1. GM asks: "What type of creation is it and what does it do?" Player answers. A creation might be mundane, alchemical, arcane, or spark-craft. If a PC has an appropriate special ability (Alchemist, Artificer, Strange Methods), they get bonuses when inventing and crafting certain creation types.
2. Player asks: "What's the minimum quality level of this item?" GM answers, with the magnitude of the effects the item produces as a guideline.
3. GM asks: "What rare, strange, or adverse aspect of this formula or design has kept it in obscurity, out of common usage?" Player answers.
4. Player asks: "What drawbacks does this item have, if any?" GM answers by choosing one or more from the drawbacks list, or by saying there are none.

A PC with the Alchemist, Artificer, or Strange Methods special abilities invents and learns one special formula when they take the ability (they don't have to take time to learn it).

Once you've invented a formula or design, you can craft it by using a downtime activity (see Crafting, below). No one else can craft this invention unless they learn your design as a long-term project. If you acquire a formula or design invented by another tinkerer, you may learn to craft it by completing a long-term project.

Common alchemicals (see Sample Creations for more information) and ordinary items don't require special formulas or designs to learn. Anyone may attempt to craft them by using commonly available instructions.