MACHINATIONS Dead Simple Roleplaying in a Steampunk Setting

Character Creation shut down until repaired by an Artificer. Stun Gas: Thrown - Affected enemy cannot
Attributes [player’s choice] Automatons are immune to poison, disease and attack for 3 turns. They can still move & defend
narcotic agents in liquid or gaseous form. They themselves. Radius 10'.
New Team Members have seven points to
do not sleep.
divide between the four attributes below. Each Equipment [based on class/profession]
Mechanics; An Artificer can examine, repair,
attribute must be given between one & three All new Team Members begin with a set of
disable and even create mechanical equipment.
points. suitable clothes and £5 in cash.
This includes aiding and repairing Automatons.
Strength [STR] Dexterity [DEX] In addition they will have:
To do this he makes a Craft check and if
Intellect [INT] Spirit [SPT] Adventurer: Lined Coat [Lt. Armour], Heavy
successful a KO’d Automaton become merely
Skills [calculate from attributes] wounded and a wounded one becomes whole. Revolver [+1 Shooting] & 12 rounds.
Alchemist: Dagger , Alchemist's Tools, Three of
Skill Aptitude Examples
Agility DEX x 2 Climb, Leap,
Improving Player Characters each of his chosen preparations.
After an adventure the characters divide the Artificer: Brigandine [Medium Armour], Big
Swim
loot between them equally. They can then Wrench [+1 Fighting], Artificer's Tools.
Craft DEX + INT Make, Repair
spend some of this on training to improve Automaton: Brass Sheathing [Medium
Fighting STR + INT Kill, Maim
themselves. Armour], Retractable Wrist Blade [+1 Fighting].
Knowledge INT x 2 Memory
Cost Improvement Noble: Swordstick [Concealed weapon],
Perception INT + SPT Spot, Hear,
£50 Improve Attribute by +1 Stipend of £100 per annum.
Search
£10 Improve a Skill’s training level by +1 Military: Service Revolver & 24 rounds, Pension
Persuasion SPT x 2 Charm, Con
£20 An Alchemist can choose to learn a of £25 per annum.
Shooting DEX + INT Sniper
new preparation. Artisan: Contacts in the Trades Guilds,
Speed STR + DEX Run, React
Royalties of £12 per annum.
Stealth DEX + SPT Sneak, Hide They can also use their money to buy better
Merchant: Contacts in CHOAM, Investments
Toughness [STR + SPT]x2 Grit, Courage equipment.
producing £50 per annum.
Training [player’s choice] Alchemical Preparations Labourer: Underworld Contacts, Dagger,
New Team Members are Trained in two skills & An Alchemist can never really know how good a Grudges.
Familiar with three others of their choice. preparation will be until he uses it. Thus he
The remainder are Untrained. makes his Craft check then and if it is good it
Play
Training level Bonus has the stated effect below. When things get interesting the game is played
Untrained -1 Thrown Flasks have a range of 30'. in Turns of about ten seconds in length. Each
Familiar +0 Acid: Pour - Burns through wood, adhesives turn follows the sequence below:
Trained +1 and other organic substance including 1. Movement
Experienced +2 Alchemist's Seize. Player characters can choose to move before or
Mastered +3 Thrown - if it hits an enemy it destroys one after their enemies. Note that squares are 2m
level of armour. If they have none it wounds across. They can move up to 3 + Speed in
Skill Check them. squares, -1 if in Medium Armour, -2 if they are
Roll less than Aptitude + Training on 1D10. Chameleon: Pour - A person with this poured in Heavy. You cannot move through a solid
When using a skill a roll of 1 is an automatic over them cannot be seen for 3 turns unless he object over waist high or another figure (unless
success & a roll of 10 an automatic failure. attacks an enemy in any way. they let you). You can climb over or up an
Curative: Drink - Counter the effects of a object but this is at half speed. Stealthy
Background/Class [choose one] movement is also at half speed.
Noble Knowledge +1 disease or infection.
Dodge: Drink - Improve effective armour of 2. Bloody Combat
Military Shooting +1 Team Members & their enemies can attack
Artisan Craft +1 drinker by one level for 3 turns.
Flash Bulb: Thrown - Affected enemy are once each in a turn. You can only fight another
Merchant Persuasion +1 figure in a square next to your own (including
Labourer Toughness +1 blinded for 3 turns. Radius 10'.
Float: Drink - Drinker defies gravity for 3 turns. diagonally). You can shoot at any figure that is
Note that player Automatons are never Noble. in line of sight & range, even if they are
Grease: Thrown - makes a 10' square area
Gender [choose] almost impossible to stand upon. Agility checks fighting. This includes throwing suitable
An Team Member can be male or female & this are needed to stand or move over it. Alchemical Preparations.
makes no difference whatsoever in these rules. Greek Fire: Thrown - If it hits it ignores armour The Team Members always attack first.
The attacker makes a Fighting or Shooting skill
Professions [choose one] when causing damage.
Haste: Drink - Drinker can move again in check minus their opponent’s DEX.
Adventurer – A misfit in search of adventure.
Combat phase. If there is more than one attacker attacking a
SPT+1, Shooting +1, Double Tap.
Illuminate: Shaking flask produces bright light single opponent each one gets +1 to their skill
Alchemist - Wielder of arcane concoctions and
for 30 minutes. check.
chemical solutions.
Poison: Pour - Coat onto a blade of any kind, it The difference between what the attacker
INT+1, Knowledge +1, Alchemy.
reduces Toughness by 3 for the purposes of needs & what he scores is the damage. If his
Artificer - Creator and deployer of complex
resisting damage rolls. weapon is a two-handed Fighting weapon he
machinations.
Purgative: Drink - Counters the effects of a gets +1 to damage.
DEX+1, Craft +1, Mechanics
poison. Armour stops the first few points of damage:
Automaton - The mechanical given animus,
Purity: Pour – Put into a drink or over food it Light Armour stops 1 point.
allowing a deceased but valued colleague to
makes it pure and safe from poison or disease. Medium Armour stops 2 points.
maintain their contribution to the cause.
Restorative: Drink - Makes a KO'd person just Heavy Armour stops 3 points.
STR+1, Fighting +1, Deathless.
wounded or a Wounded one whole. Has no If his armour doesn’t stop all the damage the
Professional Abilities effect upon Automatons. defender must make a Toughness skill roll. He
Alchemy; An alchemist can create and use a Seize: Pour - Applied to a portal it seals it shut must roll less than his Toughness minus the
variety of preparations. A new Alchemist knows against anything except Acid. Thrown - Against remaining damage, or he becomes Wounded.
three from the list in these rules. Between mechanical devices, including Automatons, it A Wounded figure has all his skills are reduced
adventures he can prepare three flasks of each stops them dead for 3 turns. by 3 points (including Toughness).
type he knows. They have a limited shelf life so Sleeping Draught: Drink - Slipped into If wounded a second time he is knocked out.
no more than this can be prepared for use. someone’s drink it will cause them to become A KO’d figure can be easily killed or captured.
Double Tap; An Adventurer can shoot twice in drowsy and then descend into a deep sleep for 3. Use other Skills
a turn if he has not moved. up to one hour. Anything not listed above can now be done.
Deathless; An Automaton cannot be killed, This includes an Artificer making successful
though it can be KO'd. Once KO'd it remains craft rolls to repair an Automaton.

© Craig Cartmell Version 2.0, October 2010