slate is a versatile tool in Breath of the Wild, providing all sorts of benefits: from taking photos to providing a map, casting spells to teleporting across Hyrule, it’s almost too good to be true! And in many ways, it was. But now, so long after the debut of Reclaim the Wild, we can provide a (somewhat) balanced way of having Sheikah Slates in tabletop!
Sheikah Slate Beginnings
The Sheikah Slate is a rather complicated tool that not just any Magitechnologist can craft. As such, the feat below represents the specialized training required to craft a Sheikah Slate.
New Feat: Sheikah Slate Craft
3 tokens
Requirement: Quest Reward or GM Approval Only
Effect: You can now craft the Sheikah Slate. When you learn this feat, choose between Magic or Stamina. Any Sheikah Slate you craft will use the resource you specify.
Special: You can take this feat more than once. This will allow you to choose whether the Sheikah Slate you craft will use Magic or Stamina. This may require completing a different quest.
Starting with a Sheikah Slate
The Sheikah Slate is relatively expensive to craft (see below), so a player cannot start the game with one without a GM’s permission.
If the GM does decide to allow a player to begin with a Sheikah Slate, we recommend keeping the Sheikah Slate to either Rank 1 or Rank 0, depending on the character and their circumstances. We also recommend replacing one of the character’s starting Tools with their starting Sheikah Slate.
If the GM wishes, Sheikah Slates for starting players can lack some or all of the base functionality, and the players can unlock that base functionality as they play the game.
Using a Sheikah Slate
The Sheikah Slate is a one-handed Personalised Tool that grants the user multiple benefits. Some of these benefits use either Magic or Stamina, as determined by the Sheikah Slate Craft feat options the creator has.
The Sheikah Slate comes with the following Runes preinstalled:
- Camera Rune: Allows the use of the Camera spell, using either Magic or Stamina, as determined by the Sheikah Slate feat options the creator has.
- Album Rune: Can hold (Rank + 1) * 5 free photographs with the Camera spell before needing to use your own Magic or Stamina.
- Magical Song Rune: Allows the use of any number of Magical Songs. The Slate can learn or teach Magical Songs in the same manner as anyone else. When playing a Magical Song using this Rune, use [(Mechanics + the Slate’s Rank)/3] to determine Musical Power.
- Misc Runes: Your Slate can keep track of dates, time, provide current weather information (including temperature), and you can write in your Slate.
- Scope Rune: Can be used as Telescope of the same Rank.
- Spell and Technique Runes: Allows you to temporarily use Spells or Techniques by channeling them through the Slate; typically these will not directly deal damage. Spells and Techniques will use the same resource as the Camera Rune. You can unlock or gain individual Runes through quest rewards, as determined by the GM. In addition, you can gain improvements to the Spells and Techniques, such as applying the Wizardly bonus, or Practiced Efficiency (and similar feats), as rewards.
If To-Hit Rolls are called for when using the Sheikah Slate, the Slate’s Accuracy is 5. Any bonuses gained from the base Slate functionality or the Personal Touches do not stack with those provided by other Tools (typically Written Books or Toolkits).
The Sheikah Slate uses Durability much like a weapon would; see the rules for the Everything Breaks Master Mode. Only subtract Durability once for each scene in which the Sheikah Slate is used, similar to usage of a Weapon in battle; certain uses of the Slate (such as viewing photographs or using Misc Runes) do not take Durability. Unlike weapons, the Sheikah Slate can be repaired; see the rules for Repairing & Upgrading Weapon Spirits.
Heroes may place Sheikah Slates in their Pack, in the Tools pouch.
Sheikah Slate Appearance
Sheikah Slates have a varied appearance both within and outside the land of Hyrule. Skilled Sheikah Slate craftsmen, rare as they are, often put their own personal spin on the Tool. Player characters are no exception.
The classical Sheikah Slate is a palm-sized device with a screen on one side, the Crest of the Sheikah on the other, a handle, and a ring.
Other potential varieties include:
- A clamshell design that protects the screen;
- A small device strapped to the wrist;
- A projector that creates interactive holograms;
- A device attached to your ear with a visor going over one eye;
- A table-sized slate designed to be stationary within a building.
Cultures outside (or even inside) of Hyrule may refer to these devices by different names:
- Uncle Rupee and his employees call his version Tingle Tuners;
- Inkling scholars refer to them as Abstracti (singular abstractus);
- More common inkling soldiers call them abbeys (from ABstractus), or inkpads.
- Cultures in contact with the Galactic Federation may refer to them as Datapads or Dataslates;
- Silph Pads in the Pokemon World;
- Super Tablets in the Mushroom Kingdom and surrounding kingdoms;
- Agarthans would call them pedestrian;
- The inhabitants of Popstar call them Star Mirrors;
- Angel Land inhabitants can call them Divine Tablets.
The appearance and mechanics of a Sheikah Slate might depend on its creator, the world, and the themes and tone of your campaign. GMs and players should work together to stretch their creativity!
Crafting a Sheikah Slate
Crafting a Sheikah Slate requires a Forge and consumes:
- 1 unit of Luminous Stone
- 3 units of Topaz
- 5 units of Wood
- 7 units of Ancient material
… all of the same rank. This creates a Sheikah Slate of that Rank. (You can, of course, use higher-Ranked Materials, but the Sheikah Slate will be of the lowest-Ranked unit of Material used in its construction.)
The Rank of Materials you can use to craft a Sheikah Slate is limited by your Enchanting and Mechanics Traits: you may only use Materials of a Rank equal to [the lower of (Enchanting / 2, rounded down) or (Mechanics / 2, rounded down)], or less. However, you can cooperate with another crafter that has the same version of the feat you chose (both Magic, or both Stamina). In that case, you and your partner will use the higher value for both the Enchanting and Mechanics requirements.
Deconstructing a Sheikah Slate
Deconstructing a Sheikah Slate typically returns 1 Topaz and 2 Wood, and 4 Ancient Materials of the Sheikah Slate’s Rank.
If the Sheikah Slate was made with a different combination of Wood and Ancient material than is typical, then you might get back a different amount of those Materials, based on that ratio. Or, for simplicity, you could just get back 4 Ancient and 1 Wood, even if Wood was not used in construction of the Sheikah Slate.
Upgrading a Sheikah Slate
Sheikah Slates can be upgraded, allowing you to improve their abilities and alter their Personal Touches (below).
Upgrading a Sheikah Slate is mechanically the same as creating a new Sheikah Slate, and deconstructing the old Sheikah Slate at the same time: you consume Materials to create your new Sheikah Slate at the new Rank, and you receive the Materials of the Sheikah Slate’s old Rank from deconstructing it.
Screenshot from Breath of the Wild
Personal Touches
When you craft or upgrade a Sheikah Slate, you also decide on its Personal Touches, much like when you build a Castle using the rules found in Rebuild the Wild. Sheikah Slates may have up to (Rank) many Personal Touches. Each Personal Touch may only be taken once, unless otherwise stated.
When you upgrade a Sheikah Slate, you may change any existing Personal Touches it had, in addition to adding new Personal Touches based on its Rank.
Below are just a handful of the Personal Touches your Sheikah Slate might have – but don’t be afraid to discuss your own ideas for Personal Touches with your GM!
- Aim Assist Rune: When rolling To-Hit Evasion using Spells and Techniques granted by the Slate, increase your roll by (1 + (Rank / 2)).
- Attunement Rune: This Sheikah Slate is specifically attuned to you. Treat this as if the Sheikah Slate had the “Loyal” Enchantment on it, of a Rank equal to the Sheikah Slate’s Rank. Further, anyone who does not have your explicit permission to use the Sheikah Slate will treat the target of any of the Spells or Techniques granted by the Sheikah Slate as being Hard to Hit, impose a -2 penalty to all bonuses granted by the Slate (this can be negative), and will have their Musical Power be reduced by 2.
- Azuretooth Accessory: You may use your Sheikah Slate if it is in one of your Belt slots, without needing a free hand. Cloying Rune: When rolling To-Hit Concentration using Spells and Techniques granted by the Slate, increase your roll by (1 + (Rank / 2)).
- Forceful Rune: When rolling To-Hit Vitality using Spells and Techniques granted by the Slate, increase your roll by (1 + (Rank / 2)).
- Improved Album and Camera Runes: Your number of free photograph slots is doubled. In addition, you can manipulate the images with filters, by marking certain parts of the image, and the like.
- Knowledge Rune: Choose a benefit of a Written Book or Toolkit that your GM allows. This Slate acts as the chosen Tool of the same Rank. This can be taken multiple times; each time you take it, choose a different benefit.
- Light Rune: The Slate can be used as a Lantern of the same rank.
- Lore Codex Rune: When you take this option, choose one of the following traits: Arcana, Civilization, Mechanics, or Nature. When you use Learn Lore with that trait, you gain a (Rank / 2) bonus. This does not stack with bonuses from any other Tools. This can be taken multiple times; each time you take it, select a different trait.
- Musical Rune: The Slate can be used as a Phonograph of the same rank. It can record and save sounds for up to [(Rank + 1) * 5] minutes, and can both read and write Discs. In addition, it can be used as a regular Instrument of the same rank. You can use the regular Musical Power formula instead of the one provided by the Magical Song Rune.
- Navigation Rune: The Slate provides a Map of the surrounding area. This map’s details are based on either what is programmed into the Slate, and is otherwise based upon what the user can see. Add (Rank / 2) to any trait checks related to navigation, as long as you have a map of the area you are trying to navigate.
- Screen Protection Rune: The Sheikah Slate gains (Rank + 1) extra Durability.
- Sending Rune: Your Sheikah Slate gains a unique communication rune. Other Slates that have that rune recorded can send messages to you. If your slate has another’s sending rune, you can use this Sheikah Slate to communicate with other Slates, within a certain distance based upon Rank; see below. You may also send (or receive) your messages without the communication rune, but the results may vary. Certain buildings may be able to increase the effective range. Communication may be with spoken words, typed words, or images.
| RANK | RANGE |
|---|---|
| 0 | Within and around a building |
| 1 | About the size of a small village |
| 2 | Large city, or a village and much of the countryside |
| 3 | Most anywhere within a country |
| 4 | Anywhere in the world |
| 5 | Anywhere in the world and any other |
- Shrinking Rune: This Sheikah Slate can shrink and grow back to size on command. It can be safely placed within a Pack’s Key Items pouch, rather than in the Tools pouch. It can also easily be used when the Hero is under the effects of any shrinking effects that the Sheikah Slate was not also affected by.
- Surveying Rune: The Slates grants a +(Rank / 2) bonus to finding a specific type of Material (Ancient, Gems, Metal, etc). This does not stack with similar bonuses from Written Books, Toolkits, and other Tools. This can be taken multiple times; each time you take this Personal Touch, choose a different Material.
Sheikah Slate Modes
As befitting an important item like the Sheikah Slate, here are some optional rules that can be used to change how the Sheikah Slate works.
Master Mode: Irreparable Sheikah Slates
As a Master Mode rule, your GM may disallow Sheikah Slate repair and upgrades. This brings Sheikah Slates into line with Weapons and most other equipment, which cannot be safely repaired or upgraded unless inhabited by a Weapon Spirit.
Master Mode: Sheikah Slate Spellbook
To better create a setting similar to Breath of the Wild in which magic can’t be personally learned, you can have all Spell knowledge and Magic be stored in the personal Sheikah Slates given to all Heroes. When using this mode, the Spell and Technique Runes and Improved Spell and Technique Runes benefits are removed, and instead the player can invest any amount of tokens they want into Spells that are stored on the Slate. In addition, investment in Magic will provide more Magic Points for the Slate to use, and the Spells will be channeled through to the Heroes’ Weapon(s).
The players and GMs should discuss with each other if the Slates can be stolen or otherwise lost to deprive the Heroes of their spells.
Assist Mode: Sheikah Slate Pack
If the tone of your campaign is more futuristic or video game-like, you can have Sheikah Slates act as a Pack. As such, the Slate will be placed in the Pack slot, and will follow the same rules as a regular Pack. A new Sheikah Slate made from scratch will have no pockets.
With this assist mode, the Shrinking Rune will not allow the placement of a Sheikah Slate into the Key Item slot; however, if the Slate shrinks, then so will the contents.
Newly created (or found) Slates won’t have Packs automatically; the Materials for a new Pack must be added to the Slate.
Assist Mode: Different Default Personal Touches
Depending on the setting and thematics of the campaign, you can change the type of personal touches that are available by default. For instance, in a Hyrule where Sheikah tech was allowed to flourish and society somewhat resembles the modern world, all Sheikah Slates could have the Navigation and Sending Runes available as the default. Alternatively, damaged Slates could have many of the baseline benefits locked away until fixed or otherwise unlocked.
Assist Mode: Selectable Spell and Technique Runes
By default, the Sheikah Slate’s selection of Techniques and Spells are fully in control of the GM (with input from players). This is because unlike other Personalized Items like the Hookshot, the Sheikah Slate is relatively open-ended in what sorts of Spells and Techniques would be appropriate.
With this Assist Mode, players gain the opportunity to choose for themselves what options they’d like to take, up to a point. This will also help to differentiate the options available to all players, as unless scarcity is added, each hero’s Slate will likely share all runes gained during group quests. The use of this Mode is meant to compliment quest rewards, not replace them.
Change the Spells & Techniques Rune baseline option to the following:
- Spell and Technique Runes: Allows you to temporarily use Spells or Techniques by channeling them through the Slate. Choose which combinations of valid non-damaging Spells and Techniques can be granted by the Slate, as long as the total token cost does not exceed [(Rank + 1) * 3] tokens. The Spells and Techniques you can choose are determined by your GM; see the section “Determining Valid Spells and Techniques for Tutoring” in the Tutoring enchantment article for guidelines. You may swap out your chosen Spells and Techniques when you upgrade the Slate. Spells and Techniques will use the same resource as the Camera Rune.
Add the following Personal Touches to the list of options:
- Rune Optimization: Reduce the cost of using all the Spells and Techniques granted by the Sheikah Slate by 25%, as if you have taken the Practiced Efficiency feat for all of them.
- Wizardly Rune: Spells cast through the Slate gain the benefit of the Wizardly keyword.
- Improved Spell and Technique Runes: The Sheikah Slate allows you to temporarily use Feats that improve or require Techniques or Spells granted by the Spell and Technique Runes personal touch. The Crafter chooses which combinations of feats can be granted by the Tutoring personal touch, as long as the total token cost does not exceed (3 * (Rank / 2), rounded up) tokens. See the table below.
| SLATE RANK | TOKENS GRANTED |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 |
| 3 | 6 |
| 4 | 6 |
| 5 | 9 |
Master Mode: Modular Sheikah Slate
With this Master Mode, the Sheikah Slate has (Rank) Tool slots. You can insert Tools into the slot to allow you to use the Sheikah Slate and the Tools without taking up more of your Hand (or Belt) slots. However, the Tools need to be separately upgraded (and maintained, if using the Everything Breaks master mode). Tools can be pulled out.
Players and GMs should speak with each other to determine what Tools make sense and what don’t when it comes to inserting them into the Sheikah Slate.
With this Master Mode, certain Rune options – like the Knowledge and Light Runes – may become unavailable at the GM’s discretion.
Other Things
A Sheikah Slate may provide other benefits than those shown here. For instance, they can be used to activate or control Divine Beasts (and other similar constructs), interface with Sheikah Towers and Shrines (and similar structures), and can even have new functionality added to them based upon what the GM desires.
Screenshot from Breath of the Wild
Guidance Stones are the typical means that are used to add information to Sheikah Slates, though other forms certainly as possible! Feel free to include them as part of Sheikah Towers, Shrines, and other dungeons as means to grant quest rewards – in the form of greater functionality for Sheikah Slates.
Using the Guidance Stones’ drop of knowledge on non-Sheikah Slate objects or creatures (such your PC’s own body) has no canon precedent, so feel free to try one of these outcomes… Or even mix and match!
- Nothing happens, as only Sheikah Slates can interpret the data.
- You learn the information provided, be it a Spell or other information.
- You get a headache (or stomach ache).
- You gain a Wisdom injury.
- You take 1 damage as the liquid burns the body.
- You gain partial or scrambled knowledge of the Ancients. This knowledge might be related to the Guidance Stone’s spell, origins, history, or some broader goal the Ancients had. Perhaps exposing yourself to more Guidance Stones’ knowledge will help paint a clearer picture, or grant further abilities.
- You gain the ability to temporarily grant the Guidance Stone’s knowledge to others. As a Minor Action, you can temporarily grant another character or Sheikah Slate the Guidance Stone’s taught Spell, regardless of their Traits or other requirements, without Token cost. This knowledge lasts until the end of your next Extended Rest, and you cannot grant this knowledge again until you complete an Extended Rest.
Thank you to Elemental Knight and everyone else in the Discord for providing material, feedback and suggestions.