Runequest Thursday #93 - Treasures of the Clanking Ruin!

A few weeks ago, I posted a collection of some artifacts that might be found in the ruins of the Machine City. The idea was, like classic Runequest Publications of the past like Pavis or Borderlands, there would be a Found Item Chart that could be rolled against in case the player characters succeeded on a search check. Alongside more or less useless bits, like parts of broken gear or connecting rods, there might be some actual useful artifacts or treasures.

One of the things that I mentioned in that article was the Manufacturing Scroll. Here is the text of that entry:

A rolled sheet of bronze with strange punched text, illustrations and bizarre lines, arc, whorls and swirls in a bewildering array. A manufacturing scroll is a mechamagic blueprint for an item, such as a mechamagic arm. It describes the process of building one, in such as way that a Manuforger can create the item if it has the necessary ingredients.

At the time, I had a couple of ideas for Manufacturing Scrolls, but now that I have fleshed out the list, I thought I would provide it here.

One of the things I like about the notion of the Manufacturing Scroll, is that it is both a quest item and a method of generating further quests. Essentially, a Manufacturing Scroll is a recipe, that can only be read with difficulty by a mortal, but can be fully interpreted, and act as a blueprint for a Manuforge to build the item on the scroll - IF the necessary ingredients are available. SO the heroes need to have a number of things available to make use of one.

1) they need at least one Manufacturing Scroll.

2) they need a Manuforge.

3) They need the necessary materials.

When these have been located, and brought together, the item can be created. This is how mass-produced magic items were made during the time fo the Zistorites. It is also why the Zistorites were wiped from the face of Glorantha by an incredible collection of the superheroes of the day - but let's leave that alone for now. 

So if the heroes collect all of the above, the Manuforge can make the item on the Scroll. Which is cool, especially if the heroes really want that thing. So here are some of the things I have come up with that they might want. You may have noticed that if would be asimple matter to roll 1d10 to determine randomly the content of a Single Manufacturing Scroll:

1. Gauntlet – Creates a spiked gauntlet (AP 8, ENC 1) that will house up to 3 infused Pommelstones, which the wearer can choose from with a free action, to affect any weapon held in that hand, including the gauntlet itself, which does 1d6 base damage.
2. Sun Glaive – creates a large bronze, copper and steel glaive, that allows the use of Fire arrow and Fireblade.
3. Timepiece – creates an absolutely accurate brass and crystal timepiece with multiple functions. It can also be attached to other items to time, or control them.
4. Transmission Bracer – a small, bulbous wrist mounted device of bronze and steel that allows communication with the Transmission Towers and network. If it is infused, the  Bracer will occasionally allow such commune and even allow the wearer to direct the tower entity.
5. Location Sensor – This Crystal and brass device has an ocular that allows Darkvision, but also allows the wearer Life Sense and Mechamagic Sense beginning at 60%).
6. Heater – this simple cube can be attached to an item to heat it up over time. It can be used for cooking, comfort, or other possibilities. Over a number of minutes, the attached item will get hot enough that flammable items nearby could burst into flames. The Infusor can never suffer damage from the device itself, but may burn if exposed to items that the device has affected.
7. Levitator – When infused, this device – a large, streamlined-looking, apparatus with a number of ports and vented teardrop-shaped bulges – enables an object to which it is attached to somehow levitate. The Infusor can control the height of the device. With a means of propulsion, such as the wind, the levitating object could move directionally. The Infusion can levitate 16 Size for every POW Infused, for up to 1 Hour per POW infused. It requires an eqaul amount of time to recharge.
8. Shelter Dome – This small bubble of bronze and crystal creates a Bubble of force, not unlike the Barrier that is still in place in areas of the Clanking Ruin It repels normal to fairly sever wind, rain snow and other weather and acts as Countermagic 1 and Ward 1 per Point Infused in it (maximum 3, Use infusor’s POW and POWer).  The area domed is anything up to 5 yards radius per point of Infusion.
9. Pommelstone - a small crystal with a metal panel on its flat side. Each pommelstone has some sort of enchantment within it that it confers to any weapon to which it is attached. Typical enchantments are weapon enhancing spells like Bladesharp, Pierce, Parry, but elemental crystals, repair crystals are known. It takes a Magic Skill check or an INT x3 success and point of Permanent POW to attempt to Infuse a Pommelstone.
10. Mechamagical Creature - a blend of magic and mechanika shaped like a creature. It might be a human, a beast, or something mythical or fanciful. It can be active for 1 Hour per day per POW Infused, and attempts to follow the mental orders of its Infusor to the best o f its ability. Use the profile for the normal creature, but being composed of metal and other harder components, it has +5 Armor points in each location.

More may be added in future. Check back.