Tinker Sphere Overview

The Tinker sphere is a large multi-faceted combat sphere that uses the Spheres of Might system.

The Tinker sphere grants the ability to craft technological devices called gizmos. Gizmos are multi-use devices similar to magic items and require 30 minutes to craft, or 15 minutes if you have access to an engineering kit or sufficient tools. A Tinker sphere practitioner is not limited in how many gizmos they can craft in a single day, but is limited by their gizmo limit (the number of gizmos the practitioner can maintain in a functional state at 1 time).

Gizmos often have additional effects which are powered by battery gizmos, which are a class of gizmo that does not have any abilities itself, but is depleted to power these additional effects.

The Tinker sphere is split into several packages that provide different types of technological abilities and equipment. When you first gain the Tinker sphere, you gain one of these packages.

Tinker sphere’s five packages are as follows:

• Augmentation: Covers augmenting creatures with new abilities. This package also covers the construction of prosthetic limbs and other body parts.
• Computation: Covers computer related tasks and functions, primarily in the form of programs called routine. It also covers the construction of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• Modification: Covers modifications to items and equipment, including armor and weapons.
• Transmission: Covers signals for communication, as well as for gathering information.
• Transportation: Covers the creation of mechanoids which are a form of customizable piloted transport. Cars, boats, full body mecha; mechanoids can fill different roles.

A Tinker practitioner learns to craft new types of gizmos with (gizmo) talents, and gains new gizmos and abilities dependent on their Tinker packages known. The Tinker sphere is a vast number of abilities and effects meant to accommodate all sorts of technological abilities and concepts, which can be either used in small or larger parts.

Tinker Sphere Synergies: Due to the nature of inventorship, learning new Tinker sphere abilities often unlocks new synergies between talents or packages. These synergies are most often denoted by “Special - (Prerequisite Here)”, indicating which other package or talent is required to unlock those additional interactions.

Customizing Tinker to Fit the Game: The Tinker sphere is designed mechanically to be setting agnostic but is highly customizable to fit into as many settings, as well as gameplay types, as possible. It can be possible to have the Tinker sphere be just another type of magic, or restrict the kinds of gizmos that exist (such as removing the (transmission) package in an early-technology setting without radio waves).

One of the goals of this book is to provide as many tools and as much advice to Game Masters to integrate technology and the content in this book into their games. Many of these resources are located in Section 4.4: Gamemaster’s Toolkit.

Associated Skill

By default, the Tinker sphere relies on Craft (mechanical) when determining the abilities and effects of the sphere, although some abilities may change the sphere’s associated skill. When a character gains the Tinker sphere, they gain 5 ranks in the associated skill, plus 5 ranks per additional talent spent in the Tinker sphere (maximum ranks equal to the character’s Hit Dice). These ranks are granted by the Tinker sphere, so they cannot be retrained, and are lost if the sphere is retrained. If the character already had ranks in the associated skill, the character may immediately retrain the previously assigned skill ranks. A character does not gain or retrain their skill ranks whenever they temporarily gain a Tinker sphere talent. The bonus skill ranks granted by the Tinker sphere do not go beyond the character’s current Hit Dice until their Hit Dice increase, and excess ranks cannot be allocated to other skills.

If a character would have multiple Tinker sphere traditions (see Section 4.4: Gamemaster’s Toolkit), the character only receives bonus ranks to an associated skill a single time, and must choose which Tinker tradition grants those bonus ranks. Once chosen, this cannot be changed except through retraining (as though retraining a feat).

Tinker Sphere and Bonus Talents

The Tinker sphere is a combat sphere in the Spheres of Might system. When granted a bonus talent in the Tinker sphere, the character may exchange that talent for any Tinker sphere talent they qualify for.

If a character would be required to select a Tinker package, they must select that package if this is their first talent in the Tinker sphere. If the character already possesses the package, they may select another Tinker sphere talent they qualify for as normal. If the character does not possess the package, the character must select the Expanded Tinkering talent, selecting that package (and may freely select a second package of their choice).

Talent and Ability Prerequisites

Certain Tinker sphere talent may list additional prerequisites to select or to qualify for abilities granted by that talent (new gizmos, improvements to previous gizmos, etc.). This prerequisite may also be listed on the ability itself, and is acquired once the character meets those prerequisites (such as requiring other talents, a minimum number of ranks in the associated skill, etc.).

Running Smooth Games with Tinker

Pathfinder is not a physics simulator, and the Tinker sphere tries its best to avoid overcomplicated interactions, sometimes things happen during play that cannot be fully accounted for.

As a note, the Tinker sphere is a large web of interactions, parts, and pieces. While many interactions are accounted for, there may be scenarios where a certain gizmo or effect should interact or allow for a further interaction. In these cases, players and GMs are encouraged to work together to resolve these interactions in ways that “make sense” for the gizmo to behave.

The Inventioneering rules (see Section 4.4: Gamemaster’s Toolkit, Inventioneering) offers additional advice and rules for creating new Tinker effects for characters looking to customize their Tinker practitioner further, or for GMs looking to create machinery and technology that accomplishes certain tasks in their setting.

Glossary of Terms

The below glossary is presented as quick reminder text, or rules text, as appropriate. If information is available both in the glossary and another location in the book, the non-glossary definition and rules text of that entry takes precedence.

• Accommodation: An accommodation allows the crafter to add an ability to any non-routine gizmo they craft without counting against the crafter’s gizmo limit (including mechanoids).
• Activate: Most gizmos need to be activated before any of their functions can be used. This normally requires a move action. An activated gizmo may provide passive benefits or require additional actions to use its other gizmo abilities. Deactivating a gizmo is a free action (unless otherwise stated).
• Advanced Gizmo: Some gizmos may be crafted as an “advanced gizmo”, granting it additional effects as noted in the gizmo’s entry. An advanced gizmo is treated as 2 gizmos for the purposes of your gizmo limit; a minor gizmo crafted as an advanced gizmo is instead treated as 1 normal gizmo for the purposes of your gizmo limit. If an advanced gizmo would improve another gizmo (such as a prosthetic’s secondary function constructed as an advanced gizmo), that improved gizmo is treated as an advanced gizmo.
• AI: A type of creature routine. Once installed in a gizmo, it makes the gizmo function like a creature. They can pilot mechanoids if installed into them. You can learn more about them in Mastering Gizmos.
• Associated Skill: This is the skill (or skills) the practitioner uses to determine the effects of the Tinker sphere, and any related effects. By default, Tinker sphere’s associated skill is Craft (mechanical).
• Attached Object: An attached object is the object, weapon, creature, or elsewise that a modification gizmo is attached to.
• Augmentation: A type of gizmo that is worn or attached to another object to provide its benefits.
• Battery: A special type of gizmo that has no use but to power other gizmos. Not every gizmo needs batteries to function.
• Battery Use: Abilities that require depleting a battery to activate.
• Combined Gizmo: Multiple gizmos may be crafted as a single object, but are still interacted with separately (attached batteries, sundering, etc.).
• Detector: A type of gizmo that uses signals to gather information.
• Depleted: A depleted gizmo is immediately deactivated, is treated as though it had no functions, and cannot be used normally for any of its crafted purposes.
• Effective Gizmo Level: Some effects may increase a gizmo’s “effective” gizmo level, often on a temporary basis. This alters all of the gizmo’s statistics (excluding hit points, hardness, and proficiency check DC). AI and mechanoids instead receive a bonus to checks they perform.
• Function: See “gizmo ability”. A gizmo’s function (or additional function) is an interchangeable term with its gizmo abilities.
• Gizmo: Every device you can craft with the Tinker sphere is referred to as a gizmo. There is no limit to the amount you can craft in a day, but there is a limit to the amount you can have at once.
• Gizmo Ability: Gizmos may have active or passive effects and abilities (according to the type of gizmo it is) while the gizmo is activated. These effects are referred to as a gizmo’s “gizmo ability” or “gizmo abilities”, but may also be referred to as a gizmo’s function.
• Gizmo DC: This is the save DC for any of a gizmo’s functions. It is based on its gizmo level, and the practitioner modifier of its creator, at time of creation (10 + 1/2 gizmo level + practitioner modifier).
• Gizmo Level: This determines the power of a gizmo (like the caster level of a magic item). It is determined at the time of the gizmo's creation and is based on the creator's ranks in the associated skill.
• Gizmo Limit: This is the total number of gizmos you may have crafted at one time. By default, this is your ranks in the associated skill + the number of Tinker sphere talents you possess.
• Gizmo Penetration: This is the ability of the gizmo to penetrate other gizmo effects. This is similar to a spell’s caster level or a caster’s magic skill bonus (if using the Spheres of Power system).
• Implanted Gizmos: Gizmos can be implanted with a successful Heal check, and are treated as part of the user’s body and cannot be easily removed but can no longer be shared.
• Innate Gizmo: Some gizmos can be crafted as part of other gizmos.
• Maintaining Your Gizmos: This refers to the 30 or 15 minutes required to craft, maintain, restore, and otherwise repair your gizmos.
• Mechanical/Mechanism: Reference to effects generated or related to the Tinker sphere and gizmos. This is akin to calling or referencing a ‘magical’ effect in relation to magical spheres or items.
• Mechanoid: A type of piloted creature gizmo. Their form and utility is determined by the upgrades they possess. You can learn more about them in Mastering Gizmos.
• Modification: A type of gizmo that is attached to manufactured objects and equipment to improve their functionality.
• Proficiency Check: Some gizmos require special knowledge or training when being activated or having specific functions used. A proficiency check’s DC is usually equal to the gizmo’s gizmo DC (unless otherwise stated) and is made with the associated skill, although some effects may change which skill governs this. The creator of a gizmo normally automatically succeeds at proficiency checks.
• Project: Not every gizmo can be crafted quickly. Some need to have materials either gathered over an extended period of time, or purchased outright. More information can be found in the Mastering Gizmos section.
• Prosthetic: A type of augmentation that provides substitute limbs and organs. Some prosthetics must be implanted with the Heal skill.
• Routine: A gizmo that exists primarily as a data program. They need to be installed or uploaded into another gizmo before they can be activated or provide any use.
• Secondary Function: Some gizmos (primarily prosthetic) may have additional abilities granted to them when crafted. Unless otherwise stated, a gizmo may only have 1 secondary function.
• Signal: Transmission gizmos often generate signals. They are blocked by dense materials and have different uses depending on the type of gizmo generating the signal.
• Transmitter: A type of gizmo that uses signals to communicate information (including control signals at times) with other gizmos.
• Upgrade: A mechanoid’s abilities are determined by its upgrades. Their Hit Dice determine the amount of upgrades they can have.
• User: A gizmo’s user is the creature activating, wearing, or otherwise directing a gizmo to use its functions.

Gizmos

The main ability granted by the Tinker sphere is the ability to craft and use devices called gizmos. Gizmos function similarly to magic items, except they produce their effects through mechanical means as opposed to magical ones. The nature of their underlying mechanism can be adapted to suit the setting; from advanced clockwork, to biotech, to salvage harvested from lost civilizations.

Gizmo Basics

Crafting Gizmos: You can craft any gizmo you possess the prerequisites for (generally granted by a Tinker sphere talent or other source (such as class features, feats, etc.). A gizmo crafted with the Tinker sphere does not possess a crafting DC (unless otherwise stated) and is always crafted successfully so long as you possess an engineering kit or other sufficient tools (although some gizmos may specify unique restrictions). The material components for gizmos are assumed to be gathered over the course of a given day and require no monetary cost expenditure. For the purposes of magical conjuration effects (i.e. the fabricate spell and similar effects), a gizmo is considered to be too complex and made up of costly components, and cannot be magically “created”.

You may craft any 1 gizmo you know in 30 minutes, or 15 minutes if you have access to an engineering kit or sufficient tools, +1 gizmo of your choice per 4 ranks in the associated skill. Whenever you spend 30 or 15 minutes to craft gizmos (“maintaining your gizmos”), you may also maintain any number of damaged or depleted gizmos, restoring them to full hit points and functionality (i.e. maintaining your depleted batteries, and so on).

Gizmo Limit: Gizmos are crafted in such a way that they require constant maintenance and upkeep, which limits how many gizmos an individual can have crafted at any one time. You can have a number of gizmos crafted at one time equal to your ranks in the associated skill + the number of Tinker sphere talents you possess (your “gizmo limit”). , gizmo feats granted by your Tinker tradition, and Tinker sphere-specific drawbacks (as part of a character’s martial tradition) do not count toward the number of Tinker sphere talents you possess (except as normal by the effects of the talent, such as the bonus gizmo limit granted by the Efficient Maintenance talent). Unless otherwise stated, gizmos last indefinitely until abandoned or destroyed; no additional actions or effort is required to have already-crafted gizmos continue to function.

Whenever you craft a gizmo beyond your gizmo limit, you must choose an existing gizmo to abandon. An abandoned gizmo immediately stops working and crumbles away harmlessly. You may always choose to abandon any number of gizmos whenever you maintain your gizmos. Some gizmos may become depleted (such as a battery gizmo being expended by another gizmo’s effects); a depleted gizmo counts against the Tinker practitioner’s gizmo limit unless it is abandoned.

Subject to GM discretion, gizmos that are not maintained may become disabled or otherwise nonfunctional after 24 hours (indicating the crafter’s absence, neglect, or death). Gizmos that fall into this state of disrepair may be restored through scavenging (see Section 4.1: Mastering Gizmos, Scavenging Gizmos for more). In certain circumstances (subject to GM discretion), gizmos in a safe or controlled environment may remain functional for longer than 24 hours, up to potentially weeks, months, or years.

Minor Gizmos: Gizmos with the (minor) tag are easier to maintain than normal (but still require the same amount of time to craft). Instead of counting as an individual gizmo, a number of minor gizmos equal to 2 + 1/2 your ranks in the associated skill can be maintained as a single gizmo. For example, a character with 6 ranks in the associated skill can maintain 5 minor gizmos as though it were a single gizmo. One “set” of minor gizmos (a number of gizmos being treated as a single gizmo) do not need to be homogenous and can be a mix of any minor gizmos you could craft.

Selling Gizmos: Gizmos crafted with the Tinker sphere are visibly impermanent in some fashion and are disregarded by most buyers as junk; it is relatively easy (DC 10 Appraise) to recognize the unstable nature of these devices, so typically they have no monetary value; a potential buyer who fails their Appraise check assumes they are spare parts or salvage worth no more than 1 gp.

Advanced Gizmos [DRS]

^{Source: Diamond Spheres: Expanded Tinker and Silverminds}

Some gizmos may be crafted as an “advanced gizmo”, granting it additional effects as noted in the gizmo’s entry. An advanced gizmo is counted as +1 gizmo against your gizmo limit (normally 2 gizmos for the purposes of your gizmo limit). An advanced minor gizmo is treated as 1 normal gizmo for the purposes of your gizmo limit.

If an advanced gizmo would improve or be part of another gizmo (such as a prosthetic’s secondary function constructed as an advanced gizmo), that improved gizmo is instead treated as an advanced gizmo.

If an accommodation would be improved as an advanced accommodation, it increases its cost against your gizmo limit the same as an advanced gizmo would.

Multiple Instances of Advanced: Multiple increases to a gizmo’s total cost against your gizmo limit are additive. For example, a character creates an advanced gizmo and then also applies two different options that would, separately, cause the gizmo to be advanced. The resulting gizmo would have a total “cost” of 4 against the character’s gizmo limit.

Gizmos That Do Not Count Against Gizmo Limit: In rare circumstances, usually through class features, a character may have access to gizmos that do not count against their gizmo limit. In this case, those gizmos, even if advanced, do not count against the character’s gizmo limit - including multiple stacks of advanced (see below).

Example: A character could craft an advanced grappling hook modified with the Biomimicry and Explosive Gizmo Expert feats, with the resulting explosive, living, advanced grappling hook counting as 4 gizmos against their gizmo limit.

Gizmo Statistics

Gizmo Level and Practitioner Modifier: All gizmos possess a gizmo level, which equal your ranks in the associated skill at the time of its creation. Gizmos use the practitioner modifier of its creator at time of its creation.

Gizmo Abilities and Gizmo DC: While a gizmo is activated, its effects are referred to as the gizmo’s “gizmo abilities”. Gizmo abilities may be passive, or always “on”, while the gizmo is activated or may require additional actions to produce its regular effects (such as an activated fire extinguisher gizmo is “on”, but must be interacted with to fight fires with its gizmo ability). If any gizmo abilities depend on your practitioner modifier, they use your practitioner modifier at the time of their creation and not at the time of use. If a gizmo requires a saving throw or skill check to resist, the formula for the gizmo’s DC is 10 + 1/2 its gizmo level + your practitioner modifier (minimum 0).

Gizmo Defensive Statistics: Gizmos possess 3 hit points per gizmo level, hardness equal to 5 + 1/2 their gizmo level, and a bonus to each saving throw equal to 1/2 gizmo level + its practitioner modifier (unless stated otherwise, such as an AI or mechanoid that possesses their own statistics). Gizmos have a Break DC equal to their Gizmo DC.

Broken Gizmos: A gizmo that has taken damage in excess of half their total hit points gains the broken condition. For gizmos, the broken condition causes the gizmo to take a -2 penalty to their effective gizmo level (to a minimum gizmo level of 1). If the gizmo would function as another type of item (i.e. a weapon, armor, tool), it also suffers the normal penalty for a broken item of that kind.

Artificial Intelligence and mechanoids do not suffer from the broken condition (although their innate gizmos, host gizmo, etc. may).

Destroyed Gizmos: A gizmo whose hit points reach 0 is destroyed. Some effects (such as the Tinker sphere Redundant Systems talent) may allow a gizmo to become depleted instead of destroyed at certain hit point thresholds.

Gizmos are individually targeted and damaged, even if they are crafted as a combined gizmo. If a gizmo is destroyed, it is immediately deactivated. Attached gizmos are not directly harmed when a gizmo is destroyed but may lose functionality (such as some augmentations when attached to a weapon, routines, etc.).

Adjusting Gizmo Statistics: A crafter may choose to intentionally craft a gizmo whose gizmo level, practitioner modifier, hit points, hardness, or other statistic is lower than the maximum they could craft. A gizmo must have a minimum gizmo level of 1; other statistics may be as low as 0 (such as intentionally crafting a more fragile gizmo that is easier to shatter, etc.).

A crafter may adjust a gizmo they crafted to alter its statistics as part of maintaining their gizmos.

Repairing Gizmos: So long as you have an engineering kit or sufficient tools, you may spend 1 minute to repair a single gizmo you crafted, restoring a number of hit points to that gizmo equal to your ranks in the associated skill + your practitioner modifier. If you maintain your gizmos, you may fully repair any number of gizmos you have crafted.

Other:

• Material: Gizmos can be crafted from almost any material, often determined by the technological level of the setting, skill or circumstances of the crafter, etc. Unless otherwise stated, a gizmo is considered a metallic object but is not treated as any specific metal for the purposes of effects and interactions. GMs may alter gizmo materials to fit technology for their setting or a character in their setting as required.
• Null Animation: A gizmo subject to an animate objects or awaken spell or other similar effect ceases to be a maintained gizmo, unless otherwise stated by the effect. Subject to GM discretion, it may retain some of its abilities as a gizmo, but otherwise cannot be maintained and gains no benefits as a gizmo.
• Saving Throws: Similar to magic items, gizmos receive saving throws against harmful or damaging effects. If a gizmo is attended by its user (held, worn, or otherwise in its immediate possession), the attended gizmo either uses its own saving throw bonus or its user’s saving throw bonus (whichever is better).
• Size: Unless otherwise stated, gizmos are objects two steps smaller than the creator by default (Tiny objects for Medium creatures). Gizmos can be resized whenever the Tinker practitioner maintains their gizmos; some gizmos only function for creatures of specific sizes (such as a prosthetic needing to be sized to the user, gizmo weapons, etc.) subject to GM discretion.
• Weight: Gizmos are assumed to weigh anywhere from 0.1 lb. to 5 lbs. each, modified by size. Different gizmos may weigh different amounts - their precise weight is left open ended. GMs may alter gizmo weight to fit technology for their setting or a character in their setting as required.

Other Gizmo Properties and Terms

Accommodations

Some talents may allow the crafter to alter gizmos to better accommodate using a routine or other “simple” technological use (such as the Display and Input accomodation allowing any gizmo to be crafted with a visual display, control and interface buttons, etc.). These alterations are referred to as “accommodations” and may be granted to any non-routine gizmo the crafter crafts (including mechanoids).

Accommodations are usually simple effects that allow the user to interact with routines in an easier fashion or grants the gizmo the functions and effects of an existing gizmo, in addition to any other functions it would normally possess. An accommodation does not count against a crafter’s gizmo limit (even if the accommodation would grant something normally crafted as a gizmo).

Battery Use

A battery use is an ability which requires depleting a battery to activate, usually to augment a gizmo’s effects or activate a secondary ability. Battery uses may also be referred to as “battery use abilities”; all battery use abilities are gizmo abilities. Some gizmos deplete a battery with certain uses (or list the rate they deplete a battery over a period of time), denoted as a “Battery Use” on the talent. If a gizmo has an ability which depletes a battery, that battery must be attached to the gizmo for its listed gizmo duration. A gizmo’s battery use ability continues until its gizmo duration ends, the gizmo is deactivated (such as by being destroyed or manually deactivated), or the depleted battery used to power that gizmo is manually removed.

In order to benefit from their battery use ability, a gizmo requires a battery whose gizmo level is equal to or greater than the attached gizmo. Batteries whose gizmo level is less than the attached gizmo’s cannot power their battery use abilities.

Combined Gizmos

A single object may be made up of multiple gizmos (such as a flashlight that is also a firearm and a grappling hook). If multiple gizmos are part of the same object, they are wielded using the greatest handedness amongst the component gizmos. Gizmos are individually damaged (see gizmo defenses below, in Gizmo Attributes).

Combined gizmos that occupy body parts (i.e. prosthetic gizmos) or would grant additional limbs or other similar functions count as a single gizmo of that kind. For example, if multiple arm prosthetics were combined to create one powerful arm prosthetic (likely to have multiple secondary functions), the user would still only have one usable arm for the purposes of held or wielded items, etc. Conflicting abilities granted by the same combined gizmo (such as multiple modes of movement from the same leg prosthetic) require the user to choose which option they are using at any given time; if no action would allow the user to enable or switch between these options, the user may switch between options as a move or swift action (subject to GM discretion).

Depleted

Some gizmos may become depleted through their normal use (such as a depleted battery). A depleted gizmo is immediately deactivated and is treated as though it had no functions and cannot be used normally for any of its crafted purposes. Any number of depleted gizmos may be returned to a usable state whenever the crafter maintains their gizmos. Some gizmos may become depleted through other circumstances and may have the depleted condition removed by specific means (such as the Tinker sphere Redundant Systems talent allowing a gizmo to become depleted instead of immediately being destroyed, and removing this depleted condition if sufficiently repaired).

Effective Gizmo Level

Some abilities, such as Tinker tradition boons or class features, may increase or decrease a gizmo’s effective gizmo level (often on a temporary or conditional basis). Temporary increases to a gizmo’s effective gizmo level do not affect their gizmo level when determining if the gizmo may benefit from a battery (normally, a battery gizmo must be the same or higher gizmo level than the gizmo using it).

Increases and decreases to a gizmo’s effective gizmo level adjust all gizmo-level dependent statistics of that gizmo (but not hit points, hardness, or proficiency check DC).

When an AI or mechanoid receives a bonus or penalty to its effective gizmo level, the AI or mechanoid instead receives an equal bonus or penalty to all d20 rolls it makes for the effect’s duration.

Projects

Some gizmos may have a costly material component, called projects, which take longer to craft (see Section 4.1: Mastering Gizmos, Projects for more).

Temporary Talents & Retraining

If you lose the knowledge of how to craft a gizmo, you can no longer maintain that gizmo and it will begin to break. If you gain a gizmo talent temporarily, or retrain a gizmo talent you already possess, you can no longer maintain that gizmo (including gizmos crafted with costly projects) and the gizmo becomes completely nonfunctional after 10 minutes of losing the talent.

Wearable and Wieldable Gizmos

Gizmos can come in any variety of shapes, sizes, and designs. When crafting a gizmo that does not attach to another object (such as most augmentations, prosthetics, etc.), the crafter may choose whether the gizmo must be worn, held (in one or two hands), or can be either worn or held to use its functions while active. An active gizmo remains active even if not in a user’s possession. A worn gizmo does not occupy a character’s magic item slots.

For example, a crafter could choose to make an Emergency Gear flashlight gizmo be held, wearable, or both, and the flashlight gizmo would continue to produce light even if set down. A wearable gizmo may be equipped and worn as a move or swift action.

Using Gizmos

Activating Gizmos: Gizmos must be turned “on” to be used (referred to as an “activated” gizmo) and cannot use its various gizmo functions while “off” (a “deactivated” gizmo). You may activate a gizmo as a move action, and deactivating a gizmo may be done as a free action (unless otherwise stated). While activated, a gizmo continues to function until deactivated. Many gizmos have effects which benefit its user passively, simply by being active.

Gizmo Functions and Battery Use Abilities: Certain gizmo functions may require additional actions from the user (i.e. making the jetpack start flying, taking a picture with the camera, firing the laser cannon, and so on). A gizmo’s functions are used as a standard action (unless otherwise stated); if the user activates a gizmo as a standard action, they may use its standard action functions as part of that same action. A user may activate a gizmo as part of the action to use that gizmo.

A gizmo’s battery use abilities are also activated as a standard action (unless otherwise stated).

Gizmos that are wielded or worn by a creature cannot be activated or used by another creature (unless otherwise stated). Activating or using a gizmo is a physical action (unless otherwise stated) requiring the user to be capable of physical actions (i.e. not paralyzed, stunned, etc.), but does not require a free or empty hand.

Proficiency Checks: Some gizmos or functions require a proficiency check to utilize their effects. A successful proficiency check requires the user to succeed at an associated skill check with a DC equal to the gizmo’s DC, increasing by +5 if the gizmo has the broken condition. The action required to attempt the proficiency check is determined by the gizmo, usually as part of activating one of the gizmo’s functions. You always succeed at proficiency checks for gizmos you crafted.

Instructing Others: A gizmo’s crafter can instruct, teach, or otherwise explain to other creatures how to use their gizmos (usually with 15 minutes of effort, which may be done as part of maintaining your gizmos). A creature who has been instructed in the gizmo’s uses gains a +5 circumstance bonus to proficiency checks made with the gizmo, and may understand other uses or interactions of the gizmo (if taught), such as a Security Set security bypasses.

Line of Sight and Line of Effect: Similar to spells, gizmos require line of sight and line of effect, unless otherwise stated (such as using signals to transfer data to other gizmos within range, targeting an area with a gizmo’s abilities, and so on).

Gizmo Ranges

Some gizmos refer to ranges, similar to that of a spell. Some gizmos will state their range specifically (such as only affecting the user, or have a range of close or medium).

Personal

A personal-range gizmo will only affect the user. Most personal-range gizmos will not state that they have a range of personal, but rather this range is implicit to only affecting the user.

Touch

You must touch a creature or object to affect it. A touch-range gizmo that deals damage can score a critical hit just as a weapon can. A touch-range gizmo threatens a critical hit on a natural roll of 20 and deals double damage on a successful critical hit. Some touch-range gizmos allow you to touch multiple targets. Unless otherwise stated, you can touch up to 6 willing targets as part of activating a touch-range gizmo, but all targets of the gizmo must be touched in the same round that you finish activating the gizmo. If the gizmo allows you to touch targets over multiple rounds, touching 6 creatures is a full-round action.

Close

The effects of a close-range gizmo reaches up to 25 feet plus 5 feet per 2 gizmo levels.

Medium

The effects of a medium-range gizmo reaches up to 100 feet plus 10 feet per gizmo level.

Long

The effects of a long-range gizmo reaches up to 400 feet plus 40 feet per gizmo level.

Extra Long

The effects of an extra long-range gizmo reaches up to 1,000 feet plus 100 feet per gizmo level.

Unlimited

The effects of an unlimited-range gizmo reaches anywhere on the plane (and unless otherwise specified, does not cross between planes).

Range Expressed In Feet

Some gizmos have no standardized range category and instead express their range in feet.

Other Tinker Interactions and Rules

Extra Attacks

Unless stated otherwise, certain abilities (such as additional limbs, innate gizmos in a prosthetic, etc.) granted by the Tinker sphere do not grant the user any extra attacks or actions per round. This means the user is not granted any extra attacks per round, whether used as natural weapons, wielding manufactured weapons, or other means of weaponizing the additional limb.

In this context, “extra” means more than the user would be able to make if they did not have the additional limb.

Gizmo Penetration and Gizmo Resistance

Gizmo Penetration: Gizmo penetration checks are checks made by a gizmo (or other technological effect or subject) against another effect. By default, a gizmo penetration check is equal to 1d20 + gizmo level. Gizmo penetration checks can be contested effects (such as competing AI in a gizmo) or against static DCs, usually 11 + gizmo level.

Gizmo penetration checks are most often used when a gizmo (or Tinker sphere effect) directly competes to prevent or block another effect. GMs may determine a gizmo penetration check is needed in certain circumstances.

Gizmo Resistance: Gizmo resistance is a statistic that functions similarly to spell resistance, instead allowing a creature to ignore or resist (as though immune) a gizmo’s effects. Gizmo resistance applies to all attacks, effects, abilities, saving throws, etc. created by a gizmo. Gizmo resistance does not disrupt or hinder gizmos in the user’s possession. Gizmo resistance is generally rare, but is available through the Advanced Field Projectors legendary talent.

Gizmo resistance does not extend to other mechanical or technological sources by default (such as constructs and non-Tinker sphere technology), but can at GM discretion. GMs should determine the source’s gizmo level, as appropriate.

Spells are not hindered by gizmo resistance and gizmos are not hindered by spell resistance, unless otherwise stated. Gizmos are not subject to “transparency” because they are not a spellcasting subsystem, and not intended to be hindered by spell resistance or other magic-impeding effects unless the gizmo would be subject to a Tinker tradition or other effect that treats it as magical.

Implanted Gizmos

Any gizmo may be implanted into a user the same as implanting an object (see Section 1.2: Skill Rules, Heal for more). An implanted gizmo can no longer be taken away from the user (such as with the disarm or steal combat maneuvers) but also cannot be used for another creature’s benefit (i.e. treat another creature as the user) or removed from the creature without a new Heal check. Gizmos that must be attached to other objects (primarily modifications) may be implanted, but must then be separately attached to an object in the user’s possession.

An implanted gizmo is otherwise always able to be targeted, sundered, and interacted with as a normal gizmo of its kind.

Internally Implanted Gizmos: Internally implanted gizmos lose all functionality unless they are a kind of gizmo intended to be implanted internally (i.e. prosthetic organs). A combined gizmo’s other abilities are suppressed while it is internally implanted (i.e. a prosthetic heart with other effects combined into it would only function as a prosthetic heart).

An internally-implanted prosthetic can never be granted a secondary function unless otherwise stated.

Tinker Sphere and Subordinates

A subordinate is any controlled character gained by class features, talents, feats, or other effects. This is a specific term to be used for when an ability or effect applies to all creatures under an individual character’s control, rather than all allies or a specific type of controlled character. As a non-exhaustive list, subordinates include an animal companion, Conjuration sphere companion, eidolon, familiar, independent invention, Leadership sphere cohort, or raised undead.

As a general rule, player-controlled subordinates should not be able to create more subordinates. As such, while a subordinate could take the Tinker sphere, a subordinate could not craft their own AI or mechanoids without GM permission.

Tinker Sphere and Polymorph Effects

Tinker sphere gizmos are treated similarly to magic items when a user is subject to other effects. Polymorph effects that would subsume worn and held equipment into the user’s body do the same to gizmos; gizmos which provide constant, passive benefits not reliant on the equipment they are attached to (primarily augmentations) continue to provide their bonuses while most other gizmos are subsumed and become unusable.

Artificial Intelligence and Polymorph Effects: Routines and Artificial Intelligence continue to function normally when their host gizmo would be subsumed as part of a polymorph effect. If an Artificial Intelligence could use its host gizmo for the purposes of senses, it may continue to use those senses despite being subsumed, but may not activate or use gizmos that are subsumed by the user (often rendering the AI unable to perform anything other than mental actions in these circumstances).

Prosthetics and Polymorph Effects: Donned or implanted prosthetics are treated as worn equipment for the purpose of polymorph effects, and will be subsumed as part of the transformation. Prosthetics vital for life functions (such as hearts) have their utility subsumed by the new form. Prosthetics that are part of a creature’s body, such as a mechanoid’s innate gizmos are treated as a creature's physical traits. Physical traits are usually suppressed as part of a polymorph effect, however, some abilities may allow a creature to retain use of their physical traits (such as the Alteration sphere Retain Ability talent).