Yes, and the section on inventing new spells & magic items might be useful for thinking about how to handle player inventions.

Quote from: WizardofthePress;903282So, I've post a couple times before, but the situation is as follows: I'm designing a classic adventure & politics style RPG for table top, with brand new rules. I've got a races, classes and customization and simulation up the yin yang, hell, it even plays fast after character creation.

Alas, I have a hurdle. So in developing this world, which I'm not going to talk much on, there is a high level of engineering (dwarves, traps, dungeons, industry) which comes into play about as often as dungeon or a political encounter, but it's rooted to the game. AS a result I have summed lock picking, traps and dungeon stuff so on into mechanical stuff, but I need a little flavor for the class that specializes in this facet as I myself am more of a Rogue, Mage and Druid player.

So, can you fine people tell me if there are any good games and classes that feature Mechanics as primary focus. I'm sure theres a whole lot of steam punk and super hero stuff, but I'm primarily working from a classic fantasy style, though I'll happily take whatever research I can get.

I'd have to say I would go with Andy Collins, Dave Noonan, Jesse Decker, & Rich Redmans' Expert Class, from Unearthed Arcana. Yes... the d20 glut produced a ton of marginal d20 supplements and add-ons, Unearthed Arcana was not amongst them however, and was one of the more awesome toolkit books for the 3e era around... Here is the detail on the Expert Class reproduced here for your research query.

Expert
HD=d6
Class Skills - any 12 plus craft and profession
Skill Points at 1st level: (6+Int Modifer)*4
Skill Points each additional level: 6+Int Modifer
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: All Simple Weapons, one Martial Weapon, Light Armor


*Level*BaB*Good Save*Poor Save*Bonus -
1st*+0*+2*+0*Bonus Feat
2ndt*+1*+3*+0*Bonus Feat
3rd*+2*+3*+1*-
4th*+3*+4*+1*Bonus Feat
5th*+3*+4*+1*-
6th*+4*+5*+2*-
7th*+5*+5*+2*-
8th*+6/+6*+2*+2*Bonus Feat
9th*+6/+6*+2*+3*-
10th*+7/+2*+7*+3*-
11th*+8/+3*+7*+3*-
12th*+9/+4*+8*+4*Bonus Feat
13th*+9/+4*+8*+4*-
14th*+10/+5*+9*+4*-
15th*+11/+6/+1*+9*+5*-
16th*+12/+7/+2*+10*+5*Bonus Feat
17th*+12/+7/+2*+10*+5*-
18th*+13/+8/+3*+11*+6*-
19th*+14/+9/+4*+11*+6*-
20th*+15/+10/+5*+12*+6*Bonus Feat

Suggested Bonus Feats & Class Skills(Mine)

Feats: Siege Engineer (Catapults), Siege Engineer(Trebuchet). Siege Engineer(Onager), Siege Engineer(Battering Ram), Siege Engineer(General), Construction, Construction Foreman, Engineering Workshop, Sapper, Bridge Building, Road Making, Castle Construction, Military Engineer, Hydraulic or Water Engineering, Wind Engineering, Locksmith, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Design, Boatbuilder, Shipwright, Solar Engineering (Think Archimedes of Syracuse with his polished shields which ignited stuff far away).

Skills: Trap Making, Masonry, Stone Cutting, Metallurgy, Glass Blowing, Hydraulic or Water Engineering, Wind Engineering, Solar Engineering, Lockpicking, Boatbuilding

Archimedes of Syracuse and his Death Contraptions;
http://www.engineering.com/Library/ArticlesPage/tabid/85/ArticleID/12/categoryId/5/Archimedes-of-Syracuse.aspx

Four Amazing Inventions of Archimedes;
http://www.hexapolis.com/2015/07/07/4-remarkable-inventions-of-archimedes-that-still-baffle-us/

Unearthed Arcana, one of those unpolished gems is available for a modest $14.96 plus shipping from Amazon here;

https://www.amazon.com/Unearthed-Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying/dp/0786931310/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466815747&sr=8-1&keywords=unearthed+arcana+3.5

and from Ebay for $19.99 plus shipping here:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Unearthed-Arcana-D-D-3-0-3-5-d20-Excellent-Shape-/371575502070?hash=item5683a034f6:g:7KkAAOSwwpdW6A72

Also there is the Master Siege Engineer  Prestige Class designed by Andy Collins, still available here;
http://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/classes/prestige/general/mastersiege.shtml

In that novel mc wake up in the game he played and he is a mechanic in that game you might get good intro of mechanics after 200 chapters but basic intro is before 200. Good luck with it.

The Two-Fisted Technician from White Star might be just what you're searching for. https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/222119/White-Star-Galaxy-Edition-Swords--Wizardry

or maybe this https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/223415/NWG-Tinkerer-Class