Thursday, December 21, 2023

Mother Necessity, Enhanced Invention

 

Adapted from Inventing- D20HeroSRD and Enhanced Inventing Superpower Wiki

Working through a collision of genre fiction interests, I have sorted my Campaign setting ideas into three settings: The Sundered Cosmos, a Fantasy setting mixing Golarion with Magic the Gathering’s Multiverse; The Stellar Marches, a Starfinder 2e setting forming alongside the playtest currently running; and The Sentry Core a Hero Builder setting using a modified set of Mutants and Masterminds rules. 


Inventor Advantage

You can use the Technology skill to create inventions.

Inventing

Characters with the Inventor advantage can create inventions, temporary devices. To create an invention, the inventor defines its effects and its cost in Character points. This cost is used for the necessary skill checks, and determines the time required to create the invention. Inventions are subject to the same power level limits as other effects in the series.

Design Check

First, the inventor must design the invention. This is a Technology skill check the GM should make in secret. The DC is 10 + the invention’s total Character point cost, including all modifiers except Removable, which does not apply to inventions, as they are temporary by nature.

Designing an invention requires an hour’s work per Character point of the invention’s cost. You can make a routine check to design an invention. You can reduce the rank of the design time, taking a –5 circumstance penalty on the check for each –1 time rank reduction.

Design Check = DC 10 + invention’s point cost

If the check is successful, you have a design for the invention. If the check fails, the design is flawed and you must start over. With three or more degrees of failure, the designer is not aware of the design flaw; the design seems correct, but the invention won’t function (or at least won’t function properly) when it’s used. For this reason, the GM should make the design check secretly and only inform the player whether or not the character appears to have succeeded.

Construction Check

Once the design is inhand, the character can construct the invention. This requires four hours of work per Character point of the invention’s cost, so an invention costing 10 points takes 40 hours (about a week’s work normally, or working two days straight without rest) to construct. When the construction time is complete, make a Technology skill check. The DC is 10 + the invention’s Character point cost and you can make it as a routine check. You can reduce the rank of the construction time, taking a –5 circumstance penalty on the check for each –1 time rank reduction.

Construction Check = DC 10 + invention’s point cost

Success means the invention is complete and functional. Failure means the invention doesn’t work. Three or more degrees of failure may result in a mishap, at the GM’s discretion.

Using the Invention

Once the invention is complete, it is good for use in one scene, after which it breaks down or runs out of power. If the character wishes to use the invention again, there are two options.

The first is to spend the necessary Character points to acquire the invention as a regular power, part of the character’s traits; in this case, the device qualifies for the Removable flaw and, once purchased, can be used again like any power.

The other option is to spend a Victory point to get another one-scene use out of the invention. Each use costs an additional Victory point, but doesn’t require any further skill checks.

Although it’s possible to prepare certain one-use devices in advance, the GM should require the player to spend a Victory point to have a particular previously constructed invention conveniently on-hand during an adventure.

Jury-Rigging Devices

An inventor can choose to spend a Victory point to jury-rig a device; ideal for when a particular device is needed right now. When jury-rigging a device, skip the design check and reduce the time of the construction check to one round per Character point of the device’s cost, but increase the DC of the check by +5. The inventor makes the check and, if successful, has use of the device for one scene before it burns out, falls apart, blows up, or otherwise fails. You can’t jury-rig an invention as a routine check, nor can you speed up the process any further by taking a check penalty. You can use a jury-rigged invention again by spending another Victory point.

Mishaps

At the GM’s discretion, three or more degrees of failure, or a natural roll of 1, on any required inventing skill check may result in some unexpected side-effect or mishap. Exactly what depends heavily on the invention. Inventing mishaps can become a source of adventure ideas and put the heroes in some difficult situations. They may also be setbacks, suitable for Victory point awards.

Magical Inventions

For magical, rather than technological, inventions, use the normal inventing rules, but substitute the Expertise: Magic skill for the Technology skill on the design and construction checks.


The ability to invent scientifically complex machinery, electronics, devices, gadgetry or weaponry. High-Tech variation of Enhanced Craftsmanship.

Also Called

Advanced/Augmented/Heightened/Increased/Inhuman Inventing

Enhanced Building/Construction/Fabrication

Expert/Skilled/Master Inventor/Fabricator

Genius Inventing/Fabricating

Near/Nigh/Semi-Supernatural Inventing

Inventing/Fabricating Intuition/Mastery/Proficiency

Siege Engine Specialist

Capabilities

The user can create various items with no flaws, much like Enhanced Craftsmanship. However, where forging mostly relies on raw material, this ability relies specifically on technological advancements. The user is capable of creating powerful scientific devices, gadgets, and weapons that are capable of mass destruction.

Limitations

Creations and devices may malfunction.

Artificial life creation may develop a mind of their own and turn against their creator.

May require resources to perform this ability.


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