Mano a Mano:Manufacturing and Modification

Manufacturing and Modification

Some abilities can be used to create or modify items or even other characters. Characters created by other characters are called artificial characters. Examples from popular fiction include the monster created by Dr. Frankenstein, and Robby the Robot created by Dr. Morbius.

A game's ability list will describe how each ability is used. For example, craftsmanship ability can be used to create armor and weapons from an equipment list, to modify armor and weapons, or to create new items designed by a player or GM. (See Game Design/Abilities/Craftsmanship.) A game might also have a "robotics" ability that allows you to build a lunar rover robot, or modify such a robot by mounting a gun to it.

Maximum CP

To find the maximum CP of the item or character being modified, first add the ability used to a modifier based on the amount of time spent working on it:

modifier	time
-2	an hour
-1	a day
0	a week
+1	a month
+2	a year

Then add a modifier if circumstances significantly help or hinder the work:

modifier	circumstances
-2	a combination of unfavorable circumstances makes the work extremely difficult - for example having poor quality tools and a culture which has taboos against making this item
-1	unfavorable circumstances significantly hinder the work
0	circumstances do not significantly influence the work
+1	favorable circumstances significantly help the work
+2	a combination of favorable circumstances makes the work much easier

Finally, multiply the result by a technology CP rating. Many games only need a single technology CP value, but technology CP can vary between cultures and even between different kinds of technology.

technology CP	example
20	stone age
50	ancient
100	industrial
200	modern
500	futuristic

The result is the maximum total CP which a newly created weapon or character can have. It is also the maximum total CP which a character or weapon can have after modification.

Surgery

Modifying organic characters requires surgery.

When a character performs surgery, a success roll is required. The surgeon's medicine ability is used for the success roll, and the difficulty of the surgery is added to the roll against success. Superficial operations like cutting hair or sharpening claws, which only affect non-living tissue, do not require a roll. Surgery which does not directly affect vital organs has a difficulty between 0 and 5. Surgery which affects vital organs or involves other major changes has a difficulty between 5 and 10.

If the roll succeeds, healing from the surgery only affect the character's performance for a few days. If the roll fails, the surgeon must make a second roll, identical to the first. If the surgeon succeeds on his second roll, the character must spend an extra month healing. If the second roll fails, the character dies.

Difficulty		Type of Modification
0		no living tissue affected (sharpening claws)
2		no significant effect on organs, muscles or bones (implanting an explosive device.)
4		modifications to non-vital organs (removing an appendix)
6		significant muscle or skeleton modification (amputation, limb lengthening)
8		modification to vital organs or peripheral nervous system (heart transplant, new limbs)
10		major modifications involving central nervous system (add a new head and spinal column)

Make an Item - Equipment Generation Example

We will use our Steven character from the character creation example to make a new weapon. (See Character Creation/Make a Character.) Steven has craftsmanship ability with a modifier of 2.

1. Design the weapon

We decide Steven is making a "machete". The mass of the machete is 0.5 kilograms, worth 1 CP. The machete's 5 power is worth 50 CP. The machete's 3 heft is worth -30 CP. The total CP is 21 so far. (-30 + 60 + 1 = 31.) Having no shots feature (not requiring ammunition or reloading) is worth 20 CP. We add 20 CP for the sharp feature for a final total of 61 CP. In other words, Steven wants to make this machete:

machete (81 CP, 0.5 kg, 3 heft, 5 power, sharp)

2. Find the Maximum CP We start with Steven's craftsmanship modifier (2). We subtract 1 from this because Steven is only taking a few days make the machete. We add a circumstance modifier of 1 because his culture specializes in making machetes. We multiply the result by 50 CP because Steven is in a culture that has "ancient" technology. The maximum CP is 100 CP: (2 craftsmanship ability - 1 time modifier + 1 circumstance modifier) × 50 technology CP.

3. Compare Maximum CP to the CP of the Designed Weapon

Since the maximum CP (100) is equal to or greater than the Machete's CP (61), Steven is able to make it.

Modify Weapon Example

1. Design the Modified Weapon

Steven decides to elongate the handle of one of his machetes to make a pole arm:

machete (81 CP, 0.5 kg, 3 heft, 5 power, sharp)

Steven will give the weapon more reach, so that it will be this weapon:

Item Name	Special Modifiers	CP	Mass	Heft	Reach	Pwr	Shp	Cvr	Abs
Ice Blade	(no special modifiers)	195	0.5 kg	3	2.5 m	3-6	S

This modification uses 30 CP to to add 1.5 of a meters reach for to the machete, making to total 205 CP.

2. Find Difficulty Modifier

Because the long Machete's CP is 205, the Steven's difficulty modifier for making it is 5 (205/50 rounded up is 5.)

3. Find Success Modifier

We start with Steven's +2 craftsmanship ability modifier. Steven is using Midievil +2 technology bonus which multiplied by his ability bonus give a total success bonus of +4.

4. Find the Time Modifier

The Time modifier is the Difficulty Modifier with the Success Modifier subtracted from it. Steven's difficulty modifier is 5, and his Success Modifier is 4, so his Time Modifier is 1 (5 - 4 = 1.) Looking at the modification time modifier chart, we see it will take Stephen 30 minutes to add 1.5 meters reach to the machete. (If the modification had added 50 CP or more it would have taken an hour, but because the modification was less than 25 CP we use a different column on the time modifier chart.)

Artificial Character Example

1. Design the Character

An evil alien decides to make a synthetic clone of Steven. No new template is needed because the clone uses Modre's Human template. The clone also has the same build and abilities as Modre, so it also has the same character points: 305 CP.

2. Find Difficulty Modifier

Because the clone's CP is 305, the evil alien's difficulty modifier for making the clone is 7 (305/50 rounded up is 7.)

3. Find Success Modifier

We start with the evil alien's +2 biotech ability modifier. The evil alien is using a alien cloning laboratory (modern technology,) which has a +10 technology modifier (which multiplied by his ability gives him a +20 bonus so far.)

4. Find the Time Modifier

Since the evil alien's success modifier is greater than his difficulty modifier, he is can forge a new Clone from scratch in a half hour. (He automatically has a time modifier of 0, and on the time modifier chart 0 requires 30 minutes to create.)

Modify Character Example

1. Design the Character

After the Clone's defeat at the hands of Modre, the evil alien decides to upgrade the clone with 995 CP worth of enhancements, so that the enhanced clone's CP is 1300.

2. Find Difficulty Modifier

Because the enhanced clone's CP is 1300, the evil alien's difficulty modifier for making the clone is 26 (1300/50 rounded up is 26.)

3. Find Success Modifier

We start with the evil alien's +2 biotech ability modifier. The evil alien is using modern technology, which has a +10 technology modifier (which multiplied by his ability gives him a +20 bonus so far.)

4. Find the Time Modifier

The difference between the evil alien's +26 difficulty modifier and his success +20 modifier is 6, so his time modifier is 6. On the time modifier chart it shows that it will take the evil alien 32 hours to finish the enhanced clone.