Gadgets (FiD)
Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page |
Rulebook p 224 and forward.
Gadgets and alchemical creations are two categories of special resources you must earn during play. Certain special abilities make this easier or give you the ability to create one of these things.
To craft an Invention you must have a design. To invent such a design, you need the Inventor special ability, available to Artificers and Savants. The process is outlined on p224.
Unless having the Consumable trait, inventions can be used again and again as long as they are not lost.
Manufacturing or acquiring Consumable item gives you a single dose. If the item is listed in your playbook, your tier matches the complexity of the alchemic item, or you made the alchemic item yourself, you gain a replacements for any used doses after the score. Otherwise you must make or acquire another Consumable to use it again.
These are recuring traits of inventions.
- Artifact is an item that only exists in a few copies and more can only be made with extreme effort or not at all. More powerful artifacts often have a destiny and cannot be destroyed unless that destiny is fulfilled.
- Common. This formula is commonly available and need not be invented or sought out, and ready-made items are easier to acquire.
- Complex. You'll have to craft it in multiple stages; the GM will tell you how many. One downtime activity and crafting roll is needed per stage, but the complexity is reduced by one per additional stage required.
- Conspicuous. This creation doesn't go unnoticed. Take +1 heat if it's used any number of times on an operation. Questionably legal. Reduces complexity by one.
- Consumable. This creation has a limited number of uses (all alchemicals must have this drawback, usually one use). Reduces complexity by one.
- Material. Mainly applicable to armor. This creation gains abilities from the materials it is constructed of. This does not affect complexity, but an item can only have one material.
- Rare. This creation requires a rare item or material when it is crafted. Reduces complexity by one.
- Unreliable. When you use the item, make a fortune roll (using its quality) to see how well it performs. Reduces complexity by one.
- Volatile. The item produces a dangerous or troublesome side-effect for the user, specified by the GM (see examples on the sample creations, next page). This can be from given examples or invented by the GM. A side-effect is a consequence, and may be resisted. Reduces complexity by one.
The complexity modifications of the Complex, and Rare drawbacks have not been included in each item's listed complexity, as this would not reduce the sale price and availability of the item. When actually manufacturing something with these drawbacks, reduce the complexity the creator has to contend with.
Inventions are sorted by complexity, the first number on each line.
Armor
You can only use one kind of armor of each type, meaning you cannot use regular light or heavy armor after you have used invention armor of that kind. The same applies to shields, tough only a few playbooks have access to shields.
Armors have an additional type of drawback, Material. An armor can only be made of one material, but you can have light and heavy armor of different materials.
- 2 Smoldering Armor ◯: Wisps of harmless, odorless smoke rise from this armor while it is worn. May help Command rolls. Any suit of armor can be turned into a smoldering armor. You have to either have used any armor or to reserve load for light armor [☐-☐] to use this.
- 3 Expressive Shield ☐: This works as a normal shield: Functions as armor and takes up one hand. The front of this shield is shaped in the likeness of a face. While bearing the shield, the face's expression changes to match your own, including speech, which becomes audible at a much greater distance. This allows the sue of the Command and Sway action to be used at greater range. This replaces a normal shield, you cannot carry both. When using this mark the shield box one way when used for expression. Mark it fully once you use it as armor. In either case the expressive functions works for the rest of the score.
- 3 Light Serpent Armor ☐: Armor made out of the scales of a large snake or similar flexible natural armor. This functions as light armor, but only weights ☐. This replaces normal light armor, you cannot wear both, so a good way of representing this is to permanently cross off one box of light armor. You cannot use this with heavy armor or normal light armor. Material, Rare
- 4 Exosuit Armor ◯: You can doff this armor in seconds. It breaks open and stands up by itself, you simply walk into it and it closes around your body. This has no effect on a score, it is useful when you are surprised when camping or during downtime. The armor otherwise works normally. This is a quality added to any armor you wear at no cost in load. Any suit of armor can be turned into an exosuit. Complex.
- 4 Glamered Armor ◯: You can make the armor assume the appearance of a normal set of clothing or some other kind of armor. You decide what it looks like, including color and style, but the armor retains its normal bulk. It can lower your apparent load by one category. The illusory appearance last until you use this property again or remove the armor. You have to either have used any armor or to reserve load for light armor [☐-☐] to use this.
- 4 Heavy Carapace Armor ☐-☐: Armor made out of the hard exoskeletons of monsters, such as the carapaces of giant insects and scorpions or the hells of giant crustaceans. This functions as heavy armor, but weights less. This replaces normal heavy armor, you cannot wear both, so a good way of representing this is to permanently cross off one box of heavy armor. Complex, Material, Rare
- 5 Light Mithril Armor ☐: Armor made out of a light metal as hard as steel but looking like non-tarnishable silver. This functions as light armor, but weights less. This replaces normal light armor, you cannot wear both, so a good way of representing this is to permanently cross off one box of light armor. Material, Rare
- 6 Heavy Adamantine Armor ☐-☐-☐-☐: Armor made out of a hard, heavy, black metal that is very difficult to work. This functions as heavy armor, but continues to reduce physical harm for the rest of the score. This replaces normal heavy armor, you cannot wear both. Complex, Material, Rare
- 6 Light Dragon Armor ☐-☐: Armor made out of the scales of a dragon. Different dragons have different scale colors and are linked to different power. This functions as light armor, but also improves your position against attacks made using the power of that dragon. This replaces normal light armor, you cannot wear both. Complex, Material, Rare
Weapons
Rather than individual weapons, this is a list of features a weapon can have. A weapon starts at a complexity of one. Add the complexity rating of all effects together to get the final complexity of a weapon. Unless noted, these do not change the load cost of a weapon.
- 1 Basic Weapon ☐: All weapons need this. A heavy weapon costs two load ☐-☐. Common.
- +1 Concealed Weapon ◯: The weapon appears to be an ordinary item of its size and shape to all by close inspection, or appears to be harmless. Typical examples include cane swords, fighting fans, snuffbox guns, and glaive staffs. A weapon that seems harmelss but is not, without revealing a hidden feature does not need this. This can be a normal staff, swagger stick, or loaded glove.
- +1 Fine Weapon ◯: The weapon increases effect.
- +1 Morphing Weapon ◯: The weapon can change shape to become another type of weapon of the same basic type: melee weapon or ranged weapon.
- +1 Potent Weapon ◯: The weapon penetrates many supernatural defenses, avoiding a loss of effect.
- +1 Power Weapon ◯: Select a Power. The weapon can deal the type of damage that the skirmish attacks of that power deals. Typical examples are flame blades, ice arrows, and psi knives. This does not change the amount of damage, only the type. You can apply this invention multiple times to a weapon to add three additional damage options. Rare.
Gadgets
This includes unusual items, both magic and mundane. It is often hard to know if a device is magical. Gadgets look like mundane items with additional sigils, brass bits, or crystals. As gadgets are considered cool, it is not uncommon to see mundane items with such modifications.
- 2 Candle of the Deep ◯: The flame of this candle cannot be extinguished by wind or water. It gives off light and heat like a normal candle. Consumable.
- 2 Darklight Goggles ◯: Goggles that lets you see in the invisible light of a Darklight Lamp. Vision is sepia-tinted. Common.
- 2 Orb of Celestial Light ☐: This orb glows depending on what the brightest celestial object in the sky is, from a brilliant light for the midday sun, to a pale moonlight, to the bare flicker of stars and planets. Common.
- 2 Paper Bird ☐: Write a message of fifty words or fewer on this magic sheet of paper, fold it into a paper bird, and speak a creature's name. The paper bird flies to the recipient whose name you uttered, whereupon it turns back into a mundane sheet of parchment. If the bird is soaked, damaged immobilized, or hit by the rising sun before reaching its target, it turns into ash. Common, Consumable.
- 2 Pipe of Monsters ☐: When you smoke this pipe, you can shape the smoke into various creatures and control their movements until they dissipate in a few seconds.
- 2 Silver Bullets ☐: Especially cast in a holy or magical place, these silver bullets make potent attacks with a firearm. A similar effect for bows and crossbows can be gained with silver-tipped arrows and bolts. You have enough silver bullets for the entire score. Consumable.
- 2 Spirit Bottle ☐: An arcane device used to trap a spirit. A metal and crystalline cylinder, the size of a loaf of bread. Other variants can be made of wood or ceramics and often in the form of statuettes of the intended target. Common.
- 2 Spirit Lantern ☐: A Lantern that reveals spirits and invisible creatures and objects in its light. Works best in darkness, has to be very close to work in sunlight. Common.
- 3 Darklight Lamp ☐: A Lantern that does not shed visible light. Still hot and vulnerable to falls.
- 3 Dread Helm ☐: This fearsome steel helm can make your eyes glow red while you wear it. Can improve the effect of Command rolls, especially in the dark. Common.
- 3 Emerald Pen ◯: This pen is tipped with an emerald nib and requires no ink to write. It can draw green lines and text on any material, including in air, and you can make the text glow for a few minutes. On a surface it lasts much like normal ink, in the air it disappears when it stops glowing. More expensive versions use other gems and create text of other colors. Common.
- 3 Enduring Book ☐: This book, along with anything written on its pages, can't be damaged by fire or water and doesn't deteriorate with age. Popular with wizards. Common.
- 3 Ghost Gem ☐: This large beryl is the size and shape of a grape. By peering through the stone you can see spirits and other invisible things and effects. Volatile your vision is distorted and cannot see at all beyond 5 meter or so.
- 3 Instrument of Illusions ☐: While you are playing this musical instrument, you can create harmless, illusory visual effects within a 2 meter-radius sphere centered on the instrument. Sample visual effects include luminous musical notes, a spectral dancer, butterflies, and gently falling snow. The magical effects have neither substance nor sound, and they are obviously illusory. The effects end when you stop playing. Common.
- 3 Mask of Illusion ☐: Put this mask over your face and imagine an appearance, the mask turns to dust and your face is covered by the illusion you imagined for the rest of the score. Consort is the skill used to imagine a believable illusion. Consumable.
- 3 Robe of Illusion ◯: This robe does not exist, is merely an illusion imbued into a piece of jewelry and disappears at sunrise. You can use a command word to change the illusionary appearance of this robe, it can appear as any item of clothing. This grants increased effect on Consort rolls but is liable to create rumors. Conspicuous, Consumable, Volatile someone might touch and realize that it is not there.
- 3 Silver Platter ☐: Silver plates and goblets darken when touching poisons, drugs, and potions. Common, Unreliable.
- 3 Swashbuckler's Cane ☐: This stylish walking cane can transform into a fine fencing sword and then ceases to be magical. Common, Consumable.
- 3 Syringe Crossbow ☐: A pistol crossbow that fires a bolt that injects a drug or poison. Effective to about 10 meters. You must supply the drug. Common.
- 3 Talking Doll ☐: You can spend a minute telling beautiful doll to say up to six phrases, none of which can be more than six words long, and set a condition under which the doll speaks each phrase. You can also replace old phrases with new ones. Whatever the condition, it must occur near the doll to make it speak. For example, whenever someone picks up the doll, it might say, "I want a piece of candy."
- 4 Charlatan's Dice ☐: Whenever you roll this set of three six-sided dice, you can control which number it rolls. Gives +2d on your deceptive actions when you use it, but worsens your position. Common.
- 4 Crystal Spell Vault: A crystal sphere the size of an orange, inlaid with gold and silver filigree. While you are touching the crystal, you can use it as a wizard's spellbook. Common.
- 4 Dark-sight Goggles ☐: An arcane device that allows the wearer to see in pitch dark as if it was dim light. Common.
- 4 Driftglobe ◯: A small sphere of thick glass. You can speak command words to make it glow like a lantern, hover, and/or follow you. Common.
- 4 Eversmoking Bottle ☐: Smoke leaks from the lead-stoppered mouth of this brass bottle. When you remove the stopper, a cloud of thick smoke pours out in a 15-meter radius from the bottle. The cloud's area is heavily obscured. Each minute the bottle remains open and within the cloud, the radius increases by 3 meters until it reaches its maximum radius of 40 meters. The cloud persists as long as the bottle is open. Closing the bottle requires you to speak its command word. Once the bottle is closed, the cloud disperses after 10 minutes. Any wind can disperse the smoke.
- 4 Flamethrower ☐-☐: A tank backpack connected to a nozzle that can release a jet of alchemist's fire up to 10 meters. Can quickly fill a 2 meter radius. A pilot light can ignite this. Consumable (can load up to five alchemist's fire, each can be fired once ☐, ☐, ☐, ☐, ☐. Volatile risks collateral damage and the tank can explode if hit.
- 4 Pole Pin ◯: This brooch in the shape of a pin can grow into a 3 meter pole and shrink back to its original size, saving you the load of carrying an actual pole. Other mundane objects might also exists as pins. Common.
- 4 Robe of Vipers ☐: This elegant robe is embroidered with serpents. You can shake the robe to create a swarm of venomous adders. This removes the embroidery and ends the magic of the robe. These will form a swarm around you, biting anyone except you who comes close, and will follow you when you move around for up to an hour. Consumable.
- 5 Allseeeing Lens ◯: This crystal lens is the size and shape of a coin and can be used as a lens or monocle, allowing you to see spirits and other invisible things and effects. Unreliable.
- 5 Balance of Power ☐: Use the scales to evaluate items with powers. The scales will tip towards the side with the higher tier power. Common.
- 5 Blood Needle ◯: You need to touch the blood of of another creature to activate the magic of this thin needle. If done delicately, this feels like nothing more than a pinprick. You then wear the pin in your clothes or hair. As long as you wear it, any power that would usually find information about you instead finds information about the creature who's blood you used. At the full moon the link of blood ends and needs to be renewed for the Blood Needle to work.
- 5 Bracer of Flying Daggers ☐: This armband has thin daggers strapped to it. You can pull fine daggers from the bracer and immediately hurl them, making a ranged attack. Each dagger vanishes in seconds. The bracer never runs out of daggers. Common.
- 5 Breathing Mask ☐: This leather and brass mask protects your eyes and face and filters out poisons and air pollutants.
- 5 Dimensional Shackles ☐: You can place or release these shackles from an incapacitated creature by using the command word. The shackles adjust to fit a creature from half to double your length. In addition to serving as mundane manacles, the shackles forces a spirit to remain material and prevents a creature bound by them from using any method of extradimensional movement, including teleportation or travel to a different plane of existence. They don't prevent the creature from passing through an interdimensional portal. Common.
- 5 Dusting Stone ☐: A cleansing stone rests comfortably in the hand. When touching the stone, you can use it as an enhanced brush, scrubbing and washing things thoroughly by just dusting them with the stone. Common.
- 5 Eyes of Minute Seeing ☐: These crystal goggles have icy lenses that render things close to you in stark detail. While wearing them, you can see much better than normal out to a range of 30 centimeters. You have increased effect on Survey and Tinker checks that rely on sight while searching an area or studying an object within that range. Common.
- 5 Goggles of Truth ☐: The world appears cold and harsh while watched through the smoky crystal lenses of these garish goggles. You gain potency on Survey, allowing you to see spirits, invisible creatures and power effects. You can use the goggles to examine a worked object to identify the aura of the last creature that touched it. Make a Survey roll. On a success, you learn the creature's type and sense in what direction the creature is at the moment. This has a double consequence: that the creature feels a tingle along their spine and that you cannot read the aura of this object again. Common.
- 5 Prosthetic ◯: This item looks like a porcelain and clockwork body part, an eye, ear, hand, an arm, a foot, a leg, or a similar body part. It can replace a lost example of the same limb. It can be attacked or detached with a few seconds of work. While the prosthetic is attached, it functions identically to the part it replaces. Each type of prosthetic is a separate invention.
- 5 Speaking Stone ☐: The key to long-distance, virtually instantaneous communication. Each stone is marked with a rune code. By speaking the code of another stone, you create a link that allows you to hear and speak from that stone. Both stones glow slightly when linked this way. You gain no information about where the stone is. Communication is so bad it only allows limited effect and controlled position. Many rich people and organisations keep speaking stones but most keep the rune codes secret to prevent spying. Common.
- 6 Dimensional Box ☐: This box has an interior space considerably larger than its outside dimensions, it holds 3 load. Common.
- 6 Gauntlets of Ogre Power ☐: You gain increased effect on Wreck rolls while wearing these brass and rawhide gauntlets.
- 6 Gold Platter ☐: Gold plates and goblets may negate poisons, drugs, and potions they touch. Common, Unreliable.
- 6 Helm of Underwater Action ☐: While wearing this brass helmet, you can breathe underwater, you gain dark vision with a range of 20 meters, and you gain a swimming speed equal to your land speed. If you are aquatic, you gain the same benefits on land.
- 6 Horseshoes of a Zephyr ☐: These silver horseshoes come in a set of four. While all four shoes are affixed to the hooves of a horse or similar creature, they allow the creature to move normally while floating just above the ground. This effect means the creature can cross or stand above nonsolid or unstable surfaces, such as water or lava. The creature leaves no tracks and ignores difficult terrain. In addition, the creature can move at normal speed for up to 12 hours a day without suffering exhaustion from a forced march.
- 6 Robe of Fashions ☐: You can use a command word to change the style, color, and fabric of this robe. This grants increased effect on Consort rolls but is liable to create rumors. Other items of clothing can be made like this, but the robe is the most common and versatile. Common.
- 6 Rope of Entanglement ☐: This 15 meter rope is made of spider silk. If you hold one end of the rope and use an action to speak its command word, you can use your Wreck to grapple a creature up to 10 meters away. If you successfully restrain a creature this way, you can let go of the rope and it will keep the creature bound. If the rope is about to be cut, it instead recoils and neatly coils itself. Rare.
- 6 Shackles of Power ☐: You can place or release these shackles from an incapacitated creature by using the command word. The shackles adjust to fit a creature from half to double your length. In addition to serving as mundane manacles, the shackles hinder the creature from using powers and supernatural abilities and forces a spirit to stay material. Common.
- 6 Wind Fan ☐: You can wave this fan with a command word and 1 stress to create a rush of wind up to 3m wide and 15 m long lasting as long as you continue to wave the fan. This will disperse gases, put out unprotected flames, and push objects and creatures away from you.