The Order 66 Podcast welcomes Max Brooke back to the show to discuss the recent (and long awaited) release of Special Modifications - A Career Book for Technicians!

As we have done before, the Order 66 Podcast is collecting questions from you, the listeners, for any queries you have about the book. Got a production question? A rules dispute about a talent? A piece of gear that doesn't make sense, looking for insight on the Technician's Signature Abilities, or perhaps you want to ask about something in the Crafting section of the book.

We are only taking and fielding questions about this book; Special Modifications. We really won't have time to ask about any questions relating to other books, and of course Max cannot answer questions about products that have not been announced yet.

Please limit replies in this thread to questions for the Devs only. If you would like to discuss something brought up in this thread, please start a new thread elsewhere and discuss the matter there.

We're tentatively set for an April 24th show date with Max, so we'll be taking questions up until midnight on Wednesday the 20th.

Only a week or so, so get your questions in!

why isnt armor crafting mentioned!? i love everything about the addition but that!!!! Also. Concerning Cybernetic Brain implant +1 Int, Does it cost 5000 credits base to craft like cybernetic limbs? or am i supposed to follow actual RAW and go with 1500 credits? I ask this because in special modifications an example is "brain implant" under the 1500c/6r row but a neural brain implant costs 10k base like the limbs and they cost 5k to craft

Ion Quality : I understand Ion quality would attack an droids strain threshold instead of wounds but I am playing a Gank Marauder that eventually wants to essentially turn into war machine/terminator. ANYWAYS my 2nd question is If a PC has multiple cybernetics and is shot how does one categorize the cybernetic damage? I vaguely remember a response stating that it would disable the cybernetic and remove all attached bonus's. but I would like clarification if a cyborg is shot with an ion quality weapon and has the advantage to activate it. are all cybernetics "disabled" or just 1 per additional success?

Why wasn't there more robust guidelines for Utini and scavenging? Or really any guidelines at all? Okay the "Takes half as long" part of the talent is much like the others, take what the GM thinks it should be and halve it - but the scavenging part. What skill would you generally use (a case could be made for a great many skills), how did you see the talent coming into play, how do you see scavenging and material acquiring working.

Yeah, a lot of that is handled narratively, but it seems kind of a weird deficiency to not even mention it.

Why no Slicing Maneuvers? Was it to just limit it to the narrative results upgrades and Skilled Slicer?

On Unmatched Calibration:

This seems like a potentially game breaking ability. How much has this been playtested? Have there been any issues when this has broken campaigns?

1. The most common question I see on the forums is can you get Schematic multiple times when crafting, over multiple items being created to reduce some of the hardest items (I.E. Heavy Energy Rifle) to make to simple after a lot of practice.

2. This would probably bring up some issues with "Droids Rights" organizations, but what is stopping someone from spending a lot of time fishing for schematics for Droid Directive templates and reusing a droid chassis or even sometime like a computer core or a Data pad to make it easier to achieve. Or if they fail, wiping the droid and retrying the droid directive check.

3. There is a lot of great gear/cybernetics for droids (which I appreciate quite a bit). I am especially interested in Ion Shielding armor attachment Ion weapons interacting with cybernetics. Have the devs put any more thought into Cybernetics attached to droids and Ion damage? If a droid gets hit with an ion weapon (without any specific aiming for a cybernetic) and isn't shut down due to their now massive soak vs ion do their cybernetics shut down as the description in EOTE Cybernetics? Would you require someone specifically aiming at the cybernetic to disable it? Would the Ion shielded armor shield the cybernetics as well? I am very afraid of one point of ion damage going through my soak on a PC droid and his arms and legs just stopping.

Concerning Slicing:

If an intruder accesses a system that has even one security program and an active slicer defending that system, wouldn't the intruder nearly always be completely locked down?

Example :

Intruder takes an action to disable the security program (let's say <D><D><D> ). Then their turn is over.

Defender takes an action to activate a security program (<D><D>), leaving the intruder unable to do anything but try and deactivate the security program again.

Rinse and repeat.

Unless multiple intruders are in the system or the defending slicer fails the average check to activate the security program, wouldn't that make any intrusion attempts useless once a defending slicer knows that you are in the system?

Unless you have Skilled Slicer and roll a Triumph on your first check, in which case you can make a total of 3 computer checks on your first turn, Access, Disable Security Program, Enact Command, all before the defender can even react.

Plus once you're in, you're in. So if they choose to re-activate a security program, then they chose not to expel you, so on your next turn you're still accessed, and if you roll a Triumph with your Skilled Slicer Talent on that check, then you can make 3 computer checks, using your maneuvers and action.

You might get the requisite narrative results for a backdoor, which isn't quite as good as what Skilled Slicer does, but it's helpful. A single Advantage or Triumph can be used for "valuable data" which might be all the Slicer needs anyway.

I don't think it's all meant to be easy, it's aimed at someone who has focused on making a great Slicer, and it's designed to involve multiple PCs. It's also not meant as a one roll and it's done type of encounter, just like combat is resolved over multiple turns involving a whole group.

Concerning Slicing:

If an intruder accesses a system that has even one security program and an active slicer defending that system, wouldn't the intruder nearly always be completely locked down?

Example :

Intruder takes an action to disable the security program (let's say <D><D><D> ). Then their turn is over.

Defender takes an action to activate a security program (<D><D>), leaving the intruder unable to do anything but try and deactivate the security program again.

Rinse and repeat.

Unless multiple intruders are in the system or the defending slicer fails the average check to activate the security program, wouldn't that make any intrusion attempts useless once a defending slicer knows that you are in the system?

That would require the enemy to have a counter-slicer/spider. Unfortunately, that would require the OPFOR to keep said specialist on staff at all times.

One real world solution is to run programs that is used to find holes in the security net. In the Star Wars universe, this can also equate to having slicer droids as an assistant(s).

At least, that's one solution I can think of.

In the standard lists of Cybernetics prices the Mod 2&3 Cyber Legs and Mod 5&6 Cyber Arms are listed as costing 10000 credits, is this for a single arm/leg or for a pair?

I have seen arguments both ways, meat bags likely to want a single to replace a lost limb, but a Droid who likely wants to upgrade will want a pair. Given that the names are plural and lower down the list the Repli-Limb is singular I have always interpreted it as being a pair. Obviously it has a big impact on cost, especially for the legs where 2 are required to gain the benefits. The same question should be asked for the Eyes too, are they a matching pair?

Thanks for your time and efforts answering all you questions.

Okay...one more time...

Please limit replies in this thread to questions for the Devs only.

If you would like to discuss something brought up in this thread, please start a new thread elsewhere and discuss the matter there.

Thank you.

Can a PC Droid use "Reroute Processors" on themselves to temporarily adjust their Characteristics?

Can a PC Droid use "Redundant Systems" on themselves to harvest parts for repairing other machines?

I have a bunch of questions about buying a functioning device as the materials needed to construct a similar device with extra features

The original motivation for this line of questions was to figure out how to build a repulsor fist (page 107 of Lords of Nal Hutta: "Also called a repulse-hand or an enforcer grip, this durasteel weapon cybernetic is typically neither covered in synthskin nor intended to appear natural." Cost: 4750 credits) type "prosthetic appendage" (special modifications page 85 table 3-16: materials price 1000 credits, rarity 3, hard <3 purple> mechanics check, 12 hours per attempt) that was "ion-shielded" (SM table 3-17: costs 2 triumphs, this cybernetic does not shut down as normal when affected by weapons with the ion quality) and "unobtrusive" (SM table 3-17: costs 2 advantage or 1 triumph, adds 1 setback die to checks to determine that the character has the cybernetic installed).

This became a raw possibility with the release of special modifications because of the "inbuilt weapon" cybernetic upgrade (SM table 3-17, costs 4 advantage or 1 triumph, "choose a weapon on encumbrance 2 or lower that the character possesses to build into the cybernetic: add setback to checks to determine that the cybernetic contains a weapon (this can only be selected once).")

That's well and good but you couldn't make a repulsor fist unless you already had the repulsor to build into your "prosthetic appendage" but they aren't listed separately in the book so by raw your only recourse would be to buy the repulse fist listed in Lords of Nal Hutta and canabalize it for parts.

So here comes the questions:

1) Does the 4750 credit purchase of the repulsor fist cover the normal 1000 credit materials cost of the "prosthetic appendage" or is it separate.

2) When rolling the mechanics check to construct the "prosthetic appendage", do you need the 4 advantage/1 triumph to add the "inbuilt weapon" that is already built into the off the shelf repulsor fist that you are effectively just enhancing OR would the 2 triumph (for ion shielding) and 2 advantage (for unobtrusive) be sufficient?

3) should the positive and negative dice for the mechanics check to making the "prosthetic appendage wit inbuilt weapon" out of working repulsor fist (effectively a prosthetic appendage with an inbuilt weapon) be the same as when making one from the normal "raw materials"? Or should the difficulty be downgraded (e.g. to 2 purple)? Or should their be an upgrade of ability into proficiency die/dice? Or should boost dice be added to the pool?

4) if you were to sell the ion shielded, unobtrusive, "prosthetic appendage with inbuilt weapon"/"repulse fist" as a commissioned item (SM page 91, table 3-20) would the materials cost + 50% of materials cost be relative to 1000 credits or 4750 credits? (Same question for "minor improvements" +5% of materials cost per advantage, and major improvement +10% of materials cost per triumph)

5) if a PC were to commission an NPC to make this cybernetic for you, would its cost be determined in the same manner as if the NPC commissioned the PC to make it?

6) what would the materials cost be if you wanted to make a repulsor fist style "cybernetic appendage" (increase agility or brawn by 1)?

1. To what extent can technician's attempt to optimise existing equipment using the item creations rules. Let's say that my character has a standard light blaster pistol: if I wanted to break it down and rebuild it into a light blaster template weapon, how much of the parts cost should I be able to recoup for already having a complete item available?

2. Is it intended that minion droids be able to assist with tasks as a group? Swarms of monotask labour droids are extremely cheap and easy for a droidtech to churn out and seem very good if they can offer skilled assistance.

Reading the Workshops section last night, it said one of the upgrades can reclaim 50% of the material costs, with more costs reclaimed with expenditure of advantages. Thing is - it doesn't say what how much an advantage will recover? is it 1 advantage = 25%? More? Less?

The book mentions ship-to-ship electronic warfare but doesn't get specific. How effective do you feel electronic warfare should be in the game, given the nature of Star Wars as an analog future? Should a YT-1300 be able to completely power down or vent the atmosphere of a ship with a smaller silhouette? An equal silhouette? A larger silhouette? And should the range of electronic warfare be reflected by the ship's sensor range, or should it be set at a static Close or Short?

XP is spent during Character Creation prior to spending credits, does this mean that the discount on cybernetics provided by Cyberneticist can apply to any cybernetics purchased during Character Creation?

I asume the Gank species ability would not benefit from the discount, since your choosing species prior to gaining the talent.

Just about a day and a half left to get in your questions for our show this Sunday!

Get 'em in and we'll try to get 'em answered!

I like the workshop section (well timed for my group), but there are no guidelines for how much it costs to add Advanced Benefits. These kinds of guidelines were provided for upgrading Homesteads in Far Horizons, what sort of advice do you give for upgrading workshops?

How did they come up with the modular starfighter, and the Dh-17 pistol? What did that stem from? Also can you use existing items as templates, one of my playeres says you should be able to? Third, what was the idea behind thw workshop section?

The "space tow truck" has medium laser cannons listed with Breach 2 and Slow Firing 1. Are those traits--which match the light turbolaser it also carries--a copy/paste error, or is it supposed to have non-standard armaments?

The "space tow truck" carries 50 pods. Any chance you could provide us with game stats for those pods?

Do multiple ranks of the second effect of Gearhead stack? For example, if they do stack, 3 ranks of Gearhead would give you 1/8 of the time to mod attachments.

When crafting, do advantage and threat cancel each other out? If they do, I don't see a way for items to regularly (without the use of a destiny point to upgrade a check) get flaws on an item that is also going to get improvements. The wording in the book seems to suggest that they do not cancel out, but it isn't totally clear. Thanks

What attachments would you allow on a crafted shield... the hp is 4. or is this a future kind of thing? o.o

Although the idea of using blunt mods on a shield would be interesting.. bashing someones face in with a taser shield (weighted head/stun pulse) sounds pretty amusing

On behalf of Log 101

Has anyone else noticed that the crafting table 3-5 (Ranged Weapon Template Profiles) in Special Modifications lists Gunnery against 'Heavy Energy Rifle', when the examples of these weapon types from table 3-4 are "heavy blaster rifle, disruptor rifle" both of which are traditionally used with Ranged Heavy.

I assumed this was a typo due to the description, but that does mean that there is no template at all for crafting the heavier blaster-type weapons such as heavy repeating blasters - unless I missed something?

I guess I'm just looking for the collective thoughts of those on the forums on this one.