Optional: Upgrade Labor

When upgrading gear, you can usually assume that a PC commissions an NPC to do the work or that the PC handles the labor in a consistent yet unremarkable way. However, some PCs are exceptional craftspeople eager to apply their skills. With this optional variant, a PC might be able to reduce the necessary time or expense involved in scaling gear. When beginning work, a PC must have proper tools as well as supplies available (UPBs or the equivalent in spare parts) equal to 110% times the desired upgrade’s cost. They decide whether to decrease the upgrade time or decrease the upgrade cost. The PC then begins the work, attempts a skill check partway through the process, and applies an effect based on the skill check’s result.

Attempting the Check: For most upgrades, a PC uses Engineering. However, Mysticism might be appropriate for hybrid and magical gear. The DC for modifying gear equals 10 + 1-1/2 × the gear’s new item level.

Result: The impact of the PC’s specialized labor depends on the check’s result. Using the Upgrade Result table, compare the check’s result to the task’s DC; the effect depends on how much the check’s result exceeded or fell short of the DC. The cost can never by reduced to less than the difference between the higher level item’s price and the lower level item’s price.