Probably one of the biggest challenges that faces a designer when working on a book like Chaositech is the delicate way that you have to institute a whole new subsystem. In this case, by "subsystem," I mean a stand-alone source of game abilities. For example, the spellcasting system for magic is a subsystem presented in the Player's Handbook. If you use psionics in your game, particularly if you use the option that makes them very different from spells (so that, for example, psionics aren't affected by spell resistance or antimagic), that's another subsystem.

Like those subsystems, much of the material offered in Chaositech is a self-contained subsystem. Chaositech devices provide the ability to do magiclike things, such as flying, disguising your identity or blasting energy, but they are not affected by dispel magic, spell resistance, or antimagic. Because they're not magic. They are the result of the manipulation of chaotic energies which, in turn, can change the laws of physics. Chaositech can make the impossible happen. They're all the devices that just shouldn't work, but do.

But the book Chaositech offers more than that as well. It provides a whole system for mutation. Long-term exposure to chaositech can warp a creature physically and mentally. Certain rituals, spells, and other conditions can cause mutations as well. Rather than create two subsystems in the same book, I decided to treat them as one. Both chaositech and mutation are the result of raw chaos warping the way the world should work.

From a design point of view, however, this means I've got to create as balanced a system as possible. Because the subsystem is stand-alone, the balances need to be internal. For example, if I create a chaositech device that allows someone to track someone else at range, I should probably create a device that prevents such "divinations," because the regular means of preventing detection (like nondetection) won't work. That protection (in this case, called a "no-suit") should then work against mutations that grant the mutant clairvoyance or other innate detecting abilities.

It's almost like an arms race. As a designer, I've got to think, "Well, if this existed in the world, what would the reaction be?" If a device can create fiery explosions, a device that protects one from fire should also exist. Since it's a unique subsystem, the answers all have to come from within the subsystem itself. I've got to cover all the necessary bases right there in the text.

The potential pitfall with this approach is that, if you're not careful, you just end up creating a subsystem that mimics existing ones. I don't want chaositech devices and mutations to become analogs for magic items and spells. I don't feel the need to present an "everything one can do, the other can do" kind of thing. That wouldn't contribute anything new to the game beyond the trappings. While the trappings of chaositech are new and (I think) interesting, I don't think that's enough to justify a whole book. So instead, I've tried to focus in on what chaositech can and can't do, to give it its own identity. Rather than trying to come up with chaositech analogs for rings of protection and magic missile, I've tried to create unique effects. If it was all just like stuff that has come before, I'd get bored with it quickly (and I'd assume that you would too).

 

DESIGN DIARY PAST ENTRIES

* On the Horizon: Chaositech -- September 11, 2003
"If you'll indulge me, I'm going to divert the Design Diary's contents to what I'm working on now: a book called Chaositech...."

* Magic Items in The Diamond Throne -- August 28, 2003
"Magic items in Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed and in The Diamond Throne sometimes require a little bit of thought on the DM's part. Using them isn't a problem..."

* A Look at the Land -- August 15, 2003
"This week I've prepared an excerpt from The Diamond Throne. As I've said previously, it was my design choice to spend most of the gazetteer portion of the book on the general aspects of the world..."

* Designing a World -- August 7, 2003
"I have mixed feelings about campaign settings. On one hand -- speaking as designer -- it's fun, challenging, and rewarding to create a whole world that's all your own...."

* Weapons and Armor -- July 17, 2003
"I absolutely love the introduction of exotic weapons into D&D. It's one of my favorite things about 3rd Edition. In Arcana Unearthed, I wanted to make sure that the exotic weapons were worth the feat required to use them...."

* Greenbond Notes -- June 26, 2003
"Last week's preview of the greenbond class gives a nice glimpse of a lot of Arcana Unearthed issues. First off, the greenbond is no druid...."

* Spell Templates -- June 12, 2003
"This week I thought I'd discuss an idea that I'm really very happy with. The idea is spell templates..."

* Playtesting -- June 5, 2003
"Playtesting is extremely important to me. When we developed 3rd Edition, we did more playtesting than perhaps any other RPG product, ever...."

* High Magic -- May 29, 2003
"I referred to the Diamond Throne as a high-magic setting. I should clarify..."

* The Diamond Throne -- May 23, 2003
"So it's about time I start talking about the Diamond Throne. The Diamond Throne is a campaign setting for Arcana Unearthed -- the default setting, like Greyhawk for D&D, I suppose...."

* Death's Door -- May 8 , 2003
" I like the D&D death's door rules. I like that at 0 hp, you're still up and can take a limited action, but then you exhaust yourself...."

* Hero Points -- May 1, 2003
"A roleplaying campaign can be like putting up wallpaper...."

* Truenames -- April 18, 2003
"Truenames are common in many fantasy settings. I think I first became aware of the concept in Ursula K. LeGuin's Earthsea trilogy..."

* Go, Go, Go! -- April 10, 2003
"Short entry this time. I hate spells with 1 minute/level durations...."

* Ceremony -- April 3, 2003
"I think I've already mentioned that one of the goals I set for myself with Arcana Unearthed was to make things a little less generic...."

* Things That Rules Take Away -- March 21, 2003
"There are aspects of fantasy roleplaying that rules, inadvertently, can actually take away...."

* Still Talking Classes -- March 13, 2003
"I've saved some of the best classes for last. Let's talk about the runethane, the mage blade, and the witch...."

* More Classes -- February 27, 2003
"This time, I want to tell you about some of the other classes: akashics, magisters, and greenbonds...."

* Build a Better Fighter -- February 23, 2003
"The title this week is facetious. It really should be 'build a different fighter'...."

* The Magic Balancing Act -- February 13, 2003
"In Arcana Unearthed I'm introducing a new method of magic item pricing. First, I streamlined the item creation feats..."

* More Magic -- January 23, 2003
"This week, I thought I'd talk more about the new magic system in Arcana Unearthed."

* Magic -- January 17, 2003
"As a designer, magic in Arcana Unearthed posed a huge challenge. I knew that I wanted to ditch the Vancian system...."

* Design Decisions, Part Two -- December 24, 2002
"Here's a bit more discussion of some of the general issues I faced as I began designing Arcana Unearthed...."

* Design Decisions, Part One -- December 19, 2002
"Before jumping into another big area of Arcana Unearthed's design, like classes or the magic system, I thought I'd discuss some of the general issues I faced as a designer starting the book...."

* Arcana Unearthed Races -- December 5, 2002
"I started with the races. While I knew that the game needed humans as a basis, I wanted all the other races to be new. I didn't want to just create dwarf and elf analogs with different names...."