With great power comes great responsibility, the saying goes. It's a bit different with chaositech. It confers great power, but carries a high price: that of losing part of your soul to the powers of chaos. There are surprisingly many who are ready to pay that price. It is neither technology nor magic, but a darker thing altogether: corruption and destruction given form. There's nothing quite like it (which is probably just as well!).
The Introduction explains all this and more. Chaositech comes in two varieties. One sort is an item that does a thing, often ornately carved to look organic, or even incorporating organic material along with metal, ceramics, glass or whatever. The other involves deep knowledge and manipulation of living organisms themselves. The consequences of using either form can include physical and mental changes in the individual, and the very forces of darkness that created chaositech in the first place can worm their way in. Most people regard it as being unstable and unreliable, as well as downright nasty... yet there are still those who would use it. The look and feel of chaositech is also... weird. Distorted. Form and function disjointed.
Chapter 1: Chaos covers all the underlying philosophy of chaos as well as dealing with those who worship it, the chaos cults and their priests. There's a bunch of new spells for those who want to bring a bit of chaos into their lives.
Then, Chapter 2: Bones of Steel explores the first variety of chaositech, the actual items that either look organic or incorporate organic material into their design. There are a vast number of items detailed ready for you to incorporate into your game. This is followed by Chapter 3: Betrayal of Flesh which looks at the other sort of chaositech where living organisms are altered or augmented. Here you learn how it is used to alter both body and mind.
Next, Chapter 4: Blessed Mutation looks at what happens when raw chaos has an effect on living creatures directly. Sometimes the results are even beneficial, sadly often they are not. The following chapter, Chapter 5: Chaos Slaves deals with those who want to use or worship chaos. Mechanically, it provides prestige classes and templates to describe this in game terms.
Finally Chapter 6: Masters of Chaos introduces the dark forces behing it all. Hopefully the party will never meet them...
Chaositech features in Monte Cook's epic setting, Ptolus: City by the Spire and if you are using that, you can enhance your game by adding this book to your collection. If you are not, you can use the information herein to add chaositech to your game world... if you dare. Use sparingly and keep it mainly for your NPCs, although you might have fun if one or two items from Chapter 2 turn up amongst the party's loot and they try to figure out what they are and how to use them. Unless your campaign - and your party - are particularly evil, it might be better not to let them have wholesale access. Chaositech ought to be something you try to stamp out, not something to be embraced. But it's your game. Use it as you please... or as you dare!
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