OK Groppy the Gnomish Inventor, has a life quest to create the "Perfect" flying machine. He has an idea to create a heliocopter, fueled by a steam engine that would use a dual rotery blade, allowing it more lift, and to hold multiple passangers. Now he's not a magically inclined Gnome so he's buiding something pure technological. Anyway he gets funding from the craftsmen guild (Intrested in his improved methology of air flight), and a bunch of apprentences to help him out. So he goes about the project of designing and building the machine to his specifications.
Now first of all, what kind of check would he need to make to build the plans for his heliocopter?
Secondly, what kind of skill rolls would be needed to build machine. Yes I would call building it an extended effort, and an assisted one (As he has apprentences), so what mix of skills would he have to use to take his plans and actually build something functional out of it.
Thirdly, how was one determine how durable the device is? Its experimental after all and unless the Gnome is Thinker, some "Benifitial" manfunction is likey to happen with the device. How does one determine how well or even if the device operates as dictated by the builder (In this case lets consider the Gnome a PC).
So in the end, what mix of skills/feats does one need to make wonderous contraptions? I don't think many gnomes have "Craft Wonderous Item" as a feat, as well it requires spellcasting, and well only a select few subsets of Gnomes are acually spellcasting Sorcerers and Mages. How does one use the "Murdane" skill to create something akin to magic with technology?
I had a similar idea:
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There was a gnome who's lifequest was to find a more efficent way of mining. So naturally he managed to build a what we might recognize as a turbojet engine to use as a powerplant. In the late testing phase it took off with the poor gnome trapped aboard. Ten minutes and only ten miles later, his life was changed. He abandoned his lifequest to singlemindedly pursue the refinement of his flying machine. Much to the horror of everyone who knew him. Beinging considered quite mad, the community was quite content to leave him to his choices, stopping by only to pity his family. But without the meddeling of the other gnomes he found his work proceeded quite quickly. All of this was a particularly terrific strain on the life of his unfortunate son Gimble, who was but an infant when the events were set in motion. Being of two worlds and never really never belonging to either would have been hardship enough for most people. He was undeniably his fathers, his inventions didn't work quite like his father's, but they weren't the serendipitous zoo of features of his contemporaries either. And this was quite a problem. A problem Gimble never quite managed to grow out of. So when he came of age to take on the mantle of a Lifequest, he was not given the as yet uncompleted quest of his father. An opportunity for redemption he was desperately hoping for. That would go to one of his cousins, a distant one, he hadn't met. Gimble's life work would be "To discover and produce a method or process by which temporal transmogrification of at least four people may occur."
This is taking too long.
He's crest fallen. His father dies. Even after his death they won't accept his flying machine, their taking possesion of it would have horrified his father anyway. Then as he's researching his Lifequest, which he hates, an authority figure comes to his and says something to effect of the reason we gave this lifequest was so you'd leave, perhaps there's a good life for you in the wider world, but there isn't here, and there really aren't answers to your quest at anyrate. So he leaves to become a gainfully employed gnomish NPC, with what amounts to a fighter plane that can shoot something like once every five rounds, and fly 90 miles a day, at which point he has to stop and make fuel.
This is taking too long.
He's crest fallen. His father dies. Even after his death they won't accept his flying machine, their taking possesion of it would have horrified his father anyway. Then as he's researching his Lifequest, which he hates, an authority figure comes to his and says something to effect of the reason we gave this lifequest was so you'd leave, perhaps there's a good life for you in the wider world, but there isn't here, and there really aren't answers to your quest at anyrate. So he leaves to become a gainfully employed gnomish NPC, with what amounts to a fighter plane that can shoot something like once every five rounds, and fly 90 miles a day, at which point he has to stop and make fuel.
Ok what skills govern the creation of wonderous (But goofy) Gnome items in dragonlance? For instance:
OK Groppy the Gnomish Inventor, has a life quest to create the "Perfect" flying machine. He has an idea to create a heliocopter, fueled by a steam engine that would use a dual rotery blade, allowing it more lift, and to hold multiple passangers. Now he's not a magically inclined Gnome so he's buiding something pure technological. Anyway he gets funding from the craftsmen guild (Intrested in his improved methology of air flight), and a bunch of apprentences to help him out. So he goes about the project of designing and building the machine to his specifications.
Now first of all, what kind of check would he need to make to build the plans for his heliocopter?
Secondly, what kind of skill rolls would be needed to build machine. Yes I would call building it an extended effort, and an assisted one (As he has apprentences), so what mix of skills would he have to use to take his plans and actually build something functional out of it.
Thirdly, how was one determine how durable the device is? Its experimental after all and unless the Gnome is Thinker, some "Benifitial" manfunction is likey to happen with the device. How does one determine how well or even if the device operates as dictated by the builder (In this case lets consider the Gnome a PC).
So in the end, what mix of skills/feats does one need to make wonderous contraptions? I don't think many gnomes have "Craft Wonderous Item" as a feat, as well it requires spellcasting, and well only a select few subsets of Gnomes are acually spellcasting Sorcerers and Mages. How does one use the "Murdane" skill to create something akin to magic with technology?
Check out the Dwarf Gyrocopter from the WARHAMMER: FANTASY war game system. IT sounds so Gnome-like you will be proud.
There was an old 1e/2e supplement called "The Book of Gnomish Inventions". It was a riot. If you can get your hands on a copy (maybe on e-bay) it would be worth your while. I already have my copy :P
The Book of Wondrous Inventions, actually. You can download it from SVGames here.
Back in the day, I had a clockwork dragon in my games, invented by the gnomes to fight in the War of the Dark Lance. I had a hundred different types of egg bombs ta boot.
I was rather proud of myself, patting myself on the back for my "obvious cleverness", when I picked up the Book of Wondrous Inventions. I discovered that someone had come up with a clockwork dragon years prior to me.
I so hate when people steal your ideas, then travel back in time and print them.
If you ever pick up the book, check out the Clockwork Dragon of Mai Fadduh. I kid you not.
