Bethy: Ahh, makes sense now. I think in 3.5 they reduced, at least somewhat, the idea of ECL and replaced it with racial levels which might make things easier. I'm not sure, though.
Caz: It was on v.2 which would explain my difficulty in searching for it on here.
![Damn, you're sly. ;)](./images/smilies/bd_wink.gif)
I've found and read the relevant threads now, I think. The Technomancer class was never finalized, though... I'd say it should be a prestige class with no requirements (which, at least under the old rules, obviates the multi-class restrictions). Also, seeing as I think you'd run out of Technomancer feats after about 10 levels (unless they're a lot more specialized than I think they are, which seems possible), a prestige class makes a bit more sense. Though... I'm still somewhat confused by technomancy, though, so I've got a few questions:
If you create a technomagical item, do you need to be able to cast the relevent spell into it (as if it were magical item creation)? For example, would the crystal sets require minor illusion spells or clairvoyance or the like? Also, do you suffer from XP costs in order to craft them?
You also mentioned using elementals to power some machines... Is there an even less lesser planar binding spell that allows for the 1HD elementals to be summoned and secured for use in machines? Do such elementals need to be kept contained (as in keeping fire and water elementals trapped in their respective compartments for a steam engine) or can you summon an elemental for a single service for a reasonable length of time (say, an few hours per level up to one day) allowing sail ships to make use of air elementals to increase wind and water elementals to calm the waters ahead (as they would need to be freer, I think, in order to act rather than just needing to exist wherever they were to be functional)?
All that's based around an engineer/gunner character I have in mind who will be as much technomancer as he can get away with. If you need to cast spells in order to do technomancy, you might consider making it a "need to have a spell casting class" requirement prestige class and having the feat levels alternate with +1 of existing spell caster class -- the limitation to only technomancy feats should balance it relatively well with other prestige classes. You might even have certain feats become available as you progress, so you can only pick from Widgets initially and then as you progress you work up to being able to choose from higher Theory item feats (though equally that would work if the item feats had pre-reqs). The alternate method of Technomancy item creation that I can see is that rather than have specific classes of items (Crystal tech, Widgets, Engines, Batteries) you take the feats as Level 0 Theory Item Creation, Level 1 Theory Item Creation, etc... Possibly only available to Technomancers directly. Other craftsmen could take a specific class of item feat allowing them to jump straight up to more powerful items, possibly, but they would lack the breadth of expression in favor of depth.
The other character I'm still seriously considering is an outrider or scout Paladin, but I'd need to talk to you about the potential for calling (see the 3.5 Paladin called special mount ability) an aquatic or aerial mount. I'm leaning towards aquatic, with some sort of diving armor allowing submersible tactics, but I figure this is going to need some GM discussion as it was raised earlier and you thought that aerial mounts were slightly over our power level... actually, looking back... could you elaborate a bit on what the ship's technomagical flying machine might be (i.e. ridden like a mount, flown like a helicoptor, flown like an ultralight, flown like a powered hang-glider?). I feel like I'm being a pain here and I really don't mean to be, it's just that the setting is really cool but also leaves a lot open (which is good) but I don't want to push things in directions that don't match your vision (now I sound like Bethy on v.2
![Nyah! :p](./images/smilies/bd_nyah.gif)
).
Oh, and... how should I handle ability score generation? I didn't see anything about it yet so I'd assume the standard D&D method, but I figured I'd check first.