She Blinded Me with Science! (Magitek That Doesn't Make Me Cry Myself To Sleep)

[QuidEst]

That principle should actually let you just set the flavor of the food to whatever, a la Prestidigitation.

Because why not? It's totally fine to make plants that make little cakes spring forth from the end of their branches!

If you don't like the way your food tastes, get Imachinationist to fix it for you. That seems a little more in line with how the fields are separated out.

I don't know that biomass works well as food for people. It's normally got metal in there as well.

[kopout]

A revised version
hopefuly kellus approves

BIOY 210: Artificial horticulture

Spoiler

Show

BIOY 210: Artificial horticulture
Grade: Magisterial
Prerequisite: BIOY 101, Heal 8 ranks
Target: 1 cubic foot of biostructure OR a finished chassis
Preparation Time: 1 hour
This principle allows a mass of Biostructure to produce structures known as Beltian bodies. At their most basic these are simply extrusions of the biostructure that lack any inorganic components, though more advanced structures can be made. In addition to needing to breathe the Biostructure must be kept moist and exposed to at least dim light in order to perform this function. The output is determined at the time of preparation and can only be changed by using this preparation a second time. Using this on a chassis takes up a 2end level graft slot and only days were the chassis is exposed to at least 5 hours of light count towered the total days spent growing a Beltian body
{table=head]Output|DC|Production time/ cubic foot
Basic Food|15|4 days
Flavored Food|15|6 days
Textured Food|20|5 days
Wood|20|150 days
Bone|25|100 days
Charcoal|30|150 days
[/table]
By default, food produced in this way is nutritious but bland and rubbery. It is possible for the flavor to be changed as desired by adding 2 days to the production time and for the texture to be improved by increasing the DC, food with both flavor and texture therefore takes a DC of 20 and 6 days to grow. It is possible to maintain a diet of only food produced in this way and remain healthy.

[Omnicrat]

Alright. My internet has been down for a few days and all I've had to entertain myself was this (and a few other homebrews) in unclosed tabs on my laptop. Suffice to say, I've come up with a few things and have some questions...

1. With regard to HEUR 302, what principles aren't instantaneous effects? Because I can't think of a principle that shouldn't apply...

2. Does a chassis organism made partially out of carmot a) reproduce the carmot in its offspring and b) age?

3. The same question as 2 a and b, but with regard to the otter special properties of ascendant metals and their special properties.

4. What is the maximum number of transformers/engines a chassis can have in it? One per cubic foot of the apropriate metal?

5. Is a chassis with a lead/mercury component (quicksilver blood?) immune to lead/mercury poisoning?

6. Is it possible to graft a heuristic circuit into someone's brain like BIOY 273 does for a chassis?

7. Can a living creature have their body augmented into biostructure without loosing their mental ability scores and memory? If so, what is the creatures type, can this add transformers, can this increase creature size, and can this be used to add grown grafts that do not count against the normal maximum?

8. As written, lucid dream catchers can let EIs get to level 20 in four days with one willing participant sleeping in the field for 8 hours every night. The ebbs to xp system is fun, but lucid dreamcatchers should definitely be nerfed. Unless your plan was to have the level 1000 EI take over the world.

9. How do EIs get their first class level? Do they need some form of tutelage or need to be a certain number of days, weeks, months, or years old?

10. How do bab, ref and fort saves, as well as other physical class features apply to EIs with a Chassis body?

11. How many actions can a circuited chassis take in a round? The typical move and standard action? Does it only use up two logical decisions?

12. Does a wood input/output need to be used if the transformers are the same type (silverin/silverout, for example)? Does it need to be used if other inputs and outputs are in physical contact? (I think I know the answer, just want to be 100% certain)

13. Can a gramarie xenomachine have someone else prepare the principle into it, or does the graughtsman need to know the principle himself? The same question with regard to HEUR 302.

14. Flux powered vehicles seem to be better most of the time than engine powered vehicles. Just something worth noting...

Shoot... I know there was more... I should have written them down

(sidenote one: why did kellus stop updating his truenaming? it was good)

(sidenote two: When was the last time kellus posted anything?)

[QuidEst]

Well, here are my thoughts on things as they are written so far. Great questions! I'm happy to hear other views on these.

1. With regard to HEUR 302, what principles aren't instantaneous effects? Because I can't think of a principle that shouldn't apply...

Maybe that means things like BIOY?

2-5

There's no indication that a chassis retains any properties other than the hardness of the metal. It is being turned into biomass, which I suspect is an entirely different substance.

6. Is it possible to graft a heuristic circuit into someone's brain like BIOY 273 does for a chassis?

A heuristic circuit can be attached to somebody's brain (in that it can be attached to any object), but there currently isn't a way to have them interface. A chassis is created through grammarie, and can therefore be modified and understood more fully.

7. Can a living creature have their body augmented into biostructure without loosing their mental ability scores and memory? If so, what is the creatures type, can this add transformers, can this increase creature size, and can this be used to add grown grafts that do not count against the normal maximum?

The best approach I can think of to do this is to replace limbs with biomass grown on. (This can be telepathically connected to them so it functions as a native limb.) Since the process takes at least an hour, replacing any vital organ seems impossible as it stands.

8. As written, lucid dream catchers can let EIs get to level 20 in four days with one willing participant sleeping in the field for 8 hours every night. The ebbs to xp system is fun, but lucid dreamcatchers should definitely be nerfed. Unless your plan was to have the level 1000 EI take over the world.

Change it to one ebb per nightmare? They're ten minutes a pop, which is much slower. Changing the xp rate would mean harvesting even more peasant souls.

9. How do EIs get their first class level? Do they need some form of tutelage or need to be a certain number of days, weeks, months, or years old?

No idea!

10. How do bab, ref and fort saves, as well as other physical class features apply to EIs with a Chassis body?

I would just say that they apply normally. The chassis gets exercise, the EI gets expertise.

11. How many actions can a circuited chassis take in a round? The typical move and standard action? Does it only use up two logical decisions?

Don't see why they would get anything other than normal, unless they're using up their processing power on other things. The actions would be decided by however many logical decisions it took to decide, but carrying them out wouldn't take any extra actions (except possibly mental actions).

12. Does a wood input/output need to be used if the transformers are the same type (silverin/silverout, for example)? Does it need to be used if other inputs and outputs are in physical contact? (I think I know the answer, just want to be 100% certain)

I wanted to know about this one as well! What were your thoughts?

13. Can a gramarie xenomachine have someone else prepare the principle into it, or does the graughtsman need to know the principle himself? The same question with regard to HEUR 302.

When I looked, it seemed like you could have somebody else prepare it, at least for 302.

14. Flux powered vehicles seem to be better most of the time than engine powered vehicles. Just something worth noting...

Any both of those lose out to making rocks fall in funny ways.

[Omnicrat]

Maybe that means things like BIOY?

I think that was the intent too, but I'm not sure. Also, even if that was the intent, I don't see any reason why all principles couldn't be used with 302

There's no indication that a chassis retains any properties other than the hardness of the metal. It is being turned into biomass, which I suspect is an entirely different substance.

Well, it has been established that chassi can have transformers and engines inside them, so they clearly retain more properties than just hardness. The question is, who many more?

A heuristic circuit can be attached to somebody's brain (in that it can be attached to any object), but there currently isn't a way to have them interface. A chassis is created through grammarie, and can therefore be modified and understood more fully.

But chassi can also grow grafts. So can one remove the heuristic connection inside a chassis and attach it as a graft? Even if this wasn't intended or possible before, its cool and not OP, so I think it should be added.

The best approach I can think of to do this is to replace limbs with biomass grown on. (This can be telepathically connected to them so it functions as a native limb.) Since the process takes at least an hour, replacing any vital organ seems impossible as it stands.

Hm... So, basically they no longer have limbs, but telepathically control artificial ones... interesting concept...

Change it to one ebb per nightmare? They're ten minutes a pop, which is much slower. Changing the xp rate would mean harvesting even more peasant souls.

Still takes you to 20th level in a little over a year with one willing person in the circuit each night. Get 24 in there, maybe use sleep spells to keep them asleep 24/7 and it takes a week or two... Maybe a cap equal to your xp at the time of creation would be best?

No idea!

I think they should have at least some training with a member of the class if it has a complexity higher than simple.

I would just say that they apply normally. The chassis gets exercise, the EI gets expertise.

That's what I figured too, just felt it should be explicit.

Don't see why they would get anything other than normal, unless they're using up their processing power on other things. The actions would be decided by however many logical decisions it took to decide, but carrying them out wouldn't take any extra actions (except possibly mental actions).

Logical decisions means things that are done in a circuit, such as re-rooting of power or the like. It is unclear how this applies to operating chassi, but I think the best bet is to say they get normal actions, each using one logical decision

I wanted to know about this one as well! What were your thoughts?

I assumed that physical contact and the same type of in-transformer to out-transformer both respectively made wood inputs unnecessary. For example, a gold input in physical contact with a silver output works without wood if they are touching each other. Similarly, two silver outputs could heuristically link to one silver input without contact or the use of wood. Just how I viewed it, though. No idea if that is even close to correct.

When I looked, it seemed like you could have somebody else prepare it, at least for 302.

Well, I would assume its the same for both, so that's good if you're right.

Any both of those lose out to making rocks fall in funny ways.

not sure what this means...

[Amechra]

You can only go up to 300 ft per round with the falling rock method; falling speed is explicitly capped in the rules, and since this system is based off the laws of physics as dictated by the rules of D&D, and not our laws of physics...

It doesn't have to make complete sense. It just is.

Which is also why you couldn't build a jet engine in D&D; unless you used something that explicitly notes that it pushes people, it won't move them at all.

Just thought I'd get this stuff off my mind. Thanks.

[Omnicrat]

You can only go up to 300 ft per round with the falling rock method; falling speed is explicitly capped in the rules, and since this system is based off the laws of physics as dictated by the rules of D&D, and not our laws of physics...

It doesn't have to make complete sense. It just is.

Which is also why you couldn't build a jet engine in D&D; unless you used something that explicitly notes that it pushes people, it won't move them at all.

Just thought I'd get this stuff off my mind. Thanks.

Hm... So, what you're saying is D&D terminal velocity has nothing to do with wind resistance?

[Amechra]

Nope.

You fall 150' the first round, and 300' on each subsequent ground.

Granted, you can bootstrap faster speeds with the little rock, but that brings the problem of adding in moving frames of reference, which, referencing the D&D rules, means that it defaults to that 300' speed.

So... about 34 miles per hour.

[QuidEst]

Nope.

You fall 150' the first round, and 300' on each subsequent ground.

Granted, you can bootstrap faster speeds with the little rock, but that brings the problem of adding in moving frames of reference, which, referencing the D&D rules, means that it defaults to that 300' speed.

So... about 34 miles per hour.

Ooh… nice catch there! 34 mph is pretty reasonable for free, especially when you look at your engine size and the amount of wood needed to get the same result.

If you're fine with gyroscopic effects from heavy, fast-spinning wheels (which is to say, you want to move very fast in a straight line), you can spin up a large, heavy gear and use a 2/1 gear ratio for the wheels. That gets you 68 mph, which is a decent train. Get a few driven gears, and it's more power to turn into speed. (Can get pretty dangerous, though, since 300ft/round is 20d6 falling damage, and you're bypassing the cap.)

[kopout]

You can also get a free energy generator using a CrystalIn and Biostructure in multiples of 4. A unit of biostructure produces the same amount of sound as a creature (becuse it is one) and a single preperation of CrystalIn gives you 523.598 cubic feet to play with. divided by 4 gives you not quite 131, so i supose it will have to be 130. That means that a Bs/C generatior is making 130-ish ebbs a round. (unless I did the math wrong) That is enough for 21 Orthogonal engines. You are now moveing at Mach 1

[Omnicrat]

You can also get a free energy generator using a CrystalIn and Biostructure in multiples of 4. A unit of biostructure produces the same amount of sound as a creature (becuse it is one) and a single preperation of CrystalIn gives you 523.598 cubic feet to play with. divided by 4 gives you not quite 131, so i supose it will have to be 130. That means that a Bs/C generatior is making 130-ish ebbs a round. (unless I did the math wrong) That is enough for 21 Orthogonal engines. You are now moveing at Mach 1

1) Did you include the bulk moddifier for the weight of 21 ortho engines?
2) You would need would inputs/outputs for that, so your loosing one ebb per engine.
3) For a transformer to produce x ebbs the check going into it has to equal x.

[QuidEst]

A unit of biostructure produces the same amount of sound as a creature (becuse it is one)

I don't think so…

Biostructure shares traits with both creatures and objects.

Biostructure doesn't talk, move, chirp, etc. It just breathes raspily. DM might decide that it's less than "regular noise". If you can convince your DM that the crystalIn targets creatures specifically (and can't use non-creature noise), there's always

Biostructure is always treated as either a living creature or an object for any effect which specifically targets one or the other

Unfortunately, at 1 hour per biostructure unit, that's 500+ hours! That's way too much time for a 5ft-radius ball of rasping metal-flesh to use as a fuel source.

2) You would need would inputs/outputs for that, so your loosing one ebb per engine.

I think we're okay on this one- the energy is lost at the generator, and we're only going to be using four or so generators to get the check in the lower thirties. Even if this weren't the case, we can have one large engine instead of twenty-one small engines.

[Omnicrat]

To clarify my circuit graft idea, I figured it would involve removing a specialized organ that allows a chassis to function as a node in a circuit.

[QuidEst]

To clarify my circuit graft idea, I figured it would involve removing a specialized organ that allows a chassis to function as a node in a circuit.

Well, remember that whatever the change is, it also makes the chassis mindless and lose its intelligence score. It's not really something you'd want to put in yourself.

[Omnicrat]

Well, remember that whatever the change is, it also makes the chassis mindless and lose its intelligence score. It's not really something you'd want to put in yourself.

I assumed that was because, in a chassis, this specialized organ replaces a brain. In my head it is in addition to a brain.

[QuidEst]

I assumed that was because, in a chassis, this specialized organ replaces a brain. In my head it is in addition to a brain.

Well, normally a node is anything that a circuit would be able to make decisions for. You're just looking for a way to pass your senses on to an EI, then? There's a tolerable substitute at the moment- a "parrot" chassis. Something small to ride along on your shoulder, providing input for the EI. Telepathy is available with a non-specialized BIOY doctorate, allowing decent communication.

If you want to add something like that in, it'd probably fall under the Graughtsman prestige class, allowing you to perform the operation on somebody else. (Not yourself, for obvious reasons.) Or it might permit harvesting from a circuited chassis for use with Xenomachinary, allowing you to make a 4th-level head-slot accessory that lets an EI use your senses (but not control you).

[Omnicrat]

Well, normally a node is anything that a circuit would be able to make decisions for. You're just looking for a way to pass your senses on to an EI, then? There's a tolerable substitute at the moment- a "parrot" chassis. Something small to ride along on your shoulder, providing input for the EI. Telepathy is available with a non-specialized BIOY doctorate, allowing decent communication.

If you want to add something like that in, it'd probably fall under the Graughtsman prestige class, allowing you to perform the operation on somebody else. (Not yourself, for obvious reasons.) Or it might permit harvesting from a circuited chassis for use with Xenomachinary, allowing you to make a 4th-level head-slot accessory that lets an EI use your senses (but not control you).

I was more looking for my consciousness counting as an EI for the purpose of the circuit installed in my own head. 100 logical decisions and all that jazz. I, personally, think it should be possible. That said, no one else seems too...

Also, I think the best version of what you suggest would be the size of a puppeteer. Hm... puppeteer mind control graft...

[QuidEst]

I was more looking for my consciousness counting as an EI for the purpose of the circuit installed in my own head. 100 logical decisions and all that jazz. I, personally, think it should be possible. That said, no one else seems too...

Also, I think the best version of what you suggest would be the size of a puppeteer. Hm... puppeteer mind control graft...

People don't make logical decisions in general- we have to do that sort of thing consciously. If I forced you to answer sixteen yes-or-no questions a second, every second, you'd go crazy. Even one per second would be too much! You can have the EI ask you every so often, allowing you to tell it what it should do, but there's no need to go frying your grey matter.

[Omnicrat]

People don't make logical decisions in general- we have to do that sort of thing consciously. If I forced you to answer sixteen yes-or-no questions a second, every second, you'd go crazy. Even one per second would be too much! You can have the EI ask you every so often, allowing you to tell it what it should do, but there's no need to go frying your grey matter.

I understand that it is far beyond human brain capacity. So is 20 mile radius telepathy and the ability to control all foremen. If anything, the latter example is a MUCH larger strain on ones mind than the former would be.

So, yes, this graft would be giving a lot, but it's still less than a typical level 5 graft gives. I would call it a weak level 4 graft or a strong level 3, but definitely within the realm of grafts and acceptable power.

[QuidEst]

I understand that it is far beyond human brain capacity. So is 20 mile radius telepathy and the ability to control all foremen. If anything, the latter example is a MUCH larger strain on ones mind than the former would be.

Telepathy has rules for that already, so I don't think you'd actually be able to pull that off without spending move actions to concentrate on groups at a time and give them instructions.

… It is possible to address multiple creatures at once telepathically, although maintaining a telepathic conversation with more than one creature at a time is just as difficult as simultaneously speaking and listening to multiple people at the same time.

Controlling the workers is more like giving directions to a subservient EI- they're going to work out how to do it rather than ask you which limbs should go where and when.

So, yes, this graft would be giving a lot, but it's still less than a typical level 5 graft gives. I would call it a weak level 4 graft or a strong level 3, but definitely within the realm of grafts and acceptable power.

Sure- it's not as powerful as some grafts (although it does kind of cheapen EIs if they can't do anything a human can't). But Grammarists don't get grafts, at least not for themselves. They can grow features onto a chassis using the grafts list, but they're not using surgery or anything like that- they're working with a changeable substance. The exception is a Graughtsman, who can attach grafts to magic items. Maybe instead of making it a graft, really experienced Heuristics practitioners can make themselves the node controller?

Further thoughts on how to add this in…
• Making a chassis a node is Specialist Magisterial, and that's probably a much easier job. HEUR 328 as a prereq, or a 5/10th level prestige class option or feature?
• I'd go with the following action economy: ten logical decisions as a full round, 5 as a standard, 2 as a move, 1 as a swift. This leaves an EI with some advantage over a human. If it's listed as a 10th level prestige class option, though, this could probably be bumped up some.
• Consider how/if it interacts with stuff from the Dreamason prestige class, particularly gaining experience.

[Omnicrat]

Telepathy has rules for that already, so I don't think you'd actually be able to pull that off without spending move actions to concentrate on groups at a time and give them instructions.

Controlling the workers is more like giving directions to a subservient EI- they're going to work out how to do it rather than ask you which limbs should go where and when.

That is a valid point.

Sure- it's not as powerful as some grafts (although it does kind of cheapen EIs if they can't do anything a human can't). But Grammarists don't get grafts, at least not for themselves. They can grow features onto a chassis using the grafts list, but they're not using surgery or anything like that- they're working with a changeable substance. The exception is a Graughtsman, who can attach grafts to magic items.

I wasn't saying gramarists would be able to harvest it. I was saying it should, in my opinion, be a harvestable graft. For xenoalcemy. It still makes sense to ask about it here, I believe.

Further thoughts on adding this in, if such a thing is to be done:
• Making a chassis a node is Specialist Magisterial, and that's probably a much easier job. Make HEUR 328 (Exotic Intelligence) a pre-req, putting this at HEUR specialist level 15. Or put it in as a prestige class capstone feature.
• I'd go with the following action economy: ten logical decisions as a full round, 5 as a standard, 2 as a move, 1 as a swift. This leaves an EI with some advantage over a human. If it's listed as a 10th level prestige class option, though, this could probably be bumped up some.
• Consider how/if it interacts with stuff from the Dreamason prestige class. Getting 400 exp for the soul of every peasant they can stand near for a minute is too much temptation for most PCs.

1a) Easier job than what?
1b) I thought I said I didn't want it to be an EI? Just my consiousness directly hooked up to a circuit. I don't think that would involve the EI principle at all.
2) That's a bit light. Maybe 50 LDs as a full-round action? More with a concentration check?
3) Well, one reason to not do that is because simply harvesting your own sleep with a lucid dreamcater would be less likely to draw suspicion over time or attract vengeful relatives. Simplest fix would be not let the graft give the host that exp function, as they are not an EI.

[QuidEst]

I wasn't saying gramarists would be able to harvest it. I was saying it should, in my opinion, be a harvestable graft. For xenoalcemy. It still makes sense to ask about it here, I believe.

Yeah, I'm just posting my highly non-official views. XP Personally, I'd put it under Heuristics instead, since it's more up their alley, but I'm biased and also feel that a HEUR specialist should able to get the node option when taking BIOY.

1a) Easier job than what?
1b) I thought I said I didn't want it to be an EI? Just my consiousness directly hooked up to a circuit. I don't think that would involve the EI principle at all.
2) That's a bit light. Maybe 50 LDs as a full-round action? More with a concentration check?
3) Well, one reason to not do that is because simply harvesting your own sleep with a lucid dreamcater would be less likely to draw suspicion over time or attract vengeful relatives. Simplest fix would be not let the graft give the host that exp function, as they are not an EI.

1a) Easier to make a chassis a node than a person- a chassis is a lot more magically malleable.
1b) I was basing it on the idea that you are substituting yourself for an EI, and that to do so would take working knowledge of EIs.
2) Well, there's a little more potential to abuse those decisions- take shortcuts and the like. Which is how people actually think, really. So fewer decisions, but they'd all be important ones. Change routing from blah to blah, fire stored energy, change illusion, etc. (Also simpler to keep track of than fifty little decisions.)
3) Sure- I'd rule out the exp personally as well, and worry about other interactions on a case-by-case basis.

[Omnicrat]

I was going to post this before bed last night, but the database was being backed up.

Yeah, I'm just posting my highly non-official views. XP Personally, I'd put it under Heuristics instead, since it's more up their alley, but I'm biased and also feel that a HEUR specialist should able to get the node option when taking BIOY.

That also struck me as an odd design choice...

1a) Easier to make a chassis a node than a person- a chassis is a lot more magically malleable.
1b) I was basing it on the idea that you are substituting yourself for an EI, and that to do so would take working knowledge of EIs.
2) Well, there's a little more potential to abuse those decisions- take shortcuts and the like. Which is how people actually think, really. So fewer decisions, but they'd all be important ones. Change routing from blah to blah, fire stored energy, change illusion, etc. (Also simpler to keep track of than fifty little decisions.)
3) Sure- I'd rule out the exp personally as well, and worry about other interactions on a case-by-case basis.

1a) Yes. And you are taking that magically malleable organ out of the chasis and putting it in my brain. Just like all grafting.
1b) Eh, I see your point, but disagree. You are not creating your consciousness, after all.
2) Ah, so like how our brain does the complex calculations of facial recognition and the ability to put a spoon full of soup in our mouths without us directly telling it to? Not logical decisions, but organic decisions? I like that idea. I still also like being able to use concentration to get more out of it, however.
3) Honestly, I don't think either of my characters are going to use this graft. Its just an idea I had that I think should be explored.

[QuidEst]

I was going to post this before bed last night, but the database was being backed up.

I know that feel…

That also struck me as an odd design choice...

Well, it does make sense the more you think about it- HEUR doesn't given you any ability to manipulate biomass, after all. And the BIOY principle doesn't let you make an EI. It does seem reasonable that making a walking, talking magic android would take at least two different specialists.

1a) Yes. And you are taking that magically malleable organ out of the chasis and putting it in my brain. Just like all grafting.
1b) Eh, I see your point, but disagree. You are not creating your consciousness, after all.
2) Ah, so like how our brain does the complex calculations of facial recognition and the ability to put a spoon full of soup in our mouths without us directly telling it to? Not logical decisions, but organic decisions? I like that idea. I still also like being able to use concentration to get more out of it, however.
3) Honestly, I don't think either of my characters are going to use this graft. Its just an idea I had that I think should be explored.

1a) Well, the organ grafting idea works providing a couple assumptions are met. One, that it is an organ. Chassis are made of biomass, which is organic and metallic. It could be turning entire sections into silicon processing. Two, that it is a separate organ. Currently, there's no way to make an intelligent chassis a node for an EI; they are mutually exclusive. Granted both of those, it shouldn't be any different from some of the higher-level telepathic grafts.
1b) That's a good point, especially since the BIOY principle doesn't require it.
2) Yep! A concentration check isn't out of the question- you might allow a concentration check for 20 decisions on a full-round, but you provoke like casting. (Thus possibly requiring a few more concentration checks.) Failing one of those could have some interesting results.


Actually… there is a poor-man's version of this available. Not as a graft, but you can do this as a level nine specialist. Check out "Backdoor" for Dreamasons.

You (and only you) no longer need to meet the Autohypnosis check required to modify triggers, responses, or control points in a circuit that you (and only you) built. You are always treated as passing these checks.

You're still doing an Autohypnosis check (unfortunately, a standard action provoking instead of the normal), but it's auto-pass. Pump Autohypnosis so others can't mess with it (although you can always change it back reactively). It doesn't need to be linked to your senses because you have your senses and are making all the decisions.
Why level 9? You can get it at 8, but if you grab Unorthodox Triggers at level 7, you can change contingencies on the fly, which saves tons of actions. Set conditions like activating a CrystalIn silencer every time the enemy wizard speaks, or turning gravity away from you when an enemy approaches.

[M. Mayonnaise]

I love this system to death and was struck by a little homebrew inspiration.
I personally enjoy epic-level campaigns and love RoC's Librim Eternia, which goes a long way to making epic play feasible and accessible.
So what do you gramaric geniuses think about this possible epic-level prestige class for the gramarist, in the style of Librim Eternia?

No table yet, because I don't quite yet know how to make one.

The Future Technologist

Spoiler

Show

"The future will be better tomorrow." - Dan Quayle
"I think we agree, the past is over." - George W. Bush

The Future Technologist is a gramarist who has reached the end of the tech tree and just kept on going. Fluffy fluff fluff fluff.

Prerequisites:
Feats: Skill focus (any two skills)
Gramarie: Knowledge of at least ten principles, at least one of which must be Doctorate-level
Skills: 23 ranks in any four

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points at each Additional Level: 6+Int modifier

Class skills: Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha)

{table will be here]

Epic spellcasting: The Future Technologist gains the Epic Spellcasting feat at 1st level even if he/she does not meet the prerequisites. He may use his ranks in Knowledge (architecture and engineering) to determine how many epic spells he can use per day and in place of Spellcraft when making the skill check required to cast the epic spell.

Master Gramarist: The Future Technologist is an unrivaled gramarist. He adds his class level to skill checks made when preparing any principle, and can use his Spectroconstruction ability one additional time per day for each class level he possesses.

1st level: Gramaric Revolution (Su): The Future Technologist heralds the age of a new era of technological wonders, and can produce fantastic gramarie far more easily than his less-experienced colleagues. By spending half an hour working with supernal concentration and mastery, the Future Technologist can prepare principles in any combination and quantity that he could prepare in twelve hours of normal work. Once this ability has been used, the Future Technologist must rest, refocus, and plan for two hours before using it again.
At 6th level, and again every 5 levels thereafter, the Future Technologist can use this ability one additional time without needing to take a 2-hour period of downtime.
If the Future Technologist's gramaric principles count as extraordinary abilities, so does this ability.

2nd level: Cutting Edge (Ex): The Future Technologist stays up to date on the latest research in gramarie - and little wonder, considering that he produces most of it. The Future Technologist can choose to either learn a new principle of gramarie for which he meets the prerequisites or half the preparation time for a principle of gramarie which he already knows.
At 7th level, and again every 5 levels thereafter, the Future Technologist can choose to learn another principle or halve the preparation time of an additional known principle. Two halvings equals a thirding, three equals a quartering, and so on.

3rd level: Bonus feats: Bonus feat at 3rd and every 5 levels thereafter. To come!

4th level: Universal Innovator (Ex): At 4th level, the Future Technologist can select an additional discipline of gramarie to specialize in, gaining all the relevant benefits for the new specialization. Alternatively, he can choose to gain a +5 bonus to any three skills. The same skill can be chosen more than once.
At 9th level, and again every 5 levels thereafter, the Future Technologist can choose between gaining either another new specialization or another set of skill bonuses.

5th level: Epic Principles (Su): At 5th level, by doubling the casting time of an epic spell with a duration other than instantaneous or increasing it to one hour, whichever is longer, the Future Technologist can "prepare" an epic spell as a gramaric principle. The epic spell becomes a supernatural ability, is immune to dispelling, and has a permanent duration. Though the epic spell is a supernatural ability, mitigating factors like XP or material costs are not removed. The Future Technologist can have only one such Epic Principle in existence at a time; if he would produce another, the first is unraveled as the next comes into being.
At 10th level, and every 5 levels thereafter, the number of Epic Principles that the Future Technologist can maintain at one time without having to remove old ones increases by 1.

What do you think of that first draft?

[Amechra]

As kinda an off-topic thing...

I think that rewriting Epic Spellcasting to be like this system would be kinda cool, and probably a lot more balanced.

Thoughts?

[kopout]

The Graughtsman Is much harder to get into than the other PrC's You need to have a CL3 to take the prerequisite to the prerequisite feat to enter.

[Volthawk]

The Graughtsman Is much harder to get into than the other PrC's You need to have a CL3 to take the prerequisite to the prerequisite feat to enter.

The Gramarist's Eldritch Wick gives a CL that can be used for qualifying for stuff. That includes the CL prereq of crafting feats (so for Graughtsman, you could have, for example, Craft Wondrous Item at 3rd level, then Exceptional Artisan at 4th with the bonus feat)

[sreservoir]

is it intentional that the contractor never gains suppress sign?

is there any particular reason for the lack of knowledge (geography) and knowledge (nobility and royalty)?

[Omnicrat]

Kellus hasn't posted in about two weeks...