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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Clay_More" data-source="post: 4405058" data-attributes="member: 9813">Hiya Mboswi and Kerrick, thanks for the replies. Mboswi, I'm going to update the wiki with all the material I'm making as soon as I've put it on the forum for feedback, much easier for me to change the material before putting it in the wiki than after.And thanks Kerrick, we actually did talk a bit about crafting some years ago when I was working on my original rules and you were working on yours, and I gotta agree that its a pretty good set of rules you have for crafting, a bit less complex than what I'm aiming for but probably easier to adopt for normal gamers who don't want to burden their game with too complex rules. My own crafting rules are almost a bit of a "meta-game" where the players can get really involved in crafting their equipment, finding the alterations and modifications that suits them best. Anyways, I finished some of the base rules regarding mechanics and I've started on the rules for Steam powered items.MechanicsBalmortis is a world in which a small number of races have mastered a greater level of technology than is common in most settings. The dwarves and gnomes in particular are able to construct machines that rival the accomplishments of the best of mages. Some particularily devout priests have even managed to construct a technology based on divine energy, using engines infused with the power of their deity to power complex systems. This level of technology is not easy to deal with though, and creating items of this complexity requires a wider array of skills than normal fantasy crafts. The following is a list of the craft skills used in this system.Craft (Mechanics): This skill includes the construction of mechanical systems as well as clockwork items. A character with ranks in the Craft (Mechanics) skill is not only able to produce some rudimentary mechanical items, he is also able to repair not only items produced by the skill, but also items produced by some of the other craft skills.Craft (Steam): This skill is focused on the construction of steam engines. Steam engines are the most readily available source of power for the majory of mechanical items as well as the most readily available and powerful. Craft (Electricity): Electricity is a much trickier source of power than steam and one that has yet not been fully mastered. While the dwarves are capable of producing rather basic items utilizing electricity, the true masters of the craft are the gnomes that have been able to craft a wide array of peculiar items using this source of power. Craft (Divine): Since the dwarves and gnomes are a godless race, they have never been able to manufacture the rather unique divine engines created by other races, particularily the humans who worship Emanuel the Whisperer. These engines contain diminutive sparks of holy essence, a gift given to mortals by the gods. While divinely powered machines lack the brute strength of steam and the oddity of electricity, they do have some unique capabilities. Craft (Gunpowder): The dwarves, gnomes and the humans of Cay Adair have all learnt to harness the lethal potential of gunpowder. The country of Cay Adair has experienced a slow but steady decline in their understanding of the technology as a result of the indifference of the nobility and the country's political depression. While the technicians of Cay Adair have slowly lost their grasp of the technology, the gnomes and in particular the dwarves are more capable than ever at producing extremely potent weapons utilizing gunpowder. Craft (Flesh): This unique craft is rarely utilized by most societies. Only the depraved necromacers of the Black Kingdoms actively research the use of flesh as a source of power for machines. The dwarves have been known to utilize the skill with relative success in their enormous Womb Engines. Note: Why the great number of craft skills? The items you can manufacture with the craft skills listed above are far more potent than mundane weapons and armor. Acquiring a mechanical item gives the character an advantage that far surpasses the advantage you can gain from any other skills. Therefore, mechanical items must represent a sizeable investment on behalf of the character that constructs them, not only in time and money spent, but also in the amount of skills that the character must possess before he can craft the more potent items. Crafting a mechanical itemCrafting a mechanical item is very different from crafting a piece of armor or a weapon. Virtually all mechanical items have one thing in common; they require several craft skills to be produced. For example, a typical steam engine will require the crafter to succeed at both a Craft (Mechanics) and Craft (Steam) check. A dwarven power armor will usually require a Craft (Armorsmithing), Craft (Mechanics) and Craft (Steam) check to be passed for it to be successfully produced. Each type of craft check is only rolled once for each item produced. If any of the skill checks required to craft the item are failed, the item is ruined and all of the materials are lost. Creating a mechanical item is done in steps, described below.First of all, a mechanical item requires a power source before it can operate. These engines can be powered by a number of means and each type of engine comes in a variety of classes that each provide a certain amount of power. For example, a Class 1 steam engine will produce 3 points of power. This small, portable engine can therefore provide power for either one mechanical item requiring 3 points of power or one item requiring 1 point of power and one item requiring 2 points of power, and so forth. The first step to create a mechanical contraption or series of contraptions is therefore to either build or acquire an engine. All items that require power will not only list how much power they need, but also the type of power that they can utilize. After creating or acquiring an engine, the active item can be created or acquired. For example, if a character has acquired the Class 1 steam engine mentioned above, he now has the option to connect a number of items capable of running on steam power to the engine. Connecting an item to an engine is a rather simple procedure that requires a Craft (Mechanics) check (DC 10). If the character fails the craft check to connect the item, either the item is ruined (90% chance) or the engine (10% chance). Many of the mechanical items that can be crafted have a number of modifcations that can be done to them. These modifications are listed beneath the description of the item. These modifications typically increase one or several of the Craft DC's as well as the crafting time. To craft any item that requires a Craft (Mechanics), Craft (Steam) or Craft (Gunpowder) check, the character must have access to a mechanical workshop. Constructing a mechanical workshop costs 5.000 gp in materials and tools and the workshop takes up 30x30 ft of space. Larger items may require additional workshop space to be built if the size of the item is greater than 30 ft in any of its dimensions.Special rules regarding mechanical itemsSteam engines require coal and water to function. Under the description of each class of steam engine there will be a listing of how long the engine can operate on a full load of coal and water as well as the amount of coal and water required to refill the engine when it is empty. If a steam engine has no fuel, all contraptions connected to it will cease to function. A steam engine can be switched off if not in use. A steam engine will use the same amount of fuel no matter how many contraptions are connected to it. It takes 10 rounds to start up a steam engine when it is shut off.Engines are so large that they can be targeted by attacks. Attacking an engine is similar to attacking any other object equipped by the character. The engine will typically be worn on the back and can only be targeted by foes who are flanking the character wearing the engine. Some contraptions, such as power armor and tanks, will have the engine fitted inside the contraption, making it impossible for anyone to target it unless they first destroy the contraption. If an engine is destroyed, all contraptions attached to it will cease to function. Repairing a destroyed engine requires 50% of the materials used to construct it, it takes half as much time to repair as the its construction time and a Craft (Mechanics) check must be succeeded. A failed craft check means that the engine has been destroyed beyond repair. The Craft (Mechanics) check required to repair an engine is equal to the highest Craft check involved in crafting the engine. For example, an engine that requires a Craft (Mechanics) check of a DC 20 and a Craft (Steam) check of a DC 25 to manufacture will require a Craft (Mechanics) check with a DC of 25 to repair. Remember that the repair DC is equal to the final Craft DC of the engine after all modifications have been included, not the base DC. Optional Rule: SimplificationWhile the rules regarding mechanical items are a bit complex compared to most rules that deal with equipment, this is deliberate to emphasize the problems and hindrances associated with using complex mechanical items as opposed to more "mundane" fantasy items. It is possible to cut away some of the rules if the person using the rules wishes for them to be easier to implement. It is, for example, possible to reduce all of the above-listed Craft skills to one single skill called Craft (Mechanics). When crafting an item that requires any of the above-listed skills, simply take the highest Craft DC listed in the description of the item and make it a Craft (Mechanics) check. It is also possible to ignore the rules about steam engines having a limited operation time and requiring fuel. If you want to simplify even further, you can remove the engines all together and simply state that the mechanical items run on an internal power source. Be careful with reducing too many limitations though, as it will make the mechanical items too powerful compared to mundane and even magical items.</blockquote>

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