Rules Invention (Oscariana)

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Oscariana

Fields of Study

• Transportation
  • Engineering/Naval Architecture, Engineering/Structural Engineering
• Electricity
  • Science/Physics, Mechanics/Electricity
• Biochemistry
  • Science/Chemistry, Science/Biology
• The Ether
  • Science/Physics, Mechanics/Electricity
• Optics
  • Science/Physics, Mechanics/Machinist
• Geology and Metallurgy
  • Science/Geology, Science/Chemistry
• Flight
  • Science/Physics, Engineering/Naval Architecture
• Precision Machinery
  • Engineering/Structural Engineer, Mechanics/Machinist
• Power Production
  • Mechanics/Steam, Science/Physics
• Combustion
  • Engineering/Explosives, Science/Chemistry
• Military
  • Leadership, Eloquence
• Politics
  • Eloquence, Bargaining
• Combination Devices

Invention Rules

Invention dice are earned in the normal manner at the beginning of play. In addition, each chapter of the story will give a new pool of invention dice based on the characters current skill levels. In addition, specific invention dice are possible. This means that over the course of the campaign, there will be a great deal of science about.

Invention dice may not be saved. It is possible to pre-spend invention dice that you will earn in the future, but only those from Intellect. In this way it is possible to make inventions during the action. The GM is the final arbiter on when this makes sense.

In order to limit the rate of technological development, there is a limit on knowledge level. This limit is equal to the current year of the campaign, minus 1860. That is, for each year after 1860, the knowledge limit raised by one point.

Mad Science

Mad scientists make no proofs and cannot convince anyone but themselves of the validity of their theories. They are not limited by time when developing their knowledge. Their inventions have unreliabilities and faults that make them unsuitable for mass production but still work well on a more limited scale. Being a mad scientist is a lifetime decision; you can never return to mainstream science. There are no mad science politicians or military scientists.

Mentoring, Spying, and Collaboration

Each time you get invention dice, it is possible to get one extra die in each field of knowledge if you have been exposed to someone else's superior science. This can be in the form of mentoring, reading someone else’s detailed lab reports, a working copy of an invention more sophisticated than what you can make, or even close collaboration with someone else who is almost at the same level you are - no more than five points below your knowledge score. Mad scientists are infamous for sketchy, coded, or just generally indecipherable lab reports.

Reverse Engineering

It is possible to reverse engineer a device with a knowledge requirement ten higher than what you have. Such a device takes a -1 Reliability penalty, and you cannot work to improve it until your knowledge is sufficiently advanced.

General Progress

Just as the potential knowledge maximum increases each year, the general knowledge in the world also increases. For every two years after 1870, the general scientific community has a knowledge rating of 1. Assume that all inventions that can be made at this rating have been made, with a reliability starting at the minimum value and increasing by one every two years until perfected.