One of my PCs is a wookiee Outlaw Tech with a 'hobo mad scientist' concept and a bit of a weapon fetish. I'd love to be able to support his roleplay better by letting him build stuff from scratch or fiddle with existing items to change their profiles beyond what just the current attachment/mod system allows but I'm not certain if there's a workable way to integrate that into the game mechanically.

Anybody else run into this frustration? How have you worked around it/resolved it? I'd like to make sure the character is being serviced beyond being the guy to fix the ship/the droid PC or install weapon mods.

Just a quick reply - I have a PC that loves tech and wants to salvage and build everything. They've used Perception and Mechanics to find appropriate parts. Mechanics again to assemble device. I would combine Intellect with the Combat Skills for creating a weapon design or with Piloting to design a vehicle.

Take a look at the Contraption talent under the Mechanic talent tree in the EotE Core rulebook. You may run the risk of invalidating that talent if depending on who much you give him. If you don't think that will be a problem go right ahead.

I'm kind of hoping the Tech splat book goes into inventing stuff.

I'm kind of hpping the Tech splat book goes into inventing stuff.

I suspect that's exacly what it's going to do. The whole Inventor talent just oozes "forward compatibility".

Thanks for your feedback, everybody. I did worry about stepping on Contraption's toes, but it seems to have its own important niche - it's for MacGyver situations, whereas actually constructing something meant to be permanent would be a more time-intensive process.

Thanks for your feedback, everybody. I did worry about stepping on Contraption's toes, but it seems to have its own important niche - it's for MacGyver situations, whereas actually constructing something meant to be permanent would be a more time-intensive process.

Ah ok. I think I see what you mean. Sounds like it should be fun. Outlaw Tech is one of my favorite Edge specializations.

My notes are buried in a box right now (moving, ugh), but someone asked me a similar question recently. This is what I think my notes had for building things:

Pay full price: you get it, regardless of how. This can allow you to "purchase" restricted things as long as you can get the parts (i.e. Negotiation or Mechanics for scrounging). No roll is required since everything will fit into place, and time is not a big issue for the same reason.

Pay 75% of the price: You went digging for the parts you needed but need to do some work. Increase the difficulty and add a setback die to the roll to acquire the parts. Roll against <D> <D> to build the item; time is up to the GM.

Pay 50% of the price: As above, but you went a bit cheaper. Increase the difficulty and add three setback dice for the parts. Roll against <D> <D> <D> to build the object.

Pay 25% of the price: As above, but lots of scavenging involved. Increase the difficulty twice and add three setback dice for the parts. If the increases bring it over 4 (or was it 5?) dice, upgrade the dice instead. Roll <D> <D> <D> <D> to build the object.

Pay Nothing: "Dumpster Diving" is a new sport. Increase the difficulty by three and add three setback dice (same rules as above). Roll <CH> <CH> <D> <D> to build the object.

Failure means the object was not built. Despair means the item was damaged. Threat gives it a bad quality, such as Inaccurate or Inferior. Success means the object is complete. Triumph gives some other bonus on the GMs approval.

I was debating about remaining hard points for built items; either leave it the same as the item, 1 less due to the innacuracies of "home made," or start it at 0 and allow great success (Triumphs or a number of advantages) add to it.

If I remember correctly, an old draft used the repair checks as a guideline, but I think it got too wonky too fast (as building items is already at the higher end of difficulties according to that).

Also note that this is just building, not inventing. I didn't get that far yet (or I did but can't remember; I write a LOT of notes and ideas).

I think my approach to inventing was finding the closest similar object and using that as guidelines for cost. I think they started at 0 HP unless a triumph was rolled.

If memory serves correctly, I was scaling the thought of pulling "working" parts from something valid, like ripping the engines out of a pair of new speeder bikes to hack together a replacement for an airspeeder as a way to reduce the cost/difficulties.

I'd be careful about letting Advantages boost the attributes on an item created from scratch, especially on something with an Average or Hard check. Most Mechanics or Outlaw Techs making that roll will have more than enough good dice and setback-removing talents that racking up Advantage will seldom be a problem.

I'd be careful about letting Advantages boost the attributes on an item created from scratch, especially on something with an Average or Hard check. Most Mechanics or Outlaw Techs making that roll will have more than enough good dice and setback-removing talents that racking up Advantage will seldom be a problem.

I'm aware of that as well, which is probably why I put the number insanely high or not at all. Again, going from memory, as my box of Star Wars RPG notebooks (and splat books) is currently buried somewhere in my car >_>

LibrariaNPC, thank you - that is exactly what I was hunting for! You are a lifesaver - well, really, more of a time-saver.

LibrariaNPC, thank you - that is exactly what I was hunting for! You are a lifesaver - well, really, more of a time-saver.

I'm a librarian; saving time for others is what I do!

Keep in mind that what I typed there is NOT tested yet, as the only mechanic in the group was more obsessed with droids than anything, and the only droid building that came up was using the chest of an OOM to support the limbs and head or an IG-100. . .which means all the weaknesses of both. *laughs*

Glad to hear that it helped! If you use it, let me know how it pans out, would you?

I'm actually expecting this to come up in my upcoming game, as my wife is making a Corellian Outlaw Tech whose Motivation is Expertise, and whose Obligation is Obsession with being the best and tweaking her gear and armor and such. Basically, she's playing Tony Stark from Iron Man 3.

I've been thinking of approaching it similar to a chase/race (something like the swoop bike race you can download from the Support Page), actually. What I mean is, when she's attempting to design something, there'll be a "Working Schematic" that she's aiming to create. She'll essentially be chasing it with her Mechanics check, dealing with the various parts (whatever abilities she wants on it, essentially) and the results of each section will effect the level of said ability as well as the cost/rarity of the final parts.

Depending on that will effect whether or not any rolls are required for acquiring the rarer bits, and then, lastly, a Mechanics check to build it, modified by any of the above events.

Other party members will be able to help her if they've got Mechanics or Computers, or if she's building a blaster, if they have the appropriate ranged skill, for example. It'll carry out over multiple sessions, most likely, depending on the power of the item she's looking to build, but I figure it'll be a nice way to go about it that will keep the dice rolling and give it a nice narrative as she potentially fails some checks and is stumped by a certain failing in her design and perhaps has to go find some local expert who can help her.

I'm actually expecting this to come up in my upcoming game, as my wife is making a Corellian Outlaw Tech whose Motivation is Expertise, and whose Obligation is Obsession with being the best and tweaking her gear and armor and such. Basically, she's playing Tony Stark from Iron Man 3.

I've been thinking of approaching it similar to a chase/race (something like the swoop bike race you can download from the Support Page), actually. What I mean is, when she's attempting to design something, there'll be a "Working Schematic" that she's aiming to create. She'll essentially be chasing it with her Mechanics check, dealing with the various parts (whatever abilities she wants on it, essentially) and the results of each section will effect the level of said ability as well as the cost/rarity of the final parts.

Depending on that will effect whether or not any rolls are required for acquiring the rarer bits, and then, lastly, a Mechanics check to build it, modified by any of the above events.

Other party members will be able to help her if they've got Mechanics or Computers, or if she's building a blaster, if they have the appropriate ranged skill, for example. It'll carry out over multiple sessions, most likely, depending on the power of the item she's looking to build, but I figure it'll be a nice way to go about it that will keep the dice rolling and give it a nice narrative as she potentially fails some checks and is stumped by a certain failing in her design and perhaps has to go find some local expert who can help her.

This is a rather interesting approach, and is reminiscent of the Deadlands Mad Science blueprints (for those of you playing the home game, a mad scientist could make ANYTHING they want as long as they had crackpot science reasons and explained the parts). Sadly, not many players were good at doing that part >_>

I'll have to keep this approach in mind though if I get around to finding my notebook and seeing what invention rules I have.

How will you be handling the scale of these inventions? Any concern about them being too powerful or odd for the setting?

I'm actually expecting this to come up in my upcoming game, as my wife is making a Corellian Outlaw Tech whose Motivation is Expertise, and whose Obligation is Obsession with being the best and tweaking her gear and armor and such. Basically, she's playing Tony Stark from Iron Man 3.

I've been thinking of approaching it similar to a chase/race (something like the swoop bike race you can download from the Support Page), actually. What I mean is, when she's attempting to design something, there'll be a "Working Schematic" that she's aiming to create. She'll essentially be chasing it with her Mechanics check, dealing with the various parts (whatever abilities she wants on it, essentially) and the results of each section will effect the level of said ability as well as the cost/rarity of the final parts.

Depending on that will effect whether or not any rolls are required for acquiring the rarer bits, and then, lastly, a Mechanics check to build it, modified by any of the above events.

Other party members will be able to help her if they've got Mechanics or Computers, or if she's building a blaster, if they have the appropriate ranged skill, for example. It'll carry out over multiple sessions, most likely, depending on the power of the item she's looking to build, but I figure it'll be a nice way to go about it that will keep the dice rolling and give it a nice narrative as she potentially fails some checks and is stumped by a certain failing in her design and perhaps has to go find some local expert who can help her.

This is a rather interesting approach, and is reminiscent of the Deadlands Mad Science blueprints (for those of you playing the home game, a mad scientist could make ANYTHING they want as long as they had crackpot science reasons and explained the parts). Sadly, not many players were good at doing that part >_>

I'll have to keep this approach in mind though if I get around to finding my notebook and seeing what invention rules I have.

How will you be handling the scale of these inventions? Any concern about them being too powerful or odd for the setting?

That'll come down to what she wants to do. But I figure difficulty + challenge dice should handle it. If she can make multiple Daunting checks with Challenge dice involved all in a row without generating Threat or Despair, then I'll be a little forgiving, because wow. Just given probability though, if she tries to build a crazy weapon with lots of high powered abilities, probability says she'll fail a couple or generate enough threat to reduce their level enough that the item will naturally become a little more reasonable.

That, and I've always got the option of saying that what she wants to do is just way too advanced for a cargo-bay workshop, and that unless she gets access to some Imperial Research Facilities, its an Impossible check. Or, just flat out "no"

But at the same time, if she builds something absolutely crazy, well, other people are going to be interested in that, aren't they? So, basically, she'll have built the new Mcguffin for an adventure that will likely lead to its destruction or capture by the Empire or Black Sun or the Hutt Cartel.

Heck, given her particular Obligation, her having to destroy her prized invention to get Black Sun off the parties back would be a nice plotline to lead to its reduction or elimination. It would essentially become her One Ring.

Heck, given her particular Obligation, her having to destroy her prized invention to get Black Sun off the parties back would be a nice plotline to lead to its reduction or elimination. It would essentially become her One Ring.

I approve of this message!

Interesting :-) Currently a player, but suddenly interested in GMing. This popped up as a player when deciding on a specialization, I ended up deciding against outlaw tech due to the uncertainty.... made me curious how I would work it.

The way I was thinking about creation is an "extended repair" action. Essentially repairing from nothing, difficulty based on rarity.

The advantages/triumphs/etc. I was thinking would mesh with the existing mechanics/repair guidelines. Since it's extended they might be a bit more pronounced though.

3 triumphs? Yeah, that's a big deal, you should get something other than a single use function; possibly superior or something else permanent.

Heck, given her particular Obligation, her having to destroy her prized invention to get Black Sun off the parties back would be a nice plotline to lead to its reduction or elimination. It would essentially become her One Ring.

If it was my engineer I'd pack the shiny item into a cheap space ship, disable the safety cut-outs on the mass shadow detectors and set it on a collision course in hyperspace to the offending antagonist's planet.

Hyperspace collisions, when you absolutely, positively have to extinguish all life in a large area of a planet