General Manufacturing (Class: Wizard)

    The hammer of Industry is the beating heart of Empire. The Manufactory is a living foundry, consuming fuel and producing materiel. As tradition dictates, the Academy has sent you out into the world to gain experience before you settle down to a lifetime of production. Perhaps you will discover a better technique for mining coal, or forging iron. But be careful not to die — defaulting on Wizard Student Loans carries terrible consequences. Crooked logs burn straight.
    

Source: Ullathynel on Tumblr

Class: Manufactory

    You are an Academy-taught caster with a focus on producing war-materiel and reinforcing military and industrial positions. You have a pool of Manufacturing Dice, which are very similar to (but not quite the same thing as) Magic Dice. These MD will let you improve the world. The empire expects no less.
    You can wear all types of armor, but may not use shields unless another class gives you that skill. If you have at least one template in this class you never fumble while using hammers, clubs or knives.
    You know one technique from your list, determined by rolling 1d8. You may learn additional techniques from other Manufactories, or through buying the information from the Academy. They may also be found on blueprints throughout the world.
    Techniques are used by rolling your MD, in a manner very similar to casting a spell. In general, treat them as you would treat a spell except they are called techniques and not spells.


Skills: 1. Metallurgy, 2. Military History, 3. Court etiquette
Starting Equipment: Smith's leathers (as heavy leather, half damage from fire),  a small, skittish pony (HD 1, Morale 7) and two-wheeled cart, three pounds of high-grade coke.

Perks: You may eat five pounds of firewood (2 slots, 1sp) or one pound of coal (⅓ slot, 1sp) instead of rations. One pound of high-grade coke (⅓ slot, 1gp) counts as both food and drink.
    You may also taste ash to determine how long ago its fire went out. You can detect one-hour increments for the first day, one-day increments for the first month, and one-year increments indefinitely.
Drawback: When you needed it, the Academy was only too willing to extend you a line of credit. You must pay a sum of gp equal to 50% of all gained experience every month to the Academy's debt collectors. The collectors can be found in every city.
    If you miss a payment, the collectors can be found ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE, and you will not escape them. Once you reach the 4th level you no longer need to make these payments (though the Academy is grateful for any endowments to the ol' Ardens Mater)

• A Kindling, +1 MD
• B Spark, +1 MD
• C Distemper, Clang Speech, +1 MD
• D Temper, Seignurage, +1 MD

Kindling
    You may rub flammable materials between your hands to set them alight. You can hold flaming objects without harm, but larger fires are still a threat.

Spark
    Project a short beam of extreme heat from your two hands, for one round per level per day. Hot enough to weld, cut, amputate and scorch. 2d6 fire damage if used as an attack.

Distemper
    You can curse like a sailor kicking over a wizard's gravestone. Once a day, you can loose a stream of invective and obloquy that terrifies all who hear it. Anyone who has a reason to think you might be talking to them will quickly and quietly flee the area. If used during combat, all living NPCs must roll morale.
Clang Speech
    You can speak to metalwork. Potmetal is cowardly, ferrous materials are violently racist, sacred steels are clear-spoken and intelligent. Metal can't really perceive the world around it, but it can tell you how old it is, who crafted it, and might be able to offer some advice. It isn't always obvious if you're talking to the metal or yourself.

Temper
    Material your techniques produce is military-grade steel if you prefer.
Seignurage
    In one month, turn 100gp of glass and gold into 110 actual coins of gp. This process can be scaled down, but since it's more time- than labor-intensive it still takes a month. The glass pieces (heh) you produce are technically fiat currency; the magicians who issue them can say "Fiat" and set your head on fire.

 Techniques

1. Mill Material
   R: n/a T: n/a D: permanent
   Produce [dice] slots of equipment from the air. They are low-quality potmetal and break the first time they roll a fumble.
   You may produce [sum] slots of equipment instead, but they will be of such poor quality that they break after their first use. Suitable for bolts and bullets &c.


2. Reeking Shard
   R: [dice]*5' T: a line to the limit of range D: instant
   Blast burning pieces of metal and chemical propellant out of your hands. The closest target saves or takes [sum]+[dice] fire damage. Targets on the far side of one that has been hit save or take [sum]/2 fire damage.


3. Iron Band
   R: touch T: n/a D: permanent
   You produce a coil of wrought iron up to [dice]*5' in circumference. This cinches up tight, and might be used for manacles or in construction. The coil has 14 AC and 10 HP and ignores any damage source which deals less than 6 points.


4. Iron Spike
   R: 5' T: n/a D: permanent
   You produce [dice] three-inch iron bolts from your hand which punch out with enough force to pierce and rivet thin metal.  If used in combat, each of these bolts deals 1d6 damage. Roll a separate attack for each of them.


5. Sunder
   R: touch T: a metal object or surface D: instant
   You touch a piece of metal and ruin a [dice] inch square area (or [dice]^2 square inches). The area is shattered, rusted, twisted, and generally destroyed to a depth of [dice] inches. You can use this to destroy enemy arms and armor, to break through a bank vault, to free someone you've imprisoned in an iron band, or anything else you can think of.


6. Miniature
   R: touch T: a person, place or thing you can visualize D: permanent
   You produce a miniature, in potmetal, of something you have seen before. It is highly detailed and can include measurements if you want. The miniature weighs one pound. With one [die], it can be as detailed as 1:10 scale. With two [dice], 1:33. With three, the miniature can be scaled at 1:87. With four [dice], the miniature can be scaled at 1:285.


7. Reinforce
   R: touch T: solid object D: permanent
   You touch something and reinforce it with plates, bolts, spikes, bands and bars of iron. This is like a Heal spell for inanimate objects, restoring [sum] HP to building and vehicles and other solid objects. You may also cast this on a weapon or a suit of metal armor, giving it +[dice] to all damage rolls or +[dice] AC but making it heavier by [dice]+1 inventory slots.


8. Skeleton
   R: [dice]*20' T: a cube [dice]*10 feet to a side D: permanent
   A cage of potmetal springs up around the targeted area. It has 12 AC and [sum] HP and ignores any damage source which deals fewer than 3 points. Repeated castings can make a sturdy, somewhat-solid block.


9. Bombard
   R: touch T: a cannonball weighing at least [dice]*20 pounds D: instant
   You touch valid cannonball and it flings itself up to [dice]*100 feet away. This is as effective as a combined Magic Missile and Fireball; first dealing [sum] damage to a target within range and then dealing [sum] damage to everyone within thirty feet who fails a save. Twenty pounds of cannonball occupies six slots of inventory.


10. Machine Spirit
    R: n/a T: n/a D: [dice] days
    You can summon a ghastly assistant to help you with your work. They have a vague human form and a clear human voice, 10 AC, [dice] HP and enough effect on the world to carry [dice] slots of items.
    Machine spirits dissipate instantly when they reach 0 HP or when their time runs out, and they seem to fear this more than you fear death. Wherever they go to between summoning must be unpleasant. In any case, they are eager to assist.


11. Area Denial
    R: sight T: a circular area with radius [dice]*100' D: permanent
    This is the first of the terrible Signature Techniques of the Manufactories. The target area becomes uninhabitable to life. The air is poisoned, dealing [dice] damage with every breath. Structures become treacherous, and liable to collapse. Roads tear themselves to pieces. The effect lasts for decades. Using this technique without authorization is a capital crime.


12. Earthworks
    R: sight T: a rectangular area equivalent to a [dice]*100 foot square D: permanent
    The second Signature Technique. The target area is reshaped according to your whims. You may dig trenches up to 20' deep, or erect bulwarks up to 20' high. The effect is slow, and creatures in the target area may save to avoid falling or being crushed. Using this technique without authorization isn't a crime in and of itself, but you can really piss people off by restructuring their front yards.

Mishaps

1. Misappropriation. MD return to your pool on only a 1 or a 2 today.
2. Miscalculation. You take 1d6 damage and blood leaks out of your orifices.
3. Misapprehension. The technique fails entirely.
4. You did something wrong. Everyone within 30' saves or is struck by a wave of ethereal rubble and dust, which deals 1d6 damage (even to ghosts) and then vanishes.
5. You did... something. Metal objects within 10' turn into glass, glass turns into wood, and wood turns into high-quality steel. If you're on a boat this is a catastrophic setback, otherwise it's sort of interesting.
6. Six Machine Spirits appear and promptly scatter. You cannot use any more techniques today.

Dooms of the Manufactory

1. Material you produce is wood or woodsmoke. This lasts for twenty-four hours, and may negatively impact the quality of your techniques. This is the first step towards being used-up.
2. Material you produce is glass or a thin haze that smells like burnt-out machinery. This lasts for a week, and may negatively impact the quality of your techniques. This is the penultimate step before being used-up.
3. Material you produce is rotten bone or the smell of blood. This is permanent. Performing your techniques deals [dice] damage to you, and mishaps permanently reduce your HP total by 1. If you have paid off your Academy debts then they will allow you to live out the rest of your days in failure and exile. You are no more use to anyone.

Equipment

    Why are you here? Just make your own. You don't need me any more.