Gadget crafting

Rules & Game Mechanics
#1

A question about gadget crafting (Special modifications page 84). A character can create Simple Tools, Specialist Tools and Precision instruments and they all have effects that start with “Choose a General Skill…”

Could a character craft all three things and use them in the same roll? As an example creating gadgets to use with Mechanics:
Simple Tools: Toolkit
Specialist Tools: Welding Gear
Precision Instrument: Mechanical Dianoga (page 52 Special Modifications)

When buidling a droid, a starship or some other large project I could see using all three gadgets. And in most cases I feel you could at least use two gadgets during a most checks.

If you could use two or three gadgets, what would happend if all of them had the “Safety features” effect, would it only add 1 advantage, or one advantage per gadget?

Now the example used Mechanics, but I could see having multiple gadgets crafted for a lot of skills. Medicine, Computers, Astrogation etc.
And as Gadget crafting only limitation is “Choose a General Skill…” I guess with some imagination characters could build any kind of gadget for any skill.

What would a precision instrument for the Cool skill even look like? :laughing:

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#2

All three apply if you can use them at the same time.
So when working on a large project, I’d apply all three.
When making a Mechanics check in the middle of a combat, you’ll most likely only have time to bring out the tool kit given Maneuver restrictions. If you were to bring out your Simple Tool, your Specialist Tool, and your Precision Instrument, I might allow all three to apply, depending on the nature of the situation.
Safety Features would stack.

It would only be for skills like Computers, Mechanics, Medicine, Skulduggery, and Survival that require or would benefit from tools. A sensible GM will limit you to this, and limit when you can use said tools with that skill.

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#3

I was thinking stuff like a well fitted flight suit with pockets and stuff you need right where you want it might be a basic or even specialist tool for Piloting (space) or A visor with a HUD might be a precision instrument for the same skill.

Some General skills I agree are hard to justify, at least stuff like specialist tools or precision instruments. I cannot think about any good specialist tool or precision instrument for coordination for example. A basic tool might be a pair of good shoes for balancing however.

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#4

A basic tool “allows the character to make checks with that skill without penalty.”
Penalty in this case would be increased difficulty for Medicine or Skulduggery, inability for Computers or Mechanics, etc.
As for your well-fitted flight suit, what benefit does that actually give to actually piloting?
A visor with a HUD is a better justification, but you better hope you don’t get neck problems from the 8 Encumbrance.

What about bare feet? Having your toes out helps balance and helps you sense the terrain.

For a tool to function, it must be generally applicable, narratively sensible, mechanically consistent with its nature and narrative explanation, and it must fill a gap something else can’t.

I’m a pretty accommodating GM and very rarely just say “no,” but this is a place where I would. There are items that provide benefits to various skills, and they are not intended to work with the crafting rules, which are really just intended for Computers, Mechanics, and Medicine.

Skulduggery and Survival are borderline, and both are broad enough that any items I would allow you to craft for the skill would be for a particular purpose inside the skill. But even then, most of those items would already exist. I mentioned them simply because a reasonable argument can be made for their inclusion. More so for Survival, which is used for things like digging trenches, setting up blinds, clearing areas, surveying, etc.

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#5

I must admit I didn’t look at the encumberance ratings very closely. I guess a bunch of advantages could lower it to managable levels, but I see your point.

I think I just saw “tool” as an item in a very broad sense of the word tool. Probably because when I read the rules for gadget crafting (yesterday) I felt that it was cool that you could pick any general skill and I started thinking about what tools (or rather items) could be benificial to different skills.

Such as a finely tuned microphone which hovers at the right distance/angle from your face for leadership when you deliver your speech the a few before an assult on a raider outpost. A cool flight helmet (and suit) to climb into before jumping into your fighter and launcing yourself into space battle.

I guess I focused mainly on the fact that all the said “Choose a general skill…” and took that as a sign that the Gadget crafting rules were meant to catch any and all items that could improve pretty much any general skill.

So I saw it as an oppurtunity to tinker on smaller projects (between droids and starships), and improve my own and my fellow players skills in some small ways. Like, “Here you go my friend, try on the pair of scanner googles that I’ve been tinkering with” :slight_smile:

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#6

Yeah, it’s just not intended for that. There are a variety of items and pieces of gear you can pick up to help with the various skills, but the crafting rules aren’t intended to cover them. Some of the sorts of things you mention are just other items with narrative flair, others are “sundries” that you don’t need to account for in gear, etc.

A lot of the confusion comes with how the skills are divvied up, but a lot of that can’t really be rectified since they often blur the lines.

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#7

I see your point, and I agree to some extent. However I still feel that “gadgets” could be applied to a wider range of skills than Computers, Mechanics, Medicine and maybe Skuldugger and/or survival.

And I do agree that a a lot of the general skills have no logical way to be improved with a gadget or tool, and especially not 2-3 different gadgets.

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#8

If you can make a good case for it and the GM agrees, then go for it. But if I was your GM, you’d have to convince me.

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#9

Agreed, the GM always has final say, and our GM will probably not allow any kind of gadgets for all skill without good reason. Beeing a technician I’ll end up focusing on gadgets that helps my mechanics and computer checks anyway, so there probably won’t be much discussion about the gadgets I create. :slight_smile:

But my character (and me) think it’s fun to create stuff for the other characters from time to time, like useful gifts that help them in their primary focus areas, such the previously mentioned gadgets to help our smuggler with his piloting checks.

I view my character in a supporting role in the group, other than improved gear (for everyone) I cannot bring much to the table in most encounters. I have very few social, combat and physical skills or talents and low characteristic scores in most except in intellect. So improving my fellow player characters is the main way I see my character beeing useful. Just to be clear, this is by desgin and was my intent when creating the character, so it’s not a critisism of the system (which I think is great).

All in all I believe I’ll only ever create a one or maybe two gadgets each for my fellow players. And then a few for myself that focus on skills like Computers, Mechanics and Medicine which you mentioned.

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#10

Something you may want to consider is purchasing items and narrating it as custom-built, or asking the GM if you can “craft” the item, possibly as simply as making a Mechanics check instead of Negotiation.

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#11

Specialist tool for pilot: pilot chair customised with fancy features like reclining back, form-gel padding, HUD, pedals, specialised controls/joysticks/whateveryourprefer, with built-in safety features that connects combat sensors with your visor, more technobable… with enough advantages, you could make it wearable … just need, oh, say 7 advantages or so to make it a helmet… another 3 to add that advantage.

I would probably allow this in the game, if a player wanted to put in the time and effort … I like the idea of a special pilot’s chair, crafted by the character, or one of his crew…

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#12

And specialised sensor input with audio-visual-haptic warning system and auto-micro-thrusters could be a precision instrument for a pilot, removing up to two setback dice when piloting.

One may want to limit this to one vehicle, as an argument could be made that this kind of personalised customisation must be intergrated into the workings of the vehicle.

Perhaps slap on some extra time or cost, or an additional “install” check.

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