INVENTING

Characters with the necessary Knowledge and Craft skills and the Inventor feat (see page 62) can create inventions, temporary devices. To create an invention, the inventor defines its traits and its total cost in power 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 powers in the campaign.

DESIGN CHECK

First, the inventor must design the invention. This is a Knowledge (technology) skill check. The DC is 10 + the invention’s power point cost. It requires an hour’s work per power point of the invention’s cost. The character can take 10 or 20 on the check. In the latter case, the design process takes 20 times longer (20 hours per power point). You can halve the design time by taking a –5 on the Knowledge check.

Design Check = DC 10 + invention’s point cost

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. This requires four hours work per power point of the invention’s cost, so an invention costing 10 points takes 40 hours (about a week’s work normally, or working two days straight without rest) to construct. When the construction time is complete, make a Craft 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 a –5 on the Craft check.

Construction Check = DC 10 + invention’s point cost 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.

Example: Daedalus needs to whip up a mind-shielding device to confront Lady Lunar, who has seized control of his teammates in the Freedom League, and plans to use them as her army to conquer Farside City. Daedalus’ player considers and decides 10 ranks of the Mind Shield power (see page 93) will suffice. It has a cost of 10 power points, so the Knowledge (technology) check is DC 20 (10 + 10) and takes 10 hours. Daedalus’ skill bonus is +22, so he succeeds automatically. The GM decides Craft (electronics) is the appropriate skill for the construction check, also DC 20 (10 + the device’s cost). It takes 40 hours. Daedalus’ skill bonus is +20, so against he succeeds automatically. However, that’s 50 hours total to build the mind-shield, and Lady Lunar plans to launch her attack in just a few hours. Daedalus needs the new device right now, so he’s going to need to speed things up....

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 power points to acquire the Device power 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 point to get another one-encounter use out of the invention. Each use costs an additional hero point, 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 (see page 133). 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 point.

JURY-RIGGING DEVICES

An inventor can choose to spend a hero point 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 round per power point of the device’s cost, but increases the DC of the Craft check by +5. The inventor makes the Craft 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 point.

Example: Needing to get the mind shield device ready right away, Daedalus’ player decides to spend a hero point to jury-rig it. He skips the design step altogether and reduces construction time to 10 rounds (a minute). The DC of the construction check increases to 25, but still well within Daedalus’ abilities. His player rolls a 28 on the check and, a minute later, the immortal inventor has a makeshift mind-shield he hopes will protect against Lady Lunar’s power long enough for him to try and free the rest of the League from her influence.

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 heroes in some difficult situations. They may also be setbacks, suitable for hero point awards (see page 122).

MAGICAL RITUALS

Characters with the Ritualist feat (see page 63) and the Knowledge (arcane lore) skill can perform magical rituals. They are similar to inventions: one-time powers requiring some time and effort to set up.

For rituals, substitute the Knowledge (arcane lore) skill for both the design and construction checks. The design portion of the ritual takes 4 hours per power point of the ritual’s cost (pouring over ancient scrolls and grimoires, drawing diagrams, casting horoscopes, meditating, and so forth). The performance of the actual ritual takes 10 minutes per point of the ritual’s cost. So a ritual costing 10 power points takes 40 hours to research and 100 minutes to perform. As with inventing, the ritual is good for one encounter. Failing the research check means the ritual isn’t usable and failure by 10 or more results in a mishap (at the GM’s discretion).

“Jury-rigging” a magical ritual has the same effects as mentioned previously. This allows the ritualist to skip the design check and perform the ritual in a number of rounds equal to its cost. A Knowledge (arcane lore) check against a DC equal of (15 + the ritual’s cost) is needed to successfully perform the ritual.

MAGICAL INVENTIONS

For magical inventions, use the normal inventing rules, but use the Knowledge (arcane lore) skill for the design check and the appropriate Craft skill (probably artistic or structural) for the construction check. =

PURCHASING CUSTUM EQUIPMENT

As a general guideline, the equipment purchase DC equals 10 + the equipment’s point cost.

Or, a cost in Equipment Points what it would cost to build it in Character Points.

The GM is the final arbiter on the cost and availability.