When you first gain the Tinker sphere, you choose one of the following Tinker packages and learn how to craft gizmos of its kind:
Augmentation
Augmentation is the modification and betterment of creatures through mechanical means.
Augmentation
Augmentations are a type of worn gizmo that provide benefits to the user when activated. More information regarding prosthetics, including basic rules and interactions, are located in Section 4.1: Mastering Gizmos, Augmentation.
You learn how to craft the following augmentation:
Physical Augmentor (gizmo): A physical augmentor is assigned to one physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution). The physical augmentor grants the user a +2 competence bonus to ability checks and skill checks based on the assigned ability score (i.e. a Dexterity-based skill or ability check). This bonus increases by +1 every 4 gizmo levels.
- Battery Use: Whenever the user attempts a skill check or ability check that receives a bonus from this gizmo, the user can deplete 1 battery as a free action that can be taken even when it is not the user’s turn. The user rolls that check twice and takes the highest result. The user must choose to use this battery use ability before the attempt is made.
Prosthetic
Prosthetics is the field of research and science for creating prosthetics, a term used to define artificially crafted substitutes to limbs, organs, and other extremities. More information regarding prosthetics, including basic rules and interactions, are located in Mastering Gizmos, Prosthetic.
You learn how to craft the following prosthetic and secondary function:
Limb Prosthetic (gizmo, prosthetic): This prosthetic grants the full utility of the equivalent limb. You can craft an arm or leg prosthetic. A leg or arm prosthetic may be crafted as a single prosthetic or matching pair.
Special - Primal Augmentations: If you possess the Primal Augmentations talent, you may create a tail prosthetic.
Storage Capacity (secondary function; any): Your prosthetics can store items such as weapons, tools, or other non-augmentation gizmos for quick retrieval. The maximum size of the stored item depends on the prosthetic used, assuming the creature is Medium-sized: arm/leg (Small), head/tail (Tiny), other (Diminutive, unless otherwise specified). A storage capacity secondary function can store 1 item, +1 item per 5 gizmo levels. This does not allow larger items to be stored, only additional items of an appropriate or smaller size.
A stored item can be stored or retrieved as a move or immediate action without provoking attacks of opportunity. This is treated as storing or retrieving an item into or from a container respectively; the user cannot retrieve a stored item without using the storage capacity’s ability to do so (even if they could normally retrieve an item faster). The user gains a 10 + 1/2 gizmo level circumstance bonus to Sleight of Hand checks to hide objects stored in the prosthetic.
Computation
Computation is the creation of software programs and automation routines as opposed to the other more physical areas of study. This does not necessarily represent software as we imagine it today. These can be punch card systems for clockwork engines, series of mystical runes for a stone magitech slab, or a carefully arranged nutrient drip for an organic supercomputer.
Routine
Routines are programs which are installed directly into an existing gizmo, granting its user the benefits of the routine. More information regarding routines, including basic rules and interactions, are located in Mastering Gizmos, Computation.
When you gain this package you learn how to craft the following routine and apply the following accommodation:
Storage Routine (gizmo, minor, routine): This routine stores information. A storage routine can retain a combination of either: 10,000 pages (with an average of 250 words per page) of text, 1,000 images, 100 hours of sound, or 1 hour of video, with each unit being equivalent in storage space. A storage routine’s capacity increases by an additional unit (10,000 pages, 1,000 images, etc.) per gizmo level. This information can be a mixture of different media types, previously stored data may be deleted to accommodate new data, and data may be copied, altered, or spliced with a successful Linguistics check (as though creating a virtual forgery). This routine does not need to be activated to be used, and cannot be used to store spells (or other forms of magical writing).
Display and Input (accommodation): As an accommodation, you may craft a gizmo with a display and input mechanisms (such as buttons, a keyboard, dials, voice commands, etc.). A display allows a gizmo’s user to view information stored inside it (such as information created by a storage routine), as well as perform simple mathematics. An input mechanism generally allows manual data entry of 50 words per minute.
Artificial Intelligence
An Artificial Intelligence (AI for short) is a routine designed to emulate intelligent thought. More information regarding AI, including their advancement, classifications, and basic rules, are located in AI and Mechanoids.
When you gain this package you learn how to craft the following gizmo:
Artificial Intelligence (gizmo, project, routine): You craft an Artificial Intelligence, selecting an AI classification and otherwise customizing its abilities.
Modification
Modification is the improvement and adjustment of existing equipment.
Modification
Modifications are a type of gizmo that are attached to manufactured equipment or a specific type of object, as noted by that modification. More information regarding modifications, including their basic rules and interactions, are located in Mastering Gizmos, Modification.
When you gain this package you learn how to craft the following three modifications:
Familiar Arsenal (gizmo, minor): This modification is attached to light and medium armor, bucklers and light shields, and simple and martial weapons. The attached equipment is treated as masterwork and reduces nonproficiency penalties by half. At 5th gizmo level, the familiar arsenal can be attached to heavy armor and heavy shields and the user suffers no penalties for nonproficiency. At 8th gizmo level, the familiar arsenal can be attached to tower shields and exotic weapons.
Modified Tool (gizmo): This modification is attached to a tool. The attached tool is treated as a masterwork tool of its kind. If the tool was already masterwork, the attached tool instead grants an additional +2 bonus on skill checks made with the tool.
- Battery Use: The user can deplete 1 battery as part of attempting a skill check with the attached tool to gain a circumstance bonus equal to 1/2 the gizmo’s level (minimum 1). This bonus is in addition to the bonus granted by the tool (and the modified tool benefit).
Special: A modified tool gizmo attached to another gizmo (or made as part of a combined gizmo) that allows or prompts the user to perform certain skill checks (such as Infiltration Set’s auto-pick for Disable Device or even Knowledge and other checks prompted by a detector) treats that gizmo as a masterwork tool for that skill check.
Versatile Weapon (gizmo, minor): This modification is attached to a manufactured weapon. The attached weapon’s base damage types are changed to either bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing, which may be changed as a standard action. If the attached weapon is a ranged weapon that uses ammunition (i.e. bow, sling, gun), the attached weapon’s damage is changed accordingly (regardless of the ammunition used).
- Battery Use: The user can deplete 1 battery as a free action to immediately change the weapon’s base damage type to bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing.
Transmission
Transmission creates gizmos which receive and send signals, usable for detection, communication, or remote control depending on knowledge and application.
When you gain this package, you learn how to craft detectors and transmitters.
Detector
Detectors are used to gather information from its surroundings. More information regarding detectors, including their basic rules and interactions, are located in Mastering Gizmos, Detector.
You learn how to craft the following detector:
- Mechanical Sensor (gizmo): This detector senses mechanical items and gives information about their effects. Determine the detected objects’s signature strength using Table: Mechanical Signature Strength (see Mastering Gizmos, Detector Reference Tables). In addition to the signature strength, the user may attempt a Knowledge (engineering) check to identify a detected mechanical object and its properties.
Transmitter
Transmitters use signals to send information, usually only to other gizmos crafted by the same crafter. More information regarding transmitters, including their basic rules and interactions, are located in Mastering Gizmos, Transmitter.
When you gain this package you learn how to apply the following accommodation:
Communicator (accommodation): As an accommodation, you may craft a gizmo with a communicator transmitter. A gizmo built with this accommodation may be used as a swift action to send a text-based message of up to 25 words to one or more active gizmos within signal range. The user must be aware of the gizmos they are sending a message to (a gizmo outside of signal range does not receive the message).
Transportation
Transportation is the creation of personal transportation by means of self-propelled vehicles that function more as independent creatures than as objects.
When you gain this package, you learn how to craft mechanoids.
Mechanoid
Mechanoids are project gizmos which take the shape of a vehicle, construct, or other technological creature based on the crafter’s preferences. Full details for mechanoids and how they function are located in AI and Mechanoids.
When you gain this package you learn how to craft the following gizmo:
Mechanoid (gizmo, project): You craft a mechanoid, a project gizmo which can take many different shapes and provide many different functions.
Tinker Talent Types
Packages: Some talents are marked (augmentation), (computation), (modification), (transmission) and (transportation). You must possess at least one of the packages noted by the talent to gain that talent (such as possessing the (augmentation) package to take a talent marked with (augmentation)).
Individual abilities may also have a package as a prefix (i.e. Modification: Armor Donner (gizmo)). An ability’s prefix indicates that the character must possess that package to use the associated ability - usually because that ability relies on that package’s base effects (i.e. being able to build modifications to use an ability with Modification as a prefix).
Other Talent Tags:
- Accommodation: An ability marked with (accommodation) grants new accommodation options that may be applied to any non-routine gizmo the crafter could craft (including mechanoids).
- Gizmo: Talents marked with (gizmo) grant new gizmos, or indicate that an ability granted by that talent is craftable as a gizmo.
- Project: Gizmos marked with (project) are crafted as projects and do not count towards your total gizmos but may be subject to other limitations, based on the type of project, and require project materials to craft (see Mastering Gizmos, Projects for more).
- Infrastructure [DRS]: Infrastructure projects can have their project materials gathered towards any kind of infrastructure.
- Prosthetic: Gizmos marked with (prosthetic) allow the character to craft a new prosthetic gizmo.
- Routine: Gizmos marked with (routine) allow the character to craft a new routine gizmo.
- Secondary Function: An ability marked with the (secondary function) tag grants options to grant prosthetics a secondary function. The (secondary function) tag will also note what type of prosthetic it may be applied to; the crafter must be able to craft a prosthetic of the appropriate kind to apply the secondary function. For example (secondary function; leg) may only be applied to leg prosthetics, (secondary function; any) may be applied to any, and (secondary function; sensory) requires a sensory prosthetic from the Sensory Set talent.
- Synergy [DRS]: Synergy talents have a recommended sphere, and direct or novel synergies with that sphere. Synergy talents may be selected as though they were a talent belonging to either the Tinker sphere or their related sphere (excluding talents from sphere-specific drawbacks). You must meet any normal prerequisites and, if you do not already have the Tinker sphere, must select sphere-specific drawbacks so that you gain the correct synergy talent.
- Upgrade: An ability marked with (upgrade) grants new upgrade options to mechanoids from the (transportation) package.
Many talents offer multiple types of gizmos at once. Some of these gizmos have a listed requisite package before it is gained as part of the talent.