Star Wars Saga Edition Wiki
Register
Advertisement


See also: Skills, Mechanics Untrained, Task Training

Trained Only

You can bypass locks and traps, set and disarm explosives, fix malfunctioning devices, and modify and repair damaged Droids.

Special: You can Take 10 or Take 20 on a Mechanics check. When making a Mechanics check to Jury-Rig, you can't Take 20. Characters who are untrained in the Mechanics skill can still use the Aid Another action to assist on Mechanics checks.

Retry: You can usually retry a Mechanics check. In some specific cases, however, a failed Mechanics check has negative ramifications that prevent repeated check (see Disable Device below, for example).

Disable Device (Requires Security Kit)[]

You can use this skill to disarm a security device, defeat a lock or trap, or rig a device to fail when it is used. The action takes a Full-Round Action, and the intricacy or complexity of the item being disabled or sabotaged, as shown below:

DEVICE DC* EXAMPLES
Simple 15 Sabotage a mechanical device, jam a blaster, bypass a basic mechanical lock
Tricky 20 Sabotage an electronic device, bypass a basic electronic lock
Complex 25 Disarm an electrical security system, bypass a complex mechanism or electronic lock

*If you attempt to leave behind no trace of the tampering, increase the DC by 5.

If the Mechanics check fails by 5 or more, something goes wrong. If it's a trap, you spring it. If it's some sort of sabotage, you think the device is disabled, but it still works normally.

Handle Explosives[]

Setting a simple explosive to blow up at a certain spot doesn't require a check, but connecting and setting a detonator does. Also, placing an explosive for maximum effect against a structure calls for a check, as does disarming an explosive device. Setting a detonator, placing an explosive device, or disarming an explosive device is a Full-Round Action.

Most explosives require a detonator to go off. Connecting a detonator to an explosive requires a DC 10 check. Failure means that the explosive fails to go off as planned. Failure by 10 or more means the explosive goes off as the detonator is being installed. You can make an explosive difficult to disarm. To do so, you choose the disarm DC before making your check to set the detonator (it must be higher than 10). Your DC to set the detonator is equal to the disarm DC - 5. For example, you might decide to make the disarm DC 20. The DC to set the detonator and disarm the explosives becomes 15 (instead of the normal 10).

Carefully placing an explosive against a stationary, unattended inanimate object increases the damage dealt by exploiting weaknesses in its construction. The GM makes the check (so that you don't know exactly how well you've done). On a result of 15 or higher, you ignore the Damage Reduction of any object to which the explosives are attached. On a result of 25 or higher, the explosive deals double damage to the structure or vehicle against which it's placed. On a result of 35 or higher, it deals triple damage. In all cases, it deals normal damage to all other targets within its Burst radius.

Using a Security Kit to disarm an explosive that has been set to go off requires a check. The DC is usually 15, unless the one who set the detonator chose a higher disarm DC (see above). If you fail the check, you do not disarm the explosive. If you fail it by 5 or more, the explosive detonates while you are adjacent to it.

Jury-Rig[]

You can make temporary repairs to any Disabled mechanical or electronic device, from a simple tool to a complex component. Jury-rigging is a Full-Round Action and requires a successful DC 25 check. If you use a Tool Kit, you gain a +5 Equipment bonus on the check. A jury-rigged device moves +2 steps on the Condition Track and gains 1d8 hit points. At the end of the scene or encounter, the jury-rigged device moves -5 steps along the Condition Track and becomes Disabled again.

Repair (Requires Tool Kit)[]

You can repair a damaged or Disabled Droid or object (including devices and Vehicles). This requires at least 1 hour of work, at the end of which time you must make a Mechanics check. Only one character may Repair a given object at a time, but other characters may use the Aid Another Action to assist.

You can spend 1 hour and make a DC 20 Mechanics check to repair a damaged or Disabled Droid, restoring Hit Points equal to the Droid's Character Level and removing any Persistent Conditions currently affecting the Droid. A Droid can attempt to Repair itself, but it takes a -5 penalty on the Skill Check.

You can spend 1 hour and make a DC 20 Mechanics check to repair a damaged or Disabled object, restoring 1d8 Hit Points and removing any Persistent Conditions currently affecting the device or Vehicle. If you are on board a damaged Vehicle while you attempt to Repair it, apply any penalties from the Vehicle's position on the Condition Track on your Mechanics check. (Major Vehicle repairs are best attempted in a garage, hangar, dry dock, or other specialized facility.)

Additional Mechanics Applications[]

The following applications of the Mechanics skill are compiled from the subsequent Reference Books released for Saga Edition:

Biotech Adaptation (Requires Tool Kit)[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Legacy Era Campaign Guide

You can use the Mechanics skill to create mechanical connections to a particular Biotech Device. When you use this application of the Mechanics skill, you perform one of the following actions:

  • Graft Technology: You can graft sensors, communications equipment, and tiny computers onto a Biotech Device. You must spend 1 hour and make a DC 25 Mechanics check to do so. Once you have, you may treat the Biotech Device as a normal (Non-Biotech) device of the same type for the purposes of of the Mechanics and Use Computer skills.
  • Mechanical Enhancements: You can mechanically enhance a Biotech Device or Biotech Vehicle, effectively connecting another device to that piece of Biotech. You must spend 1 hour and make a DC 30 Mechanics check to do so. Once you have, you effectively treat the Biotech Device as though it also has the traits of the device you have enhanced it with.
    • You can only use this application of Biotech Adaptation on Biotech Devices upon which you have also used the Graft Technology application (see above). You can only enhance a Biotech Device with another device of its size or smaller.
    • A Biotech Device can only have one such mechanical enhancement, and only devices (not weapons or armor) can be attached to a Biotech Device in this manner.
    • For example, if you posses a Razor Bug (a Tiny object), you could attach an Audio Recorder to the Razor Bug using this application of Biotech Adaptation; at a later point, you could activate the Recording Unit and hurl the Razor Bug onto a wall to clandestinely record conversations in the area.

The Biotech Adaptation applications allow you to connect Biotech Devices to non-Biotech Devices, effectively creating a hybrid device. For example, you could use the skill to connect Recording Devices to Yuuzhan Vong bugs like Jariah Syn does before rescuing Cade Skywalker from Coruscant. However, Gamemasters should note that this application of the skill probably shouldn't allow you to do something you couldn't do by connecting two non-Biotech Devices together.

Most of the time, you can just do things like connect a computer to a Datapad without needing a skill check. However, other combinations need to be more closely regulated; for example, connecting a recording rod to a Thermal Detonator to create an improvised, sound-based Mine that might be exciting thing to do once, but if your players abuse that combination, it might be time to rethink how often you allow it. Feel free to ask for a Mechanics check, scaling the DC based on how common you want the modification to be.

Lastly, no equipment combination should be a better option than an existing piece of Equipment. Take a look at other gear and see if there is already a piece of Equipment that does what your heroes want to do, and use that as a model for improvising the outcome of their creativity. Creative thinking is good, and you should encourage it among your players; just make sure it doesn't obviate existing options in the game.

Booby Trap (Requires Tool Kit)[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Scum and Villainy

Whenever you would make a Mechanics check to sabotage a piece of Equipment, you can install a booby trap to damage the next character who uses the item. For every 1d4 damage you would have the trap deal, you must increase the Mechanics DC by 5. So booby trapping a blaster to deal 3d4 damage to its next user requires a DC 30 Mechanics check (base DC 15 to jam the blaster, +15 for 3d4 damage).

Once the trap is installed, it attacks the next character to use the item, using your Base Attack Bonus against the target's Reflex Defense. If the attack hits, it deals the indicated damage.

Build Object (Requires Tool Kit)[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Force Unleashed Campaign Guide

You can make a Mechanics check to construct an object (other than a Droid) from scratch and/or with manufactured parts. Building an object requires a proper Tool Kit, raw materials, and possibly access to an electronics or machine shop. Some objects are beyond the ability of most characters. The raw materials for an object cost the same as the completed object, though heroes who have the Scavenger feat can often come up with raw materials scrounged from other Equipment. Use the costs given in in the Equipment sections as a base guide for material costs. Remote locations, rare parts, or expensive materials might raise the costs to double, triple, or even higher.

When building an object, determine the object's final Hit Points based on the Object Statistics table. For Vehicles, use the actual Hit Points of the completed object. All objects being built in this manner start at 0 Hit Points. Each hour that you work on building an object, make a Mechanics check against the DC for the objects type (see Object Complexity table, below). Success indicates you build 1d8 Hit Points' worth of the object's total Hit Points. When the item reaches full Hit Points, it is completed and can be used as normal.

Object Complexity
OBJECT TYPE DC DESCRIPTION
Simple 10 Item easily created from a few raw materials, using common tools and parts.
Moderate 25 Item requiring basic electronics, special materials, and/or specialized knowledge.
Complex 40 Item requiring significant design and manufacturing skills, sophisticated parts, and special facilities.
CIRCUMSTANCES
DC MODIFIER DESCRIPTION
-5* Based on well-known item.
-10* Detailed knowledge of specific item.
-10* Have detailed schematics for the object available.
+10* Poor quality materials.

*These modifiers are cumulative; use any that apply.

Large items require more time to build than smaller ones. Multiply the object's Hit Points based on the following table below for the purpose of determining how long it takes to build the object (when completed, the object's Hit Points are unchanged). For example, a Large manufactured object has 10 Hit Points. However, since it is a Large item, it effectively has 50 Hit Points for the purpose of determining how long it takes to build the object (how many Hit Points you must build before it is completed). When completed, the object has 10 Hit Points as normal.

OBJECT SIZE HP MULTIPLIER OBJECT SIZE HP MULTIPLIER
Medium x2 Colossal x50
Large x5 Colossal (Frigate) x100
Huge x10 Colossal (Cruiser) x200
Gargantuan x20 Colossal (Station) x500

Environmental Adaptation (Requires Tool Kit)[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Rebellion Era Campaign Guide

Many Vehicles and objects do not work well in extremely harsh environments. The intense cold of Hoth or the severe heat of the day side of Ryloth can cause Vehicles and objects to function poorly or not at all. You can spend 10 minutes adapting one object (or one hour adapting one Vehicle) to the extreme environmental hazards, after which you make a Mechanics check.

If your Mechanics check result exceeds the object or Vehicle's current Fortitude Defense, you can use the result of your Mechanics check in place of its Fortitude Defense when it is attacked by Extreme Temperatures or Atmospheric Hazards. However, when you do so, you effectively adapt the object or Vehicle's defenses for that particular environment. If you use that Vehicle or object on another planet that has a different environment, you must repeat this process for the new conditions.

You can Take 20 on this check, but the adaptation takes 20 times as long.

Hot Shot (Requires Tool Kit)[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Scum and Villainy

You can overload an energy weapon to deliver a deadlier attack, but at the risk of a mishap or explosion. You must spend 1 hour and succeed on a Mechanics check. The DC is 20 plus 5 for every weapon size category above Tiny. If the check succeeds, the weapon deals an additional +3 points of damage. Any natural attack roll of 5 or lower, however, causes the weapon to become Disabled.

A natural attack roll of 1 causes the weapon to explode in the wielder's hands, dealing the modified weapon's damage to the wielder and half damage to all adjacent creatures.

Improvised Connection (Requires Tool Kit)[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Legacy Era Campaign Guide

You may attempt to connect electronic devices or computers without proper cables, using improvised materials. This endeavor takes 1 hour and requires a DC 20 Mechanics check to succeed.

Refit Antiquated Vehicle or Weapon (Requires Tool Kit)[]

Reference Book: Star Wars Saga Edition Legacy Era Campaign Guide

You can use the Mechanics skill to refit an Antiquated Vehicle or Antiquated Weapon; using modern technology to replace outdated components. You must spend 20% of the base value of the Vehicle or weapon (before the application of the Antiquated Vehicle Template or Antiquated Weapon Template) on raw materials for the upgrade. The refitting process takes a number of days (each day representing 8 hours of continuous work) determined by the object's size: Medium or smaller, 1 day; Large, 2 days; Huge, 5 days; Gargantuan, 10 days; Colossal, 20 days; Colossal (Frigate), 60 days; Colossal (Cruiser), 180 days; Colossal (Station), 360 days.

If multiple characters Trained in the Mechanics skill work on the refit simultaneously, divide the amount of time taken by the number of characters working on the refit (a maximum of 20 characters can reduce the refit time, minimum of 1 day). Once the work is complete, apply the Refitted Vehicle Template or Refitted Weapon Template to the base item instead of the Antiquated Vehicle Template or Antiquated Weapon Template.

Advertisement