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Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Gadgeteer - A Class for Adventurers of the Lost World

We're back with another draft for the special character classes that will be published in the Adventurers of the Lost World book for DCC RPG, a 1930s fantasy pulp version of our world with dinosaurs, atlanteans, nazis, aliens and much more! In this setting, science and magic gets intermingled, specially because of the lost atlantean technology and a scientist with the guts to try the most outrageos theories can develop gadgets capable of the most incredible effects. This Gadgeteer class below represent this kind of individuals.

Gadgeteer


You see the rules that govern our world not as limitations and boundaries, but as tools to achieve great feats. Science has gone a long way since the beginning of civilization, but you believe it still has a long way to go. And you intend to get it there. With the courage to challenge common belief, your inventions are capable of amazing effects that seem magical to the common people but it's nothing more than very advanced technology being tested. Science is your greatest power.

A Gadgeteer is a person capable of a great variety of deeds with their inventions. With some research, study and experiments, they can replicate and create amazing effects that rival to most fantastical sorceries. These individual, although not combat trained like soldiers, are not as unprepared as occultists and can be helpful in a conflict, specially if they have an invention that shoot rays or a vibro blade in their pocket. Because the Lost World is riddled with ancient Atlantean tecnology, a gadgeteer is a great addition to any explorers group.

Hit points: Gadgeteers gain 1d6 hit points per level.

Proficiencies: A Gadgeteer can use all civilian weapons normally, but are not proficient with military weaponry. However, a gadgeteer is always considered proficient with the inventions he make, wheter it is a vibro-axe or an lase rifle. Armor is not a common sight among gadgeteers, although it do not interfere much with their use of gadgets.

Alignment: Science attracts people of many different philosophies. Gadgeteers can be of any alignment, and the use they give to their inventions and discoveries indicate what kind of scientist they are. Lawful gadgeteers see their research and inventions as tools that can be used by humanity to develop a better and safer world. One day their inventions will help a lot of people. Neutral ones pursue inventions and experiments they are curious about or that can lead to better gains for him and his group of associates, but within some moral boundaries he dare not to cross. However, chaotic gadgeteers see science as a gateway to power and are not above using it to personal gain, even if it means the destruction of everything else around him.

Science level: As it happens with spells and psychic powers, the effects a gadgeteer can produce with his inventions are improved as the character becomes more experienced. This is reflected in the gadgeteer's science level. This is usually equal to his character level. In all game terms, science level functions just as caster levels.

Inventions: The researches and experiments gadgeteers make result in prototypes and inventions capable of amazing effects. Depending on their level, a gadgeteer will be able to maintain a certain numbers of active and functional inventions he and other can use. This number is limited because of the materials, source power and technology needed for each of them is well beyond normal apparels. Essentially, characters produce advanced prototypes that can reproduce amazing effects but aren't reliable all the time. To use an invention, a gadgeteer (or any other person) has to make a gadget check (functions like a spell check). The result varies according to the check. That means the invention can work just as expected, with an effect better than expected, it can just not work at all, or some unforeseen catastrophe can occur because of slight miscalculations. In game terms, gadget checks function just like wizard's spell checks. The only difference is that anyone that handles the invention can make a check (but uses the d10, since they are usually untrained with it). If using an effect without the normal misfire and corruption results, use the generic tables appropriate for that level.

Scientific research: A gadgeteer does not have a set list of invention effects he can make. With research, time and money invested, a gadgeteer can modify his inventions (or pull them apart and make new ones) to create new effects. Depending on the level of the effect, a gadgeteer will need a determined amount of time to scientific research, a determined sum of money to develop it and a gadget check DC to beat. If he succeeds, the makes one invention with the desired effect. A Gadgeteer can reproduce the effects of any spell or mental power, unless the judge says he cannot (he still has to respect the limit on the number of inventions he can have and the level of the effects he can reproduce according to this class table).

Table 3-10: Scientific Research
Effect Level
Research Time
1
1 day
2
1 week
3
1 month
4
1 semester
5
1 year

Academic knowledge: Starting at first level and at all other odd levels, a gadgeteer selects a field of study to be considered trained for the purpose of skill checks. Below is a list of possible fields of study. A player can suggest a new field with the judge's approval. List of fields: Geography, History, Anthropology, Linguistics, Physics, Astronomy, Geology, Mathematics, Biology, Paleontology, Archeology, Botany, Entomology, Genetics, Hematology, Medicine, Mechanics, Meteorology, Neurology, Psychology, Robotics, Zoology.

I made some improvements: The gadgeteer gets to add his Luck modifier to a single invention of his making. He can change this invention anytime he spends 1 hour tinkering with another invention, but loses the bonus he had on the previous one.

Action dice: A gadgeteer can use it's first action die for any action. However, his subsequent dice can only be used to activate inventions or use academic knowledge.

Table 3-11: Gadgeteer
Level
Attack
Crit Die /Table
Action Die
Ref
Fort
Will
Acad.
Knowl.
Inventions*
Max Effect Level
1
+0
1d6/III
1d20
+1
+0
+1
1
2
1
2
+1
1d6/III
1d20
+1
+0
+1
1
3
1
3
+2
1d8/III
1d20
+1
+1
+2
2
3
2
4
+2
1d8/III
1d20
+2
+1
+2
2
4
2
5
+3
1d10/III
1d20+1d14
+2
+1
+3
3
5
3
6
+4
1d10/III
1d20+1d16
+2
+2
+4
3
6
3
7
+5
1d12/III
1d20+1d20
+3
+2
+4
4
6
4
8
+5
1d12/III
1d20+1d20
+3
+2
+5
4
7
4
9
+6
1d14/III
1d20+1d20
+3
+3
+5
5
7
5
10
+7
1d14/III
1d20+1d20+1d14
+4
+3
+6
5
8
5

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