Talent/Spell of the Week: Mechanician

[hcobb]

What's the cost and weight for the Mechanician's toolkit that lets them setup hidden doors? And do they require Locksmith also to install the locks?

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Other than a crossbow or switchblade, what might these be?

A spike that shoots from a staff or mace, a hidden dagger mechanism that duplicates QUICK DRAW, a sha-ken launcher, and likely many more devious creations.

Originally Posted by Shostak

I don’t think night-vision goggles are so much a mechanical tool, but an electronic one. Or magical. Binoculars and telescopes should be possible, though, assuming you have access to lenses and mirrors.

Or it could rely on finely crafted lenses made from some unique crystal native to Cidri. The point is that I like the idea of having rules that would allow characters to discover and design any number of non-magical devices... rules that encourage players to use their imagination.

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

A spike that shoots from a staff or mace, a hidden dagger mechanism that duplicates QUICK DRAW, a sha-ken launcher, and likely many more devious creations.

Sounds cool, but I'd want gadgets to be plausible. The sha-ken launcher sounds like a perfectly plausible trap, but not a weapon suitable for melees. How would you pack enough spring power inside a mace to make anything launched from it move fast enough to do any damage?

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Sounds cool, but I'd want gadgets to be plausible. The sha-ken launcher sounds like a perfectly plausible trap, but not a weapon suitable for melees. How would you pack enough spring power inside a mace to make anything launched from it move fast enough to do any damage?

'Plausible' depends on how sophisticated you think their understanding of mechanical technology is. The description of the Mechanician Guild in ITL mentions their obsession with artifacts which means they should be aware (at the higher levels, at least) of various ahistorical concepts. For me, then, and on my version of Cidri, it is not unreasonable to assume that the practitioners of these talents would have more advanced capabilities than what the common standard of living might imply. Micro gears and other fine clockwork techniques should be possible IMO.

To be clear, I'm not saying that any PC can simply will into existence some device from their imagination. The examples I provided would be things that I, as GM, would find plausible in my own campaign. And depending on complexity, I would apply an escalating chance of failure to their creation, not unlike the magic item creation rules.

And TBH, Cidri is far too big for there not to be a full-on steampunk society someplace.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

A spike that shoots from a staff or mace,..., a sha-ken launcher

That's the same thing so let's cost it out.

A Master Mechanician has a total payroll cost of around $200 (if the same as Master Armourer) and a hidden (3/IQ) Sha-Ken thrower would be around a 8d total trap hence 8 hours of his time (5th of a week) for $40 plus around the same in parts, total cost $80.

Reloading it takes the same time as removing a trap (ITL 70)

[tomc]

Originally Posted by Shostak

How would you pack enough spring power inside a mace to make anything launched from it move fast enough to do any damage?

You don't use springs, you use Magic Fist, the mechanician's friend. The mace handle (silver I suppose) is a hollow for half it's length. The bottom half is a magic fist rod. Load the spike in the top, aim, trigger the magic fist, and spike your enemy from across the room.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by tomc

You don't use springs, you use Magic Fist, the mechanician's friend. The mace handle (silver I suppose) is a hollow for half it's length. The bottom half is a magic fist rod. Load the spike in the top, aim, trigger the magic fist, and spike your enemy from across the room.

No self-respecting mechanician would let one of those 'spell-slackers' anywhere near their workshop. ;)

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by tomc

You don't use springs, you use Magic Fist, the mechanician's friend. The mace handle (silver I suppose) is a hollow for half it's length. The bottom half is a magic fist rod. Load the spike in the top, aim, trigger the magic fist, and spike your enemy from across the room.

Given that energy out is always less than energy in, that spike is going to deal less damage than the meager Magic Fist propelling it. Plus, you have the problem of equal and opposite reactions, making the mace recoil at the end of its lever handle if the spike is shot when triggered by using the mace to strike a blow.

[timm meyers]

Originally Posted by tomc

You don't use springs, you use Magic Fist, the mechanician's friend. The mace handle (silver I suppose) is a hollow for half it's length. The bottom half is a magic fist rod. Load the spike in the top, aim, trigger the magic fist, and spike your enemy from across the room.

Ohhh I like this creative imagining of the fantasy style world workings.
Expensive and unreliable dragon dung gunpowder - pfff- Why not harness the kinetic magic of the fist spell as a safe efficient alternative?

I am off to design the renaissance mecha-magical corner of Cidri where silver cartridges of 1 ST (or up to 3 ST!) magic fist spells revolutionize warfare! Using the ingenious mechanicians talent and work camps filled with IQ-8 forced labor wizards the proliferation of "whoosh" guns is inevitable. The kings' musketeers firing sharp projectiles with magic fist propellent will be nigh unstoppable!

[tomc]

Originally Posted by timm meyers

Ohhh I like this creative imagining of the fantasy style world workings.
Expensive and unreliable dragon dung gunpowder - pfff- Why not harness the kinetic magic of the fist spell as a safe efficient alternative?

I am off to design the renaissance mecha-magical corner of Cidri where silver cartridges of 1 ST (or up to 3 ST!) magic fist spells revolutionize warfare! Using the ingenious mechanicians talent and work camps filled with IQ-8 forced labor wizards the proliferation of "whoosh" guns is inevitable. The kings' musketeers firing sharp projectiles with magic fist propellent will be nigh unstoppable!

Maybe this is part of why Wizards don't like Mechanicians. :)