[BNW] Thoughts on the Gadgeteer

[whytcrow@io.com]

>Like to see what you've worked out Jen..... see if it's better than our house
>rules.   And...by the bye... let's not knock those nyquil induced hazes!
>They can actually be quite enjoyable!   heh heh heh


Well, yes they can--but they tend to knock me out so fast I never 
know if I'm awake or not.  Ah, fall.  Where the kids share their 
germs and bring them home to mom...

In any event, here's my train of thought:

1.  The Armorgeddon suits are probably at the high end of what a 
Gadgeteer can do--otherwise, they'd be building better suits.

2.  The Bargainers (silly cosmos stuff notwithstanding) have pretty 
good guidelines--one power/effect/totem per point of Spirit.

3.  An Armorgeddon suit has about 4 different effects:  armor, 
flight, gun, strength bonus.  That's about average for a Gadgeteer, 
assuming most of them have about a 4 or 5 for Smarts.

4.  Thus, one effect can be working per die of Smarts...you can have 
it all in one basket, or a bunch of little ones, but not more than 
you have Smarts.

Granted, this isn't perfect yet.  But it does solve the "Just how 
many eggs can he fit into that one basket" question, and gives some 
guideline as to how powerful each effect can be (taking into account 
the description of that from the Gadgeteer package).

It doesn't solve some others.  But I'm a bit confused as to what the 
Gadgeteer is supposed to be able to accomplish anyway--after all, he 
can't break the laws of physics only bend them (and the Armorgeddon 
suits aren't that far outside what we are capable with today's 
technology--the biggest thing would be making it fly in the manner 
described, I think--keep in mind that there are people researching 
into power armored now).  If he can't make guns more powerful than 
normal guns, etc, then what is he doing exactly?  What makes these 
things work and then magically stop working if not tinkered with (the 
way the book is written, just putting something on the shelf and not 
using it is no different than using it all day as far as the 
maintainance rules are concerned)?

Given that is true, then it is something about the Gadgeteer that 
makes the stuff work--it isn't that they are the only ones who can 
build stuff--but some of their esscence must power these creations, 
and the only way to infuse them is to tinker with it.  And this 
essence or whatever fades over time.

Or something like that.

I'd like to hear what other folks have done.

Jennifer
(BTW, there's some updates to my site.  News articles mostly.  Other 
stuff comign soon).


The White Crow
FUDGE Deryni and Brave New World stuff:
http://www.io.com/~whytcrow/
"I'm telling you right now -- if you come out here and euthanize me, 
I'm going to be *very* pissed."
(Your random gaming quote of the day)