Technomancy- Machine magic

[ScrapyardDragon]

Technomancy

A warforged technomancer at work


Technomancy, the magical art of of doing things and sometimes conversing with otherwise mundane equipment. Alternatively a form of worship for (or crimes against) the omnissiah, depending on who you ask.
Technomancy is an alternative spell school to Necromancy. In other words, when entering a class that offers Necromancy, you may instead switch it out for the Technomancy spell school.

Rank 1

SPOILER: Click to show

Technophilia
Technomancy 1
Test: Technomancy + Inteligence
Target Number: 15
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Social, Subtle, Combo-Ok
Duration: One scene.
The machine spirits in the target like you for no reason at all, treating you like an old friend and granting +2k0 to all crafts and tech-use rolls involving the target. The target may resist with Tech-use + Intelligence. If you treat a charmed target well, the machine spirits might just continue to think of you as a friend.



Machinisis
Technomancy 1
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: –
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Social, Somatic
Duration: Instant
The caster calls upon the aid of machine spirits, allowing them to use the result from this magic test in place of a single crafts or tech-use roll.



Cybersenses
Technomancy 1
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 15
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Focus, Somatic
Duration: 5 minutes
The caster connects to and perceives from a nearby sensor within 30m, be it a camera, microphone, or the occasional smell-o-scope. The caster must be aware of the device to connect to it, but you do not need line of sight to the affected device.
Focus: 1/2m of wire

Rank 2

SPOILER: Click to show

Network Terminal
Technomancy 2
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: –
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Social, Verbal
Duration: Instant
The caster connects their mind to the internet, allowing them to use the result from this magic test in place of a single common or academic lore roll.


Bluescreen
Technomancy 2
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: varies
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Saving throw, Somatic, Attack, Combo-Ok
Duration: 5 minutes
The sorcerer causes a single technological device within 30m to cease functioning, albeit temporarily. Even the simplest of shaped objects will refuse to perform its function. The user of the spell's target (or the target themselves if they're of the mechanical variety) may make a Tech-Use + Intelligence save to cancel this spell's effects. If the spell targets machinery considered alive, such as Promethians, Warforged, or creatures with the machine trait the target instead may only take a half action on their next turn. If they fail the saving throw by 5 or more they lose their entire turn instead.



Blueprint
Technomancy 2
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 20
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Combo-Ok, Touch, Somatic
Duration: Instant
The sorcerer gains an understanding of the touched target's construction. This allows them to reduce the TN to modify, repair, or recreate the object by 10, and allows them to know precisely what tools or materials they would need to do so.

Rank 3

SPOILER: Click to show

Utility Belt
Technomancy 3
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 15
Action: Half Action
Keywords: Focus, Somatic, Combo-Ok
Duration: One Scene
The caster counts as having whatever equipment (not materials) they may need for the next crafts or tech-use test they make, but its TN is increased by 10 if they use these phantom tools instead of providing their own.
Focus: A belt



Dominus Machina
Technomancy 3
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 25
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Attack, Combo-OK, Saving Throw
Duration: Concentration (Half)
You control the actions of target machine (including but not limited to a computer, vehicle, warforged, promethean, or creature with the machine trait) within 10m. You must spend a half action every round to maintain this effect. The machine or its operator may test Tech-Use + Intelligence to resist. If you ask a machine to do something outside of its nature, it gets a free raise to that roll. If you force it to do something self-destructive or violent towards an ally, it gets three free raises.


Flesh made steel
Technomancy 3
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 20
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Social, Material, Somatic, Touch
Duration: -
The sorcerer quickly and efficiently installs the focus into the target, taking only an hour for installation with the new body part being fully operational afterwards, skipping any recovery time.
Focus: A cybernetic

Assemble Construct
Technomancy 3
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 25
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Material, Social, Somatic, Touch, Verbal
Duration: Indefinite
Spend a Resource Point. The touched pile of scrap metal becomes a helpful mechanical construct. Regardless of metal used or the shape the caster gives it, it uses the stats of a Myr Servitor. If the caster succeedes the focus power test with at least two raises he may instead give it the stats of a Myr Watcher. In either case, the construct is obediant to the caster.
Material: A polished orange stone.

Rank 4

SPOILER: Click to show

Virtual umbra
Technomancy 4
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 30
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Focus, Social, Somatic
Duration: Indefinite (see text)
The user goes into a trance as their spirit is ejected into the matrix. The matrix is an interactive metaphysical datascape, but be aware that it is filled with dangers such as security programs and viruses. You may return your spirit to your body at any time as a full action, but if you do this anywhere besides where you entered from you take a point of fatigue and a wound to the head. This also happens automatically if the focus is destroyed or runs out of power.
Focus: A dataslate


Upgrade
Technomancy 4
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 25
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Material, Focus, Somatic, Verbal
Duration: one day
This spell may only be cast on objects of a technological nature. The object is treated as one level of craftsmanship higher, and tests using the affected object (attacks with a chainsword, driving a car, weightlifting in power armor, etc.) gain a +2k0 bonus. Enhancing a new object ends the previous effect immediately.
Material: Some scrapmetal
Focus: A combitool
Special: despite not having the combo-ok keyword, you may create a spell combo with this spell and bluescreen. If you do, then bluescreen is not cast when the combo is cast. Instead, when upgrade is cast on a weapon as part of the combo, then any machine hit by the weapon is treated as if bluescreen had just been cast on it, with the TN for the saving throw being the result of the spell combo's focus power test. This effect ends when the upgrade ends.


Signal Rider
Technomancy 4
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 30
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Focus, Somatic, Touch, Saving throw
Duration: Instant
The user or a touched target travels along an electrical signal, such as power lines, cell phone signals, or control wires. If the signal is interrupted the spell simply fails if it was wireless, and the would-be traveler is simply shunted out at the break if the connection was wired. The spell may only transport up to 2 people at a time, but they need not be the caster. The target may resist with an Arcana + Intelligence save.
Focus: some sort of electrical signal and transmitter

Rank 5

SPOILER: Click to show

Assimilation
Technomancy 5
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 30
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Material, Social, Somatic, Touch, Verbal, Saving Throw
Duration: Indefinite
A helpless (or dead) target is painfully and forcibly transformed into an industrial servitor (book 1, chapter 17), or optionally a combat servitor if the caster acquired 2 raises on the focus power test. The servitor is programmed to obey the caster’s commands. No, it won't work on the exalted. Not even if you try that. Or that. If the target is still alive they may resist with an Arcana + Willpower save.
Material: an armful of electronic parts.



Electromagic Pulse
Technomancy 5
Test: Technomancy + Intelligence
Target Number: 35
Action: Full Action
Keywords: Saving throw, Attack, Somatic, Verbal, Material
Duration: 1 Hour
The sorcerer causes all technology within a 10m radius to cease functioning, albeit temporarily. Even the simplest of shaped objects will refuse to perform its function. The users of affected technology (or the targets themselves if they're of the mechanical variety) may make a Tech-Use + Intelligence save to cancel this spell's effects. If the spell would affect machinery considered alive, such as Promethians, Warforged, or creatures with the machine trait the targets instead may only take a half action on their next turn. If they fail the saving throw by 5 or more they lose their entire turn instead.
Material: A magnet

[ScrapyardDragon]

Made a quick change to signal rider during the port over; the targets have to be willing. the old version let you effectively remove things from the fight if you had an implanted phone or something, and that isn't right.

tweaked flesh made steel to use focus instead of material keyword. it still does the same thing but it lets me remove a clause. also reworded utility belt so you don't suffer the penalty if you don't actually employ the benefits of the spell.

[herothr33]

Recommend another level 5 as Assimilation will not be in flavor for a upstanding character and Greater Jam tech hurts you too if you have technology as a technomancer

[Amanojyaku]

Welcome to the wonderful world of tabletop games, where everything, absolutely everything, is "in flavor" for the sake of humiliating an NPC that made the mistake of arguing against you over whether the tennis ball is green or yellow.

Scrap matches to the books, it's doubtful he'll make any more spells for this school. So if neither one really "clicks" for you... take the last level to max out the school (not that there's much point to it, halving an odd number rounds down anyway if you're casting fettered) and you've got your choice of looting or a pocket EMP just in case.

[herothr33]

I'll just post some at some point then

[GuardianTempest]

Feb 10, 2023 18:47:28 GMT -6 herothr33 said:

Recommend another level 5 as Assimilation will not be in flavor for a upstanding character and Greater Jam tech hurts you too if you have technology as a technomancer

I assume you're saying that because you have an upstanding character using it and you don't want to disrupt his flavor. That's... kinda metagame-y. Toxicology is a magic school all about poisons but you don't see any "good options" in it.

Plus, it's not about the spell but also the usage that determines "upstanding". "Bad Powers, Good People" is a trope after all. I recommend Greater Jam technology as it's easier to use it in a "good" way. Disable a squad of hostile space marines without killing them, turn off a gigantic machine that is powered by a forsaken child, bypass a hostage situation by knocking out the murder weapon, disable a minefield, etc. And if you're concerned that the 10m radius is cause for collateral damage, there are multiple ways of dealing with it. Tell your allies to back away, reposition yourself, etc.

And there are probably situations where Assimilation can be applied for good uses, though it mostly boils down to "being a servitor is a gigantic improvement". I'm sure there are homebrew effects that dull pain one way or another.

EDIT: This is my 777th post. Allow me to celebrate the only way I know how.



Source

[Marr965]

Assimilation does also call out "dead body" as a possible target, meaning that it's entirely possible for it to be only as morally-objectionable as raising a zombie, which is not inherently a "bad" act.

I'd also suggest that if you're in a game and want to have a different level 5 technomancy spell than the options presented here, brewing one up yourself and getting permission to use it from whoever's running the game is a valid option that doesn't require telling someone else that they're doing it wrong.

[ScrapyardDragon]

Technomancy has just gotten a massive revision. Some spells were renamed or reworks. Others were removed and replaced.

at level 1; control simple machine was replaced with technophilia
at level 2; blueprint and jam technology were reworked with the latter being renamed to bluescreen
at level 3; utility belt gained combo-ok (hint; cast it with the new version of blueprint), control complex machine was replaced with Dominus Machina, and the new spell Assemble Construct was added.
at level 4; virtual umbra, signal rider, and upgrade were all reworked
at level 5; greater jam technology was reworked in line with bluescreen and renamed to electromagic pulse, and assimilation was given a saving throw.

Thanks given to Amanojyaku for advice and suggestions.