Super-Invention and mass-production

[Plane]

I was looking over this new category of PU2pg 70 and noticed there's an option where you can repair the device as "good as new" for a meager $200 and only basic skill rolls - you needn't even be a an inventor genius (hardware electrical or mechanical) though if you are it's half the cost (minimum $100) and time (hours not specified in the first two rolls but probably less than the 10+ hours in the 3rd since it seems to scale up)

Given this ease of rebuilding - is it impossible to think of building it from scratch?

Maybe there's some kind of indestructible unobtanium used in the core which is never lost due to damage and even if the extra pieces are easily replaced, that rare aspect means the prototype can't be replicated?

'Duplicates' has a 5% chance it's one of as many as 120 devices that are at least similar if not identicle, which speaks to the idea of mass production, even if some rare aspect was used in all of them.

I guess the question here is, even though we don't want millions of superpower-inducing objects handed out to the populace at large, what path if any should exist towards making a new Super-Invention from scratch rather than just repairing it?

[Stone Gargoyle]

Ease of repair is not an indication that it is easy to build.

[foilfodder]

I was looking over this new category of PU2pg 70 and noticed there's an option where you can repair a device "as good as new" for a meager $200 and only basic skill rolls

...

'Duplicates' has a 5% chance it's one of as many as 120 devices that are at least similar if not identicle, which speaks to the idea of mass production, even if some rare aspect was used in all of them.

I guess the question here is, even though we don't want millions of superpower-inducing objects handed out to the populace at large, what path if any should exist towards making a new Super-Invention from scratch rather than just repairing it?

Each GameMaster would need to decide for their group. I would say the spirit of the rules as written is to allow a character with a unique or limited production super device to repair or replace it should it be destroyed or rendered inopperable during a game session. Creating/duplicating more such devices would invite powergaming/munchkinism.

Similar to how rolling on Experiment superpower origin or mutant animal origin tables can result in a character who was a successful fluke through non-duplicated variables. The table doesn't tell you what those circumstances are, it is not nessacsary for game mechanics. The conditions/circumstancesr is up to player/GM collaboration They can use it to fill in out backstory, or it can be left as an un-explored character detail.

The purpose remains: to keep the character/super device unique or limited in quantity, rather than having hundreds or thousands flooding the game-world.

So the WHY becomes important. Why does the player want to create more of the device and why should the Gamemaster allow it? Without specifics to your campaign, I don't see this discussion progressing.

[Curbludgeon]

A Super-Invention imparting random Grant Power has pretty wide implications, but at only 1st level strength effects.

[guardiandashi]

one thing that immediately comes to mind... from the Marvel movies, is tony stark vs Justin hammer.

tony when he is designing standard tech (stark industries) makes machines that are cutting edge but not super tech items that can be mass produced.

the ironman suits are all 1 off's that while some parts and systems are common across the suits, have to be individually built and customized.

justin hammer was trying to mass produce supertech and it did not work well. he was always over selling, and under delivering.

[Stone Gargoyle]

one thing that immediately comes to mind... from the Marvel movies, is tony stark vs Justin hammer.

tony when he is designing standard tech (stark industries) makes machines that are cutting edge but not super tech items that can be mass produced.

the ironman suits are all 1 off's that while some parts and systems are common across the suits, have to be individually built and customized.

justin hammer was trying to mass produce supertech and it did not work well. he was always over selling, and under delivering.

Tony Stark did have some armors that could be classified as superinventions though. They got more and more crazy with the designs in more recent issues of the series.

[guardiandashi]

thats kind of my point, I would argue ALL the ironman suits were super inventions, and he never really mass produced any of the ironman suits.

with that said, I am not going to rule out tony stark at some point (or an equivalent character) making a suit or equivalent, that is nor really "supertech"

if you really break it down I would argue there are 2 main parts of an "ironman" suit that are "supertech" the power source (Arc reactor) and the repulsors, the thing is from the movie the repulsors aren't really supertech as they were using them in the weapons in the demo in the desert.

if you could get a sufficiently effective power source without having to rely on "supertech" such as for instance Eclips (rifts) then most of the suit is not really supertech or a super invention/ device any more

[Stone Gargoyle]

you're drifting into conversion territory. We cannot go into detail about what powers some suits had without it being a conversion conversation. Those are not allowed on the forum.