Mechanic's Custom Rig - Appearance / Form


General Discussion


A Mechanic's Custom Rig "can be configured to take up an upgrade slot on your armor or can be installed as a cybernetic augmentation system in your brain (though it can be combined with a datajack for the same price as installing a datajack normally), your eyes, or an arm" or you can "configure it to be a handheld device, meaning that you must retrieve it and hold it to use it effectively," and "while using this rig, you always count as having the appropriate tool or basic kit for any Computers or Engineering skill check you attempt."

If it’s a handheld device, I imagine it's either a small pouch (or utility belt) of custom tools, or something like The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. If it's a cybernetic augmentation in the arm, I'd picture it as an Inspector Gadget-esque bionic limb that has built-in tools that can emerge as needed. If it's an armor upgrade slot, I'd see it as some combination of those, like when some random tool pop out of Iron Man's armor.

But what about when it's a cybernetic augmentation in the brain or eye? Connecting via the USB port in your neck or a line-of-sight wireless access is good for hacking, sure, but repairing and building items, for disabling technological traps or mechanical locks?


İ dont think so more like omni tool for mass effect if you ask me

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

Honestly, I like a mix of a handheld tablet/phone like device that lets you configure and program stuff. Alternatively, khadgar567's point of it being like an omni-tool is a good one.

By the way, the idea of it being like a sonic screwdriver makes me want to play an eccentric android mechanic that has a small vial of serum of appearance shift auto-inject him when he renews, so that he acts kind of like a Time Lord. I dunno, I think the reference would be great.


I fully intend for my first Starfinder character to be an android mechanic, who will have the rig built into his arm, different tools popping out of each finger as needed.


I see the rig like the Omni tools in mass effect


That really makes me wanna somehow find a way to simulate the attack bits from teh tools, or even the later games holo weapons (was that a thing? I never got to play 2 or 3 or the new one. but I remember trailers showing someone stabbign someone)


Stole this from Shadowrun, but I like the idea of a custom rig that's a long, semi-flexible strip of parts that have been salvaged and jury-rigged from several small computers and worn like a bandolier, with a few cables and whatnot that can be drawn out from it to allow for interfacing with other systems.


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I see my rig as being a combination of a hud-lense to view output with a custom built tool that plugs into a usb data cable for power, with interchangable tips for various operations. Or even a concatination of pieces jury-rigged into the required "tool" at need and stored for re-use at other times.


Doktor Archeville wrote:
But what about when it's a cybernetic augmentation in the brain or eye? Connecting via the USB port in your neck or a line-of-sight wireless access is good for hacking, sure, but repairing and building items, for disabling technological traps or mechanical locks?

I had wondered about that as well. The first thing you mention, by the way, is a Datajack (port in your neck) and it's neither required nor do you get it for free.

So, you can hack into a computer, but without using an interface (because hacking kit) or having to directly connect to the computer (because no datajack). So, what are you actually doing?

This becomes even more ridiculous with you using your brain implant as an engineering kit or even an engineering specialty kit. So, you can pick locks and craft items using... your brain?
I suppose you could go for body horror and have a bunch of tiny wires suddenly shoot out of your eye or neck and pick the lock, but I'm not sure that's the intention.

Also, is there any reason not to go for the brain implant option? The only competing augmentation in the CRB is the datajack and it's specifically stated that you can have both. Especially a handheld rig seems like such a bad idea, given that it can get stolen and you need to hold it.


Alien Archive has already introduced at least one more brain augment, and it's a pretty decent one at that, so it's not like the "no competition" thing is/was permanent.


Shinigami02 wrote:
Alien Archive has already introduced at least one more brain augment, and it's a pretty decent one at that, so it's not like the "no competition" thing is/was permanent.

Two, actually, and they're both kinda neat. Being able to talk to any technological construct (Shortwave Receiver-Transmitter) regardless of language is just so perfect for a Mechanic. And the other one (Ocucloak Processor) makes you unflankable which would be quite useful for a melee character.

Hmm, given that, I think Arm might be the best choice as of now. Hiding stuff in your arm is cool and all, but it's limited to Light bulk.


Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

We were just wondering about the brain-version and engineering. And it gets even funnier when you consider this:

"If you create a new
custom rig, your old one functions as a normal toolkit of
whatever type you made it from and can no longer be used
with your mechanic tricks."

So, you might actually have a standard toolkit inside your brain? :D


Doktor Archeville wrote:
But what about when it's a cybernetic augmentation in the brain or eye? Connecting via the USB port in your neck or a line-of-sight wireless access is good for hacking, sure, but repairing and building items, for disabling technological traps or mechanical locks?

Here's my view on it:

For the eye implant - It basically creates a holographic rendering of the object, (i.e. Jarvis' exploded view of the engine Tony was working on in Iron Man) or highlights key components to disable for traps and locks.

For the brain implant (this one's trickier) - Perhaps look at it like a data vault that stores various files on the types of devices you're interacting with. You close your eye, focus on what it is, and poof what you need to know to disable or repair the item is in your brain. Now you just need to work carefully.

Anyway, that's my take.


Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Fallen_Mage wrote:


Here's my view on it:

For the eye implant - It basically creates a holographic rendering of the object, (i.e. Jarvis' exploded view of the engine Tony was working on in Iron Man) or highlights key components to disable for traps and locks.

For the brain implant (this one's trickier) - Perhaps look at it like a data vault that stores various files on the types of devices you're interacting with. You close your eye, focus on what it is, and poof what you need to know to disable or repair the item is in your brain. Now you just need to work carefully.

Anyway, that's my take.

Sounds cool, but with the rig you don't need any other tools. No hologram can make you open a torx screw with your bare hands or solder electrical components :P


Doktor Archeville wrote:

A Mechanic's Custom Rig "can be configured to take up an upgrade slot on your armor or can be installed as a cybernetic augmentation system in your brain (though it can be combined with a datajack for the same price as installing a datajack normally), your eyes, or an arm" or you can "configure it to be a handheld device, meaning that you must retrieve it and hold it to use it effectively," and "while using this rig, you always count as having the appropriate tool or basic kit for any Computers or Engineering skill check you attempt."

If it’s a handheld device, I imagine it's either a small pouch (or utility belt) of custom tools, or something like The Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. If it's a cybernetic augmentation in the arm, I'd picture it as an Inspector Gadget-esque bionic limb that has built-in tools that can emerge as needed. If it's an armor upgrade slot, I'd see it as some combination of those, like when some random tool pop out of Iron Man's armor.

But what about when it's a cybernetic augmentation in the brain or eye? Connecting via the USB port in your neck or a line-of-sight wireless access is good for hacking, sure, but repairing and building items, for disabling technological traps or mechanical locks?

Some hand-wavium is going to be required to explain enabling physical actions. micro gravity emitters or telekinetic projectors that enable small amounts of force to be applied with great precision? For what its worth, i plan on running my Mechanic, Mark-2, with a brain, eye and arm component to the rig.

Dataphiles

I was super excited about the Custom Rig once I figured out to do with it. My mechanic has it in the eyes slot, flavored as replacement mechanical eyes after losing her vision in an accident. I'm imagining these things stuck to her head, Batou style. Except the front of it shifts and changes based on her feelings. Kind of like Orisa.

As for the tools built in? Considering her build and playstyle of "Mechanic that walks like an Operative," I'd say she has a collection of long, narrow tools that easily slide out of the metal frames surrounding her mechanical eyes, allowing for fine manipulation of smaller, delicate parts. Sort of like a skull-mounted lockpick kit.


rixu wrote:
Fallen_Mage wrote:


Here's my view on it:

For the eye implant - It basically creates a holographic rendering of the object, (i.e. Jarvis' exploded view of the engine Tony was working on in Iron Man) or highlights key components to disable for traps and locks.

For the brain implant (this one's trickier) - Perhaps look at it like a data vault that stores various files on the types of devices you're interacting with. You close your eye, focus on what it is, and poof what you need to know to disable or repair the item is in your brain. Now you just need to work carefully.

Anyway, that's my take.

Sounds cool, but with the rig you don't need any other tools. No hologram can make you open a torx screw with your bare hands or solder electrical components :P

Depends on how Star Trekkie you get with the holograms. :)


I think it may be worth noting that a lot of the armor makes use of minor force fields for environmental protection. It would not be a huge leap to do something like mass effect omni tools where you can program it to do various different tool forms using force field type technology. So its not a hologram screw it is a forcefield that looks kinda like a hologram screwdriver. Probably liberal use of nano tech as well.


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kaid wrote:
I think it may be worth noting that a lot of the armor makes use of minor force fields for environmental protection. It would not be a huge leap to do something like mass effect omni tools where you can program it to do various different tool forms using force field type technology. So its not a hologram screw it is a forcefield that looks kinda like a hologram screwdriver. Probably liberal use of nano tech as well.

Pfft. Why cant i have bio-mechincal spiders pour out of my eyes and mouth to do my bidding?

Dark Archive

I'd envisioned my Shirren Mechanic's custom rig as part of a replacement eye - numerous facets conceal manipulator-tipped cables that are under his mental control.


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Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Superscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Robocop's universal hacking spike.

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