ROGUE - GUILDSMAN Engineer Kit Description: Engineers are Guildsmen who use their knowledge of mechanics, engineering, and other applied sciences and technology to solve problems and overcome challenges of all sorts, whether in society or while adventuring. While many believe that magic or the divine powers govern all affairs in the world, Engineers have faith that technology (often with a little magic or divine inspiration or support on the side) can do the same thing. Engineers are hands- on craftsmen and make excellent gunsmiths (though this profession is obviously unpopular in areas where 'smoke powder' has been outlawed), but they are also renowned makers of toys, clocks, alarm systems, locks, traps, pumps, navigational and surveying instruments, optical devices, writing implements, and virtually anything else. Some even specialize in large-scale devices such as printing presses, complex looms, pedal- or wind-powered vehicles or devices, wind and water mills, siege engines, and sometimes even exotic and experimental devices such as gliders, adding machines, or steam engines (at the DM's discretion). Whatever their specialty, Engineers are easily recognized for the profusion of tools and scraps of note paper scattered about their person. Their mechanical skill can be quite handy for an adventuring party, as they are often able to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems using technology. Requirements: As a standard Guildsman, but Engineers must have Intelligence and Dexterity of at least 13 and must be humans, dwarves, gnomes, or tieflings. Weapons & Armor: As a standard Guildsman, save that an Engineer must become proficient in at least one type of firearm at 1st level. Engineers also do not use shields (see Special Hindrances). Thief Abilities & Modifiers: Detect Noise, Find/Remove Traps, Open Locks, Read Languages Engineers do not gain additional thieving abilities as they advance in level, but they gain the normal amount of discretionary points for a Guildsman. Special Benefits: Engineers are well-studied in all realms of mechanics and construction, and their knowledge and skill grant the following abilities: Guild Advancement: As a standard Guildsman. It is certainly reasonable for an Engineer to offer up a new invention or discovery when attempting to interview for the 'career fast track', and at the DM's discretion a bonus may be allowed to the die roll if a worthwhile invention or discovery is presented and turned over to the guild. A DM may in fact require an Engineer who petitions for such consideration to first produce such a thing in order even to merit review for quick advancement. Guild Leadership: As a standard Guildsman. Guild Membership: As a standard Guildsman. Guild Training: As a standard Guildsman. Naturally, the Engineering proficiency replaces the normal Crafts or other trade proficiency learned by a typical Guildsman. An Engineer can select any one firearm as his or her 'signature weapon', rather than having the specific firearm declared by their guild. Note that an Engineer's +20% bonus to thieving abilities related to his or her field applies to all types of mechanical devices (including mechanical locks and traps, though not simple bars and bolts or magical traps or locks of any type). Gunsmithing: This specialized proficiency is available only to Engineers and so is listed among their Special Benefits. It allows them to manufacture and repair all types of 'smoke powder' weapons in which they are proficient. It requires 60 days to manufacture a pistol, 90 days to manufacture a rifle, and 120 days to manufacture a cannon. The total cost is equal to one-fifth the normal sale price of such a weapon. Bullets can be manufactured for any firearm at a rate of 100 per day for a cost of only 1d10 g.p. In addition to manufacturing weapons, an Engineer learns how to tinker with and improve his or her firearms. At 5th level (Master Engineer), he or she improves the firing mechanism in such a way that its rate of fire is increased from 1/3 to 1/2 and the chance to misfire on a natural roll of 1 is eliminated, and the firearm will only 'hang fire' on a natural roll of 1 (instead of natural 2), which can then lead to a potential misfire. In addition, the Short range of the weapon is increased by 5 yards over its normal range, with an appropriate increase in the weapon's Medium and Long ranges. At 10th level (Guildmaster Engineer), any firearm modified by the Engineer will have no chance to misfire or 'hang fire', and its rate of fire is improved to 1/1. Its Short range is also increased by 10 yards over its normal range (replacing the bonus at 5th level, not in addition to it), with proportional increases in Medium and Long range. Finally, at 15th level (Grandmaster Engineer) any firearm can modified to improve its striking power, increasing damage by one die. If firing a modified firearm at a creature that is normally immune to non-magical missiles, a gunshot from such a weapon should be considered equal in effect to a 'siege engine' missile and thus can still inflict damage, though it will be reduced by 1 point per die. These modifications are experimental and delicate, and an Engineer must constantly tend to the weapon to ensure that it continue working at increased efficiency. If the Engineer is not able to tend to the weapon, it will revert to its original firing characteristics within a number of days or a number of shots fired from the weapon (whichever comes first). If the firearm is handled roughly or tampered with in any significant way, the weapon reverts to its normal characteristics immediately and has double the normal chance to misfire or 'hang fire'. DM's Note: If a DM does not wish to include smoke powder weapons in his or her campaign, the Gunsmithing ability should obviously be ignored. To balance the loss of this ability, the normal inability of Engineers to use two-handed weapons or a secondary weapon or shield in the off hand (see Special Hindrances) should likewise be removed. Invention: Potentially an Engineer's most useful ability, and the most dangerous, is the ability to invent odd gadgets for just about any function. The chance of success in such an invention is equal to his or her Find/Remove Traps percentage, with a modifier based on the complexity and difficulty of the proposed invention (usually in the range of ±25%). Use of this ability assumes that proper tools, facilities, materials, and time for construction are available, but in this case a successful roll indicates that the invention works. If the percentile roll is less than or equal to the Engineer's level, the invention is a great success, and may be better than the Engineer intended. On the other hand, a roll of 96-00 indicates automatic failure (which may or may not be obvious to the Engineer), and a natural 00 results in a fatal accident (save vs. paralyzation to avoid, and suffer 10d6 points of damage even if the save is made) for one creature within 10' the first time the invention is used. The limits and costs involved with Invention are up to the DM, but as a general rule devices that replicate the effects of spells should not be able to duplicate the effects of spells higher than one level for every five levels of the Engineer (rounding down). For example, a Master Engineer of 5th level or above could create a device that duplicated the 1st level spider climb spell, but he or she would have to be at least 10th level to create a device allowing him or her to levitate or 15th level to be able to fly. The limits on such devices (e.g., exotic materials or fuels or components) are left to the DM, but for the sake of game balance it is highly recommended that powerful items should be expensive and/or difficult to create (or usable only once). DM's Note: DMs are referred to products such as Aurora's Whole Realms Catalogue for examples of oddball technological gadgets that might be developed or produced by an Engineer. Care must be exercised when introducing technology into a fantasy setting, so as to preserve the flavor of the campaign, and each DM must have certain limitations in mind of what can and cannot be accomplished with technology in his or her campaign. Mechanically Inclined: Engineers are experts in all manner of devices with moving parts. They can also use their Find/Remove Traps percentage as a skill roll to discern the function and figure out how to use of any sort of complex mechanical device, including mechanical devices that produce magical effects, but with an additional +20% bonus as a result of his or her Guild Training. Note that one roll is required to figure out what a device does and a second roll is required to learn how to operate it. Special Hindrances: Engineers are far more interested in machines and technological projects than interacting with people. As a result, they lack the Character Insight and Public Relations abilities of other Guildsmen, and they never attract Agents. They can also attract only one-half the normal number of henchmen allowed by their Charisma score. Their fascination with technology also leads to an insatiable curiosity about all things mechanical. When presented with the opportunity to study a new or exotic mechanical device, an Engineer tends to forget everything else and study and contemplate the possible applications of the device. As a result, an Engineer suffers a -2 penalty to surprise rolls and a +2 penalty to initiative rolls when in the presence of an unfamiliar mechanical device or any object that looks as if it might constitute a working part of a larger machine. In the same vein, Engineers always like to keep a free hand available in case they need to grab a tool or pick up an item of interest, and they will never use any two-handed weapon other than a firearm, nor will they use a second weapon in their off hand. For much the same reason, and because they philosophically prefer a technologically sophisticated offense as the best possible defense, Engineers will not use shields. Finally, because they so frequently cut and nick their fingers and hands while fiddling about with mechanical devices, Engineers never use poison; the risk of harming themselves would simply be too great. Bonus Proficiency: Engineering Required Proficiencies: Gunsmithing (see Special Benefits), Numeracy Preferred Proficiencies: Armorer, Artistic Ability (drafting), Blacksmithing, Bureaucracy, Carpentry, Law, Leatherworking, Locksmithing, Metallurgy, Metalworking, Mining, Navigation, Reading/Writing, Rope Use, Stonemasonry, Weaponsmithing ***DISCLAIMER*** As with all postings by me of classes or races, it should be noted that portions of the information contained herein were inspired by or derived from information in published works of TSR, Inc., and may contain references to those works, quotations or passages of text (especially in the area of 'Character Description', where applicable sections from TSR works were often carried over more or less intact into my campaign world), or particular powers or abilities invented by TSR staff writers. No relationship with TSR, Inc., is to be implied by this use, nor is any attempt being made to solicit profit or remuneration of any kind. I have read the TSR Online Policy document, and have tried to accommodate the stipulations contained therein. In instances where I have lifted an essentially complete class or race without significant alteration, I have not included these in my postings but instead have inserted a reference to the appropriate D&D sourcebook for those curious in including it in their campaign. Only variations that include a significant component of original work, alteration, or reformulation (including the compositing elements from various TSR sources into new combinations) of have been included in this set of postings. Jason Eric Nelson < tjaden@u.washington.edu >