Some Magical Mack TW Stuff

[Mack]

I had this idea come to me the other night as I was dozing off, and I’m not sure if my subconscious is copying something I read. If I am ripping off someone else’s work, my apologies.

Also, I don’t have my copy of Vampire Kingdom handy so I’m working from memory on a few aspects.

Magical Mack’s Anti-Vampire Shotgun

The Anti-Vampire Shotgun is niche design that sells reasonably well down in Arzno and other vampire infested regions. It’s based on a Northern Gun NG-11S “Sawed Off” (RGMG p157) but replaces the normal payload with a magically created one. Upon pulling the trigger, the weapon automatically loads a wooden round and blasts it out of the barrel. The round shatters in the process, peppering the target with wooden fragments. It’s powered by an internal PPE payload, allowing anyone to use it until it runs out of PPE.

A single blast inflicts 4D6 SDC to most targets, or 4D6 Hit Point damage to vampires. A double barrel blast inflicts double damage. Additionally, there’s a chance of a fragment lodging the vampire’s heart with the appropriate stasis result. Five percent chance on a single blast; ten percent chance on a double blast. However, if the target is wearing any type of armor, even SDC armor, the blasts inflict no damage and are little more than an annoyance. The range for either blast is only 50 feet.

Device Level 1
Spells: Create Wood, Telekinesis, and Energy Bolt
Activation Cost: 2 PPE per shot (or 4 ISP)
Payload: 10 activations stored in 1.0 carats of Diamond. (20 PPE or 40 ISP to recharge 10 blasts)
Construction Cost: 40 PPE & 4 hours
Gems: 9.9 carats of Amber, 1 carat of Opal, and 1 carat of Red Zircon
Build Cost: 23,840 credits
Magical Mack Sale Price: 40,000 credits

(Originally this was going to be a big weapon, based off the Wellington WI-GL8 Automatic Shotgun/Grenade Launcher in Merc Ops. But as I worked on it I realized the spells are pretty low level and that I could “create a round and fire it” in a single spell chain.)

And this rope has been kicking around the back of my head for at least a year. Figured it was time to finally stat it out and write it down.

Magical Mack’s Rope of Adventure

The following TW rope was a special commission for an exploration group who were trying to get the most out of everything they carried. The rope has two small endcaps on it: one silver and one bronze. Each endcap corresponds to a magical function. Simply hold the appropriate one and pump the needed PPE into it.

The silver endcap enables Telekinesis along the rope’s length. The wielder can mentally direct the rope as desired but must maintain contact with it. Releasing the rope will cause it to freeze in place until the spell’s duration ends, after which it will fall limp.

The bronze endcap activates a Carpet of Adhesion along half of the rope's length, sticking to anything it touches. The other half remains normal to touch, allowing the user to secure one end (the sticky half) and still safely pull and tug on the other end.

The rope itself is 50 feet long but can be made into other lengths upon request. It’s built from the Mega-Rope (Merc Ops p117) but has a copper thread integrated through the weave. Cutting the rope will cancel either function and destroy the device.

Both functions can operate simultaneously. While it's not intend to be used as a weapon, it can be used in combat to entangle opponents.

Function 1 – Telekinesis, Device Level 4
Duration: 4 minutes
Spells: Telekinesis
Activation: 4 PPE
Payload: None (the user must pump 4 PPE or 8 ISP into it)
Construction: 80 PPE and 32 hours
Gems: 4 carats of Opal
Build Cost: 5,200 credits

Function 2 – Carpet of Adhesion, Device Level 2
Duration: 5 minutes
Spells: Carpet of Adhesion
Activation: 4 PPE
Payload: None (the user must pump 4 PPE or 8 ISP into it)
Construction: 80 PPE and 16 hours
Gems: 2.5 carats of Amethyst
Build Cost: 5,500 credits

Magical Mack’s Sale Price: 22,500 credits

(I wanted to include the Giant spell as a separate function so that the user could carry a short rope that became longer when needed. Unfortunately, the Giant spell has too high of a PPE cost and spell level to easily work with.)

EDIT 1 - Added the ISP cost for the shotgun.

[drewkitty ~..~]

a TW shotgun that shoots magically created wood....looking at the spells used the wood splinters should be able to immobilize Traditional Vamps if the shooter gets lucky.
Unlike the silver shooting magic gun in part two of the "The Children of the Moon" rifter article. Which will only hurt T.Vamps.

A flying sticky rope...*chuckles* get an air lift without the helicopter.
The only thing I'd want to add to the enchantment is to make it like Guku's (monkey king) staff which can extend or shorten as needed.

[Shark_Force]

I think there might be an official TW bionic stake launcher that does basically what your shotgun does. but I'm not sure. and kinda busy just now. it might be in rifts canada, which as I recall is where the momano headhunter was introduced.

[taalismn]

I think there might be an official TW bionic stake launcher that does basically what your shotgun does. but I'm not sure. and kinda busy just now. it might be in rifts canada, which as I recall is where the momano headhunter was introduced.

TW Hydraulic Stake Driver---Also appears in Rifts Bionics Sourcebook, pg. 58. Also mentions a TW Shotgun version of it(50 ft range, 4 PPE for two stakes).
BUT, price is 85,000 credits, so Mack's version is a steal.

[Shark_Force]

I think there might be an official TW bionic stake launcher that does basically what your shotgun does. but I'm not sure. and kinda busy just now. it might be in rifts canada, which as I recall is where the momano headhunter was introduced.

TW Hydraulic Stake Driver---Also appears in Rifts Bionics Sourcebook, pg. 58. Also mentions a TW Shotgun version of it(50 ft range, 4 PPE for two stakes).
BUT, price is 85,000 credits, so Mack's version is a steal.

ah, well it's nice to know I'm not *completely* losing my mind

[drewkitty ~..~]

Missed the point, It's a shotgun. And just like firearm shotguns, there is a spread to the area of effect. So there is a greater chance of immobilizing the T.Vamp.


Now that you comments on the shotgun, comment about the rope.


Post Script Note: TW bionics 1st appeared in the Canada wordbook.

[ShadowLogan]

I think there might be an official TW bionic stake launcher that does basically what your shotgun does. but I'm not sure. and kinda busy just now. it might be in rifts canada, which as I recall is where the momano headhunter was introduced.

TW Hydraulic Stake Driver---Also appears in Rifts Bionics Sourcebook, pg. 58. Also mentions a TW Shotgun version of it(50 ft range, 4 PPE for two stakes).
BUT, price is 85,000 credits, so Mack's version is a steal.

I didn't check Bionics SB, but I did check Canada (pg127) and Mack's is not only a steal in terms of cost (1/2 price-ish) but also damage (extra d6), PPE Cost (construction AND activation costs), Payload (2 v 10). The only real advantage the original version has is it can be powered by ISP.

Other than damage most of this can probably be put down to RUE construction rule use vs what ever they did in RMB/WB20 to determine this stuff.

Magical Mack’s Rope of Adventure

Function 1 make me think of the Indian Rope trick (or Batman and Batgirl's escape from Lord Fog's dungeon in S3 of the Adam West Batman).

The increased size feature did you consider something like "Magic Net" (might require secondary spells or "tweaks" like CoA and Sticky Tires example in RUE) by re-purposing the magic fibers?

[Mack]

I didn't check Bionics SB, but I did check Canada (pg127) and Mack's is not only a steal in terms of cost (1/2 price-ish) but also damage (extra d6),

I ballparked the damage from memory, so feel free to adjust it if it's out of line with published material.

PPE Cost (construction AND activation costs), Payload (2 v 10). The only real advantage the original version has is it can be powered by ISP.

I didn't expressly write it, but the intent is that it can be powered by PPE or ISP. I'll edit that in.

Other than damage most of this can probably be put down to RUE construction rule use vs what ever they did in RMB/WB20 to determine this stuff.

Magical Mack’s Rope of Adventure

Function 1 make me think of the Indian Rope trick (or Batman and Batgirl's escape from Lord Fog's dungeon in S3 of the Adam West Batman).

The increased size feature did you consider something like "Magic Net" (might require secondary spells or "tweaks" like CoA and Sticky Tires example in RUE) by re-purposing the magic fibers?

Hmm... Magic Net would've been another good choice for the stick function, but I'm not really seeing it for the increased size. I try not to veer too far from the spells original intent.

[ShadowLogan]

Hmm... Magic Net would've been another good choice for the stick function, but I'm not really seeing it for the increased size. I try not to veer too far from the spells original intent.

Your prerogative of course. Personally I'd require a spell chain in this instance to work with Magic Net to get the desired effect. Magic Net provides the fibers and another spell(s) reformat the net into additional rope. A 10ft "area" (per BoM, PF2E has it as diameter) you could potentially get some decent additional length to the rope depending on interpretation of "area" (its not in units square) and how many fibers of X length you can get out of it.

I ballparked the damage from memory, so feel free to adjust it if it's out of line with published material.

I don't have an issue with your version being a "steal" compared to a pre-RUE version TW device. It just means as a GM one could justify it with other shenanigans to justify it (ie defects or story points or just a result of supply of such weapons catching up with demand given period differences between RUE and WB20).

[Curbludgeon]

The Biomancy spells Shape/Weave Plant would be great for changing the rope's length, but while TW isn't totally in keeping with biomancy's bioethics, an Eco-Wizardry item made in conjuction with either a Biomancer or Plant Shaman could work. Perhaps the wire woven in the Mega-Rope is replaced with sinew, or the endcaps with claws.

Althernatively, the third level Earth Warlock magic Shrink Plant has a 200 PPE permanent option that I'd allow, if incorporated during creation, to be temporarily dispelled with Negate Magic.

[Mack]

ShadowLogan & Curbludgeon,

I applaud your creativity in coming up with other ways to skin this cat!

[cozmicdawg]

Hi Mack,

I am starting a new campaign that includes a TW for the first time in my history with Rifts. I was doing some research and came upon an older thread that listed some of your inventions like the TW Revolver, TW Artillery, and the all-purpose Resurrection device. Unfortunately, the links you provided to those devices appear to no longer be active. Could you include them in this thread? I'd appreciate it!

[Mack]

Hi Mack,

I am starting a new campaign that includes a TW for the first time in my history with Rifts. I was doing some research and came upon an older thread that listed some of your inventions like the TW Revolver, TW Artillery, and the all-purpose Resurrection device. Unfortunately, the links you provided to those devices appear to no longer be active. Could you include them in this thread? I'd appreciate it!

cozimicdawg,

Last year the PB website was updated and broke all of the old forum links. Additionally, topics that are too old get purged to antiquity. I don't have copies of many of the things I've posted, but here's what I could dredge up.

A copy of the TW Revolver can be found here.

Artillery
Renovating Rivet Gun
Ressurection Device

If you search the forum on Techno-Wizard Shoppe it'll will return just about all the TW things I've done.

And here's some advice a gave a while back.

Spoiler:

My thoughts on playing a TWizard in Rifts... actually, I believe playing one to its full capability is difficult and that the class works better as an NPC than a player character. Now let me walk through how I came to that conclusion.

[Note – this is assuming one uses the TW Creation rules listed in RUE, which is a cumbersome process. I wouldn’t fault a GM for substituting something simpler.]

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The core ability is creating TW items. Unfortunately, doing so is not easy, nor is it complementary for most adventure parties. To create an item, the TWizard needs:
1. The spells to create it.
2. The gems to create it.
3. A working design.
4. The raw material to create it.
5. A decent workshop.
6. Time.
7. Out of Character Time.

For 1, a new TWizard starting out has an OK spell selection and can learn spells like the Ley Line Walker, but it's going to take a concerted effort on the TWizard's part to build his spell repertoire. Also, acquiring new spells is highly dependent on the GM. Some GMs are easy, others not so much. At low levels, the TWizard may really struggle here.

For 2, collecting the gems for a particular device could be an adventure all by itself. Just because a gem has a reasonable price doesn't mean it actually available. A character could spend a considerable amount of time just collecting the ones he needs. And over time, he'll need to stockpile all manner of stones (even ones he doesn't currently need) just to support his later efforts.

For 3, again, this is highly GM dependent. If the TWizard has a working design to copy, then this step is greatly reduced. If not… Keep in mind that while the TW Creation skill is base 70% +2% per level, there are plenty of negative modifiers that could be applied.

For 4, just like collecting gems, an industrious TWizard is going to need a lot of stuff to build from. If he intends to build a Telekinetic Rifle, then he needs to have a rifle on hand to start with.

For 5, this is not a character who’s going to travel light. No, he’s going to need substantially more than a multi-tool on his belt. A well-equipped workshop is really needed. [For what it’s worth, the MythBuster’s workshop always seemed like a good model since it also contained plenty of organized storage.] Even when traveling, I would expect a TWizard to have a utility hover-truck (at least if he plans to build anything).

For 6, there’s no good way around the time involved in building TW devices. Even something well known like the Flaming Sword requires 138 hours to build. That’s not conducive to tinkering around the campfire while the party rests. And that’s assuming the design is correct to begin with. If several, design/build/prototype cycles are required, then that time could explode.

For 7, this is a class that, unfortunately, requires both the GM and player to invest a considerable amount of personal time to figure out the TW rules in RUE. It’s complicated, and not presented well. Many hours can simply vanish as you try to understand the relationship between the variables.

Based on all the above, a TWizard makes a better “Q” than “Bond.”

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Now here’s how I recommend a player gets around those problems:

Don’t be an independent operator. As part of the character’s backstory, have him be a recently graduated Apprentice from a decent sized TW shop. This will give him access to most everything that was limited on that list.

--Spell knowledge can be learned from the shop’s Journeymen and Masters.
--Gems and material are already in supply.
--Proven designs are available.
--An equipped workshop is provided.
--Other TWizards and assistants can reduce the time required.

Make the character a Field Service Representative (FSR) for the TW Shop. This is someone the Shop sends out to its customers (the player party) to provide on-site service and to learn what type of challenges the customer faces. Then the FSR can recommend what kind of devices the Shop should build and sell. This will also allow the character to use and demonstrate devices from the Shop without having to build them himself.

As for the complicated formulas in RUE, I strongly recommend building them in a spreadsheet to automate the functions. This will allow you to tinker with the variables and optimize the solution. Otherwise you’ll spend hours calculating what a device should be. [Also, beware of the “PPE Storage” option on p131. Because it changes the PPE Construction Cost it often creates a circular reference that’s unsolvable. Finding the balance point that prevents the circular reference is a bear.]


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Overall, I find TWizards to be a great class that definitely adds something unique to Rifts. It’s one of the few characters that can fill a mage slot, psychic slot, engineer slot, or pilot slot. There’s a ton of versatility to use. It just that implementing the core ability of TW item creation brings a host of challenges.