Machine Rite
Rite of Opening
Gain Advantage on one Tech check to open, bypass, placate, or safely force a lock, panel, hatch, cogitator, or sealed mechanism.
Tech-Adept
A scholar-priest of machinery, data, and sacred maintenance. Auspex readings, logic engines, forbidden schematics, battlefield analysis, and the rites required to coax broken systems back to life.
Forge World ClassesMachine-Rite SavantAvailable in 1.0
Class Dossier — Tech-Adept
Working Draft · v0.1Tech-Adept
Knowledge is sacred. Access is holier.
Forge-Bound ClassAvailable in 1.0Working Draft
The Tech-Adept is a servant of the Machine God: code-scribe, rite-keeper, logic priest, data-thief, and minor miracle worker of wires and steel.
A Tech-Adept does not merely repair machines. They supplicate machine spirits, unlock forbidden doors, diagnose battlefield failures, recite binharic prayers, and prove that ignorance is the worst form of heresy.
The class fantasy is simple:
A Tech-Adept survives through Intellect, Tech, machine rites, data access, sacred calculation, and a total lack of patience for flesh-based improvisation.
// Design Philosophy
The Tech-Adept is the class that makes locked doors, broken systems, machine spirits, data vaults, servitors, cogitators, and cursed engines matter. The class should create moments like:
- I ask the machine spirit what it remembers.
- I open the sealed hatch while everyone else is screaming.
- I bless the weapon before it overheats.
- I read the data ghost in the dead terminal.
- I know this machine is lying.
Signature Mechanic — Machine Rites
Signature MechanicMachine Rites are the Tech-Adept signature mechanic.
A Machine Rite is a binharic prayer, diagnostic invocation, access litany, repair protocol, logic calculation, or sanctioned act of technological persuasion.
// Rules Draft
- A Tech-Adept starts with 3 Machine Rites at level 1.
- Machine Rites use limited Rite Uses.
- Rite Uses are restored after a safe rest.
- Draft Rite Uses: Proficiency Bonus per safe rest.
- Rites that force a machine, spirit, or target to resist use the Tech-Adept Rite DC.
Rite DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Intellect modifier
If the Rite is about resisting machine corruption, scrapcode, or hostile data, the GM may allow Willpower instead.
Machine Rites are special. Tech-Adepts do not gain a new Rite every level.
Data Omens
Data OmenA Data Omen is a useful machine-derived clue, prediction, warning, or diagnostic truth.
// Rules Draft
- When a Tech-Adept succeeds on certain Tech, Lore, or Inquiry checks involving machines or data, they may generate a Data Omen.
- A Data Omen may be spent to gain +1 to a relevant Tech, attack, repair, or detection roll.
- By default, a Tech-Adept may hold one Data Omen at a time.
The machine has already confessed. The flesh is still catching up.
Machine Rites Known Progression
| Tech-Adept Level | Machine Rites Known |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 5 | 4 |
| 9 | 5 |
| 13 | 6 |
| 17 | 7 |
This progression is a working draft. Final class balance may change after all classes are designed.
Machine Rites
Working DraftMachine Rite
Diagnostic Cant
Ask the GM one question about a machine, weapon, vehicle, terminal, augmetic, door, trap, or device: What is broken? What powers it? What controls it? What would make it fail? What touched it last?
Machine Rite
Appease the Machine Spirit
Choose one weapon, armor system, vehicle, augmetic, or machine. Until the start of your next turn, it ignores one minor malfunction, jam, instability, or penalty.
Machine Rite
Blessing of Proper Function
One ally within touch range gains +1 to their next attack with a technological weapon or +1 Defense from armor until the start of your next turn.
Machine Rite
Scrapcode Rebuke
When a hostile machine effect, corrupted device, data intrusion, or heretek signal targets you or an ally within 30 feet, use your Reaction to grant Advantage on the relevant save or impose Disadvantage on the hostile Tech check.
Machine Rite
Rite of Reclamation
Stabilize a broken machine, weapon, servo-skull, cogitator, or small vehicle system long enough for one scene of use.
Machine Rite
Noospheric Glimpse
Generate one Data Omen after studying a battlefield, machine network, signal, or tactical display for one round.
Rite Trees
Progression SystemTech-Adept progression uses Rite Trees.
Each rank costs 1 Rite Point and requires the previous rank in that tree unless future rules say otherwise.
// Rite Points Progression
Tech-Adepts gain 1 Rite Point at every even level.
Rite Points
| Tech-Adept Level | Rite Points Gained |
|---|---|
| 2 | +1 |
| 4 | +1 |
| 6 | +1 |
| 8 | +1 |
| 10 | +1 |
| 12 | +1 |
| 14 | +1 |
| 16 | +1 |
| 18 | +1 |
| 20 | +1 |
This progression is a working draft. Final class balance may change after all classes are designed.
Rank 1Blessed Indexing
Gain +1 to Lore or Inquiry checks involving records, archives, data, machine histories, serials, or chain-of-custody.
Rank 2Translation Cant
You can interpret damaged, partial, encrypted, or archaic technical records with enough time and tools.
Rank 3Memory of the Machine
When examining a machine or terminal, ask what it last saw, opened, powered, transmitted, or denied.
Rank 4Perfect Citation
Once per safe rest, add your Proficiency Bonus to a failed Lore, Tech, or Inquiry check after seeing the result.
Rank 5The Archive Opens
Once per safe rest, declare you know where a relevant record, schematic, serial, forbidden file, or maintenance truth can be found. The GM defines the cost, danger, or delay.
Every record is a corpse that forgot how to decay.