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. 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 more high tech or fantastic abilities, like 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
-4	an hour
-3	a few hours
-2	a day
-1	a few days
0	a week
+1	a couple of weeks
+2	a month
+3	a few months
+4	a year

Then add a circumstance modifier:

modifier	examples
-4	poor quality tools and a culture which has taboos against making this item
-2	poor quality tools or a culture which has taboos against making this item
0	circumstances do not significantly help or hinder the work
+2	state of the art tools or a culture which has specialized in making this item
+4	state of the art tools and a culture which has specialized in making this item

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
10	stone age
20	ancient
50	industrial
100	modern
200	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. 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 10. Surgery which affects vital organs or involves other major changes has a difficulty between 11 and 20.

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)
4		no significant effect on organs, muscles or bones (implanting an explosive device.)
8		modifications to non-vital organs (removing an appendix)
12		significant muscle or skeleton modification (amputation, limb lengthening)
16		modification to vital organs or peripheral nervous system (heart transplant, new limbs)
20		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 alter the shape of his machete to give it more power. Adding 2 power to the machete would add 20 to the weapon's CP value:

Item Name	CP	Mass	Heft	Power	Features
machete (before)	61	0.5 kg	3	5	sharp
machete (after)	81	0.5 kg	3	7	sharp

2. Find the Maximum CP

We start with Steven's +2 Craftsmanship modifier. We subtract to this because Steven is taking a dayto modify the machete, so that his maximum CP is now 1. We add 1 because his culture specializes in making machetes, so that his maximum CP is now 2. We multiply his maximum CP by 50 because Steven is in a culture that has "ancient" technology, so that the maximum CP is 100.

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

Since the maximum CP (100) is equal to or greater than the modified machete's CP (91), Steven is able to modify the machete.

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: 151 CP.

2. Find Maximum CP

We start with the evil alien's +2 biotech ability modifier, so that his maximum CP so far is 2. He is only taking one day to make the clone, so we subtract one from his maximum CP leaving 1. He has no special circumstances, so we add 0 to his maximum CP. The evil alien is using futuristic technology, so we multiply his maximum CP by 500, for a total maximum CP of 500.

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

Since the maximum CP (500) is equal to or greater than the Clone's CP (151), the evil alien is able to make the clone.

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 729 CP worth of enhancements, so that the enhanced clone's CP value is 830.

2. Find Maximum CP

We start with the evil alien's +3 surgery ability modifier, so that his maximum CP so far is 2. He is only taking a a day to modify the clone, so we subtract 1 from his maximum CP leaving 2. He has no special circumstances, so we add 0 to his maximum CP. The evil alien is using futuristic technology, so we multiply his maximum CP by 500, for a total maximum CP of 1000.

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

Since the maximum CP (1000) is equal to or greater than the Modified Clone's CP (830), the evil alien is able to modify the clone.

4. For non-mechanical characters, perform the surgery roll

Since the Clone is a creature of flesh and blood rather than a mechanical or robotic one, a surgery roll must be made to ensure his survival. Because the evil alien is significantly modifying the clone's physiology the difficulty of this surgery is 20. On his first roll the clone rolls a 5, for a total of 8, which is not higher than 20.

Having failed his first roll, the evil alien has to do another roll to see if the clone will even survive the modification. The clone rolls a 18, for a total of 21, barely over the 20 difficulty level. The now-enhanced clone barely survives the modification and recovers in about a month from this surgery.