Schematics & Junk *Fallout 3 Style* - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Schematics & Junk *Fallout 3 Style*

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
slayer_5
Mar 26, 2009 8:45:19 So, I have been playing Fallout 3 the past while (Pretty good game), and in it, there is a system where you can find "Schematics", for different home made weapons.

Once you have a schematic, you need to find the parts out in the wasteland, and put it all together.

For example.

Shishkebab
Gas-Powered flaming sword
(I would guess d8 + d6 Fire, medium melee)
http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Shishkebab
Requires: Motorcycle gas tank, Lawn mower blade, Motorcycle handbrake, Pilot light.

^^^^ Is from the fallout game.

So, I was thinking, lets get us to make up some cool weapons made from random crap.

I would make "treasure tables", of junk, classed into common, uncommon, and rare, and have a table of Schematics the PC's would find as well. Doesn't always have to make sense, just kinda fit.

A silly example (From Fallout)

Railway Gun
A pneumatic rail-spike launcher
(2d8 S, Large firearm, 8 int, Disables Limb on crit)
http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Railway_Gun
Requires: Pressure Cooker + Steam Guage Assembly + Battery + Crutch + Rail Spikes
#2
backstabbist
Mar 26, 2009 10:34:59 I think you should consider dropping the front end damage of the Sishkebob
and using more back end Burning detrimental effect

Catching on Fire
Heroes exposed to open flames might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Heroes at risk of catching fire are allowed a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to avoid this fate. If a hero’s clothes or hair catch fire, he or she takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning hero must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he or she takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once the character succeeds at the saving throw, he or she is no longer on fire.)
A hero on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse him or herself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with blankets or the like permits the hero another save with a +4 bonus.

Any creature or flammable object that takes damage from a flamethrower catches on fire, taking 1d6 points of fire damage each subsequent round until the flames are extinguished. A fire engulfing a single creature or object can be doused or smothered as a full-round action. Discharging a fire extinguisher is a move action and instantly smothers flames in a 10-foot-by-10-foot area.

Exposure to a fire is RefDC15 Catch Chance, while getting buring gasoline sprayed on ya is atuo-catch fire. So lets get inbetween those for a sword that paints some burning gas on ya.

So what about dropping the Slashing damage to Shortsword style 1d6
and upping the gasoline effect to end up with
1d6 Slashing
1d6 Fire damage
RefDC20 CatchFire 1d6 Fire each round till RefDC15 extinguish or FulRound Extinguish RefDC11

The real goal of the thing is not to do +1d6 BadPun damage when you hit, but to set the guy on fire and let him choose to continue to burn or to put the fire out each round after that
#3
DwarfFighter
Mar 27, 2009 6:01:46 While this is fun in the video game, in an RP I'm sure the players would rather invent their own stuff (and use their Craft and Repair skills) instead of finding a piece of paper detailing an essentially improvised weapon...

-DF
#4
backstabbist
Mar 27, 2009 10:12:27 I agree with DF,
but it is a way easier Craft DC to folow the blueprints than to re-invent the wheel.

Follow Plans Craft DC15
R&D new weapon: Craft DC20 or maybe even require some Knowlege

The Craft DCs for making starship Fusion drives is not high,
but it assumes tachnichians are proficient in current technology... the Craft FusionDrive for a 2009 welding shop guy is not just DC15, he has to research unkown tech that future mechanics take for granted. Tesla & Edison didnt just CraftDC15 up some electrical equipment
#5
DwarfFighter
Mar 28, 2009 6:40:18 In the videogame a you have a limited range of salvagable items. A few are fairly generic such as "scrap metal" but most are specific such as "toy car" or even "Abraxo Cleaner". In fact, a lot of the trash lying around is simply decoration and can't even be picked up.

The barter system uses the abstraction that your wealth is essentially a collection of portable trinkets and tradeable components without going into details. Porting the scematics concept directly would necessitate introducing specific "loot" into the system, which works up to the point where you need to assign a weight, value and condition rating to every object in the game world. And then the barter system becomes very complicated since you should take into account how valuable the traders feel the items are worth: A pack of medicine is worth more to a sick man than a healthy man. A man with a gun doesn't need a pistol, but he'll buy it if he figures he can make a profit by trading it later.

But I digress.

You can, however, differentiate between common tradeable salvage and advanced salavage and design scematics that require these kinds of rare items as part of the crafting process. In this manner you can assign the item a craft DC, a purchase DC (representing the consumption of minor components and materials) and a number of specific named advanced items.

A schematic could function like a treasure map of sorts: It lists a set of items the PCs will need and should work as an incentive for them to go on an adventure. Perhaps the focusing coil is worn as a crown by the Mutant Prince of Muncie. The quadion tezzler is lost in the irradiated ruins of MediTech RD Labs, and Professor Santiago is also trying to aquire the only known fluxinhibitor for miles around: the one that is being actioned off at Gunbarrel City in just three days.

Of course, you need to make the end result worth the effort without breaking your campaign. How this works is up to you.

-DF
#6
backstabbist
Mar 28, 2009 10:18:31 Unfortunately,
this entire line of reasoning is such that the class Smart and Research skill get obsoleted.

Any dumb grunt can change the altenator in a truck,
but those grunts need to contact the Smart to find out what to use when there are no more new altenators to install. Then the Smart researches & develops a device to use in place of the altenator... like converting a power winch motor & toasteroven thermostat into a generator with a custom interface for use as Truck Altenator.

If that Smart drew those plans out, and called them Schematics:Generator, then the R&D role of the Smart would be already done for any grunt to make altenators out of winches & toasters.

By putting Schematics in the campaign,
you are taking Smarts out of it.... all dumb grunts can do the job we have Smarts for.

Most of those games have a common flaw in concept:
They only let you pickup what you need.
Why is it that you can have a shootout in a market, and at the end you look around the half stocke shelves and the only thing you find is a can of pinaple rings..... nothing else among the thousands of items in the store. Then later you find a note saying the guard dog likes pinaples. Wow, good thing you didnt grab the Peas&Carrots or a bag of bagels, oh wait, you COULDNT grab the carrots or bagels cause the one & only thing you could grb you needed.

Smarts dont work like that.
Smarts tell the GM thay will make a FoodBomb out of canned goods and cleaning agents using Knowlege Chemistry, work with the GM to get reasonable stats, and roll apropriate Knowlege & Craft
#7
DwarfFighter
Mar 28, 2009 19:21:11
Unfortunately,
this entire line of reasoning is such that the class Smart and Research skill get obsoleted.

That's a gross exaggeration. Just because you (the GM) design a single advanced item that the PCs can only build if they get a schematic and the right resource, it doesn't mean you've invalidated an entire basic class and skill.

Come on!

-DF
#8
notapendragon
Apr 03, 2009 13:55:21 he is true and false on that, the smart guy would be the one to actually put out schematics, but by the same token the smart guys are the only ones who can UPGRADE them into serious weapons of mass destruction. think about it this way yeah the dumb fighter can put together a garbage launcher, but only the smart hero would go beyond and make a way to put fuel on the garbage and light the stuff as it is lauched (the garbage launcher sending out flaming plungers that would stick to people if rolled right, serious fun for the whole family of pyromaniac loonatics!). so the smart hero would NEVER be obsolete, he's just making more dangerous weapons that the dumb fighters would do a lot for!

Not A Pen Dragon
#9
backstabbist
Apr 03, 2009 23:20:20 as long as there is a need for PlotCrateringCharges or AntiMedic/OfficerAbatement munitions
by Smart chars will always find work

Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not an EOD robot!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 slayer_5 Mar 26, 2009 8:45:19	So, I have been playing Fallout 3 the past while (Pretty good game), and in it, there is a system where you can find "Schematics", for different home made weapons. Once you have a schematic, you need to find the parts out in the wasteland, and put it all together. For example. Shishkebab Gas-Powered flaming sword (I would guess d8 + d6 Fire, medium melee) http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Shishkebab Requires: Motorcycle gas tank, Lawn mower blade, Motorcycle handbrake, Pilot light. ^^^^ Is from the fallout game. So, I was thinking, lets get us to make up some cool weapons made from random crap. I would make "treasure tables", of junk, classed into common, uncommon, and rare, and have a table of Schematics the PC's would find as well. Doesn't always have to make sense, just kinda fit. A silly example (From Fallout) Railway Gun A pneumatic rail-spike launcher (2d8 S, Large firearm, 8 int, Disables Limb on crit) http://fallout.wikia.com/wiki/Railway_Gun Requires: Pressure Cooker + Steam Guage Assembly + Battery + Crutch + Rail Spikes
#2 backstabbist Mar 26, 2009 10:34:59	I think you should consider dropping the front end damage of the Sishkebob and using more back end Burning detrimental effect Catching on Fire Heroes exposed to open flames might find their clothes, hair, or equipment on fire. Heroes at risk of catching fire are allowed a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to avoid this fate. If a hero’s clothes or hair catch fire, he or she takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning hero must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he or she takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once the character succeeds at the saving throw, he or she is no longer on fire.) A hero on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse him or herself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with blankets or the like permits the hero another save with a +4 bonus. Any creature or flammable object that takes damage from a flamethrower catches on fire, taking 1d6 points of fire damage each subsequent round until the flames are extinguished. A fire engulfing a single creature or object can be doused or smothered as a full-round action. Discharging a fire extinguisher is a move action and instantly smothers flames in a 10-foot-by-10-foot area. Exposure to a fire is RefDC15 Catch Chance, while getting buring gasoline sprayed on ya is atuo-catch fire. So lets get inbetween those for a sword that paints some burning gas on ya. So what about dropping the Slashing damage to Shortsword style 1d6 and upping the gasoline effect to end up with 1d6 Slashing 1d6 Fire damage RefDC20 CatchFire 1d6 Fire each round till RefDC15 extinguish or FulRound Extinguish RefDC11 The real goal of the thing is not to do +1d6 BadPun damage when you hit, but to set the guy on fire and let him choose to continue to burn or to put the fire out each round after that
#3 DwarfFighter Mar 27, 2009 6:01:46	While this is fun in the video game, in an RP I'm sure the players would rather invent their own stuff (and use their Craft and Repair skills) instead of finding a piece of paper detailing an essentially improvised weapon... -DF
#4 backstabbist Mar 27, 2009 10:12:27	I agree with DF, but it is a way easier Craft DC to folow the blueprints than to re-invent the wheel. Follow Plans Craft DC15 R&D new weapon: Craft DC20 or maybe even require some Knowlege The Craft DCs for making starship Fusion drives is not high, but it assumes tachnichians are proficient in current technology... the Craft FusionDrive for a 2009 welding shop guy is not just DC15, he has to research unkown tech that future mechanics take for granted. Tesla & Edison didnt just CraftDC15 up some electrical equipment
#5 DwarfFighter Mar 28, 2009 6:40:18	In the videogame a you have a limited range of salvagable items. A few are fairly generic such as "scrap metal" but most are specific such as "toy car" or even "Abraxo Cleaner". In fact, a lot of the trash lying around is simply decoration and can't even be picked up. The barter system uses the abstraction that your wealth is essentially a collection of portable trinkets and tradeable components without going into details. Porting the scematics concept directly would necessitate introducing specific "loot" into the system, which works up to the point where you need to assign a weight, value and condition rating to every object in the game world. And then the barter system becomes very complicated since you should take into account how valuable the traders feel the items are worth: A pack of medicine is worth more to a sick man than a healthy man. A man with a gun doesn't need a pistol, but he'll buy it if he figures he can make a profit by trading it later. But I digress. You can, however, differentiate between common tradeable salvage and advanced salavage and design scematics that require these kinds of rare items as part of the crafting process. In this manner you can assign the item a craft DC, a purchase DC (representing the consumption of minor components and materials) and a number of specific named advanced items. A schematic could function like a treasure map of sorts: It lists a set of items the PCs will need and should work as an incentive for them to go on an adventure. Perhaps the focusing coil is worn as a crown by the Mutant Prince of Muncie. The quadion tezzler is lost in the irradiated ruins of MediTech RD Labs, and Professor Santiago is also trying to aquire the only known fluxinhibitor for miles around: the one that is being actioned off at Gunbarrel City in just three days. Of course, you need to make the end result worth the effort without breaking your campaign. How this works is up to you. -DF
#6 backstabbist Mar 28, 2009 10:18:31	Unfortunately, this entire line of reasoning is such that the class Smart and Research skill get obsoleted. Any dumb grunt can change the altenator in a truck, but those grunts need to contact the Smart to find out what to use when there are no more new altenators to install. Then the Smart researches & develops a device to use in place of the altenator... like converting a power winch motor & toasteroven thermostat into a generator with a custom interface for use as Truck Altenator. If that Smart drew those plans out, and called them Schematics:Generator, then the R&D role of the Smart would be already done for any grunt to make altenators out of winches & toasters. By putting Schematics in the campaign, you are taking Smarts out of it.... all dumb grunts can do the job we have Smarts for. Most of those games have a common flaw in concept: They only let you pickup what you need. Why is it that you can have a shootout in a market, and at the end you look around the half stocke shelves and the only thing you find is a can of pinaple rings..... nothing else among the thousands of items in the store. Then later you find a note saying the guard dog likes pinaples. Wow, good thing you didnt grab the Peas&Carrots or a bag of bagels, oh wait, you COULDNT grab the carrots or bagels cause the one & only thing you could grb you needed. Smarts dont work like that. Smarts tell the GM thay will make a FoodBomb out of canned goods and cleaning agents using Knowlege Chemistry, work with the GM to get reasonable stats, and roll apropriate Knowlege & Craft
#7 DwarfFighter Mar 28, 2009 19:21:11	Unfortunately, this entire line of reasoning is such that the class Smart and Research skill get obsoleted. That's a gross exaggeration. Just because you (the GM) design a single advanced item that the PCs can only build if they get a schematic and the right resource, it doesn't mean you've invalidated an entire basic class and skill. Come on! -DF
#8 notapendragon Apr 03, 2009 13:55:21	he is true and false on that, the smart guy would be the one to actually put out schematics, but by the same token the smart guys are the only ones who can UPGRADE them into serious weapons of mass destruction. think about it this way yeah the dumb fighter can put together a garbage launcher, but only the smart hero would go beyond and make a way to put fuel on the garbage and light the stuff as it is lauched (the garbage launcher sending out flaming plungers that would stick to people if rolled right, serious fun for the whole family of pyromaniac loonatics!). so the smart hero would NEVER be obsolete, he's just making more dangerous weapons that the dumb fighters would do a lot for! Not A Pen Dragon
#9 backstabbist Apr 03, 2009 23:20:20	as long as there is a need for PlotCrateringCharges or AntiMedic/OfficerAbatement munitions by Smart chars will always find work Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor not an EOD robot!