Tech System
The technology of the ancients was so advanced, complex and specific that it was impossible for a single person to know large parts of it, so as it advanced, it grew more and more fragmented. Before, during and after the Fall, millions of people died and their expert knowledge died with them. Furthermore, lots of information repositories were destroyed, lost, or ceased to be available.
These factors gave rise to a new dark age.
This system is based in the idea that each device is characteristic of a specific Tech Stage, and each community is in a specific Tech Stage.
By device we mean any items, objects, books, contraptions, gear, equipment, machines, and even artificial living beings, that are manmade in origin, and their manufacture requires to apply some specific set of knowledge and techniques.
By community we mean any social group in which there is a significant degree of free flow of information regarding science and technology. In each community, technology is usually developed by a small group of people that undertakes this task to benefit the community. Hence, a community can be a whole settlement, a wandering tribe, a nation that controls many settlements, or even a guild or business inside a settlement.
Technology has traditionally been used to attain a political, military or business advantage over other communities. Hence, the community some tech will benefit must be accurately defined by the players who engage in research along with the GM.
It is considered that each community is in a certain Tech Stage, from the ones listed below in order:
Each device is associated with a certain Tech Stage. Your capacity to properly understand the purpose of a device, its inner workings, how you must interact with it or use it, and ultimately how you can craft it, is determined by its Tech Stage, and your community's current Tech Level, in the following ways:
You can take those devices back to your community, and make a Tinker with the Researcher edge examine it, to contribute to your community's technological progress towards the characteristic Tech Stage of the device.
However, this is only possible when the characteristic Tech Stage of the device is one stage above your current community's Tech Stage. Even Tinkers won't be able to extract knowledge out of a device that's too advanced. It will simply be beyond their comprehension. You cannot research rocket science if you are still throwing rocks.
Furthermore, the devices a Tinker uses for research are destroyed in the process, with the sole exceptions of books. However, to be able to conduct research based on books, the Tinker requires the Educated edge.
Depending on the tribe's aproach towards private property, a tribe may consider donating the artifact a duty, whereas other tribes may recognize you, gaining prestige. In other tribes where the private property concept is strong, you are not expected to give away anything you find, and if someone wants it, must pay for it... or kill you. The GM determines the tribe's reaction.
Optional Rule: Technologies Inside Tech Stages
Instead of basing progress and technology on simply broad Tech Stages as described above, you can base it on specific Technologies inside each Tech Stage, with dependence relationships: some technologies are prerequisites of others.
These factors gave rise to a new dark age.
This system is based in the idea that each device is characteristic of a specific Tech Stage, and each community is in a specific Tech Stage.
By device we mean any items, objects, books, contraptions, gear, equipment, machines, and even artificial living beings, that are manmade in origin, and their manufacture requires to apply some specific set of knowledge and techniques.
By community we mean any social group in which there is a significant degree of free flow of information regarding science and technology. In each community, technology is usually developed by a small group of people that undertakes this task to benefit the community. Hence, a community can be a whole settlement, a wandering tribe, a nation that controls many settlements, or even a guild or business inside a settlement.
Technology has traditionally been used to attain a political, military or business advantage over other communities. Hence, the community some tech will benefit must be accurately defined by the players who engage in research along with the GM.
It is considered that each community is in a certain Tech Stage, from the ones listed below in order:
- Neolithic
- Bronze Age
- Iron Age
- Steel Age
- Mechanic Age
- Steam Age
- Electric Age
- Electronic Age
- Digital Age
- Robotics Age
Understanding Tech
An average tribesman can only understand devices that are equal or below its tribe's Tech Stage. A guy dressed in pelts and carrying an obsidian knife won't be able to understand a smartphone or a nuclear bomb.Each device is associated with a certain Tech Stage. Your capacity to properly understand the purpose of a device, its inner workings, how you must interact with it or use it, and ultimately how you can craft it, is determined by its Tech Stage, and your community's current Tech Level, in the following ways:
- Device Below your current community's Tech Stage: Trivial, you understand it immediately, you don't need to roll to use it.
- Device Within your current community's Tech Stage: Roll Smarts & Tech to be able to understand, interact, use or craft it. This only enables you to do other things, a success in this roll doesn't mean that you actually use or craft something, it means you can try to do such things.
- Devive Above your current community's Tech Stage: You do not understand it, it looks like magic to you, or you can't even get it to work.
- Advances in Materials - If an Iron Age tribesman finds a Steel Sword, he will be familiar with the concept of a sword, so he will still be able to use it. However, he will not be able to identify and understand its material, and he will not be able to craft one.
- Tinkers with the Tech Insight edge.
Technological Progress
Some devices contain "Tech Points" towards its characteristic Tech Stage.You can take those devices back to your community, and make a Tinker with the Researcher edge examine it, to contribute to your community's technological progress towards the characteristic Tech Stage of the device.
However, this is only possible when the characteristic Tech Stage of the device is one stage above your current community's Tech Stage. Even Tinkers won't be able to extract knowledge out of a device that's too advanced. It will simply be beyond their comprehension. You cannot research rocket science if you are still throwing rocks.
Furthermore, the devices a Tinker uses for research are destroyed in the process, with the sole exceptions of books. However, to be able to conduct research based on books, the Tinker requires the Educated edge.
Depending on the tribe's aproach towards private property, a tribe may consider donating the artifact a duty, whereas other tribes may recognize you, gaining prestige. In other tribes where the private property concept is strong, you are not expected to give away anything you find, and if someone wants it, must pay for it... or kill you. The GM determines the tribe's reaction.
Optional Rule: Technologies Inside Tech Stages
Instead of basing progress and technology on simply broad Tech Stages as described above, you can base it on specific Technologies inside each Tech Stage, with dependence relationships: some technologies are prerequisites of others.
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