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McQ
2011-05-03, 08:50 PM
I posted in the 3.x forum and was referred to here. Hoping I could get some suggestions on Houserules.

Trying to set up rules for crafting machinery of a Steam punk style. In the campaign Gnomes craft mechanical gadgets and mechanoids.

I like the Iron Kingdoms setting mainly for the Servitor/Steam Jacks and the rules on Jack Handling training. I want to cut out the necessity for magic that Iron Kingdoms has (magical needed for making Accumulators and Cerebral Matrices). There are a few designs where Clockwork or Steam Engine can replace the power source. IK uses Craft Mechanoid for almost everything.

I'd like maybe some rule changes to just use Craft Clockwork (maybe with a DC increase to craft using Clockwork versus using Craft Mechanika?) The character is will be cut off from buying new parts or devices fairly often, so maintaining or repairing anything will be important. And customizing or altering a device in down time should be available.

I also have the Steam & Steel source book from Mongoose, it uses one Craft Steamworks skill. Some of the gadgets are neat, I'd like a way to implement them in with the IK rules somehow.

I'd greatly appreciate some suggestions.

Mutazoia
2011-05-04, 07:25 PM
You'll probably need to use the Engineering skill as well as add crafting skills for Craft Clockwork, Black Smith, Knowledge (Metallury), Knowledge (electricity), Knowledge (Electronics), knowledge (chemistry), etc.

As for the crafting rules....the rule already in the PHB would suffice. I would think most Steampunk style gadgets would be Complex (DC 20) at minimum.

Personally I would make them craft parts separately and then combine them with another roll (and have a break-down table for everything crafted modified by how well the device was put together). After all any machine is only as good as its shoddiest part.