GURPS - Compendium 1..

Variations
Characters can hire others to make inventions for them. This eliminates the
development cost (the hired inventor or company is assumed to already have all
the right equipment and space), but initial production costs are doubled, and the
hired inventor must be paid for his time - use twice the typical monthly pay rate
given in the appropriate Job Table as a basis (the factor of two is for overhead
costs). Hired inventors usually have skill 18-20, and they must be found like any
hireling, as described on p. B194.
High tech levels can affect the invention process in several ways.
Engineering CAD/CAM programs (p. UT33) can boost effective skill, and can
also shorten the time needed to produce a working model (reduce time by 10%
for each +1 of bonus to Engineering skill). Cyberteks (p. UT16) function as a
shop full of equipment, giving a +1 to working model rolls.
Minifacs (p. UT17) can fabricate an entire working model from a set of plans in
a short time. If a minifac is available to the character, the time for each working
model roll is divided by 10 (this represents actual engineering time), and added to
the time a minifac would normally take to produce the item. With a minifac,
development cost is zero, except for the cost of purchasing the minifac. Amazing
complexity devices cannot be made with minifacs, as they are usually too large or
require capabilities beyond those of normal minifacs.
At TL 10 and above, robofacs (p. UT17) replace production lines. Cost to
prepare a design for robofac production is equal to the regular development cost -
this is primarily to pay for the creation of user manuals, diagnostic databases and
promotional literature. Robofacs are typically too expensive for individuals to
purchase; instead, they are leased, with a minimum production run cost of
$1,000,000. Items are produced for 30% of their retail price, and take (retail
price/5,000) hours per copy to produce.
At TL 13, living metal replaces both minifacs and robofacs, and items are
produced directly from raw materials at 10% of the retail price, at the same
speed as a robofac (above).
Characters may sometimes wish to "invent" devices of a lower tech level than
their native TLs. In such cases, substitute a Research roll for the conception roll if
suitable historical material is available. For each TL the item is below the campaign's
TL, reduce the complexity by one level, to a minimum of Simple.
Gadgets for Non-
Gadgeteers
It is possible for a hero to use one or
two high-tech devices without being a gadgeteer.
For example, the Golden Knight
fights crime dressed in a suit of golden
armor. The armor is bullet -resistant and
has an oxygen mask built into the helmet,
allowing the Knight to resist gas and stay
under water for half an hour or so. If he
never alters the suit's abilities, and, in fact,
has no idea how it was designed or built,
then he does not need to buy the Gadgeteer
advantage. He can simply have the suit
designed and built for him (although finding
someone to create such a suit could
itself be an adventure). He will have to pay
the standard development cost, and 150%
of the production cost. (If such equipment
already exists, he could buy it at 150% of
retail price.)
On the other hand, if he constantly adds
new devices (heat resistance to combat
The Dragon's flamethrower, a special
coating to reflect Dr. Splinter's disintegrator
ray, extended underwater abilities to fight
Captain Fang, the submarine pirate), then
he must either become a gadgeteer
himself, or pay the lesser Unusual
Background cost to have regular access to a
gadgeteer's talents (see below).
Lending or Selling Gadgets
A problem with allowing a gadgeteer
character into a party of non-gadgeteering
heroes is deciding who can use the gadgets
once they've been created.
Realistically, anyone should be able to
use those items that don't require any special
knowledge (body armor, recoilless
weapons, etc.). In terms of game balance,
however, one gadgeteer should not be able
to outfit an entire party with high-tech
devices at no cost.
The easiest way around this problem is
to restrict the use of gadgets to the gadgeteer
except in unusual circumstances.
Heroes who are not gadgeteers should
shun high-tech equipment, placing their
confidence in their own abilities instead. If a
player relies on gadgets that he did not
create, the GM may deny him character
points for roleplaying outside of character
conception.
Alternately, if a gadgeteer's friends
want to use some of his devices, they can
pay character points for the privilege. They
do not have to be gadgeteers themselves,
but they must pay 15 points for the
Unusual Background "Has Gadgeteer
Friend." They do not have any special gadget-related
abilities; they are just permitted
to use any devices that their friend or contact
comes up with. The point cost is simply to
maintain game balance.
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