Science:Biotech (and Occultech) - some help please.

[GreenDragon]

Has anyone actually written rules for more than just fixing it if its damaged? The Space Gods book, in the skill chapter directs the reader to the equipment chapter and to the first page of the psionics chapter (for no apparent reason - typo probably). The equipment chapter then directs the reader to the core rule book, and the Science skill.
R&E, actually has the Biotech skill, but directs to the SG SB, and the science skill is a vague general skill. Compared to the rules in Tharkold and Cyberpapacy for Cybertech and Occultech, it is almost nothing. (Then again the rules for Occultech are lacking for technomagical devices).

So basically, I'm looking to see if anyone has written rules (a la the Weird Science construction rules or the Cybertech skill) for using Biotech and for the creation of technomagical devices using Occultech - and is willing to share their work. Thanks in advance.

For Examples:
Let's say I wanted to create a Biotech version of Irimesh - since there aren't many low value armors in the SG book. What would be the difficulty and how long would it take?
Or what if I wanted to make the Tharkoldu version of the Ayslish Elfsword?

[Kansas Jim]

I recall some people mentioning in the past working on new or expanded occultech rules but I don't know if anything ever got posted. A year or two ago Jasyn was doing a lot of rewriting on Tharkold but I don't recall if he ever got close to the occultech rules.

I don't think anyone's ever tackled the idea of biotech design rules, just made up numbers for any new biotech devices they created.

[GreenDragon]

I'm pretty sure you are right about the biotech. Yet another example of where that book could have been much better. If it weren't for the psionics rules...

I had a thought (scary in and of itself). As a quick and dirty method, couldn't the Craftsmanship skill rules be applied? For difficulty and time at least (cost in materials would still be an issue).
Under that system, a Biotech version of Irimesh would be Difficulty 15 and take 3 days to produce. And that technomagical sword would be difficulty 20, and take 8 days to make.

If that seems like a good, simple, system, then I would suggest that for items that don't have a bonus number - like a biotech ranged weapon - the actual effect value/damage value would either be the difficulty or the modifier. Though there would need to be modifiers for additional attributes (like the range and ammo capacity of said weapon). Time requirement would be skill DN -12 in days.

As to cost... Sale price for Irimesh has a value of 14, and the elf longsword is 17. So using creation difficulty (minus a small modifier) as the value of the sale price seems close to a reasonable number. For construction costs, the D&D half sale price option would be a quick and dirty answer.

Do these sound like workable solutions?

[Kansas Jim]

I keep meaning to check the Craftsmanship writeup at home but can't ever get around to it...a concern I see is that in an ultra-high tech environment like the Space Gods the time it takes to create new items is probably 99% design and 1% actual creation. It should be like Tharkold's UltraCAD and makermods but even easier and more efficient. Craftsmanship I'd think is the flip side of that, it's not about designing and building something new but just about making something you already know how to make. The time and cost elements in the skill writeup may not be very applicable to higher tech items.

Of course that's assuming "regular" technological manufacturing, something that's a direct advancement on makermods rather than down a divergent path like biotech. How long does it take to grow a piece of technology? Can you equate a factory-like process of automated manufacturing to something that's partially organic? Would biotech be cheaper or more expensive to produce than equivalent regular tech? Can biotech even be mass-produced? If not then maybe Craftsmanship actually is more appropriate.