Mechanist
Game Rule Information
Mechanists have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Mechanists rely on their reasoning and logic, so Intelligence is their most important ability. Most of a mechanist’s core skills are based on Intelligence. A high Intelligence also gives the mecha-nist extra skill points, which can be used to broaden his knowledge base. Dexterity is also sometimes important for mechanists, for working in tight spaces or doing pre-cision work on small components.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The mechanist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Cryptography (Int), Demolitions (Int), Disable Device (Int), Freefall (Dex), Knowledge (any science or technical knowledge skills, taken individual-ly) (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Pilot (Dex), Profession (Wis), Repair (Int), Research (Wis), Search (Int), and Use Device (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.
THE MECHANIST
Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
1 | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Bonus feat, jury-rig, guerillarepair, minor upgrade |
2 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | 1st favored tech, sabotage |
3 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | |
4 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | |
5 | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Moderate upgrade |
6 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Bonus feat, 2nd favored tech |
7 | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | |
8 | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | |
9 | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | |
10 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | 3rd favored tech, major upgrade |
11 | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Bonus feat |
12 | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | |
13 | +6/+1 | +4 | +4 | +8 | |
14 | +7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +9 | 4th favored tech |
15 | +7/+3 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Extraordinary upgrade |
16 | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Bonus feat |
17 | +8/+3 | +5 | +5 | +10 | |
18 | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | 5th favored tech |
19 | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | |
20 | +10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Masterful upgrade |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the mechanist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mechanists are proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor
.
Bonus Feats: At 1st level, the mechanist gets a bonus feat in addition to the feat than any 1st-level character gets and the bonus feat granted to humans. The mecha-nist gains an additional bonus feat at 6th level and every five levels thereafter (11th and 16th). These bonus feats must be drawn from the following list: Born Spacer, Hacker, High-G Tolerance, Gearhead, Gunner’s Eye, Low-G Tolerance, Remote Operation, Space Jockey, and Zero-G Tolerance.
These feats are in addition to the feat a character of any class gets every three levels.
Traps: Like rogues, mechanists are able to detect and disarm complex mechanical traps.
Favored Tech: At 2nd level, a mechanist may select a class of equipment or type of device as a favored tech. Due to his extensive training and experience operating this technology, the mechanist gains a +1 circumstance bonus to Craft, Demolitions (for explosives only), Disable Device, Repair, and Use Device checks when using these skills on or with this type of device.
At 6th level and at every four levels thereafter (10th, 14th, and 18th level), the mechanist may select a new favored tech, and the bonus associated with every previ-ously selected favored tech goes up by +1. For example, a 15th-level mechanist will have four favored techs, with bonuses of +4, +3, +2, and +1.
The following lists possible device classes for a mechanist’s favored techs.
- Aircraft: Fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
- Armor: All archaic and modern armors; includes powered armor.
- Ground vehicles: Wheeled and tracked vehicles, walkers and hovercraft.
- Electronics: All electronic devices; includes computers and sensors.
- Explosives: All explosives and explosive weapons; includes grenades, missiles, torpedoes, etc.
- Handguns: All Tiny and Small firearms.
- Heavy weapons: All ranged weapons of size category Huge or greater; includes vehicle weapons.
- Machines: Miscellaneous mechanical equipment not included in another category.
- Melee weapons: All archaic and modern melee weapons.
- Rifles: All Medium-size and Large firearms.
- Robots: All robots and soulmechs.
- Spacecraft: All spacecraft, including starships.
- Traps: All mechanical traps.
- Watercraft: Ships and submersibles.
Jury-Rig: At 1st level, the mechanist can slap together spare parts and makeshift materials to manage an effective repair, even though he lacks the components or time (or both) to do the job properly. The mechanist makes a Repair check as normal. He cannot take 10 or take 20 on this check. If the check is successful, the mechanist can improvise or scavenge sufficient spare parts and the repair takes half the time it normally would. However, the device is inherently unstable. It will completely malfunction or cease operating if any of the following conditions are met:
- The device takes a critical hit in combat.
- The character wearing the device suffers a critical hit in combat.
- A character using the device for an attack or skill check rolls a 1.
Jury-rigged jobs can be redone when the mechanist has the time and parts. The mechanist must make anoth-er Repair check and the task takes the standard amount of time. However, the repair is permanent, subject to the limitations of the Repair skill.
Guerilla Repair: Sometimes a mechanist doesn’t even have time for a jury-rigged repair. When a gun jams in combat, it needs to be fixed now-not in a few minutes. At 1st level, mechanists can sometimes get malfunctioning devices in working order by kicking, smacking, jiggling, oiling, or even verbally coaxing them. To use this ability, the mechanist must touch the item to be repaired. In combat, this requires a touch attack. No Repair check is necessary: The device will resume working properly for a number of rounds equal to 3d6 plus the mechanist’s class level. After this time has passed, the device will malfunction again. The mechanist can’t use guerilla repair on the device again until he’s done a full repair job on it. This ability cannot actually restore hit points to an object.
Sabotage (Ex): A mechanist devotes most of his time to insuring that devices are working properly. However, he can also use his knowledge and talents to more destructive ends. At 2nd level, a mechanist can use this ability as a standard action to cause any non-magic, technological device he touches to malfunction. In com-bat, this requires a touch attack against the character or creature wearing, holding, or using the device. This ability provokes attacks of opportunity. The mechanist selects the target device, makes the touch attack if necessary, and makes a Disable Device check (DC 20). If the check succeeds, the device stops working. The mechanist has jammed the safety switch, poured dirt in the fuel tank, ripped out a crucial wire, or otherwise bollixed the device.
Sabotage can only be used against a single device per use. Many complex machines count as multiple devices for the purposes of this ability. For example, the mechanist could sabotage a hovertank so it couldn’t move, but its gun would still be able to fire.
Against a soulmech or other construct, this ability causes 1d8 points of damage, plus 1 point for each class level of the mechanist.
This sabotage can be fixed with a normal Repair check (DC 15). A mechanist can also get the device working again with his guerilla repair ability.
Upgrade: Mechanists are always tinkering with devices, always looking for ways to make improve-ments to them. Starting at 1st level, a mechanist can attempt to upgrade any non-magic, technological device. The mechanist selects the device he wants to upgrade and makes a Repair check. If the check is suc-cessful, the mechanist may give the device a minor chapter three: Classes preview upgrade. The mechanist can give a device a moderate upgrade at 5th level, a major upgrade at 10th level, an extraordinary upgrade at 15th level, and a masterful upgrade at 20th level. Descriptions and examples of these upgrades are provided below.
Minor: This upgrade level makes a normal device or item the equivalent of a masterwork device or item. It provides the device with a +1 upgrade bonus on attack rolls, ability checks, or skill checks using the device. The upgrade increases the armor bonus of armor by +1, or increases the shields bonus of a starship’s shields by +1. It could be used to increase a robot’s speed by 5 feet or a vehicle’s acceleration or deceleration by 1. The upgrade could increase a vehicle’s top speed by 3. The exact effects and limitations of the upgrade are always at the DM’s discretion, but it should represent a minor, incremental improvement. The DC for the Repair check is 15, and a minor upgrade costs the mechanist 10% of the device’s market price in materials and parts.
Moderate: As minor upgrade, except this upgrade provides a device with a +2 upgrade bonus on attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks, or armor bonus. It could improve a robot’s speed by 10 feet, a vehicle’s acceleration or deceleration by 2, and its top speed by 5. The upgrade should represent a moderate but significant improvement. The DC for the repair check is 20, and a moderate upgrade costs the mechanist 15% of the device’s market price in materials and parts.
Major: As minor upgrade, but the upgrade bonus is +3. A robot’s speed could be upgraded by 15, a vehicle’s acceleration or deceleration improved by 3, and its top speed increased by 8. The DC of the Repair check is 25, and a major upgrade costs the mechanist 20% of the device’s market price in materials and parts.
Extraordinary: As minor upgrade, but the upgrade bonus is +4. A robot’s speed could be upgraded by 20, a vehicle’s acceleration or deceleration improved by 4, and its top speed increased by 10. The DC of the Repair check is 30, and a major upgrade costs the mechanist 25% of the device’s market price in materials and parts.
Masterful: As minor upgrade, but the upgrade bonus is +5. A robot’s speed could be upgraded by 25, a vehicle’s acceleration or deceleration improved by 5, and its top speed increased by 12. The DC of the repair check is 35, and a major upgrade costs the mechanist 30% of the device’s market price in materials and parts.
A mechanist’s upgrades are extremely useful, but with all that tinkering, things can easily go wrong. An upgraded device is a bit more delicate than it was originally, and damage or misuse can cause it to malfunction completely. An upgraded device will quit working altogether if any of the following conditions are met:
- The device takes a critical hit in combat.
- The character wearing the device suffers a critical hit in combat.
- A character using the device for an attack or skill check rolls a 1.
Devices can have more than one upgrade. Malfunctioning devices can be repaired normally, and the task is considered a simple repair. However, each additional upgrade after the first increases the DC to repair a malfunctioning device by 5. For example, the DC to repair a device with two upgrades-assuming parts and materials are available-would be 20. If the device had three upgrades, the DC would be 25.