In order to differentiate the levels of technology and innovation available across Realms, the concept of an Artifice level has been defined.

Artifice measures both the level of magical and technological accomplishments, and their commonality. Each Artifice level is very broadly defined, allowing for a good degree of difference in actual implementation details, and room for interpretation by individual GM's. In any event, the GM always has final say over what is and is not possible in their campaigns regardless of the suggestions presented herein.

As Artifice represents a general measure of both magic and technological complexity it is possible for a given Realm, region, or nation to have a hybrid Artifice level, such as Primitive Magic / Advanced Technology. However, this should be reserved for unusual cases, generally speaking.

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Realm, Region, Nation

Each Realm has a default Artifice Level, but individual regions and / or nations within a given Realm might have a higher or lower Tech Level than the Realm that they reside in.

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Artifice Levels

The Artifice Levels are:

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NILL

An Artifice level of Nill indicates a total lack of technological and / or magical capability. The inhabitants of such an area likely live in caves and run around naked; they may or may not have some trappings of civilization such as understandable language or a sense of community.

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PRIMITIVE

A Primitive Artifice level encompasses:

• Technology: Stone Age chic. Crudely sharpened rocks are still in style, and wheels may or may not be available. Worked metal is rare at best or simply unavailable / unknown. Hide and leather armors are likely dominant.
• Magic: Very simple and weak spells, magic items, and / or effects and may be hampered with undesirable ramifications or side effects.

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LOW

A Low Artifice level encompasses:

• Technology: Steel or other strong alloys are rare, any mechanical devices are crude at best and are probably unreliable. Manual labor and unrefined metals are dominant.
• Magic: Though measurable and effective, magic tends to be difficult, and either modestly powerful and / or hampered with undesirable ramifications or side effects.

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STANDARD

A Standard Artifice level encompasses:

• Technology: Steel is available though not used unnecessarily. Simple mechanical devices exist and are generally reliable. Levers, blocks and pulleys, and clever tools generally exist but are rare and / or expensive. Basic and somewhat reliable crossbows are about the height of technology.
• Magic: generally reliable and potent, but still uncommon / usually the purview of an elite class or profession or limited to those with special gifts (costs character points).

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HIGH

A High Artifice level encompasses:

• Technology: Steel is common, and possibly overshadowed by an even better alloy real or mythical. Clockwork / advanced mechanical devices exist and are reliable. Complicated mechanical and civil engineering techniques are in common usage. Long distance communication and possibly travel might exist on a case by case basis but are rare and handled more as unique personal devices rather than as readily / freely available devices in common usage. Basic chemical products (as opposed to magical / alchemical products) including primitive gunpowder and firearms may be available. "Steam tech" or equivalent high complexity items might exist on a case by case basis.
• Magic: reliable and potent, and ubiquitous. Though still usually the purview of a group or profession or limited to those with special gifts, the prevalence of such people is much higher. Further magical / enchanted items and other artifacts of magical origin are often available for use even by non-magic users.

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ADVANCED

An Advanced Artifice level encompasses:

• Technology: A level of technology roughly equivalent to the modern / real world is uncommon to common. Long distance communication and possibly travel exist and are accessible by characters that haven't personally invested points into it, and advanced tools are used in every day life. Gunpowder or a fantasy equivalent probably exists unless a GM rules otherwise. Fantasy equivalents of modern era or scifi devices may be available on a case by case basis.
• Magic: is completely reliable, powerful, and a part of everyday life for most people. It is so prevalent that it is easier to define the things that it can't do, and people might even take it for granted.

The differentiation between sufficiently advanced technology and magic often becomes blurred, and many things might be expressed as a synergistic combination of the two.

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CHARACTERS

Characters generally have a base Artifice level equal to the Nation where they are raised, unless some contextual detail indicates otherwise.

If the Nation has a higher Artifice level than the Realm it is in, such characters generally must take a Artifice Level Perk that costs 5 points per Artifice level above the Realm's default.

Example: Characters from a Nation that has a High Artifice level that exists in a Realm with a Low Artifice level would generally have to pay for a 10 point Perk as their Artifice level is two steps higher than the Realm's.

If the Nation has a lower Artifice level than the Realm it is in, such characters generally must take a Artifice Level Disadvantage that is worth -5 points per Artifice level below the Realm's default.

Example: Characters from a Nation that has a Standard Artifice level that exists in a Realm with a High Artifice level would generally take a -5 point Disadvantage as their Artifice level is one step lower than the Realm's.

However there is always room for interpretation based upon context. For instance, if a character were from a nation with a higher Artifice level than the Realm it is in, but advanced Artifice is tightly controlled by a small group of people or is concentrated in cities and the character is from a rural backwoods area, a Perk may not be applicable or necessary for that character.

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KNOWLEDGE

A character's Artifice level represents more than just what kind of gear or items a character might carry, it represents their comfort level with and comprehension of Artifice. Even if a character is divested of their gear or items of a higher tech level they still have innate knowledge of higher complexity technology and / or magic.

Additionally, characters suffer bonuses or penalties to any skill or INT rolls to understand or make items of a higher or lower Artifice level than their own of +/-1 per step. Thus a blacksmith from a Low Artifice Realm attempting to craft a copy of a High Artifice item would suffer a -2 to their skill rolls to do so (the number of steps between High and Low Artifice).

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CROSSOVER

In the event a character were to cross from one Realm to another and the two Realms had different Artifice levels, then the character is effectively advantaged or disadvantaged depending on whether their native Realm has the higher or lower Artifice.

This is taken into account via the expedient of assuming the character has the previously described Artifice Perk or Disadvantage. For expedience's sake, this is a notional consideration; the character's sheet does not need to be modified.

Example: if a character were to originate from the Low Artifice Realm of Barbarica and crossover to the High Artifice Realm of Gygaxica, they would be considered to have a Artifice Disadvantage worth -10 points. If a character originated in the Realm of Gygaxica and crossed over to the Realm of Barbarica they would be considered to have a Artifice Perk worth 10 points.

In the case of characters from regions or nations that have a higher or lower Artifice level than their Realm's default that have taken a Perk or Disadvantage already, the determination is made from that character's personal Artifice level vs their Realm's.