About
The engineering skills are all about working with technology: they are the practical application of Science.
Engineering skills have a large knowledge component and tend to require ranks to use. Practitioners work with this knowledge and technology to achieve outcomes. The engineering skills are also kinds of knowledge skills, but partly because they are the main means of carrying out technical contests, they have a number of actions that are special to them.
There are eight skill that are classified as engineering skills: Cybernetics, Genetics, Machinery, Materials, Medicine, Munitions, Neuronetics and Robotics. The engineering skills are united by common set of actions: operate, diagnose, disable, repair, hack, modify and make, which are detailed a little further along.
They are also united by a common set of rules that govern the usage, of these skills, and the associated tools required.
The term Eng simply means any or all engineering skills. You will encounter this catch-all term in action instructions (see below). It specifies whether the rule applies to any particiular engineering skill or to all of them at once. Similarly, when ever you encounter the term chk(Eng), it means: "a check on any engineering skill", or "all engineering checks".
Engineering is about working with artefacts. An artefact can be any armour, bot, computer, cyberware, geneware, implement, tool, vehicle, or weapon. In fact, it can include creatures, both biological and robotic. The construct is actually the last in a line of manufacturing stages. The nearest to completion is the scaffold, which is the starter kit for an instance of the artefact. Items are often sold as a scaffold, which the user activates, using a power and matter source. When activated the scaffold becomes the artefact it was designed to be. More primitive than a scaffold is a schema (a set of instructions and starter nanobots that can make either scaffolds or artefacts of a type, once activated). Finally, the most primitive is the conjugate, which is a schema template, that must be completed, and turned into a schema, before activation.
Thus there is a progression in the manufacturing of artefacts:
conjugate -> schema -> scaffold -> construct
Users of equipment only see the last two, but engineers get their hands into everything. More details on the manufacturing progression are presented in Chapter 8: Equipment.
Complexity Challenge (CC), Quality Complexity Challenge (CC-Q), Security Complexity Challenge (CC-S)
These are all explained under the Complexity Challenge trait.
The Common Actions
Restated, they are: operate, diagnose, disable, repair, hack, modify and make
Make
This is your ability to understand the artefact so well, that you can make it. As you generally don’t have a manufacturing facility at your fingertips, this usually means assembling at the very least, a conjugate, and then completing that conjugate to have a schema. To achieve this, you must overcome the CC, with a chk(Eng) (engineering check).
make(day+, R) -> chk(CC)= +M(Eng)
Modify
This is your ability to make changes to an artefact. This can be changes to the way it performs, its speed of operation, to provide new functionality, or provide new interfaces or controls it. Modify, can be used to improve, repurpose, bypass or jury-rig the artefact. Improving and repurposing an artefact is considered a permanent modification, which usually takes time, resources and cost. Normally, a Modify takes half the time, resources and cost that a Make action takes, and so is equivalent to an increase in CC-Q.
modify(day+, R) -> chk(CC)= +M(Eng) + (CC-Q - CC)
To bring success after your investment, you must overcome the CC, with a chk(Eng) (engineering check). You have advantage on this chk if it is an artefact that you made.
Bypass
This is a special kind of modification, which can only be done using the appropriate Bypass technique on the industry of the artefact you are attempting to bypass. The purpose of Bypass is to create an entry way into the artefact, so that the bypassing engineer can make other actions against the artefact. The follow up actions are usually to Operate, Diagnose or to Modify further. Bypassing is always done using the bypass roll, which is usually pitted against the SDC of the artefact.
bypass(main-act, R) -> chk(CC-S)= +M(Bypass) -> set(PC)= 8 +M(Stealth+S)
In performing this, you are also setting the noted Perception Challenge.
See the Bypass technique for further options.
Rig
In the context of the Modify action, the modify-rig variation boosts the performance of a device in a specific way for a short period of time. This is done by offering a bonus rig die for any check or save for the nominated function.
modify-rig(main-act, R) -> eff= give(d) ½•M(Eng) to artefact chk|sv
At any time in the next 10 minutes, you or a nominated creature can use that die on a single check, or save in reference to the artefact and function that has been rigged. The creature can wait until after it rolls the d20 before deciding to use the rig die, but must decide before the GM gives the Result Step. Once the rig die is rolled, it is lost.
Disable
Disable is a temporary modification to an artefact to disable a particular function. You can nominate the artefact and function to be disabled and make an engineering roll against the CDC.
disable(main-act, R) -> chk(CC)= +M(Eng)
Repair
This is your ability to restore an artefact to its intended functionality, that is, fix it. To effect a permanent repair, you must overcome the CC of the artefact with an engineering roll. If the artefact has a CC-Q higher than the CC, then the difference becomes a bonus to your roll. Repairs take quarter of the time a Make action takes. The amount of time depends on the seriousness of the fault.
repair(hr+, R) -> chk(CC) = +M(Eng) + (CC-Q - CC)
Rig
In the context of the Repair action, the Rig variation is to make a running repair. The concept is that if a function of the equipment is rendered inoperable, a Repair:Rig roll can be used to temporarily restore that function.
repair-rig(main-act, R) -> chk(CC)= +M(Eng) + (CC-Q - CC) to fix for 1d4 rounds.
Diagnose
The Diagnose action is performed through a an Investigate roll, aspected by your engineering skill.
diagnose(min+, R) -> chk(CC)= +M(Investigate) +R(Eng)
Operate
This is your ability to (usually remotely) operate the artefact. This is an operation action done without instruction, using your intuition, based on understanding how the artefact works. For this, once again, you need to overcome the CC of the artefact with an engineering roll. If the artefact has a CC-Q higher than the CC, then the difference becomes a bonus to your roll. A success in this roll means that you can operate the artefact with a modifier of +0. If the artefact is a vehicle, then you will need to include the Vcl aspect in your checks.
The Operate can apply to the movement of a vehicle, the firing of a gun, a shutdown and restart of a machine, or the running of its self-diagnostics.
operate(act, R) -> chk(CC)= +M(Eng) + (CC-Q - CC)