Arcane Background: Mad Science

Arcane Background (Weird Science)

Requirements: Novice

Arcane Skill: Weird Science (Smarts—see below)

Starting Power Points: 20 (but see below)

Starting Powers: 1

Adherents to the principles of New Science (called Mad Scientists by most) build weird and wonderful devices, machines which often seem to defy the very laws of reality. Most every such inventor (or at least the successful

ones) rely on ghost rock to power their inventions in some fashion.

Spell List:

Aim, Armor Barrier, Beast Friend, Blast, Blind, Bolt, Boost/Lower Trait, Burrow, Burst, Confusion, Contact Spirit World, Damage Field, Darksight, Deflection, Detect/Conceal Arcana (Detect only), Disguise, Drain Power Points, Elemental Manipulation, Entangle, Environmental Protection, Farsight, Fear, Fly, Greater Healing, Growth/Shrink (Shrink only), Havoc, Healing, Invisibility, Light/Obscure, Mind Rider, Pummel, Puppet, Quickness, Slow, Slumber, Smite, Speak Language, Speed, Stun, Succor, Telekinesis, Teleport, Wall Walker, Warrior's Gift, Wilderness Walk, Windstorm, Zombie

Find all of the spell descriptions on the Arcane Powers page.

Mad Scientists

Though Doctor Darius Hellstromme is the most famous new scientist in the Weird West, he is by no means the only one. Even taking aside his main competitors—Jacob Smith and Clifton Robards— pioneers on the bleeding edge of the new science create and manufacture new inventions every day. However, only a few great men (those named above) have the wherewithal to manufacture such devices on the scale required to distribute them to the masses at a reasonable price. For most, the achievement of invention itself is its own reward.

Ghost Rock

Of course, without the discovery of ghost rock, no such achievements would be possible. Ghost rock is an

amazing substance with many practical applications. How it works depends on who you ask. The more superstitious believe ghost rock was placed here by the Devil himself to cause strife. It burns, they say, with Hell’s own heat, and is composed of souls of the damned, which are heard screaming in infernal agony as it’s

consumed. More rational minds say that ghost rock was simply mistaken for impure coal in days past and ignored. Only the desperation of the Mazers during the Great Quake caused it to be discovered. The white flakes claimed by “simpletons” to be damned souls are simply impurities, which coincidentally act as a catalyst with the bauxite surrounding it. The reaction between these two substances are what allows ghost rock to burn so hot. The ghostly wailing is similarly explained by simple science. Ghost rock is somewhat porous and shot through with numerous chambers of trapped air. When burned, the air heats and expands until it fractures the chamber and escapes through one of the many small fissures in the stone. This produces the high-pitched wail the more fanciful-minded attribute to the escape of a damned soul (which is, of course, preposterous).

Practical Applications

Whatever your scientist believes, there’s no doubt the inventions of new science would not be possible

without it. It burns a hundred times longer than coal, and can even be temporarily submerged in water without being extinguished. As we know, water extinguishes flame under ordinary circumstances. Thanks to the subsurface air pockets within ghost rock, however, it provides its own oxygen to burn, which is usually released over a period of time. In turn, this accelerates the evaporation process, making steam engines far more efficient, both in terms of time and fuel. Further, if ghost rock is used in place of coal during the process of steel manufacturing, it produces a metal both lighter and stronger than steel, and with a higher melting point. “Ghost steel” has made many engineering advances possible, including fl ying machines—thanks to its reduced weight—and boilers capable of withstanding higher temperatures than would otherwise be possible. Thanks to ghost rock, new science has conquered many barriers once thought insurmountable. Man has flown with the birds, swum with the fish, and— somewhat disturbingly—marched to war with incredible weapons capable of wreaking havoc on a

heretofore untold scale. Men and women of the new science must always remember that progress should be tempered with wisdom.

Playing a Mad Scientist

New Scientists use the Arcane Background (Weird Science) Edge, which works as described in Savage Worlds, with a few exceptions. The good news is that mad scientists in the Weird West start play with 20 Power Points instead of the usual 10. Power hungry scientists can still take the Power Points edges for extra juice! You still only start with one power, though. The bad news is that whenever someone using a scientist’s gizmo rolls a 1 on their trait die (regardless of the result of their Wild Die), it explodes, erupts, or otherwise breaks in the most spectacular and injurious manner possible. (Remember, this ghost rock is volatile stuff—the work of demons, if you believe what you hear.) This causes 2d6 damage in a Medium Burst Template centered on the user. The gizmo is ruined until repaired, which requires 2d6 hours and a Repair roll by someone with Arcane Background (Weird Science). There’s one more price to pay for being a mad scientist—your hero will actually go mad. Every time the inventor takes the New Power Edge, he gains a random Dementia. Your Marshal has the

details about this on page 127, amigo. We wish you good luck and a comfortable straight jacket.

Tinkerin’ and Manufacturin’

Your average scientist simply doesn’t have the equipment, time, or ready capital to manufacture elixirs and infernal devices. But once scientists make names for themselves—and fortunes to go with them—it’s possible to turn out infernal devices just as reliable as the ones the big boys make! Using their own blueprints, mad scientists can build or re-engineer any Infernal Device (elixirs can only be created by a scientist with the Alchemy Edge). To do this, they need to buy basic supplies equal to half the cost of the finished device. Building the device requires a number of days equal to the finished cost divided by 10. Up to four assistants can aid in the construction—provided each has Repair of at least d6—thus reducing the time needed (divide the base time by the total number of people working on the device, including the scientist). At the end of the time required, the scientist must make a Weird Science roll to determine the quality of the finished product. On a success, the device works exactly as listed. On a raise, the device only suffers a malfunction on a critical failure (there’s no additional effect for devices that work this way already). On a failure, the time is lost, but the materials may be reused on another attempt to build the same device. On a critical failure, roll as per a malfunction for the device. Regardless of the results, both the time and materials used are lost.

New Edges

Alchemy

Requirements: Novice, Arcane Background (Weird Science), Knowledge (Chemistry) d8+

This character can make potions from his powers as well as devices. The downside is they must be prepared ahead of time. The alchemist has half his normal Power Points per known power to divide among as many potions as he wishes. Extra points may be put into a potion to maintain the duration up to that limit. The alchemist can brew potions for each power he knows. Brewing a potion requires a chemistry set and 30 minutes per power. At the end of the brewing process, the alchemist must make a Weird Science roll. Failure means the potion is ruined. Success indicates it will work when used, and raises work as usual. Attack powers require a Throwing roll to hit (range of 3/6/12), and opposed powers require a normal success to resist (or -2 with a raise). Otherwise, no roll is needed to use a potion.

Gadgeteer

Requirements: Novice, Arcane Back-ground (Weird Science), Smarts d8+, Repair d8+, Weird Science d8+, at least two other scientific Knowledge skills at d6+

These mechanical gurus are so technically savvy they can quickly build a machine to handle nearly any situation. Once per game session, a gadgeteer can create a “jury-rigged” device from spare parts. The device functions just like any other Weird Science device, and uses any power available to Weird Scientists in that setting (though this is still subject to Rank restrictions). It has half the inventor's Power Points, and once these are used up, the gadget burns out and does not recharge. The inventor must have access to some parts and a reasonable amount of time (GM's call, but at least 1d20 minutes) to create the gizmo.

Mr. Fix It

Requirements: Novice, Arcane Background (Weird Science), Smarts d10+, Repair d8+, Weird Science d8+, at least two other scientific Knowledge skills at d6+

The inventor adds +2 to Repair rolls. With a raise, he halves the time normally required to fix something. This means that if a particular Repair job already states that a raise repairs it in half the time, a Mr. Fix It could finish the job in one-quarter the time with a raise.

Eureka!

Requirements: Legendary, Arcane Background (Weird Science), Weird Science d12+

After tinkering and working, you may create a true Infernal Device out of one of your powers. When this Edge is taken, pick one power you currently have. The gizmo no longer uses Power Points, and thereafter functions solely on ghost rock. One pound of ghost rock allows a maintainable power to be used for two hours of total use (regardless of its normal duration) and allows an Instant power to be used 20 times. For purposes of such powers, it’s best to track each pound of ghost rock as 20 “charges.” When the device runs out of fuel it’s time to buy some more California coffee, hombre. Your prototype is more stable than most other Infernal Devices; it only suffers a Malfunction on a critical failure. On top of that, your blueprints and patent earn you prestige and money from a corporation capable of reproducing your device on a mass market scale (most likely Smith & Robards or Hellstromme Industries, but a Rail Baron or national government might also express interest). Thereafter, you have +2 Charisma when dealing with other mad scientists and receive 1d6 x $50 in royalties every month (which you’ll probably need to pay the ghost rock bill).

Weird Devices