Purchaseable Drones and Crafting

[Metaphysician]

So, I have a PC whose interested in drones, and so I have been paying close attention to the drones in the Armory book. In doing so, I spotted an odd rules case. Specifically. . .

1. Purchaseable drones are items, with item levels

2. They also specify that they use the traits of level 1 mechanic drones, except where specified.

3. Item crafting normally grants the benefit of "treat the item level as two higher for purposes of hit points, hardness, and saves"

4. . . so, what happens with a drone?

Does the drone just gain no benefit from being crafted? Does it uses the standard item rules for hit points and such, instead of the drone rules? Does it do something else?

[Wingblaze]

I believe the drone gains no benefit. When something is explicitly stated to be "treat as a level 1 mechanic drone", that's already a crafted item, since the mechanic makes it.

Separately, if your PC is seriously interested in drones, they should be a mechanic. Otherwise, if they're just dabbling, no worries. But if they're trying to use drones to munchkin their combat effectiveness, I wouldn't allow that; that's a "thing" for a class.

[Metaphysician]

Oh, the PC is already a mechanic, and already has a drone. Plus, this is not really about combat effectiveness ( their most eagerness is at the idea of having a Valet Drone in the form of a tophat-wearing pteradactyl onboard the ship ). It just showed up, to me, as a rules edge case.