“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” – Thomas Alva Edison

When The Innovator looks at a mechanical device or a system of any type, he asks himself “How could it possibly work better?” It doesn’t just pique the Innovator’s interest, it drives him crazy. He sees an opportunity to exploit or a problem to solve, and you can pretty much guess what his life will be about for the next six or so months.

The innovator will work with a relentless drive until she enjoys success. She will not quit until it’s done and will brook no obstacles or delays. Laws, social norms and even physical limits are boring details. The problem must be resolved. It’s rough being cursed with a beautiful mind.

The Innovator will work as an engineer or a scientist somewhere and is about 90% likely to be found at the lab and 10% likely to be on vacation somewhere recharging or dreaming up ideas for the next pernicious bout of non-stop laboratory work.

Innovators make particularly nasty/capable Mechanomancers.

Taboos: The Innovator can’t let it go once she gets hold of an idea. She has to bleed for it like a true artist for her art. Every dime of money not spent on rent, food or other survival essentials and every waking hours must be spent on task.

Also, the Innovator will begin to get some negative cosmic static if he doesn’t get another inspiration for longer than two months of relative inactivity.

Masks: Numerous Ayn Rand Characters (John Galt, eg.),

Suspected Avatars: Thomas Edison, William Demming, Jean Carnot

Channels:

01-50%: Relentless Hunt For Truth: A successful avatar roll and a minimum of twelve straight hours spent in a large library will allow the Innovator to gain a temporary skill ability equal to his avatar in some technical endeavor like Geology or Industrial Engineering. This ability has to relate to a problem he’s trying to tackle and will go away at a rate of ten points a month once the problem has been solved.

51-70%: Sleep Is For The Lazy: A successful roll of this avatar will allow the Innovator to ignore the physical requirement for sleep for the next 24 hours after a successful check. The Innovator can then try again, at -10%. For a third straight day, subtract 20%. If the Innovator ever fails this check by more than -30%, the Innovator passes out wherever he’s standing and can’t be roused for the next 12 hours, unless more than 10 points of physical damage is inflicted.

71-90%: The 25 Hour Day: This channel serves the busy worker who just can’t cram all of her brilliance into 24 hours. Successfully rolling this channel will speed the Innovator up so that he does everything just a shade faster than her contemporaries for a 24 hour period. Make initiative checks at +10% and make her move 5’ faster per round. The resulting boost in metabolism gives the Innovator the opportunity to do 25 hours worth of work during a 24 hour day. Take -5% off of all the Innovator’s checks for anything for a 24 hour period after this channel is used. Life in the fast lane tends to cause jet lag.

91-99%: Eureka!: A successful roll will allow the Innovator to successfully invent a new mechanical device that has one feature that is better than whatever preceded it. Don’t let better be Star Trek. Let better be about 10-20 years ahead of it’s time.