Special Modifications book questions

By tyki11, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

Been browsing the book left and right and some things were unclear to me.

1. The crafting section states that it contains the rules to craft weapons, armor, drones, gadgets and even cybernetics.

- There's no section for armors, except shield in the melee weapon section. Did I miss something?

2. Gadgets table comes with preset encumbrance, does this overrule the encumbrance of the item created, I believed the example gave 4 and said Datapad

3. They add a few weapons and such, and the tables come with stats for created weapons, but can you make a specific weapon and gain it's stats + whatever good roll effects you get (such as compact)?

- Can I make the Rivet Gun and if I get lucky, give it Compact or Shocking quality?

4. Cybernetic mentions that in a hospital environment, cybernetics require no checks, what would that need to include. Would a sanitized room with Specialized Tools and a medical drone suffice?

I'm still processing most of the content, despite getting the book when it was released, but I can at least help you with the first question.

Armor crafting rules are in Keeping the Peace.

I'm still processing most of the content, despite getting the book when it was released, but I can at least help you with the first question.

Armor crafting rules are in Keeping the Peace.

That solved one issue, thanks a ton!

I already love the Customizable Armor, I'm hooked on Hard Points.

Now the biggest concern is point 3. If I can make specific energy blasters or projectiles and such.

And to figure out a fluff for an Ensnaring fist weapon.

These were more or less touched upon my Max Brooks on his most recent guest appearance on the Order 66 podcast.

1) The Armor rules are in Keeping the Peace, and weren't included in SM because they only had so much space and KtP came out not that long ago (under a year)

2) Generally yes, if you're using the template then whatever base values are listed are what your item has.

3) By RAW, no. The crafting rules were not designed to allow a PC to replicate any or even all of the pre-existing gear found in other sourcebooks.

4) I'd say your list would largely cover it. Probably wouldn't hurt to have the person performing the procedure be well-trained in cybernetic surgery either.

These were more or less touched upon my Max Brooks on his most recent guest appearance on the Order 66 podcast.

1) The Armor rules are in Keeping the Peace, and weren't included in SM because they only had so much space and KtP came out not that long ago (under a year)

2) Generally yes, if you're using the template then whatever base values are listed are what your item has.

3) By RAW, no. The crafting rules were not designed to allow a PC to replicate any or even all of the pre-existing gear found in other sourcebooks.

4) I'd say your list would largely cover it. Probably wouldn't hurt to have the person performing the procedure be well-trained in cybernetic surgery either.

Thanks a lot, these help plenty.

I take it that for Cybernetics, the templates are general layout for price and time and checks, but then I pick one from the many cybernetics in the book rather than design one on my own?

Made me realize, the Cybernetics specialization lowers price of cybernetics, does it lower price of materials for cybernetics?

3. While I don't want to replicate the very specific pistols and such, I was more interested in the more unique ones, such as a net gun, rivet gun, ion thruster gun, etc

The fluff says the thruster gun is often made by them out of boredom, but the crafting rules don't seem support PC's making these. In the other case, a Rivet Gun is really a Tool/Gadget and it's weapon function is simply disengaging some safeties, so if I wanted to make a rivet gun of my own, would I make it a tool first?

Thanks a lot, these help plenty.

I take it that for Cybernetics, the templates are general layout for price and time and checks, but then I pick one from the many cybernetics in the book rather than design one on my own?

Made me realize, the Cybernetics specialization lowers price of cybernetics, does it lower price of materials for cybernetics?

3. While I don't want to replicate the very specific pistols and such, I was more interested in the more unique ones, such as a net gun, rivet gun, ion thruster gun, etc

The fluff says the thruster gun is often made by them out of boredom, but the crafting rules don't seem support PC's making these. In the other case, a Rivet Gun is really a Tool/Gadget and it's weapon function is simply disengaging some safeties, so if I wanted to make a rivet gun of my own, would I make it a tool first?

Cyberneticist reduces both the "off-the-shelf" price for buying cybernetics and the materials cost for making your own.

3. There is no RAW method of doing what you want to do, so it comes down to talking with your GM and seeing if you can find a reasonable solution. One solution might be to build a Specialist Tool for Mechanics checks, get 4 advantages for the "Inbuilt Weapon" option, stick a slugthrower pistol in there, and reflavor it to being a rivet gun. But like I said, we're in homebrew territory; there's no official rules for how to create a template for a weapon/tool not covered by the existing templates.

Been browsing the book left and right and some things were unclear to me.

1. The crafting section states that it contains the rules to craft weapons, armor, drones, gadgets and even cybernetics.

- There's no section for armors, except shield in the melee weapon section. Did I miss something?

2. Gadgets table comes with preset encumbrance, does this overrule the encumbrance of the item created, I believed the example gave 4 and said Datapad

3. They add a few weapons and such, and the tables come with stats for created weapons, but can you make a specific weapon and gain it's stats + whatever good roll effects you get (such as compact)?

- Can I make the Rivet Gun and if I get lucky, give it Compact or Shocking quality?

4. Cybernetic mentions that in a hospital environment, cybernetics require no checks, what would that need to include. Would a sanitized room with Specialized Tools and a medical drone suffice?

1) Armor templates, tables and rules are in keeping the peace

2) I would assume you need to buy a few lightweight with advantages to make your datapad practical to use. On the plus side, some of the non-crafting data pads are enc 2, you can reduce this to one with just enough advantages

3) Your GM can for sure create new templates, but the inbuild weapon species that you need to have that weapon already, it needs to be enc 2 or lower and it will than for sure profit from compact or lightweight just fine. Key here is that you need to have that weapon in advance.

4) Look at the medicine workshop at the end of the book or at the Infirmary/Medical Facility from Far Horizons (p83) and Desperate Allies (p89). And I am not even sure if that is sufficient as it lacks emergency specialist if something goes wrong, etc … . A simple sanitized room with a few tools is the stuff that red dice are made off.

Edited by SEApocalypse

Been reading the book more and another question popped up.

Crafting Cybernetics. Per the templates, you can make prosthetics with no mechanical benefits other than having limbs again.

Cybernetic limbs with stat benefits.

And cybernetic implants that grant one skill rank.

Does this mean I can't craft already existing cybernetic implants, such as Repulsor Fist or the arm with inbuilt scanner?

Edited by tyki11

Does this mean I can't craft already existing cybernetic implants, such as Repulsor Fist or the arm with inbuilt scanner?

Same as with the weapon question: if there isn't a preexisting template for it, you have to talk to your GM about creating a new template or another workaround. The crafting rules are not designed to be able to replicate any possible item in the same category.

Does this mean I can't craft already existing cybernetic implants, such as Repulsor Fist or the arm with inbuilt scanner?

Same as with the weapon question: if there isn't a preexisting template for it, you have to talk to your GM about creating a new template or another workaround. The crafting rules are not designed to be able to replicate any possible item in the same category.

I figured that'd be the answer, but had to double check.

I suppose that by comparing the weapon/cybernetic prices to the crafted templates we can figure out a rough price difference, if any, to make such templates.

Just want to make sure that if I end up as a cybernetics technician, I can do more than craft +1 rank and +1agi/brawn upgrades.

Would you say these templates and rules can be used to create mods as well, or is that an existing feature?

With enough advantages to spend you are able to build in any weapon with an encumberance of 1 (the player has to own it allready)

that may help you.

On my table we decided/ I ruled (how ever you watch at it ^.~): that these inbuild object no longer counts to the encumberance threshold.

otherwise there is NO RAW way to exactly rebuilt anything in the gear sections appeared in any of the books.

(but a lot of the outcomes are really close in way of stats mostly even better, so who cares that I can´t call my Blaster Incom-Whatever, I would give it a coller name anyway...like Stormkiller ^^)

With enough advantages to spend you are able to build in any weapon with an encumberance of 1 (the player has to own it allready)

that may help you.

On my table we decided/ I ruled (how ever you watch at it ^.~): that these inbuild object no longer counts to the encumberance threshold.

otherwise there is NO RAW way to exactly rebuilt anything in the gear sections appeared in any of the books.

(but a lot of the outcomes are really close in way of stats mostly even better, so who cares that I can´t call my Blaster Incom-Whatever, I would give it a coller name anyway...like Stormkiller ^^)

I'll bring the inbuild encumberance note to my DM. My main concern wasn't about replicating Blaster XX but more about "Can I make a net gun like the Explorer book has, or the Rivet Gun the technician book has." non-uniform. I am amused that if rolls see fit, I can make a fist weapon with Ensnaring or Blast quality though, and I already love the chance to make Customizable armor presented in Guardian book.

To my mind, one of the big advantages of the Cyber Tech is those +skill mods. 750 credits for a free skill rank is a great bargain, especially when you can Overcharge it to make that two skill ranks. Need to be better in combat but don't have any combat skills in-career? A suitable implant plus overcharge saves you 25 xp spent on cross-career skill ranks. Need to be better at Mechanics so you can generate more triumphs and advantages on crafting checks? 750 credits gets you a floating rank in Mechanics that gives you another yellow die without increasing the cost of your next permanent skill rank.

attachments/Mods aren´t supposed to be build from scratch/template by now (And If I recall right cybernetics never have mods...but could be wrong here since I don´t have every singel splatbook out there ^^")

Of course as always you can talk to your GM and ask him about this as a house rule... but it could become... quite complicated...

since attachments have a wide variety of for what it can be (e.g. Blade Upgrades, Bluntweapon upgrades, Bladehandle upg., blaster and/or karabine handle upg., blaster gas-chamber upg, scopes for different range types, extra weapons for heavy range, objects that help to carry and or stabilyze special weapons, armor damage upg, armor soak upgrades, armor defensive upg, armor enviormental upgrades, lightsaber handle upgrades ... it goes further and further... it nearly seems each upgrade can be handled as a category of its own...

than you would have to define a whole chart for spending triumph, advantage, despair and threat, since neather of the other charts can provide anything realy helpful only for building attachments/mods (except for smaller thinks like lesson learned, shematics)

I would higly recommending to stay with what you allready got by building the weapons and armors, cybernetics, droids and tools of tamplates.

You can already get serious bonuses just by following the RAW.

Edited by Nightone

To my mind, one of the big advantages of the Cyber Tech is those +skill mods. 750 credits for a free skill rank is a great bargain, especially when you can Overcharge it to make that two skill ranks. Need to be better in combat but don't have any combat skills in-career? A suitable implant plus overcharge saves you 25 xp spent on cross-career skill ranks. Need to be better at Mechanics so you can generate more triumphs and advantages on crafting checks? 750 credits gets you a floating rank in Mechanics that gives you another yellow die without increasing the cost of your next permanent skill rank.

That is true...My first cybernetic shall be...a mechanics increase so I can make better cybernetics!

Luckily I'll be playing a Gank, and try to get my hands on the biofeedback augment to further increase my capacity for the divine metal improvements, but it'd be really nice to tailor-make cybernetics for the group. But seeing how the +1 Agi/Brawn costs as much to make as to buy, I suppose it could easily be used to 1:1 use the template for other cybernetics, such as the combat ones for the gunner and so on!

Side-question. How hard/painful is it to remove cybernetics, can I just disconnect an +Piloting eye for a +Gunnery eye between encounters?

That is true...My first cybernetic shall be...a mechanics increase so I can make better cybernetics!

Luckily I'll be playing a Gank, and try to get my hands on the biofeedback augment to further increase my capacity for the divine metal improvements, but it'd be really nice to tailor-make cybernetics for the group. But seeing how the +1 Agi/Brawn costs as much to make as to buy, I suppose it could easily be used to 1:1 use the template for other cybernetics, such as the combat ones for the gunner and so on!

Side-question. How hard/painful is it to remove cybernetics, can I just disconnect an +Piloting eye for a +Gunnery eye between encounters?

Heh, my Cyber Tech Droid's first set of crafting checks was making simple tools to have a better toolkit and slicing gear to work with.

The rules don't specifically say what is required to remove cybernetics, but I would use the sidebar on installing cybernetics as a baseline. A 6-12 hour operation to swap implants means you can't change them on the fly, but can adjust them during downtime to suit different mission profiles/activities. Making them Tailored would probably make the whole process simpler.

That is true...My first cybernetic shall be...a mechanics increase so I can make better cybernetics!

Luckily I'll be playing a Gank, and try to get my hands on the biofeedback augment to further increase my capacity for the divine metal improvements, but it'd be really nice to tailor-make cybernetics for the group. But seeing how the +1 Agi/Brawn costs as much to make as to buy, I suppose it could easily be used to 1:1 use the template for other cybernetics, such as the combat ones for the gunner and so on!

Side-question. How hard/painful is it to remove cybernetics, can I just disconnect an +Piloting eye for a +Gunnery eye between encounters?

Heh, my Cyber Tech Droid's first set of crafting checks was making simple tools to have a better toolkit and slicing gear to work with.

The rules don't specifically say what is required to remove cybernetics, but I would use the sidebar on installing cybernetics as a baseline. A 6-12 hour operation to swap implants means you can't change them on the fly, but can adjust them during downtime to suit different mission profiles/activities. Making them Tailored would probably make the whole process simpler.

Speaking of slicer gear, the template says Enc 4, is that the highest Enc items we can make, or the default weight for any gadget we make?

That is the default encumbrance of any simple tool you make, and it should be noted that those simple tools are not necessarily identical to similar existing tools. For instance, if I make a simple Medicine tool, I might flavor it as a Medpac, but it will have neither the rechargeable one stimpack per scene nor the free boost die on all checks that a purchased Medpac has. Simple tools just enable you to make the check in the first place and maybe have perks depending on the advantages/triumph you can generate. This means that in some cases crafted tools can be superior to existing tools that just serve the purpose of enabling the check (like toolkits or slicer gear), but in other cases purchased tools will be better than anything you can make without a double triumph.

I'm working on some custom craft rules, "custom" as trying to stay within the general design, but giving some other and more options. Including, but not limited to creating custom templates.

Max has given some rough guidelines for creating templates, I'm using those, but I've modified them a bit. See link in my signature.

Sorry to bump this to the top again (but it seemed the most appropriate thread). And I promise I won't bring up the subject not having the book again...

But, would it be too cheeky for someone to let me know the crafting rules for cybernetics; cost, spending successes, advantages, threat etc?

I only need the rules for a replicate limb, it's just I have a PC who wants to build a replacement leg after an unfortunate Maimed Crit (which would work really well with the character) and I don't want to make up ad hoc rules when official rules for it already now exist.

Either post here or PM me, if that's ok.

Cheers

To be honest if that is all you need it for I'd just make it a story element. If you aren't tricked out for it making the cyber parts can be pretty hard. Diff 3 and you still need someone to stick it on (money for a nonpc and a medicine roll for another pc, I think diff 3 or 4) If it still sound like the way you want to go I can check it later if no one has sent you any info.

If you aren't needing all the bonuses and penalties just make it a diff 3 mechanics roll and call it a day! :)

To be honest if that is all you need it for I'd just make it a story element. If you aren't tricked out for it making the cyber parts can be pretty hard. Diff 3 and you still need someone to stick it on (money for a nonpc and a medicine roll for another pc, I think diff 3 or 4) If it still sound like the way you want to go I can check it later if no one has sent you any info.

If you aren't needing all the bonuses and penalties just make it a diff 3 mechanics roll and call it a day! :)

Thanks for the reply! Someone has PM'd me with details, so at least he has the option. The Medicine difficulty makes sense, too (I may be generous and allow a diff 3 check).

Otherwise they may need to get the cash to acquire one (including surgery), which in my FaD game will likely test their Morality... ;)

I don't know how much of the crafting discussions you've seen but one thing that has also come up is making the crafting roll but not canceling out threat and advantage so you can get a good but flawed item, or allowing him to 'buy' advantage by giving you threat to spend. He gets what he wants but it's, slow, brittle, what have you.

Sounds like what ever you do it should be a good story! Have fun!

The dice results not cancelling each other out is an option?

Sorry if that statement was misleading. Not in rules as written no. As written it works like it always works but in some other discourse on the forums it was an alternative brought up in regards to printed items having drawbacks and bonuses while crafted items, really, can only have drawbacks /or/ bonuses since you remove either all advantage or all threat, rules as written, on your roll. (triumph and dispair not withstanding). One way to simulate having a super accurate, but slow firing crafted weapon was to either not cancel them out at all or leave it to the gm to negotiate a trade. Want that 2 extra accuracy you were hoping to roll? Well then, how bout slow fire, or cumbersome 3?