If you want to make something, repair something, or improve something that would generally count as either equipment or body modification, you are trying to tinker. These rules are for you.
A Tinkerer is a character that can build something above and beyond, with limited resources and/or time. They are the ones that can build on the spot; to make or repair something in an improvised or inventive way, making use of whatever items are at hand. A non Tinkerer can still Engineer and perform repairs
How do you determine who is a Tinkerer:
Any character can be a tinkerer, the number of attempts are based on which skills the character has. But Only player characters get an additional 1/2 their character level (round down) to the total number of attempts.
- Basic Technical Skills: (Each skill provides +1/4 attempt per day)
- Basic Electronics
- Basic Mechanics
- Computer Repair
- Cybernetics: Basic
- General Repair & Maintenance
- Jury-Rig
- Salvage
Skilled Technical Skills: (Each skill provides +1/2 attempt per day) - Aircraft Mechanics
- Automotive Mechanics
- Bioware Mechanics
- Electricity Generation
- Field Armorer & Munitions Expert
- Vehicle Armorer
- Computer Programming
- Class Ability (This is a catch all, for any characters who have a technical based class ability (or multiple). These class abilities usually mean they are more advanced than their skill based counterparts)
Engineering Skills: (Each Skill provides +1 attempt per day) - Electrical Engineer
- Mechanical Engineer
- Robot Electronics
- Robot Mechanics
- Weapons Engineer
- Artificial Intelligence
- Robotechnology Engineering
- Starship Engineering
Assistants are characters who have limited to no skills in construction. But like most beings, these characters can be directed by a Tinkerer and perform menial tasks such as lifting, carrying, and fetching items for the Tinkerer.
Assistants use the same criteria of a Tinkerer.
Situational Skills, Powers, and Abilities
- Computer Operations (+1/4 attempt per day when dealing with computerized systems)
- Sensory Equipment (+1/4 attempt per day when used in connection with diagnostic equipment)
- Computer Hacking (+1/2 attempt per day when dealing with programming and modification of programs and A.I.s)
- Chemistry: Basic (+1/4 attempt per day when dealing with chemical compounds)
- Chemistry: Analytical (+1/2 attempt per day when dealing with chemical compounds)
- Chemistry: Pharmaceutical (+1 attempt per day when dealing with chemical compounds and medicines, drugs, or toxins)
- Juicer Technology (+1/2 attempt per day when dealing with drugs, medicines, and Juicer Conversion)
- Biology (+1/4 attempt per day when dealing with interactions with living beings- cybernetics, drugs, toxins, medications, genetic modification, etc)
- Xenology (+1/4 attempt per day when dealing with interaction with alien or inter-dimensional life, as per biology)
- Genetics (+1/4 attempt per day for dealing with biological organisms)
- Clinical Genetics (+1/2 attempt per day for dealing with biological organisms)
- M.D. In Cybernetics (+1/4 attempt per day for dealing with cybernetics and bionics)
- Gemology (+1/4 attempt per day for Techno-Wizardry/Assistants)
- Recycling (+1/4 attempt per day when using salvaged or scrapyard components)
Specific Psionics - Telemechanics: +1 attempt per day on anything to do with mechanics, electronics, artificial intelligence, programming, and all related fields.
- Total Recall: +1/4 attempt per day on anything that large volumes of memorized information would be useful (ie. genetic codes, mechanic's workbooks, computer programming, etc)
Specific Spells - Create Metal: +1/4 attempt per day in salvage and fabrication situations
Specific Powers - Power Touch: +1 attempt per day in all repair situations and medical recovery.
In other situations when crafting, other skills could be useful and with GM's approval might net +1/4 attempt per day. A valid case for the skills use must be presented. Sewing might help make low-tech hide M.D.C. armors, while Weapon Proficiencies and Piloting skills may help with their specialties because of familiarization. Medical skills and healing spells and psionics may aid in recovery from cybernetics surgery or Juicer Augmentation.
Implementing Tinkering
The rules located in HU2 pg 121-143, and in the RUE for Techno-Wizardry on pg 131 give totals of time in hours or days. A simple conversion of this to Tinkering attempts is as follows:
1 Hour=1 Attempt
1 Day=8 Attempts
GM's Decision will cover the following (exclusively):
1. How many rolls to succeed.
2. How much time needed to build.
3. When is something impossible to build.
Q. What about Low Tech Crafters?
A. In specific circumstances, a GM can throw out the standard crafting skills, and instead use the following list (each provides .25 attempts per day). Class abilities and character level count as normal (a high level Analytical Genius or Operator still might be helpful, just not as helpful). Class abilities still count as .5 attempts per day.
- Low Tech Crafting Skills
Armor/Weapon Decoration (from Palladium Fantasy)
Botany (herbs mostly)
Brewing
Carpentry
Cooking
Fashion Tools (from Palladium Fantasy)
Holistic Medicine
Masonry
Mining and Prospecting (Metals)
Mystic Herbology (from Rifts: England)
Pottery (from Palladium Fantasy)
Recycling (Metals mostly)
Salvage
Sewing
Skin and Prepare Animal Hides
Whittling and Sculpting
Wilderness Survival (herbs and other plants mostly)