Thursday, 16 May 2019

Electric Devices

Bastion is Electric now. There are still Oddities we don't understand, whether they're from Alien visitors, the output of Underground Machines, or just things that shouldn't exist. However, electric power has opened up a new market for fantastic devices that we actually understand (for the most part).

You've got just about anything you can slap a battery onto, or hook up to the electric grid, but this is all super-new and this is Bastion so remember those golden rules:
  • Everything is Here
  • Everything is Complicated
  • Everything is Shared
Radios crackle their signal from a huge aerial, every borough broadcasting its own ultra-local programming.

Telephones go through a switchboard and if you want to use it you have to go and tell your neighbour to hang up.

Tramways run on live wires that double up as pigeon-traps.

Television is a tiny black and white screen on a huge humming box, or else you'll have to risk a smoky cinema with a fire-hazard projector and overpriced snacks.

But you're a Treasure Hunter with a huge debt, so you probably don't care too much about home appliances. You're here for the portable stuff.

Electric stuff is usually improved over non-electric versions but usually comes with a downside. Most commonly they require some sort of charge through batteries or more unusual means.

When you Rest, roll 1d6 for each battery-powered item you've used since the last Rest.
1: It's dead. You're out of batteries, and need to find somewhere you can buy more or get some charge.
2-3: Last reload. You've rubbed your batteries to get a last bit of life from it. You can use this one more time before it runs out.
4-6: Charged. You're fine.

Electric Weapons

Magnetic Rifle (Bulky, d8, +d10 vs targets wearing metal armour). Bullets are super-magnetised, meaning any attacks in metal-rich environments are Impaired as they veer wildly.

Jaw Axe (d6, if this causes a Scar or STR Damage you can always choose to take off a limb)

Vacuum Cannon (Bulky, d8 shot OR suck, pulling any targets in the cone that fail their STR Save towards you) Extremely loud no matter which setting you use.

Electric Tools

Rad-Halo: While worn you have perfect recall of everything you've seen or heard while wearing the halo. You can also perform arithmetic as fast as a calculator. You lose d6 CHA every time you:
- Put on the Halo
- Use the Halo to recall a memory
- Use the Halo to perform arithmetic

Slumber Box: Anybody enclosed in this coffin-like box is lightly bombarded with shocks until they pass out. They can only be woken by opening the box, and users report an incredibly restful sleep.

Cremato-Scan: Two spikes wired up to a small console. Putting them both into a corpse will ignite the remains with high voltage, burning it to a crisp in a matter of minutes. The console then prints out a small paper report showing the following facts about the victim:
- Their last meal
- Distance and direction of the last place they slept
- Their number of siblings.

Electric Armour

Puffer Suit: The wearer can trigger the Puffer Mechanism at any time. They are immobile but gain Armour 2 and anybody currently engaged in melee is shocked for d6 damage, ignoring armour. Deflating the puffer mechanism takes 5 minutes and requires a helper.

Breacher Armour: Armour 2. Cannot even move without power. With a decent run up this armour can smash through a brick wall. 

Concussion Armour: Armour 1. When an attacker causes Critical Damage to you they are blasted backwards for d10 damage.

Electric Vehicles

Electrocycle: Its heavy battery is powered by riding the bike normally. One hour of normal riding charges enough power for a few minutes of noisy blazing.

Spark-Luge: Essentially a metal tray that can be rigged onto a rail or tramline and thrust one very brave passenger along it at dangerous speeds.

Altobrella: A chunky umbrella that opens up like a helicopter's blades. Extremely limited maneuverability, only really takes you straight up or on a controlled descent.