Contriving

Contriving, in all its countless forms, deals with expressing powers through external objects fashioned by the Contriver. It does not provide any inherent powers beyond the ability to empower other objects. Unfortunately to the Contriver it has the highest rate of outright mental deformities.

They are classified defined thusly : a Contriver is a metahuman with a fluid, changable power or set of powers which they can not express independently, but require external tools to do so, whose nature is determined by their individual ‘theme’.

Classes
The contrivers are themost diverse kind of metahumans, falling into several different classes:

Artificers
What most people think of when they speak of Contrivers, and by far the most common kind, Artificers create fixed items which are empowered by them, often but not always following a theme of ‘mad science’ of some sort, though there are also many ‘magic’ Artificers, who create ‘enchanted’ items.

Canon Examples: Doctor Despair, Spellgun

Casters
Far more rare, Casters express their powers through temporary constructs, be they vocal or otherwise – such as chanting spells, drawing runes, or other such temporary means. Almost always ‘magic’ based, there have only been two confirmed ‘science’-based Casters in history.

Canon Examples: none yet

Weirds
Not a formal classification so much as a catch-all term for Contrivers who fit into neither of the above categories, using more abstract or unusual means to express their powers through, such as a Contriver relying on specific constellations of people or circumstances for various effects.

Canon Examples: none yet

Hybrids
Combine two or more of the above in various ways.

Canon Examples: Hecate (Artificer & Caster), Heretic (Artificer, Caster & Weird)

Themes
Beyond these classes, Contrivers are usually differentiated by which one of two main themes they follow.

Mad Scientists
Following a pseudo-scientific mindset, Mad Scientists are almost always Artificers, creating items themed after their particular brand of science. They tend to be more rigid in the application of their powers, rarely able to improvise much on the go, but in return also (usually) create more stable, reliable Contrivances.

Canon Examples: Spellgun, Doctor Despair

Mages
The other big theme of Contrivers is, unsurprisingly, magic. Most, though not all, Mages are Casters. In general, Mages tend to be more adaptable than Mad Scientists, their powers less strictly defined, but they’re also more likely to suffer backlash of some kind or simply fail.

Canon Examples: Hecate, Heretic

Example of Tiers
Exemplar tier - allows the metahuman to create fantastic equipment and effects within a narrow field. An example would be Spellgun, who can only create various guns and ammunition.

Paragons tier - from four to six, we see the capabilities of contrivances branch out. Doc Savage, for example, can bestow a variety of temporary powers with his Power Juice, both to himself and to others

Apex Tier - Contrivers that while they may have a focus, can apply their ability to nearly any field. An example of this would be Doctor Despair.

God Tier - Two examples would be, The Arcmage, and of course Memento.

Arise due to
Contriving is, most often, born in one of three ways, and it very often happens to scientists or artists.


 * 1) You reach the end of your wits, a wall you cannot get past. Reality itself denies your vision, and upon finding your hopes shattered, you reject reality and pursue your fantasy.


 * 1) The very same, but instead of rejecting reality, you surrender, falling into depression and inaction, unable to cope with reality.


 * 1) It may also emerge due to raw rage at ones vision being rejected by others, which most often leads to the classical mad scientist.

Known Contrivers
Crimson Goblin (Hemogoblins) : 6, Blood

Doc Savage (Feral Family, Shining Guardians, United Heroes) : Power Juice

Doctor Despair : Robots

Geek VII (Companions of the Future)

Hecate (Brennus Team) : Magic

Heretic (Savage Six)

Memento

Spellgun (UJH New Lennston) : Guns

The Original Ascendant (Gefährten) : Fluids

References:
https://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/2013/04/02/b003-forbidden-garden-part-8/

https://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/interlude-6-the-sleeper-must-not-wake-anniversary/

https://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/2017/03/31/brennus-files-12-contriving/

https://tieshaunn.wordpress.com/table-of-contents-2/the-blazing-stars/table-of-contents/cast/