Devices

Devices are inventions, contraptions, or other mechanical and magical mechanisms capable of producing great effects. Many devices are based on, or literally constructed from, spiretech. Spiretech items are rare devices from the age of the spires, lost in time and rediscovered in various states of operation. Working copies of these devices are incredibly rare and immensely valuable.

Beyond spiretech, devices may also be derived entirely from modern invention - contraptions of steam, electricity, and other mechanics cobbled together to produce an effect. More elegant devices powered entirely by magic also exist, producing wondrous and powerful effects.

Devices come in all shapes and sizes - they are always based on either spiretech, invention, or magic, but the base may be further altered with any of those processes to produce unique contraption. Aside from their originating technology, devices fall broadly into three categories:

Eidolons: An eidolon is a device that provides an ongoing effect to the bearer of it; they are often small trinkets or baubles that can be worn or pocketed. An eidolon is a fusion of an enchantment with an artificial spiretech intelligence. A character is limited to a number of eidolons that they can benefit from at once (equal to their Charm).
Equipment: Some devices takes the place of normal weapons or armor; these are advanced devices that may work largely the same way, but convey greater advantages for use. There is no limit (beyond the normal equipment limitations) for use of such devices aside from unlocking their signature function (like all devices).
Machines: A machine is a device that must be operated to produce a single effect. No passive effect is provided by simple possession of the machine, and further, operation time and concentration may be required. Wands are a subcategory of machines.

When a character comes into possession of a device, in order to use it in any way, they must unlock its signature function, which will provide the device with a single entropy, enabling its use.

Each device has an entry similar to a tale; the device is unusable by a character until they have spent the requisite resources to unlock the device's signature function. After having done this, characters may then proceed to either upgrade the device's entropy (up to 10), or unlock any number of tier 1 functions. After unlocking at least one tier 1 function, any number of tier 2 functions may be unlocked; and similarly, a tier 2 function is required before any tier 3 functions can be accessed.

After the device has had at least the signature function unlocked, it can be used - how the device is used will vary, and is described in more detail below.

Device Calibration

For a character to use a device at all, they must use the Calibrate action. Calibration allows the character to select any function to unlock, or entropy upgrade, pay the required costs, and permanently unlock that capability on the device (for that character). In order to Calibrate a device, take the following steps:

Select an adjacent device
Select an accessible locked function (an accessible function is either the signature, any function of the current or next available tier)
Make a Wits vs Difficulty check; modify the difficulty by the tier (+1, +2, +3) or by the targeted entropy (+1, +2, +3, ...); if the check is successful, continue (otherwise, this cannot be attempted on this device again until the next encounter):
Pay the required resources and SP
The action takes 10 minutes of uninterrupted effort

The cost for calibration is based on the tier of upgrade or the next level of entropy being unlocked, as well as the technology type being targeted. If the upgrade is a signature, or entropy upgrade, use the device's core type; for each tier upgrade, the type will be specified. The two tables below describe the costs based on type and level:

Device or Upgrade Type	Resource Needed
Spiretech	Widgets
Invention	Crowns (25 per)
Magic	Faecorns

Device Upgrade Level	Resource Cost
Signature	2 resources and 5SP
Tier 1	3 resources and 5SP
Tier 2	5 resources and 10SP
Tier 3	10 resources and 30SP
Entropy	2 resources and 5SP, per previous rank

Device Operation

Once a character has calibrated a device at least once (unlocking the signature function), they can begin to use it. To do this, they will use the Operate action.

Devices all have entropy, a resource that is recharged at the start of each encounter up to its maximum (starting at one when the signature is unlocked). The use of devices costs entropy, and once it is exhausted, the device may not be usable for the rest of the encounter.

The base Operate action does not require a check, and allows a character to target any adjacent device they have access to, and attempt to use it. Individual devices may require checks, and certain device types can be turned "on" indefinitely.

Eidolon Operation

When a character operates an eidolon, they attune to it; there is no check required, and they can do this as often as they want. A character is limited to attuning to a number eidolons no greater than their Charm; if they attune to additional eidolons, they must remove others.

When attuned, the eidolon grants its effect to the character until it is removed. The entropy the eidolon has at the time of attunement can be spent to select the details of the effect, after which it will retain exactly that state until removed, after which it will need to wait until the next available encounter to recharge its entropy (in essence, at the start of each encounter, it immediately drains the same entropy to maintain its state).

Equipment Operation

When a character operates an equipment, they equip it; there is no check required, and they can do this as often as they want. A character is limited to equipping devices with the same shared limitation as any other equipment (that is, a device that acts as chest armor can't be worn with other chest armor).

When equipped, the equipment grants its effect to the character until it is removed. The entropy the equipment has at the time of equipping can be spent to select the details of the effect, after which it will retain exactly that state until removed, after which it will need to wait until the next available encounter to recharge its entropy (in essence, at the start of each encounter, it immediately drains the same entropy to maintain its state).

Machine Operation

When a character operates a machine, they produce a one-time effect from the machine's capabilities. If the machine requires a check, it will specify, after which the character may then spend as much of the machine's entropy as they desire to sculpt the effect. All machines require at least 1 entropy to use the signature function - beyond that, additional available entropy can be spent to utilize unlocked upgrades.

If a machine requires a check, all entropy must be spent even if the check is failed.

A machine may be used multiple times in an encounter, provided that sufficient entropy can be spent each time.

Wands

Wands are a special type of machine that require the Operate (Wand) action, rather than the Operate action, therefore always requiring a check. Otherwise, they are broadly similar in their usage (each action costs entropy, regardless of success).