[HOE] Re: [DL] Re: deadlands-digest.20010226

["Nick Zachariasen" <zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu>]

> > You see, this is why I fancy myself a bit of a mad scientist.  I come up
> > with all sorts of whacked-out **** (such as sidecars for horses and the
> > pudding mine), and I was BORN ****ed up.  Seriously- my mother drank and
> > smoked pot while pregnant (granted, this was the 70s, but still...).  I
> > believe that it has given me considerable permanent altered-state
insight,
> > which helps my mad science attempts.
>
> Yep, I see it now: Knack: Hippie Mother.
>
> I'd make up all the chip abilities, but I gotta go now. Maybe later.
Unless
> someone else feels like it?

Well, it wasn't "hippie" so much as "16-year-old kid in 1978".  Still, here
goes:

White: Gain a +4 bonus to a Scrutinize or Cognition check, or any check that
relies somehow in intuition or insight.  You can also gain the bonus to
Arts: Any or Academia: Philosophy as it applies to creation of a related
work.  This can also negate the construction penalty of the Blue Chip power.

Red: You can jury-rig together some kind of relatively small and simple
structure or mechanism that, while barely stable (Reliability 6) if
disturbed will not work), will work for its intended purpose at least once
or figure out how to solve some kind of mechanicaly-related problem.
Alternately, you can instead use random spare parts to throw together a
conventional item, but the item can have no moving parts (this simulates
'heads using things like 2-liter bottles to make bongs).  Note that for the
latter ability the parts have to actually be feasible and don't act like a
Junker's tech spirit just allowing him to cram parts that are "close enough"
together and get them to work.  This will actually give insight to the
character so that (s)he knows what parts would be appropriate.  Also, the
parts have to be available, but the character will just "know" where to find
them.

Blue: For the next hour (or until the successful creation of a blueprint,
whichever comes second), the character actually gains Arcane Background: Mad
Scientist (complete with the potential for Dementias) with his/her Mad
Science Aptitude equal to the coordination of his/her Knowledge (or whatever
Mad Science is under) Trait.  After the expiration of this power, the
character can still understand his/her own blueprints, but if (s)he is not
under the influence of the power (or normally a Mad Scientist), a -4 is
applied to the construction roll.  This will even work in Hell on Earth
because the insight gained from the Arcane Background isn't inspired by
manitous, but rather it's a sort of Keanu-ish "Whoa- I've got an idea!"
which is then simply translated onto paper.

Legend: As above, but the character is immune to Dementias (if the character
draws a Black Joker, it is simply discarded and replaced) and the power
lasts a full 24 hours or until 2 blueprints are drawn up and Reliability of
the blueprints gains a +2.  Also, there is no penalty for the character on
blueprints created under this power even after it has lapsed, plus any other
character can attempt to build things from this blueprint at the -4 to the
construction roll as listed above.

Well?  Whaddaya all think?

Nick Zachariasen
Editor Emeritus
Trojan Times