Droids - Upgrades and Improvements

## For Droid NPCs

This construction system works off of a number of various sources both official and from home-brewed or community sites and focuses how to improve a droid with attribute improvements, skillware packages, and new devices. Costs vary for improvements, packages, and install cost based on a droid's core programming (also known as a classification) which determines who easy or hard it is for a droid to improve certain skills based on how close or far these skills are from their core programming.

For example, 2nd degree (or class two) droids were programmed for engineering and technical sciences and these droids tended to perform tasks such as environmental work and starship repair- meaning an astromech (like R2-D2) was a 2nd-degree droid. For 2nd degree droids, it's easier to improve their Mechanical and Technical skills rather than Strength skills (as Astrogation or Droid Repair is closer to their core programming rather than Swimming or Climbing).

Finally, use common sense in terms of which devices and improvements a droid can make. If given a mounted blaster, an astromech droid will immediately be arrested or destroyed as the general populace would likely run screaming from such a droid. If a droid's size doesn't match the description of a device, it likely isn't compatible. Additionally, there's only so much power a droid can generate (unless its a GNK power droid) before it can't support additional devices.

### Attribute Improvement

Attribute improvements stack, so a +2 (or 2 pips) to add to a Dexterity attribute for a 1st degree droid is 600 credits.

**Cost to buy improved Attributes (per pip)**

**Difficulty to install improved Attributes**

To install the +2 pips to a 1st degree droid's Dexterity is heroic, meaning only the best in the galaxy can perform that action.

#### Additional Rules

* When attempting to raise an attribute by more than 2D, each pip over will increase the difficulty by one level (so raising Perception by 2D+1 on a 5th degree droid turns a 'moderate' skill check into a 'difficult skill' check).
* Character-scale droids may not have any Attributes higher than 4D
* Character-scale droid may not have a sum of their total attributes higher than 18D
* Clarification: Players can use (A) Droid Engineering to their Droid Repair skill to make skill checks to install improved Attributes

### SkillWare Improvement

##### **Strength SkillWare**

 Climbing/jumping
 Lifting
 Stamina
 Swimming

##### **Technical SkillWare**

**SkillWare Cost Modifiers (per pip)**

**SkillWare Cost Modifiers (per pip)**

**Difficulty to install SkillWare (per full Dice code improved, rounded up)**

**Difficulty to install SkillWare (per full Dice code improved, rounded up)**

#### Additional Rules

* SkillWare can't be installed all at once if it is more than 1D of improvements. Each "D" of improvements must be installed as a separate roll
* When attempting to raise an attribute by more than 4D, each pip over will increase the difficulty by one level (so raising Sneak by 4D+2 on a 5th degree droid turns an 'easy' skill check into a 'moderate' skill check).
* Character-scale droids may not have any skill higher than 13D
* SkillWare is one-time use purchase
* Droids must have purchased and installed a base SkillWare package if the skill is attempted to be raised later on through other means (e.g. third-party slice shops)

### Installation success chart

 2
 3
 4
 F
 R
 X

 Skill roll < Difficulty
 Skill roll+10 < Difficulty
 Skill roll x2 < Difficulty

*Equipment installed:* The piece of equipment is installed and functions normally.

*Installation attempt fails:* The installation failed, but may be attempted again, though subsequent attempts are increased one difficulty level; penalties are cumulative.

*Equipment takes 2D damage:* Roll 2D damage against the equipment’s Strength rating. (Normally standard character-scale equipment has Strength of 2D to resist such damage.)

*Equipment destroyed:* The character botched the installation attempt and the equipment is damaged beyond repair. If this result is obtained after a character rolls a “1” on the Wild Die,the failure is doubly catastrophic; a short circuit or other malfunction inflicts 4D damage on the droid as well.

### Other Rules

#### **Availability & Item Restriction**

*Item availability is a general indication of how easily the equipment can be found. These codes are general guidelines and local factors may affect an item’s availability.*

**1** - Readily available throughout the known galaxy.

**2** - Normally available only in large cities and space ports, oron the item’s planet of origin.

**3** - Specialized item, normally only available on item’s planet of origin.

**4** - Rare item, difficult to obtain anywhere.

*Some objects require licenses to own or operate, or are restricted to qualifying organizations or individuals. In such cases, a character must pay a license fee to own the object legally. A license fee is a separate expense, purchased in addition to the object to which it applies.*

**F** - Fee or permit often required for purchase.

**R** - Restricted item on most planets and normally may not be sold without a license.

**X** - Illegal on most planets. Possession and use generally violates Imperial, New Republic or local laws except for specially authorized individuals. Penalties for use of such an item are often severe.

**Getting a License**

To get a license, you must pay the fee required to file the application. The amount of the fee is a percentage of the object’s normal cost, as listed in the Restricted Objects table below. Once you’ve paid the fee, you must make the appropriate bureaucracy or Knowledge skill roll. If successful, your license is approved and will be available to you in a number of days as listed in the Time Required column.

On a failure, you spend a number of days as listed in the Time Required column, but you are not granted the license and your application fee is lost. You may try again as often as you like if you have the time and credits to do so.

 **R** - *Restricted* | 10%
 **X** - *Military/Illegal* | 50%

Whether you succeed or fail on your Knowledge or bureaucracy skill roll, your request is recorded in public records. The more restricted the license, the more in-depth the background check required, and this leaves an increasingly detailed electronic trail for others to follow. You can choose to secure a license through illicit means. If you want to bribe an official, make a persuasion skill roll instead of a Knowledge or bureaucracy skill roll. If you want to fabricate a false identity or steal another person’s identity, make a forgery skill roll instead of a Knowledge or bureaucracy skill roll. If either of these checks fails by 5 or more, the local authorities are alerted to your activities.

#### **Databases**

Databases give droids bonus dice to Knowledge and Technical skills. When files are dumped into a droid's mainframe, they can spend time to organize the data into a relevant and generally highly specialized skill (e.g. "Planetary systems: Lok" or "Scholar: Moff Sarne's Business Deals" or "Computer Programming/Repair: Death Star II").

 +2D
 +3D
 +4D
 +5D