[SWSE] Creating Armor with Build Object

[Doctor Awkward]

What rules should be used for creating armor using the Build Object application of the Mechanics skill?

The time it takes to build is based entirely on the amount of hit points that an object has, but the Statistics for Objects table in the Core book. does not list any hit points for suits of armor.

Were you never meant to be allowed to create scratch-built armor using Build Object? It seems like an oversight when you can create literally anything else, including vehicles of any sort.

[LibraryOgre]

Where is the Build function of Mechanics listed?

But, for myself? I'd base it off similarly sized weapons.... so armor for a medium creature is like building a medium weapon like a blaster rifle (about 10 HP). Building weapons and building armor are obviously not the same thing, but I'd fudge that the complexity of making blasters and such is greater than the complexity of making basic armor, but the armor is bigger, so they work out about the same.

[Doctor Awkward]

Build Object is a new application of the Mechanics skill added in the Force Unleashed Campaign Guide.

You are forbidden specifically from creating droids*, but it states that you may build any other object or piece of equipment. Both armor and weapons are specifically listed as a type of equipment.

It's essentially a modified version of the Repair Object application, in that an object starts at zero hit points and every hour of work you roll a 1d8 to add to the HP total and when the object reaches full HP it is finished and ready for use. It also adds a note for vehicles which tells you to use the full hit points listed for this total.

The table contains entries for objects, tools, and weapons but not armor. I assumed it had to be an oversight but I wanted to make sure I didn't somehow miss anything. Or at the least have a reasonable suggestion to bring to my DM. Using the entry for weapons sounds good to me.

Spoiler: *Spoiler

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*This is another separate issue that boggles my mind. I can think of no fewer than three canon examples of characters building a droid from scratch, but there don't seem to be rules for allowing this either. There are only rules for pricing droids to be purchased.

[LibraryOgre]

Ok, looking at that, it's pretty straightforward.

Basic armor for a human-sized creature might be Simple, Moderate, or Complex, depending on the armor... pretty simple to make a breastplate out of some leather and metal scraps, a bit more complex (moderate) if you want to make it well fitting and work in some equipment like a comlink.

DC is going to vary according to circumstance; not hard to make some armor if you've got a few examples, but a lot harder if you're trying to build human armor out of a walker.

Size is the size of the creature it's meant to cover. I'd still lean towards Weapons for the HP, rather than simple manufactured items, so building medium sized armor from scratch is going to be a DC 10 or 25, building to about 20 (10 HP for a medium-sized combat object, doubled for the creation multiplier). So, about four or five craft-hours of work.

As for droids, I would let someone use Mechanics to build the body, but I would insist on Use Computer to program the droid... and if you're building from scratch, you're going to need to be trained in anything you want it to be trained in. Building the body I would say has a number of HP equal to its Physical Attribute total (subject to the size multiplier), and a number of HP for the Use Computer test equal to the Mental Attributes total.

So, building a 2-1B-equivalent medical droid would require Mechanics, DC 40, for a total of 38 HP ((8 + 11)*2), and can be done by any wrench-twiddler with access to the proper tools (and, hopefully, some good schematics, to bring the DC down a little). The mental grow-pramming would be against a DC 40, to get 38 HP (14+15+9), and would require someone skilled in Life Sciences, Treat Injury, and Cybernetic Surgery, in addition to the Use Computer test.

[Doctor Awkward]

Awesome. Thanks for all the help. The GM agreed with using the weapons table for making armor.

I appreciate the suggestion for droids as well. I'll take it up with him if I ever want to go down that route of having a little helper droid.


Random unrelated question, but we'll be using the Record Keeping rules for the costs of starship food and fuel. We've found the fuel costs measured in 50 credits per day of fuel but we can't find what the fuel capacity is-- as in how many days worth of fuel can a given starship hold. Are there rules for that anywhere that we are missing?

[LibraryOgre]

Random unrelated question, but we'll be using the Record Keeping rules for the costs of starship food and fuel. We've found the fuel costs measured in 50 credits per day of fuel but we can't find what the fuel capacity is-- as in how many days worth of fuel can a given starship hold. Are there rules for that anywhere that we are missing?

I'd say the consumables rating. A Y-Wing can carry a week's worth of consumables, which means 5 days (a standard week) worth of fuel.