Dreamscarred Press Presents: "Arcforge: Technology Expanded"

[Ssalarn]

The playtest is now closed! Thank you everyone for your participation.

[Milo v3]

*Arrives, stops running, starts reading*

[spikeof2010]

Psitech? In MY Pathfinder? It's more likely than you think. I'm hyped about it. Will gladly get to reading it shortly.

[Vhaidara]

I don't like the name. You guys seriously should just go with Psitech. It sounds so much cooler. And less...Paizo-y

[Milo v3]

Is the Wildwing meant to get the Bonded Mech class feature, as it seems to be missing it.

[Ssalarn]

I don't like the name. You guys seriously should just go with Psitech. It sounds so much cooler. And less...Paizo-y

The name is still in testing, so we may go back to Psitech.

Is the Wildwing meant to get the Bonded Mech class feature, as it seems to be missing it.

Just added it in to the playtest docs. That was a copy/paste error on my part.

[Taveena]

I'm pretty damn psyched for this. (No pun intended.) I presume based on the text there're going to be more archetypes? How do you work out which classes make sense for this?

[Mehangel]

I just looked at the document, it looks awesome. But I just wanted to verify something.

Monofilament Stilletto: Is the frail property listed on the table supposed to be fragile instead? Please tell me that it is, because I actually love the fragile property, it has so many uses..

EDIT: Also, I really hope there is soulknife support in this book.

[Ssalarn]

I'm pretty damn psyched for this. (No pun intended.) I presume based on the text there're going to be more archetypes? How do you work out which classes make sense for this?

Yeah, the archetypes I've got in some stage of development right now are-

Aegis
Cryptic
Daevic
Dread
Druid (bio mech)
Gunslinger
Marksman
Monk (inspired by Fei Fong Wong from Xenogears)
Psion
Rogue
Soulknife
Vitalist (possibly - this one may be cut if I can't nail down the mechanics)
Wilder

And how do I choose? I go with what feels right or what connects to some other source of inspiration for the project.

I just looked at the document, it looks awesome. But I just wanted to verify something.

Monofilament Stilletto: Is the frail property listed on the table supposed to be fragile instead? Please tell me that it is, because I actually love the fragile property, it has so many uses..

EDIT: Also, I really hope there is soulknife support in this book.

Yeah, that would be a goof on my part. It should be fragile, not frail.
And there absolutely will be Soulknife support.

[Taveena]

Is it weird I'd really enjoy a Zealot one? Martial arts mecha just sounds hilarious. Mind, it might be flat-impossible to actually unify the-

Wait biomech
God yes. Aberration-y ones or giant plants or...
so many possibilities.

But uh, yeah. I dunno, it might be entirely infeasible to give a Zealot a mecha - not being true manifesters or the like, buuuut, y'know. It's kind of a badass mental image. Maybe a bit too broken to initiate maneuvers through the mech. I don't know.

[Ssalarn]

Is it weird I'd really enjoy a Zealot one? Martial arts mecha just sounds hilarious. Mind, it might be flat-impossible to actually unify the-

Wait biomech
God yes. Aberration-y ones or giant plants or...
so many possibilities.

But uh, yeah. I dunno, it might be entirely infeasible to give a Zealot a mecha - not being true manifesters or the like, buuuut, y'know. It's kind of a badass mental image. Maybe a bit too broken to initiate maneuvers through the mech. I don't know.

I haven't touched initiators yet, largely because I'm going to need to take a deep breath before jumping into the boiling stew of giant robots initiating.


Unrelated to your post, but related to the project-
Was brought to my attention that "PR" as an abbreviation for "Penetration Rating" is problematic since that abbreviation is already used for "Power Resistance", so I changed to "Armor Penetration" expressed as "AP".

[Milo v3]

I should say, this is the first time I've actually looked forward to seeing someone attempt mech mechanics for 3.P, knowing that it is in the hands of someone with such fine mechanical insight for once.

Aegis

100% necessary.

Daevic

Hmm... wonder if it'll end up compatible with that inevitable daevic archetype.

Druid (bio mech)

As a lover of all things biotech, this greatly pleases me.
Might actually consider re-allowing druid into my game just for this.

[Thealtruistorc]

Not one Akira reference so far? I'm surprised.

I really, really like this premise, and you seem to be pulling it off effectively and creatively. My questions are as follows, however:

1. Are there any hopes for high-level developments or maybe a prestige class for Evangelion or Pacific Rim-style Mechs?

2. Will there be instances of psionics powering technology like with the technomancer?

4. Could we see an alchemist or summoner archetype as well? I think the former fits particularly well.

3. Could you make an official item that acts as a boombox? I want to blare some music while rocking the world as a wildwing.

[Kiton2]

HAHAHA! FINALLY! YES! ENFIN! IT BEGINS!

First off yes, Psitech is a better name. For one thing everyone shortens things and ETG just leads to medical questions.
Second: I cannot wait to see the aegis and soulknife archetypes. Literally. I can't wait. gimme gimme gimme.

That said. Time to be an annoying prat.

Wildwing
-Why is Energized Weaponry melee only? There's already a melee only charge boost, and a melee only heat-hawk boost.
-Self-Destruct should automatically trigger safe ejection if you have the Ejection Seat upgrade. However, the explosion being nothing but a reflex-half (hey there evasion) deal, it's hard to imagine it seeing much use. Perhaps clauses regarding being unable to avoid the blast if you've eaten the mech, or if it's grappled you or otherwise in your square?

Mech rules
-Mechs seem to overall replace your armor and let you use your class abilities otherwise normally. This is good.

-Siege Weapons have a problem. A Colossal Quadruped CANNOT mount a HUGE sized ballista, because it would require THREE slots, and it only has two. Did you perhaps mean "+1 slot per size category above the mech"?

-Changing Body Types will need a little more clarification. For size, in particular. Can you resize the mech when this is done (assuming this, and would be fine), or is re-sizing automatic (ie; a quadruped changed into a flyer at level 3-10 automatically becomes small and thus unusable by medium characters which is bad)?

-Might want a few more enhancements as it levels... It's a... familiar track so it doesn't have to follow the "no empty levels" rules, but it's quite sparse, and in an average campaign will have at most a total of 3 enhancements and a size increase.



Finally, you inadvertently solved the energy problem of an Augmented Blade through the Psi-Core Upgrade. No, not because of that battery mode (but it's the most efficient anything>>Charges conversion available, and that's a good thing)...
But because you've given it the Robot type: any weapons integrated to a robot are powered by its core. Arguably this means a weapon now fully assimilated with an augmented blade's psicrystal, which means whoever actually wrote the Technology Guide will probably have you hunted down for heresy!

HERESSSYYYYY!

[Milo v3]

Part of me hopes for a vizier archetype now simply because it's a great tony stark class and my character was a stark expy....

[Kaidinah]

I think Psitech is a more fun name. Not only is it more recognizable as a DSP product, it was also word-of-mouth advertised as such for so long that it will be called Psitech anyway. If anything, Psitech: Expanded Technology Guide. I've just grown very attached to Psitech.

Wildwing. This feels like your mecha protagonist right here. The Overdrive system is pretty nifty, and well worth the loss of Warrior Paths. Energized Weaponry and Rocket Punch feel very strong for 1st level, and I think they need a minimum level. High Performance is also a little funky since it can give a pretty huge attack and save bonus. Once you have two psionic focus, you can afford to have High Performance on for even the longest of fights, essentially making it an automatic take. I can't help but feel that Ejection Seat and Self Destruct should have some sort of synergy.

Squad Leaders are crazy cool! I love the idea of remote controlling your mech, and probably a few other mechs, while providing tacticool support to your party. One problem though. What is the remote mech's BAB?

As for mechs themselves. Do they get the +8 strength, -2 dex when they increase in size? Do they get the additional hit points for being a construct increasing in size?

I think Mech Piloting is an interesting feat. Anyone (psionic) who wants to invest 4 feats can have a mech!

I think the Psi-Core Upgrade feat is really neat. I have always been a big fan of psicrystals, and the potential they could have. This feat really reaches out to that potential, and lets a psionic character "technology" it up in fantastic new ways. Though, I think it should get a (Psionic) tag.

It was real cool to include a technological weapon for finesse people. They were sorely lacking in that respect, compared to the brutally awesome chainsaw that THF characters could have.

That first artifact sure sounds familiar....

[Kiton2]

Biomechs... That never, ever ends well.
If you're really lucky, you're just forced to literally ride your mother so your father can become lord of his own incestuous magical-realm.

If you're less lucky, City-Sized ovums begin to annihilate the planet by firing waves upon waves of spacetime-corroding sperm while assimilating all thought and matter as force reality itself into committing suicide unless you can violently collapse whatever area of the multiverse they're currently occupying all at once.

f***ing druids, man.


No one mentioned Bonejacks yet?

[Ssalarn]

Not one Akira reference so far? I'm surprised.

I really, really like this premise, and you seem to be pulling it off effectively and creatively. My questions are as follows, however:

1. Are there any hopes for high-level developments or maybe a prestige class for Evangelion or Pacific Rim-style Mechs?

Totes.

2. Will there be instances of psionics powering technology like with the technomancer?

Yes.

4. Could we see an alchemist or summoner archetype as well? I think the former fits particularly well.

Let me ruminate on it.

3. Could you make an official item that acts as a boombox? I want to blare some music while rocking the world as a wildwing.

I don't see why not. Maybe I'll build in a recording function so there's actually a mechanical reason to use it (I'm amused by the idea of someone listening to a vital message on a salvaged boombox found in a crashed spaceship, then a few moments of fuzzy mumbling, then Def Leppard suddenly blaring out).

HAHAHA! FINALLY! YES! ENFIN! IT BEGINS!

First off yes, Psitech is a better name. For one thing everyone shortens things and ETG just leads to medical questions.

This seems to be the rapidly forming consensus.

Second: I cannot wait to see the aegis and soulknife archetypes. Literally. I can't wait. gimme gimme gimme.

Working on it as quickly as I can. Quality control is important and all that.

That said. Time to be an annoying prat.

Wildwing
-Why is Energized Weaponry melee only? There's already a melee only charge boost, and a melee only heat-hawk boost.

Gonna be real with you - because I wrote it like 2 years ago and I hadn't yet developed my current distaste for arbitrary melee/ranged restrictions. I'll change it.

-Self-Destruct should automatically trigger safe ejection if you have the Ejection Seat upgrade.

Agreed and updated to reflect this.

However, the explosion being nothing but a reflex-half (hey there evasion) deal, it's hard to imagine it seeing much use. Perhaps clauses regarding being unable to avoid the blast if you've eaten the mech, or if it's grappled you or otherwise in your square?

Agreed and updated.

Mech rules
-Mechs seem to overall replace your armor and let you use your class abilities otherwise normally. This is good.

Glad you think so!

-Siege Weapons have a problem. A Colossal Quadruped CANNOT mount a HUGE sized ballista, because it would require THREE slots, and it only has two. Did you perhaps mean "+1 slot per size category above the mech"?

You'd need to grab additional slots with the Additional Weapon Slot mech enhancement. I'm considering adding an Extra Mech Enhancement feat to soften the impact of that choice being basically necessary.

-Changing Body Types will need a little more clarification. For size, in particular. Can you resize the mech when this is done (assuming this, and would be fine), or is re-sizing automatic (ie; a quadruped changed into a flyer at level 3-10 automatically becomes small and thus unusable by medium characters which is bad)?

Taken under advisement and being looked at for the best solution. Currently, the rules state "A pilot must choose a mech body type that is at least their size or larger", which would prevent a Medium or larger creature from selecting an aerial mech at all until 11th level (though they could get more limited flight earlier with the right enhancements on a biped or quadruped mech).

-Might want a few more enhancements as it levels... It's a... familiar track so it doesn't have to follow the "no empty levels" rules, but it's quite sparse, and in an average campaign will have at most a total of 3 enhancements and a size increase.

Noted and being worked on. The base mech chassis used to be attached to a class that gave you the option of a bonus feat or additional enhancement every few levels that used to help flesh that out. For the time being, I'll add that Extra Mech Enhancement feat I mentioned earlier.

Finally, you inadvertently solved the energy problem of an Augmented Blade through the Psi-Core Upgrade. No, not because of that battery mode (but it's the most efficient anything>>Charges conversion available, and that's a good thing)...
But because you've given it the Robot type: any weapons integrated to a robot are powered by its core. Arguably this means a weapon now fully assimilated with an augmented blade's psicrystal, which means whoever actually wrote the Technology Guide will probably have you hunted down for heresy!

HERESSSYYYYY!

I'll..... ruminate on this one.

[tekevil]

I like that the idea of a Rogue and Gunslinger archetype implies that normies are allowed to pilot mechs too :)

Also I like
Psitech: Expanded Technology Guide

It makes it obvious to everyone, even people who don't frequent DSP discussion, what this book is about.

[Kaidinah]

Oh! Another question. Can mechs be repaired with spells like Make Whole?

[Kiton2]

Regarding size: You'd already be grabbing flight WAY earlier than that through multiple ways anyway, whether Aegis, Spellcaster, Psionic Manifester of any kind, or just some sort of item. The Aerial type already has one less weapon slot as-is, so resizing around 3-4 for money is probably about right.

Plus if you're blown out of the sky before you can fly on your own, you're about to have a whole other set of problems depending on your altitude. You're at *least* down to 40% health or less (since the mech blew up at, far as I can understand, your HP+<Type> damage taken, after the splitting).

Kaidinah: If it's a construct, so far doesn't look like there's anything to prevent you, which makes make-whole and astral repair a handy thing to have. Repairs are already quite inexpensive, at 5HP on a DC10, so that's probably meant to be.


*Additional note: Robots, unlike standard constructs,gain feats,etc equal to HD. All constructs can be made as a Robot. Say hello to your new cohort.

[Prime32]

Rocket Punch (Ex): By spending 1 Boost point as a full round action, the mech pilot initiates a charge attack against an opponent that deals double damage on a successful melee attack. At 11th level, this damage bonus increases to triple damage. At 17th level, it increases to quadruple.

That is not a rocket punch. A rocket punch is a ranged attack. That is clearly Waverider Crash.

But seriously, psychic powers are a major part of Gundam, and Gundam is a major part of mecha, so if you're not familiar with the franchise then I recommend that you find the biggest Gundam nerds you can. At least have a read through the Newtype and Psycommu articles on the Gundam wiki.

Anyway, some things that would seem appropriate here:

• Funnels. Guns with small propulsion systems attached, held on a storage rack on the mech when not in use, which a psychic pilot can direct to attack from multiple directions at once (sometimes there are ways for non-psychics to use them, like an advanced targeting computer, but this technology is more advanced and more expensive). Funnels have a battery and must return to the mech to recharge, but Bits have internal generators, and Incoms (the budget option) are connected to the mech by a cable. There are also versions built around blades or shields instead of guns, and some kinds of funnels can assemble in various formations to project barriers or fire a larger beam.
• Mechs that can transform between different body types mid-combat, with a feat that lets you transform faster.
• Mechs that can hover a short distance above the ground, letting them travel across water and difficult terrain.
• Aerial mechs that can serve as a mount to another mech of the same size (possibly even a mech of one size larger), by docking in as a jetpack.
• Mechs that forcibly awaken psychic abilities in their pilot (allowing them to gain psionic focus and use equipment normally restricted to psionic characters) but cause backlash.
• Mechs that feed a constant stream of data directly into the pilot's brain, giving them incredible piloting abilities but driving them berserk and forcing them to attack anything the system identifies as an enemy. Probably counts as a cursed item.
• An easy way to have a psicrystal as a co-pilot, or even permanently built into your mech.
• Mechs that can store motion data, allowing a martial adept to program low-level maneuvers into them so anyone can use them.
• A "mechanic" archetype for one of the akashic classes, who gets a mech that he can customise from day to day (i.e. he gets refluffed veils that apply to his mech instead of himself). He can also customise other peoples' mechs to a minor degree.
• A paladin archetype that summons a holy mech instead of a special mount.
• An archetype or prestige class with some synonym of "red" in its name, which involves wearing a mask and being three times faster than everyone else.
• An lv9 Telepathy-discipline power that contacts an orbital killsat to fire on a nearby location (1 round manifesting time, but extremely powerful). Possibly a mech with specialised equipment can fire the beam at themselves and absorb it to become supercharged for a brief time.
• Astral Juggernaut update?

[Ssalarn]

Oh! Another question. Can mechs be repaired with spells like Make Whole?

Yes, they can.

[...]
Also I like
Psitech: Expanded Technology Guide

It makes it obvious to everyone, even people who don't frequent DSP discussion, what this book is about.

Yeah, I think that's the ticket.

[Kiton2]

Well we'll probably be seeing a lot more beam cannons to begin with (RIGHT? RIIIGHT?)
Someone activating Spritefall is nice, but someone else probably also wants to BE the Nothrung satellite.

And on that note:
Wavecannons. If you need help writing a charge system, don't be shy.

[MilleniaAntares]

I like it quite a bit so far.

I think one of the enhancements that should be added is one for extra passengers, similar to the Aegis customization. And maybe an upgrade to allow two people to pilot it, if you feel that's appropriate and mechanically feasible.

The funnel idea would be interesting, though I'm mostly imagining it as being like the psychic armory's panoply, using a mental stat. Heck, why not use it with a psi-core and have it work off its intelligence?

[Ssalarn]

[...]Heck, why not use it with a psi-core and have it work off its intelligence?

This idea intrigues me, and I'm going to let it bounce around in my head for a bit and see if I can't come up with something workable out of it.

[unseenmage]

Am currently playing through Iron Gods as an alchemist. We've home-brewed up a discovery to allow my alchemist to transform his homunculi and his construct mount into robot versions of themselves.
The extra pseudo-hp from the force fields helps to keep them relevant at later levels and having the chance to integrate a weapon helps too.

Only works on Constructs too. We basically treat the Robot subtype as a template.


Am looking forward to farming this book for new creations.

[Ssalarn]

Hey, so we've been spitballing ideas for what the actual name of this product will be, and I thought I'd see what you all think about a few of the front-runners:

Psitech: Technology Expanded

Cutting Edge: Technology Expanded

Techforge

Technoforge

Mechforge

Arcforge: The Book of Future Tech

Electroforge

Mind and Metal

Electric Lexicon: Technology Expanded

[unseenmage]

I like the first and the next to last name.

[Kaidinah]

Funnels. Guns with small propulsion systems attached, held on a storage rack on the mech when not in use, which a psychic pilot can direct to attack from multiple directions at once (sometimes there are ways for non-psychics to use them, like an advanced targeting computer, but this technology is more advanced and more expensive). Funnels have a battery and must return to the mech to recharge, but Bits have internal generators, and Incoms (the budget option) are connected to the mech by a cable. There are also versions built around blades or shields instead of guns, and some kinds of funnels can assemble in various formations to project barriers or fire a larger beam.terrain.

I think this video is the best visual representation of what we want from funnels (offense wise at least). I personally want to pilot the biggest, fattest mecha I can with the most funnels it can carry.

Hey, so we've been spitballing ideas for what the actual name of this product will be, and I thought I'd see what you all think about a few of the front runners...

I think Psitech: Technology Expanded is the best of the names. Mostly because it was word-of-mouth advertised as such for so long that it will be called Psitech regardless of what its officially titled.