--Neil Gershenfield
The spirits called spells operate on theoretically analyzable principles. Through careful observation you can replicate their effects.
You don't cast spells, you build gadgets! Instead of Magic Dice, your gadgets each have a Power Level. Instead of magical mishaps, your gadgets suffer mechanical failures.
(This hasn't been playtested.)
Starting equipment: Specialty tools (2 gp), repair kit (1 gp), starting gadget.
A repair kit can be used up by an expert to perform repairs to any mechanical device.
Starting gadget : Roll on the list of orthodox spells or on the list of discount spells. Start with a gadget corresponding to the rolled spell. Its power level is [1]. See below for information on gadgets.
Templates
A - Arcane Engineering
B - Hot Fix, Safety Valve
C - Improved Cooling, UX Design
D - Magnum Opus
Arcane Engineering
You can create mechanical devices which mimic the effects of magical spells. In order to create an Arcane Gadget, you must first choose which spell-effect you are replicating and what power level (1,2, or 3) you are building the device at. If you wish to replicate a cantrip, treat its power level as [1].Your gadgets are expensive. The process of crafting the device requires the following:
- 1 week of uninterrupted work
- 50*[power level] gp in supplies.
- Access to the spell for study. One of the following:
- Scrolls of the desired spell. You need at least [power level] many, and they are destroyed in the process of creating the gadget.
- A wizard willing to cast the spell with [power level] magic dice in your workshop while you take measurements
- Experience having seen the spell cast at least three times with at least [power level] magic dice.
At the end of the crafting attempt, Save vs Intelligence. If you pass, your design is a success. If you fail, Save vs Intelligence again. If you pass the second time, your device functions, but the spell effect is mutated.
If you fail the second time, there was some fundamental flaw in your blueprints: go back to the drawing board. You will need to observe the spell at least one more time before you try replicating it again.
You gadgets are haphazardly built, so they need constant repairs and are too confusing for anyone except you to use. Because of this, your gadgets are unsellable except as scrap.
Your gadgets are bulky. They take up [1 + power level] inventory slots.
When you use one of your Arcane Gadgets, roll a number of dice equal to its power level, and treat the effect as a spell cast with that many Magic Dice (except that it is completely non-magical). If the spell-effect has a duration,the gadget cannot be activated again until the duration expires.
Overheating:
If any of the dice roll a 4,5, or 6, the device becomes overheated and needs minor repair work. 10 minutes of peace-and-quiet with access to your tools should suffice.Mishaps:
If you roll doubles while activating the device, a mechanical mishap occurs and more serious repairs are needed before the device can be used again. These repairs require 1 hour of focus and the usage of a repair kit (1 gp).Catastrophic Failure:
If you roll triples while activating this device, it fails catastrophically. The device is rendered unusable and unrepairable. In addition, roll on the following table:- Close call: No additional effect.
- Shrapnel:Take 1d6 damage and start bleeding (1d4 damage per round until staunched)
- Valve Failure: You get knocked unconcious and are concussed for 1d6 days.
- Toxic Fumes: Permanently lose 1 constitution.
- Degloving: A limb is mangled.
- Spectacular Explosion: 5d12 damage blast centered on your location.
Hot Fix
When a gadget is overheated, you can spend one round applying a repair kit to bring it back to working order. This can be done even in the heat of battle.
When a gadget is malfunctioning from a mechanical mishap, you can repair it in the same way, except that it immediately breaks down after the next use and can't be repaired again until you get back to a city.
Safety Valve
Once per day, after rolling for the effect of one of your gadgets, you can replace one of the dice with a 1. This cancels the effect of the gadget, but can be used to prevent mishaps and catastrophes.
Improved Cooling
Your gadgets only overheat on a roll of 6.
UX Design
You've finally figured out how to sensibly design the control mechanisms of your gadgets. Your gadgets are now usable by others However, they are still too confusingly designed for others to repair, and only you know how to operate the safety valve.
You can probably convince people to buy your gadgets at this point, but if they spend dozens of gold on a device which stops working the very next day, you'll have made an enemy. It's very likely that you'll be hunted down for selling 'unlicensed wands'.
Magnum Opus
Choose one of the gadgets you've built. You've managed to perfect the design. You can build copies of this gadget except that:
- Each copy only takes [power level] gp to craft
- A high quality version can be crafted for 5*[power level] gp which overheats only on doubles, suffers mishaps only on triples, and never catastrophically fails
- The gadget takes up [Power level -1] inventory slots. If the gadget takes up 0 slots, it is small enough to be concealed in the palm of your hand.
- Anyone can use the gadget, and using a short instruction booklet, any craftsperson can repair it after mishaps and overheating.
- The design is elegant enough that others can be taught how to build it.
You started as a janky psuedo-wizard, but if you've managed to last this long, you have the potential to kickstart a revolution in industry or warfare Expect fame, riches, spies trying to steal your blueprints, and vengeful wizards who you've put out of a job.
Example Gadgets Using Orthodox Spells
Handcranked Torch
Spell: Light
Observed power level: 1 Magic Die
Appearance: Iron cylinder with a crank on the shaft and a glass bulb on the end.
R: touch T: object or creature D: 2 hours
Give it a crank, and the gadget illuminates as a torch, with a radius of 30’. Alternatively, you can make an Attack roll against a sighted creature. If you succeed, the creature is blinded for [sum] rounds. You can chose the colour of the light.
Dagger Cap
Spell: Orbiting Spikes
Observed power level: 2 Magic Dice
Appearance: Steel dunce-cap covered in complicated etchings. Marked with a prominent "D" (for dagger). Makes strange clicking noises. Only properly fits your own head.
R: 30' T: self D: [sum] rounds
When the gadget is activated via an elaborate eyebrow wiggle, two spikes pop out of the top and begins to slowly rotate like a propeller. With a thought, even if you are doing something else, you can throw a spike at a target. Treat this as a thrown dagger, but with a maximum range of 30'. If you wait too long, the spikes will retract to conserve energy.
Mobile Lepidopterarium
Spell: Butterfly Hurricane
Observed power level: 3 Magic Dice
Appearance: A large backpack connected to an oversized gauntlet with an opening on the wrist. The backpack has a small tank of sugar water on top and seems far too small to accommodate all the butterflies that fly out.
R: 30’ radius T: self D: [sum] rounds
When the gadget is activated, a whirling, brightly colored mass of butterflies floods out of the gauntlet and cloaks you completely. Any ranged attacks fired into our out of the hurricane automatically miss. Attacks that target an area are not affected. Creatures, other than wearer of the gadget, who end their turn inside the hurricane must Save or be befuddled for 1 round. As the duration ends, the butterflies fly back into the backpack.
(If the Mobile Lepidopterarium suffers catastrophic failure, the compressed space of the backpack unravels, causing the backpack to burst open in a shower of dead butterflies.)
This is really great!
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