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Old 08-31-2017, 09:22 PM   #1
Michael Thayne
 
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Join Date: May 2010
Default [Powers] The Power of... Gadgeteering?

The "Chi Sorcery" article in Pyramid #3/105 got me thinking about using a similar powers-based approach for Gadgeteering. This would be intended to represent technological abilities that go beyond "cinematic", to something like the Great Machine's abilities from Ex Machina or any of the works listed on this TV Tropes page. Perhaps slightly more subtle so that characters wouldn't necessarily know what's going on, but nevertheless bending reality in well-defined ways rather than "simulate movies written by writers who don't understand how R&D works".

I'm thinking of using Sorcery-style enchantment as a starting point for most such abilities, but I don't want it to be too similar. Perhaps make the Gadgeteer's big advantage over the Sorcerer that the Gadgeteer's "enchantments" take the enhancement Delay, Triggered, When Used, +50%? This would represent inventions that could be stored indefinitely, but break down quickly when used.

Another problem: many abilities would be based on imbuements, and it would be nice to keep the costs the same as in sorcery. However, I'm not quite sure what you'd use to replace the -20% of limitations that comes from Magical, -10% and Visible, -10%. I don't like the idea of "powers" that shut down super-technology, so the version of Superscience in Supers is out. I like the "Futuristic" limitation from Pyramid #3/102 more, but it's only -5%. I think visible represents glowing with magical energies, but I may be wrong. Maybe you could go for Futuristic, -5%; Mundane Countermeasures, -10%; Nuisance Effect, Variable, -5%? Speaking of Nuisance Effect, is there any official or semi-official answer to the value of an ability causing your technology to suffer from the kinds of "bugs" used in the default gadgeteering rules?
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