Path of Artifice

Master Craftsman

• Requirements: Craft (Any) 5, 5 EXP

Select one specific type of Craft. You may use this Craft to dismantle magic items into Magic Components. This Craft may also be used further on to create specific magical items. If a given magical item to be made or dismantled falls outside of what may reasonably be encompassed by your Craft, you are unable to use this Talent as such.

You may purchase this Talent multiple times, gaining the ability to use a new Craft skill for magical items each time.

Formula Researcher

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, 10 EXP

You now research Magical Items faster. The time required to research an undiscovered Magical Item is halved.

Formula Insight

• Requirements: Formula Researcher, Craft (Any) 8, 20 EXP

You now research Magical Items at even greater speed. The time required to research an undiscovered Magical Item is halved again. This stacks with other abilities. You do not use the base research time, but rather your current research time after previous modifiers.

Enchanted Weapons Specialist

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, Craft (Any) 12, 10 EXP

You may now research Magical Weapons in half the time it normally takes you. This stacks with similar effects, and allows you to half the time it previously took, not the base time. In addition, you receive a +5 bonus to skills when Crafting Magical weapons.

Wonderous Gadgeteer

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, Craft (Any) 12, 10 EXP

You may now research magical Wondrous Items in half the time it normally takes you. This stacks with similar effects, and allows you to half the time it previously took, not the base time. In addition, you receive a +5 bonus to skills when Crafting magical Wondrous Items.

Armor Smith

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, Craft (Any) 12, 10 EXP

You may now research Magical Armor in half the time it normally takes you. This stacks with similar effects, and allows you to half the time it previously took, not the base time. In addition, you receive a +5 bonus to skills when crafting Magical Armor.

Implement Technician

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, Craft (Any) 12, 10 EXP

You may now Research Magical Implements in half the time it normally takes you. This stacks with similar effects, and allows you to half the time it previously took, not the base time. In addition, you receive a +5 bonus to skills when crafting Magical Implements.

Brew Potion

• Requirements: Craft (Alchemy) 3, 10 EXP

You gain access to the Potion Master Shortcut.

• Potion Master

Scroll Lore

• Requirements: Craft (Scribe) 3, 10 EXP

You may create a Scroll of any spell which you know. See the Magic Items page for more information about Scrolls.

If you do not know the spell, you may still create a scroll of it if you are sufficiently skilled. Select the higher of your BaB or CL, and use it as your CL to determine what Spells you may access. To create a scroll without knowing the spell, you must first research the Formula. This takes 10 hours per Spell Tier of the desired spell. Once done, you may make scrolls of that spell without further research impediments.

All scroll formulae must be stored in a Formula Book. Creating the Formula itself has no TU cost, it is solely a time expenditure.

Ring Lore

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, Craft (Any) 15, 25 EXP

You may now research Magical Rings. In addition, you receive a +5 bonus to skills when crafting Magical Rings.

Construct Lore

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, Craft (Any) 15, 25 EXP

You may now Research Constructs. In addition, you receive a +5 bonus to skills when crafting Constructs.

Weird Science

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, 10 EXP

You have learned how to create technological devices which emulate magical effects, though their stability is questionable. The effects generated by a Weird Science Device (henceforth referred to as a Device) are still considered magical in nature, meaning they may be Counterspelled, and are subject to effects such as Dispel Magic, akin to a normally casted spell. Devices may be appended to existing items, such as Crossbows, Implements, a hammer, etc, though you may only make use of the Device as it's base object or as a Device, not both simultaneously. To create a Weird Science device, follow these steps:

1. Choose the Spells you would like to make your Device out of. You may have up to 10 spells in a single Device, and the combined total of the spell's tiers cannot exceed 10. When making a Device, you must possess ranks in your relevant Master Craftsman skill equal to or greater than the Device Tier. You must Spell KNowledge of the Spell via your Initiation Grade, to a maximum Grade of 10 (meaning that no Spell effect over Tier 5 may be used in a Device). The Caster Level of the Device is equal to your CL or BaB, whichever is higher.
2. Calculate the time needed to create the Device. This is 1 hour per Tier of Spell within the Device - you must add all Spell effects together to determine this total. For example, if you wish to make a Device which can create the effects of Grease and Fireball, the total Device Tier is 4 (Tier 1 spell + Tier 3 spell), meaning it takes 4 hours to create.
3. Expend the TU in Magical Components to create the device. Typically, a Device costs (2 * Device Tier) in TU, but this cost may vary at GM discretion.

All Devices use a Half Action to activate, regardless of the Casting Time of the Spells that a Device hosts. Alternatively, you may activate multiple Spells at once on a Device as a Full Action. Saving Throws on effects created by a Device always consider your Intelligence to be your Primary Casting Attribute, regardless of whether you possess a Magic Tradition or not. A Device must occupy a hand slot, and is considered to be an improvised weapon (unless the Device itself is a weapon!) appropriate to your size. Devices usually weigh no more than 10 pounds each.

All Devices possess an internal “battery” of Mana. A Device may store up to 2 times it's Device Tier, meaning that a Device containing Fireball and Haste (a T6 Device) would be capable of storing up to 12 Mana. To charge a Device, its creator must infuse it with Mana over a number of minutes equal to the Mana being added and expend 1 TP or MP per minute of charging. To fully charge the aforementioned Device from 0, it would take 12 minutes and 12 MP or TP. A newly created Device is fully charged. You may withdraw Mana from a Device for other purposes as an Immediate Action, but this is a dangerous process which inflicts 1 point of Wound damage per Mana withdrawn to the relevant body part, depending upon where the Device is equipped.

Devices may be used by their creator without a check. However, any character attempting to activate a Device created by someone else must succeed at a Use Magic Device check at a DC of (25 + the Device's Tier). Failure causes the device to break down (see below).

Using a Device poses a risk of it overheating and going out of commission. Every time you activate a Device (before the Spell effects manifest), you must roll an appropriate dice as shown on the table below, subtracting the number of times you have used the device that day from the result of the roll. If the result is 1 or lower, the device breaks down with a puff of smoke or other effects appropriate to the construction of the device. If you activate multiple spells on a device at once, this incurs an overheat roll for each consecutive spell.

Table: Device Breakdown Dice

When a Device breaks down, you must either spend hours of Downtime equal to its Tier to repair it (no Part cost), or you may repair it as a Half Action by consuming TU in Magic Components equal to its Tier.

Blueprint Repository

• Requirements: Weird Science, Use Magic Device 5, 20 EXP

You may record spells in a Formula Book, rather than commit them to memory. For the purposes of Potions, Scrolls, and other magic items, you are considered to know the spell written in a Formula Library. You still must have the Initiation Grade required to learn the spell.

In order to research Device or Magic item Formula in a Formula Book, you must spend 10 hours per spell tier of the spell being researched. Doing so often requires more then one Formula Book to be expended and create a Formula Library containing the spell knowledge.

In order to use a Formula library you must have access to all the tomes apart of the library during the brewing or crafting time. For example, if Jericho is brewing a potion of Teleport he must have all 5 Formula Books (1 for each Spell Tier of the Spell) present while brewing the potion.

Repeatable Science

• Requirements: Weird Science, Use Magic Device 8, 10 EXP

You have learned how to perfect specific effects on a device. When creating a Device you may elect to make it a Mastercraft Device. A Mastercraft Device no longer suffers breakdown chance when used, however a Mastercraft Device can never have more then one Spell affect on it. It is still limited to 10 Initiation.

Theoretical Science

• Requirements: Weird Science, Use Magic Device 11, 15 EXP

You have learned how to push the limitations of experimental Devices you create. When Mastercrafting a Device you may now create Devices that are not restrained to 10 Initiation. You may never have more then one Spell on a Mastercraft Device in this fashion.

Device Optimization

• Requirements: Weird Science, Use Magic Device 7, 5 EXP

You may spend a Full-Round Action and select a Device on your person. Until the next round the Device requires no Use Magic Device to use and has no Breakdown chance for the first use.

Trigger Device

• Requirements: Weird Science, Use Magic Device 10, 5 EXP

You have learned to make Devices that are far more reliable (so long as no one moves them, touches them or breaths near them). You may setup a Device in a specific location and you can select a Trigger for it. This can be a specific phrase, action or if a creature enters a specific square. (More spcific triggers can be added but sleceting a specific Creture type, named creature or oddly spcific in antoher way often adds additional costs. Normally 5TU for Creature type, 10TU for named creature, 15TU for something that cannot be categorized by these and is considered more specific.). A device setup in this way does not suffer breakdown risk and is still limited by 10 Initiation as per a normal Device. The Device can activate once before need maintainence from the Artificer, which requires 1 round per Spell tier o nthe Device.

Mana Capacitors

• Requirements: Weird Science, Use Magic Device 5, 5 EXP

You may install Mana Capacitors in a Device to grant it additional Mana storage. The Device may now store up to 10 times its Tier in Mana by expending 1 TU of Crafting Components per 2 additional Mana storage (minimum TU cost of 1).

Resource Optimization

• Requirements: Weird Science, Use Magic Device 10, Craft (Any) 10, 5 EXP

You may utilize mundane Crafting Components in place of Magic Components to create Devices or to repair them when they break down.

Crafted Companion

• Requirements: Master Craftsman, Craft Minor Implement, 20 EXP

You gain the ability to construct a Homunculus, which is treated as a Companion, as the Talent, except it begins at Small Size (-4 Strength, -2 Constitution, and -2 Natural Armor, if any), and it is considered a Construct (and gains the listed traits accordingly).

Constructing the Homunculus costs 10 TU in Magic Components, and it possesses the basic attributes of a new Companion from the Nature's Companion Talent (including 1 BaB, 1 HD, 2 Skill Ranks, etc). To increase the capabilities of your Homunculus, you may spend EXP as normal for a Companion, or you may spend the same amount in TU of Magical Components.

If your Homunculus is ever reduced to 0 HP, it is broken, and must be repaired by spending (8 * The HD or BaB of the Homunculus, whichever is higher) hours. No parts are consumed as part of this process, but you may not use Make Whole or similar magic to expedite this process. A Homunculus is not a simple door or piece of plate mail!

You may also teach the Homunculus Tricks, using your ranks in Spellcraft in place of your ranks in Handle Animal. You gain bonus Tricks as an Animal Companion does. Lastly, you may teach the Homunculus Companion Talents, spending EXP as normal.

Homunculi Frame Upgrade

• Requirements: Craft Companion, Craft (Any) 7, 10 EXP

You may upgrade your Homunculus to Medium Size, removing the penalties listed under Crafted Companion. This process takes 16 hours of downtime labor.

Enlarged Skeleton

• Requirements: Homunculi Frame Upgrade, Craft (Any) 12, 20 EXP

You may upgrade your Homunculus to Large Size by spending 40 hours of downtime labor, granting it the following bonuses:

• +4 size bonus to Strength
• +2 size bonus to Constitution (and thus one extra HP per HD)
• +2 natural armor (stacks with existing)

The size change also affects Homunculus' modifier to AC, attack rolls, and its base damage. Its space and reach change as appropriate to the new size, but its speed does not change.

My Greatest Creation

• Requirements: Enlarged Skeleton, Craft (Any) 15, 30 EXP

You may upgrade your Homunculus to Huge Size by spending 80 hours of downtime labor, granting it the following bonuses:

• +8 size bonus to Strength
• +4 size bonus to Constitution (and thus one extra HP per HD)
• +4 natural armor (stacks with existing)

The size change also affects the Homunculus' modifier to AC, attack rolls, and its base damage. The Homunculus' space and reach change as appropriate to the new size, but its speed does not change.

Tech Secrets

• Requirements: Knowledge (Engineering) 1, 5 EXP

You may now roll a Knowledge (Engineering) to identify and use technological items. Without Tech Secrets you cannot use or identify technology effectively. Tech Secrets also allow you to passively notice technology with a successful Perception check. You may now build and research technology. In settings where technology is already advanced, this allows you access to even more cutting edge tech instead.