Technical Science

Attribute INT
Category Technical
Untrained Yes

This broad skill represents a character’’s training in the technical

sciences, including the maintenance, repair, and invention of

mechanical and electronic devices (not including computers), and

general technical knowledge.

Skill checks made to determine if a character knows a certain piece of

technical information, or if he’’s able to research a question and

discover an answer, are made the same way as Knowledge skill

checks.

Juryrig

Attribute INT
Cost 3
Untrained Yes

This skill enables a character to make fast, patchwork repairs
\ in order to get an electronic or mechanical device or system up and
running for a short period of time. A juryrig\ \ repair, even when
\ successful, adds difficulty to the full repairs that must be made
\ later, but it can get a character through a sticky situation.


A juryrig repair can be made successfully\ \ once on a specific
\ system or item. If it breaks down after being juryrigged, the system
\ or item won’t work again until it’s completely fixed (using Technical
\ Science—repair). Making\ \ a juryrig skill check is a single action,
\ but a character who tries to use this skill must do so on his first
\ available action in a round, and he can’t attempt any other actions
\ for the\ \ rest of the round.

Juryrig Results

The amount
\ of difficulty added to the full repairs depends on the result of
\ the juryrig check:

  • Critical Failure: The system or item becomes\\

\ unusable and can’t be made functional again without full repairs. \

  • Failure: The juryrig attempt doesn’t work but can be tried again. \
  • Ordinary success: The system or item becomes\ \ operational
    \ for d6+1 time units, and 3 more successes are needed for
    \ full repairs (in addition to those already required).
  • Good success:
    \ The system or item becomes operational\ \ for 2d4+2 time units,
    \ and 2 more successes are needed for full repairs.
  • Amazing
    \ success:     The system or item becomes operational for 3d4+2 time
    \ units    , and 1 more success\ \ is needed to make full repairs. \

⊗ Improved Juryrig: When a character reaches Rank 6, his ability
\ improves as follows: an Ordinary success produces a Good result, a
\ Good success\ \ produces an Amazing result, and an Amazing success
\ means the juryrig works so well that the system or item is considered
repaired and in regular working order.

Technical Knowledge

Attribute INT
Cost 3
Untrained Yes

This skill represents the study of technology and indicates how

up-to-date a character is on techniques or procedures that help

him manipulate tools and other devices. It is necessary for a

character to use certain sophisticated or potentially dangerous

tools, such as a cutting torch, without risking personal injury or

damage to the tool.

⊗ Increased Effect: As a character’s specialty skill rank increases, he receives a bonus to any skill checks involving Technical Science or the other three specialty skills: -1 step at rank 3, -2 at rank 6, -3 at rank 9, and -4 at rank 12.

Technical Science Situation Modifiers

| Situation | Modifier |

| :— | :— |

| No tools | +3 steps |

| Minimal tools | 0 |

| Standard toolkit | -1 step |

| Specialized toolkit | -2 steps |

| Darkness | +3 steps |

| Marginal illumination | +1 step |

| Ordinary illumination | 0 |

| Good illumination | -1 step |

| No deadline | -2 steps |

| Reasonable deadline | 0 |

| Tight deadline | +1 step |

| Unreasonable deadline | +3 steps |

Invention

Attribute INT
Cost 3
Untrained Yes

Invention lets a character build an electronic or mechanical
component or system from scratch, or to modify an existing device
to perform a new function.

Using this skill requires\ \ time;
\ Invention checks are always complex skill checks. Modifying an existing
\ item may be able to be done in rounds, but all other aspects of invention
\ require hours, days, weeks, or months,\ \ depending on the determination
\ of the Gamemaster.

⊗ Increased Effect: As a character’s specialty
\ skill rank increases, he receives a bonus to any skill checks involving
\ Technical\ \ Science or the other three specialty skills: -1
\ step at rank 3, -2 at rank 6, -3 at rank 9, and -4 at
\ rank 12.

Jury-rig

Attribute INT
Cost 3
Untrained Yes

Repair

Attribute INT
Cost 3
Untrained Yes

This skill provides a character with training in the repair and

maintenance of various types of mechanical and electronic

technology.

Any use of the repair skill requires a complex skill check and

takes a period of time determined by the Gamemaster (minutes,

hours, days, or weeks). The complexity of a repair skill check is

related to the amount of damage that must be repaired:

  • Stun Damage: Fix an object with only stun damage is Ordinary complexity.

  • Wound Damage: Fix an object with wound damage is Good complexity.

  • Mortal Damage: Fixing an object with any amount of mortal damage is Amazing complexity (and may require 10+ successes).

⊗ Increased Effect: As a character’s specialty skill rank increases, he receives a bonus to any skill checks involving Technical Science or the other three specialty skills: -1 step at rank 3, -2 at rank 6, -3 at rank 9, and -4 at rank 12.