Posted this in an old thread on the FaD forum. Repost here, as this forum is more active and it's relevant for all game lines.

It's a small wall of text, so... sorry.

Here's an outline with examples. It's not done and I'm still tweaking and thinking. I think it looks more complex than it is... but I'm usually wrong about stuff like that.

Shameless self-quote:

Now that crafting rules have been expanded and Max having repeated himself on the O66 podcast (but also laying down a ton of wisdom) answering our questions on a lot of stuff, I have continued to look into the tweaking and unnecessary modification of the crafting rules...

These are rough, but based on the guidelines Max provided last episode and in the episode concerning armour crafting, and then some additional stuff I regurgitated myself.

Customised crafting template guidelines (when crafting templates based existing/published armour, weapons, gear and so on):

• Cost = ~½

• Rarity: -1 to -2

• Difficulty based on rarity: Average 1-3, hard 4-5, daunting 5-7, formidable 8+ (adjust for complexity, see below) - question is: original or adjusted rarity? I'll go with original for now.

• Time: adjust by table and what seems reasonable (if time do research).

• Remove non-unique and non-core function qualities

  • (Items with unique-qualities automatically …?)*

Combining templates (adding 1 or more unique qualities/new core qualities):

• Choose base template for base qualities.

• Cost = most expensive of base and added template, add half** of each additional template.

• Craft time = longest craft time, add half*** of each additional template.

• Base difficulty: most difficult template

• Combining 2 templates (adding one) = 1 increase to difficulty

• Add 1 (1st) new core quality (from crafting table) = 1 upgrade to difficulty

• Add 1-2 (2nd and 3rd) additional new core qualities = Add 2 setback dice per additional quality or rank of same quality (max 4 setback dice)

• Add a 4th new quality (and/or rank) = Add challenge die

• (Add a third template = Add challenge die [not sure this should be possible])

*I’m not so sure whether or not these items, like armoured clothing or second skin armour, the Quicktrigger blaster, items with special qualities not listed on the tables, should be any more difficult than what the guidelines provided by Max suggests.

**This could easily be one quarter too. Don’t need to make it too expensive.

***I’m wondering whether or not it should just be a static add-on on top of the longest craft time, like 6 hours or 4 hours or something, per additional template.

Example 1:

My Xexto Taym Peel, Hotshot extraordinaire, is crafting a new Quicktrigger blaster pistol (from Fly Casual) from parts he's scavenged, bought and stolen. The schematics he stole while working for Merr-Sonn as a security guard. My GM is of course kind enough to let me attempt this, based on the guidelines provided above. I make the following template:

• Cost: 225
• Rarity: 2
• Difficulty: Hard (based on original rarity, not adjusted) - now, due to the unique quality of the Quicktrigger, the GM may require me to increase, or upgrade this difficulty - or he may just add a setback or two.
• Craft time: 18 hours
• Template stats: dmg 6; crit 3; range Medium; Enc 1; HP 3; reduce Mechanic check to repair and mod as per FC page 43.
  • I removed Stun setting and one HP as these appear on the tables in SM and are non-unique.

Creating the quicktrigger base template then is a DDD check.

If I wanted to include the two other qualities I removed, I'd basically upgrade the difficulty once and slap on 2 setback dice per my guidelines above. So difficulty would be: CDDSS

Example 2:

Taym Peel wants a new set of armour, he's been looking at the customisable armour template in KtP, but wants it to have the Second Skin quality of not being recognisable as armour. The GM may allow this, or perhaps require me to use the Armoured clothing quality instead, as I'm not going to wear my customisable armour underneath my clothing.

Second skin armour template:

• Cost: 1000
• Rarity: 6
• Difficulty: Daunting
• Craft time: 30 hours (I base this on similar templates in KtP and the assumed complexity of making something like the second skin armour)
• Template stats: Soak 1; Defence 1; Enc 2; HP 0; Add setback dice to perception checks to notice armour.

Armoured clothing template:

• Cost: 500
• Rarity: 5
• Difficulty: Daunting
• Craft time: 28 hours (I base it off the deflective armour)
• Template stats: Soak 1; Defence 1; Enc 3; HP 1; Require Average Perception check to detect clothing to be plated and that it's armour.

When Taym now is going to create his customisable second skin or customisable armoured clothing, here's the process:

1. Choose base template for base stats. Taym chooses customisable armour, he wants those HPs.
2. Cost will be based on most expensive one, if Taym has cash he would probably go for the second skin template, starting at 1000 and adding 250 from the customisable armour template. With less cash, he'd go with armoured clothing, same cost, so add half to 500, so 750 for material.
3. The base difficulty is Daunting regardless of adding the armoured clothing or second skin quality/template, as both armoured clothing and second skin are quite complex types of armour, hiding all the protection in that way.
   1. This difficulty is then increased to Formidable as I'm combining two templates.
   2. If I want to add one other core quality, like another HP or reduced Encumbrance or perhaps one better melee or range defence, upgrade the difficulty and so on. For instance wanting to increase both defences, would be upgrading and adding 2 setback dice.

It should be said that the combination of templates basically means to add qualities (core or unique) to another template... it's a roundabout way of doing it, but it seems to be the best way of doing it... but simplifying further is a goal.

Also, as clarification "core qualities" means normal item qualities found on weapons and/or on the crafting tables. "Unique qualities" are the things like armoured clothing, second skin armour and so on you find in the weapon description, not on the weapon tables.

I've started making this to collect templates and ideas for new armour, weaponry, qualities and in time other stuff.

Also: when combining templates, if you get enough advantages or triumphs to pick the Schematic result (the one that lowers future difficulties), you've then created a combined schematic, so whenever you combine those templates together, you get the reduction to difficulty - but only when combining the templates.