Index < Deadlands
Design Quirks originally written by Robert Weiland
special thanks to Paul Lalumondier and Everett Proctor
Taken from Dr. Julius Pendelton's Seminar of The New Science, Boston, Massachusetts, March 1877: "To many purveyors of our craft, Science is not merely the study and application of the formulae and reasoning we hold dear. It is also a form of self-expression. We are artists of reason, expressing our love through the creative and wonderful devices powered by ghost rock and genius. I can not look on Dr.Hellstromme's automated men, Dr. Spencer's Tick Repellent, or even the Lightning Kid's lightning thrower and not be awed at how far we have come in such a short span of time. Or, for that matter, how far we have to go."
A Mad Scientist's chief weaponry against the horrors of the Weird West is the device inspired by demons and powered by ghost rock. These creations bend the laws of science but generally don't break them. However, new scientists may have trouble creating blueprints that can push those boundaries of science to entertaining (and perhaps deadly) levels. Players playing these geniuses may be happy with the gadgets in the main rules and Smith and Robards but they will eventually want to design their own devices, foiled by being unable to draw the necessary cards. While hucksters learn more hexes while becoming more powerful at old ones and gunslingers rise from the grave with powers from Hell itself, a Scientist may find herself stuck with the same old flame-thrower. To fix this problem, a Scientist may want to incorporate Design Quirks into the blueprint of the device. Much as Hindrances act to give characters extra points as well as color to the character by showing some of his flaws. Quirks do the same to devices, making research, design, and construction easier while giving the device a little flair.
A device can have up to 10 points of Quirks. These points can be used in three ways.
1) For each point invested in Research, the player can draw an extra card during he blueprint phase to help achieve the hand needed. Extra cards make getting the hand easier but also make it more likely for manitous to strike.
2) For each point invested in Design, the player lowers the TN of the Construction roll by 1.
3) The player may divide the construction time by the number of points invested in Construction.
Example: The Lightning Kid, the famous 'Gunslinger of Reason', wants to design a new device. He wants to design a pair of shock gloves to use when his lightning cannon fails him. He looks over the list of Design Quirks and sees two that he likes: Wailin' and Rusty. Racket means the gloves emit a high-pitched whine when they're turned on and Rusty means they are susceptible to damage when contacted with water. He receives 3 points total for these Quirks. He puts one point towards Research and two to Design. When he draws his cards for the blueprint, he will draw one extra card in addition to any cards received from raises. If he can build the device, his difficulty to do so will be at -2.
Following are the list of Design Quirks a Mad Scientist can introduce into their inventions. As always the Marshal can disallow, modify, and add any Quirks as he sees fit. Most of the Quirks are meant to be added to either mechanical or ghost rock powered devices but an observant Marshal should be able to pick out which ones would work for something stationary like armor and which ones wouldn't.
Brain Surgeon: 2
As in you'd need to be one to understand the controls of the device. This thing has more levers than a gambling parlor and most scientists don't leave an instruction book handy. If you don't know how to work the darn thing, you must make a Hard (9) Smarts check. Other scientists are able to figure out which button does what a little easier; their difficulty is Fair (5).
Design Flaw: 1-3
The major function of the device is unable to work against a certain type of situation. A steam wagon might be unable to get any traction in sand or a suit of armor might melt under the heat of a flame-thrower. The points received for this Quirk depend on whether the substance is common or uncommon. -1 Uncommon (A flame-thrower is ineffective against ghost rock, A Velocipede can't traverse rocky and uphill terrain) -3 Common (A suit of armor melts under heat, an autogyro's wings might be susceptible to bullets)
Don't Touch That!: 1/2
Somewhere on the device is" an area that is vital to its operation, such as a cut-off valve, a lever to flush the ghost rock boiler with coolant, or, in many cases, a candy red button that destroys the device. If this area is hit, switched, or affected in any way, bad things happen. A person engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the device's user can hit the area by making an opposed roll. -1: If the button is pushed, the scientist must immediately make a Reliability roll. He must continue making Reliability rolls once per round until he resets the settings or he fails the roll. -2: As above, but each Reliability roll after the first is at a cumulative -2 penalty.
Forgery: 2
Scientists are very competitive about their designs. Fights have broken out at patent offices over whose foot warmer was first that make Bull Run look like a tiff at a quilting bee. On the flip side of that coin, many scientists order items from Smith and Robards and take them apart to figure out how S&R did it. You are one of these less-that-scrupulous hombres. The points you get from this Quirk can only be used to get more cards or modify the construction time. As a matter of fact, the TN for the Construction roll goes up by two since you don't have a blueprint to work from to build the first gadget!
FRA-GEE-LAY: 5
It must be Italian Laboratories are clean, controlled environments where inventions can be tested and tested till they're ready for use in the field. Sadly, your contraption could use a little more testing. Anytime your device is in less than perfect conditions (extreme temperatures, dropped in a river, used as an impromptu club, etc.) the Marshal can call for a malfunction roll. Since the west is a rough and tumble place, this can be pretty often. On the upside, if the device doesn't break, you do get to draw a Fate Chip.
Hoodoo: 1-3
With the way some inventions get slapped together, they often seem to have a mind of their own. Like an ornery horse, you need to coax it with a kind word.. .or a kick in the side. The points correspond to how involved the ritual you need to perform must be before the device works. 1: Minor (pull the starter cord three times) 2: Major (restart the steam wagon every 5 turns) 3: Arcane (replace the mechanism after each use)
Infernal Contraption: 1/3/5
When the manitous whispered their revelations into your ear, they brought some of their weather with them. While it's engaged, your device radiates enough heat to fry eggs, steaks, and maybe even people. Level Wind Damage per Round: 1 ld4 2 2d6 3 3d8
Giddyup: 1
Most times all it takes is a flick of the switch and you're roastin' zombies. The settings on your gizmo have to be just right, so getting it started requires a Fair (5) tinkerin' roll.
Guzzler: 3
Whether it's ghost rock, oil, or bullets, your device goes through something like a saloon gal goes through dance cards. Whenever you use your device, roll an additional d6 along with any damage and/or malfunction roll. If you roll a 1 on that dice, the gadget has guzzled the last scrap of whatever it uses and needs more. It won't function until you throw more fuel on the fire.
Hunk o' Junk: 1-3
Most smarty-pants types spend more time pushing papers than punching cows and they design their gizmos with that in mind. Either you got a little meat on your bones or you need to learn to make your designs a bit more lightweight. If you're device is a hunk o' junk, a minimum Strength die type is required to use it properly. Level Die required: 1=d4 2=d6 3=d8
Make It Stop!: 1
Most times an off switch is a very important detail in a design. You apparently aren't concerned with details. To turn off your device you have to make a Fair (5) tinkerin' roll
Miscalculations: 1-5
Math whizzes usually abound in scientific circles but you were too busy snoozin' in class or dreaming up your Obliteratron Cannon. As such, the precise math calculations on your blueprint are a bit off. The level this Quirk is taken at negatively modifies any skill rolls required to use your device. If you have shootin':0bliteratron with Miscalculations of 2, all shootin' rolls are at -2.
Parts Is Parts: 3
Sometimes you have to make do with what's around the lab. Not every component is made of sturdy materials and constant maintenance is a problem for designs with this Quirk. If the Scientist doesn't spend at least an hour cleaning and maintaining the device, the Reliability goes down by 2 for each day this maintenance is not performed.
Pop the Clutch: 1-5
Mad science is not for devices with push-button quickness. Machines may have to literally built up steam before they can function properly and that pause before your Gatling rifle starts up may be the difference killin' the walking dead and possibly becoming one of the non-moving kind. For each level of this Quirk taken, the device is unable to function properly for that many rounds after it is activated. The machinery is slowly getting up to speed to perform and trying to work it during the 'warp up' period is a risky proposition. The user must spend an action and make a tinkerin' roll with an Hard (9) difficulty with +1 difficulty for each round wished to be shaved off the warm up. Failure means the action is wasted, success means the device can be operated normally (and in the same round with a +4 difficulty). Going' bust means the posse may want to look away from the malfunction their scientist is about to have.
Rusty: 2
Water covers three quarters of the planet. It waters crops, quenches thirst, and is the place were life began on the planet...at least according to most of those high-falutin' types. It also damages your device if it comes in contact with it. Whether it's a rainstorm or a brief dip in the river due to a klutzy cowpoke, it will require an Onerous (7) tinkerin' roll to get working again.
Smokestack: 1
When you get your device humming, it looks like you've got a big ol' cigar strapped to your back. Black smoke belches from your device while its working and causes +2 to all sight-based Cognition checks.
Spit & Bailing Wire: 2
You may be nuts, but you're contraption seems to be missing a few here and there. While it can hold together pretty well, any sudden jolts to the thing, such as dropping it down a cliff or using it as a club to put down a Devil Bat when you've run out of ammo, cause it to break. To get it in working order again, you must make an Onerous (7) tinkerin' roll.
Unique: 5
There are many unique and strange devices in the Weird West, but you have the only one of this design. Whether through an accident in the lab, a misplaced satchel, or an overdeveloped sense of paranoia combined with a supply of matches, you no longer have the blueprints to the device you have built. As such, if it is ever lost or destroyed, you must go through the entire construction process all over again.
Wailin': 1
Your device makes more noise than a donkey riding a bicycle in desperate need of oil. Because it causes so much noise, all sound based Cognition checks are at +2 difficulty as well as any stealth checks.
Wheel o' Fortune: 1/3
You pay your money and you take your chances. The weapon you've built is very erratic in its performance. Sometimes you'll pull the trigger and send the hombre on the business end on a one way trip to the Moon. Other times you'll barely be able to fan him on a hot day. Level Damage: 1 Set a die type when building the device. When fired, draw a card From the Action Deck and use its suit to determine the number of dice. 3 Draw an Action Card from the deck and use the suit and value to determine the damage as if it were a card drawn for character creation. Red Jokers have strange effects as always. For the first level, draw a second card and use it, but add an additional dl2 to the damage. For the third level, draw another card and double the dice (i.e. 2dl2 becomes 4dl2). Black Jokers cause an automatic malfunction on both levels.