Last time, I talked about how technology’s feel compares to the flavor of other similar classes. This week, I’m going to focus more on mechanics, and how a technological character works from the perspective of a player.

Balancing technology is tricky work. On the one hand, it doesn’t have to be a limited resource like magic: in the real world, we use technology all the time, and its power is seemingly unlimited. This is a far cry from the wizard who begins his career being able to throw magic missile two or three times a day. However, allowing technology this sort of free reign would rapidly throw the balance of the game out of whack.

Fortunately, there was a rather simple solution. Technology as presented in SteamWorks is not ubiquitous - it is either relatively new or recently rediscovered. As such, only the knowledgeable can make use of technology, and even then, the devices the technological character makes use of are not always guaranteed to work. Even if technology in your setting is everywhere, the small chance of failure for technology makes sense: not everything works perfectly every time.

To use their devices, technological characters must ready them; a readied device has a set number of charges, which can be used freely. Each time a device is used, it has a chance to fail; a malfunctioned device must be repaired before it can be used again (even if it has charges remaining), while a device that functions has a slightly higher chance to malfunction the next time it is used. The resources a technological character uses to ready devices are also used to repair and recharge them, leading to a bit of a balancing act on the part of the player in the event of an extended adventure: repairing and recharging devices means that you have less available firepower for that day.

The resources to use their devices that a technological character uses are usable only once a day, much like a wizard’s preparation of spells. Like a wizard, not all of the character’s resources have to be spent in one go, meaning that you can hold resources in reserve to repair or recharge devices after a major fight.

In playtesting, the technologist (one of the technological classes presented in SteamWorks) has proven to be quite useful, effectively able to replace a wizard but with a feel of its own, throwing grenades instead of magic missiles.

Technology as per SteamWorks takes a little getting used to, not only in terms of feel, but also in terms of game mechanics. However, the end result is a mechanical system for technology that reinforces the idea that it is not magic, while retaining balance with existing "caster" classes.

It’s the end of an era for Silven Publishing, but the beginning of a new partnership with 12 to Midnight. In light of Silven Publishing’s closing this month, the company has chosen 12 to Midnight to continue stewardship of their titles. Needless to say, we at 12 to Midnight are excited and honored to have been chosen to carry forward Silven Publishing’s work. The titles will be listed under a new "Silven Crossroads" imprint in 12 to Midnight’s catalog. With the name change, Silven returns to its roots. Silven Crossroads was the name of Silven’s online gaming community in its earlier incarnation, and now the name will serve as 12 to Midnight’s banner for outstanding fantasy titles.

Silven Crossroads titles will be available at 12 to Midnight’s own Midnight Cellar, as well as RPGNow, DriveThru RPG, and e23. 12 to Midnight will be publishing new titles under the Silven Crossroads imprint in the coming months. Previous Silven Publishing freelancers, or those who haven’t worked with Silven but would like to continue one of Silven’s product lines, are welcome to contact Eytan Bernstein and Preston P. DuBose to inquire about writing under the Silven Crossroads label. Please send any such inquiries to both Eytan and Preston.

Howdy. This is the first of a series on the design of SteamWorks. I’m hoping to provide some idea as to the nature of the material found in the book, as well as some insight into the various design decisions that were made along the way. I’ve been working on the book that is now called SteamWorks for somewhere in the region of seven years. Over that time, the mechanics have been completely rewritten several times; only in the past three did it begin to resemble what it is now. A reasonable question, then, would be - why keep at it? Seven years is a long time to devote to something, but I feel the time investment has been worth it. I’ve had an interest in steampunk technology for a long time (perhaps only a little bit longer than I’ve been working on SteamWorks), and since then I’ve been intrigued by the concept of combining steampunk with fantasy. The goal of SteamWorks, then, is just that: to allow for the introduction of steampunk-esque technology into a fantasy setting. SteamWorks makes exactly one assumption about the setting in which it is placed (that assumption being the way a druid regards technology), and that assumption can be easily ignored. There are rules in the book that deal with technology’s interaction with magic and psionics, and there are also details regarding multiple ways in how technology can be brought into a world. The system implemented in SteamWorks mirrors the design of the d20 spell system, ensuring that there is balance between the technology-using classes and the magic-using classes. While the system mirrors spells, it doesn’t replicate it - there are differences between the two that give technology a definite feel, separate from that of magic, and while there is some overlap in what the two are capable of, there are some things that only technology can do. It would even be possible to use SteamWorks in the envisioning of an setting that has no magic, using technology in its stead. SteamWorks details a versatile system that allows for the use of technology in any setting. It makes (almost) no assumptions about your setting; it doesn’t require any change in the setting it is placed into; and it is complete in and of itself, allowing you to pick up the book and run with it. That’s the goal of SteamWorks, and I hope that you’ll find that it accomplishes that goal well.