Tinker
- These don't grow on trees, you know.
Tinkers transform raw materials into solutions, wielding hammer and plans with equal precision. They assume every problem has a mechanical answer — it just requires the right combination of craftsmanship, ingenuity, and stubborn persistence to find it. Whether forging steel, mixing compounds, or jury-rigging repairs under pressure, Tinkers make the impossible merely difficult, and the difficult routine.
This encompasses everything from village blacksmiths to alchemical researchers, from locksmiths to siege engineers. They all believe understanding how things work means you can make them work better. They see the world as a vast collection of puzzles waiting for the right tool, technique, or insight to unlock.
Tinkers rarely solve problems through brute force — instead, they apply leverage, whether mechanical, chemical, or conceptual. They might spend weeks perfecting a lock pick that opens a particular door, or years developing an alchemical formula that accomplishes in moments of ease what would take others hours of dangerous labor.
Creation and Manipulation
Crafting and Repair: Tinkers excel at creating, fixing, and modifying manufactured items. Given proper tools, materials, and time, they can craft items within their expertise, restore damaged equipment, or adapt existing tools for new purposes.
Problem-Solving Applications: Beyond basic craftsmanship, Tinkers apply their technical knowledge to overcome obstacles — picking locks, disarming traps, jury-rigging solutions from available materials, or sabotaging enemy equipment.
Specialized Knowledge: Each area of expertise requires dedicated study. A Tinker might understand general metalworking principles, but creating Damascus steel or precision clockwork requires specific Maneuver investments.
Common Tinker Maneuvers
Mechanical Arts
- Locksmithing — Creating, defeating, and understanding mechanical security systems
- Clockwork — Precision mechanisms, timing devices, and automated systems
- Engineering — Structural design, mechanical advantage, and large-scale construction
- Weaponsmithing — Forging, tempering, and perfecting instruments of combat
Chemical Arts
- Alchemy — Distillation, purification, and combining substances for specific effects
- Herbalism — Understanding plant properties and creating botanical preparations
- Metallurgy — Alloy creation, metal treatment, and specialized smelting techniques
- Explosives — Controlled combustion for mining, demolition, or tactical applications
Practical Applications
- Trap Making — Concealed mechanisms for security or tactical advantage
- Handyman — Emergency repairs and improvisational engineering
- Tool Making — Creating specialized implements for specific tasks
- Sabotage — Understanding systems well enough to disable them effectively
Advanced Applications
Synergy with Other Roles: Tinkers often complement other abilities — a Spellweaver might use Tinker Maneuvers to create scrolls, potions, or magical implements, while a Warrior might craft superior weapons or armor through dedicated smithing expertise.
Resource Management: Tinker work requires materials, tools, and appropriate workspace. Success often depends as much on preparation and resource gathering as on technical skill during the crucial moment.
Creative Problem-Solving: The best Tinkers see connections others miss, applying principles from one field to solve problems in another. A locksmith's understanding of precision mechanisms might inform clockwork design, while alchemical knowledge could improve metallurgical processes.