The MagoMechanic is a fascinating art that combines cutting-edge engineering with arcane methods and materials to create extraordinary and even fantastical devices. This process, for the most part, unfolds in three steps.
The first step is to design the blueprint.
The MagoMechanic tries, considers and invents as long as necessary until what he tinkers with works—or until he explodes.
To design a good blueprint, the player makes a roll on Engineering (Analytical). The more successes are accumulated, the better the blueprint becomes. He can accumulate the successes over several attempts, but each roll takes one month of construction time and with every new roll one success is subtracted for every repeated roll.
The inventions are organized into MagMec levels:
Level 1 includes minor improvements to existing technology such as an improved handheld crossbow with an additional point of damage. (Improved by 1 point)
Level 2 includes strong improvements to existing technology such as a repeat handheld crossbow that halves reload time. (Improved by 2 points)
Level 3 refers to new, but comprehensible technology such as a winch-powered crossbow. (New realistic function)
Level 4 includes new, crazy technology such as laser pistols or a mind-manipulation glove. (New fantastical function)
Level 5 includes incredible technology such as dimension doors or mass thought-manipulation beams. (New incredible function, always with side effects determined by the game master {a.k.a. Better left unsaid! ?})
Blueprints of Level 5 are so complex and crazy that they can only be built by the person who conceived them—and even then only once, as they eventually do not understand themselves what they put to paper.
The inventor needs twice as many successes as the MagMec level of the device he wants to invent.
Each device has a durability of 6. In every scene in which the device is used, roll 2d6. If the result is higher than the durability, the device becomes defective and must be repaired with a Tinkering check.
During the design, the inventor can attempt to improve durability. With every success he invests into durability, it increases for all devices built from this blueprint by one point, with a maximum of 11.
Step 2 concerns obtaining the required parts.
This happens quickly if you have the right lifestyle. It takes a long time or becomes expensive if you don’t have it.
The required parts vary by level:
Parts for Levels 1 and 2 can be procured with a simple lifestyle.
For Level 3, a middle lifestyle is required.
For Level 4, an upper-class lifestyle is required.
And for Level 5, extraordinary parts must always be gathered in the game.
If you don’t have the necessary lifestyle, you must earn the required parts. The costs usually amount to roughly the cost of a simple device from this area multiplied by the corresponding MagMec level. At least if there is such a base device. Otherwise, the game master decides.
Step three is ultimately the assembly of the parts to build the corresponding device.
Here the Tinkering skill comes into play.
The rolled successes must now only correspond to the simple MagMec level.
And here again, successes can be used to increase the durability. Building takes one day per MagMec level and roll.
Oh yes, and there was also Improvising.
In principle it works like careful building. Only it’s cobbled together quickly in a pinch.
That means development here takes only hours and tinkering only minutes.
By spending net successes, this time can be reduced. The successes used count as fractions of the time required.
For this, a maximum MagMec level of 3 is possible, and durability is rolled for every use.
Yes, exactly. This is what you get when you form a project group with the A-Team and MacGyver.
Improvised devices are better rebuilt from scratch.