Modifiable Equipment System

[raithyn]

I've been working on a system for customizable weapons for a little while. I like the individual items found in REUP, the Saga core rulebook, Scum & Villainy, the KotOR Campaign Guide, and the fan-made D6 conversions for each of those. I even stole some of that material for this system. I wanted something slightly different though where the modifications where modular and players can quickly understand what they can build and which modifications stack.

To that end, I stole the upgrade categories from Knights of the Old Republic II, reverse engineered a bunch of D6 stats, and tried to build a system that does everything I want. I feel fairly good about everything except the costs. Those aren't completely random, but there's not as strong a formula informing them as I might like.

The system is presented in full below. You'll want my redefined damage types on hand since extra rules aren't explained in the item descriptions here. As always, comments and critique are welcome. This is not my first draft but is still very much an alpha version.

A GM could hand this to the players and let them shop for specific equipment, hand out individual items as loot without revealing the full list, or use this to build new combinations of items that follow consistent patterns. I suggest keeping lightsaber power crystals pretty rare and hard to come by no matter which option you choose.


UPGRADABLE EQUIPMENT

KNIFE / BATON
Type: Upgradable melee weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Melee combat: [specific weapon]
Cost: 25
Availability: 1
Upgrade Slots: Bonding alloy, energy cell
Difficulty: Easy
Damage: STR+1D physical

SWORD / SPEAR / AXE
Type: Upgradable melee weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Melee combat: [specific weapon]
Cost: 80
Availability: 1
Upgrade Slots: Bonding alloy, energy cell, grip
Difficulty: Easy
Damage: STR+2D physical

LIGHTSABER
Type: Upgradable melee weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Lightsaber
Cost: 10,000
Availability: 4
Upgrade Slots: Hilt, power crystal
Difficulty: Difficult
Damage: 5D energy
Game Notes:
• The wielder may add their control dice to the lightsaber's damage.
• The wielder injures themself if they miss the base difficulty number by more than 10 points.
• The wielder may use their sense skill to parry melee attacks and deflect blaster bolts with the lightsaber.

HOLD-OUT BLASTER
Type: Upgradable ranged weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster: hold-out blaster
Ammo: 6
Cost: 275
Availability: 2
Upgrade Slots: Firing chamber, power pack
Range: 3-4/8/12
Damage: 3D energy
Game Notes: Drawing this weapon requires an action but does not count toward calculating multiple action penalties.

BLASTER PISTOL
Type: Upgradable ranged weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster: blaster pistol
Ammo: 100
Cost: 500
Availability: 1
Upgrade Slots: Firing chamber, power pack
Range: 3-10/30/120
Damage: 4D energy

BLASTER CARBINE
Type: Upgradable ranged weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster: blaster carbine
Ammo: 100
Cost: 900
Availability: 2
Upgrade Slots: Firing chamber, power pack, targeting
Range: 3-25/50/250
Damage: 5D energy
Game Notes: At Long range, increase difficulty by +5.

BLASTER RIFLE
Type: Upgradable ranged weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster: blaster rifle
Ammo: 100
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 2,
Upgrade Slots: Firing chamber, power pack, targeting
Range: 3-30/100/300
Damage: 5D energy

DISRUPTOR
Type: Upgradable ranged weapon
Scale: Character
Skill: Blaster: disruptor
Ammo: 10
Cost: 1,500
Availability: 4
Upgrade Slots: Firing chamber
Range: 0-3/10/30
Damage: 8D energy

LIGHT BATTLE ARMOR
Type: Upgradable personal armor
Scale: Character
Cost: 2,000
Availability: 2
Upgrade Slots: Underlay
Game Notes: +1D to resist physical and energy damage, −1D to all Dexterity attribute and skill checks.

MEDIUM BATTLE ARMOR
Type: Upgradable personal armor
Scale: Character
Cost: 4,000
Availability: 3
Upgrade Slots: Overlay, underlay
Game Notes: +2D to resist physical damage, +1D to resist energy damage, −1D penalty to all Dexterity attribute and skill checks.

HEAVY BATTLE ARMOR
Type: Upgradable personal armor
Scale: Character
Cost: 8,000
Availability: 3
Upgrade Slots: Overlay, underlay
Game Notes: +2D to resist physical and energy damage, −2D penalty to all Dexterity attribute and skill checks.


MELEE WEAPON UPGRADES

Melee weapon upgrades are divided into three types:
• A bonding alloy modifies a melee weapon’s material composition, offering a variety of interesting properties and effects.
• An energy cell impacts the amount and type of damage that a melee weapon deals with a successful attack.
• Grip design can change the shape and nature of a melee weapon.

CORTOSIS WEAVE
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: bonding alloy
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 3
Game Notes: Melee weapons constructed with cortosis weave can parry lightsabers without taking damage.

DURASTEEL BONDING
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: bonding alloy
Cost: 2,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Durasteel bonding coats a melee weapon with a thin layer of durasteel, adding +1D to its Body Strength.

ELECTROGRAPPLE HANDLE
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: bonding alloy
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: An electrograpple handle is a magnetized section of equipment designed to fly toward a specially attuned grapple gauntlet (the cost of which is included in the upgrade cost). A weapon with an electrograpple handle can be retrieved by a character wearing the attuned grapple gauntlet as an action, so long as the item is within 6 meters. If the equipment is held or strapped down, then the gauntlet allows a Strength check of 3D to rip it free.

MULLININE EDGE
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: bonding alloy
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 3
Game Notes: Mullinine is an ideal building material for melee weapons as it holds an edge very well. When the wielder makes an attack roll with this weapon and the Wild Die comes up as a 6, the wielder may choose to forgo rerolling the Wild Die to instead gain a +1D bonus to the damage roll.

SHYARN BLADE
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: bonding alloy
Cost: 1,200
Availability: 3
Game Notes: Cerean shyarn blades are magnetically charged, which (in the hands of one trained in its use) can make the blade accelerate toward the weapons and armor of the enemy. If the wielder has invested in this weapon’s specialization, they gain a +2 bonus to hit characters wearing armor and a +2 bonus to parry metal weapons.

CRYOBAN CANNISTER
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: energy cell
Cost: 1,200
Availability: 4
Game Notes: This cannister contains super-cooled chemicals that create a near-explosive chemical reaction when released, generating an extremely cold blast. When installed on a melee weapon, wielder may choose to activate the cannister before rolling an attack to change the weapon’s damage type to cryoban damage if the attack hits. The cannister must be recharged after three uses.

ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE GENERATOR
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: energy cell
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 3
Game Notes: Electromagnetic pulse generators discharge upon impact. The melee weapon’s damage type is changed to energy damage. The user may set the weapon to “stun” to deal stun damage instead.

ION CHARGER
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: energy cell
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: An ion charger encases a melee weapon in a light ion field that flares to full strength any time the weapon strikes something. The melee weapon deals an additional +1D damage and the weapon’s damage type is changed to ionization damage.

TREMOR CELL
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: energy cell
Cost: 300
Availability: 2
Game Notes: A melee weapon augmented with a tremor cell allows the wielder to subdue rather than kill an opponent by dazing them. The melee weapon deals an additional +1D damage and the weapon’s damage type is changed to stun damage.

VIBRATION CELL
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: energy cell
Cost: 500
Availability: 2
Game Notes: A vibration cell can provide more cutting force but may make blades more unwieldy. The melee weapon deals an additional +1D damage but the weapon’s difficulty increases by one level.

DIRE GRIP
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: grip
Cost: 500
Availability: 3
Game Notes: These huge weapons are balanced so that only the strongest and best-trained warriors can use them effectively. Anyone with a Strength less than 4D attempting to wield a melee weapon with a dire grip suffers a −2D penalty to their attack roll.

DOUBLE-BLADED GRIP
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: grip
Cost: 250
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Typically, a double-bladed grip connects two blades in the middle with a short length of meal, providing a safe place for the wielder to hold the weapon. When a melee weapon is modified with this grip, the weapon’s specialization changes to specify double-bladed [specific weapon] and its difficulty increases by one level. If the wielder has invested in this weapon’s specialization, they gain a +5 bonus to melee parry rolls.

SHORT GRIP
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: grip
Cost: 100
Availability: 1
Game Notes: Modifying a melee weapon with a short grip reduces its weight by half but also reduces the weapon’s damage code by 1.

STANDARD GRIP
Type: Melee weapon upgrade: grip
Cost: 100
Availability: 1
Game Notes: A melee weapon with a standard grip uses the default base statistics for difficulty and damage.


LIGHTSABER UPGRADES

Lightsabers have two upgradeable components:
• Hilt design can change the shape and nature of a lightsaber.
• Power crystals are rare. Integrating one into a lightsaber can imbue the weapon with a variety of properties and effects.

DOUBLE-BLADED HILT
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: hilt
Cost: 5,000
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Exotic double-bladed lightsaber hilts are rare, and most often associated with Jedi attracted to the dark side of the Force, for whom reckless aggression is sometimes considered an asset. When a lightsaber is modified with this hilt, the weapon’s Skill changes to lightsaber: double-bladed lightsaber and the difficulty increases by one level (Very Difficult). If the wielder has invested in the double-bladed lightsaber specialization, they treat the difficulty to use a double-bladed lightsaber as one level lower (Difficult) and gain a +5 bonus to melee parry rolls.

SHORT HILT
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: hilt
Cost: 2,000
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Lightsabers can come in shorter styles, often used in the off hand during two-weapon fighting. A short hilt decreases a lightsaber’s difficulty by one level (Moderate) but also reduces the damage dealt on a hit by 1D (4D energy).

SINGLE-BLADED HILT
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: hilt
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 4
Game Notes: A lightsaber with a standard hilt uses the default base statistics for difficulty (Difficult) and damage (5D energy).

BARAB ORE INGOT
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: The ore from Barab I actually lies on the planet's surface, meaning it is exposed to high doses of radiation and torrential downpours daily. This ore can be found in concentrated ingots that actual store and magnify the radiation. When placed in a lightsaber, the ingots produce a blade that burns almost to the point of losing its cohesion. The lightsaber’s damage is reduced by 1D and the weapon’s damage type is changed to fire damage.

BONDAR CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: This crystal was mined on a far-orbit asteroid circling the Alderaan system. It produces a volatile lightsaber beam that pulses on impact, discharging part of its energy into an opponent. The lightsaber’s damage type is changed to stun damage.

FIRKRAAN CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: This heavy crystal is collected by the natives of Rafa V. If used in lightsaber construction it produces an electrically charged beam that is devastating to droids. The lightsaber’s damage type is changed to ionization damage.

HURRIKAINE CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: The very rare Hurrikaine crystal is best known for its unparalleled beauty. When used in a lightsaber, the dark gemstone creates a devastating beam that can partially penetrate any defenses. The lightsaber’s wielder gains a +1D bonus to lightsaber and melee parry rolls but suffers a −1D penalty to all Force powers.

JENRUAX CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: The refined form of Opila, this crystal has been cleansed of all impurities. When used in lightsaber construction it produces a blade of unerring quickness. The lightsaber’s wielder gains a +2 bonus when deflecting blaster bolts.

KAIBURR CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: The Kaiburr gem is perhaps the most powerful crystal that can be used in a lightsaber. The lightsaber’s wielder gains a +1D bonus to alter but suffers a −1D penalty to Strength.

KASHA CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: This crystal is traditionally used by the Cereans as a meditation tool. When used as a lightsaber crystal, it helps clear the wielder's mind of distractions, even during tense combat. The lightsaber’s wielder gains a +1D bonus to sense but suffers a −1D penalty to Dexterity.

LORRDIAN GEMSTONE
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: During their subjugation, the Lorrdians were banned from speaking to each other and thus learned to use subtle gestures and ticks to communicate. The few Force-adepts found after the Jedi freed the population of slaves have imprinted these gemstones with the Force to enhance the ability to read an opponent. The lightsaber’s wielder gains a +2 bonus to melee parry.

LUXUM CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Ambria was a world in the grip of the dark side. Through years of mental battle, strange Jedi Master Thon contained the evil to Lake Natth. Long meditation can form this powerful crystal from the tainted water. The lightsaber’s wielder gains a +1D bonus to control but suffers a −1D penalty to Perception.

OPILA CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Found in the asteroid fields of the Fyrth system, this crystal can be used in lightsaber construction to produce an intense beam that seems extraordinarily quick to the cut. When the wielder makes an attack roll with this weapon and the Wild Die comes up as a 6, the wielder may choose to forgo rerolling the Wild Die to instead gain a +1D bonus to the damage roll.

PHOND CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: The strange byproduct of rare impurities bonding during the making of certain alloys and some random external condition, this crystal produces a fiercely burning lightsaber beam. The lightsaber deals an additional +2 damage but the wielder suffers a −2 penalty when parrying or deflecting attacks.

PONTITE CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Pontite is one of the rarest forms of Adegan crystal. It radiates a powerful aura that cools both skin and tempers. The lightsaber’s damage is reduced by 2D and the weapon’s damage type is changed to cryoban damage.

QIXONI CRUSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Qixoni crystals were formed on a planet that was destroyed millenia ago when its star went supernova. They are exceedingly rare and also quite powerful. The lightsaber deals an additional +2D damage if the wielder has at least 4 Dark Side Points.

RUBAT CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Used in lightsaber construction, rubat crystal is mined on Phemis. It produces a clearly defined blade. The lightsaber deals an additional +1 damage.

RUUSAN CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Ruusan crystals come from the Mid Rim planet of the same name. While not improving a lightsaber's effectiveness, they aid a Jedi in focusing the Force. The lightsaber’s wielder gains a +1D bonus to control but suffers a −2D penalty to all melee damage rolls (whether with this weapon or not).

SYNTHETIC CRYSTAL
Type: Lightsaber upgrade: power crystal
Cost: —
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Synthetic crystals can be any color but are often red due to the methods used in their creation. This crystal was specifically designed for use in a training lightsaber. The wielder of this weapon does not suffer an injury if they miss the base difficulty number by more than 10 points.


RANGED WEAPON UPGRADES

Ranged weapon upgrades are divided into three types:
• A firing chamber modifies a ranged weapon’s functionality, offering a variety of interesting properties and effects.
• A power pack impacts the amount and type of damage that a ranged weapon deals with a successful attack.
• Targeting scopes allow users to increase the accuracy or impact of their shots.

ELECTROGRAPPLE HANDLE
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: firing chamber
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: An electrograpple handle is a magnetized section of equipment designed to fly toward a specially attuned grapple gauntlet (the cost of which is included in the upgrade cost). A weapon with an electrograpple handle can be retrieved by a character wearing the attuned grapple gauntlet as an action, so long as the item is within 6 meters. If the equipment is held or strapped down, then the gauntlet allows a Strength check of 3D to rip it free.

ENHANCED ENERGY PROJECTOR
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: firing chamber
Cost: 3,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: An enhanced energy projector increases the efficiency of the energy flow between a power pack and the weapon’s firing mechanism. The ranged weapons Ammo value, that is, the number of shots it can fire on a single power pack, is doubled.

HAIR TRIGGER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: firing chamber
Cost: 1,200
Availability: 2
Game Notes: A hair trigger makes it easier to fire several shots in quick succession by reducing the amount of pressure that must be placed on the trigger. The ranged weapon’s Fire Rate is increased by +3.

MANDALORIAN CHAMBER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: firing chamber
Cost: 800
Availability: 3
Game Notes: This firing chamber can broaden the weapon’s beam, increasing damage. The wielder may choose to take a 1D penalty to an attack roll; if the attack hits, the weapon deals an additional +1D damage.

OVERLOAD SWITCH
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: firing chamber
Cost: 3,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: An overload switch allows a ranged weapon to build a feedback loop that causes it to explode. When activated (as an action), the weapon becomes an improvised grenade. Use the fragmentation grenade statistics to calculate the damage of the blast.

BEAM SPLITTER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 1,200
Availability: 2
Game Notes: A beam splitter broadens a blaster bolt, increasing damage but making it more difficult to aim accurately. The ranged weapon deals an additional +1D damage and its difficulty increases by one level for any range beyond Point Blank. The weapon's specialization changes to heavy [specific weapon].

CONCUSSION CHAMBER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 120
Availability: 1
Game Notes: Concussion chambers are designed to stop targets in their tracks without inflicting permanent harm. The weapon’s proficiency changes to stun [specific weapon] and its damage type is changed to stun damage.

CRYOBAN CELL
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 1,200
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Cryoban cells fire a short stream of super-cooled chemicals that solidify on contact with a target. The weapon’s Skill is changed to carbonite projector, its Range to 3-4/8/12, its Ammo to 10, and its damage type to cryoban damage.

ENERGY CELL
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 100
Availability: 1
Game Notes: This is the standard power pack design for blasters. The weapon’s Skill is changed to blaster: [specific weapon] and its damage type to energy damage.

FLAME PROJECTOR
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 600
Availability: 4
Game Notes: A flame projector ignites and sprays a cone of burning chemicals. The weapon’s Skill is changed to flamethrower, its Range to 3-4/8/12, its Ammo to 10, and its damage type to fire damage.

ION CHARGER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 100
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Ion chargers create streams of energy that wreak havoc on electrical systems, and they are usually employed against droids, light vehicles, and some types of equipment. The weapon’s specialization is changes to ion [specific weapon], its Fire Rate to 1, and its damage type to ionization damage.

PHASE-PULSE POWER CELL
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 4
Game Notes: Phase-pulse power cells, the technology inside disruptors, are illegal in many planetary systems, being regarded as too powerful a weapon to be owned by civilians. Disruptors reduce solid matter to its constituent molecules. The weapon’s Skill is changed to [/i]disruptor[/i], its Ammo to 10, its Range to 0-3/10/30, and its damage to 8D energy.

PROJECTILE CHAMBER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 100
Availability: 3
Game Notes: Primitive projectile weapons are not used by most military forces due to their ineffectiveness against modern armor. The weapon’s Skill is changed to firearms, its Fire Rate to 1, and its damage type to physical damage. Additionally, the weapon deals −1D damage when used on a target with armor that resists physical damage.

PULSE CHARGER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 1,500
Availability: 2
Game Notes: A pulse charger forces more power into the blast chamber, resulting in many shots in a short time interval. The weapon’s proficiency is changed to "repeating [specific weapon], its Ammo to one forth the original value (rounded down), its Fire Rate to 1, and it deals an additional +1D damage. The weapon can be run off power packs or attached to a generator for unlimited firepower.

SONIC EMITTER
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: power pack
Cost: 600
Availability: 3
Game Notes: A sonic emitter fires compressed bolts of pure sound. The weapon’s Skill is changed to sonic weapons: [specific weapon] and its damage type to sonic damage. The weapon cannot be used beyond Medium range. The power pack may be recharged in lieu of purchasing ammunition.

ENHANCED MACROSCOPE
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: targeting
Cost: 800
Availability: 2
Game Notes: If the wielder spends a full round aiming at a target with this scope, the difficulty of firing at Long range is lowered by 1 level. This benefit lasts until the wielder changes targets or loses line of sight to the target.

LOW LIGHT SCOPE
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: targeting
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: If the wielder spends a full round aiming at a target with this scope, they receive an additional +1D to blaster rolls. This benefit lasts until the wielder changes targets or loses line of sight to the target. A low light scope ignores all penalties from darkness.

PINPOINT SCOPE
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: targeting
Cost: 1,000
Availability: 3
Game Notes: If the wielder spends a full round aiming at a target with this scope and subsequently makes an attack roll with this weapon and the Wild Die comes up as a 6, the wielder may choose to forgo rerolling the Wild Die to instead gain a +1D bonus to the damage roll. This benefit lasts until the wielder changes targets or loses line of sight to the target.

SNIPER SCOPE
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: targeting
Cost: 1,500
Availability: 3
Game Notes: If the wielder spends a full round aiming at a target with this scope, they double the Long range of this weapon. This benefit lasts until the wielder changes targets or loses line of sight to the target.

TARGETING SCOPE
Type: Ranged weapon upgrade: targeting
Cost: 100
Availability: 2
Game Notes: If the wielder spends a full round aiming at a target with this scope, they receive an additional +1D to blaster rolls. This benefit lasts until the wielder changes targets or loses line of sight to the target.


PERSONAL ARMOR UPGRADES

Personal armor has two upgradable components:
• An overlay provides additional plating or flexibility, modifying the damage resistance and Dexterity penalties of armor.
• An underlay modifies armor’s fit and structure, offering a variety of interesting properties and effects.

ABLATIVE PLATING
Type: Personal armor upgrade: overlay
Cost: 3,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Ablative plating provides additional protection against blaster fire. The armor provides an additional +2 to resist energy damage.

ARMOR REINFORCEMENT
Type: Personal armor upgrade: overlay
Cost: 3,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: The armor is coated with additional tough materials, adding an extra layer of defense. The armor provides an additional +2 to resist physical damage.

ARMORPLAST
Type: Personal armor upgrade: overlay
Cost: 900
Availability: 3
Game Notes: This modification upgrades the armor’s standard durasteel or other defensive plates with high-strength armorplast or a similar lightweight, high-cost material. The armor’s Dexterity penalty is reduced by 2 to a minimum of 0.

BONDED PLATES
Type: Personal armor upgrade: overlay
Cost: 1,800
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Additional alloy overlays can enhance armor performance but decrease the wearer’s maneuverability. The armor provides an additional +1 to resist physical and energy damage. The armor’s Dexterity penalty is increased by 1.

HEAVY BONDED PLATES
Type: Personal armor upgrade: overlay
Cost: 3,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Additional alloy overlays can enhance armor performance but decrease the wearer’s maneuverability. The armor provides an additional +2 to resist physical and energy damage. The armor’s Dexterity penalty is increased by 2.

SOUND DAMPENING OVERLAY
Type: Personal armor upgrade: overlay
Cost: 600
Availability: 3
Game Notes: This alloy overlay safeguards the wearer against sonic attacks. The armor provides an additional +1D to resist sonic damage.

DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM
Type: Personal armor upgrade: underlay
Cost: 500
Availability: 1
Game Notes: A diagnostics system is a series of sensors and simple computers that monitor both the armor and its wearer. Characters attempting to repair the armor or treat the wearer’s injuries receive a +2 bonus to any related armor repair or first aid rolls.

ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS
Type: Personal armor upgrade: underlay
Cost: 600
Availability: 2
Game Notes: An environmental system allows the armor’s wearer to suffer no ill effects of temperature extremes. The armor also provides an additional +1D to resist cryoban and fire damage.

FLEXIBLE UNDERLAY
Type: Personal armor upgrade: underlay
Cost: 5,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: The flexible underlay increases the suppleness of armor, allowing the wearer greater degree of movement. The armor grants the wearer a +1D bonus to dodge rolls.

HELMET PACKAGE
Type: Personal armor upgrade: underlay
Cost: 4,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: The armor grants the wearer a +2D bonus to all Perception checks in low light environments. The helmet package also includes an integrated hands-free com link.

POWERED EXOSKELETON
Type: Personal armor upgrade: underlay
Cost: 2,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: A powered exoskeleton enhances the physical abilities of the wearer. The armor grants the wearer a +1D bonus to climbing and jumping rolls. Additionally, when the wearer makes a successful brawling attack, they deal STR+1D physical damage.

SHADOWSKIN
Type: Personal armor upgrade: underlay
Cost: 5,000
Availability: 2
Game Notes: Shadowskin turns any armor into a stealth suit that is difficult to see, hear, or detect through a combination of light- and sensor-absorbing material and sound dampeners. The armor grants the wearer a +5 bonus to sneak rolls.

[pakman]

Very interesting....

I am working on something similar for my house rules overhaul - and follow some of the same ideas (modular, easy to understand etc.).

You are MUCH further along than I am - and I think maybe in a different direction on a few things - but very interesting.

One note - I have upgrades in two types - modifications (changing something) and accessories (adding something that does not change the base item).

Replacing a power chamber or a trigger adjustment would be a mod, a scope would be an accessory.

BUT - your stuff here inspired me - (and reminded me kind of how some video games do it) in that different gear has "attachment spots" and different things can go there. some mods, some attachments (a scope still needs a sight rail - unless a mod added one...).

Will attempt to have some constructive comments once I can review it all.

Going to take a while to digest what you have here - but thank you very much for sharing.
_________________
SW Fan, Gamer, Comic, Corporate nerd.
Working on massive House Rules document - pretty much a new book. Will post soon....

[raithyn]

Thanks, pakman. This is definitely a more complete system than I originally set out to create and I don't assume anyone else will care to dive into it besides me but I welcome any thoughts you (or anyone else) share.

I agree that there are actually a few categories here. The scope stands out as less work to attach/detach than almost of the other items. Calling it an accessory instead of a modification seems fair. The grips and hilts are also almost too integral to the items for me to feel comfortable allowing them to change after the original construction. It's possible to physically alter a sword hilt to support a second blade, but doing so is such thorough reconstruction that the item has basically been taken down to spare parts and a new item built.

There's a few items that it doesn't make sense to give players too. The standard grip, single-bladed hilt, energy cell, and phase-pulse power cell are all redundant to the top-level list of upgradable items. They're really just included for completeness. It's perfectly reasonable for a GM to say that a random item of their choosing has X and Y slots. I wanted those bases covered in case I let a player upgrade their KotOR conversion heavy sonic pistol one day.

I'm playing with a unifying system for installing each customization (to try for an overarching word). The difficulty and time required are set based on the availability of the item the player wants to install. This creates a few odd scenarios, like a sniper scope taking 6 hours to install. I just call that calibration and testing though and it seems to work well enough for the moment.

[jtanzer]

I'm not a fan of an equipment modification system for one simple reason: it doesn't actually do anything unique. As Adam Millard explains, crafting systems should reward risk. If the players are spending credits gathering materials and then crafting the item, are they actually crafting the item or are they simply going through more steps to buy the item? Futhermore, what are the limiters? What resource are the players consuming to create the item? How do players determine the value of an item in order to make the necessary calculations?

Interestingly, 1e actually has an equipment upgrade/modification system. To upgrade equipment, players must spend Character Points to purchase pips and Ds, at a rate of 1 CP to 1 pip, and a number of CPs equal to the next D after purchasing the previous two pips. This gives a high price on equipment upgrades, as you are sacrificing character potential (i.e. long-term gain) for equipment power (short-term gain). Interestingly, this also plays into the themes of Star Wars.

I also use something I call "the sniff test". Essentially I sit back and ask myself 'what am I trying to achieve' and 'what is the simplest way to accomplish it". These two questions have halted ~90% of the bad ideas that I've come up with. It's also caused me to go back and re-work previous ideas when a newer, more efficient method crops up. This has also meant that some of those ideas have wound up been discarded as the newer method caused those ideas to fail the sniff test.

While I respect the creativity of the system, ultimately I have much the same issue with this that I have with CRMcneill's systems: it's a solution looking for a problem. And there in lies the problem: because it can't justify it's existence, it sticks out like a sore thumb. And that mars the creativity behind it, which is a real shame.

Sources:
Building Better Crafting Systems
Why Are You Doing This: Fighting Tyler Durden, Game Designer
_________________
The GM runs a living setting. Players unstick their own s***.

[pakman]

[raithyn]

I appreciate the honest feedback, jtanzer. Like pakman, I don't fully disagree with where you're coming from. I personally prefer simple, elegant rules and clear definitions that apply to all scenarios.

Due to travel, I probably won't be able to watch the video this week (although I've seen it before) but I bookmarked it for later. I did have time to consider what you wrote though.

As to the big "Why are you doing this?" I started this project because the seemingly random weapon stats were too much cognitive load for me as the GM. This system attempts to provide a unified platform with consistent logic across most weapons. As Angry himself observed a year after the article you reference when he announced his 5e crafting project:

[Whill]

[cheshire]

[Random_Axe]

Something in the weapons descriptions caught my eye and spurred a question:

[Whill]

[raithyn]

[CRMcNeill]

OP, this is great stuff. This feels more “real” than using the RAW’s modification/upgrade rules, by which I mean, a character in-universe would say “it’s a DH-44 pistol with [insert upgrade/s here]”, not “it’s a DH-44 modified with +2 to damage.” Specific types of upgrades enhance immersion, and give PCs the opportunity to customize their character’s equipment to suit their interests. Even if they’re silly and/or useless, it makes the character feel more unique and individualistic.

I don’t have a lot of free time on my plate r/n, but at some point, I’ll go through these and give you some constructive criticism.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[jtanzer]

[raithyn]

Thanks, CRMcNeill. I look forward to your review understanding it may cook a while—which will only make it more useful.