Rules
Technology in the world
Skills
No new skills are introduced to the Pathfinder RPG to model how characters interact with technology—rather, existing skills are expanded to allow for such interaction. Additional rules for how skills interact with technology are listed below. Without the Technologist feat, a character is treated as untrained in the skill in question when using it on technology.
Those who wish to construct or repair technological items use the Craft (mechanical) skill in conjunction with the technological item crafting feats. Without the Technologist feat, Craft (mechanical) can still be used to craft less advanced forms of technology such as gears, hinges, and pulleys. Note that in the campaign setting, NPCs with the means of crafting technological items are extremely rare, and it is not assumed that PCs have access to such resources. GMs are encouraged to discuss such considerations with their players before allowing technological crafting into the game.
With the Technologist feat, you can use Disable Device to arm or disarm high-tech explosives or disable electronic triggers or locks. The Technologist feat is not required to disable a high-tech trap or object, but such traps and objects often have significantly higher DCs to disable than low-tech versions of a similar device would have.
Arm Explosive
If you possess a detonator, you can arm an explosive weapon as a trap. Connecting a detonator to an explosive requires a successful DC 10 Disable Device check. Failure means that the attempt fails, but you can attempt to arm the explosive again. Failure by 5 or more means the explosive is triggered as the detonator is installed. You can attempt to make an explosive difficult to disarm. To do so, choose a target disarm DC of 15 or higher, with a DC increment of 5. This becomes your target DC to set the explosive as well as the DC to disarm the explosive.
Disable Electronic Lock or Trigger
Disabling an electronic lock on a door or an electronic trigger for a trap (not the trap itself) is easier if you use an e-pick—without an e-pick, you take a Ð5 penalty on such checks.
Disarm Explosive
Disarming an explosive requires the character to succeed at a Disable Device check as if disarming a trap. The DC is usually 10, unless the person who set the explosive successfully did so with a higher disarm DC. A failure to disarm an explosive by 5 or more immediately triggers the explosive.
Special
A character can take 10 when using Disable Device to arm or disarm explosives, but cannot take 20.
Time
Arming an explosive device takes 1 minute or more, depending on the scope of the job. Disarming an explosive is treated as if the explosive were a complex trap, and takes 2d4 rounds to attempt.
A character with the Technologist feat can attempt a Linguistics check to decipher certain complex messages that appear in ruins. Note that many of these messages are written in Androffan. This language is spoken outside only rarely, and even within its borders, some have tried (quite unsuccessfully) to keep it a secret language.
Androffan
Some robots may also know it (either in addition to Common and Hallit or replacing these languages), depending on the robots' nature. Androffan cannot be chosen as a bonus language for high Intelligence without GM permission.
Researching Technology
A character can use the following skills to research technological subjects. Other skills may have research applications as well, subject to GM approval.
Heal
Used to identify and understand pharmaceuticals.
Knowledge (Arcana)
Although robots are constructs, Knowledge (arcana) cannot be used to identify robots or their abilities and weaknesses.
Knowledge (Engineering)
This is the most important skill with regard to technological subjects. Knowledge (engineering) can be used to identify a robot's abilities and weaknesses. Knowledge (engineering) is also used to identify and understand unknown technological objects in a similar manner to how Spellcraft is used to identify the properties of a magic item. The DC to correctly identify and understand an unknown technological object is equal to the object's Craft DC. An object with a Craft DC of 15 or less can be automatically identified and understood by someone trained in Knowledge (engineering) who also has the Technologist feat.
Knowledge (Geography)
Used for astronomy.
Feats
Technology Guide Feats
| Feat | Prerequisites | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Craft Cybernetics | Technologist, Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 9 ranks | Create and install cybertech |
| Craft Pharmaceutical | Technologist, Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 9 ranks | Create pharmaceutical items |
| Craft Technological Arms and Armor | Technologist, Craft (mechanical) 7 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 7 ranks | Create technological weapons and armor |
| Craft Technological Item | Technologist, Craft (mechanical) 5, Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks | Create technological items |
| Robot's Bane | Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks | Gain offensive and defensive bonuses against robots |
| Scavenger's Luck | Knowledge (engineering) 1 rank | When using timeworn technology, roll twice to determine the glitch effect |
| Technologist | — | Can use skills with technological subjects |
| Technology Adept | Dex 13, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Point-Blank Shot | Gain a bonus on save DCs to resist the effects of technological firearms |
| Technophobe | Improved Sunder | Gain a morale bonus when you destroy a robot or technological item |
| Wrest Charge | Disable Device 5 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks | Jury-rig a depleted battery to hold 1 charge |
Craft Cybernetics
You can build cyberware and install it in a creature's body.
Prerequisites
Technologist, Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 9 ranks
Benefit
You can create cybernetic items. Creating a cybernetic item takes 1 day for every 1,000 gp in the item's price. To create the object, you must use up raw materials costing half of this total price. See Crafting High-Tech Items for more information.
You can repair a broken cybernetic item if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would take to craft that item from scratch.
You can also install a cybernetic item in a creature's body. See the Cybertech section for more information on installing cyberware.
Craft Pharmaceutical
You can craft pharmaceuticals.
Prerequisites
Technologist, Heal 9 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 9 ranks
Benefit
You can create any pharmaceutical or poison. Creating a pharmaceutical takes 2 hours if its base price is 250 gp or less; otherwise, the creation of the pharmaceutical takes 1 day for every 1,000 gp in its price. To create the pharmaceutical or poison, you must use up raw materials costing half of this total price. See Crafting High-Tech Items for more information.
Craft Technological Arms and Armor
You can build technological weapons and armor.
Prerequisites
Technologist, Craft (mechanical) 7 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 7 ranks
Benefit
You can create technological weapons or armor. Creating a technological weapon or suit of armor takes 1 day for every 1,000 gp in the item's price. To create the object, you must use up raw materials costing half of this total price. See Crafting High-Tech Items for more information.
You can also repair a broken technological weapon or suit of armor if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would take to craft that item from scratch.
Craft Technological Item
You can craft technological gear and items.
Prerequisites
Technologist, Craft (mechanical) 5 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks
Benefit
You can create technological gear. Creating a piece of technological gear takes 1 day for every 1,000 gp in the item's price. To create the object, you must use up raw materials costing half of this total price. See Crafting High-Tech Items for more information.
You can also repair a broken technological item if it is one that you could make. Doing so costs half the raw materials and half the time it would take to craft that item from scratch.
Robot's Bane
You have trained to avoid the attacks and effects employed by robots and technology and to combat them effectively.
Prerequisite
Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks
Benefit
You gain a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls against creatures with the robot subtype. Additionally, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to your AC and a +1 bonus on saving throws against attacks and effects from robots. If you have at least 11 ranks in Knowledge (engineering), these bonuses increase to +2. If you have at least 17 ranks in Knowledge (engineering), these bonuses increase to +3.
Special
If you have constructs as a favored enemy, you can use your favored enemy bonus toward constructs in place of the bonus granted by this feat if it's larger. These bonuses do not stack with those granted by other abilities that allow you to add your favored enemy bonus to AC or on saving throws.
Scavenger's Luck
You coax better behavior out of timeworn technology.
Prerequisite
Knowledge (engineering) 1 rank
Benefit
When your check for using a piece of timeworn technology results in a glitch, you can roll again. You must choose to reroll before determining the specific glitch, and must take the second result, even if it's worse. When you use timeworn technology, it doesn't automatically glitch on a natural 1.
Technologist
You are familiar with the basic mechanics of technology.
Benefit
You are considered to be trained in any skill used against a technology-based subject. If the skill in question requires training to use even against non-technological subjects, you must still have ranks in that skill in order to gain the benefit of Technologist.
Normal
You treat all skill checks made against technology as if they were untrained skill checks. This may mean that you cannot attempt certain skill checks, even if you possess ranks in the skill in question.
Technology Adept
You utilize high-tech firearms to maximum effect.
Prerequisites
Dex 13, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (firearms), Point-Blank Shot
Benefit
When you attack with a technological firearm that consumes charges, the save DC of any effect caused by that firearm increases by 1. If your bonuses from Point-Blank Shot apply, it increases by 2 instead.
Technophobe
Smashing technological abominations brings you joy.
Prerequisite
Benefit
When you reduce a robot to 0 hit points or destroy a technological item possessed by an enemy, you receive a +2 morale bonus on ability checks, attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom bonus (minimum 1 round). You receive this bonus for destroying an unattended object so long as it was in the possession of an enemy within the last round.
Wrest Charge
You can extract a charge from otherwise depleted technology.
Prerequisites
Disable Device 5 ranks, Knowledge (engineering) 5 ranks
Benefit
With a successful DC 20 Disable Device check, you can jury-rig a depleted (but not destroyed) battery so it provides 1 more charge. Using this charge or failing your check by 5 or more permanently depletes the battery.
You can attempt the same check to add 1 last charge to a discharged piece of timeworn technology. Regardless of the outcome, no other attempts can be made, even by another person. Using this feat takes 1 minute. You can attempt to wrest a charge as a move action by taking a -10 penalty on your check. This feat does not stack with the charge cycling deed.
Spells
Equipment