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Long ago, the disciplines of High Art were united. However, due to the dual catastrophes of the Deluge and the War of the Outsiders, much of that knowledge was lost.
The most affected of the disciplines was definitely Artifice. For centuries, this discipline languished in relative obscurity. The Sages knew that the ancients had incredible technology and were able to manipulate mana and magic in ways all but unthinkable to contemporary people, but no one knew how they did this.
So for a long time, Artificers were those who attempted to understand these ancient works. They were halfway between mad scientists and guinea pigs, randomly trying things to see what worked. Most of the time they were unsuccessful, often in horrifying ways. But sometimes, they actually made progress. Still, this progress was sporadic and almost never recorded, so the next generation would have to stumble into the dark as well.
Rune-Smithing was an attempt to fix this. By studying the ancient runes and translating them, the Rune-Smiths were able to craft a mostly functional alphabet and language. And while progress has still to be made, the modern Artificer know has the tools to actually study the work of the ancients, understand their work in a comprehensive way and to push the field of
Artifice forward.
Artificers today:
The difference between a Wizard and a Hedge-Witch is status and education. A Wizard was sponsored, either by a religious institution or noble house, to learn High Art. He has official permission from the government to use his powers and the status of a powerful institution backing him. Conversely, a Hedge-Witch is a magic-user who was taught how to harness their powers by a local elder or Spirit.
They likely have much less knowledge, especially on the theory of magic and its potential implications/uses, but that doesn't make the Wizard better. Many Master Wizards can recount tales of the time they were utterly trounced by a Hedge-Witch or learned something from an ancient crone who had forgotten more about healing magic than they'd ever known.
This same situation is often repeated in the division between Artificers and Rune-Smiths. Rune-Smiths learn from reputable institutions that usually have government backing and often have a much wider base of knowledge. However, they tend to learn in specific ways and are rarely taught to experiment or try new things.
Artificers, meanwhile, are taught in the more traditional way, through apprentice-ship to an elder Artificer. This is the way they have always done it, Artificers will claim, even if they have adopted the Runic alphabet developed by the Rune-Smiths, as it is simply too useful not to.
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What is Artifice?
Artificers are those who practice the High Art of Artifice, an off-shoot of sorcery, a discipline named after deception. It is well named, for Artifice involves attempting to use magic without possessing the required talent or power.
This is done through the crafting of Constructs. A Construct is any form of artificial device created to replicate a spell or magical effect. They range wildly in size and complexity, from towering automatons wielding burning swords and explosive cannons to tiny charms that produce light on command. Regardless of form however, Artifice all relies on the same principles and methods.
How to Artifice:
Novice or Journeyman Artificers are advised to follow Lessons, which are the term that Artificers use for instructions on how to build a Construct. If you want to build something and don't have a senior Artificer to look over your shoulder and make sure you don't blow yourself up, then a Lesson is your best bet.
To make a Construct, you need the materials required to craft it. If you are a more skilled Artificer, you can substitute materials for something that is close enough, but if you're not as skilled, you have a much higher chance of screwing it up and wasting your materials.
Example Lesson:
Grenado
Base DC: 8
Required Materials: A metal shell; a crystal, chunk of glass or golden ball; flammable material such as sawdust; wax
If incendiary- Requires lamp oil or flammable liquid (DC +1)
If freeze bomb- Requires snow, ice or drop of blood from an Ice Queen (DC +1)
If remoted detonated- requires a pair of fireflies, one male and one female (DC +2)
A single-use explosive that after triggering it, explodes after a short time. There are variants of this Lesson which can teach you how to make it remote-detonated, make an incendiary bomb, make a gas bomb and other types.
Rules for Crafting:
Everything you want to craft has a Base DC and is modified by the Construct Crafting table (see below). If you don't hit that DC, you waste your materials and produce nothing. If you roll under half of the required DC, you must also roll on the Workshop Accident table below.
The more powerful a Construct or the more effects you want it to cause, the more difficult it is to make and the more rare materials it requires.
When you attempt to craft something, add all modifiers to the base DC and roll 1d20. You can add your skill in Artifice to the d20 roll.
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How powerful do you want this construct to be?
- Weak (+0)
- Useful (+2)
- Strong (+3)
- Very Strong (+4)
Weapon Damage Table:
Weak 1d6/+1d6
Useful 2d6/+2d6
Strong 3d6/+3d6
Strong, very 4d6/+4d6
How many sentences would it take to describe what you want the construct to do?
- One or less (+0)
- Two or Three (+2)
- Three to Five (+4)
- Six or more (+5)
How many times do you want it to be usable?
- Once (+0)
- 1d3+1 times, then it can break (+1)
- 1d6+1 times, then it can break (+2)
- 1d3+1 times, then it needs to be recharged (+4)
- 1d6+1 times, then it needs to be recharged (+6)
- As many as I want (permanent) (+8)
Other Modifiers:
Are you using the Proper Materials, as dictated by the Lesson?
- Yes (-4)
- Yes, with two or fewer substitutions* (-2)
- Yes, with more than three substitutions (-1)
- No, I am missing more than X materials (+1 per missing material)
Are any Artificers are helping me with this project?
- None (-0)
- Yes (-X per Artificer, where X is that Artificer's skill level)
Do you have all your tools/are you working in a proper Workshop?
- No, this area is very chaotic and stress-inducing (+4)
- No, we are in the wilderness or far away from any Workshop (+2)
- No, but this area is useable (+0)
- Yes, though it could be better equipped (-2)
- Yes, we have everything we need here (-4)
- Yes, we have access to world-class facilities here (-6)
*Referee has final say over where a substitution can adequately perform the same role as the original material
Example Constructs:
- A bow that can light arrows fired from it on fire: If you wish to modify an existing bow, that is a weapon (Base DC 8) that causes one effect (+1) that is simple (+0) and weak (+0) as you only need it to do +1d6 damage and it would only take one sentence to describe these effects (+0). But you don't want to break your bow, so you want to be able to use it 1d3+1 times and then require it to be recharged (+4). The total DC is 13.
- A bomb: This is a consumable (Base DC 5) that you are making from scratch (+4). It produces one effect (+1) but it is a simple effect (+0) and you want it to be at least Useful strength (+2). It takes only one sentence to describe what you want the bomb to do (it explodes) (+0) and it only needs to work once (+0). The total DC is 12.
- A suit of armor that can let you shoot projectiles from an internal supply of mana and project a protective shield: A piece of armor (Base DC 10) that you are modifying (+0) that causes 2 effects (+2) and these effects are slightly complex (+2) and you want this suit to be strong (+3). It takes two or three sentences to describe what this construct should be able to do (+2) and you want it to be able to utilize it's abilities at least 1d3+1 times (+4). The total DC is 23.
- An autonomous hunter-killer construct designed to help the creator fight: A creature (Base DC 10) created from scratch (+4). It can follow orders, move and fight (+4) and these are three complicated tasks (+3). It needs to be at least Useful (+2) but only needs to do 1d6 damage on a hit (+0). It would take at least four sentences to describe what this construct needs to do (+4) and it only needs to be useable 1d3+1 times (+1). The total DC is 28.
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<Sidebar: Skills>
Skills only apply to specialized knowledge. It should be assumed that player-characters have relevant knowledge based on their role, archetype and background. For example, Fighters know how to use and maintain various weapons, how armies work and where to find martial artists or other skilled warriors. Rogues should be assumed to know the basics of the criminal underworld, where to buy or sell illegal or stolen goods and so forth. All adventurers should be assumed to do basic adventuring things like using weapons, wearing armor, riding horses, sneaking, etc.
Skills only apply to things that a character should not be assumed to know or would add dramatic consequences. For example, attempting to steal and fly away in a helicopter, but no one here knows how to fly a helicopter. It should also apply to specialized knowledge, such as flying a helicopter. The Fighter may know battlefield first aid, but he won't know how to do open-heart surgery.
To learn a skill, you must find a source to learn it from, usually a Teacher. The Teacher will have a DC assigned to them based on how good of a teacher they are, how experienced they are and any other relevant factor. The student must roll over or equal to the Teacher's DC. If he does, he learns the skill and can add +1 to any roll to use that skill. If he fails, he gets a +1 to his next roll to learn from the Teacher.
Example:
John wants to learn how to cook from Rebekah. She is his Teacher and her DC is 14. John rolls [1d20+2(COG modifier)] and gets a 15. He learns how to cook from Rebekah.
Later, John attempts to distract the Orc Chieftain by cooking him a lavish meal. To make this meal, he rolls [1d20+2(COG modifier)+1(Cooking skill modifier)] and gets a 7. The Orc Chieftain is not well pleased with his effort.
Skills increase at a rate of +1 each time you learn something new. Next time John studies under a Chef, he can upgrade his Cooking skill to +2 and so on.
</End Sidebar>
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Hit the Deck!
Roll on the following table if an attempt to craft a Construct goes drastically wrong or if something really crazy happens inside an Artificer's lab and volatile things start getting broken or jostled in dangerous ways.
Workshop Accident:
1d12
1- The Construct suddenly starts working, randomly affecting everything around it as it normally should.
2- One of the Construct's internal compartments opens 1d4 [1= It sprays flammable oil in a 15' cone; 2= It sprays raw magic in a 15' sphere around itself for 1d4 rounds, all magical effects nearby it are doubled for the duration, after which the mana is expended; 3= A live snake slithers out of it, has a 50% of being poisonous; 4= A gust of wind howls out of the compartment, all loose items within 10' that weigh less than a sword are flung about, weak or small creatures must save or be knocked over.]
3- A cloud of energy fills the nearest 30', activating any Constructs or magic items in that space.
4- The Construct begins constantly playing music as if there is a tiny orchestra inside it whenever it has at least 1 one use remaining. This effect is permanent.
5- The Construct's effect slightly and permanently changes. For example, if it is a Grenado, instead of exploding and hurting people, it instead explodes and sets them on fire, or sprays glitter and foam everywhere.
6- The Construct begins glowing and making an incredible racket, the light brightening and the sound intensifying for 1 round. Then there is a great sound like a sigh, and nothing happens. The Construct then returns to normal.
7- The Construct breaks. It will need to be fixed before it can be used again.
8- All 1d4 [1= Metal; 2= Wood; 3= Bone or organic material; 4= Cloth] that is part of the Construct transforms into 1d4 [1= Stone; 2= Blood; 3= Glass; 4= Smoke.]
9- A small fire starts. It will spread and consume other flammable objects is not stopped.
10- One of the Constructs begins attracting, at a rate of 1 per minute, 1d6 [1= Spiders; 2= Rats; 3= Insects; 4= Cats; 5= Dogs; 6= Insane people.] That type of creature will be drawn toward the Construct as long as it has at least one use.
11- A small spirit is drawn to the Workshop. Until driven away, this spirit will inhabit the workshop and do things when the workshop is not occupied. It is a 1d4 [1= Gnome, it will finish projects left undone and perform it's own experiments; 2= A Brownie, it will clean up and keep everything tidy, but if you tell anyone about it, it will leave; 3= Gremlin, it will steal things and be annoying; 4= Lare, it will protect the workshop from rats and other pests, leaving their bodies impaled on sewing needles and kabob sticks. It will expect to be paid for this service.]
12- This was more than a normal accident. Roll on the Workshop Disaster Table.
Workshop Disaster:
1d12
1- The Construct electrocutes the next person who touches it, doing 1d6+X lightning damage, where X is the skill of the Artificer who made it.
2- A large fire erupts. If not quickly contained, it will consume all flammable objects within reach and perhaps even the entire workshop.
3- The Construct attaches itself to the person closest to it in the lab and starts trying to merge with his body. If it successfully merges with the person's body, he must save. On a failure, he dies. On a success, he lives, but he has a Construct permanently attached to his body.
4- The Construct absorbs any other nearby Constructs or magic items, which form into a crude imitation of a body. The Construct then develops a new consciousness created by the overlapping fields of magic that were used to create it. The Construct is also a lot like the creator of those Constructs or magic items, fused into one person. The Construct Monster then flees the lab to pursue its own insane agenda. It has all the powers of the Construct and magic items that originally created it, along with X HD, which is the number of Constructs and magic items that created it.
5- The Construct melts into a puddle of molten, colorful slime. It is destroyed.
6- The Construct explodes, dealing Xd6 damage to anyone within 10*X', save for half. X here is the Artificer's level of skill (Ex: +3 = 3d6/30'). The Construct is destroyed by this explosion.
7- The Construct the Artificer is working on suddenly begin smoking and sputtering, glowing and shining and threatening to explode. Then smoke floods the lab and when it clears momentarily, it leaves behind a translucent, dark green egg. There is something alive inside that egg and if kept warm and safe, it will hatch.
8- Lightning strikes the Workshop and randomly activates 1d6+2 Constructs. Their effects trigger simultaneously and immediately. If they need a target, determine one randomly.
9- The Construct nearest the Artificer activates in a strange way, filling the lab with smoke and flashing lights. Then, after a series of increasingly grotesque noises, something emerges from the smoke. What is it? 1d4 [1= You, stark naked and confused. The naked version of you asks if this is the current year; 2= Someone you know well, wearing black leather with an eye patch and an artificial limb. They bring grave warnings from the future; 3= An unspeakable monster that is very friendly; 4= A beautiful creature that is immediately hostile.]
10- 1d8 purple goo monsters appear outside the building the Alchemist is in and begin attacking it. When killed, they are revealed to be humans covered in purple slime.
11- 1d8 thugs appear out of nowhere and assault the building the Workshop is in. When killed, the thugs dissolve into purple goo.
12- The Construct the Artificer was working on tears open a hole in the world, leading to a random plane of existence. This portal is two-way and remains open for 1d10 hours. Depending on what plane you accessed, this could either be an incredible opportunity or the last mistake you'll ever make.
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