I was looking over the rules in Rigger 3, and I've got to admit I'm a bit confused about how to handle aftermarket customization in character creation. Even stuff like added sensors or remote control modification requires a vehicle facility, which a character can't start with, and adding the stuff requires a roll against a TN, so it's difficult to handle having them installed by contacts after creation. Is there any canon or generally accepted solution?

Since you design a custom vehicle without having to make any rolls as much as I can remember, I'd say just assume that the mechanic had the necessary tools and rolled enough successes. They're already losing out by modifying a stock vehicle rather than creating one from scratch.

Right. You just buy the accessories and ignore the tool requirements and dice rolls. The only exceptions might be for things like Engine Customization which require a special roll to see how they affect the vehicle's Stress and whatnot.

Cool. One more thing; do the listed stats for vehicles/drones with integrated features incorporate the effects of those features? For example, the Steel Lynx has a remote mini-turret, and a listed CF of 3. Does the Lynx have 3 CF "out of the box," as it were, or is some/all of that consumed by the turret?

They come with all the accessories, and its assumed those accessories are already accounted for in their stat block. I know it can be confusing especially considering how they write the Turbocharging entries with "already factored in" next to it, suggesting the other entries aren't, but they are.

No, you're right. It's for a GM to come up with a new model of something, rather than let someone come up with a custom vehicle. That's supposed to be the province of the vehicle customization rules.

Don

Most GMs I know of allow the player to design a custom vehicle as long as its not simply a variation of one that already exists. It's then up to the GM to okay it or not.

Most people tend to "cheat" and incorporate all of the customization features into it at this time since they're generally cheaper at that stage, but the rules are fairly decent as long as that's avoided. Just make sure the player is creating the base model then customizing it afterwards.

They way i did it for one of my characters.

Took the mechanic Contact (to explain the tools and skills) then divided the skill value by the chance of success so as to work out the numbers of hours it took to pay the contact.

Still worked out about 7 grand less the buying the turbo variant out right and it performed WAY better (shocks, engine parts on top of the turbo)

But if a character wanted to do it themselfs at character gen then as long as they have a decent B/R skill (4+) and at least a Shop and a Mechanic contact, then the cost comes out as... well cost.

You don't have to pay for a mechanic or anything else like that during character creation. Just like you don't have to pay for doctors or surgery when it comes to implants, gunsmiths and tools for weapon customizations, or anything else along those lines.

Granted.

I feel uncomfortable with not having the appropate contacts, and the labour thing was just to keep the new GM happy.

When i GM i'll ask for it to be beliveable hence the contact and the shop