Mini Module: Inventing

Inventing is an option that groups can use for highly-skilled characters to create Devices. It uses two skills in what is essentially an Extended Skill Check to create potent, if short-lived, inventions. To create an invention, the inventor defines its traits and its total cost in character points. This cost is used for the necessary skill checks, and determines the time required to create the invention. Inventions are subject to the same power level limits as other FX in the campaign.
Design Check: First, the inventor must design the invention. Which skills are used depends on which feat the character is using to create the Invention:
* Artificer: Use Academics for the Design Check and Focus for the Construction Check.
* Inventor: Use Technology or Science for the Design Check and Technology for the Construction Check.
The DC is 10 + the invention's character point cost. Every 6 hours, the character may make a Design Check with the appropriate skill, just as if using an Extended Skill Check. Inventions require 1 Success for every 10 character points in their final cost. You can take 20 on the Design check, in which case the design process takes 20 times longer (120 hours for on success, or about three weeks worth of work). You can halve the design time by taking 2 Penalties on the check. Every failed Design Check imposes 1 Penalty to future checks, and 3 failed checks mean you have failed to design the Device.
If the check is successful, you have a design for the invention. If the check fails, the design is flawed and you must start over. If the check fails by 10 or more, the character is not aware of the design flaw; the design seems correct, but the invention won't function (or at least won't function properly) when it's used. For this reason, the GM should make the Design Check secretly and only inform the player whether or not the character appears to have succeeded.
Construction Check: Once the design is in-hand, the character can construct the invention. Every day, the character may make a Construction Check with the appropriate skill, so an invention costing 10 points takes 60 hours (about a week's work normally) to construct.
When the construction time is complete, make a Technology or Science skill check, using the Craft specialty appropriate to the invention (generally chemical, electronic, or mechanical). The DC is 10 + the invention’s power point cost. You can’t take 20 on this check, but you can take 10. You can halve the construction time by taking 2 penalties on the check.
Success means the invention is complete and functional. Failure means the invention doesn’t work. Failure by 10 or more may result in a mishap, at the GM’s discretion.
Using the Invention:
Once the invention is complete, it is good for use in one encounter, after which it breaks down or runs out of power. If the character wishes to use the invention again, there are two options. The first is to spend the necessary character points to acquire the Device for the price described at the beginning of this module and make the invention a part of the character’s regular traits; in this case, the new device can be used like any other. The other option is to spend a hero die to get another one-encounter use out of the invention. Each use costs an additional hero die, but doesn’t require any further skill checks.
Although it’s possible to prepare certain one-use devices in advance, the GM should carefully enforce the guidelines for having items on-hand. If an inventor wants to have a particular previously-constructed invention on-hand during an adventure, the GM should require the player to spend a hero die.
Jury-Rigging Device:
An inventor can choose to spend a hero die to jury-rig a device; ideal for when a particular device is needed right now. When jury-rigging a device, skip the design check and reduce the time of the construction check to one check every 5 rounds per 10 character points of the device's cost, but imposes 2 penalties. The inventor makes the Construction check and, if successful, has use of the device for one encounter before it burns out, falls apart, blows up, or otherwise fails. You can’t take 10 or take 20 when jury-rigging an invention, nor can you speed up the process any further by taking a skill check penalty. You can jury-rig an invention again by spending another hero die.
Mishaps:
At the GM’s discretion, failure by 10 or more, or a natural roll of 1, on any required inventing skill check may result in some unexpected side-effect or mishap. Exactly what depends heavily on the invention. Inventing mishaps can become a source of adventure ideas and put the characters in some difficult situations. They may also be setbacks, suitable for hero die awards.	
	
Inventing is an option that groups can use for highly-skilled characters to create Devices. It uses two skills in what is essentially an Extended Skill Check to create potent, if short-lived, inventions. To create an invention, the inventor defines its traits and its total cost in character points. This cost is used for the necessary skill checks, and determines the time required to create the invention. Inventions are subject to the same power level limits as other FX in the campaign.
Design Check: First, the inventor must design the invention. Which skills are used depends on which feat the character is using to create the Invention:
* Artificer: Use Academics for the Design Check and Focus for the Construction Check.
* Inventor: Use Technology or Science for the Design Check and Technology for the Construction Check.
The DC is 10 + the invention's character point cost. Every 6 hours, the character may make a Design Check with the appropriate skill, just as if using an Extended Skill Check. Inventions require 1 Success for every 10 character points in their final cost. You can take 20 on the Design check, in which case the design process takes 20 times longer (120 hours for on success, or about three weeks worth of work). You can halve the design time by taking 2 Penalties on the check. Every failed Design Check imposes 1 Penalty to future checks, and 3 failed checks mean you have failed to design the Device.
If the check is successful, you have a design for the invention. If the check fails, the design is flawed and you must start over. If the check fails by 10 or more, the character is not aware of the design flaw; the design seems correct, but the invention won't function (or at least won't function properly) when it's used. For this reason, the GM should make the Design Check secretly and only inform the player whether or not the character appears to have succeeded.
Construction Check: Once the design is in-hand, the character can construct the invention. Every day, the character may make a Construction Check with the appropriate skill, so an invention costing 10 points takes 60 hours (about a week's work normally) to construct.
When the construction time is complete, make a Technology or Science skill check, using the Craft specialty appropriate to the invention (generally chemical, electronic, or mechanical). The DC is 10 + the invention’s power point cost. You can’t take 20 on this check, but you can take 10. You can halve the construction time by taking 2 penalties on the check.
Success means the invention is complete and functional. Failure means the invention doesn’t work. Failure by 10 or more may result in a mishap, at the GM’s discretion.
Using the Invention:
Once the invention is complete, it is good for use in one encounter, after which it breaks down or runs out of power. If the character wishes to use the invention again, there are two options. The first is to spend the necessary character points to acquire the Device for the price described at the beginning of this module and make the invention a part of the character’s regular traits; in this case, the new device can be used like any other. The other option is to spend a hero die to get another one-encounter use out of the invention. Each use costs an additional hero die, but doesn’t require any further skill checks.
Although it’s possible to prepare certain one-use devices in advance, the GM should carefully enforce the guidelines for having items on-hand. If an inventor wants to have a particular previously-constructed invention on-hand during an adventure, the GM should require the player to spend a hero die.
Jury-Rigging Device:
An inventor can choose to spend a hero die to jury-rig a device; ideal for when a particular device is needed right now. When jury-rigging a device, skip the design check and reduce the time of the construction check to one check every 5 rounds per 10 character points of the device's cost, but imposes 2 penalties. The inventor makes the Construction check and, if successful, has use of the device for one encounter before it burns out, falls apart, blows up, or otherwise fails. You can’t take 10 or take 20 when jury-rigging an invention, nor can you speed up the process any further by taking a skill check penalty. You can jury-rig an invention again by spending another hero die.
Mishaps:
At the GM’s discretion, failure by 10 or more, or a natural roll of 1, on any required inventing skill check may result in some unexpected side-effect or mishap. Exactly what depends heavily on the invention. Inventing mishaps can become a source of adventure ideas and put the characters in some difficult situations. They may also be setbacks, suitable for hero die awards.	
	
Inventing is an option that groups can use for highly-skilled characters to create Devices. It uses two skills in what is essentially an Extended Skill Check to create potent, if short-lived, inventions. To create an invention, the inventor defines its traits and its total cost in character points. This cost is used for the necessary skill checks, and determines the time required to create the invention. Inventions are subject to the same power level limits as other FX in the campaign.
Design Check: First, the inventor must design the invention. Which skills are used depends on which feat the character is using to create the Invention:
* Artificer: Use Academics for the Design Check and Focus for the Construction Check.
* Inventor: Use Technology or Science for the Design Check and Technology for the Construction Check.
The DC is 10 + the invention's character point cost. Every 6 hours, the character may make a Design Check with the appropriate skill, just as if using an Extended Skill Check. Inventions require 1 Success for every 10 character points in their final cost. You can take 20 on the Design check, in which case the design process takes 20 times longer (120 hours for on success, or about three weeks worth of work). You can halve the design time by taking 2 Penalties on the check. Every failed Design Check imposes 1 Penalty to future checks, and 3 failed checks mean you have failed to design the Device.
If the check is successful, you have a design for the invention. If the check fails, the design is flawed and you must start over. If the check fails by 10 or more, the character is not aware of the design flaw; the design seems correct, but the invention won't function (or at least won't function properly) when it's used. For this reason, the GM should make the Design Check secretly and only inform the player whether or not the character appears to have succeeded.
Construction Check: Once the design is in-hand, the character can construct the invention. Every day, the character may make a Construction Check with the appropriate skill, so an invention costing 10 points takes 60 hours (about a week's work normally) to construct.
When the construction time is complete, make a Technology or Science skill check, using the Craft specialty appropriate to the invention (generally chemical, electronic, or mechanical). The DC is 10 + the invention’s power point cost. You can’t take 20 on this check, but you can take 10. You can halve the construction time by taking 2 penalties on the check.
Success means the invention is complete and functional. Failure means the invention doesn’t work. Failure by 10 or more may result in a mishap, at the GM’s discretion.
Using the Invention:
Once the invention is complete, it is good for use in one encounter, after which it breaks down or runs out of power. If the character wishes to use the invention again, there are two options. The first is to spend the necessary character points to acquire the Device for the price described at the beginning of this module and make the invention a part of the character’s regular traits; in this case, the new device can be used like any other. The other option is to spend a hero die to get another one-encounter use out of the invention. Each use costs an additional hero die, but doesn’t require any further skill checks.
Although it’s possible to prepare certain one-use devices in advance, the GM should carefully enforce the guidelines for having items on-hand. If an inventor wants to have a particular previously-constructed invention on-hand during an adventure, the GM should require the player to spend a hero die.
Jury-Rigging Device:
An inventor can choose to spend a hero die to jury-rig a device; ideal for when a particular device is needed right now. When jury-rigging a device, skip the design check and reduce the time of the construction check to one check every 5 rounds per 10 character points of the device's cost, but imposes 2 penalties. The inventor makes the Construction check and, if successful, has use of the device for one encounter before it burns out, falls apart, blows up, or otherwise fails. You can’t take 10 or take 20 when jury-rigging an invention, nor can you speed up the process any further by taking a skill check penalty. You can jury-rig an invention again by spending another hero die.
Mishaps:
At the GM’s discretion, failure by 10 or more, or a natural roll of 1, on any required inventing skill check may result in some unexpected side-effect or mishap. Exactly what depends heavily on the invention. Inventing mishaps can become a source of adventure ideas and put the characters in some difficult situations. They may also be setbacks, suitable for hero die awards.	
	
Inventing is an option that groups can use for highly-skilled characters to create Devices. It uses two skills in what is essentially an Extended Skill Check to create potent, if short-lived, inventions. To create an invention, the inventor defines its traits and its total cost in character points. This cost is used for the necessary skill checks, and determines the time required to create the invention. Inventions are subject to the same power level limits as other FX in the campaign.
Design Check: First, the inventor must design the invention. Which skills are used depends on which feat the character is using to create the Invention:
* Artificer: Use Academics for the Design Check and Focus for the Construction Check.
* Inventor: Use Technology or Science for the Design Check and Technology for the Construction Check.
The DC is 10 + the invention's character point cost. Every 6 hours, the character may make a Design Check with the appropriate skill, just as if using an Extended Skill Check. Inventions require 1 Success for every 10 character points in their final cost. You can take 20 on the Design check, in which case the design process takes 20 times longer (120 hours for on success, or about three weeks worth of work). You can halve the design time by taking 2 Penalties on the check. Every failed Design Check imposes 1 Penalty to future checks, and 3 failed checks mean you have failed to design the Device.
If the check is successful, you have a design for the invention. If the check fails, the design is flawed and you must start over. If the check fails by 10 or more, the character is not aware of the design flaw; the design seems correct, but the invention won't function (or at least won't function properly) when it's used. For this reason, the GM should make the Design Check secretly and only inform the player whether or not the character appears to have succeeded.
Construction Check: Once the design is in-hand, the character can construct the invention. Every day, the character may make a Construction Check with the appropriate skill, so an invention costing 10 points takes 60 hours (about a week's work normally) to construct.
When the construction time is complete, make a Technology or Science skill check, using the Craft specialty appropriate to the invention (generally chemical, electronic, or mechanical). The DC is 10 + the invention’s power point cost. You can’t take 20 on this check, but you can take 10. You can halve the construction time by taking 2 penalties on the check.
Success means the invention is complete and functional. Failure means the invention doesn’t work. Failure by 10 or more may result in a mishap, at the GM’s discretion.
Using the Invention:
Once the invention is complete, it is good for use in one encounter, after which it breaks down or runs out of power. If the character wishes to use the invention again, there are two options. The first is to spend the necessary character points to acquire the Device for the price described at the beginning of this module and make the invention a part of the character’s regular traits; in this case, the new device can be used like any other. The other option is to spend a hero die to get another one-encounter use out of the invention. Each use costs an additional hero die, but doesn’t require any further skill checks.
Although it’s possible to prepare certain one-use devices in advance, the GM should carefully enforce the guidelines for having items on-hand. If an inventor wants to have a particular previously-constructed invention on-hand during an adventure, the GM should require the player to spend a hero die.
Jury-Rigging Device:
An inventor can choose to spend a hero die to jury-rig a device; ideal for when a particular device is needed right now. When jury-rigging a device, skip the design check and reduce the time of the construction check to one check every 5 rounds per 10 character points of the device's cost, but imposes 2 penalties. The inventor makes the Construction check and, if successful, has use of the device for one encounter before it burns out, falls apart, blows up, or otherwise fails. You can’t take 10 or take 20 when jury-rigging an invention, nor can you speed up the process any further by taking a skill check penalty. You can jury-rig an invention again by spending another hero die.
Mishaps:
At the GM’s discretion, failure by 10 or more, or a natural roll of 1, on any required inventing skill check may result in some unexpected side-effect or mishap. Exactly what depends heavily on the invention. Inventing mishaps can become a source of adventure ideas and put the characters in some difficult situations. They may also be setbacks, suitable for hero die awards.	
Category:Rulebook
Category:Characters
Category:Gear
Category:Mini Module