05-30-2019, 07:26 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: North Texas
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Machinations of the Mechanicians
I'm curious how much attention this unique (at the time) element of TFT got in people's campaigns... the Mechanician's Guild, artifacts, technology in general, etc. I don't recall it getting much love during our game sessions back in the day and I suspect that wasn't an uncommon predilection given the fact that it was an unusual aspect in most standard fantasy settings from that early era.
And for those that did embrace this element, how did (or does) it manifest in your games? Is it only in the form of advanced lost technology or is it presented as more steampunk-ish?
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“No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” -Vladimir Taltos |
05-30-2019, 09:08 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Portland, Maine
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
GUNS!
Balloons & Gyrocopters.
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05-30-2019, 09:25 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Near Milwaukee, WI
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
They didn't appear much in our gaming, although they paid quite well for the return of a Mnoren "artifact" that turned out to be a standard lightbulb.
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05-30-2019, 09:32 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
My campaigns make liberal use of blackpowder weapons, primitive telescopes, and other technologies from the latest renaissance and 17-18th centuries. These are the domains of the mechanicians.
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05-30-2019, 09:52 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
I have used both Harry Turtledove's "Agent of Byzantium," and L. Sprague DeCamp's "Lest Darkness Fall" as inspiration for how to use a Mechanician's guild. Also if you have David Hargrave's "Arduin Grimoire" and especially his Treasure cards, then you have a lot for the Mechanician's Guild to do. I never allowed the actual Treasure's to be used in the game, but as found stuff, they were great, especially since they were obviously valuable but no one had any idea how much they were worth, especially since they were often unique.
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Helborn |
05-31-2019, 05:58 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: North Texas
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
BTW, who else thinks "Machinations of the Mechanicians" is a great title for an adventure?
Premise: The Mechanician's Guild has a line on an artifact that could change the balance of power on Cidri. Will it destroy magic or merely suppress it? Either way, the Wizard’s Guild has no intention of letting those crazy gearheads get their hands on it. And regardless of which group the players are working for, there is powerful figure working from the shadows that will go to great lengths to ensure the device is never found. The race is on!
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“No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style.” -Vladimir Taltos |
05-31-2019, 01:06 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
That's an great idea! Plus, you could create the first ever TFT adventure DESIGNED for two separate parties -- one, pro-gearhead, trying to get the artifact for the Mechanicians' Guild, and two, pro-Wizard, hired by the Wizards' Guild to find, and if possible, bring the artifact to the Wizards' Guild "for proper disposition," while the Cult of the Withered Hand(TM) tries to simply destroy it because if it sees the light of day, they will NEVER be able to summon their elder outsider "god" (Boss Monster plus) to Cidri!
How cool would THAT be? ;-) |
06-01-2019, 11:42 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Arizona
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
In my game world of Goranth there is an adversarial relationship between the Scholars and the Artificers. The Scholars are all bout 'pure knowledge' while the Artificers are all about applied knowledge. If you need history or math, go to the Scholars, if you need gear or gadgets you go to the Artificers.
Mind you, magic has only just made a resurgence in the world and neither the Scholars nor the Artificers know what to do with THAT. I require that Artificers must take Smithing as a talent as well so that they can actually make their own metal bits, although a good artificer would also have Carpentry for the wood stuff and maybe Leathercraft for flexible parts. If YOU, as the GM, want players to be interested in Mechanicians and their guild then YOU and the GM need to make it interesting and make some choices into what kinds of machinery is available. If YOU, as a player, want to explore the Mechanicians and their guild then YOU, as a player, might want to do a bit of research into the kinds of technology to encourage the GM to add.
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06-01-2019, 11:44 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Arizona
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Re: Machinations of the Mechanicians
By that same token, the mysterious individual might be doing all they can to make this happen.
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So you've got the tiger by the tail. Now what? |
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