Clockwork is an advanced form of Blacksmithing and Trap Design. After 25 combined purchases of Blacksmithing and/or Trap Design, a character is allowed to purchase Clockwork. Clockwork allows the character to read clockwork manuals, and to understand the basics of creating clockwork devices. With a properly equipped laboratory, along with manual, the base parts, (monetary amount) and necessary skill level, the character can create clockwork items. Note that manuals may require tags other than Clockwork. These tags can be paid for with Clockwork tags, at 1.5 times cost. Clockwork items are treated in all ways as any other equipment the PC has, unless otherwise noted on the item. For each purchase of this skill, a character gains a number of Clockwork tags. These tags may be expended in any combination on the tasks listed below or on other tasks at Plot Discretion. The number listed in parenthesis () is the number of tags required to perform a designated tasks. The following are specific abilities granted by the Clockwork skill: Copy Manual: This function allows the character to copy an existing manual. The character must pay a tag cost of Clockwork equal to that of the device being copied, however, the item’s monetary cost, the presence of a laboratory, and it’s cost in other skills, can be ignored. A payment of 1 gold/page is needed for the proper paper and ink, as well as basic protections against normal wear and tear. A manual has a minimum number of pages equal to the Clockwork tags needed to create the device x2. Analyze Clockwork: After a ten-count of examination, a character may look at the tag for an item in his possession and determine if it is a clockwork item or not. He may also determine its function after a second ten-count. If the function of the item is known to the character, the character may then look at all information regarding the item, including its manual and other data, after a ten-count. Note that the character does not actually receive a manual from this skill, but receives the basic knowledge listed on it. Create Clockwork: This function allows the character to create clockwork items. The character must have the manual, all necessary parts and pieces, and pay all costs listed in said manual. Unless otherwise stated, all parts and pieces are expended in the creation of the item. Access to laboratory is also necessary for use of this ability. A character may create up to one clockwork device per debriefing period. Repair Clockwork: Eventually, clockwork items will wear down. Unless otherwise stated, 1 year after creation, a clockwork item is considered broken, and needs repair. If repair is necessary on an item, all pieces costs must be paid again, however, parts costs are considered paid using the original item. Repairing takes a number of tags equal to the initial creation of the item. This may also be used to repair a clockwork item that has received a break effect. After repair, the item will function normally for one year, after which it will need repair. Disengage Item: This function allows the character to disable a clockwork device. The character must pay all tag costs associated with the item in order to do this, but no others. Tinkering tags can be substituted for any non-clockwork tags listed for the item. Disengaging items requires a 10-count. Engage Item: This function allows a character to re-engage a clockwork item that has been disengaged. The character must pay all tag costs associated with the item in order to do this, but no others. Tinkering tags can be substituted for any non-clockwork tags listed for the item. Disengaging items requires a 10-count. Example Items: Spear Trap
Delineate an area of no more than 1’ by 1’ with black tape. This area must be on a floor with nothing underneath it for at least 2 feet in depth. Anyone who steps in the taped area takes 5 piercing Maim: Leg as the dagger juts into their foot. The trap can be reset by anyone with 20 tags of trap design, arm/disarm traps, or 5 tags of clockwork, after a ten-count. The trap will resist break a number of times per day up to the strengthened rating of the dagger used before it needs repair, and does not otherwise need repair. Resetting Spear Trap
Delineate an area of no more than 1’ by 1’ with black tape. This area must be on a floor with nothing underneath it for at least 2 feet in depth. Anyone who steps in the taped area takes 5 piercing Maim: Leg as the dagger juts into their foot. The trap resets as soon as the person gets off of the trap, and if stepped on a second time, will go off a second time. The trap will resist break a number of times per day up to the strengthened rating of the dagger used before it needs repair, and does not otherwise need repair. Mastercrafted Lock
A mastercrafted lock takes a number of Pick Locks or Tinkering tags to defeat equal to 3 times the number of gears it has, and is not broken by tinkering attempts. The lock can be picked using the non-tagged pick locks skill, but any real world lock can be used as a phys-rep. After a year, the gears, not the parts of the lock, need to be repaired. Clockwork Lock
Pick a target door to receive the lock. You must have access to the door at debriefing. A clockwork lock takes a number of Pick Locks or Tinkering tags to defeat equal to 3 times the number of gears the mastercrafted lock used had, and is not broken by tinkering attempts. The lock can be picked using the non-tagged pick locks skill, but any real world lock can be used as a phys-rep. After a year, the gears, not the parts of the lock, need to be repaired. The lock is considered a part of the door, cannot be removed, and thus normal break attempts will not function on it. After a ten-count, the lock triggers and is reset, locking the door again. Clockwork Golem
This skill creates a Clockwork Golem: A construct with 160 HP, an AR of 20, and swings for "10 massive" with a longsword in one hand, having a shield in the other. Both of these items are integral to the golem, and cannot be broken or disarmed. If the golem or any of its items take a break effect, it instead causes the golem’s AR to be reduced by 2, to a minimum of zero. Repairing the armor from anything but zero takes 2 gold worth of iron and 2 tags of clockwork per 2 points destroyed, and can only be done at debriefing. The clockwork golem is considered to have a Superhuman Strength of 8. The golem has 4 levers on its back, which control it. 1 turns the golem’s functions on or off. If the golem is on, the second lever causes it to march in a straight line forward, at a rate of one step/2 counts. If creatures are in front of it, it will attempt to attack the creatures. If it encounters a wall or other object that blocks it, it will continue to hit the wall until stopped, breaking through non-stone, metal, or magically enhanced walls after a ten-count. Reversing this lever stops the golem from moving. The third lever causes the golem to attack anything that is in front of it. This lever can be used in conjunction with any of the other levers. The fourth lever turns the golem right or left, depending on which way it is pulled. The clockwork golem can be enchanted normally, but has no mind of its own. To phys-rep controlling it, the controller, who must have both limbs handy, must stand behind the person phys-repping the golem, shouting out commands to it, the commands being immediately obeyed. If the golem’s hp drops to zero or below, its crystal of storms explodes, causing 20 points of damage to a ten foot radius, often including the controller. At this point, the golem is broken, and can be repaired as per repairing clockwork items, although it requires a new Crystal of Storms. Purchasing this skill multiple times results in multiple uses of the skill. For the first three purchases of this skill, the character receives one tag per level. If a character purchases at least four levels of this skill, he gains two uses per level of skill. For seven purchases, the character gains three tags per level. This pattern repeats until the character has purchased the skill at least thirteen levels of the skill, after which they gain five tags per level regardless of how many purchases of the skill have been made. |