If a piece of gear given an added Hard Point by Tinkerer is looted, does it retain the extra Hard Point forever? If the Hard point becomes a permanent part of the item, can the character with Tinkerer loan or give away such gear? It only says that he can adjust a limited number of items (by rank) and that he can tinker with new items if others are lost. What does lost mean here? If the character gambles away a tinkered item, is it then 'lost' and he can tinker with a new item?

Lost probably just generally means when you sell the item or it's destroyed by sundering or the like. It doesn't make much logical sense that a weapon would just magically lose a hardpoint if you handed it from one player to another, especially if that hardpoint was being used for an attachment. Mechanically though, it would probably be a bit broken if somebody with Tinkerer could grant an extra hard point for a piece of gear for everyone in their party. I would rule that as long as you could track the piece of gear modified by Tinkerer within your party or some kind of storage, you would not be allowed to add a new hardpoint to a different piece of gear with the reasoning being that you are still treating that piece of gear with special maintenance and care that you would be unable to devote to something else.

I think if you had an opponent equipped with the item and allowed it to be looted, then yes, it retains that Hard Point forever. Of course, it could "lose" said hard point due to damage, lack of maintenance, or other plot-based addendum if you believe it is becoming too powerful.

I'm with Neozima with the note that if the item is "lost" (destroyed via Sunder), the item can be replaced by putting the Hard Point on a new item. If it's loaned, the item still counts to the maximum.

Just my opinion on it, though.

My thought (on the off chance the OP reads it) is that an item counts as "lost" when the PC no longer has access to it, though it may not be right away that they can start tinkering with a new item.

My reasoning for this is that I see Tinkerer not as a one-shot deal, but rather the person with the talent constantly fiddling with the device in question to ensure the extra modifications keep working (same thing with Jury-Rig to an extent). So once the item has been taken out of their possession for a significant amount of time (enough to preclude the chances of the character ever getting the item back). Said amount of time should be at least a couple of in-game days, enough time for the makeshift modifications on the device to cease working due to the original character no longer doing upkeep on them. Once that amount of time has passed, the character with the Tinkerer talent can be assumed to have spent their next bout of downtime modifying a new device while the prior one goes back to being a regular example of its type (possibly losing any attachments that exceeded it's default Hard Point count).

If the item gets destroyed during a fight (Sundered, dropped down one of the many gaping pits that the Empire likes to put everywhere in their military installations, swallowed by a rancor, etc), then I'd allow the Tinkerer to have a new item that's been tinkered with after the next suitable period of downtime.

What Dono said is a good idea. I'm pretty harsh though, I don't let the items keep these benefits if my players sell or share items under the effect of these talents.

It might not be logical and all, but its a game and a special ability that some gain access to and others don't, and there is a reason for that I guess.

I'm with Donovan and Jegergryte on this. The benefit only applies when the PC with the talent is using it. Once he loses it, sells it, gives it away or has it looted from him the benefit is gone.

I'm with Donovan and Jegergryte on this. The benefit only applies when the PC with the talent is using it. Once he loses it, sells it, gives it away or has it looted from him the benefit is gone.

I'm not in agreement on this. I think that so long as the individual with the Tinkerer Talent can access the device regularly (and it still counts as one of the limited number of items that can be selected with the Talent), it should be OK for another member to the group to make use of the adjusted items. Tinkerer is not like Jury Rigged where the Talent specifies it only works for the one with the Talent. I think that an Outlaw Tech should certainly be able to tweak the items of his buddies with Tinkerer.

I'm with Donovan and Jegergryte on this. The benefit only applies when the PC with the talent is using it. Once he loses it, sells it, gives it away or has it looted from him the benefit is gone.

Well, in the case of Tinkerer, I define "has access to it" as literally "has access to it," not "is the one using it" (as is the case with Jury-Rigged). So a PC could use Tinkerer to give the blaster rifle that his Hired Gun ally uses an extra modification slot, and that slot would remain so long as the Tinkerer PC could every once in a while give the rifle a bit of "fine tuning."

I'm with Donovan and Jegergryte on this. The benefit only applies when the PC with the talent is using it. Once he loses it, sells it, gives it away or has it looted from him the benefit is gone.

Well, in the case of Tinkerer, I define "has access to it" as literally "has access to it," not "is the one using it" (as is the case with Jury-Rigged). So a PC could use Tinkerer to give the blaster rifle that his Hired Gun ally uses an extra modification slot, and that slot would remain so long as the Tinkerer PC could every once in a while give the rifle a bit of "fine tuning."

I think it's just a matter of semantics, but I agree with this interpretation. If the Tinkerer wants to allow a buddy to benefit from his special abilities, why not? We see this a lot of fiction, more with vehicles than with weapons, but it's not outside the realm for a weapon master to be supported by a master weapon smith.

I think the RAI here is that the talent allows the character to tweak items to the group's benefit.

If the items get lost or stolen or are otherwise not in play for the group anymore, then the PC isn't getting the benefit of a talent they paid for, and that's no fun.

I think the RAI here is that the talent allows the character to tweak items to the group's benefit.

If the items get lost or stolen or are otherwise not in play for the group anymore, then the PC isn't getting the benefit of a talent they paid for, and that's no fun.

Bingo!

I'm with Donovan and Jegergryte on this. The benefit only applies when the PC with the talent is using it. Once he loses it, sells it, gives it away or has it looted from him the benefit is gone.

Well, in the case of Tinkerer, I define "has access to it" as literally "has access to it," not "is the one using it" (as is the case with Jury-Rigged). So a PC could use Tinkerer to give the blaster rifle that his Hired Gun ally uses an extra modification slot, and that slot would remain so long as the Tinkerer PC could every once in a while give the rifle a bit of "fine tuning."

I'm with that. meinly due to the OutlawTech.

Where is the Use in a skilled mechanic, who can modify anything to work beyond specifications, when nony besides him can use it?

I See the Outlawtech mainly as the one to maintain and modify the gear of the whole group, not as the one who uses mod gear to enhance his own capabilites, instead og the whole group. He isn't the Gadgeteer.

For the limitation on how many pieces of equipment at a time a character with the Tinker talent can effect to mean much of anything and make any kind of sense it pretty much has to stop working when the item becomes lost. If it came up, I'd probably "adopt" Donovan Morningfire's interpretation so that it made some kind of narrative sense.

I can't necessarily back this up, but looting bad guys' corpses doesn't stike me as feeling very "Star Wars," and Tinker effected equipment keeping the effect might be an encouragement to looting, so avoiding that encouragement might be a nice side-effect.

On the other hand, if the extra hard point sticks around, an NPC armorer who has the talent could make for a pretty good contact, and a PC with the talent could have a minor income stream selling modified equipment. Both of those seem like they could add to a campaign.