Can I PLEASE get some help?

[McQ]

Trying to figure out crafting mechanisms.
I've got Iron Kingdoms and Mongoose's Steam & Steel.
There are ALOT of skills in Iron Kingdoms, but everything seems to be made via Craft Mechanika which requires a spellcaster to build most parts. You need one skill to make the machines (Craft Mechanika), the Knowledge Mechanika skill to know what you're doing to make Schematics, and one more (Jack Handling) to actually use any of the Automatons/Servitors/Steam Jacks. To power a Jack with Steam requires I add one more Craft skill (Steam Engine).
I'd prefer to do things via Clockworks or Mechanika without need of magic; that requires almost an entire overhaul of the Iron Kingdoms rules.

Any ideas? Houserules? Should I ditch one Source and pick up another? Steam & Steel? Just use the War Forged from Eberron and forget about gadgets?

I've posted before but feel I'm hitting a wall here.

[dextercorvia]

Since this is a cross-platform question, you may have better luck in the Roleplaying Games section, instead of the 3.x specific one.

[That_guy_there]

If you're running the game, I would suggest streamlining it all. I added mecha into a 3.x game a while back, using a DragonMecha supplement... I forget now how building and powering it worked in game but I streamlined it alot, basically including a Knowledge (Engineering) to plan it, a Craft (Mecha) to Build it and a Drive/ Pilot Skill to use it.

Also Dividing up the people who make them and the people who plan them helped too... I had a different guild responable for each step. it made it easier to put together NPCs and gave me more PC interactions as they negotiated with each group.

Since my mecha weren't magic no caster level needed. But to enhance them (such as making them magically protected, and whatnot) required the same feats/ skills/ caster levels/ spell and wonderous items, weapons and armor did.

I dunno if that helps but my experience is that if you can combine things it makes life less... complicated. And less likely for PCs to hire an entire city's work crew to get a custom Mech made...

hope that helps even a little.....

[McQ]

Since this is a cross-platform question, you may have better luck in the Roleplaying Games section, instead of the 3.x specific one.

Sorry to be posting in the wrong place. New here and thought Iron Kingdoms fell into the 3.x category. Thanks for the advice :)

[dextercorvia]

I'm not sure you are. If those are d20 games, then you technically are in the right place. I just noticed that no one had answered your question, and that other systems see more support elsewhere on the forum.

[McQ]

@That_Guy_There

I appreciate the ideas. I was considering the same 3 Skill structure. And I totally understand now how combining can get you into trouble. I wanted to have gadgets as well mechanoids, but with IKs complex rules it gets tougher to figure out where to simplify and what to keep.