1879: Professions High Tiers: The Weird Scientist

Like the Weird Scientist in the 1879 Players Guide, this Weird Scientist is optimized to be a device builder, like those of the Heron School. Later on, in another chapter, the 1879 Players Companion discusses Variant Professions, and presents Weird Scientist career paths optimized for the Newtonian and Promethean Schools. For now, we will proceed with what we have.

While the Warden does learn a new practical, hands-on skill, Forge Weapon or Forge Device (they get to choose which one), the Warden Tier puts most of its effort into developing those social abilities that have been laggard thus far. Oratory, Taunt, and Undermine make monologueing substantially more powerful. Combine them and the fools will fall to bickering amongst themselves. Should they dare to attack, Safe Thought and Lion Spirit grant protection from assaults that would crumble weaker minds. If all else fails, Disarming Smile leading into Graceful Exit allows one to leave the scene of battle in a dignified and orderly fashion, and Escape Plan assures that the Weird Scientist will know the optimal route. Given just a minute, though, any device ready to hand can be boosted with a Temporary Performance Gain, surprising the enemies who never expected a cigar lighter to throw a five-foot flame.

The Master Tier continues with emphasis on social ability and interaction. Cutting Words converts insults into deadly barbs. Witty Repartee turns aside the foe’s feeble attempt to counter attack, and may even result in their own words coming back upon them. Some will use Diplomacy in its mode of saying “nice doggy” while one locates a loose cobble, others in a more ingratiating and negotiatory style. Engaging Banter can also keep the foe busy while one’s minions wheel up a cannon behind them. Inspire Others shares the grand and glorious vision of the Weird Scientist in a way calculated to spur one’s minions, or friends if one has allowed for the possibility of peers, on to greater effort. Every Master of the Weird Sciences has been described as having a piercing gaze, and with Steely Stare in place, a look can actually freeze someone in their tracks. Finally, the master plan can be at long last enacted. The Weird Scientist has reached the pinnacle of their field, and can, with sustained effort and a grand reveal of their master work, proclaim, I’ll Show You All!

Skills and Abilities

  • Warden
    • Core Skills
      • Forge (Firearm / Weapon), Graceful Exit, Oratory, Taunt, Undermine
    • Optional Skills
      • Disarming Smile, Escape Plan, Leadership, Lion Spirit, Safe Thought
    • Abilities
      • The character gains +1 to their Mystic Defense.
      • The character gains +1 to their Social Defense.
      • The character may spend Karma on PER-only Tests.
      • Temporary Performance Gain:The Weird Scientist can make a series of quick adjustments to a device or machine in the field to briefly improve its effectiveness. The Weird Scientist makes a Craft Device Test against the device’s Mystic Defense. For each success, the device gains +1 Step to any statistic. All Step gains must be applied to the same statistic. For example, the Weird Scientist could improve a device’s Effect Step by +2, but could not improve the Effect Step by +1 and the Physical Armor by +1. The Step gain lasts for the Weird Scientist’s Craft Device Rank in minutes. At the end of the duration, the device’s statistics revert to normal. On a Rule of One result, the Weird Scientist does their Craft Device Rank in damage to the device.
  • Master
    • Core Skills
      • Cutting Words, Perfect Focus, Resist Taunt, Soul Aegis, Witty Repartee
    • Optional Skills
      • Diplomacy, Engaging Banter, Inspire Others, Second Chance, Steely Stare
    • Abilities
      • The character gains +2 to their Mystic Defense.
      • The character’s Max Karma increases by 15.
      • I’ll Show You All!: The Weird Scientist can make an Impressive Display Test against the Mystic Defense of a creation they have just completed, with the usual +2 bonus from the crafting Test, and add any successes as +1 Step bonuses to the creation’s statistics. Multiple successes may be split up among statistics. This can only be used for creating grand devices, complex potions that require three months of brewing, or other creations that require sustained actions over considerable time to be created, and will be used before a large crowd, with the intent of overawing the onlookers. When the creation is deployed, the Weird Scientist may add the number of successes from the creation-time Impressive Display Test as a Step bonus to a new Impressive Display Test against the audience. Both of the Impressive Display Tests can only be used once each, one for creating the item, and the other for the grand reveal.

Notes:

  • At Warden, the Weird Scientist picks one of Forge Firearm or Forge Weapon as a Core Skill. The other becomes available as a Free Skill.