Same as human, except
Race: Drow, elf, half-dragon, half-elf, half-orc, or
orc.
Bonus Feat: Eliminate the human’s bonus feat.
ALTERNATIVE PILOT STARTING PACKAGE
Same as human, except
Race: Dwarf, halfling, gnome.
Armor: Flight suit +4 AC, speed 20 ft., 6 lb. Bonus Feat: Eliminate the human’s bonus feat.
Mechanist
The Dragon Empire is built on high technology, and it depends on those who craft, maintain, and repair the machines and equipment. Mechanists are the techni- cians and engineers who seem to have an almost super- natural connection to and understanding of technology. Mechanists are masters of the sometimes-arcane prin- ciples and practices of science and engineering. A mech- anist can look at a malfunctioning machine and imme- diately know what is wrong with it. Given adequate parts and tools, he can repair just about any mechanical device—or jury-rig a reasonable substitute, at least tem- porarily.
Adventures: Many mechanists lead lives filled with
repetition and boredom. They often jump at any oppor- tunity to get away from the routine. They long to dis- cover new technology, break it, and engineer creative solutions on the fly. Some follow the path of adventure for money, while others do it for the unique challenges the adventuring life presents. A few see themselves as sorcerers of science, keepers of the secrets that are just as important as magic in keeping the Empire running smoothly.
Characteristics: Mechanists are among the most
skilled professionals in the known galaxy. They don’t work magic—at least not the traditional kind—and they aren’t skilled combatants, but they know more about science and technology than anyone else. Mechanists are always honing their skills and developing their knowledge. They seize every opportunity to research and investigate new technologies, and their ideas are usually a few steps ahead of the technology curve. They’re not trained to excel in battle, but their services can be as important to the modern soldier as the weaponsmith’s were in the days of old.
Alignment: Mechanists can be of any alignment.
Lawful mechanists often concentrate on engineering design and preventative maintenance. Chaotic mecha- nists always seem to be putting things back together with improvised parts and electrical tape. Good mecha- nists often focus on improving the lives of others, while evil mechanists are more likely to specialize in sabo- tage, demolitions, and other destructive pursuits.
Religion: Many mechanists avoid organized reli-
gions. They do not deny the existence of the gods, but they prefer to devote themselves to understanding the
chapter three: Classes
52
52
l52
Skill Ranks Ability Armor
Freefall 4 Dex Intuit Direction 4 Wis Listen 4 Wis Navigate 4 Int Pilot 4 Dex Repair 4 Int Spot 4 Wis Swim 4 Str *
Use Device 4 Int
gods’ design through science. Of those mechanists who are religious, most worship the Smith, the patron of technology, or the Magus in his aspect as the source of scientific knowledge. Some mechanists have been drawn to the Dualist Heresy, as the reductionism of its theology appeals to them.
Background: Most mechanists have formal training
in science or engineering, but also a love of all things mechanical that reaches back to childhood. While some mechanists have studied at universities or technical institutes, others have learned their trade through apprenticeship to a master mechanist.
Mechanists enjoy a certain camaraderie no matter where they go. They seem able to recognize each other from across the room, and they are always eager to find another with whom they can converse intelligently on technical and scientific issues. Mechanists enjoy the company of others, too, but they often feel that only one of their own can really understand them. Of course, when two mechanists get together, everyone else is usu- ally driven away by the incomprehensible nature of their conversation.
Races: Mechanists can be of any race, though most
are gnomes or humans. Dwarves are often mechanists, though they tend to prefer large-scale construction and engineering. Elves and half-elves often find it impossi- ble to be passionate about lifeless mechanical things. Drow and halflings can make fine mechanists, though they often lack the patience or discipline for precise technical work. Many half-dragons feel the mechanist’s “dirty work” is below their station. Orcs and half-orcs often lack the native intelligence and technical back- grounds necessary for mechanists.
Because they are part machine themselves, soulmechs are probably the finest mechanists in the known galaxy. Many soulmechs who followed different paths in their organic lives become mechanists after awakening in their robotic bodies.
Other Classes: Mechanists take well to the life of an
adventurer, and they usually work well as part of a team. Most adventurers depend on technology and most know next to nothing about how the devices they rely on actu- ally work. Mechanists and wizards often develop close friendships: Their theories, rituals, and tools are differ- ent, but they both devote themselves to the pursuit of knowledge that few others share. Mechanists and clerics sometimes find themselves at odds and must usually come to some mutual understanding about their roles: The mechanist can’t heal wounds or save souls, and you don’t go to a cleric if your blaster is jammed. Mechanists must often tread carefully around druids, especially the traditionalists. They have little or no com- mon ground, but they can usually get along if they are respectful of each other’s work and beliefs.
chapter three: Classes preview
53
53
Game Rule Information
Mechanists have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Mechanists rely on their reasoning and
logic, so Intelligence is their most important ability. Most of a mechanist’s core skills are based on Intelligence. A high Intelligence also gives the mecha- nist extra skill points, which can be used to broaden his knowledge base. Dexterity is also sometimes important for mechanists, for working in tight spaces or doing pre- cision work on small components.
Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The mechanist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Cryptography (Int), Demolitions (Int), Disable Device (Int), Freefall (Dex), Knowledge (any science or technical knowledge skills, taken individual- ly) (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Pilot (Dex), Profession (Wis), Repair (Int), Research (Wis), Search (Int), and Use Device (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the mechanist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mechanists are
proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor.
Bonus Feats: At 1st level, the mechanist gets a bonus
feat in addition to the feat than any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to humans. The mecha- nist gains an additional bonus feat at 6th level and every five levels thereafter (11th and 16th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Born Spacer, Hacker, High-G Tolerance, Gearhead, Gunner’s Eye, Low-G Tolerance, Remote Operation, Space Jockey, and Zero-G Tolerance.
These feats are in addition to the feat a character of any class gets every three levels.
Traps: Like rogues, mechanists are able to detect and
disarm complex mechanical traps.
Favored Tech: At 2nd level, a mechanist may select
a class of equipment or type of device as a favored tech. Due to his extensive training and experience operating this technology, the mechanist gains a +1 circumstance bonus to Craft, Demolitions (for explosives only), Disable Device, Repair, and Use Device checks when using these skills on or with this type of device.
At 6th level and at every four levels thereafter (10th, 14th, and 18th level), the mechanist may select a new favored tech, and the bonus associated with every previ- ously selected favored tech goes up by +1. For example, a 15th-level mechanist will have four favored techs, with bonuses of +4, +3, +2, and +1.
The following lists possible device classes for a mechanist’s favored techs.
• Aircraft: Fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
• Armor: All archaic and modern armors; includes powered armor.
• Ground vehicles: Wheeled and tracked vehicles, walkers and hovercraft.
• Electronics: All electronic devices; includes com- puters and sensors.
• Explosives: All explosives and explosive weapons; includes grenades, missiles, torpedoes, etc.
• Handguns: All Tiny and Small firearms.
• Heavy weapons: All ranged weapons of size catego- ry Huge or greater; includes vehicle weapons. • Machines: Miscellaneous mechanical equipment
not included in another category.
• Melee weapons: All archaic and modern melee weapons.
• Rifles: All Medium-size and Large firearms. • Robots: All robots and soulmechs.
• Spacecraft: All spacecraft, including starships. • Traps: All mechanical traps.
• Watercraft: Ships and submersibles.
Jury-Rig: At 1st level, the mechanist can slap togeth-
er spare parts and makeshift materials to manage an effective repair, even though he lacks the components or time (or both) to do the job properly. The mechanist makes a Repair check as normal. He cannot take 10 or take 20 on this check. If the check is successful, the mechanist can improvise or scavenge sufficient spare parts and the repair takes half the time it normally would. However, the device is inherently unstable. It will completely malfunction or cease operating if any of the following conditions are met:
• The device takes a critical hit in combat.
• The character wearing the device suffers a critical hit in combat.
• A character using the device for an attack or skill check rolls a 1.
Jury-rigged jobs can be redone when the mechanist has the time and parts. The mechanist must make anoth- er Repair check and the task takes the standard amount of time. However, the repair is permanent, subject to the limitations of the Repair skill.
Guerilla Repair: Sometimes a mechanist doesn’t
even have time for a jury-rigged repair. When a gun
chapter three: Classes
54
54
jams in combat, it needs to be fixed now—not in a few minutes. At 1st level, mechanists can sometimes get malfunctioning devices in working order by kicking, smacking, jiggling, oiling, or even verbally coaxing them. To use this ability, the mechanist must touch the item to be repaired. In combat, this requires a touch attack. No Repair check is necessary: The device will resume working properly for a number of rounds equal to 3d6 plus the mechanist’s class level. After this time has passed, the device will malfunction again. The mechanist can’t use guerilla repair on the device again until he’s done a full repair job on it. This ability cannot actually restore hit points to an object.
Sabotage (Ex): A mechanist devotes most of his time
to insuring that devices are working properly. However, he can also use his knowledge and talents to more destructive ends. At 2nd level, a mechanist can use this ability as a standard action to cause any non-magic, technological device he touches to malfunction. In com- bat, this requires a touch attack against the character or creature wearing, holding, or using the device. This abil- ity provokes attacks of opportunity. The mechanist selects the target device, makes the touch attack if nec-
essary, and makes a Disable Device check (DC 20). If the check succeeds, the device stops working. The mechanist has jammed the safety switch, poured dirt in the fuel tank, ripped out a crucial wire, or otherwise bol- lixed the device.
Sabotage can only be used against a single device per use. Many complex machines count as multiple devices for the purposes of this ability. For example, the mech- anist could sabotage a hovertank so it couldn’t move, but its gun would still be able to fire.
Against a soulmech or other construct, this ability causes 1d8 points of damage, plus 1 point for each class level of the mechanist.
This sabotage can be fixed with a normal Repair check (DC 15). A mechanist can also get the device working again with his guerilla repair ability.
Upgrade: Mechanists are always tinkering with
devices, always looking for ways to make improve- ments to them. Starting at 1st level, a mechanist can attempt to upgrade any non-magic, technological device. The mechanist selects the device he wants to upgrade and makes a Repair check. If the check is suc- cessful, the mechanist may give the device a minor
chapter three: Classes preview
55
55
r55