Mechanics
Magical items and alchemical substances are not the only objects
that can be created in the pursuit of adventure. Mechanics are a
potent and unique alternative.
Mechanical
items, also called devices, are usually powered by clockwork, steam,
or pump actions and can provide effects on the level of magical
items. No magic is needed to create these devices, but mechanical
parts are required. These items are expensive and hard to come by,
so most mechanists turn to adventure to pay for their craft.Mechanical
devices can be created by characters with the Mechanist feat:
Mechanist
Heroic Tier
Prerequisites: You can make mechanical
items of your level or lower. You must have the correct
schematic and an appropriate skill.
Special: If you receive the Ritual Caster
feat as a class feature, you can take the Mechanist feat
instead. |
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Gaining and Using
Mechanical Schematics
Like rituals, mechanical schematics can be bought, sold, or found
as treasure. They are, however, entirely mundane and are thus usually
less expensive than rituals and rarely require a focus item (though
some require such as a power source).
A character
that wants to use a schematic must purchase one or be taught one
(both cost the same). Each schematic lists a cost and creation time
needed to produce the object whose creation it describes. Some mechanical
items as so mundane that they are listed as common weapons or adventuring
gear. The price, level and relevant skills are listed on the accompanying
table.
Mechanical
items use components called parts, which can be bought, found as
treasure, or gathered from dismantling mechanical items (see below).
Category
Each mechanical schematic has a category that defines the type of
item it creates.
- Weapon:
A mechanical weapon can be a mundane weapon (such as a six gun),
or a special weapon of a given type that rivals magical weapons
(such as an expanding staff).
- Tool:
Mechanical tools help aid in skill usages or other mundane tasks.
They may give an equipment bonus, or allow a skill to be used
in a new way.
- Accessory:
A mechanical accessory works in many ways like a wondrous magical
item. They provide unique effects but provide no inherent bonus
to defenses.
- Apparatus:
An apparatus is either immobile, or large enough to be effectively
immobile. These can be siege weapons, vehicle additions, or terrain
features. Apparatuses are more useful for characters defending
a position than those assailing one.
- Automaton:
Automatons are clockwork or steamwork creatures designed to perform
a task. They are mindless outside of their given task and make
terrible combatants.
- Other:
Some items create miscellaneous effects that don’t fall
into the other mechanical categories.
Dismantling Existing
Mechanical Items
A character with the mechanist feat can dismantle mechanical items,
gaining usable parts worth 1/5 the cost of the dismantled device.
These parts can be used to make new devices, or traded for new parts.
Most traps
found in dungeons either rely on magical means, or are too old.
primitive or integrated into the local architecture to produce unable
parts. The DM is encouraged, however, to occasionally add parts
from a purely mechanical trap as part of a treasure parcel. |
|
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Mechanical
Devices
Expanding
Staff
Level: 2
Category: Weapon
Time: 2 hours
Component Cost: see below
Market Price: 80gp
Key Skill: Thievery
This
two foot long metal tube can expand with the touch
of a switch into a 6 foot long quarterstaff or
a 10 foot pole. It collapses with the touch of
another button.
|
| Expanding
Staff |
Level
2 |
| Lvl
2 |
+1
|
520gp
|
Lvl
17 |
+4
|
65,000gp |
| Lvl
7 |
+2
|
2,600gp
|
Lvl
22 |
+5
|
325,000gp |
| Lvl
12 |
+3
|
13,000gp |
Lvl
27 |
+6
|
1,625,000gp |
|
Weapon: This
item is a mace when collapsed into a baton and
a quarterstaff when expanded into a quarterstaff.
Enhancement: Attack
rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d6
damage per plus.
Property: +1
item bonus to damage rolls when attacking with
this item as a quarterstaff or wielding it in
your off hand as a baton.
Power
(At-Will): As
a minor action, this item extends or contracts
into a quarterstaff, 10 foot pole, or a baton.
The baton form of this item is a one handed mace
with the offhand property that deals 1d6 damage.
Power
(Encounter): Free
action. You expand or contract this item unexpectedly.
The next target you attack with it grants you
combat advantage. |
|
Flexcoil
Whip
Level: 3
Category: Weapon
Time: 4 hours
Component Cost: see below
Market Price: 100gp
Key Skill: Thievery
A flexcoil whip is a combat whip made up of a
core of flexible metal encircled by metal rings
to which thin wires are attached. By applying
pressure to the handle, the wielder can cause
it to coil tightly around body parts.
|
| Flexcoil
Whip |
Level
3 |
| Lvl
3 |
+1
|
680gp
|
Lvl
18 |
+4
|
85,000gp |
| Lvl
8 |
+2
|
3,400gp
|
Lvl
23 |
+5
|
425,000gp |
| Lvl
13 |
+3
|
17,000gp |
Lvl
28 |
+6
|
2,125,000gp |
|
Weapon: This weapon is a combat
whip.
Enhancement: Attack rolls and damage
rolls and the target is knocked prone.
Critical: +1d4 damage per plus and the
target is knocked prone.
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this
power when you hit with an attack with this item.
The target is restrained until the start of your
next turn. Sustain move; the effect persists.
If you attack with this item, you can no longer
sustain this power. |
|
Grappling
Pistol
Level: 5
Category: Tool
Time: 3 Hours
Component Cost: 1,000
Market Price: 125
Key Skill: Athletics (no check)
This
compact, pistol grip device uses compressed steam
to fire a grappling hook trailing a high tension
wire. A clockwork mechanism reels the line back
in, making long climbs easier. |
| Grappling
Pistol |
Level
5 |
| Lvl
5 1,000gp |
Tool
Property: +2 equipment bonus to Athletics
checks made to climb. If you are trained in Athletics,
this bonus stacks with the bonus from a climbing
kit.
Power (Encounter): Standard action. Targets
an object weighting no more than five pounds.
Deal 2 damage to that object and pull it into
your square. |
|
Handheld
Buzz-saw
Level: 4
Category: Weapon
Time: 4 hours
Component Cost: see below
Market Price: 150gp
Key Skill: Thievery
This bizarre device fits over the hand to position
a pump device. Squeezing the pump causes the saw
to spin rapidly, making it a deadly weapon.
|
| Handheld
Buzz-saw |
Level
4 |
| Lvl
4
|
+1
|
840gp
|
Lvl
19 |
+4
|
105,000gp |
| Lvl
9 |
+2
|
4,200gp
|
Lvl
24 |
+5
|
525,000gp |
| Lvl
14 |
+3
|
21,000gp |
Lvl
29 |
+6
|
2,625,000gp |
|
Weapon: This
weapon is a katar.
Enhancement: Attack
rolls and damage rolls.
Critical: +1d8
damage per plus
Property: This
weapon ignored 5 points of resistance when attacking
objects.
Level
14 or 19: ignore 10 points of resistance
Level 24 or 29: ignore 15 points of
resistance
Power
(Daily): Free
action. On your next successful attack with this
item, ignore all resistances of the target against
the damage dealt by that attack. |
|
|
Ox
Strength Harness
Level: 5
Category: Accessory
Time: 6 hours
Component Cost: see below
Market Price: 200gp
Key Skill: Nature
Either
built into scale or plate mail or as a stand alone
system of clockwork and pulleys, ox strength harnesses
are designed to aid in more efficient displays
of strength and heavy lifting over short periods
of time. Ox strength harnesses can also be made
to fit animals and monsters in which case, they
cannot be used by humanoids. |
| Ox
Strength Harness |
Level
5+ |
| Lvl
5 |
1,000gp
|
Lvl
15 |
25000gp |
| Lvl
25 |
6,250,o00gp
|
|
|
|
Accessory
Property: +1 equipment bonus to strength
check rolls.
Power (Encounter): Standard action. You
treat your strength as if it were 5 points higher
when determining your normal load, heavy load
and maximum drag load for the next five minutes.
You cannot use this power again for half an hour.
Level
15: 10 points higher
Level 25: 20 points higher
|
|
Steam
Booster
Level: 9
Category: Accessory
Time: 4 hours
Component Cost: 4,200
Market Price: 500gp
Key Skill: Athletics
This
miniaturized steam condenser attaches to the small
of the back and aids jumps and improves speed
though controlled bursts. It must be refilled
with water and allowed to recharge periodically,
however.
|
| Steam
Booster |
Level
9 |
| Lvl
9 4,200gp |
Accessory
Property: +1 equipment bonus to Athletics
checks made to jump.
Power (Encounter): Free Action. Gain
a +5 equipment bonus to your next Athletics check
made to jump check, or a +3 equipment bonus to
speed until the start of your next turn. This
item ceases to provide its equipment bonus to
Athletics checks for the next hour.
|
|
Clockwork
Squire
Level: 8
Category: Automaton
Time: 10 hours
Component Cost: 3400
Market Price: 550gp
Key Skill: Thievery
You
create an unintelligent clockwork automation that
carries things for you in it’s hands or
in a backpack. The automaton is a medium sized
with a speed of 5 and a strength of 20. Any adjacent
creature trained in Thievery can Stop and start
a clockwork squire as a standard action and change
it’s direction as a minor action.
The
clockwork squire is treated as an allied minion
(1 hit point, never damaged on a missed attack)
with all defenses of 14. It acts just after you
do and never makes attacks but can only take move
actions. Unless you use an action to stop it or
change it’s direction, the clockwork squire
moves 5 squares in the same direction it moved
in the last turn. It continues to do so for an
hour, at which point, it’s spring winds
down and it stops. |
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Template
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| Item
Name |
Level |
| Lvl
|
+1
|
xxxgp
|
Lvl
|
+4
|
xxxxxgp |
| Lvl
|
+2
|
xxxxgp
|
Lvl
|
+5
|
xxxxxxgp |
| Lvl
|
+3
|
xxxxxgp |
Lvl
|
+6
|
xxxxxxxgp |
|
Slot/Weapon:
Enhancement:
Critical:
Property:
Power:
Level
increase:
Level increase:
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