The Hero Within RPG 8: The Tinkerer Class – Innovators, Engineers, and Masterminds
Is intelligence the greatest weapon? Can invention surpass magic? What defines a true Tinkerer?
In The Hero Within, the Tinkerer is the ultimate problem-solver, innovator, and technological mastermind.
Unlike warriors who wield swords or Mägo who harness arcane forces, Tinkerers craft, invent, and modify the world around them to overcome obstacles. Whether it’s through gadgets, weapons, or arcane machinery, they redefine what’s possible.
With three stages of progression, Tinkerers develop from curious builders to masters of invention and technology. But we want your input! Should Tinkerers focus on crafting, battlefield engineering, or something entirely new? Let’s dive in.
🔹 The Tinkerer Class Progression
Tinkerers in The Hero Within aren’t just mechanics—they are innovators. Their journey unfolds as follows:
Inventor (Stage 1): A creative problem-solver, skilled in crafting simple gadgets and modifying existing technology.
Engineer (Stage 2): A master of efficiency, developing more complex contraptions and battlefield tools.
Artificer (Stage 3): A legendary creator who merges science, technology, and magic into world-altering inventions.
Each stage grants access to new crafting materials, advanced inventions, and greater control over technology.
Community Question:
Should Tinkerers specialize in a single field (weapons, automation, alchemy), or should they be able to mix various disciplines?
What kinds of inventions should be unique to Tinkerers?
⚙️ Gadgets & Inventions – What Should a Tinkerer Create?
Tinkerers don’t wield raw power—they design the tools that can change the tide of battle. Some invention ideas include:
Mechanical Companions – Automatons that assist in battle or exploration.
Explosive Devices – Traps, grenades, or alchemical bombs.
Arcane-Powered Weapons – A fusion of technology and magic, creating firearms, energy blades, or other unique weapons.
Utility Gadgets – Grappling hooks, lockpicks, surveillance drones, or teleportation devices.
Community Question:
Should Tinkerers be able to mass-produce basic gadgets, or should inventions be limited and highly specialized?
What are some must-have gadgets that would make the Tinkerer fun and exciting to play?
🔬 Science vs. Magic – Should Tinkerers Blend the Two?
Tinkerers thrive on ingenuity, but should they tap into arcane forces, or should they remain purely technological? Possible approaches include:
Pure Tech: Tinkerers avoid magic, relying on gears, wires, and mechanical innovation.
Magic-Infused Engineering: Tinkerers blend science and magic, creating spell-powered devices.
Alchemy & Chemistry: A focus on potions, chemical reactions, and transmutation.
Community Question:
Should Tinkerers use magic-infused tech, or should they remain purely mechanical?
Should Alchemy be a core part of the Tinkerer class, or its own separate discipline?
🛠️ Balancing Innovation – Limits & Challenges
A challenge with Tinkerers is balance—ensuring they feel powerful without overshadowing magic or brute force. Some balancing mechanics could include:
Blueprint System: Tinkerers must design blueprints before building major inventions.
Resource Management: Gadgets require materials that must be found or purchased.
Breakage & Maintenance: Inventions have durability and must be repaired or improved over time.
Community Question:
Should Tinkerers be limited by blueprints and materials, or should they have free rein to invent?
Should inventions have a risk of malfunctioning, or should they always be reliable?
🏆 Help Us Shape the Tinkerer Class!
This is your chance to influence how invention and technology work in The Hero Within! We want to hear from you:
Should Tinkerers focus on utility, combat, or both?
What kinds of inventions would be the most fun to use?
How should their crafting system work—structured or freeform?
Drop your thoughts in the comments at LifeOfFiction.com and let us know what you think! Together, let’s build a progression system that truly reflects the hero’s journey! ⚙️🔩🔥
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Thank you for your time and insights—your feedback is what helps bring The Hero Within to life!
I love that a malfunction MIGHT make it work better...hehe.
Yeah, I like that a lot.
I am hoping to play this class some day, and yet I struggle for ideas. I think it would be fun to specialize but have options to expand. So a character that is really good at weapons could maybe build a non weapon widget which might perform better if they could equate part of the functionality to something in a weapon.
So for example a device could have a trigger mechanism the could repurpose from a gun.
I like adding alchemy and blueprints reminds me of my chemistry teacher saying he'd allow us to do any experiment we wanted provided we outlined the reaction first. (To avoid blowing up the lab.)
I love that things could degrade or develop bugs. Sounds fairly realistic. I could also see a character who develops a tendency to developing questionable things that might become surprisingly useful at some point.