Tinkering

Inventions, contraptions or tinkered objects all refer to innovative devices or apparatuses typically used by artificers. Each successive level-up in Artificery permits the character to access inventions of corresponding tier. Due to the nature of the game, “custom” inventions will be handled on a case-by-case basis and will not be accessible to the general public. A moderator may handle issues arising powerplaying regarding certain inventions. Players are prompted to find alternative and imaginative ways of employing inventions in their roleplay.

Tier 1 (Apprentice+ only)

• Telescopic Spear: At first, it takes the appearance of a dagger, but with a wooden chunky hilt. Upon triggering a button that sits near the bottom of the hilt, it takes a turn to extend the weapon into an average-sized spear (7 ft). The spear cannot extend if embedded in something. It can also turn back into a dagger by pressing the same button twice; it takes another turn to change into a dagger.

• Sylvar’s Spectacles: Developed by Renown Innovator Sylvar Tesh, these spectacles are modified for Artificers. They have multiple lenses on them, one of which allows for the magnification of smaller objects. Another protects the eyes from sparks or bright lights (CANNOT protect against Blinding Lights). The final lens allows one to measure distances up to a quarter of a mile.

• Runic Chalk: Artificers conducted the chalk by a runesmith named Jaques Fickleberry, but infused with mana that allows for all to draw onto surfaces like grounds, ceilings, and walls. It can not be put on weapons, armor, etc.

• Mercurial Gauge: Able to measure changes in air pressure with some precision, the Mercurial Gauge is very helpful to farmers trying to predict storms, droughts, or wind shifts.

• Lode Compass: Suspected to be the product of a capable inventor, a lode compass allows the beholder to locate specific veins of ore several fathoms (65 ft) underground by attaching a small piece of the ore in question to the central needle.

• Sturdy Flask: An insulated metal flask with layered alchemical glass that maintains the temperature and stability of its contents for around a day. Be it hot or cold, mana-deficient or mana-unstable, the bottle ensures the mixture remains unchanged. It allows draughts, volatile regents, or even hot beer to be carried safely without risk of spoilage or premature reaction.

• Niko’s Lantern: A lantern that can change the size and direction of light. The lantern uses mirrors on the inside and the rune of Aglash. It’s bright enough to fill a room with light when fully opened, creating a beam up to 15 feet long, or it can be used to shine a ray of light up to 10 feet away. It can be used for five (5) turns before needing to close the glass port to recharge.

• Wrist Launcher: A device mounted to the user’s wrist that’s able to fire off small vials of alchemy and small runic objects. They must be no larger than a tennis ball. The device has a pouch attached to a string and is worn like a glove/gauntlet. By using the wrist launcher, the projectile can be launched at close to mid-range distances with a maximum range of 15 ft and a minimum range of 5 ft.

Tier 2 (Expert+ only)

• Alchemy Boots: These clunky boots hold a secret contraption within the soles of the boots. Holding and containing up to 1 slot of alchemy within the boots. Upon triggering the mechanism with the click of their boots, the chosen Alchemy will release, either leaving a trail behind them or launching it from the bottom of their shoe. Depending on the trail, it may cause the user's footing to lose balance

• Anchor Hook: This grappling tool can be thrown or attached to any solid surface within a 6 meters (20 ft.) range. It is robust, being able to anchor itself enough to support the weight of at least 2 people and their equipment. The rope itself is strong enough to support balancing, giving another use for acrobats to tight-rope walk across rooftops. Otherwise, for the less athletic, they will have to climb the rope like anyone else.

• Clear Lens: A handheld crystalline lens that adjusts light and air density, letting the beholder see clearly through fog, smoke, or deep underwater within a 5ft radius.

• Wall Climbers: Modeled after a Lizardkin’s claws, the wall climbers are a pair of gloves and boots that are equipped with sharp hooks, similar to claws, that allow them to climb walls or other surfaces. These hooks are fragile, though, and if one attempts to use them as a weapon, they will snap and shatter. To climb a surface, they must have both the gloves and the boots on. Using the wall climbers requires intense concentration and is incredibly slow, moving at about the average person’s crawling speed when on a wall.

• Automatic Assortment: This cartridge-like invention is engraved with runes and inscriptions, created by the brilliant Dwarf, Larck Coldforge, during his early days as an Artificer. This invention can be placed onto crossbows, allowing them to be automatically assembled and reloaded without the need for manual input. This reload takes 2 turns for it to take effect. Additionally, due to the weight of the invention, it makes shooting the crossbow much more inaccurate, only shooting accurately if the target is within 10 ft. A total of 3 bolts can be reloaded before the gears within the invention need to be replaced.

• Silt Glass: Sought after by jewellers, bankers, and artisans, the Silt Glass constitutes an essential part of a prospector’s kit. A layered hourglass filled not with sand but alchemically altered silt suspended in crude mana oil. By placing small amounts of ore in the silt and then flipping the device, impurities in the gathered ore are revealed.

• Hilt-bow:  A small crossbow that is built into a weapon, the limbs of the crossbow replace the crossguard; however, the user must yank the string and hook it to latch on. Allowing the fire a bolt, rune, or alchemy potion from up to 30 ft and then being able to switch into bladed form when desired. This switch takes at least one turn to pull off. 

• Rudimentary Multi-shot: A simple slingshot, weaponized to an excessive degree by permitting the user to strap three (3) alchemical creations, darts, rocks, or runes into its chamber and chuck them forwards via a mechanical trigger. It launches its payload on a moment's notice, up to a distance of 5 meters (16 ft.). The multi-shot is around the size of a small hunting bow. If all three are fired at once, the contraption will go into a ‘cooldown’ of sorts, being unable to be used for the next five (5) turns.

Tier 3 (Master+ only)

• Steady Carriage: A compact, self-balancing cart capable of carrying the weight of a bountiful harvest of around 136 kg. (300 lbs) without tipping. It runs on a hidden system of weighted flywheels and glides smoothly over uneven ground without excessive bouncing, making particularly long trips and journeys much easier. (CANNOT BE USED COMBATIVELY)

• Spindle Loom: A reproduction of an old Tykonian loom capable of processing the Spindletree fibers to form usable cloth. Unlike common looms, this one requires delicate counterweights to keep the fibrous leaves from splitting as they fray under uneven tension. Only a handful of artisans remember the technique, while a completed weave is not just cloth, but the valuable product of a vanished craft.

• Mana Titrator: Considered far advanced for its time, a mana titrator constitutes the single most practical tool used by artificers to determine the balance of mana in a particular reagent. It’s a worthwhile investment in permitting oneself to discover the inner workings of mana synergy.

• Taro’s Arm: Nicknamed after its creator, Taro Finn, this device is a semi-functioning prosthetic. It operates similarly to an arm, though it is quite fragile and can only take around three to five hits in combat. Some iterations include modifications, such as different hand attachments (like hooks). Experienced Artificers have used bits and pieces of this blueprint to develop other similar prosthetics, like ones for the legs or fingers/hands. All of these blueprints share the same weakness, frailty.

  • • • • A famous iteration includes a failsafe, which allows the user to activate a series of mechanisms that launch the arm at their enemy. This destroys the prosthetic and is considered a last-ditch effort.

• Extending Shield: A shield with a sensor on the bottom that, when planted into the ground, takes an action to extend into a wall large enough to cover 2 people. The shield must be continuously pushed into the ground and held by the one using it, or else the shield will fold. Once the user stops applying pressure to the sensor, the wall will fold back into the shield. The wall can withstand heavy blows from double handed blunt weapons, up to a maximum of 3 before the shield automatically folds.

• Hamlet’s Hammer: Created by the genius Henry Hamlet. This invention doubles as both a two-handed hammer and a two-handed axe. It functions by being able to tap a button, which causes gears to switch between the axe head and a hammer head. This action can be done as many times during combat and can be done almost instantaneously, but requires at least one combat turn to pull off.

• Girk’s Club: Created by For Legendary Girk that was forged and constructed by a genius that was unknown. This invention functions as a two-handed metal club that is surrounded by pointy barbs that are able to spin around via a mechanism that can be activated by a button on the bottom of the Club. This action can be done THREE TIMES during combat and is meant to take down your foes without a sweat!

• Needle Gauntlet: An Artificer surgeon’s delight, the Needle Gauntlet is a contraption of needles found at the fingertips of the user. When the user activates it, needles as long as a dagger can shoot out to be only used to thrust into an unsuspecting target, being able to pierce gambeson and chainmail. The device itself can inject any poison or medicine of the Artificer’s choosing; however, it uses up the needles, breaking off. It’s hidden in gloves or gauntlets, being unable to be seen by any watchful eyes unless inspected up close. Most city-guards are distrustful of this type of invention Artificers create, seeing it as an assassin’s weapon.