As many people do on here, I made a way to do technology. It's like magic items, but not magical. I'm thinking of making it a class, with one switch, power source, and effect discovered at random each level. I originally wanted it to be something where there's only one guy doing it, but that seems unlikely. I also want it to have a chance of being magic or psionic (how are you supposed to know if the strange effect you noticed is mundane)?
The devices will be modular, with parts you can stick together.
Switches:
Mechanical Switch:
Anyone can make one of these, and they are always mundane. It takes a move action to activate an item with one of these by pressing a button/flipping a switch, but if you are holding it, or it is specially designed to be switched in an obscure manner (such as a switch on your shoe activating when you stomp), it only takes a free action.
Price: 1 SP
Obscure switch: +1 GP
Voice-Activation:
It takes a free action to activate one of these by saying, or yelling, a command word. The word must be clear, and anyone close enough to understand you normally will know the command word. It can be made to only respond to your voice. If this is done, anyone else attempting to activate it must make a successful disguise check.
This can also be used to activate on any sound loud enough to be heard with a given listen check. The volume required has no effect on the cost. Making it go off too easily runs the risk of the device going off prematurely.
Price: 100 GP + 100 GP per DC to the disguise check
Will Switch:
When an item with this switch is on your person, you can activate it as a free action.
Price: 100 GP
Telepathic Switch:
You can activate an item with this switch as a move action from a distance.
Price: 1000 GP + 20 GP per foot of range (100 GP per square)
Timer:
Activates the item after a certain amount of time passed. This is attached to another switch, and just adds lag.
Price: 100 GP
Logic Gate:
You can AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, or XNOR any other switches.
Price: 1 SP each
Power Sources:
Crank:
Using an item with this power source requires a full-round action. Like the mechanical switch, anyone can make one. If this is used, adding a spring can allow it to store up to five charges.
Price: 10 GP
Spring: 50 GP
Battery:
A specially crafted battery must be put in to power the device. Putting it in takes a full-round action. Each one can hold no more than 100 charges. If the battery is broken, it releases a weak acid that deals one damage per hour until it is washed off.
Price: 100 GP plus 20 GP per battery (2 SP per charge)
Fuel Cell:
Somewhat similar to the battery, but uses pure alcohol to power it. Refilling it takes a full-round action. One cup holds 100 charges worth and can be held in a normal flask. Alcohol can be distilled with any alcoholic beverage and a DC 20 craft (alchemy) check. Anyone using this must protect their alcohol from their fellow adventurers.
Price: 200 GP plus 10 GP per cup (the amount held in the average flask) (1 SP per charge)
Strength Sap:
Deals 1d4 non-lethal damage for each charge. It must be held on the person using it, so it can only deal the damage to a victim with a successful grapple check.
Price: 100 GP
Greater Strength Sap:
Deals 1d4 non-lethal damage for each charge.
Price: 1,000 GP
Cognizance Crystal:
Each power point is one charge. The cognizance crystal can be replaced as a full-round action.
Price: 1,000 GP (not including the cost of the crystal)
Free Energy:
Gets one charge per round from untapped energy.
Price: 100,000 GP
Perpetual Motion:
Similar to free energy, but with no energy limit.
Price: 200,000 GP per charge per round (technically 200,000 GP rounds per charge)
Effects:
Catapult:
Throws an object (useful for traps).
Price: 1 GP
Spray:
Sprays a liquid held inside of it or siphoned. It's always a ray, but is treated as a ranged weapon for range. and attack rolls. Liquid bouncing off of the target makes it like a splash weapon. It takes a full-round action to use.
Price: 10 GP, plus 10 GP if used to hold acid or alchemist's fire
Siphon: 1 GP per foot for an inert substance, 10 for acid or alchemist's fire, or 20 for both.
One cup (the amount held in the average flask) is one charge.
Energy Damage:
Deals acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic damage (each must be discovered individually) on contact.
Price: 1,000 GP per average damage.
5 average damage is one charge.
Ranged Energy Damage:
Deals acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic damage (each must be discovered individually) at a range. This is a ray.
Price: 2,000 GP per average damage.
5 average damage is one charge.
Area Energy Damage:
Deals d4 acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic damage (each must be discovered individually) within a certain distance of the item.
Price: 1,000 GP per damage dice per cube (125 cubic feet). It must be sphere, cone, or ray. If it's cone, the user takes the damage too.
One damage die is one charge.
Ranged Area Energy Damage:
Deals d4 acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic damage (each must be discovered individually) within a certain distance of the target, which is selected like a ray.
Price: 10,000 GP per damage dice per radius (in squares) squared times hight in squares.
One charge is enough for nine squares times damage die
Cast Spell (Over-Powered?):
Casts a single spell in its casting time. The Spell must be a wizard spell, and the person who makes this item must be able to cast it. Any focus must be built into the device, and material components must be replaced at every use (though it may well be able to hold enough for several uses). The spell is considered as having caster level one, even if it's higher than a level one spell.
Price: 2,000 gp per spell level squared (cantrips count as level 1/2)
Four charges per spell level squared (cantrips count as level 1/2)
Manifest Power (Over-SpelledPowered?):
Identical to cast spell, but with a psionic power instead.
Store Energy:
Stores energy for a short time (about one encounter). It takes two charges to store one charge. Due to the half-life, it will never store more than about a hundred times the amount that can be stored in one round. Doing so takes about ten times as long as it would be without the half-life.
Cost: 10 GP per charge that can be held
Examples:
Squirt Gun:
Switch: None (works when powered)
Power: Crank: 50 GP
Effect: Spray (acid, adjustable): 20 GP
Total: 70 GP
Result: Can be used to spray up to 5 vials of acid (each dealing the same damage as if they were thrown) as full-round actions. It takes longer than throwing it, but it increases the range.
Flame Thrower:
Switch: Mechanical (Normally off): 1 SP
Power: Fuel Cell: 200 GP
Effect: Spray (5 flasks per round): 10 GP
Special: Wick (ad hoc) (1 flask per hour): 1 SP
Total: 210.20 GP
Result: When the wick is lit, the flame thrower will shoot out a flame which deals 5d6 to the target and 5 splash damage to those around it. It only carries enough alcohol for one shot. When the wick is lit, it dimly illuminates a 5-foot radius, like a candle.
Flaming Sword:
Switch: None (works when powered)
Power: Greater Strength Sap: 10,000 GP
Effect: Energy Damage: (fire, 2d4 damage): 1,000 GP
Special: Masterwork long sword: 315 GP
Total: 11,315 GP
Result: Deals 1d6 slashing damage with 19-20/×2 crit, in addition to 1d4 nonlethal damage and 2d4 fire damage.
Is there anything anyone would like to add?
