[quote=“Natures Witness, post:13, topic:6635”]The quarterstaff thing gives me an idea. Maybe we can have a lower grade version of this that’s basically just a single-piece wood bow, but heavy duty enough that when it’s unstrung can be used as a quarterstaff?
The lab book thing gives me another idea; while it doesn’t make a lot of sense for a lab to be working on a bow like this, it would be at least somewhat reasonable if they were working on something similar to the kinetic power assembly that makes this bow work, but for some other application. Then our survivor comes along, finds it, and thinks "I don’t really need this space-age shock absorber assembly for my car, but I bet I could do something really cool with it if I used my noggin and my expertise in black smithing and archery.
We’d just need some way to link finding the thing and the characters’ skill levels in a way that allows you to learn the correct recipe. Maybe this could be combined with some other survivor-esque inventions that use the central item (which for now I’ll call a kinetic battery) in different ways.
For example, we have a lab that was working on this kinetic battery project, our survivor wanders in, and finds their prototype. He’s not quite sure what the thing is, but it does look interesting. Now here’s where things get interesting. The device itself gives you the option to study it, just like a book. While it doesn’t train any skills, it does have a chance to teach recipes, depending on what skills you have. If you have high enough ratings in archery and mechanical, you can have a “Eureka!” Moment and learn how to make the Bowt’leth. The instructions weren’t written on the thing; your characters’ thoughtful study of the item allowed them to come up with the design by themself. Now let’s say your character is more knowledgable in melee combat. With enough skill in melee, bashing, and mechanical, they’ll discover the recipe for the “kinetic sledge” a melee weapon that uses the kinetic battery’s properties to store energy and then release it in a single blow that will send a hulk flying like a baseball at Yankee Stadium.
This would basically be a whole new approach to item crafting in Cata. Not every build-able item was invented by someone else; with enough knowledge, and the right inspiration, our scrappy survivors are more than capable of inventing their own crazy contraptions.[/quote]
This is my favorite thing since ever.
