Riveted RPG - Steampunk Invention Rules

Invention Rules

Basic Steampunk Invention Rules

1. Concept: The player decides on what invention they want to create. The scale of the project (resources, time) is determined based on the complexity of the invention.

2. Functionality: The player and the GM should agree on the primary function or advantage that the invention will provide if successfully completed.

3. Features and Drawbacks: The GM and the player each write down three potential features and three potential drawbacks. This results in a list of six possible features and six possible drawbacks.

4. Preliminary Rolls: The player makes three rolls. For each roll, the player and the GM decide together which additional feature or drawback from the list is added to the invention.

5. Decisive Rolls: The player makes three more rolls. The number of successful rolls determines the final functionality of the invention:

• Three successes: The invention works better than planned.
• Two successes: The invention works as planned.
• One success: The invention works, but not as well as planned.
• No successes: The main function of the invention does not work.

Semi-Scripted Invention Rules

 maintaining story integrity.

The semi-scripted system is all about flexibility. It is useful when a story needs a certain outcome from an invention - maybe it's a key part of the plot, opens up a new area to explore, or needs to fit in with events from a flashback or time travel storyline.

If a story calls for a special feature or function from an invention, the GM has the option to step in with the semi-scripted system. For simpler tweaks, the GM can just add or change a couple of features or drawbacks.

One of the mean features of this system is that it keeps the spotlight on player characters (PCs). Sometimes, when a story needs a specific invention, it might be tempting to bring in a Non-Player Character (NPC) to create it. But with the semi-scripted system, it's the PCs who get to bring the game-changing technology to life, staying central to the story and getting involved in the action.

5. B) Semi-Scripted Decisive Rolls: The player makes three more rolls. The number of successful rolls determines the final functionality of the invention:

• Three successes: The invention works as planned. Add another feature and remove a drawback, if any.
• Two successes: The invention works as planned.
• One success: The invention works as planned, but add another drawback.
• No successes: The invention works as planned, but remove all additional features and add another drawback. If there are no drawbacks from the preliminary phase, add two drawbacks.

Examples for Basic Inventions

Example #1: Spring-Heeled Boots

Basic Function: Leaping from rooftop to rooftop.
Preliminary Rolls: One succcess, two failures.
Decisive Rolls: Three successes
Result: Leaping from rooftop to rooftop and from street to rooftop (works better than planned), increases running speed (additional feature), risk of crashes, imprecise landing points (drawbacks).

Example #2: Bulletproof Parasol

Basic Function: Stopping Bullets.
Preliminary Rolls: Three successes
Decisive Rolls: Three failures
Result: Not bulletproof (failed to achieve main function), stylish, lightweight, secret compartment (extra features)

Examples for Semi-Scripted Inventions

Example #1: Chrono-Carriage (Time Machine)

Basic Function: Can travel through time and space.
Preliminary Rolls: Two successes, one failure.
Decisive Rolls: Three successes.
Result: Can travel through time and space (obligatory), precise navigation, self-repairing (features from preliminary rolls) auto-pilot (extra feature instead of drawback due to three successful decisive rolls)

Example #2: Paradox-Vortex (Time Machine)

Basic Function: Can travel through time and space.
Preliminary Rolls: Three failures.
Decisive Rolls: Three failures.
Result: Can travel through time and space (obligatory), causes vertigo, very conspicuous, volatile energy core (drawbacks from failed preliminary rolls) causes equipment malfunctions (extra drawback due to three failed decisive rolls)

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Descriptions

The Chrono-Carriage is a marvel of temporal design, boasting a fusion of Victorian elegance and precise mechanics. Its shell, gleaming brass adorned with delicate filigree work, captures the luxury of a bygone era, while a labyrinth of gears and pendulums beneath the surface echoes the intricate dance of time.

The helm, nestled where one might expect the coachman's perch, is an elaborate array of navigation tools. The wheel, carved of polished oak, controls the course through time, while surrounding levers, valves, and nautical instruments handle spatial orientation.

A unique feature of the Chrono-Carriage is its auto-pilot, a stationary automaton of brass and leather. Resembling a torso of an Edwardian butler, it stands ready to assume control of the wheel upon request, its mechanical hands as deft and accurate as any human pilot's.

The interior of the carriage offers unexpected respite. Passengers relax in the embrace of velvet-cushioned seats under the soft glow of brass light fixtures. Traveling in the carriage is exhilarating yet strangely serene, as the world outside warps and blurs into a mesmerizing tableau of past, present, and future. Meanwhile, the constant, reassuring hum of the carriage's engine reminds the occupants of the precise control over the otherwise chaotic temporal journey.

The Paradox-Vortex, a regrettable mishmash of misfired ingenuity and hasty improvisations, is a stark contrast to the more polished counterparts of its era. Its outer shell, more akin to rubble than refined engineering, sports a patchwork of crude runic symbols and hastily scrawled schematics.

Its cockpit, a crude alcove gouged into the rough stone, hosts a mismatched collection of scavenged dials, pressure valves, and a weather-beaten wheel. These controls, stubborn in their operations, are indicative of the obstinate nature of their creator.

Inside, the austere ambiance gives way to a haunting spectacle. At the heart of the Vortex pulsates a volatile energy core, an unwieldy beast of raw power that looks alarmingly like a tear in reality itself. Its presence fills the air with the acrid tang of ozone and the prickling sensation of static electricity, a constant reminder of its precarious temperament.

Travel within the Vortex is a disorienting ordeal. As the core throbs, the very fabric of existence seems to crumple, contorting into a five-dimensional fold. Passengers experience the gut-churning sensation of being turned inside out, their every molecule in revolt against the violation of natural order. The journey, far from a smooth glide through time, becomes a testament to the sacrifices made in the name of progress.