Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

SavageGamerGirl · Heroic Joined: 24 Oct 2010 Posts: 1258

The characters in my campaign killed an enemy NPC who was a Weird Scientist.

What happens to the gizmos? Do they keep working normally, or do they stop no longer recharge and stop working once the charges are depleted?
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VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3251

The rules say a Weird Scientist can make a device on his list and spend his power points to charge it and let some one else use it if they have the correct skill until it is empty

and i think the Weird Scientist woud have to have the same power twice to have two devices of the same power functioning at the same time

So i would ASSuME a captured device can be used if some one has the right skill and then it is powerless and your Weird Scientist can recharge it only if they have the same power on there device list

A captured device your Weird Scientist does not know how to make might grant a bonus to research that power and spare parts

Now the true Vondan Answer

There should be a chart for the percent chance a dead Weird Scientist glasses match the week eyes perscription of your Weird Scientist
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Pariah74 · Veteran Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 934

Yeah that's basically what I have done. Weird Scientist loot continues to function until it runs out of points, then it's dead. Another WS can charge it if he has that power, but he can't have two of the same device unless he has the power twice, which has never come up.
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tigerguy786 · Seasoned Joined: 26 Nov 2011 Posts: 434

How cool woulld it be to have a Weird Scientist duel wield Bolt Powers or Bolt and something else? It'd be tough to pull off all those edges and would be kind of unfair if he could shoot 6 shots a turn with no full auto penalty, but still it'd be cool
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Vinzent · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:58 am Post subject:

I would rule that it has charges, but it can't be recharged, even by another Wierd Scientist. It's Wierd Science. The means of its design is unique, hence they cannot be mass produced.

Also, looting the body of a wierd scientist should be a dangerous proposition, like poking around the inside of an old television set (which can be fatal).
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VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3251

Bernd · Seasoned Joined: 05 May 2009 Posts: 109

Zadmar · Heroic Joined: 10 Nov 2010 Posts: 1382 Location: Munich

I think it's very difficult to generalise with Weird Science, as it depends so heavily on the trappings. According to SWD, "Recharging may represent the device being plugged into an outlet, gathering solar rays, or even fritzing out for a while until it miraculously just starts working again", so I could imagine having some devices that could be recharged by anyone.

However if you roll 1 on the skill die, the device malfunctions, and I would certainly rule that only the inventor could repair it (unless someone else with Weird Science bought the power and claimed the device as their own). I might also rule that the device only lasts a scene, or a session, or an adventure, due to being fairly unstable and requiring constant maintenance. Or perhaps require the player to spend a benny to be able to use the device for the session.

The rules describe how Weird Science devices can be given to a companion, but I've always interpretted that as involving careful instructions on its use, like "Hold it there, watch out for the wires, avoid the levers and don't press the red switches, I'm still working on those, and you need to be really careful with th- DON'T PRESS THAT!". So I think it should require at least some sort of roll (perhaps even a random toss of the coin) to see if you can work out how it operates at all, assuming you don't blow yourself up in the process.

Even if it does work, if you're using it based on guesswork then I think it should be more difficult and risky than if the creator had explained to you how to operate it. You could apply the -2 penalty from the NE Invent power, representing the fact that "only the inventor truly understands his jury-rigged creations". I might also be tempted to use the No Power Points rule - that all maintained powers are cancelled and you become Shaken if you fail the skill roll.

Virgobrown72 · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:18 am Post subject:

I'm in favor of it going dead after it's charges are depleted.If not, think about it. Some characters may start a new career of Weird Scientist hunting, getting at them for their strange creations. Wink

Hmmmm...... Twisted Evil

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VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3251

Virgobrown72 · Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:40 am Post subject:

That in itself is a great idea for an Antagonist. Very Happy

The antagonist could be a former bounty hunter who hunted down a bunch of Mad Scientist. In confronting him, he could keep whipping out a bunch of random devices that only have several charges left, so he couldn't continuously keep using the same one. Wink

This could be as deadly or as silly as you would like, deoending on how random you would like the devices to be... Twisted Evil

Enjoy!!!

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VonDan · Legendary Joined: 08 Jul 2008 Posts: 3251

And the party has to protect a young misunderstood Scientist named Nerdina Gawkly and keep the bounty hunter from adding her spectacles to his collection
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Shadowdragon · Seasoned Joined: 12 Dec 2004 Posts: 390 Location: Canada

Virgobrown72 · Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:07 am Post subject:

Yeah, it was my understanding that each device had its own pool of power points. Now, I would let them not be able to recharge if the scientist who created them perishes, but that's just my opinion...
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SavageGamerGirl · Heroic Joined: 24 Oct 2010 Posts: 1258

That's what I decided. They can use the devices, making untrained Weird Science checks if they don't have that AB, but when the charges are gone, that's it.

A few of the devices are similar to ones already possessed by the party Weird Scientist, and I ruled that he can use them as spare parts for his devices if need be.

One device uses a power the party Weird Scientist doesn't have, so I ruled that I would adapt the rules for Tomes in the Fantasy Companion to allow him to study the device for a time and build his own for a free New Power edge.
_________________
'But I don't want to go among mad people,' Alice remarked.
'Oh, you can't help that,' said the Cat: 'we're all mad here.'
The Order of the Dice... OF DOOM!