Making steam powers work with a Factotum's Cunning Briliance? - OG Myth-Weavers

Notices


Gaming Discussion

For all things gaming related.


Making steam powers work with a Factotum's Cunning Briliance?

   
Making steam powers work with a Factotum's Cunning Briliance?

So I was chatting with some people in an OOC game where I play a factotum, and alot of fallout references kept popping up.

So I made a joke that at lvl 19 I would used cunning brilliance to mimic a coglayers (DragonMech) steam powers to create (over time) Liberty Prime!

Now I am curious... Can it be done? I know that cunning brilliance only works for 1 minute per day, but combined with a few other abbilities, and a massive int score, could it be made to work? Not just Liberty prime, but any steam powers at all?


Maybe the Factotum uses that minute to furiously scribble blueprints and manuals to be used after?
Maybe he uses spells or magic items to stop time once he activates the ability?
Maybe he simply works for 1 minute a day for 60 days to complete each steam power?


Once the powers are built, can the factotum perform the daily maintinence required without needing to reactivate Cunning brilliance? (This seems more like a restriction on the result rather then the creator.) Perhaps with Knowledge checks?

Also, for those of you who would argue that a Factotum would need to see steam powers in action first, all that requires is that my character invents the engine!

Steam powers? You mean steam power, as in coal-fired locomotives and ironclad steamships?

I haven't seen DragonMech, so I really have no idea what, specifically, you're talking about.

In a practical sense, it takes more than simply being smart and having X ranks in Knowledge (Engineering) skill to make C4 or some other kind of modern device, you have to have access to the necessary knowledge resources to actually put together the bits of information you need to do so. In other words, your character would probably have to invest Calculus, first, and probably also Mechancial and Electrical Engineering, modern Metallurgy techniques, Computers, Semiconductors, Robotics, and developed enough AI algorithms to actually program Liberty Prime once you put the thing together. That's not just skill checks in D&D terms, but centuries of research.

No I ment steam powers... As in steam powered semi-magical hammer drones (Ironman 2)...

Your input, while intelligent and well spoken, does not fit without understanding of the steam powers of DragonMech. Besides I said any steam powers, not just a dragonmech variant of Liberty Prime. (Which is makable by lvl 10)

The [EX] ability allows the coglayer class to design and build components that once combined and attatched to a steam engine, duplicate magicall effects. A pilot light and an amplifier make a torch, add in a pump and I got a flame thrower. Add in a sword and mechanical actuator, and I get a flaming sword mounted on a metal arm rigged just above my arm that attacks independantly. With the exception of the mundane sword, all of those are considered steam powers. Hell, give him reinfored leg braces and at later levels you could give him 6 arms that attack on their own each turn...

That big yellow exoskeleton that sigorny weaver (sp?) had in the aliens movies? Makable by a lvl 1 character... Or maybe he would make a zepplin instead, an At-At? A small sized robo sidekick with a torso mounted
A rotating cog with a rifled barrel and a keg of sling bullets, its listed as a "Shredder" in the books.
chaingun was my personal favorite...
Though you couldnt afford the shredder untill later levels.

The coglayer class addmittedly throws science out the window, dispite science being the main fluff behind it...

As for all those sciences you listed a character needing knowledge in, thats significantly covered by the RP element of the Factotums Inspiration points. This class has every skill available too it, as well as enough aquired knowledge to be able to figure out the things not immediatly known, even thermonuclear physics... Spending an inspiration point allows him to buff any check by adding his level too it.

And who needs AI algorithms when I can simply make it a subservient animated construct!

Right now, the players in the game are argueing over wether or not we should make the dragon zord, mecha-Godzilla, or the death-star... We each start with the landlord feat at lvl 1, so the income from that is likely going to go towards a mobile mech base...

Anyways, back on topic, any thoughts as to how to make my initial concerns of fitting the ability into the 1 minute timeframe?

Maybe it will help to think of it like a fighter who used his 11 bonus feats on create blah. So the factotum duplicates the fighters feats, and has 1 minute a day to build pieces of an artifact jigsaw puzzle. Maybe not...

At any rate, if your not familiar with the Factotum and the DragonMech steam powers, or just a RAW savant, then you might not understand what I am looking to achieve.

Wul hiya!

I'll get right down to it: A couple things are in your way for this idea.

1: The coglayer, each day, must sustain their steam powers for one hour - this cannot be automated in any way, as it requires the skill and training of the coglayer to manage - taking measurements, placing grease in just the right places, adjusting settings, etc.

2: Unless maintained, these powers simply break apart - they are not like magic items in that regard - they are devices that are about as fickle as a step-mother's favor.

How about this: Trade out the spellcasting abilities for steam powers, since a coglayer is a nonmagical spellcaster, more or less - simple as anything! And since the Factorum is... well, the factorum, give them abilities that emphasize their flexibility - perhaps a little something to make reconstituting their powers a matter of spending inspiration points instead of an hour each power!

Little something like this:
Alternate class time!

Steam Factorum
HD, etc: as Factorum
Skills: Make sure you take appropriate knowledge and craft skills - like craft (smithing) and knowledge (steam)

1st +0 +0 +2 +0 — 2 Inspiration, cunning insight, cunning knowledge, trapfinding
2nd +1 +0 +3 +0 0 3 Spark (2+int steam powers)
3rd +2 +1 +3 +1 1 3 Brains over brawn, cunning defense
4th +3 +1 +4 +1 1 3 Spark (3+int), cunning strike
5th +3 +1 +4 +1 2 4 Clever Engineering (Reconstitute all 1/day)
6th +4 +2 +5 +2 2 4 Integrated Parts +1
7th +5 +2 +5 +2 2 4 Spark (4+int),
8th +6/+1 +2 +6 +2 3 5 Cunning surge
9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +3 3 5 Spark (5+int)
10th +7/+2 +3 +7 +3 4 5 Clever Engineering (Redline 1/day)
11th +8/+3 +3 +7 +3 4 6 Cunning breach
12th +9/+4 +4 +8 +4 4 6 Spark (6+int), Integrated Parts +2
13th +9/+4 +4 +8 +4 5 6 Cunning dodge
14th +10/+5 +4 +9 +4 5 7 Spark (7+int)
15th +11/+6/+1 +5 +9 +5 6 7 Clever Engineering (Reconstitute all 2/day)
16th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 6 7 Improved cunning defense
17th +12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +5 6 8 Spark (8+int)
18th +13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +6 7 8 Integrated parts +3
19th +14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +6 7 8 Cunning brilliance
20th +15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +6 7 10 Spark (9+int), Clever Engineering (Redline 2/day)

Spark: A Steam Factorum gains the insight and ambition to make steam powers work for them. They can create and maintain a number of steam powers equal to 2 + int modifier. They must work for one hour each day to maintain them, or they cease to function.

Integrated Parts: As the Coglayer ability

Clever Engineering (Reconstitute): Starting at 5th level, a Factorum can re-configure all of his steam powers as a full-round action by spending 1 inspiration point. He can do this an additional time per day at 15th level.

Clever Engineering (Redline): Starting at 10th level, a factorum can push the steam engines of their machines to the limits once per day, for 2+int mod rounds, during which time the machine gains the following: +2 to any ability score it possesses, +1 dice size (1d6-1d8-1d10-1d12-2d6-3d6-4d6 etc), and +25% to any statistic. Afterward, that device (And all its steam powers) shut down and stop functioning until the device has had a chance to cool (1 minute, or 10 rounds)

Why all this, you ask? Why edit the class and change so much about it to do this?

:|


Because it's not a matter of "skill checks" - you couldn't roll and make steam powers, that'd almost automatically be OP.

I am a huge fan of Goodman Games and the Coglayer in particular - The system used is so unique, so... so...! Versatile!

Also, I'm curious - Necromancy?

The thread was "dead"; it hadn't been contributed to since September of 2011. Hence, when you replied, it was "necromancy"- bringing the thread back to "life".

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nemoling View Post
Also, I'm curious - Necromancy?
You "resurrected" a discussion that "died" on 9/20 ... 2011.

Edit: Ninja'd




 

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging (Lite) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.
Last Database Backup 2024-03-19 03:25:55am local time
Myth-Weavers Status