GURPS - Compendium 1..

Gadgeteering During Adventures
At least as important as the ability to build gadgets is the ability to modify
and analyze equipment during the course of an adventure. This lets the heroes
resist gadgeteering villains! The skill roll required to successfully figure out an
item is the same as the roll that would be required to create it. To modify an
unfamiliar gadget takes 1d hours and two appropriate skill rolls. The GM
decides what modifications could reasonably be made in any particular case.
Or, once an enemy gadget is analyzed, a gadgeteer can attempt to create a
counter for it. This requires the player to come up with an idea the GM can
accept. Time required to create the counter is the same as for other gadgets,
unless the PC can get a head start by using captured supplies or equipment
from his foe.
Quick Gadgeteering
Some people will not be satisfied with the current gadgeteering times and
costs. They wish to run PCs who, rather than spending days of work and hundreds
of thousands of dollars, can throw together an Interphazed Fromblitzer in
less than an hour, using only the contents of a random glove compartment. This
"quick" gadgeteering is best suited for a highly cinematic campaign.
The GM should increase the cost of the Gadgeteer advantage (p. 25) to 50
points if he is going to use these guidelines.
Necessary Skills
Skills are chosen by the GM as for normal gadgeteering.
Required Materials
The cinematic gadgeteer is a master at cannibalizing parts and scrounging
bits and pieces from other equipment. The GM should allow a roll versus an
appropriate specialty to locate usable components. For example, if the only
thing available is a wrecked '65 Mustang, the GM might require a roll versus
Mechanical Engineering or Mechanic to find the parts necessary for the gadget
under construction.
This roll should be modified as follows:
Simple Gadget: no modifier.
Average Gadget: specialty-2.
Complex Gadget: specialty-6.
Amazing Gadget: specialty-10.
Time Required
A Simple gadget will only take 2d minutes to assemble from the needed
components. Average complexity calls for ld-2 hours (a roll of 1 or 2 indicates a
30-minute assembly time). A Complex gadget requires 1d hours to assemble, and
an Amazing gadget will take 4d hours.
The inventor doesn't roll against the required skills until the end of the project.
A failed roll indicates that the PC must start over. A critical failure means that
the parts were ruined - new ones must be found before construction can resume.
Expenses
If the inventor can scrounge the necessary parts, costs are minimal (ld-1 x
$100, a roll of 1 indicates no cost). If he must buy the needed items, the cost is
figured as normal (see p. 122), then divided by 100.
Vehicle Skill
Specializations
Land Vehicles
Driving (or Motorcycle) is used when a
vehicle is moving on the ground. (Taxiing
aircraft may also use Piloting skill.) Some
specializations are listed below. For exotic
vehicles, the GM may wish to come up
with new specializations, e.g., Unicycle for
vehicles with a single wheel.
Driving (Automobile) is required for
vehicles under 10,000 pounds, with four or
more wheels, that do not qualify as racing
cars.
Driving (All-Terrain Vehicle) is
required for wheeled vehicles with offroad
suspension of over 10.000 pounds.
This includes most military armored cars.
Driving (Construction Equipment) skill
is required to operate any 10.000-pound or
heavier wheeled, tracked or half-tracked
vehicle fitted with a blade, plow, crane or
the like. This includes farm tractors.
Driving (Heavy Wheeled) skill is
required for wheeled vehicles of 10.000 or
more pounds that lack off-road suspensions
or construction equipment.
Driving (Racing Car) skill is required
for TL6+ vehicles of under 10,000 pounds
with three or more wheels and top ground
speeds over (TL-3) x 40 mph.
Driving (Snowmobile) skill is required
for vehicles with skitrack motive systems.
Driving (Tank) skill is required for
tracked and half-tracked vehicles, regardless
of weight.
Driving (Trike) skill is required for
three-wheeled vehicles that don't qualify
as racing cars.
Driving (Mecha) skill is required for
any vehicle with legs or flexibody that
isn't a battlesuit.
Motorcycle skill is required for any
powered one- or two-wheeled vehicle, or
for a two-wheeler with sidecar, unless it
uses a muscle engine.
Bicycle skill is required for any muscleengined,
two-wheeled vehicle.
Battlesuit skill is used for any vehicle
that is worn as a battlesuit.
Teamster is required to drive any animal-drawn
vehicle. With the exception of
horses and mules, which use the same
skill, each species of animal requires a different
skill, defaulting to other species at -
3. See p. B147.
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