Rifts Techno-Wizard Construction

SKILL CHECK BONUS/PENALTIES
-20% Prototype Schematics (original item, until first successful item is created)
-10% Another TW's Schematics (if the other TW is present, penalty is voided)
-30% Size Category reduction (per .5 size category)
-20% Unknown Mechanical/Electrical Skill
-25% Rush 2/3 Time
-50% Rush 1/3 Time
-15% Low Magic (no ley line)
-40% Alien Technology
-20% Unknown Primary Spell (wizard)
-30% Specialist Primary Spell
-15% Unknown Secondary Spell (wizard)
-20% Specialist Secondary Spell

+15% Known Working Schematic
+10% Disassembling Working Device (to alter caster level or gemming)
+5% Disassembling Similar Working Device (to alter function)
+5% Working Prototype/Template Model
+20% Experienced TW Supervision, Proven Design
+10% Experienced TW Supervision, Prototype
+15% Taking 1.3x Time
+30% Taking 2x Time
+1% Assistant TWCS/10 (round down)
+5% Each Device Level Reduced
+20% Strange Mood...?

(for a level 1 TW working at Spellforge, this gives 82 + 15 + 5 + 20 + 20 -- 147%... which lets them do 1/3 time at a 97%, as long as Jackie is present)
This includes any rule changes. The book version is just way too verbose. There are some differences; these rules override the book. Unless I miss something. When in doubt, ask.

Determining the function of the device: In this case, basically, you ask me. You can be creative in this (eg. mixing fireball + carpet) but on the whole it's on me. I will tell you what spells you need to have.

Single use devices, like a grenade or whatever, can have one effect.
For a full suit of body armor, up to five effects. One boots, one hands, one helmet, two chest.
For a vehicle, up to six effects.
Weapons are variable; typically one or two complex effects.
Other miscellaneous items can have one.
You may petition for more if it makes sense.

Item potency is mostly a function of size.
Handgun-sized items and smaller (amulets, etc.) have half the expected potency. This is a somewhat nerf for many TW items in the book, but at in most cases they can still fire semi-auto (3 round bursts). This applies to knife-sized melee weapons.
Rifle-sized items have the normal potency. Normal body armor mods also have normal potency. Sword and other obvious melee weapons reach this scale.
Mid-sized vehicle weapons and heavy two-handed weapons have roughly 1.5 times the normal potency. This includes motorcycles, light machineguns, and two-handed sword/spear type weapons.
Large vehicle-sized items have double the normal potency. An armor can have a vehicle-potency effect, but it will use up all effects for that armor. This also applies to large vehicle-sized weapons.
Some effects may only be available in vehicle-size mods.
This 'size mod' may affect other effects rather than magnitude at the GM's discretion.

Each effect has a level of magnitude, determined by the primary crafter's experience level. This magnitude, called Device Level, determines a whole lot of stuff in the various formulas. The crafter can choose to reduce the Device Level if he so chooses. This may be a good idea if you are trying to craft a prototype device.

Each effect requires a primary spell to determine the effect. Add-on spells, called secondary spells, are then determined to modify the effect. This is basically a GM-determined thing.

A physical object, called a focus, is needed. It must be similar in function to the effect of the device. This can be player-determined or GM-determined if the player is a retard. The GM will typically determine costs.

Gems are needed. The big gem list in Rifts UE will tell you what gems are needed. The number of carats in the primary spell gem has a pretty sizable effect on the activation cost of the device, but otherwise you can use 1 carat gems to construct whatever the fuck you want.

Crafting Time in hours: mana * CL / 3 * size * SL / 4 * 2
Construction Cost in mana: same as crafting time, above
Activation Cost in mana: mana * 1 / (1 + 0.1C) * (SL / 4) ROUND UP

Market cost: CT * 1000 * ((1 - AC / mana * SL / 4 ) * (SL * 2 - 1) + 1)

mana = cost of all spells in effect
C = size of primary spell gem in carats
CL = desired caster level of item; cannot exceed level of primary constructing TW
SL = spell level of primary spell
size = size mod (.5, 1, 1.5 or 2)
AC = activation cost in mana after rounding up
CT = construction time in hours; do not round

GEM CHANGES

Illumination = 100c
Fire, Lightning = 200c
Smoke, Darkness = 300c
Water, Ice, Plants = 350c
Force = 350c
Fear, Sound, Communication = 400c
Sensing, Vision = 500c
Life, Healing = 500c (ivory)
TW Mod Spells = 500c
Light (weaponized) = 600c
Strength, Power = 700c
Armor = 800c (amethyst)
Earth, Wind = 1000c
Soft Controls, Illusion = 1300c
Speed, Flight = 1500c
Concealment, Invisibility = 2000c
Transformation, Metamorphosis = 3000c
Barriers, Immunities = 5000c
Hard Controls = 10,000c
Mystic Energy, Temporal = 13,000c
Teleportation, Dimensional Travel = 15,000c
Enchanting Items = 20,000c

Meteor, Firequake moved to Ruby (deep red)
Fire Bolt, Fire Ball, Fire Gout moved to Quartz (ruby)
Speed Weapon moved to Star Sapphire
Agony moved to Ivory
If you think a gem should be moved, let me know. Gems with a * are more or less fixed as to their general category.

*Agate (orange) (healing spells) 40c

*Agate (fire) (knowledge) 40c - vision should not be here probably
*MOVE: Sense Evil, Sense Magic, Second Sight to Tiger's Eye

*Amber (wood-related) 60c - detect concealment should be moved
*MOVE: Detect Concealment to Agate (fire)

*Alexandrite (metamorph-related) ??c - eyes of the wolf and influence the beast should be moved
-MOVE: Eyes of the Wolf to Tiger's Eye
-MOVE: Influence the Beast, Tame the Beast to xxx

*Amethyst (magic field related) 100c
-MOVE: Havoc to xxx
-MOVE: Mute to xxx
-MOVE: Paralysis: Leser to xxx

*Anodite (curses) - ??c - repel animals, sickness?, sleep, transformation should be moved
-MOVE: Repel Animals to xxx
-MOVE: Sleep to xxx
-MOVE: Transformation to Alexandrite

*Aquamarine (water) - ??c

Chrysophase (????) - ??c - move everything, change this
-MOVE: Leyline Transmission to xxx
-MOVE: Summon Greater Familiar to Citrine
-MOVE: Summon Lesser Being to Citrine
-MOVE: Summon Leyline Storm to xxx

*Citrine (summons) - ??c - move astral spells

*Diamond (high power energy spells) - ??c -
-MOVE: Armor of Ithan to Amethyst
-MOVE: Invincible Armor to Amethyst
-MOVE: Fly to Zircon
-MOVE: Fly as the Eagle to Zircon

*Emerald (invis/cloaking) - ??c

Garnet (black) (magic items) - ??c - move shit

*Garnet (color) (sound) - 150c - all ice spells are aquamarine

*Jade (life spells) - 5000c - move climb, escape, wall of the weird

Ivory (death spells) - 50c - move exorcism?

Lapis (dimensional) - ??c - split negation spells and annihilate to another gem

Malachite (weight spells?) -??c - move shit around
Opal (black) - ??c - seems to be mind-altering, no f-ing idea
Opal (fire) (counter-demon? what a shitty category) - ??c - fix this.

*Opal (color) (force) - 200c - move armorbane, negate mechanics, spinning blades, throwing stones. move all force-based spells (barrage, power bolt, etc.) to this

Onyx (teleportation) - ??c - meteor got moved already; time spells should probably be moved
Pearl (black) (strength and endurance) - ??c - move levitation, giant, reduce self, possibly keep giant
Pearl (white) (phantasmal creatures) - ??c - move cleanse, locate, realm of chaos, swords to snakes, this shouldn't be a category fix something

*Quartz (clear) (light spells) - 60c - mostly fine
- MOVE: Lightblade to Jade (mostly a balance change)

Quartz (rose) (cure spells) - xxc - move everything to heal spells, stone to flesh move to transmutation spells

Quartz (ruby) (energy spells) - ??c - move fire spells, possibly sheltering force; this is gonna get a lot of extra spells added
>> add magic shield, most armor spells, energy bolt, etc.

*Quartz (smoky) (fire spells) - 150c - move all fire spells to this

Ruby (there are only red rubies, wtf) (fire spells 2) - ??c - change category to blood magic or something similar
Ruby (blue) (mind-altering) - xxc - blue rubies are sapphires, idiots. move all of these to a different gem
Sapphire (black?) (darkness) - xxc - wtf black sapphires, move all darkness spells to tourmaline probably
Star Sapphire - xxc - not that they don't exist, but the idea that they're a separate gemstone is just stupid
Sapphire (all) (random) - ??c - pick an appropriately expensive category and stick with it like enchanting spells
Tourmaline (illusion) - 150c: all illusion spells, world bizarre, etc.
Tiger Eye (vision spells 2) - ??c - not even sure what this gem is, but probably move sense spells to the fire agate replacement gem, move mental spells to something fucking else, keep vision spells here
Topaz (more curing spells) - ??c - use this gem for something else probably move mind-altering/charm here
Turquoise (no idea) - ??c - move everything

*Zircon (clear) (air element) - 200c - eliminate all other zircon types

Zircon (blue) (weather) - ??c - move these to zircon (clear)
Zircon (red) (electrical) - ??c - move these to something - not super needed
Zircon (yellow) (illusions) - ??c - probably move this to something - not super needed



Adding storage to an item requires the addition of a Talisman primary function or an Energy Sphere primary function with a Talisman secondary function. Ignore the other rules regarding mana storage (including the skill penalty), they do not exist.

Adding AI involves enslaving a tectonic entity. Good luck there, but it is doable

Other magic effects that are not obvious:

Ensorcel: Effects become permanent (restrictions apply) and is attuned to its owner (won't activate except by its owner). The TW who created the item can re-attune the weapon or use it.
Beat Insurmountable Odds: Adds crit range of 19-20 (secondary effect).
Energy Disruption: Reverses the effects of a particular effect, generally in a disruptive way
Globe of Silence: Weapon doesn't produce sound
Telekinesis: Deals kinetic/smashing damage
Shockwave: Weapon deals knockback/increased knockback

old formula (unsimplified): (mana * SL / 4 - AC) / mana * SL / 4 * (SL * 2 - 1) + 1
(11:43:33 PM) Blackstream17: Here you go Pat
(11:43:38 PM) Blackstream17: (Old Cost - New Cost + 1) / Old Cost * (X-1) + 1 - (X / Old Cost)
(11:43:46 PM) Blackstream17: What does this do you Ask
(11:43:54 PM) Pat: what's x
(11:44:03 PM) Blackstream17: Max multiplier
(11:44:12 PM) Blackstream17: multiplier starts at 1 for ratio = 1
(11:44:33 PM) Blackstream17: and goes to X as ratio goes to old value
(11:46:09 PM) Pat: wait
(11:46:14 PM) Pat: x needs to be variable
(11:46:33 PM) Pat: probably.... spell level + something
(11:46:40 PM) Pat: like spell level +5
(11:46:41 PM) Blackstream17: yeah you could do that
(11:46:54 PM) Pat: with a 15th level primary spell
(11:47:05 PM) Pat: you practically have to have / 20
(11:47:11 PM) Pat: maybe spell level * 2?
(11:47:33 PM) Blackstream17: or something like that
(11:47:33 PM) Pat: I mean, hypothetically our 1575 mana effect
(11:47:48 PM) Pat: /30
(11:47:51 PM) Pat: goes to 52.5
(11:48:09 PM) Pat: I lvu sam
(11:48:14 PM) Pat: <3
(11:48:17 PM) Blackstream17: haha