Steam & Gasgear (sage study)

Steam & gasgear is a sage study in the field of Unreality, the designs of which incorporate mechanical retrofitting of paraphernalia, bits, bobs, fittings, thingummies and other appurtenances assisted by necromantic material creation, enabling functional devices that may be fairly used by anyone. These gadgets are retrofuturistic in scope, and therefore anachronistic to the sensibilities of most dwelling in the game world; however, they operate according to strict protocols which the character must follow, both in the creation of these items and in their exhaustive maintenance.

All gear that is created has an assigned maintenance requirement, which restricts the number of physical gadgets that are considered workable. It is presumed that the character is constantly adjusting, balancing, jiggering and regulating the various devices on hand, to assure that they remain in good working order. Because there are only so many "maintenance points" available to the character — equal to the number of knowledge points in the study — it follows that there is a limited supply of gadgets that can be counted on at any one time. Each day, characters assign maintenance according to their whims, indicating which items will be in "working order."

Part of the constant of weapons and vehicles propelled by steam power and gas release, is its circumvention of reality. This is why it belongs in the field of unreality, and depends upon the illusionary power of enchantment and legerdemain, and why through this study it is possible to construct impossible technical devices that advance the element of fantasy in D&D.

1st level characters who count Steam & Gasgear as their specialty may start with two of the four items that may be produced as an amateur: an armoured weave, pistol, goggles or timepiece. The pistol will include 4 pellets.

Workshop

In order to produce the items listed, the character must possess a workshop no less than 18 feet long and 9 feet wide, which will be large enough to build anything that can fit on a 5 x 3 foot table. For anything made of metal, the character must have a forge, which must be located in a second room that is at least 15 ft. square, with a double door that can be opened when the forge is in operation. Objects that will not fit in these spaces, such as an airship, must be assembled outdoors — or in an interior space at least 25% larger in height, length and width of the object being built.

Sage Abilities

The sage abilities below are those acquired by a character through the study, according to status.

Amateur Status

• Armoured Weave (3mp): fabricates fashionable armoured bodices, jerkins, breeches & gowns providing +1 armour class to any character class, when worn without armour.

• Gas Pistol (5mp): fabricates a gas-powered projectile shooter employing a wheellock.

• Infravision Goggles (1mp): fabricates flip-up ocular devices that bestow the power of infravision.

• Mechanical Repair I: enables the repair of ordinary machinery, from precision-sized to waterwheels.

• Pocket Timepiece (2mp): fabricates an accurate wind-up mechanical pocket-sized time-keeping device.

Authority Status

• Little Clank (1mp): creates a fist-sized robot capable of functioning autonomously and performing odd jobs.

• Underwater Goggles (1mp): fabricates ocular devices that enable a character to see normally underwater.

Expert Status

• Mechanical Hand (8mp): replaces the functions of a humanoid hand.

Sage Status

• Airship (40mp): enables construction and operation of gas-envelope ships.

See Illusionist Sage Abilities