I have a player who basicly remade CH-1. He's a droid gadgeteer with an obsession obligation for making himself better with new technology. Currently it has a value of 20 and last night he asked me how to reduce it. Honestly, I have no idea of how to deal with this. Obligations like debt are easy to handle and a few others can reasonably be reduced with creative role playing. The player mentioned that I could reduce the obligation every time he got a huge cool new piece of gear by that seems pretty lame. Thoughts?

Actually I think getting a "huge cool new piece of gear" would only feed the obsession, increasing the Obligation.

I think perhaps this character could reduce his Obligation by turning down upgrades and cool stuff. This would be an obvious challenge for player and character unlike, but would represent the droid getting a handle on his compulsions.

What do you think?

I would consider making this Obligation an Addiction rather than an Obsession. The player will then have an active reason to find ways to control his fixation with self-improvement, especially when faced with consquences for not upgrading often enough. You might even give him temporary bonuses for getting his "fix", even if they are cosmetic improvements (which should still cost money). But if he goes too long without upgrading, his performance starts to degrade (same effects as withdrawal/deprivation for a drug addict).

Have the other PC's stage an intervention?

Actually I think getting a "huge cool new piece of gear" would only feed the obsession, increasing the Obligation.

I think perhaps this character could reduce his Obligation by turning down upgrades and cool stuff. This would be an obvious challenge for player and character unlike, but would represent the droid getting a handle on his compulsions.

What do you think?

I really agree with this idea. It tends to make more sense than to reward him for getting something cool.

What if the player has a set goal in mind and the obsession obligation represents working toward that goal? I like the idea that resisting the obligation when it comes up will help reduce it, but looking at other obligation such as addiction shows that there are costs to ignoring the obligation. As a GM it feels wrong, as though I'd be punishing a player for acknowledging and playing to his or her obsession.

The player mentioned that I could reduce the obligation every time he got a huge cool new piece of gear by that seems pretty lame.

I have two objections to that idea.

One, it seems thematically inappropriate. If you're obsessed with getting new gear, then getting a new upgrade means you are giving in to your obsession, so I don't see how that is going to weaken it. If anything, it would strengthen the obsession. Installing that new upgrade might scratch the itch for a while, but that feeling of relief when the itch is scratched is the real stuff of the obsession. Or whatever the droid equivalent of a feeling of relief is.

Two, if you let upgrade installation reduce the obligation, you risk turning the obsession into a watered-down reskin of debt. A reskin because the debt obligation, of course, can be reduced with money while many others can't. Watered down, though, because paying off a debt obligation with your money leaves you without the money, while getting reducing an obsession for installing an upgrade doesn't cost you the use of the upgrade, just the opportunity cost of not using the money for the upgrade for some other purpose, and that applies at least equally with paying down a debt.

I think DylanRPG is right. Turning down upgrades when he has a meaningful opportunity to get them is at least a start toward beating the obession, and may be enough on its own to justify a few points off the obligation.

Keeping in mind that a player character can never drop below 5 obligation, unless he replaces his obsession with something else, he'll never be completely over it. While the obligation remains, you might even boost it by a point or two when he does upgrade.

I would add that a signifigant character development, either mechanically or through skill use depending could represent his obsession with improvement. Steps towards his dedication bonus/ skill increases/ talents. for instance, allow him to decrease the obligation 3 for every tier of the mechanics Talent tree he completely buys off. the small gains will be easily attainable, but significant "improvement" will take time.