Numenera: Technology Compendium: Sir Arthour’s Guide to the Numenera

162 Pages·2014·7.32 MB·English

by  Monte Cook Games

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SIR ARTHOUR'S GUIDE TO THE NUMENERA
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SIR ARTHOUR'S GUIDE TO THE NUMENERA
CREDITS
Writer/Designer Monte Cook
Additional Writing Bruce R. Cordell, Shanna Germain, Rob Schwalb
Creative Director Shanna Germain
Editor & Proofreader Ray Vallese
Cover Artist Kieran Yanner
Graphic Designer Sarah Robinson
Artists
Brenoch Adams, chrom, Dreamstime.com, Jason Engle, Erebus, Guido Kuip, Eric Lofgren,
Patrick McEvoy, Mike Perry, Roberto Pitturro, Lee Smith, Hugo Solis, Prospero Tipaldi, Shane Tyree,
Cathy Wilkins, Ben Wootten, Kieran Yanner
Monte Cook Games Editorial Team
Scott C. Bourgeois, David Wilson Brown, Eric Coates, Gareth Hodges, Ryan Klemm, Jeremy Land,
Laura Wilkinson, George Ziets
© 2014 Monte Cook Games, LLC
NUMENERA and its logo are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and
the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Printed in Canada.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: SIR ARTHOUR HIMSELF 4
USING TECHNOLOGY IN YOUR NUMENERA GAME 6
THE NUMENERA

Cyphers 27
Artifacts 98
Oddities 145
ITEMS BY CATEGORY 153
INDEX 158
INTRODUCTION:
SIR ARTHOUR HIMSELF
T
he Torein family was preparing to move to a new home in a land that would
allow them “prosperity equal to their standing.” House Torein had dwelt in the
Crumbling Waste too long. While the fields that had once been a vast, ancient city
had served as profitable scavenging grounds—cypher gathering had been the main
source of income for Torein, and the house’s sifters and cobblers were among
the best in Matheunis—nothing could grow there. Discoveries and device troves
became fewer and fewer with each year.
Young Arthour Torein regretted leaving this realm of lore and technology, and he
had no interest in farms. Thus, he sat in the back of one of the moving caravan’s
wagons and sulked as they made their way to the first of many safe bases of
operation that house agents had established along the road. All roads in the Ninth
World were dangerous, and Arthour’s father, Renault, fretted over his family’s
vulnerability.
The attack, however, came from within. The very wagons that carried the Torein
family, their servants, and all their possessions rose up, wood and steel flowing
and flexing like flesh and muscle. People cried out that demons had possessed
the vehicles. That sorcery from the wilderness had befallen them, and that some
dark curse would be their deaths. Even as the cries of crushed servants and dying
guards rose around him, Arthour knew that what he was seeing was molecular
control, the result of technology and science. He knew that it would have required
a complex and lengthy process performed well ahead of time. It had to have started
before they left.
Arthour tried to flee, but one of the animate wagons, standing like a humanoid
giant with massive fists now red with blood, struck a blow that sent the young man
flying into the dirt.
Arthour awoke days later, the only survivor of the massacre. He will not tell you
what happened next. He does not relate how he survived in the wilderness, or how
he spent the next six years tracking down those that had betrayed his family and
took their wealth. He will not speak of how he learned to use his knowledge and
affinity with the numenera to become a weapon of vengeance.
Today, he will speak only of his later years, having settled down in the southern
4
SIR ARTHOUR’S GUIDE TO THE NUMENERA INTRODUCTION
reaches of the Steadfast and built one of the greatest laboratories anyone has ever
seen. How his library of books about the numenera—many of which are penned
by his own hand—has few rivals. How an entire university has grown around his
home, although the classrooms and students are all but ignored by him so that he
can focus on his research and experiments.
Some say the blow that Arthour took to the head made him “not quite right.”
Others put the blame on an early life filled with violence and vengeance without
pity. Whatever the case, he is perhaps the Ninth World’s greatest expert on the
numenera, flaws and all.
The technology compendium you hold in your hands is a collection of cyphers,
artifacts, and oddities for use in any and all Numenera games. It supplements and
greatly expands upon the items found in the Numenera corebook. Before we get to
those, however, the first chapter describes some of the various types of numenera
that can be found in the Ninth World and how they might be used in a game—not
just as equipment and items for characters, but as the basis for encounters and
adventures. It is a starting point for those interested in the impossibly advanced
science of the prior worlds. Like the man it is named after, this guide is informative
and more than a little dangerous.
5
TECHNOLOGY COMPENDIUM
CHAPTER 1
USING TECHNOLOGY
IN YOUR
NUMENERA GAME
“The numenera, as most call it, shapes every aspect of our lives. It is the solution to all our problems,
but the source of many dangers if we are not careful. Only the most learned and intelligent among
us should tamper with it. Oh, uh, now where did I put that container of flesh-reshaping nanobots?”
~Sir Arthour
T
he very name of the game, Numenera, can go well beyond things that we can even
comes from what the people of speculate are possible.
Throughout this
the Ninth World call the incredible For the sake of examination, this chapter
book, you’ll see page
technologies of the past (and the effects that breaks down the types of technologies into
references to various
technology has on the world). Thus, in many categories. These are not comprehensive or
items accompanied
ways, technology is literally the name of the definitive. Instead, they are meant to be inspiring
by this symbol. These
game. While the obvious expression of the and thought-provoking. The chapter also
are page references
numenera comes from cyphers, artifacts, presents ideas and suggestions for discoveries
to the Numenera
and oddities, which this book is filled with, and encounter or scenario starting points
corebook, where you
it’s worth taking a step back to look at the dealing with the various types of numenera.
can find additional
bigger picture. How can incredibly advanced
details about that ELECTRONICS
technology shape locations, adventures,
item, place, creature,
creatures, and characters in the Ninth World? The buzz and whir of unknown devices. A few
or concept. It isn’t
In other words, in this chapter we look at the flashing lights near a glass panel glowing with
necessary to look up
forest rather than the trees. mysterious symbols. The smell of ozone and
the referenced items
The chapter is written for the game master metal. An arc of blue lightning.
in the corebook, but
(GM) and from the point of view of someone “Electronics” is a terribly inadequate word.
doing so will provide
in the 21st century, as opposed to someone We use it, however, to cover any sort of
useful information for
in the Ninth World. Still, it avoids overusing basic device that requires power (although
character creation and
terms that wouldn’t be used in the Ninth it’s possible that the power is not electric at
gameplay.
World, except where called out. Instead, in all). It’s certainly not a Ninth World term.
the margins you’ll find “search terms.” These Instead, Ninth Worlders might say “powered
are real-world, cutting-edge technological device,” but that term might be too broad.
terms that can start you on your journey of In the end, for the purpose of examination
learning more about some of the topics in the of technologies, “electronics” means any
Look for this symbol chapter. You don’t have to know a thing about device that uses energy that isn’t mechanical
throughout the book holographic data storage to have crystals with (energy associated with the motion and
for real-world science weird powers in your campaign. However, position of an object, such as that of pistons,
and technology search if you’re interested, you might find further gears, and so on). A voice communicator, an
terms. Delving into research informative and perhaps inspiring. energy weapon, a climate-control device, and
these topics can further It’s difficult to think of something that a holographic image projector would all fall
inspire your gameplay. would be magical that can’t be replicated with into this category, as would many, many other
advanced technology. Things like telepathy, devices. In many ways, this is the “everything
precognition, shape changing, teleportation, else” category, covering the most basic types
or telekinesis are possible via technological of devices, but also including some amazing
speculation of the 21st century. The numenera tools and weapons.
6
SIR ARTHOUR’S GUIDE TO THE NUMENERA USING TECHNOLOGY
The archetype of this category would be so much as brushes up against them. This Electric energy is
a handheld device of synth or metal with is not so much of a problem in a standard carried by free electrons
buttons and a screen, or perhaps a screen exploratory mission, but if a fight or other from a source to a
with touch-activated controls. It might be action-focused encounter (like a chase) occurs load. Also, it is the
a palm-sized handheld device, a rod with amid these walls, it might be hard to avoid potential energy of
control studs, a bracelet, a large device with touching them (the occasional Speed defense a stationary charge.
multiple complex control arrays, or a weird roll would be appropriate, with the difficulty Other types of
cube with controls hidden behind sliding based on the situation, not the level of the energy include (but
panels. It could also be something very small, wall). are not limited to):
like a ring that’s activated by brain waves, The walls might also be transparent or mechanical, sound,
vocalizations, or gestures. translucent, allowing explorers to see what gravitational, thermal,
Not all devices of this nature are hard discoveries lie on the other side, close but still chemical, radiant, and
metal objects or soft, smooth plastic. A out of reach—or, conversely, what dangers or nuclear.
communicator, light source, or energy shield other weirdness lie ahead.
projector could be a cloth headband, a
patch on a shirt, or the shirt itself. An energy Mind-Reading Defenses: Electronics can key
weapon, a sonar range finder, or a teleporter into brain waves just like any other kind of
could resemble what a 21st-century person transmissions, allowing for automated defenses
might think of as a “temporary tattoo”—an in an ancient ruin that react to intruders in an
electronic device that adheres to the skin and uncomfortably intimate way. The obvious way
is controlled by brain waves, body heat, or to do this is to have detectors that sense the
simple muscle action. presence of intruders by their thoughts, or have Slugspitter, page 311
slugspitters or hunter/seekers fire at where the
Energy Walls: The interior (or a portion of target plans to move rather than where it is Hunter/seeker,
the interior) of an ancient complex might use (increasing the difficulty of the target’s Speed page 287
energy walls rather than walls composed of defense tasks by two steps).
matter. In addition to being effective barriers, More invasive defenses might include
such walls might be dangerous to touch, analyzing memories and projecting realistic
inflicting their level in damage on anyone who hologram “visions” of great horror or shame,
7
TECHNOLOGY COMPENDIUM
or new scenes of loved ones in danger, particularly nasty weapon might selectively
drawing the intruder into a trap or a reverie increase gravity and apergy on the same
Search Terms: types
from which she cannot escape. Only an target, ripping it apart as half is crushed to the
of energy, flexible
Intellect defense roll allows a character to ground and the other half flies into the air.
electronics, e-textiles,
ignore such things. Carefully manipulated gravity could
silicon tattoo grafts
dramatically increase the range of a physical
Subject-Sensitive Tools: Designed for who- ranged weapon (like an arrow or a slug from
knows-what reason, a complex scanner a slugspitter). For example, an arrow could fly
conducts automated activities based on some toward its target under the effects of reduced
element of a subject who enters a locale gravity, and then significantly increase gravity
created in a prior world. This means that at the last moment to bring it down with even
when one person enters the area, tools build greater force. Tracing the trajectory of such
him a form-fitting suit of advanced polymers, a missile would reveal an arc nothing like a
but when his friend comes along, she is conventional arrow’s path.
bombarded with radiation designed to alter A gravity shield could ground such attacks
her DNA in a specific way—but since she is before they reach their target by rapidly and
not the subject the machine was designed for, dramatically increasing gravity’s pull. Such
it has a very different effect, harming or even a shield would also be harmful to those
mutating her. attempting to charge through it in close-
quarters combat.
FUNDAMENTAL FORCES
Search Term: apergy Smooth, curved synth panels with the pale glow Gravity Alteration Tunnel: If explorers pass
of touch-sensitive symbols embedded within through a long, round tunnel, the orientation
them. Lights growing in intensity as a low hum of gravity could shift subtly as they make their
slowly becomes a high-pitched whine. The hairs way along. At the end, they might be standing
on your neck and arms standing straight as the on the “ceiling” without realizing that anything
tingling of energy starts deep in your gut and had changed.
spreads outward.
For our purposes here, the term Transport Tube: In a large, mostly buried
“fundamental forces” describes technology ancient complex, explorers might find a
that harnesses things we normally think of as maze of tubes. Through sheer manipulation
simply being a part of the natural landscape of of gravitic forces, someone (or something)
the universe: gravity, magnetism, sound, light, entering a tube can be carried to a designated
and time, primarily. Such technology can seem destination, as if propelled along in a (far
to be the most godlike sort of numenera, more low-tech) pneumatic tube. If one had
keeping floating cities aloft, making an encounter in such a tube, either with a foe
impossibly twisted mountains rise into the air, or with some obstacle (such as an onrush of
or changing the very orbit of the Earth itself. debris that got caught up in the tube system
going the opposite way), that encounter would
Zero gravity, page 98 GRAVITY be handled using the zero-gravity rules.
Control over gravity means, of course, the
ability to float or fly through the air, perhaps MAGNETISM
indefinitely. However, it also means the ability More than simply pulling at metal objects,
to increase and decrease the perceived weight magnetism is a versatile force that can be
of objects. In a way, then, it’s a complete harnessed in many ways. Magnetism is a part
control of motion through space. of the electromagnetic spectrum, of course,
In the Ninth World, Aeon Priests and but that concept is likely lost on many Ninth
scholars use the term “apergy” to mean World scholars. To them, magnetism is its
the opposite of gravity. A floating platform own separate force.
uses apergy to push against and ultimately
Search Terms: rail overcome gravity so that it can hover in Electromagnetic Ghosts: It’s worth
gun, high EMF effects, midair. mentioning that extremely intense fields of
Faraday cage Gravity can be increased rather than electromagnetic energy can have varied and
lessened or negated. An object can be made adverse effects on creatures and objects.
to crush itself under its own artificially inflated For example, if deep in the wilderness some
weight as the force of gravity is increased. A travelers came upon a structure like an obelisk
8