Gears: The Art of Steampunk Enhancement in Far-Star Victoria

In Far-Star Victoria, what other worlds call “runes,” Elysium and Erebus know as Gears—the beating heart of Steam innovation. These intricate clockwork upgrades are celebrated as much for their ingenuity as for their battlefield effectiveness.

What Are Gears?

Gears are marvelous mechanical enhancements—brass cogs, humming coils, micro-pistons, and whirling mechanisms—that are bolted, welded, or expertly integrated into weapons, armor, and shields. Some are mass-produced by the manufactories of Nova Aurora or Grayfield, while others are one-of-a-kind masterpieces, scavenged from pre-Event relics or crafted in a Freiheitland workshop. Adventurers, engineers, and inventors alike prize Gears for their blend of lost science and modern invention.

Types of Gears

Just like runes, Gears come in several categories:

• Potency Gears: Enhance an item’s effectiveness—a gyroscopic balance module for a blade, or a reinforced clockwork joint for armor.
• Striking Gears: Multi-chambered impact drives or kinetic coils that let a weapon deal extra damage dice.
• Resilient Gears: Shock-absorbing pistons or magnetic field generators, granting bonuses to saving throws.
• Property Gears: Specialized add-ons—flamethrower nozzles (flaming), coolant canisters (frost), smoke dispensers (shadow), retractable spike launchers (returning), and more. These grant unique abilities to the equipped item.

Installation and Transfer

Gears must be installed or transferred by trained tinkerers, engineers, or inventors. Precision tools, patience, and sometimes rare components are needed—especially for advanced or unique Gears.

• Most weapons can have one Potency Gear and up to four Property Gears.
• Most armor can have one Potency Gear, one Resilient Gear, and one Property Gear (matching Pathfinder 2e’s rune slots).

In-World Flavor

Gears are worn proudly, their mechanisms often left exposed for all to see. A duelist’s sword might feature a gleaming clockwork housing, while a shield hums softly with the energy of a spinning coil. The best Gears are as much art as science, and serve as status symbols for adventurers, soldiers, and inventors alike.

Game Mechanics

The Gears system uses the same rules as runes in Pathfinder 2e:

• Potency Gear = Potency Rune
• Striking Gear = Striking Rune
• Resilient Gear = Resilient Rune
• Property Gear = Property Rune Installation, transfer, and slot limitations are identical to the core rules.

A Symbol of Progress

In Far-Star Victoria, Gears are more than upgrades—they are a testament to the worlds' drive to rebuild, innovate, and survive in an age where every advantage counts and every invention could change the course of history.