Barony Dev Update - Tinkering Skill Preview!

As part of the upcoming DLC update, we’ve reworked the existing Locks skill into something a little more exciting!

Tinkering lets you salvage, repair and craft new kinds of tools to help fight through the dungeons. Like Alchemy, this skill will be available to everyone once the DLC drops!

All of the existing Locks interactions are included in the Tinkering skill, with a couple modifications:

Lockpicking doors 10% chance to raise Tinkering on unlock, up to a Basic (20) skill level. 2x higher chance to unlock than previous patch.

Lockpicking chests 10% chance to raise Tinkering on unlock, up to a Skilled (40) skill level. 2x higher chance to unlock than previous patch. Unlocking chests with a lockpick now also includes a chance to find some Metal and Magic Scrap materials - useful stuff, more on that later!

Lockpicking Automatons 33% chance to raise Tinkering on unlock. Successfully “disarming” an Automaton is now guaranteed past Expert (60) Tinkering. Higher base chance than previous patch for lower skill levels. Disarming Automatons will drop lucrative amounts of Metal and Magic Scrap based on your skill level.



Mastering Tinkering:

First things first, you’ll need a new item to get deeper into the skill tree - the Tinkering Kit! This kit is your all-in-one tool to branch out into creative endeavors.

Like the Alchemy Alembic, you’ll be able to get a Tinkering Kit from hardware shops and chests in special loot tables. Alternatively, starting as the Automaton Mechanist from the Legends and Pariahs DLC will gear you up with a Tinkering Kit right from the beginning!

Using the Tinkering Kit:

There’s two interactions with the Tinkering Kit - “Wield” or “Tinker”. We’ll start with the “Tinker” option and open up the Tinkering menu.

You’ll see three headings, Craft, Salvage and Repair (plus an asterisk to view every option in a single scrollable menu), as well as a count of Metal and Magic Scrap currently held in your inventory.

Crafting lets you create new items and tools.

lets you create new items and tools. Repair lets you upgrade the status of Tinkering creations, armor and weapons.

lets you upgrade the status of Tinkering creations, armor and weapons. Salvage breaks down items into scrap materials.

Crafting and Repair both require scrap, so let's show how to get your hands on some Metal and Magic Scrap!

Salvaging and Scrap:

Most items in Barony can be Salvaged into Scrap and you’ll be able to see the amount you get in the Tinkering menu.

Metal Scrap : Mostly obtained from weapons, tools and armor Trace amounts can be found in gemstones, magicstaffs, pieces of clothing or jewelry

Magic Scrap : Mostly obtained from magicstaffs, gemstones and spellbooks Items that are either blessed/cursed or have a special effect (Glasses, Iron Boots of Waterwalking, Ring of Conflict) also provide Magic Scrap



Scrap quantities are generally 1-4 per item. Some items like food or scrolls do not produce any scrap and won’t show up in the menu.

Some example scrap values:

Bronze Sword

1 0

Gloves of Dexterity

1 2

Scroll of Light

0 2

Steel Axe

3 0

Spellbook of Cold

0 6

As your Tinkering skill level increases you will have a chance to recover extra scrap from each item!

Quick Salvaging:

While looking at all the scrap values in the menu helps familiarise yourself with each item’s worth, eventually you will intuit what scrap you’ll get from the equipment on the dungeon floors.

So to Salvage items quicker, the Tinkering Kit can be wielded in your shield slot! Pressing the Defend key with the kit allows you to instantly Salvage an item or torch in the world when picked up. Defending and pressing the Attack key will also bring up the Tinkering menu for quick access in the world.

Now with Salvaging out of the way, let’s see what you can Craft with your Tinkering Kit!

Crafting:

Crafting is done through the Tinkering menu where you’ll see the Metal and Magic Scrap costs for each item. Simply click with the required materials and you’ll get the item in your inventory. Items you can craft include bombs, tools and new robotic allies!

Crafted items have a general Tinkering skill requirement before they are able to be created. Your effective skill level takes into account your Tinkering skill + Perception stat.

When crafting, your Tinkering skill has a chance to increase depending on the amount of materials used, so building higher quality items raises your skill more reliably!

Bombs:

There are four new bomb items exclusive to Tinkering:

Flame Trap

8 12

Freeze Trap

8 12

Sleep Trap

4 8

Teleport Trap

4 8

Each bomb is equippable in your main hand and require throwing to arm them. When thrown they stick to most surfaces - floors, walls, even doors and chests! They make a great ambush or emergency escape tool on the run.

By default, bombs are set to trigger on enemies only. By interacting with a lockpick in hand, you can change the sensitivity of the bombs to trigger on any creature if desired.

Applying a bomb to a door or chest will trigger the effect on any creature in an AOE if the object is disturbed or attacked. Bombs on the wall may also be shot with ranged weaponry to trigger in an AOE.

When bombs explode they leave behind a Broken Detonator Charge - collect these to Salvage later to recover materials for the next bomb!

Flame Trap: Deals 5 + (Perception / 2) base damage Spawns a Fireball spell that hits each monster. Deals additional magic damage and burns Requires 40 Tinkering to craft



Freeze Trap: Deals 5 + (Perception / 4) base damage Spawns a Cold spell that hits each monster. Deals additional magic damage and slows Requires 40 Tinkering to craft



Sleep Trap: Deals no damage Spawns a Sleep spell that hits each monster and inflicts Sleep status Requires 20 Tinkering to craft



Teleport Trap: Deals no damage Teleports the target to a random location Can be interacted with a lockpick to set a “receiver” location If there is one or more “receiver” traps on the level, Teleports targets to a random receiver location. Requires 20 Tinkering to craft



Mechanisms:

A tinkerer’s arsenal isn’t complete without the whirring of spinning cogs! This category of craftable items add utility and firepower for your allies. All of these mechanisms are deployed like bombs - equipped into your main hand and thrown a short distance to activate.

Noisemaker:

8 1

Small box with a crank that attracts idle monsters in an AOE towards it

Lasts a short duration before requiring to be rewound

Chance on expiring to break

Requires 0 Tinkering to craft

The remaining mechanisms are all allied units with HP that can be commanded using the Follower Wheel. There are 4 quality types for each:

Simple

Complex

Intricate

Artisan

Each unit starts as Simple when crafted at the first skill level requirement.

Every 20 Tinkering + Perception above the base requirement increases the quality for all subsequent crafts. For example, a Simple Dummybot is created at 20 skill level, while an Intricate Dummybot at 60.

Upgraded quality levels for mechanisms improves their HP and abilities.

When a unit’s HP is depleted, it becomes “Broken” and unusable. Broken units can then be Salvaged to recover some of your materials for more tinkering!

Dummybot:

8 4 - Requires 20 Tinkering to first craft

An immobile dummy useful for drawing enemy fire and tanking blows. All monsters will attack Dummybots on sight. Can be commanded using the Follower Wheel to return to its box to preserve its life.

Each quality tier increases the Dummybot’s HP and defence.

Gyrobot:

16 12

Requires 20 Tinkering to first craft

A small multipurpose gyrocopter - a Tinkerer’s best friend! Gyrobots are unique allies that scout areas ahead of their leader. Immune to most dangers, they are ignored by all monsters and projectiles.

Each quality tier improves the movement speed of the Gyrobot.

Gyrobots have several functions using the Follower Wheel. Each function requires an appropriate quality tier and skill level to use.

Commands available at 20 Tinkering:

Return & Land - Flies to your location and returns to an item.

- Flies to your location and returns to an item. Move to… - Moves to location specified and waits..

- Moves to location specified and waits.. Detect Metal, Detect Magic (toggleable) - Shows nearby items on the minimap that contain Metal or Magic Scrap for Salvaging. Only one Detect option can be active on the Gyrobot at one time.

Commands available at 40 Tinkering:

Interact - Pick up and hold a single item or toggle switches

- Pick up and hold a single item or toggle switches Drop item - Drops held item

- Drops held item Detect Exits, Detect Traps - Shows nearby exits or traps on the minimap.

- Shows nearby exits or traps on the minimap. Light - Gyrobot emits a faint, bright or no light.

Commands available at 60 Tinkering:

Detect enemies - Shows nearby enemies on the minimap.

Commands available at 80 Tinkering:

Detect valuables - Shows nearby items on the minimap that have a large gold value.

Sentrybot:

16 8

Requires 40 Tinkering to first craft

A portable turret that fires ranged projectiles, the Sentrybot is a staple of a Tinkerer’s offense. Sentrybots have low defence and can be taken out quickly in melee combat. A well placed Dummybot or freeze trap can help enemies at bay while the Sentrybot lays down fire.

Sentrybots are immobile but can be remotely commanded to rotate and attack targets.

Each quality tier improves HP, damage and turn rate.

Commands available at 40 Tinkering:

Hold Aim / Free Look - The Sentrybot will randomly look around when initially placed, Hold Aim locks rotation to a narrow cone.

Commands available at 60 Tinkering:

Look at... - Commands the Sentrybot to look at a given direction and Hold Aim.

Commands available at 80 Tinkering:

Attack - Commands the Sentrybot to attack the selected target instead of acquiring a target automatically.

Spellbot:

8 16

Requires 60 Tinkering to first craft

Similar to the Sentrybot, the Spellbot is a portable turret that fires magic projectiles. The Spellbot starts with the Forcebolt spell that upgrades to Magic Missile at Artisan quality. Each upgrade tier improves HP, turn rate and rate of fire.

Commands available at 60 Tinkering:

Hold Aim / Free Look - The Spellbot will randomly look around when initially placed, Hold Aim locks rotation to a narrow cone.

Commands available at 80 Tinkering:

Look at... - Commands the Spellbot to look at a given direction and Hold Aim.

Commands available at 100 Tinkering:

Attack - Commands the Spellbot to attack the selected target instead of acquiring a target automatically.

Craftable Tools:

Some existing items are also now craftable using Tinkering:

0 Tinkering Requirement:

Lockpicks

Glasses

Empty Bottles

20 Tinkering Requirement:

Beartraps

Lanterns

60 Tinkering Requirement:

Alembics

80 Tinkering Requirement:

Backpacks

Repairing / Upgrading:

The final Tinkering menu to cover is the Repair menu. As we’ve just been through crafting, let’s explain repairing and upgrading your Mechanisms.

Mechanism Repairs and Upgrading:

The Dummybot, Gyrobot, Sentrybot and Spellbot each has HP and can take damage in the world. When you recall your Mechanisms, they will retain their health at intervals of 5%, 25%, 50%, 75% or 100%.

For example, a 75% Dummybot with 100 max HP will spawn with around 75 HP when re-deployed.

For a fraction of the crafting cost, you can repair the Mechanism to the next percentage interval - keeping them in good working order and stacking neatly in your inventory.

A reminder - when you first build your Mechanism it will have one of the 4 quality states - Simple, Complex, Intricate or Artisan. Every 20 Tinkering increases the abilities of your creations, but existing Mechanisms stay at their current quality.

A Mechanism can be upgraded at 100% health to keep them up-to-date for a cheaper cost than crafting new ones as your skill level raises.

Equipment Repair:

Another feature of the Tinkering Kit is the ability to repair weapons and armor starting at 60 Tinkering!

60 Tinkering:

Able to repair weapons and armor with a Metal Scrap value of 1. Items with a Magic Scrap value are non-repairable at this skill level.

80 Tinkering:

Able to repair weapons and armor with a Metal Scrap value of 2. Items with a Magic Scrap value are non-repairable at this skill level.

100 Tinkering:

Able to repair weapons and armor with any Metal or Magic Scrap value.

The repair cost of each item is 8x per scrap value. Blessed or Cursed items increase the Magic Scrap repair cost, but may only be repaired at 100 Tinkering.

Wrapping Up

Let us know what you think! Feel free to share your thoughts in the Steam discussion thread or join our discord!

What’s Next?

My next upcoming DLC blog update: I'll show off the Automaton Mechanist's loadout and mechanics!

Until next time!

-wallofjustice