Savant (FiD)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark fan page

As a savant, you are a master of gadgets and concoctions. With your vast knowledge of chemicals and herbs, you create powerful elixirs that can heal allies, weaken foes, or enhance physical capabilities. You are also a natural philosopher, with practical knowledge of science and mechanics allowing you to make gadgets useful in almost every situation. Whether brewing in a lab or improvising in the field, you always have something potent up your sleeve.

An adaptation of the Leech playbook from Blades in the Dark. Savants are mundane technologists corresponding to the artificer's magical technologist and the sage's humanist.

You might be called a technician, inventor, barber, surgeon, or master crafter.

Touchstones Nikola Tesla (The Prestige, 2006), James Glaisher (The Aeronauts, 2019), Archimedes (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, 2023), Steven (Flesh and Blood, 1985).

Special Abilities

1. Construct Servant: You upgrade your Tinker Drone to an independent creature. This is an expert (tinkerer) (p 96). It is Intelligent. During downtime, you get two ticks to distribute among any long term project clocks that involve understanding a device or learning a new formula or design plan.
2. Deep Pockets: Increase your load capacity by two.
3. Demolition: You can use Tinker instead of Wreck to destroy things with a loud bang. Pick one: not as loud as an explosion—the damage is hidden from casual inspection—increased effect.
4. Fortitude: You may expend your Special Armor to resist a consequence of fatigue, weakness, or alchemy, or to push yourself on any Insight action.
5. Inventor: When you invent or craft (p 224) Alchemy, Armaments, and Gadgets, take +1d to your roll. You can make new Formula or Design. You begin with one Design or Formula already known.
6. Master Craftsman: Select a craft, such as blacksmith, bowyer, gunsmith, jeweler, mason, tailor, or woodworker. Gain +1d and additional effect on Tinker roll with this craft, giving your products fine quality. Earn 2 stash per downtime you earn coin crafting. Cannot be used for items requiring formulas or plans. Can be taken multiple times with different crafts.
7. Prototype: Assign load and spend 2 stress to use Tinker to Craft (as per the downtime action, p. 224) any gear, Alchemical, Armament, or Gadget in a flashback, even without a formula or design plan. The item falls apart at the end of the score.
8. Surgeon: You can treat wounds and stabilize the dying. Your crew (2 stress to affect yourself) can use your Tinker for healing rolls. You can take a few minutes to make a Tinker roll to reduce harm from wounds suffered in the last hour by one level. Treating Level 1 and 2 harm is a controlled position, Level 3 harm is risky, and resuscitating Level 4 harm (the recently dead) is desperate. Each wound can only be treated once. Consequences affect the patient, not you.

Human Resources

˄ ˅ Addison, an savant.

˄ ˅ Cameron, a patron.

˄ ˅ Emerson, a thief.

˄ ˅ Morgan, a fixer.

˄ ˅ Rowan, a mage.

Inventory

☐ Bandolier of alchemicals ☐, ☐, ☐, ☐, ☐.

◯ Emerald Pen.

☐ Fine Disguised Weapon.

☐ Fine Syringe Crossbow.

☐ Fine tinker tools.

◯ Tinker Drone.

• Bandolier of Alchemicals ☐: A strap worn across the body, fitted with specially-padded pouches to hold five flasks of Alchemical agents. When you employ an alchemical from a bandolier, choose an acquired item, one of your own manufacture, or a Common alchemical with complexity no higher than your tier. See page 226 for more on alchemicals.
• 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.
• Fine Disguised Weapon ◯: A A weapon that appears as an everyday object unless closely inspected, such as cane swords, fan blades, concealed daggers, or palm pistols hidden in cutlery. It is a masterwork weapon you made, enhancing your effect.
• Fine 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. Gadget.
• Fine Tinkering Tools ☐: A finely crafted set of tools for detailed mechanist work, including various tongs and pinchers, a jeweler's loupe, and precision measuring devices. Increases effect on Tinker rolls for manipulating delicate machinery, such as locks, clockwork, and metal traps. Does not increase the effect of the machinery you work on. Playbook.
• Tinker Drone ◯: Clockwork device that can assist you on Tinker rolls, but you pay the stress cost. It is too limited to act on its own. Playbook.

XP

• Every time you roll a desperate action, mark xp in that action's attribute.

At the end of each session, for each item below, mark 1 xp (in your playbook or an attribute) or 2 xp if that item occurred multiple times.

• You addressed a challenge using technical skill or mayhem.
• You expressed your beliefs, drives, heritage, or background.
• You struggled with issues from your vice or traumas during the session.

Starting Actions

Finesse 1

Tinker 2

4 points by choice, no higher than 2 in any one.