Eclipse, Inventors, and Mad Science

Here we have another bit of character consultation – someone who wanted a “Clockpunk” package incorporating access to several devices pulled from a homebrew, “Inventor” class from the old WOTC boards. Fortunately I still have a download of it in my archives, so why not? It’s a reasonably good illustration of how to break things down for use in a game. I’ll include the original items and then talk about how to fit them into the existing rules.

Now, there are several different ways to run Inventors.

The first way is to let them develop actual technology – stuff that any decent craftsman can build once they know how. The stuff that changes the world. The trouble is, unless you want your setting to go from “classic medieval” to “far future scifi” quite quickly (and you want to justify why it hasn’t done so before) you want a “realistic” (very slow) rate of progress, or gods who don’t allow any progress, or some such. Yes, the Quern (a crank-driven handmill for grinding grain) was an incredible invention, it freed millions from endless drudgery and resulted in a genuine revolution in human society – and it is extremely boring as far as player characters are concerned. Eclipse provides Action Hero (Invention) for this sort of thing and makes it cheap so that the occasional interested player can dabble in Invention as a sideline. It’s just slow and takes many levels to make a difference in anything.

What most players want, however, is characters who are “Inventors” or (Mad) “Scientists” like they see in the movies or read about in Tom Swift books or the Girl Genius webcomic – people who somehow (via special powers) create incredible devices that never really spread across the world. That’s really just a variation on “magic items” of course, which is how d20 normally treats it – but the player in this case wants to convert a few specific items into something that he or she could get (and possibly hand out to friends) in a normal game. That, of course, is doable in several different ways (there are several such builds on the blog). So here’s the list:

A “Hollow Blade”:

This is basically a weapon that can store a dose of poison.

Original:

Hollow Blade (Requires a Hollow Chamber and a metal weapon, although arrowheads count): Allows weapon to release stored liquids on a successful attack. Because the liquid is stored in the blade, it is not exposed to the air until use. The channels weaken the weapon so that it deals one point less damage on a successful attack. For tiny items like arrowheads and caltrops this modification is per 20 items. Skill Requirements: Craft (Armorer) 7 ranks, 13 to eliminate the damage penalty.

Hollow Chamber: Installs a tiny compartment in the handle of a weapon or within a small object (such as a box, chest, or even a musical instrument). Large enough to store a small vial (2″) or anything else of that size. Requires a Search check (DC 25) to notice the hollow chamber. Skill Requirements: Craft (Armorer) 2 ranks.

I won’t be putting in the the “Tech Points” requirements, since they relate only to levels in the “Inventor” class that is, I suspect, no longer available anyway.

This is a standard item – the Weapon Capsule Retainer (Complete Adventurer, 100 GP to be able to hold one dose, 450 GP to hold three doses in separate capsules. No deleterious effect on the weapon. This version is technically external since it’s added to an existing weapon, but there is no reason why it cannot be built into one when the weapon is made or with the standard rules for hidden compartments). Arrows with internal reservoirs have been around since first edition of course, since they’re one-shot “hit and break to release” items (green slime was and is still a favorite payload although there is the version using a very small bag of holding and a very tightly folded portable hole if you want complete insanity). There’s no reason why this shouldn’t be usable with ammunition anyway, at the usual “Base Cost per Fifty” standard but if you must you can go with Pathfinder’s alchemical arrows. Finally, the Complete Scoundrel includes rules on installing hidden compartments of many differing sizes into all sorts of things. Wand Chambers (Dungeonscape) are really useful too; +100 GP to be able to stick a wand into another item and to be considered holding it as long as you’re holding the other item? Very, VERY, handy! The original rules say “weapons and armor/shields” only, but there’s absolutely no reason not to be able to install such things in any item of sufficient size.

There’s a spell for poisoning weapons, and some Feats, and the Venomous weapon property that poisons the weapon several times a day and the Injection property from Pathfinder (which stores three doses of poison), but those are expensive and – in general – not as useful as the Weapon Capsule Retainer. Still, my choice would be a Venom Blade – a Talisman from The Practical Enchanter. It stores up to a dozen doses, can release one on a hit, and never poisons the user. A bow variant would work, but you’d have to decide whether or not to poison the arrow as a part of the attack before rolling to hit, which is potentially wasteful.

The “Fatigue Limiter”

Original:

Fatigue Limiter: Provides a +4 bonus to any check for performing a physical action that extends over a period of time (running, swimming, holding your breath, and so on). The bonus lasts for 24 hours. Drinking it is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Skill Requirements: Craft (Alchemy) 7 ranks. Improve: +1 check, + 3 ranks

So; very strong coffee. Rather like Pathfinder’s “Desert Coffee” that reduces exhaustion. Presumably boosted with magic to provide benefits equivalent to four years of endurance training (Baseline professional skill is +4, and – in the modern world – is basically college graduate level). for a full day. Despite the name it does nothing about Fatigue. This is a very minor variant on Endurance Elixir (from The Complete Scoundrel, 20 GP/Dose): Drinker gains a +4 alchemical bonus on all ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws made to resist natural environmental extremes, such as hot or cold weather, I’d also let this one go as a Charm (The Practical Enchanter) or Cantrip since it’s so conditional. After all… this is basically “you get a better performance when you work on some mundane task for a long time”. How often does that actually come up? Even actual laborers rarely need to be John Henry. And 20 GP (less if you make it yourself) is quite trivial and nearly matches the cost of a Charm anyway.

This doesn’t match the originals limitless potential for improvement, although I suppose that a Talismanic version might give a +8 – but so what? How often are you spending all day – say – digging a hole, and even if you are… why worry about your skill check modifiers? The hole will be big enough when the GM thinks it should be anyway.

The “Folding Tent”:

Basically this seems like a modern, spring-loaded, tent. Those can be put up or taken down very quickly indeed given ordinary physical abilities and a little practice.

Original:

Folding Tent: This tent neatly folds into a compact size within only 5 rounds. Requires: Craft (Blacksmithing) 6 ranks, Craft (Weaving) 2 ranks. Improve: -1 round/+5 ranks (minimum 1 round).

This was wanted for arranging a high-speed shelter, noting a bad experience with “Acid Rain”. Of course, it doesn’t say how long it takes to put it up – but the usual rule is “It can be put away in half the time it takes to put it up”, at least according to Pathfinder.

Or you could shove a beach umbrella with some canvas drop panels into your handy haversack. “Set up a tent fast” is basically a cantrip-level effect. A tent’s helpfulness with environmental hazards is limited due to cloth having no hardness and few hit points, but I suppose it could be alchemically treated or have one of Pathfinder’s Fortifying Stones (+5 Hardness, +20 HP) stuck on it. That should stand up to any normal acid rain damage (half energy damage versus objects, then hardness). So:

Instant Tent Charm. A minor variation on the Locking Tarp Charm. Toss the packet on the ground, a couple of seconds later it’s a small or medium sized tent. Start to break it down, and it folds up again. Talismanic versions are made of hide (Hardness 2, maybe 10 HP?) and so offer some protection. If you really want protection add a Fortifying Stone (Pathfinder, 1000 GP) and it will have Hardness 7 and 30 HP – sufficient to ignore up to 14 points of energy damage or bounce basic archery fire. A few little holes and you can fire out of a tolerably effective little strongpoint.

Alternatively take a “Lazy Camper” cantrip (instantly performs some minor camping chore, such as putting a tent up, building a basic campfire, pouring water over said campfire and stirring the ashes to make sure that it’s out, cleaning some dishes, setting up a couple of folding chairs, and so on). Unlimited use for 1000 GP and so much easier than doing it all yourself. This could go in a Talisman too, probably getting (3 + Level/3) uses daily. Or you could get a Survival Pouch (Magic Item Compendium). 3300 GP is pricey at low levels, but getting to pull out your choice of a days rations, two gallons of water, a (set up) tent and two bedrolls, 50′ of rope, a shovel, a campfire (or eight torches), a composite shortbow (+1 Str bonus) and a quiver of 20 arrows, or even a mule with bit, bridle, saddle, and saddlebags (it can’t fight, but it can carry stuff and it’s a dandy trap-springer, portable barrier, and heavy object to drop from a height) five times a day is pretty handy. Sure, stuff you don’t use only lasts for eight hours, but that’s generally plenty.

“Speed Shoes”

Running shoes I suppose.

Original:

Speed Shoes: +5 / +10 to movement. Skill Requirements: Craft (Cobbling) 6 / 11 ranks.

That’s actually kind of tricky. First up, pretty much everyone should be using these. Notably cutting down all the time you spend walking each day saves farmers, porters, and many others a good deal of time, letting them get more done each day. That’s BIG in terms of social benefits. In fact, pretty much every one IS using these. Ever notice that walking around barefoot is a lot slower than stomping around in work boots, at least if you don’t want injured feet?

In terms of equipment comparisons these are difficult because they’re so minor. A first level Longstrider spell lasts for hours and adds +10 to ground movement. I’m kind of reluctant to permit most straight “bonus to” items as Charms or Talismans since they tend to become semi-mandatory unless they’re easily surpassed by ordinary gear – and this really isn’t.

Ergo, this needs to be magic. It also needs to have a bonus type since untyped bonuses have a way of breaking the game. Boots of the Unending Journey (Magic Item Compendium) are only 4000 GP and continuously grant +10 to your ground movement, Pass Without Trace, and immunity to Fatigue and Exhaustion – but they’re a 3.5 Relic, and have alignment and religious and feat or spell requirements to get the full effect. Boots of Striding and Springing are very classic at 5500 GP, but the best bet here is Innate Enchantment or personal abilities like Celerity. Honestly, it’s probably too good to pass up – but almost any combative d20 character is going to want Innate Enchantment with Personal Haste. +30 movement and +1 attack at your full BAB when making a full attack is really useful.

The “Blunderbuss”

A classic; a muzzle-loading, large-bore, musket/shotgun, with a flaring nozzle (this was widely believed to help spread the shot. That effect is actually minuscule, but the flared barrel did make it easier to load the thing with loose powder and shot). The short barrel, lack of rifling, and loose loading made “accuracy” at anything beyond very short rangers something of a pipe dream.

Original:

Blunderbuss: A blunderbuss is similar to a musket but differs in that the blunderbuss is more like a shotgun. Damage is reduced by 2 points for every range increment after the first. Skill Requirements: Craft (Gunsmithing) 6 ranks. Cross-referencing to the musket we have: “per the rules found in the DMG”. Skill Requirements: Craft (Gunsmithing) 6 ranks.

Checking the DMG… 500 GP, 1d12 Damage, Crit 20/x3, 150′ range increment, 10 Lb, Piercing. Single shot, one round to reload. That makes little sense – a blunderbuss simply does not have that kind of range – but it’s not like these are particularly detailed rules. At base within the first range increment it is slightly better than a heavy crossbow if you want to spend the money and put up with the noise. On the other hand, it’s an exotic weapon – while the Crossbows are simple. Is it worth the feat tax? After all, at long range the Blunderbuss version quickly becomes completely ineffective. Why not just use the Musket? According to this it has the same statistics save for not losing damage with range increments. I’ve got to admit that a Blunderbuss looks cool though. Still, you can say that your stuff looks cool all you want; this IS a fantasy game.

D20 Past says that the Flintlock (and far more reliable version) does 2d10, Crit 20/x2, Ballistic, 5 ft Range Increment, Single Shot (two full round actions to reload), 14 Lb. It does not seem to have a “cone” option though. On the other hand, thanks to the vagaries of converting Price DC’s into Credits and Credits into Gold Pieces… it’s only 75 GP. Presuming that you use plane shift to visit an appropriate setting to buy it of course. And want to put up with that 5′ range increment. “-6” to hit at twenty feet? Ouch. This is a “get one shot off while they’re closing” weapon. Useful in the real world, but something that most characters will simply shrug off in d20.

The Pathfinder version is 2000 GP, has a one-in-ten chance of misfiring, and only does 1d8, but affects a 15′ Cone when firing pellets. I’d skip this one. Who needs that kind of misfire chance? Especially when it can be quite dangerous to the user?

Honestly, in Fantasy d20 terms… all of these are terrible. A bow has a far greater effective range, fires more quickly, costs less to start with, requires far less expensive ammo, and can readily do more damage. About the only actual advantage is the 15′ cone option, and that can’t critical since there’s no roll to hit with it – and under the original “inventor” rules and Pathfinder the thing is too expensive for the first few levels where it might do some good against a crowd of kobolds or something. Even going with the 2D10 version it’s not very useful. Especially for something that’s going to require a special weapon proficiency.

That’s a bit weird anyway: the advantage of early firearms wasn’t in accuracy, or in causing more damage, or being capable of rapid fire. The advantage was that training a bowman took years, and called for strength, dexterity, health, and constant practice – while training someone to use a musket took weeks. One bowman was far better than one musketman – but you could easily field a lot of fairly adequate musketmen, while decent bowmen were hard to come by. Does that say “needs a feat to learn to use” to you?

The simplest way to do this? Use a Talisman from the Practical Enchanter – a Tulthara (which effectively emulates a given weapon with special effects of choice) – and choose the DMG musket. Looks as cool as you want, no special weapon proficiency required, doesn’t need ammunition and can, arguably, fire at your normal attack rate. That’s a reasonably useful weapon, but not especially overwhelming.

We could also go with magic, using the Rod Of Frost (Original Version: Magic Item Compendium, 1400 GP. 3/Day) as a base for building an Elemental Blaster. 3/Day can be upgraded to Unlimited Use at a cost of x 5/3. I’ll round up to 2400 GP. I’ll also say that versions that produce 30′ Lines and 15′ Cones are available, but not interchangeable. Alternative elemental effects are obviously available as well, although the damage and secondary effects vary with the element. Doubling the cost to 4800 GP allows applying the “Rapid Casting” modifier, so that the “Rod” (Weapon) can be fired once per available attack (or as fast as the GM is willing to put up with anyway).

• • Frost: 3d6, Reflex DC 14 Half. Extinguishes natural fires, open water freezes to a depth of one foot.
  • Fire: 3d6 + on fire as per Flaming Oil, Reflex DC 14 Half and not on fire. The GM may opt to assign a -1 penalty for annoying smoke on some rolls in the area.
  • Lightning: 3d6 + Dazzled one round, Reflex DC 14 Half, makes a nice signal flare.
  • Sonic (Thunder) 3d4 + Deafened one round, also great for signaling and such.
  • Force 3d4 + Moved 5′ back. Loose items are tossed back as well. Reflex DC 14 Half and unmoved.

Or you could just grab a wand of Burning Hands at CL 3. Sightly cheaper and almost equivalent at the levels where this is a serious attack. Sure, the charges will run out, but it’s a niche attack so they should last quite a while anyway. Put it in a wand chamber in your usual weapon.

Now you can grab some highly-specialized automatic metamagic if you want to boost the area or extend the line, or increase the damage or – quite cheaply – allow you to switch between the five possible elements – but that’s a bit of a specialized art. See if your game master can be persuaded to put it into a martial art. Otherwise… this will be handy at times just because it is a small area of effect, but the extremely short range really hurts.

Next up we have:

“Fierce Weapon Designs”:

This was supposed to go on the Blunderbuss, providing a bonus to Intimidate while wielding it, presumably due to the giant muzzle. That might not mean much to a d20 character, where guns are vanishingly rare and size has little to nothing to do with destructive power, but why not?

Original:

Fierce Weapon Designs: Fearsome skull designs on the weapon add a +1 bonus to any Intimidate checks. Stacks with fierce armor designs. Skill Requirements: Craft (Armorer) 4 ranks. Can be improved at with additional +1 bonuses at +2 ranks.

First off, really? “Skull designs” won’t mean anything to a lot of creatures with alien mindsets or who can’t see – and who spends a lot of time looking at the ornamentation of a weapon in a fight anyway? Just as importantly… it isn’t hard to get craft skills sky high – allowing a massive untyped bonus to Intimidate. That can get very silly very fast. And you could do the same with your armor.

Still, what was actually asked for was a +2 to Intimidate, presumably while brandishing or using the weapon in question. That’s easy. Just throw in a Masterwork Tool for Intimidate at 50 GP. You can put it on the weapon, or a mask, or an intimidating uniform, or whatever. It will still be 50 GP.

The “Screamer”:

Finally we have the Screamer. This one… is tricky.

Original:

Screamer: This strangely configured item is twirled around, producing a loud wailing sound. All those not forewarned against it’s effects must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Inventor level + Int mod) or be shaken similar to the byproduct of the fear spell. This effect lasts as long as the screamer is twirled. A successful save means the person is immune to its effects for 24 hours. Twirling the screamer is a move-equivalent action. Skill Requirements: Craft (Armorer) 6 ranks. Improve: +1 DC/+ 3 ranks

OK the Bullroarer (like the Carnyx and several other instruments) is supposed to make a very intimidating noise. They were (and are) sometimes used to impress people, as parts of various ceremonies, and – at least with the Carnyx and old stories of it’s use in battle – to try and undermine the morale of enemy forces.

Part of the problem here is that the range is unknown (Twenty feet? Global? Who knows?), the save DC apparently improves as the user’s Level and Intelligence Modifier go up without any change in the device, there’s nothing on how much space is needed or on what penalties you take in keeping the thing swinging around while trying to do other things, it doesn’t say if it is a sonic, mind-affecting, effect (I would guess so) which the game master kind of needs to know, as well as whether or not it works on creatures with relevant immunities, and it won’t work against someone who is “forewarned”. While that’s an obvious “does not affect the party” statement, what does it mean for others? After all, it also says that saving makes you immune for twenty-four hours. Wouldn’t you now be forewarned about the weird noise and permanently immune? Does the “Shaken” effect stack with other fear effects as usual? That could be incredibly powerful. Why is this an “invention” when tribal people around the world have been swinging the things around for thousands of years and it was an available bardic instrument in earlier editions? Isn’t this like classifying a walking stick as an invention? What are the chances that random creatures have already been “forewarned”? We kind of need to know at least some of that stuff, if only to argue with the rules lawyers.

Well, what it comes down to is that it’s something you can do in a fight to make scary noises that might fluster people, causing them to become Shaken. Just like screaming war cries, or uttering terrible phrases in the black speech of the abyss, or turning into Godzilla while screaming “KROM!!!”.

There is something for that that doesn’t require bardic powers. It’s, appropriately enough, under “Martial Arts”. You invest a few skill points in your combat skill – which every sensible combatant working under Eclipse rules WILL do – and take “Battlecry”.

So overall we’re looking at investing a couple of Feats:

• Use of Charms and Talismans (Seven and Three. 6 CP / One Feat). These can have technological / “clockpunk” styling if you wish; it isn’t like what they look like really matters.
  • Usual Charms: Instant Tent, Klatchian Coffee (“Fatigue Limiter”), Elfin Cloak (Camouflage Suit), Foothold Boots (Rocket Boots), Sealed Helm (Gas Filter), Sovereign Ointment (Healing Salve), and a Tinkerstone (Repair Kit).
  • Usual Talismans: Helm of War (Concealed Last-Resort Armor), Tulthara (Musket), and Venom Blade.
• Innate Enchantment (Up to 8500 GP Value. Corrupted / requires complex clockwork gizmos to focus the power into something useful, 6 CP).
  • Personal Haste (Clockwork-and-Wire Exoskeleton) (SL 1 x CL 1 x 2000 GP Unlimited-Use Use-Activated = 2000 GP. +30′ Movement, +1 Attack at full BAB when making a full attack).
  • Elemental Blaster (Weird Pistol) (4800 GP, choice of element, normally the “Cone” variant, with the Rapid Casting modifier).
  • Healing Belt (First Aid Kit) (750 GP).
  • 12x Masterwork Tools (600 GP, +2 on twelve skills of choice).

That leaves 350 GP worth of stuff to go – most likely invested in some “mundane” gear.

I won’t be accounting for the Martial Art. Most warrior types have more than one anyway. Still, that’s a net cost of 12 CP / Two Feats for being a clockpunk fighter, which is a lot easier to manage than picking up levels in an unofficial third party class. It also doesn’t call for any exotic weapon proficiencies, which saves a feat right there. The character will have an advantage at low levels – as might be expected from taking a couple of heavily front-loaded options – but since those options don’t scale very quickly that will level off quickly.

Now, if you want to share this equipment around, what you want is permission from the game master and Blessing (Group Modifier). Specialize and Corrupt it since you only want to share this specific package, and – at a cost of 4 CP – there you go. Equip your friends.

Group use will change things – as an obvious example, a party with Elemental Blasters will be able to mow down rather a lot of low-level creatures – but that just calls for some tactical changes and if that’s the type of game you want there’s no reason not to go for it. Group use of Screamers… well, an entire party with Battlecry may be able to drive off quite a few encounters entirely at lower levels, but it will be something of a gamble.

And I hope that helps!