Economics/Schematics

Schematics are bits of software that are used to facilitate crafting items. Schematics detail the design and construction of a particular item. Most items have their designs available online in some form, and those wishing to craft a particular type of item themselves can do so by purchasing or otherwise obtaining one of these schematics.

Single use schematics cost 50% of the item’s base price, while illicit “cracked” schematics can be used any number of times, and cost 70% of the base price of the item. Cracked schematics can be obtained through hacking, either as a file found on a computer system, or by hacking a purchased schematic. The DC to crack a single use schematic to allow it to be used multiple times is the item level × 1 ½ +15. Megacorps sometimes sell these single use schematics as a cost saving measure instead of directly manufacturing the item. Cracked schematics are a legal grey area, as crafting and distributing them is illegal, but possessing them is not.

Creating an item from a schematic requires a 3d Printer, the schematic, and an amount of Universal Base Polymers (UBP) equal to half of the item’s cost. (3d printers using schematics craft more efficiently than an unassisted craftsman, and therefore use fewer UBP in the crafting process). Crafting from schematics follows the rules for crafting items as normal, except that rather than have a minimum number of ranks in the appropriate skill equal to the item level of the item being crafted, you must instead be at least the same level as the item or higher.

Schematics are software, but with a mechanical focus. Crafting schematics yourself requires you to be able to meet all the prerequisites for crafting the item you are creating a schematic of, and works identically to crafting the item, except that no UBP’s are required, there is no cost for crafting, and you must have a minimum number of ranks in the both Computers and Engineering equal to the item level of the item for which a schematic is being crafted. Schematics you craft yourself can be single use or cracked at your discretion.

All 3d printers have both hardware and software restrictions preventing them from crafting ranged weapons, ammunition, vehicles, but may produce anything else that could be crafted with the Engineering skill, such as melee weapons, or technological devices. Schematics for these items may exist, but without specialized training and equipment, crafting these items isn’t possible.