Invention

The Process of Invention

Invention is a multi-step process. First, you design the item you want to make, then you need to gather the resources and manpower to create the item, and finally, you'll actually create the item - first with a prototype, then onward to a fully functioning version.

Designing an item takes a simple tech skill check. This skill check will vary in difficulty based on how futuristic the invention is as well as how complex the invention is. You will then add a blueprint to your gear. You cannot attempt to make the item without that blueprint. If this blueprint is lost, you must remake the design and someone else may make your design if they find the lost blueprint.

After the design has been made, you must gather the proper resources and manpower to create the invention. This will vary greatly depending on the thing you're creating and will generally require a fair amount of wealth and role play (see Sponsers in the Crafting chapter).

Once you've done all of that, you'll need to craft a prototype. The harder the item is to create, the more craft skill checks it will take in order to successfully create the first prototype. If you fail any of these skill checks, then your prototype fails, and you must restart the invention process, but you'll get to roll with advantage to create the new blueprint.

If you want, you may also pay a craftsman to build your prototype for you if you want, but this will cause your wealth to go down by two categories (from Wealthy to Poor, for example).

Once you have a working prototype, you can then craft a fully functioning version. You can do this by either paying people to create it for you or by your own craft skill check of 10 or more with all the necessary materials and equipment.

If you want to reverse engineer an item, you will have to do the same process, just backwards.

Star Gems

Star Gems are a powerful material that are only found inside of Starborne creatures. As such, they can be used to power all kinds of devices. This is done by attaching the crystal to an object with incomplete runes, then using a mechanical button or switch that completes the rune when used. This allows a rune to be charged without the need of a person using their Spirit (see the Runes chapter for details). And with some clever engineering, very complex devices can be made.

When creating a magical device, you must follow all the rules of inscription found in the Runes chapter to inscribe all the spells you want your device to do. When creating devices, the difficulty of the spell determines what size of Star Gem you need to power the device. See The Market for pricing and specific measurements of crystals.

Whenever you invent something that requires a source of power (such as a light bulb, a motor, etc.) you must use a Star Gem in the design unless otherwise stated by the Game Master. This will allow the device to be powered but will also give it an important weakness within the game. You see, such powerful items also present a powerful hazard. If a Crystal cracks or breaks in any way, the energy stored inside the Crystal will release explosively. This causes Harm equal to 3 times the size of the Crystal in a radius also equal to 3 times the size of the Crystal measured in feet. So, a crystal of 3 inches could explode to deal 9 Harm to everything within 9 feet if damaged. Star Gems crack and break as easily as a glass jar and are fully charged when first harvested from a Starborne creature, giving any device powered by Star Gems the potential to explode violently.

We understand that there are other possible types of power for devices in the world such as steam, electricity, gas, and so on. These sources of power will probably exist within your game world. We decided not to allow those power sources when players invent an item on a base game level, due to the fact that it would be extremely easy for persistent players to create items that would derail the game by giving them too much power within the world. Star Gems are a good way to regulate that, since they come with a certain amount of inherent danger. Of course, the Game Master can override this at any time.

If you want access to inventing devices that have alternate power sources, have a discussion with your Game Master. They get the last say when it comes to inventing items.

Mechs

Mechs are essentially robots that are designed to carryout specific tasks and usually incorporate features and forms from the natural world. There are mechs for moving heavy object, for transportation, for show, for play, and much more. Creating them is difficult and complex, requiring a strong knowledge of runes. When creating a mech, you need to first establish the purpose of the mech and the tasks it will be capable. From there, you'll pick a size that fits the mech's needs.

The size of the mech determines how difficult the mech will be to invent and what it will take to power the mech. This will correspond to the skill checks needed to invent the mech as seen in The Process of Invention section.

Once created, the size of the mech also determines the machine's stats, just incase the mech is used in combat or someone attempts to destroy it.

Harm represents how much Harm your mech can take before being broken or destroyed. A Mech will not have a Competence and Constitution score, meaning they cannot use those stats. Once a Mech takes its maximum amount of Harm, your Mech is no longer functional and cannot be healed the same way as a person can. Instead, they must be repaired. A crafting check of 10 or more with the right materials can restore 2 Harm from the Mech. If a Mechs power source is damaged, it explodes violently.

You can add as many limbs and devices to your Mech as you deem necessary. However, if you are trying to add devices to your Mech that wouldn't normally exist, you must go through a separate invention process for each device that wouldn't normally exist.

If your Mech is built for combat, its damage bonus will be however much its weapon would normally do as well as its Tough score. So, if you have a Large Mech that is wielding a heavy weapon, it will have a +17 Bonus in total (+2 for the heavy weapon and +15 for the Tough stat of the Mech). The Mech does not add its Tough score if the weapon being used is a ranged weapon such as a bow or gun. The standard damage bonus is applied.

Small mechs are generally controlled through some external device and larger mechs are usually built with a cockpit for a person to drive the mech from the inside.