Mechanical Rules
These are some feats and devices I developed for a steampunk-oriented character in my D&D campaign world. It looks like they might be useful to a player character in an upcoming campaign, so I figured I might as well post them here, where they can be useful to other people as well.
Mechanical Feats
Craft Mechanical Arms and Armour [General, Mechanical]
You can create mechanical armour, war machines, and siege engines.
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Int 13+, 5+ ranks in Craft (Blacksmith).
Benefit: You can create any mechanical arms and armour whose prerequisites you meet. Creating a mechanical item takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its price, and costs half this amount in materials. Mechanical items do not consume XP. You can also repair a broken suit of mechanical armour, war machine, or siege engine, which takes half a day for each 1000 gp in its price, and costs one quarter of this amount in materials. Some items require particular materials in addition to the normal costs above; these are noted in the listings for those items.
Craft Mechanical Wonder [General, Mechanical]
You can create mechanical devices of many kinds.
Prerequisites: Dex 14+, Int 14+, 7+ ranks in Craft (Blacksmith).
Benefit: You can create any mechanical wonder whose prerequisites you meet. Creating a mechanical item takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its price, and costs half this amount in materials. Mechanical items do not consume XP. You can also repair a broken mechanical, which takes half a day for each 1000 gp in its price, and costs one quarter of this amount in materials. Some items require particular materials in addition to the normal costs above; these are noted in the listings for those items.
Speed Construction [General, Mechanical]
You can create mechanical items faster.
Prerequisites: Any Mechanical feat.
Benefit: You can create mechanical items faster. This feat reduces the time taken to build a mechanical item by 1/10.
Special: This feat may be taken up to five times, each instance reducing the time required by 1/10, to a maximum of half the original time.
Mechanical Items
Clockwork Servant: This clockwork automaton functions as a kitchen servant or cleaning device. It can cook a limited number of meals perfectly, these meals being built into it by the maker, and can clean any area of floor, walls, or ceilings perfectly. Given time to explore the room beforehand, it can also clean furniture. Exploring takes one hour per ten-foot square of space. Finally, it can wash plates, cups, bowls and glasses.
Prerequisites: Craft Mechanical Wonder, 6+ ranks in Craft (Clockwork).
Market Price: 35,000 gp.
Clockwork Simulacrum: This clockwork humanoid is covered in a realistic fabric skin, with hair, glass eyes, etc, making it look like a living person. Clockwork humanoids can carry out up to twenty different tasks of medium complexity on command; these tasks are set by the maker, but can be reset by way of repairing the item. Possible tasks include: washing dishes or clothes, standing guard, lighting fires, keeping fires burning, bringing water from a well to a trough, or cooking a meal (different meals would count as different tasks). An intelligence check against a DC of (10 + maker’s ranks in Craft (Clockwork)) will reveal the nature of the simulacrum, adjusted for bright light, attempting conversation, etc, by +2 on the check per favourable circumstance. Physical contact with the device gives a +4 on the check, but does not automatically reveal its nature.
Prerequisites: Craft Mechanical Wonder, 10+ ranks in Craft (Clockwork), Wis 10+.
Market Price: 80,000 gp
Extra-Heavy Crossbow: This crossbow functions as a heavy crossbow, except that the range increment is 200 ft, and the critical range is 18-20/x2.
Prerequisites: Craft Mechanical Arms and Armour, 4+ ranks in Craft (Weaponsmith).
Market Price: 7,000 gp.
Mechanical Plate Mail: This suit of plate mail is fitted with flywheels, pistons, and weight transfer mechanisms, so that it is better balanced, and enhances the wearer’s strength. It functions as full plate mail, with a +2 bonus, and grants the wearer a +4 bonus to Strength. It is made in a given size, and can only be worn by creatures of that size.
Prerequisites: Craft Mechanical Arms and Armour, 8+ ranks in Craft (Armourer), 4+ ranks in Craft (Clockwork).
Market Price: 45,000 gp.
Mechanical Power Armour: This suit of complex mechanical armour is currently the best available. It functions as full plate mail, with a +3 AC bonus (+11 to AC overall). It grants the wearer a +7 bonus to Strength, and does not penalise Dexterity. It also allows movement rate of 90 ft. It can be worn by any small or medium humanoid, unless specially constructed for large or tiny creatures. A built-in extra-heavy crossbow in the right arm can be cranked in one round without other penalties (it can fire every other round if the wearer does nothing else). A shovel attachment is carried at the back of the armour, and allows digging at the rate of three cubic feet a minute for up to eight hours. A small stove in the left-hand side allows cooking or tea making while on the move. The armour has storage spaces within it totalling 8 cubic feet, but only small sized items or smaller will fit in.
Prerequisites: Craft Mechanical Arms and Armour, 12+ ranks in Craft (Armourer), 12+ ranks in Craft (Clockwork).
Market Price: 120,000 gp.
War Combine: This war machine requires two people to pilot it. It functions in battle as a single creature, with the following statistics: HD 14d12 (128 hp); Initiative +4; Speed 40 ft (can’t run); AC 24; Attacks 3 whirling blades +10 melee, 2 fire cannons +12 ranged; Damage Whirling Blade 2d8+11, Fire Cannon 3d10; SA None; SQ Construct, Damage Reduction 10/+1; Saves Fort +6, Ref +5, Will Special; Str 33, Dex 9, Con -, Int -, Wis -, Cha -. The War Combine makes all will saves automatically, but does not prevent the pilots from having to make a save against area effect spells, etc. The war combine has storage space for food for five days, and contains a small stove, and a full dinner set for two in enamelled tin. The seats can be slept in with a minimum of discomfort.
Prerequisites: Craft Mechanical Arms and Armour, 4+ ranks in Craft (Armourer), 4+ ranks in Craft (Clockwork).
Market Price: 30,000 gp.
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Posted by Drew Shiel at January 17, 2005 2:31 PM | TrackBack
