Tinker Optional And Variant Rules

Ultimate Engineering
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The Tinker sphere is a massive project and undertaking, but prioritizes customization. As part of creating Tinker traditions for a setting, certain technologies may be more or less available, accessibility to new inventions may be easier, and overall a GM may want to heavily adjust accessibility with the sphere as well as aspects for how the sphere interacts with the setting (common technology, permanent gizmos, and so on).

This section contains a large number of optional and variant rules for a GM to integrate into their game. These options are available at a GM’s discretion only.

Class Feature Replacements

Animal Companions and Mounts

Mechanoid Companions
Certain campaign settings make it difficult or impossible to have an animal companion accompany a character in a meaningful manner (large urban environments, lack of infrastructure or resources to feed and care for an animal, etc.). For certain classes, the animal companion is a fundamental part of their identity and mechanics, without which they function far below par, including cavalier, druid, hunter, ranger and other classes which gain an animal companion in their various ways (domains, paladin divine bond, etc.). In these circumstances. Druids, rangers, hunters, cavaliers, certain paladins, and other classes are heavily associated with their animal companions in multiple ways. In these circumstances, it may be appropriate to replace the animal companion with a special mechanoid companion.

Rule: Whenever a class would gain an animal companion creature through a class feature (such as an animal companion or mount, or granted through another source such as a domain, druid’s nature bond feature, oracle revelation, paladin’s divine bond, etc.), that character can instead elect to gain a mechanoid companion. The character gains the Tinker sphere with the (transportation) package (or Expanded Tinker talent, selecting the (transportation) package). A character that opted into the mechanoid companion rule may then designate 1 mechanoid they have crafted as their bonded machine as part of a 1-hour process that may only be done once per day. The character’s bonded machine is treated as that character’s animal companion for the purposes of any of their class features that would normally augment their animal companion (i.e. a paladin’s divine bond or a hunter’s hunter tactics feature). Any restrictions imposed by a class feature on the animal companion must also be observed by the bonded machine (such as being a suitable mount for a cavalier would require the bonded machine be able to support the crafter and be used as a vehicle by the crafter).

A bonded machine gains an installed AI that does not count against the character’s maximum AI limit (even if the character does not have the (computation) package); this AI may only be installed in the character’s bonded machine and is either a Bestial or Drone-classification AI. If the character’s animal companion would normally be granted a base Intelligence score of 6 or higher, the character may select any AI classification of their choice. The AI granted to the character’s bonded machine is always the same AI and must be rebuilt (as normal for an AI) to change it.

Additional GM Discretion: It may be appropriate for a class with magical talents that gains an animal companion (such as some clerics, oracles, etc.) to be able to select (transportation) tagged Tinker sphere talents to select additional upgrades for their bonded machine.

Common Technology

In certain settings or campaigns, certain technology may be available (or advanced) to a degree where Tinker practitioners have access to more or more advanced options from an earlier point.

Rule: The GM may designate certain talents to either be free or “tax free”.
A free talent is known by all characters with the Tinker sphere (as though granted that talent as a bonus talent).
A “tax free” talent is known by all characters with the Tinker sphere if they meet certain prerequisites (as though granted that talent as a bonus talent). This may either be a specific talent, number of associated skill ranks, or other prerequisite such as affiliations with certain organizations or access to certain knowledge in setting.

Bypassing Prerequisites: At GM discretion, a free or tax free talent may allow a character to bypass the talent’s normal prerequisites (or may still require the character meet the necessary prerequisites, but is granted once those prerequisites are met). For example, the common flight example below may grant the Advanced Aviation legendary talent to any character with the Aviation talent if the GM decides more advanced flight options should be available before the “Associated skill 5 ranks” prerequisite.

Individual Abilities: At GM discretion, individual abilities from a Tinker sphere talent may be granted as free or tax free (rather than an entire talent’s abilities). For example, armorers belonging to a lord’s army may have received knowledge and training to gain the Arsenal Set arsenal gizmo (and not other abilities belonging to that talent) to be able to quickly manufacture weapons and armor.

Common Technology Examples:

• Common Flight (Tax Free): In a setting where low-level or easily accessible flight is meant to be common (such as in the Skybourne campaign setting by Drop Dead Studios), the Advanced Movement legendary talent would be “tax free” for any Tinker practitioner with the Aviation talent.
• High-Range Signals (Tax Free): In a higher-technology setting where long-distance communication (cell phones, the internet, and so on) is common, transmitters gain improved range at the GM’s discretion (such as granting the signal range increases from the Transmission Mastery and Advanced Transmission talents for free, or at associated skill rank breakpoints such as 1, 6, and 11).

Special - Tinker Traditions: The common technology optional rule is meant to generally be a setting-wide assumption of minimum technology, not technology owned by a certain faction. At GM discretion, specific Tinker traditions may offer free or tax free talents (representing their culture, society, or organization’s reliable access to certain knowledge or processes).

Permanent Gizmos

As part of creating a setting, not every piece of technology can be personally, carefully maintained by a Tinker practitioner. Gizmos represent the technology a Tinker practitioner keeps close to them, maintaining them and ensuring they do not break down while tailoring them to their own personal needs.

Permanent gizmos, on the other hand, are meant to last and often have wider settling implications, either for transport, communication, health and quality of life, medicine, exploration, survivability, etc. Technology can be made a core, rooted part of a setting or it can be available through mysterious crafters and experts, much like a wizard in their tower or a wandering alchemist might provide services to a more magic scarce setting.

Permanent gizmos do not require maintenance, unlike temporary gizmos, although if a permanent gizmo becomes damaged, destroyed, or depleted, a skilled Tinker practitioner can repair a permanent gizmo the same as they would a gizmo they crafted (as part of maintaining their gizmos).

Permanent Gizmo Pricing

Gizmos are a massively varied set of options and abilities. No general price guide is provided with this rule because the “cost” of a simple prosthetic leg with no additional abilities (meant to replace a farmer’s leg) should not be on the same price scale as a rocket launcher. GMs are encouraged to evaluate the cost of gizmo-based technological items in their setting by comparing against existing items and options. For items that should be more accessible, or would be equivalent to commodities and tools, pricing can be notably lower than the price of items comparable to magic items and combat-viable equipment. Prices for gizmo-based technological items may also be higher or lower than their comparative magic counterparts based on their need for batteries, difficulty to repair, limited or niche applications, and other potential factors.

When pricing a gizmo that grants a bonus, consider comparing the bonus granted against the price of a similar magic item, or the magic item creation rules (see PFCRB, Magic Item Gold Piece Values, Table 15-29: Estimating Magic Item Gold Piece Values).

Permanent Gizmo Pricing Suggestions by Type
Below are some suggested pricings for gizmos on a world-building level. GMs may adjust these prices as they see fit, based on scarcity or abundance, difficulty or ease to craft, rarity of Tinker practitioners, and other setting-based parameters.

Appliances: Certain Tinker sphere talents can provide effects and abilities similar to simple appliances, or otherwise normal conveniences of modern living (outside of the game). Gizmos such as the climate controller, flashlight, and fire extinguisher at low gizmo levels could serve as luxury appliances (in a higher-scarcity setting) or as everyday conveniences (where Tinker is abundant). “Appliance-level” gizmos may potentially cost anywhere from 25 gp to 250 gp for a gizmo level 1 through 3 version of the item, and upwards from higher-skill craftspersons.

Batteries: Permanent batteries should be more available (and less expensive) as technological items become more available. A permanent battery requires maintenance once depleted, and can be considered more expensive (in terms of use and upkeep) than a comparable magic item. Permanent batteries may cost 20 gp x gizmo level, up to 1,000 gp x gizmo level, depending on availability (and are roughly comparable to a pearl of power).

Reminder - A battery must be the same gizmo level or higher to be used by a gizmo, so more expensive batteries are required to use higher end gizmos.

Constructs and Vehicles: The (transportation) package is able to create a wide variety of vehicles, constructs, robot bodies, and other things (broadly termed mechanoids). Pricing can be difficult, but compare against already-available modes of transportation (for bikes, cars, wagons, ships, etc.) and constructs (for robots, mech-suits, etc.). A construct or vehicle with an installed AI will also cost more, as appropriate (and depending on the quality of the AI and its functions).

Simple Prosthetics: Prosthetics with no secondary function installed (functioning as only a limb/replacement for the creature) can vary between 1 and 200 gp, similar to purchasing clothes or jewelry, with more expensive “simple prosthetic” having their value represented by nice materials, high-end craftsmanship, and artistry (as the difference between a functional wooden leg and an obsidian and gold-filigree leg).

Weapons: Weapons crafted with the Tinker sphere either emulate existing weapons (and can be compared against the price of that existing weapon) or are unique to the Tinker sphere. Weapons unique to the Tinker sphere can have their price compared against the closest magic item (wand or staff, use-per-day magic item, or similar) based on the weapon’s effects. For example, a Tinker weapon that produces a 5d6 explosion a certain number of times per day is comparable to an item that casts fireball. Weapons crafted with the Tinker sphere may be less expensive than comparable options due to requiring batteries (as opposed to automatically having a use per day).

Crafting Permanent Gizmos

A Tinker practitioner can craft a permanent gizmo in the same way as creating a magic item (and benefits from abilities and effects which benefit magic item creation). Minor gizmos may be crafted simultaneously, as though a number of minor gizmos equal to your practitioner modifier were a single gizmo to craft.

The base Craft DC to create a permanent gizmo is equal to 10 + the gizmo’s gizmo level. This DC to create a permanent gizmo increases by +5 for each talent prerequisite the crafter does not meet.

The creation cost to craft a permanent gizmo is half the price of the gizmo in gp.

Project Materials in Place of GP: GMs may permit characters to supplement a gizmo’s crafting price with project materials. Project materials supplied this way must cover the full price of the gizmo (instead of half the price of the gizmo).

Maintaining Permanent Gizmos

Permanent gizmos can still become depleted, destroyed, or otherwise unable to function. Permanent gizmos can be repaired and restored by a Tinker practitioner whose ranks in the associated skill + their practitioner modifier are equal to or greater than the permanent gizmo’s gizmo level (i.e. a 10th level permanent gizmo could be maintained by a Tinker practitioner with 6 ranks in the associated skill and a practitioner modifier of 4). The Tinker practitioner must succeed at an associated skill check as part of restoring the gizmo.

Subject to GM discretion, repairing a permanent gizmo that suffered damage may require more than general maintenance. Similar to repairing magic items, a damaged gizmo may require material components equal to half the cost to create the permanent gizmo multiplied by the percentage of hit points missing. For example, if a damaged gizmo is only missing 20% of its hit points, the material components required would be 20% of the crafting price of the gizmo).

Spheres of Guile

In addition to specific Spheres of Guile compatible options inside of Tinker sphere (such as the Socialite AI classification), the following rules are available if integrating Spheres of Guile with the Tinker sphere. GMs may customize these rules further, such as adding the [utility] tag to additional Tinker sphere talents as they see fit (such as to the Advanced Transmission legendary talent).

Tinker Utility Start

Rule: When you first gain the Tinker sphere, if you select the (transmission) package as your first Tinker package, you can take the base Tinker sphere as a [utility] talent.

Note: If you would select a Tinker sphere drawback that removes your first Tinker package, you cannot take the Tinker sphere as a [utility] talent this way.

Tinker Utility Talents

Rule: The following Tinker sphere talents gain the [utility] tag and may be selected as [utility] talents:

• Disguised Gizmo [utility]
• Security Measures [utility]
• Tinker Savvy [utility]
• Cognitive Set (gizmo) [utility]
• Emergency Gear (gizmo) [utility]
• Energy Set (gizmo) [utility]
• Exploration Set (gizmo) [utility]
• Infiltration Set (gizmo) [utility]
• Sensory Set (gizmo) [utility]
• Transmission Mastery (gizmo, transmission) [utility]

By GM discretion, other talents may be deemed to be utility talents. This may primarily occur when certain abilities are disallowed or removed from a talent (such as removing or limiting options from legendary talents).

Tinker as a Guile Sphere

Many options of the Tinker sphere have strong social and utilitarian uses, fitting in with the design goals of Spheres of Guile.

Rule: At GM discretion, the Tinker sphere may be treated as both a combat sphere (Spheres of Might) and a skill sphere (Spheres of Guile). If this optional rule is in place, the Tinker sphere may be selected as both a combat sphere or skill sphere (allocating combat or skill talents as appropriate). If the character is an operative and possesses skill leverage, talents that require a character to expend their martial focus instead cost 1 use of skill leverage.

Selecting the Tinker sphere as a combat sphere does not make a character into an operative (and able to gain skill leverage, etc.), and selecting the Tinker sphere as a skill sphere does not make a character into a practitioner (able to maintain martial focus, etc.).

Artificial Intelligence Guile Compatibility

If using Spheres of Guile, AI may gain a trade tradition (exchanging their base class skills as normal) as well as an operative progression.

• Trade Tradition: An AI may choose to gain a trade tradition. An AI’s trade rank is adroit. Certain AI-classifications with specialties may be required to select a specific skill sphere with their trade tradition (i.e. an Archivist selecting Investigation or Study, Pilot selecting Navigation, and Socialite selecting Communication or Performance).
• Operative Progression: An AI may choose to exchange its proficient practitioner progression (1 combat talent per 2 Hit Dice) for a trained operative progression. If the AI would receive a higher talent count practitioner progression, the AI may exchange for a higher talent count operative progression as appropriate.
  
  At GM discretion, this may instead be a blended talent progression.

Mindless AI-classifications cannot gain a trade tradition, as they do not receive class skills, but may still qualify for an operative progression (albeit, as a mindless creature, may be more limited or rudimentary in how they use their skill spheres, such as a drone designed to make art or play a specific song).

Tinker Tradition Bonus Talents

The Tinker sphere has many moving parts. Similar to how a casting tradition grants bonus talents to get a caster “started” in their specialties, a Tinker tradition is meant to give a leg up on accessing the talents and abilities a character may want to make a fulfilling character. The Tinker sphere, likewise, can require a large number of talents to begin satisfying the power fantasy of being an inventor in a game where barbarians and wizards are able to be effective and fun at low levels due to combat and magic spheres.

This optional rule is presented as a normal martial sphere drawback (see 4.3 Player Options: Spheres Tradition Drawbacks) because it is highly recommended. This rule is offered as an alternative to having numerous drawbacks for Tinker sphere which could be overlapped and grant large numbers of talents (such as the original Tech sphere offered) and instead offers bonus talents in a more measured way. This was made an optional rule as some GMs may want to restrict how much a single talent in the Tinker sphere grants a character.

If a character possesses multiple Tinker traditions, bonus talents granted by this optional rule are only determined based on the character’s dominant tradition.

Rule: Gaining a Tinker tradition grants 1 bonus Tinker talent per 2 Tinker tradition drawbacks your Tinker tradition possesses.