Inventing/Artificing

[Sandman XI]

Are there any specific rules on crafting an item for the PbP-type game? That is, how would one do an invention in a thread? Say Quark wanted to make a robot. I have him take 20 on the research check (640 hours :shock:) and then use ultimate effort for the design check (32 hours). How do I explain almost 27 days of researching and a day and a half of building?

[Dr Archeville]

Not that different from a tabletop game, really. Sometimes circumstances are such that you'd have an entire uninterrupted month to do your things. Sometimes -- most times, I'd wager -- circumstances are that you won't.

[Sandman XI]

So, will I have to take my character out for a month of real time or game time?

[Heridfel]

It would be game time, which is typically the same as real time except in the middle of threads. However, there's nothing that requires the research and crafting to be continuous. Quark can be working on something part-time while he goes out on adventures (and remember, since the adventures happen in game-time, a three-day adventure in game time can easily cover a whole month, leaving you 27 or 28 days to work on the invention).

[Sandman XI]

How does one set up the research/building of an invention? A single post thread? A whole adventure thread? Just saying so in the character edit thread?

[Heridfel]

A good way to judge what's needed for an invention is to determine how important it is to a future story. Icarus has been working on the components for an artifice for a few months now. When it goes off, it'll be awesome. If it's something that's fairly minor, like a flying belt, then you can do it through the Character Edits thread.

[Sandman XI]

Juryrigged something here. How do I account for it from now on?

[Dr Archeville]

What do you mean, "account for it"?

You won't be keeping it, it'll fall apart after one scene (unless you spend a Hero Point to keep it for one more scene).

[Sandman XI]

Ah, so I can't use it ever again, except in that thread? Or can I call it up again later if I need it with another HP?

[Dr Archeville]

You can jury-rig it again in some other thread/adventure, but it'll take the same amount of time to build it as it did the first time. Once the scene ends (unless you keep pumping HP into it) or the adventure ends, a jury-rigged device burns out/falls apart.

[Sandman XI]

So, the question of accounting for it: Do I just point to that thread every time I decide to use it in other threads?

[Dr Archeville]

Since all that's in that post in the thread are the invention's stats, it'd be just as easy to simply cut & paste it. And, as I said, it'll take just as long to re-jury rig it again in some different adventure.