Mechanik’s Union

A blunt and uncomplicated device by the standards of most inventions, the Scrap Cannon is made up of a thick wire stock housing a cylindrical induction engine. The ‘barrel’ in this case is a large circular disk of armor plate, with bunched conduiting and coils behind its scarred and dented surface. A simple gun trigger rests in the usual position, rigged up to the engine choke. The butt houses a stormchamber socketed into the device, which glows a brilliant  blue.

As a move action the Scrap Cannon can gather up unattached/unattended fine, tiny and small ferrous metal items (nuts, bolts, tools, scrap, machine parts, weapons) within a 15ft cone. And pin it in a mass against the front armor plate. Once a mass of metal items is ‘loaded’ into the scrap cannon it can be fired as a standard ranged attack in a 30ft cone, dealing 4d6 slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage to targets within 15ft. This is reduced to 2d6 slashing, piercing and bludgeoning damage to targets within 30ft. (Reflex save DC10 + attack roll).

When used against a metal target heavier than the Scrap Cannons user, they must make a Strength check DC20 to avoid being disarmed. If attached to its harness there is no chance of being disarmed, but the user must make a Strength check DC15 or be knocked prone and move 5ft towards the target.

While versions of this device have been rumored to have been used as weapons, they mainly served for a time as prototype heavy lifting equipment before being shelved as a waste of funding.

Here are some of the famed gunwerks of Immoren and the common characteristics their bespoke gun designs may have. These are all applicable to the standard quality generic pistols, carbines and rifles that have been made by these companies and bear their makers mark. (bearing in mind that this also takes into consideration the optional rule that a natural 1 on any attack roll with a gun grants it one of the flawed characteristics.)

Clockwerk Arms: bracing – cost of the additional barrels customization reduced by 75%.

Radliffe Gunwerks: multishot – can customize carbines & rifles with a revolving five shot chamber.

Blurg Arms: stubby – +1 damage at point blank range, flawed barrel quality. (jam chance only)

Vislovski Gunwerks: powerful – reroll 1 damage dice, take highest result.

Crucible Arms: forged – reduce targets AC by 1 to confirm a critical threat, double ammunition costs.

Ghordson Heavy Armaments: reliable – guns never gain any of the flawed qualities.

Grifter Gunwerks: tiny – double DC of search checks to locate pistols, reduce overall weight by 2/3rds.

Dummont Arsenal: hairtrigger – readied gun can attack as an immediate action with a -2 penalty to hit.

Enlichter Arms: balanced – reduce penalties for shooting from the hip (using two enlichter pistols) by half.

Steelwater Armory: functional – no AOO when reloading, flawed receiver quality. (misfire chance only)

Pitts Pistoltry: modular – breakdown customization does not reduce the attack bonus.

Cygnaran Arms Company: economical – damage dealt reduced by 1, reduce ammunition cost by 50%.

Midfast Munitions: hefty – guns treated as 1 size larger in melee, increases weight by 1/3rd, never gains the flawed stock quality.

<Note: guns taken apart for maintenance & having major parts replaced outside of the company/workshop they were built in would lose these additional qualities.>

This device appears to be a single bulky alchemical gauntlet for the right hand, overlayed with aurum wiring and articulated with brass. The palm is taken up by a shallow circular socket within the rim of which runs ionic coiling. The gauntlet takes up most of the forearm with a automated wrist loader on the inner side toward the body, and a length ways socketed heavy accumulator on the outer. A thick gutta-percha pipe within a coil of conductive cable runs from the gauntlet along the top of the arm to the backpack mounted convergence engine. The top of which is a small gravity hopper filled with egg sized metal spheres. Below this the blue light and crackle of a heavy stormchamber is plainly visible socketed into the main engine. The entire device is hung from a body harness to better distribute the uneven weight on the right side of the body. The hopper looks to store around 20 of the small steel balls, each with an aproximate weight of 1lb.

As a swift action, the wrist loader presents a single steel ball from the gravity hopper into the right hand. This is achieved by an exaggerated shrugging motion combined with a twisting the wrist 90 degrees to the left. This motion also charges the ‘launch items‘ plate from the wrist mounted accumulator, drawing 1 charge. The steel ball may now be flung standard ranged attack (120ft), it deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage. The real power of this device comes from charging the steel ball with unstable voltaic energy before launching. As a full round action the wearer of this device may load and charge and throw a single steel ball, drawing from the stormchamber and the ‘shocking grasp‘ & ‘voltaic capacitor‘ plates.  Upon impact; or when the wearers turn ends, the ball deals 5d6 electrical damage in a 30ft radius from its current position (DC16 Reflex for half damage). Note, the steel balls are usually rendered into a molten mess by the discharge if used in this manner.

Clockwork:

• Coil Springs – These are spirals of metal wire compressed and kept under tension either externally or within a small cylinder. These are kept in check by small ratchet gears and allowed to expand slowly to provide motive force for small devices. Larger compression springs can also be fitted to absorb and store physical pressure for later release. Being compressed down by then locking into place with a simple metal trigger.  Most coil spring power sources only require a small winding key to provide tension, only the larger versions require physical compression.
• Clockwork Engine – This engine uses advanced clockwork winding devices that use the mechanical stress created from stacks of coil springs within oil filed circulal flat-cans. As the energy is released by weights, timed winders or metronome escapements;  smaller pinion gears of various sizes are meshed with larger wheel gears to increase the transferred motive force to actuators. These devices are often hand cranked due to the increased tension they can store in the flat coils.
• Hypertension Torque Coils – Utilizing metal alloys and alchemical reinforcement known only in Immoren, advanced clockwork can achieve tensions far in access of what is physically possible with mere steel components. These Engines use intricate clockwork escapements and ribbons forged of highly elastic yet dense metals. These store energy in long torsion springs kept wound within tall cylinders filled with alchemically enhanced lubricants or powders. The force required to achieve full tension in these devices means that they are often wound via hydraulics or a subordinate steam engine. They are often only used within devices where steam would be impractical, as they are ruinously expensive.

Steam:

• Pressure Cooker – Most of these are simple metal crucibles that do not permit air or liquids to escape below a preset pressure. They can run on any sustained heat source and produce low pressure steam when filled with water. Most are utilised in low end industrial work or unsophisticated pneumatics. Nevertheless, because of their small size, pressure cookers have used the heat from an accumulator engine to pressurize miniature pneumatic systems.
• Steam Boiler – While there are several versions of boiler in common use throughout immoren, the basic boiler is a steel fire-tube furnace surrounded by water with one or more smoke flue stacks. This runs on various grades of coal and coke to super-heat water to steam vapor. This is then transferred to reciprocating piston engines to provide motive power to a device. The versions developed for Warjacks have been miniaturized to a great degree, but can develop a power far in excess of their size due to the use of arcane/alchemical alloying in their construction.
• Steam Turbine - The steam turbine is a form of advanced coal-fired engine that makes use of multiple expansion chambers to develop power. This produces far higher pressures that a standard steam engine and is it used to drive a rotary fan to great speeds. The largest of these devices can be found within Rhulic cities and are used for the gigantic heating and ventilation systems.  Smaller versions have yet to be developed for use in portable devices, so far only the arcane turbine utilizes similar principals on a small-scale.

Pseudo-Electrical:

• Galvanic Charger – This is a crude electrochemical cell that produces a small electrical charge from alchemical reactions taking place within a sealed and insulated capsule. It generally consists of two different metals connected by a salt bridge, or individual half-cells separated by a porous membrane. The power it produces cannot induce arcane devices, but has its uses with various smaller devices that require a voltaic charge to function. While it was an impressive step towards Voltaic principals, the degradation of its materials over time makes it a poor second to its successor.
• Storm Chamber – The now iconic glass ion coils and alchemically refined copper filaments of the stormchamber are the image of modern day power in Cygnar. They draw on a self sustaining magical effect to feed a pseudo-arcane reaction. This produces a powerful current which is stored in the fluid and released from contact points at the screw-type base. While it is more commonly seen on the battlefield, stormchambers have also been used for more industrial purposes, recent examples are the telegraph system in Cygnar.
• Voltaic Dynamo – These state-of-the-art devices remain a military secret known only to Sebastian Nemo and a few of his most trusted apprentices. Attempts have been made to use voltaic energy to power motors, but like nemo’s early attempts, they ended in dangerous explosions. These engines transduce voltaic current into mechanical motion via interacting polarity fields with conductive metals. A magnetic field powered by voltaic energy is used to turn a rotary engine or actuator. Its use so far has been limited to military applications such as the towering Thunderhead warjack.

Necro-Thaumatic:

• Blood Pump – Small scale necromantic mechanika found most commonly in creations such as mechanithralls. This pump circulates a viscous alchemical fluid redolent with powdered necrotite and charged with thaumatic energies. The fluid charge is constantly refreshed from the arcane sigils etched within the pumps chambers.  This flow provides animating and regenerative power to necromechnikal devices which use a combination of metal parts and dead flesh. The pump itself is often supplemented by a small steam boiler.
  
• Soulfire Furnace - Using the principals of the coal fired boilers of the mainland, these devices draw on the fragmented soul energy present in chunks of necrotite. The fuel itself burns far hotter and longer than any natural boiler coke and thus provides a significant performance boost. The heat can easily flash-boil water in the boiler in half the time required by normal boilers. However the boiler steel must be especially treated in order to resist the corrosive energies unleashed within its fire-tube. The smoke vented from the flues of these engines is also highly toxic and potentially lethal to living creatures. Interestingly, the inlaid bone and other remains that is used to reinforce the boilers pressure chamber is greatly strengthened by the necrotic emanations. This process is jealously guarded by the metal dens of Dreggsmouth and Blackwater.
• Soul Cage -Drawing directly from trapped souls, these arcane devices provide enormous power at a terrible price. These cages of dark iron and hardened glass are etched with hundreds of small necromantic sigils inside their casing. When unshielded these create a negative energy vortex, similar in arcane principal to the trans-planer shift which draws souls into Urcaen normally. This sucks in disembodied souls nearby and traps them within its shielded casing. The magically forged metal is present in both the material and the immaterial, and thus prevents the souls dissipating across the planar boundary. A release valve at the top of the cages shifts a number of shielding plates across the sigils and releases the soul energy for use as fuel.
  

Iosan Arcana:

• Impulse Condenser – One of the more commonly seen iosan power sources, this fist sized multi-layered metal sphere is engraved with Shyric glyphs and encased in jade. Each condenser is attuned to different morphic tides of the three moons. It maintains a lower arcane potential than its surroundings when celestial alignment induces increased arcane potential in its locality. This draws energy into its brass lined glass core for later release. This power source is unfortunately only at peak effciecny during the lunar cycle it is attuned to.
• Arcantrik Siphon – One of the larger more powerful devices rumored to be used in the impressive myrmidon jacks. It is made up of a large stack of etched plates plated with gold. This engine absorbs and concentrates the faint background magic created contantly by geological forces in Immoren (the geomatic field). It draws in this latent energy much like its smaller cousin and stabilizes it between the emanations of the plates. The storage cells maintains the necessary osmotic sink to retain influx of magical energy and appear as solid sections of engraved jade.
  
• Phase Transducer - An ancient technology annihilated in the cataclysm which ended the iosan golden era, these devices drew on inter-dimensional friction between Caen and Urcaen to create a potential charge. Much like the other iosan devices, these engines worked by a form of osmotic feedback. Apparently transducers used the vastly differing background potentials that can be found on the trans-dimensional border to condense incredible amounts of energy. So much in fact that it had to be contained within chambers constructed of pure force, like miniature suns. How this wonder was once achieved remains a mystery lost to the fury of the Stormlands.
  

The effective use of the Kommando squads on the battlefields of Immoren sparked a flurry of new devices to be rushed into dedicated military use. Along with flame projectors, mist engines and other weapons of war from the Llaelese workshops; methods of quick insertion have also been seen in the field. The Gaseous Translocation Apparatus is more of a designation that an actual title, as no official blueprints have yet found their way onto the black market. However it is an apt description of its use. It resembles a blunderbuss, with a large funnel-like barrel feeding into a mass of copper piping and a pressurized tank. Gutta Percha hoses feed back under the right arm to a backpack mounted steam plant.

When the secondary mechanikal trigger is activated, the convergence engine built into the weighty launcher target one willing subject the apparatus is pointed toward and causes them and their gear to discorporate into a faintly green gas as per the spell ‘gaseous form‘ (Cl6). The pneumatic vacuum that is activated at the same time, sucks in the gas cloud and stores it within one of the three ammunition spheres. These are lightweight glass spheres bound in copper, with a single pressure valve at their apex. It can store up to three of these sphere in its ammo rack at a time, and once stored in gaseous form the subjects can remain their for 12 minutes before returning to their original form.  Should this happen within the weapon, it is destroyed and the subjects take 1d6 damage. Reloading a rack of three valves is a standard action which requires a Craft: steam engines check (DC 10).  In addition to storing the subjects in this form, the engine also conveys the benefits of the spell ‘mage armor‘ upon each sphere, which protects it in firing and impact from shattering. This whole process draws 3 charges from a connected accumulator per use.

Pulling the trigger will cause a single sphere to be launched via pneumatic pressure towards a target. On landing it is treated as a random grenade-like effect. After firing the pressure valve is disconnected from the system, and the subject in gaseous form can exit the sphere at any time. In this way, heavily armed and armored agents are delivered into secure locations quickly and quietly.  It has been rumored that larger ‘cluster bomb’ versions of these devices are being quietly developed by Khadoran interests in occupied Llaeh for use in their impressive siege artillery, but nothing has yet been proved definitely on that mark.

Pneumatic Launcher:-

* Damage: 1d4
* Range: 50ft
* Critical: x2
* Ammo: 3 glass containers (5gp per container)
* Reload:  1 standard action (craft: steam engines DC 5)
* Pressure: The compression chamber must be fed by a working boiler or steam plant, it takes 1 full round to store enough pressure for 1 shot. The chamber can hold 2 rounds worth of pressure (2 shots). Shots taken with half the necessary pressure, reduce range and damage done by half.
* Weight: 43lb. [encumbering: requires two handed use]
* Cost: 11677gp
* Special: Dispersing [As a full round action, the gun can cause one willing subject to assume gaseous form as per the spell at CL 6. The subject of the effect is then drawn into one of the glass containers via a vacuum effect and stored there. The second iteration applies the effects of mage armor at CL 1 onto the container. ]

The bigger servitors than the manikin servants common to Cygnaran foundries have always been something of a novelty best reserved for the eccentric minority. Most men will cite a warjacks endless durability and reliable firepower over any hulking monstrosity cobbled together by a crackpot in some out of the way workshop. However as this machine attests, there are some mechanists out there that just wont take no for an answer. The chassis is much the same as a medium manikin, a humanoid bipedal design, although heavier set to aid with balance. However its engine has of necessity been retrofitted to accommodate the added entropy of the larger pistons and actuators. As such it requires twice as much coal and water as previously. Its gait can best be described as apelike, hunching forward from its waist socket due to better support its torso cowling.

This particular model has been outfitted as a bodyguard, with two reinforced arms built into a large tower shield on the left, and a Engines East pneumatic Turret gun on the right. Two smaller manipulator arms emerge lower down its torso to aid in manual tasks that its fighting arms are incapable of performing. Its flat clam-shell head has optical tubes embedded in both the back and front, allowing it a full 360 vision and negating flanking bonuses against it. Its large Turret gun is built into the steam engine which powers the servitor, and as such prevents it from moving more than a 5ft step when charging pressure and firing.

This lurching machine also has a party piece likely inspired from the Khadoran devastator. On command the servitor crouches down and pulls in its arms, the Turret gun fitting together with the rubber sealed circular section cut out from its shield; forming a solid whole. Mounted on top of the Turret guns barrel is an additional optical tube to give it full vision in-front when locked in its defencive stance. This stance grants the servitor full cover from the tower shield.  In passing it also grants the servitor a +4 bonus when attempting to squeeze though smaller spaces that its large size would normally allow. However this stance reduces the servitors movement to 10ft and its attack roll by -2 due to the fixed firing position.

Lastly its shield has a small convergence engine bolted on behind it. When activated via its mechanikal trigger, it projects a small power field in-front of the servitor. This field acts like the spell ‘protection from arrows’ (CL 6) granting 10/magic against ranged attacks. It can absorb up to 60 points of damage from non-magical ranged weapons before being dispersed. Any projectile which doesn’t penetrate this damage resistance is returned to its source at its original attack roll and damage. This effect lasts for 1 hour until dispelled or dispersed and draws 2 charges from its accumulator per use (5 uses).

There have been many stepping stones on the road to the modern day revolving barrel guns and belt fed repeaters. Not all mechanisms have received the support of such an overblown budget as the Cygnaran Military. But a few like the sliding breech firing mechanism has lived on in select pieces. The Order of the Golden Crucible has maintained a number of unique weapon patents over the years, the sliding breech, or harmonica gun being one of them. This mechanism uses a set of 6 breech cylinders set into a solid metal slide.

This is inserted in an opening in the breech action of a gun and can be advanced by releasing the camlock, moving the slide by hand. This requires a move action. While the slide is machined with indents to make this process easier, it is not as precise as might be hoped and takes longer to set than the modern revolving barrels. Loading a new slide into the breech takes a full round action. Loading ammo satchels into each of a slides cylinders takes 6 standard actions and requires an overall Craft: small arms check (DC 12).

Nevertheless it maintains a decent rate of fire, usualy 6 shots in under 30 seconds from a skilled user, so a number of small pistols using this mechanism can usually be found lurking in major guild houses. Unlike ordinary breech loaders or revolving barrel guns, a Harmonica pistol cannot be holstered while loaded. The mechanism was never tested on anything larger, and as it fell out of fashion no further advances were made with the design.

Exotic Weapon Harmonica Gun:-

• Damage: 2d4
• Range: 40ft
• Critical: 19-20 x3
• Ammo: 6 small pistol ammo (6gp per round)
• Reload: 1 full round action (new sliding breech)
• Weight: 5lb.
• Cost: 425gp
• Available Upgrades –  Embellishment [10-200gp], Barrel Baffle [40gp], Accuracy Customization [300gp], Extra Machined Sliding Breech [20gp].

The Engines East workshops recently benefited from the acquisition of Simon Blaine, a elderly gunsmith previously in the employ of the Clockwerk Arms gunworks. Blain had worked on plans for clockwerk arms revolving rifles, and had come up with a number of novel ways of achieving a more compact multiple shot device before Burke Radliffe’s revolving barrel design became better known in the Cygnaran long-gunner and trencher firearms. One of these mechanisms was the flat wheel shaped turret rifle. The ammunition was loaded into a flat horizontal wheel with four cylinders bored into it equidistant along its circumference. By pulling back on a small spring loaded lever along the side of the weapon, the wheel would rotate and lock into place, presenting the next satchel for the firing pin. Unfortunately, excessive fouling of the central exchange point lead to misfiring and jams and so the designs were passed over.

This weapon utilizes Blaine’s now patented revolving turret design, but has overcome the fouling problem by removing blasting powder from the equation altogether. The weapon now uses pressurized air from a backpack mounted tank, sacrificing range for reliability. Instead the open wheel system, it now has a central seal valve which the wheel turns around, but locks off all but the desired firing cylinder. Most remarkable however is its ammunition.

Instead of a solid slug the turret gun fires stabilized rivet rounds, a weaponized version of those used by the Vladovar Plategun used on ironclad ships on the Merrdius. Designed to house a small packed charge of blasting powder, the impact of the squared steel head of the rivet on a solid surface causes a small pin to fire backward into the charge piercing its separating membrane. The rivet then self-peens into whatever it has struck, often with gruesome results when used on a living target. Indeed it was the stopping power of this ammunition that Engines East wanted to harness, but firing the rivets with blasting powder was deemed to risky. For if the rivet where to self-peened inside the barrel it would ruin whatever weapon it was fired from. The long cylinder chamber of the revolving turret wheel proved ideal for the task, providing a smooth launch with a compressed gas system and providing passable accuracy.

The turret wheel is far larger than its previous applications, holding no less that 4 rivet rounds at a time (cylinders across the radius). But it is extremely weighty, so much so that it has to be hauled about two handed and the boiler housed on a large backpack harness connected by a gutta-percha pressure tube. The main trigger grip is a heavy duty steel pistol grip with a small wire stock, and the lever is mounted offset to the left on the top of the wheel, acting as the second vertical grip.  It is a swift action to squeeze & ratchet the lever grip 90 degrees and back to its locked firing position. This rotates the turret wheel into a new firing position and then seals the valve airtight as the lever grip locks back into place. Loading a single rivet round into the wheel before rotating it into position takes a standard action but requires no skill check. There are always four cylinder slots open to the air on either side of the wheel facing diagonally forward toward the barrel. The rest slide behind the semicircular metal guard which houses the rear of the wheel turret.

For the purposes of riveting objects together, treat rivets fired from the Turret Gun as rivets from a Vladovar Plategun (No Quarter #8).

Exotic Weapon Turret Gun:-

• Damage: 1d10
• Range: 30ft
• Critical: x4
• Ammo: 4 explosive rivet rounds (4gp per rivet)
• Reload: 1 standard action
• Pressure: The compression chamber must be fed by a working boiler or steam plant, it takes 1 full round to store enough pressure for 1 shot. The chamber can hold 2 rounds worth of pressure (2 shots). Shots taken with half the necessary pressure, reduce range and damage done by half.
• Weight: 60lb. [encumbering: two handed use only]
• Cost: 560gp
• Special: Pinning [If the target of a explosive rivet round is standing within 5ft of a solid object or wall along the line of fire, they must make a reflex save DC14 or become pinned. -4 Dexterity, -2 to Attack rolls, cannot move. Removing the offending rivet takes a Strength check (DC20) and does an additional 1d6 damage to the target . A successful Heal check (DC 15 + damage) removes the rivet without further damage.]
• Available Upgrades –  Embellishment [10-200gp], Two-stage compressor (2 shots worth of pressure per round) [575gp], Cut-off Valve Tanks (can store only 1 rounds worth of pressure, can continue to charge pressure while firing) [1500gp].

From the cutting edge of Cygnaran ballistics technology comes a self-propelled ammunition charge the likes of which have yet to be perfected by any other nation on Immoren. Originally created to the design specification of Captain Kara Sloan soon after her promotion, it remains a military secret and only select gunworks, including the Steelwater Armory have been in trusted with the blueprints. The basic layout utilizes the thermal lance produced by an unfettered accumulator as a propellant to circumvent the laws of ballistic velocity. This allows a relatively small rifle to fire a round with the same momentum and impact values as a small cannon. However this requires the re-tooling of the weapon in question to accommodate the higher caliber round, and resist the initial flare of raw magic, as well as initiating a controlled rupture in the first place. The designs so far have not been successfully tested on anything smaller than a long rifle and with no lesser metals than magelock steel, alloyed serricsteel, or pure serricsteel. The first because magelock metal channels the initial arcane backwash, and the second and third due to the strength and ductility of the material.

The rounds are based around a standard accumulator, with its screw valve release replaced with a circular iris shutter. When fired the round does not explode from the gun, but rather accelerates towards its target after leaving the barrel. This increases the damage die used by the weapon up by one (such as 2d8 becomes 2d10, or 2d6 becomes 2d8). The accumulator sheds one charge per 100ft until expended, at which point it rapidly loses velocity, traveling an additional 10ft per 100ft traveled before its trajectory buries it in the ground. If the shell impacts on a solid surface before all the charges are expended, the remaining charges are expended as per an accumulator explosion detailed in the IKCG (p376) in a 5ft radius. The rounds are treated as quenched serricsteel for the purposes of overcoming damage resistance & hardness.

Due to the extreme temperatures it is subjected to, a serricsteel or serricsteel alloy barrel suffers a -2 penalty to accuracy after 3 consecutive shots and a cumulative 10% chance the weapon will jam.  If a jam occurs the barrel of the gun is ruined, and must be replaced. A magelock barrel being used by a gunmage does not suffer these penalties for firing, as the gunmage can channel the excess arcane bleed off away from the gun with a concentration check (DC  15). A failed concentration check causes 1 point of non-lethal damage per charge in the accumulator round when fired.

Gun Customization, accumulator round firing mechanism:-

• Cost: triple base firearm cost for retooling and the new firing mechanism
• Ammunition: 600gp per round
• Restrictions: rifles or larger, blueprints a cygnaran military secret, rounds must be created using an accumulator.
• Craft DC: 30

The invention of the arcano-dynamic accumulator revolutionised modern mechanika, but save for the mysterious nexus devices kept under careful regard by the Cult of Cyriss the accumulator remains a potential hazard for the unprepared. Even a clumsy fitting can release a spear of raw magical energy, hot enough to sear through flesh like a torch. But most of all, the volatility imparted to the alchemical fluids by a dispel attempt or deliberate rupturing has left many a mechnika toting hero with less limbs than they started. Enter the Handerson quick-release, a relatively simple device but with great potential for saving lives and expensive equipment. This is an upgrade to a trickle, charge or hybrid socket which changes the manner in which the accumulator is fitted. For a start a powerful spring is fitted to the central channel, and the screw & bolt fitting is replaced with a curious grooved snap-lock connection. This increases the DC required to fit an accumulator to the socket safely by +2, as it is far less secure than the normal connection. However if a small insert button is pressed as an immediate action, the accumulator detaches from its socket and is launched out at considerable speed. Treat its trajectory as a random grenade-like effect traveling 15ft from point of origin. Interestingly enough, using this release on charged accumulator in an upgraded trickle or hybrid socket will result in its rupture as per a failed check in any case. Handy if your looking for a really expensive, and vastly inaccurate last ditch weapon.

Socket Upgrade, Quick Release:-

• Install DC: 18
• XP Cost: 10xp
• Base Cost: double the cost of the socket
• Ability: launch accumulator from socket 15ft as a random grenade-like effect (immediate action)

One of the many additions perfected by the tinkering mechanist’s of the Kingdoms, this pattern blueprint has become something of a standard amongst the more advanced in their craft. This is in short a Arcane Condenser stripped down to its bare essentials and bolted within the chassis of the servitor in question. Additional wire conducting is required to link up the cerebral matrix to the arcanik dynamos and ionic coils but otherwise the device remains the same. However this upgrade is only capable of functioning on a servitor bonded to a Mechanist of sufficient power and learning, indeed building and installing one of these devices is often a mark of achievement amongst that eccentric group. Specifically this device allows a bonded servitor to channel touch spells through its cerebral matrix and recharge any accumulators it has installed. This includes inbuilt weapon power sources and its own power source, if it is powered by a Novotski Accumulo-inducer. For a Mechanist of sufficient level (eg. high enough to grant bonded servitors the ‘channel touch spells’ ability, or capable of Omnipresence) this means they can recharge a servitor remotely by sacrificing touch spells as if they were channeling those spells through a familiar.

Servitor Enhancement, remote condenser:-

• Build DC: 20
• Install DC: 22
• XP Cost: 30
• Base Cost: 3000 (plus 500 per connected accumulator)
• Weight: 9lb.
• Ability: can channel touch spells into accumulator charges.

Many odd and inexplicable technological artifacts have been dug from the crimson sands of the Bloodstone desert since the publication of Professor Pendrake’s journals revealed the many buried cities which scatter this deadly expanse of land at the continents heart. One particular expedition to the buried city of Osslarys recovered a number of artifacts whose purpose was apparently mechanikal but lacked any of the thumping pistons and sparking convergence engines of western technology. Many of the original members of the expedition are tight-lipped about the exact details, but tales of great subterranean caverns filled with ‘living’ machines still redolent with arcane power has inspired many a future venture out into the draining wastes. What was recovered was dubbed Arcanika for want of a better term, and no doubt due to the unmistakable elven designs on many of the objects. Most of them returned to Corvis for examination but a few have surfaced on the open market, likely due to the light fingered Red Shield mercenaries employed as guards.

Torn from some of the strange living devices deep within Osslarys haunted tunnels, these artifacts appear remarkably similar to the arcane induction cables used in modern mechanika. A few tests on this regard proved that they can indeed transmit an arcane current along their length. However one remarkable difference in these silvery lengths of cable is that save for the connections at either end, they are remarkably resilient to damage. Indeed there where attempts to cut up some of the larger cables for ease of transport, which failed utterly. Only the few serricsteel cutters the expedition had brought along could slice them apart. However the truly amazing property of these lengths of metal was only discovered after one had finally been parted. Each severed section had been left within the baking desert sunlight along with the rest of the baggage train. Within a matter of minutes each severed cable end had reattached to its fellow, extending hundreds of thin filaments and slowly twisting their sheared fibers back into a solid and functional whole.

Despite the scientific wonder these items represented the use to which they were eventually put to on the journey back to Corvis was far more prosaic. One of the more gungho members of the mercenary team, having lost his armor to the acidic secretions of a device in Osslarys decided to wrap several lengths of the cable around himself as makeshift protection from the Bloodstone’s hazards. Over the course of several weeks travel the cables slowly grew and bonded around the luckless mercenary until they became impossible to remove. While this was unnerving it was certainly effective, saving the man from certain death when he stumbled into range of a aggressive manticora plant. Unfortunately one night close to the outskirts of Ternon Crag the man was discovered in his tent suffocated by his own impromptu armor. It was only when the Fraternal Order wizards back in Corvis examined some of the overgrown cables, that they discovered that running an arcane charge along there length returned the artifacts to their original state.

Light Armor, Lyoss Cable:-

• AC: +1 (see special)
• Max Dex: +4
• Armor Check: -1 (see special)
• DR: -3/serricsteel
• Hardness: 20
• HP: 15
• Weight: 12lb.
• Cost: rare archaeological find
  
• Special: As long as the cable is exposed to 8 hours of sunlight per day it can regenerate its HP at a rate of 1hp per round unless completely destroyed. Its AC, Weight and Armor Check Penalty also increases by 1 point per day of exposure (max +10/-10/22lb.). After the armor reaches AC +8 it cannot be removed save by reducing it to half HP (a process which is certainly hazardous to the wearer). If the check penalty ever equals or exceeds the wearers strength score they become immobile and begin to suffocate 1d10 minutes later as the armor crushes them. If an arcane current is passed along the cable it reduces its AC, Weight and Check Penalty by 1 point per spell level.

Mechanikal Componant, Lyoss Cable:-

• Use: can be used as an Arcano-coduction Coil
• Hardness: 20
• HP: 15
• Weight: 2lb.
• Cost: rare archaeological find
• Special: As long as the cable is exposed to 8 hours of sunlight per day it can regenerate its HP at a rate of 1hp per round unless completely destroyed. This allows it to automatically reconnect a convergence engine separated from its emission device without any intervention. Should the two pieces of a severed cable be removed more than 30ft from each other, each cable end will replicate the missing length rather than attempt to reconnect. A length of cable can only perform this ‘cloning’ effect once per week without dangerously compromising its structure.
  

[note: lyoss cables do not regenerate, grow or conduct arcane charges if cut off from ambient magic, such as within an 'anti-magic' field or suppressed by 'dispel magic'.]

This is one of the latest in the Caernstone range of personal protective gear, this slim circular targe packs a good amount of mechnika under its deceptively mundane exterior. Mainly marketed in the citys of the Cygnarian south near Caspia it retained its popularity with the Llaelese before the Khadorian annexation, and has since filtered into Ord as most things do. Behind the steel outer facing is a tightly packed arcano-conductive coil wired to conduited emitters and inset lodestones. The arm attachment is more complicated than the usual double strap or hand-bar of other shields, instead this targe has a thick wrap-around bracelet clasp which holds the conductive cable in place and runs it discreetly down the wearers arm to a belt mounted convergence engine. Mounted on the inside surface of this arm clasp is the mechnikal trigger for the device which allows the whole mechanism to be triggered as a swift action, its power remaining active for 1 round before disengaging, [this device takes up a bracer slot].

When activated the flat surface of the targe produces a powerful magnetic attraction, ferrous metal objects impacting on it become stuck and require a Strength check [DC 24] to remove. Once a metallic object (usually a knife or sword blade) has become entrapped this way, the feedback from the connected metal object triggers the second plate; targeting the object with a ‘shatter‘ spell effect. Any non-magical object up to 40lb. in weight can be destroyed in this manner (the entire process draws 3 charges from an attached accumulator per use). The unobservant, or badly informed will miss the mechnikal nature of this device and lose their weapon in the process.

Here is the crafting table from Steam Warriors, I personally like this method of combining functions to create effects (as will the ones I picked out for cerebral matrix add-ons, prices will likely vary):-

Air Generator: 70gp | 10 lb. [An air generator is simply a pressurized metal tank that stores and dispenses breathable air. A single air generator can provide enough air to sustain one medium creature for one hour. It has a single gauge at the release valve to indicate the remaining pressure within. This duration is doubled for each size category the creature is smaller than medium, and halved for each it is larger.]

Automator: 200gp | 1/2 object [An automator is a collection of springs, coils and bolts that can be used to automate another device, allowing it to perform a task of up to three simple steps. The other device must be something that lacks the parts needed to do the task at hand. ]

Autoforge: 1000gp | 20 lb. [This complicated apparatus resembles a gutted mechanical spider. It is heated by coal and cooled with a water supply. It contains a set of articulated mechanical arms, hammers and an anvil surface. The autoforge can produce a single type of armor, tool or other weapon, and functions as if it had 10 ranks in the related Craft (armorer, blacksmith, or weaponsmith) skill. Since it is without intelligence, the total check is +10. Although it works continuously, it only produces the same amount as a smith working at a forge. It takes a week and costs 100gp to retool a forge to make something else. An autoforge cannot make masterwork items unless it has a discriminator. Adding additional automators and tools to the autoforge reduces the the time it takes to make an object by 5%. The time cannot be reduced further than 50%] <requires a cerebral matrix to function>

Balloon: 10gp | 3 lb.  [A balloon is a large expanding container in which air or liquid can be stored, a medium balloon can hold 100 quarts of material, inflating a balloon without mechanical assistance requires 10 minutes. Using billows reduces the base time to 1 minute. A balloon can also be used as a flotation device. If filled with air or some other gas that is lighter than water, a balloon will hold an object of 200 pounds afloat. When combined with a heat-producing object, a balloon can be turned into a hot-air balloon.  A hot air balloon can safely raise or lower itself 10 feet per round and can raise 100 pounds of weight. These values double for every increase in size above medium. A balloons surface hardness is 3, any damage that penetrates this deflates it.]

Billows: 5gp | 3 lb. [A billows mixes air with a pumps output to create clouds. A billows converts a normal attack into a cone with a range equal to its previous edge. The cone's width at its furthest point is equal to its range.]

Boiler: 40gp | 20 lb. [A boiler increases the force that the steam engine can exert. It makes physical outputs of the steam engine more powerful. A steam engine with a boiler can generate twice the force it previously could. This doubles the weight it can support and the strength of any attacks. For example, a boiler allows the steam engine to turn a rotor arm of twice the normal length. Boilers can be stacked, within reason and space. Their effects accumulate arithmetically, not exponentially. Each boiler requires fueling to function.]

Clockwork Locks: simple (DC 20) 40gp, average (DC 25) 80gp, good (DC 30) 160gp, superior (DC 40) 300gp. | 1 lb. [A clockwork lock uses hydraulics and interlocking gears to interfere with a devices proper functioning, unless the required key is used. Restrictions on a locking device can shut down the entire thing or just one aspect of its function, This is determined on creation and cannot be altered. Every additional mechanism combined with a clockwork lock (such as an identifier) increases the Disable Device DC by 10 to a maximum of twice the locks DC.]

Heat-sink: 100gp | 2 lb. [Tubes of air-cooled water, vents, gear driven fans, or corrugated metal grills help the device bleed excess heat faster. The cooler grants the device and its contents a +4 bonus on saving throws against heat and fire effects.]

Dehumidifier: 20gp | 30 lb. [A dehumidifier uses 100gp worth of extremely fine silk to pull moisture from the air. In normal conditions, it produces half a pint of water each hour. In rainy conditions, this is doubled in arid conditions, this is halved. In extremely dry areas, the rate may be quartered. Although a steam-powered dehumidifier may make little sense, keep in mind that many steam engines are powered by materials other than water. Moreover, even a water powered dehumidifier produces more moisture than it consumes.]

Diffuser: 10gp | 1 lb. [A diffuser is a small device that takes any sort of energy output and distributes it in weaker form over a large area. A diffuser attached to a pilot light, for example, would provide comfortable heat over a 20ft by 20ft area. A water generator combined with a diffuser fills an area with a fine mist. Or even aerate a water tank using a air generator.]

Exchanger: 60gp | 20 lb. [An exchanger is used to exchange one substance for another. The most common exchange is to swap air and water, often to empty an area of water and fill it with air. This effect can be used to drain flooded areas or to create an airlock system. An exchanger neither creates nor destroys air and water, it merely moves it from one place to another. It can move a 5ft cube of material over the course of a minute. ]

Expander: 500gp | 1/6 weight of subject [The expander makes an item larger. The expander is some-what easier to install than a folder, but it also cannot be removed without its destruction. A single expander can affect an object of up to medium size; two expanders are needed to affect a Large object, for for a Huge object and so on. When the expander is activated, it causes the affected object to become one size level larger. This does not increase the devices mass, so an equipped device comes with some additional weight to retain structural integrity, objects with an expander weight 15-% more than normal. Expanding a medium device or smaller takes a full round action, increasing by one full round action per increase in size from medium.]

Extender: 100gp | 5lb. [Whether by concentric hydraulics, folding joints, or overlapping plates of metal, an extender allows the device to which it is attached to unfurl to a reach of 10ft as a standard action. Additional extenders increase reach by another 10ft each but double the weight and time to reach full extent.]

Fan: 30gp | 10 lb. [Built of a rotating set of blades, fans are able to direct air currents within a limited area. They can be used to disperse clouds of dust, smoke, or similar materials and direct them in a specific location. When a fan is placed, its direction must be decided. Once it is placed, any gas, fog, or smoke in squares directly or diagonally in front of the squares is busted back one 5ft square. Beyond this range the wind created by the fan is not strong enough to move the gas further. Increasing the size of the fan increases its facing, the number of squares it affects, and pushes the fog back 5ft further, meaning a Large fan will push 15ft.  Gusts generated by a fan is considered a moderate wind for the purpose of dispelling obscuring mist and similar effects. If a fan is attached to a flying or floating vehicle, it will move that vehicle forward 5ft per round, increasing 5ft by size as above. A fin must be attached to it to direct the effect however.]

Filter: 50gp | 1 lb. [This small device removes impurities from an element. Attached to a face mask, this can provide a +4 fortitude bonus vs inhaled poisons and diseases. Applied to a source of water, it can filter out impurities from the liquid in order to make it safe to drink. This excludes corrosives and poisons, but can make dirty or waste contaminated water potable.]

Fin Apparatus: 35gp | 8 lb. [A fin apparatus has a variety of functions. It can be used to steer any sort of aerial or submersible vessel. It can also be used to direct the current of energy from a device (excluding sonic). Multiple fins can be combined to create an S shaped flow.]

Flywheel: 280gp | 3 lb. [A flywheel is a series of cogs and gears with teeth of different measurements. The flywheel can be used to speed up the functioning of any other device. A device fitted with a flywheel operates twice as fast as normal. This doesn't affect power output or damage, nor does it let the character gain an extra attack. It only improves the speed of objects that move or require a specified amount of time to function. No more than one flywheel can be fitted to each device.]

Folder: 2000gp | 1/6 of object [The folder is an apparatus of springs, pipes and joints that can be especially fitted for a construct or mechanical object. When activated, a folder will compress the object it is built into, compacting it and sliding components together until it is much smaller than it started out. It effectively reduces it by one size incriment, the device can no longer function when folded. Folding an object takes one full round per size increment above medium.]

Fuel Tank/Hopper: 10gp | 6 lb. [A fuel tank/hopper increases the length of opperation time available for items. By increasing the size of the fuel tank/hopper, the amount of fuel and thus the length of use doubles, as does the cost and weight of the fuel tank.]

Gearbox: 50gp | 4 lb. [A gearbox is a set of changeable gears, ranging from the small to the large. They transform the ratio of power in a physical action, such as a melee attack. A small gear makes the device move slower and steadier, providing more accuracy. A large gear provides tremendous power, but the resulting action is fast, shaky, and less accurate. The device can add or subtract up to 5 (but no more than the user's bab) from its base attack bonus and apply that to damage for melee weapons. Once an amount is chosen, it cannot be changed until the gear are changed. Changing gears is a movement action. A discriminator allows the gearbox to change once per round as a free action. Each flywheel increases the amount you may change or increase by another 2.]

Springs: 20gp | 10 lb. [A large set of springs that can be used to boost a creatures ability to jump or cushion a creatures fall. Two springs must be used for medium creatures, this doubles for every size increase. Springs may be in two states, compressed or open. While compressed, the springs can be activated as part of a Jump check to gain a +4 bonus. Compressing the springs again requires a full-round action. When uncompressed, springs can be used to reduce falling damage, By making a Tumble check (DC 10), the wearer can orient the springs down and reduce falling damage by 1d6. Objects without a dexterity score can benefit from this if they are purposefully dropped in such a fashion that they land on the springs. Doubling the number of springs doubles the bonus gained and the falling damage reduction, but the number of springs can only be doubled three times before the item can hold no more.]

Hydraulic Arm: 100gp | 15 lb. [A hydraulic arm can be any manner of mechanical device that performs a single movement with great power, such as bending metal beams, hammering with nails , or breaking wood into smaller pieces. when a hydraulic arm is constructed, it must be designed to perform a single task, which it does with a Strength of 20. The hydraulic arm may be built for use in combat, but it suffers a -4 penalty to attack rolls due to its awkward shape and rough controls.]

Pilot Light: 120gp | 6 lb. [The device produces a tiny flame, the flame cannot be extinguished unless it is submerged or cut off from a supply of oxygen. The flame is too small to be used as a light source; it illuminates only a 5ft by 5ft area. It must be connected to a flammable liquid or gaseous fuel source to remain lit, and can in turn light inflammable materials it comes into contact with. It is however to small to deal more that 1 point of fire damage in melee.]

Pump: 35gp | 2 lb. [Adding a pump allows the steam engines output to be directed into different devices, or for reservoirs of liquid or gas to be projected into or out of an area.  This item needs to be powered to function.]

Rotor Arm: 500gp | 10 lb. [A rotor arm is a metal rod that rotates. A normal steam engine can support a steel rod up to 5ft in length. The rotor arm can rotate at various speeds. At its highest settings, the rotor arm has a number of uses. Held in front of a character it can cause 1d8 damage on a successful attack, although it has a -4 penalties to use due to its unwieldy nature. A shaped rotor arm can also provide a crude form of  lift. A normal rotor arm can lift 40 pounds at a speed of 40ft per round with clumsy maneuverability.]

Release Valve: 15gp | 2 lb. [A release valve is a small device that activates other steam powered devices when certain criteria are met. This is most commonly used as a safety shutdown for high pressure boilers, venting the steam if it reaches dangerous levels.]

Seal: 5gp | 0.5 lb. [A gutta-percha seal can be used to stop the escape or entry of gases or liquids. Each use of a seal can secure one medium device or point of entry from either all gases or all liquids. Used on a device, this can protect the inner workings of the device from damage by water or other substances. A seal breaks down when exposed to extreme environments such as acids, corrosive gases, lava and other similar substances.]

Spring Winder: 200gp | 5 lb. [Spring winders are added to devices that run off clockwork power. Once installed, the spring winder may be activates as a swift action, boosting the host devices physical abilities by +4 and increasing the host's movement by +10ft. These bonuses last for ten rounds and may only be used once per day. for devices that don't have physical abilities, the spring winder doubles the power of a clockwork device for 1 minute, much in the same fashion as a boiler does for steam-powered devices.]

Stabilizer: 75gp | 25 lb. [A stabilizer provides extra balance to an object or person through a gyroscope and a series of small lead weights. The stabilizer provides a +4 Balance checks, and a +4 bonus to resisting bull rushes and similar attacks. In addition, the device cancels circumstantial attack penalties of up to -4 causes by high winds, unstable ground, or other situations related to poor balance.]

Steam Jet: 50gp | 15 lb. [A steam jet produces an extremely high pressure burst of steam, which can be used as a rudimentary propulsion system for the short time that the wearer stays in the air. A single steam jet will allow a medium creature to fly with a speed of 10ft and poor maneuverability for ten rounds. Alternately, if attached to a Medium water craft of flying device, the speed of the vehicle may be increased by 10ft for one minute by using a steam jet. Anyone in the square immediately behind an active steam jet is dealt 1d12 points of fire damage, reflex save (DC 14) for no damage.]

Water Generator: 45gp | 12 lb. [A water generator is a one-gallon water reservoir connected to a mechanical distributor. Multiple water generators can be combined to allow a larger reservoir. Alone a water generator is little more than a mechanical canteen.]