Rigger

Engineering Vehicles Repairs

"Give me ten minutes and some spare parts. I'll have her flying again."

Riggers are the mechanics who keep everything running. Ships, vehicles, exoskeletons, life support - if it has moving parts, a Rigger can fix it, improve it, or jury-rig it from scrap. They're also exceptional pilots, understanding vehicles from the inside out.

Role Overview

Riggers excel at:

• Vehicle repair - fixing ships, transports, and ground vehicles
• Ship systems - maintaining life support, engines, and equipment
• Piloting - operating vehicles with expert skill
• Improvisation - making repairs with limited resources

They are the squad's lifeline - keeping the ride home operational.

Roleplaying a Rigger

Riggers have a relationship with their vehicles that others don't understand. They hear the engine's rhythm, feel when something's wrong, and take damage to their ship personally.

Consider:

• What's the most impressive repair you've ever pulled off?
• Do you have a favorite vehicle or ship?
• How do you feel when someone else damages your work?
• What's the one tool you never work without?
• Can you really hear when an engine is "unhappy"?

Core Skills

Rigger Slang

War Story: Grease's Third Option

Maintenance logs: Rigger designation "Grease"; FOFT Expedited Logistics, Kovak IV ground support

The Rig's left knee started bone whining at the same moment the transport died.

Grease felt it before the diagnostic caught up; a grinding shudder through the foot pedals, the kind of sound a knee actuator makes when shrapnel has opinions about your load-bearing joints. He was already running numbers. Fourteen SP. Dropping. The Bipedal frame listed two degrees to port, compensating for a leg that wasn't doing its share of the work anymore.

Behind him, the transport was a smoking crater. Direct hit from a crew-served weapon, clean through the cockpit. The pilot was gone. Two of the squad were down; alive, but not walking. The evac point was nine hundred metres north, across open ground and up three flights of industrial stairwell. Hostile contacts between here and there.

The squad leader was shouting something about abandoning heavy equipment and moving on foot. Grease didn't answer. He was listening to the Rig.

Nine hundred metres carrying two wounded, no armour, no fire support, through a kill zone. They'd make it two hundred. Maybe. The squad leader knew it too. That's why he was shouting.

The other option: burn every Part in the fabricator on a field repair. Patch the knee, pray the weld held under combat load, and walk out heavy. If the repair failed mid-carry, they'd die tired and heavy. Full noise, the Rig past the glass, with people strapped to it. Grease had done the maths on that kind of gamble before. Once. The numbers hadn't worked out.

She'd called him Grease. He'd never corrected anyone who used it after.

Grease chose the third option.

He popped the cockpit harness, dropped to the ground, and started a parts run on the wrecked transport. The fabricator couldn't fix what it didn't have, wrong frame, wrong parts, but a transport's steering linkage is a steering linkage, and an actuator housing is just metal with ambition. Strip for parts. Forty seconds with a cutting tool, and he had what he needed: a drive shaft collar, two hydraulic pins, and a stabiliser rod that had no business fitting a Bipedal knee joint.

He made it fit. Spit and solder. A shim cut from the transport's floor plate. Twenty minutes of cutting, swearing, and the kind of improvisation that would make an engineering professor cry and then ask to see it again.

"Yeah, I know," he muttered to the Rig as the knee joint protested the new parts. "It's not pretty. Hold anyway."

The knee held. The Rig stood. Grease loaded the two wounded into the hip cargo racks, secured them with load straps meant for ammunition crates, and started walking. The cockpit was open-frame, no armour between him and the hostile ground, so he kept the weapon mount tracking and his head low.

Nine hundred metres. Three flights of stairs. The Bipedal frame fit through every doorway and took every step because that's what Bipedals do, and because Grease had built this Rig to carry people out. That was the whole point. That had always been the whole point.

The knee actuator screamed the entire way. Grease whispered back; "I know, girl. Almost there. Don't quit on me."

They made the evac point forty minutes late. The squad leader looked at his two soldiers, alive, breathing, strapped to a Rig that shouldn't be standing, and didn't ask why. Grease powered down the Rig, checked the knee joint, holding, barely, spit and solder, and patted the chassis. "Knew you had it in you."

Most Riggers don't name their Rigs. Bad luck. But they whisper to them anyway.

Suggested Synergies

Best Legacies: Mechanic, Pilot, Hauler, Spacer
Best Origins: Human, Cyborg, Junker
Best Organizations: SAROS, UNI-NAV, FOFT
Recommended Skills: Engineering - Rigging, Engineering - Repair, Vehicles - Exoskeleton, Vehicles - Weapon Systems
Suggested Skills: Vehicles - Piloting (Land/Sea), Intel - Survival, Movement - Zero-G

Title Progression

Starting Equipment

New Rigger operatives begin with the following standard-issue gear:

Combat Telemetry

Riggers know their weapons the way they know their tools; intimately, obsessively, and with strong opinions about how everyone else is using them wrong. Familiarity gets you started. Customisation is where the real accuracy lives; once you've maxed out trigger time, you crack it open and rebuild it better.

See Weapon Customisation for full rules. Consumes 1 Part per upgrade. Requires capped Familiarity and a Blueprint. Simple Modification for the first +5%, Advanced Modification for the next +25%.

Rigger Core Mechanic

The Rigger's core mechanic is split into two interlocking systems: The Rig (a personal suit of power armour the Rigger builds, wears, and upgrades) and The Fabricator (a portable workshop that uses Parts to repair and enhance gear for the entire squad). Together they establish the Rigger as the squad's field mechanic, gear enhancer, and armoured packmule.

System 1; The Rig (Power Armour)

The Rigger's signature: a custom suit of power armour they build, maintain, and upgrade. Every Rigger starts with a Rig Frame at Rank 1. The Rig is a single worn unit the Rigger operates personally using Vehicles - Exoskeleton.

Rig Frames

Pick one T1 frame at character creation. Higher-tier frames are unlocked through abilities in the Rigger ability tree and fabricated with Parts. Fabricating a new frame takes several days; you can only switch frames during R&R. All frames start as Medium size (2m x 2m).

Key stats:

• Speed: Replaces the wearer's base movement speed while the Rig is powered.
• SP (Structure Points): The Rig's structural integrity. SP represents damage to the Rig itself; not the pilot. Enemies can target the Rig directly to disable it. Repaired with Parts.
• DR (Damage Reduction): Hits absorbed per attack. The pilot benefits from the Rig's DR against attacks targeting them. The Rig's DR stacks with any armour the pilot is wearing.
• Hardness: Damage below this value is ignored entirely. The pilot benefits from the Rig's Hardness against attacks targeting them.
• Mounts (S/M/L): Small, Medium, and Large mount points for attaching modules. A module can be installed in a mount of its size or larger. Scuttler has extra mounts due to its multiple legs; flight frames have fewer to save weight.
• Rig Cargo (S/M/L): Additional inventory slots the Rig provides, following standard item sizes (Small, Medium, Large). This is what makes the Rigger the packmule.
• Parts Cost: Parts required to fabricate the frame.

Frame Movement

Each frame type has different movement capabilities. Ground speed is listed in the table above.

• Wheeled: Fastest ground frame. Excellent on roads and hard surfaces. Cannot handle ladders or vertical obstacles.
• Scuttler: Four-legged frame. Ground movement ignores difficult terrain. With Mag Clamps, can climb walls and ceilings. Can be upgraded to six or eight limbs via fabrication abilities.
• Tracked: Track-driven. Ignores difficult terrain including loose rubble, sand, and mud. Ideal for planetary surfaces. Cannot handle ladders.
• Bipedal: Humanoid frame. Handles stairs, ladders, drop shafts, and all human-scale environments. Fits through standard 2m doorways and corridors. Can be knocked Prone.
• Tracked Heavy: As Tracked, but heavier. Ignores difficult terrain and minor obstacles.
• Mag Lift: Magnetic levitation. Permanent hover over metallic surfaces at no Energy cost. Over non-metallic surfaces, hover for short bursts at 2 Energy per round. Can cross gaps up to 4m freely over metallic surfaces.
• Anti-Grav: True flight via graviton generator. Unlimited altitude, unlimited duration. Works in atmosphere and zero-G natively. Requires Vacuum Seal for spacewalks.

Energy Pool

The Rig's Back Powercell provides Energy for active systems; flight, shields, and heavy exertion. The standard Back Powercell holds 50 Energy.

Recharge: 1 Energy per minute outside combat if idle. Full recharge during lockdown or R&R.

Free (no Energy cost):

• Anti-Grav flight; all environments (built-in graviton generator)
• Mag Lift over metallic surfaces (self-sustaining magnetic field)
• All ground movement (prevents recharge)
• Basic Rig functions (DR, Hardness, mount operation)

Rig Shield

Every Rig is equipped with an integrated personal shield unit. Activate or deactivate as an Extra Action on your turn.

Active Mode (5 Energy per round):

• +1 untyped DR
• Boon(1) to Armour Factor, Dodge, and Evade checks

The shield draws from the Rig's Energy Pool. When the pool is empty, the shield deactivates automatically.

Mount Modules

Modules attach to Mount Points. Each module requires a mount point of its size or larger (a Small module fits in an S, M, or L mount). Swap during lockdowns (free) or in the field with Quick Refit ability (1 min). Mount modules are purchased as abilities in the Rig Fabrication Sub-Tree.

Targeting Mounts: Enemies can target individual mount points independently of the Rig's chassis. Hits against a mount degrade the installed item's Quality (not the Rig's SP). If an item's Quality reaches 0, it is destroyed and must be replaced. This allows enemies to disable specific systems, weapons, cameras, tools, without having to chew through the Rig's full SP.

Pilot's Cockpit

Every Rig includes a Pilot's Cockpit; an open-frame operator cage built into the chassis. The cockpit is integral to the Rig and cannot be removed.

Targeting: The pilot and the Rig are separate targets. Enemies can choose to attack the pilot or the Rig.

• Attacks targeting the pilot: The pilot uses their own HITS. The Rig's DR and Hardness protect the pilot (stacking with any armour the pilot is wearing), but the Rig's SP is not depleted.
• Attacks targeting the Rig: Damage is applied to the Rig's SP, reduced by the Rig's DR and Hardness. The pilot takes no damage.
• Area attacks: Hit both the pilot and the Rig. Apply DR and Hardness separately to each.

The cockpit is open-frame; the pilot is visible and exposed. The Armoured Cockpit (T1) encloses the cockpit with armour plating (SP 3), the Reinforced Cockpit (T2) upgrades to SP 6 and integrates with Vacuum Seal, and Cockpit Shielding (T3) projects an energy shield that redirects attacks to the Rig's SP.

Operating the Rig

• Skill: Vehicles - Exoskeleton governs all Rig operation (movement, configuration), operator uses their own combat abilities.
• Power: The Rig runs on its Back Powercell and the operative's PSU. Unpowered Rig = dead weight (Speed 0, no shield, no mount functions, no Energy recharge).
• Damage: When SP hits 0, the Rig shuts down. Pilot is trapped until they spend 1 Action to emergency eject (or are pulled out by an ally). Rig at 0 SP provides no DR, Hardness, or other benefits.
• Repair: Rig SP is restored with Parts via the Fabricator (see below), or fully restored during R&R.

System 2; The Fabricator

The Rigger's portable workshop. A back-mounted device (2 Back slots) that stores Parts and enables field repairs and gear enhancement for the entire squad.

Parts Pool

Capacity: 3 x Rank Parts

Without the Fabricator equipped: Parts are Tiny items (4 fit in 1 Small slot). Carry limit = whatever slots you have.

Restocking:

• R&R: Full restock to capacity (standard resupply)
• Lockdown: Roll Engineering - Rigging vs Mission TL. Success = 50% capacity, Fail = 25% (requires salvageable environment)
• Field Salvage: 1 Action, roll Engineering - Rigging vs Mission TL. Gain +1 Part per 3 points exceeding the TL (this is the existing Rigging skill rule; it plugs straight in)
• Strip for Parts: 1 Action, break down a piece of equipment. Gain 1d4 Parts. Equipment is destroyed.

Jury-Rigging

These are the core of the Rigger's squad support role. They work on anyone's gear, not just the Rigger's. All Jury-Rigging actions are free; no AP cost. They are available to every Rigger with a Fabricator equipped.

Field Patch

Cost: Free
Activation: 1 Action
Parts: 2 Parts
Effect: Restore 1 Quality to a weapon or armour piece, OR restore 1 typed DR to armour.

Rig Repair

Cost: Free
Activation: 6 Action Manoeuvre
Parts: 3 Parts
Effect: Restore 3 SP to your Rig (1 Part per SP).

Jury-Rig Weapon

Cost: Free
Activation: Stim Break or Lockdown (30 min)
Parts: 4 Parts
Effect: Enhance a weapon: +1 Hit. Lasts until the end of the next encounter. One enhancement per weapon. One weapon per tier during a Stim Break, or one per 30 minutes during a Lockdown. Jury-Rig checks use Engineering - Rigging vs Mission TL. Failure = parts spent, enhancement doesn't take. Critical failure = parts spent and item loses 1 Quality.

Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting

Cost: Free
Activation: Stim Break or Lockdown (30 min)
Parts: 4 Parts
Effect: Recalibrate a weapon's sights, balance, or tracking systems. The weapon gains Boon(1) to attack rolls. Lasts until the end of the next encounter. One targeting enhancement per weapon. One weapon per tier during a Stim Break, or one per 30 minutes during a Lockdown. Jury-Rig checks use Engineering - Rigging vs Mission TL. Failure = parts spent, enhancement doesn't take. Critical failure = parts spent and item loses 1 Quality.

Jury-Rig Armour

Cost: Free
Activation: Stim Break or Lockdown (30 min)
Parts: 4 Parts
Effect: Enhance armour: +1 DR (untyped). Lasts until the end of the next encounter. One enhancement per suit. One suit per tier during a Stim Break, or one per 30 minutes during a Lockdown. Jury-Rig checks use Engineering - Rigging vs Mission TL. Failure = parts spent, enhancement doesn't take. Critical failure = parts spent and item loses 1 Quality.

Jury-Rig Special

Cost: Free
Activation: Lockdown (30 min)
Parts: 6 Parts
Effect: Add a special property to a weapon or armour piece (e.g., thermal damage, EMP shielding, sealed environment). Lasts until the end of the operation. GM approval on the effect. One item per 30 minutes during a Lockdown. Jury-Rig checks use Engineering - Rigging vs Mission TL. Failure = parts spent, enhancement doesn't take. Critical failure = parts spent and item loses 1 Quality.

Strip for Parts

Cost: Free
Activation: 1 Action
Effect: Destroy a piece of equipment. Gain 1d4 Parts.

Jury-Rig Limitations:

• Enhancements burn out at the end of the next encounter
• One Jury-Rig enhancement per item (can't stack the same type twice, but Weapon + Weapon Targeting can both apply to the same weapon)
• Quality cap from Rigging skill applies (cannot improve beyond Quality 3)

Rig Fabrication Sub-Tree

The Fabrication Sub-Tree is a separate ability section from the main Ability Tree. All abilities cost AP from the same pool. Fabrication abilities determine what you can build and install on the Rig; the main Ability Tree covers the Rigger's piloting, repair, and combat skills.

All fabrication abilities require Parts to install. Parts are spent once during installation (lockdown or R&R). If you switch to a new frame, installed upgrades must be reinstalled (Parts cost again).

Tier 1 (Ranks 1-3)

Weapon Mount

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 2 Parts to install
Mount: M
Effect: Attach one weapon (up to Medium size) to a Medium or larger mount point. The weapon is fired normally using the operative's combat skills, or using Vehicles - Weapon Systems if the operative prefers. Swap weapons during lockdowns (free) or in the field with Quick Refit (1 min). Can be taken multiple times; each purchase installs one mount module.

Tool Hardpoint

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 2 Parts to install
Mount: S
Effect: Integrate one toolkit into a Small or larger mount point. The toolkit can be operated hands-free while the Rig is powered. Can be taken multiple times; each purchase installs one mount module.

Cargo Rack

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 1 Part to install
Mount: M
Effect: A reinforced external rack attached to a Medium or larger mount point. Adds +4 Small inventory slots to Rig Cargo. Can be taken multiple times; each purchase installs one mount module.

Utility Module

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 1 Part to install
Mount: S
Effect: Install a utility device into a Small or larger mount point: searchlight, winch, grapple launcher, comms booster, or similar. Specify the device at installation. Can be taken multiple times; each purchase installs one mount module with a different device.

Magnetic Clamps

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 2 Parts to install
Frames: Wheeled, Scuttler, Tracked, Bipedal, Tracked Heavy
Effect: Electromagnetic clamps integrated into the Rig's contact surfaces. While active over a metallic hull or surface in zero-G, the Rig maintains contact and can walk at half its base Speed. Has no effect over non-metallic surfaces or in normal gravity. Essential for hull-walking during EVA and zero-G boarding actions.

Armoured Cockpit

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 2 Parts to install
SP: 3
Quality: 4
Mounts: 2S (cameras)
Effect: Enclose the Pilot's Cockpit with armour plating and a heads-up display. The cockpit includes two external cameras mounted on Small mount points, the HUD feeds the pilot a composite view of the battlefield. Attacks targeting the pilot hit the cockpit armour first, damage is applied to the cockpit's SP before the pilot takes any HITS. The Rig's DR and Hardness still apply. If cockpit SP reaches 0, the armour is breached and the pilot is exposed (standard open-frame targeting rules apply). Cockpit SP is repaired via Field Patch or during R&R. The cameras can be targeted independently (standard mount targeting rules), if both cameras are destroyed, the pilot is Blinded until at least one is repaired or replaced.

Cockpit Window

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, Armoured Cockpit, 1 Part to install
Effect: Cut a reinforced viewing port into the Armoured Cockpit. The pilot has direct line of sight and no longer relies on cameras; destroying the cameras does not cause Blinded. The 2S camera mounts are freed up for other modules. The window weakens the cockpit structure: cockpit SP is reduced by 1 (Armoured Cockpit: 2 SP, Reinforced Cockpit: 5 SP).

Scuttler Extra Limbs

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, Scuttler frame, 3 Parts to install
Effect: Extend the Scuttler's chassis from four limbs to six. The additional limbs add +2S mount points, +2 SP, and +2S Rig Cargo. The wider stance improves stability and load distribution across rough terrain.

Shotgun Seat

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 2 Parts to install
Effect: Install a reinforced second seat on the Rig's back. One passenger (Medium size or smaller) rides in the seat, benefiting from the Rig's DR and Hardness (same targeting rules as the pilot, the passenger can be targeted separately from the Rig). The seat occupies the Rig's back slot, cannot be combined with Twin Flight Rotors. Reduces Rig Cargo by 2M.

Shield Generator

Cost: 4 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 3 Parts to install
Mount: M
Effect: A localised shield projector installed in a Medium or larger mount point. Grants +1 DR (untyped). The generator burns out after absorbing 3 Hits and must be recharged during lockdown or R&R. Can be taken multiple times; each purchase installs one mount module.

Enhanced Magnetic Clamps

Cost: 4 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, Magnetic Clamps, 4 Parts to install
Frames: Wheeled, Scuttler, Tracked, Bipedal, Tracked Heavy
Effect: Upgraded electromagnets and articulated contact pads allow the Rig to move at full base Speed while clamped to a metallic surface in zero-G, instead of half Speed.

Vacuum Seal

Cost: 4 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1, 4 Parts to install
Effect: Seal the Rig against hard vacuum with pressurised joints, rad-shielding, and an integrated air supply (4 hours). The Vacuum Seal protects the Rig and any enclosed cockpit (Reinforced Cockpit integrates automatically). With an Armoured Cockpit only, the pilot must wear a spacesuit, the basic enclosure isn't airtight. Without any cockpit armour, the pilot must wear a spacesuit. This is environmental protection only, it does not affect movement in zero-G.

Tier 2 (Ranks 4-6)

Heavy Weapon Mount

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, 4 Parts to install
Mount: L
Effect: Attach one weapon (up to Large size) to a Large mount point. The weapon is fired normally using the operative's combat skills, or using Vehicles - Weapon Systems. Swap weapons during lockdowns (free) or in the field with Quick Refit (1 min). Can be taken multiple times; each purchase installs one mount module.

PSU Mount

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, 4 Parts to install
Mount: L
Effect: A hardwired power supply unit cradle installed in a Large mount point. Mount one PSU into the cradle; its Feeds and E-Cell output are available to the Rig's systems and mounted weapons. The PSU recharges the Back Powercell at a rate equal to the PSU's recharge rate (E-Cells per minute converted to Energy: 1 E-Cell = 2 Energy). A standard PSU (2 E-Cells/min) adds +4 Energy/min to the Rig's recharge rate. The mounted PSU cannot power equipment outside the Rig.

Reinforced Frame

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, 6 Parts to install
Effect: Reinforce the Rig's internal structure with redundant plating and shock-absorbing struts. The Rig gains +8 SP and +1 DR.

Upsized Frame

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Reinforced Frame, 8 Parts to install
Effect: Expand the Rig's chassis to Large size (4m x 4m). The Rig gains +6 SP, +1 DR, +1 Hardness, and +2m melee reach. The Rig no longer fits through standard doorways and corridors. Cannot be combined with Anti-Grav or Mag Lift frames.

Expanded Cockpit

Cost: 4 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Upsized Frame, Tracked Heavy or Wheeled frame, 4 Parts to install
Effect: Widen the Pilot's Cockpit to seat two operatives. The co-pilot can operate mounted weapons, use Rig systems, or act independently. Can be taken twice, the second purchase expands the Shotgun Seat to also seat two (requires Shotgun Seat). On Tracked Heavy or Wheeled frames, both cockpits can optionally be housed inside the main chassis, internal passengers benefit from Armoured/Reinforced Cockpit SP instead of standard open-frame targeting. The rear seat can remain exterior if preferred. Reduces Rig Cargo by 2S per purchase.

Shotgun Seat Heavy Mount

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Shotgun Seat, 4 Parts to install
Mount: L
Effect: A stabilised heavy weapon mount integrated into the Shotgun Seat. The passenger operates one weapon (up to Large size) from the elevated rear position. The stabilisation cradle and dedicated targeting optics grant Boon 2 to attack rolls and +1 Hit to damage with the mounted weapon. The weapon is fired using the passenger's combat skills or Vehicles - Weapon Systems.

Reinforced Cockpit

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Armoured Cockpit, 4 Parts to install
SP: 6
Quality: 4
Effect: Upgrade the Armoured Cockpit with heavier plating and reinforced framing. Cockpit SP increases to 6 (replaces Armoured Cockpit SP). Integrates with Vacuum Seal; the enclosed cockpit is sealed against hostile environments without the pilot needing a spacesuit. If cockpit SP reaches 0, the armour is breached: the pilot is exposed (standard open-frame targeting rules), the cockpit requires repair, and the Vacuum Seal is broken until the cockpit is restored.

Scuttler Climbing Rig

Cost: 4 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Scuttler frame, Magnetic Clamps, 4 Parts to install
Effect: Specialised climbing gear exploiting the Scuttler's multi-legged design. The Rig can walk on walls and ceilings at full Speed over any surface; metallic or otherwise. In zero-G, functions as Enhanced Magnetic Clamps for free (does not require that ability separately). Scuttler frame only.

Scuttler Advanced Limbs

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Scuttler frame, Scuttler Extra Limbs, 5 Parts to install
Effect: Extend the Scuttler's chassis from six limbs to eight. The additional limbs add +2S mount points, +1 Hardness, and +2S Rig Cargo. The eight-legged configuration distributes impact across more contact points, allowing the frame to shrug off minor hits.

Twin Flight Rotors

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Extra Action (toggle on/off on your turn)
Requires: Tier 2, Bipedal frame, 6 Parts to install
Effect: A pair of heavy-lift rotors mounted on the Rig's back. While active, the Rig gains sustained atmospheric flight at its base Speed. Consumes 10 Energy per round. The rotors occupy the Rig's back slot; cannot be combined with Cockpit. Rotors require atmosphere to function; in environments with no air, see Thruster Conversion. The Rig can hover in place at no additional cost while rotors are active.

Thruster Conversion

Cost: 4 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Twin Flight Rotors, 4 Parts to install
Effect: Auxiliary chemical thrusters supplement the rotors, taking over primary thrust in environments with no atmosphere. The Rig can fly in vacuum and airless environments at its base Speed for the same Energy cost (10 per round). Requires Vacuum Seal for the operator's survival in actual vacuum, but functions independently for airless-but-pressurised environments.

Zero-G Calibration

Cost: 4 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Mag Lift frame, 4 Parts to install
Effect: Recalibrate the Mag Lift's magnetic field generators for zero-G operation. The Rig can manoeuvre freely in zero-G environments at its base Speed. Consumes 10 Energy per round while in zero-G. Over metallic surfaces in zero-G, the Mag Lift operates at no Energy cost as normal.

Weapon Energy Tap

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, 4 Parts to install
Effect: Hardwire Rig-mounted weapons into the Back Powercell. Mounted weapons draw Energy from the Rig instead of consuming E-Cells from the operative's PSU. Each E-Cell equivalent costs 2 Energy from the Back Powercell. Only applies to weapons installed in Weapon Mounts or Heavy Weapon Mounts.

Tier 3 (Ranks 7-10)

Cockpit Shielding

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: 1 Action (toggle on/off)
Requires: Tier 3, 10 Parts to install
Energy: 5 per round
Effect: Project a localised shield envelope around the Pilot's Cockpit. While active, attacks targeting the pilot hit the Rig instead, depleting SP as normal. The pilot cannot be targeted separately while Cockpit Shielding is active. The shielding deactivates automatically if the Rig reaches 0 SP or the Energy Pool is empty; the pilot becomes targetable again (standard open-frame rules apply). Reduces Rig Cargo by 2S.

Hardened Frame

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Reinforced Frame, 10 Parts to install
Effect: Further harden the Rig with composite layering and impact-diffusion systems. The Rig gains an additional +10 SP, +1 DR, and +1 Hardness.

Enhanced Power Cell

Cost: 8 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, 6 Parts to install
Effect: Upgrade the Back Powercell with a high-density capacitor bank. Energy capacity increases to 150 (from 100). Recharge rate increases to 20 Energy per minute outside combat (from 10).

Advanced Shield Array

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Shield Generator, 8 Parts to install
Mount: M
Effect: Upgrade the Shield Generator with self-repairing capacitor banks. The shield no longer burns out after 3 Hits; it absorbs up to 5 Hits before depletion and recharges 1 Hit per round of not being struck. Grants +2 DR (untyped) instead of +1. Replaces the Shield Generator in its mount (does not require an additional mount point). Only one Advanced Shield Array may be installed.

Weapons Platform

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Heavy Weapon Mount, 8 Parts to install
Effect: Synchronise the Rig's targeting systems across multiple mounts. You may fire two Rig-mounted weapons in a single Action instead of one, each attack is resolved separately. The weapons must be installed in Weapon Mounts or Heavy Weapon Mounts. Covers don't count twice, a single target can only benefit from cover once regardless of the number of attacks.

Scuttler Siege Frame

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: 1 Action (toggle on/off)
Requires: Tier 3, Scuttler frame, Scuttler Advanced Limbs, 8 Parts to install
Effect: Lock the eight-limbed Scuttler into a braced siege configuration. While braced: Speed 0, +2 DR, +1 Hardness, and all Rig-mounted weapons gain Boon(1) to attack rolls. The Scuttler digs its limbs into the surface for maximum stability; it cannot be moved, pushed, or knocked prone while braced. Exiting siege mode costs 1 Action. Scuttler frame only.

Afterburner

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Extra Action
Requires: Tier 3, Twin Flight Rotors, Thruster Conversion, 8 Parts to install
Energy: 20 per use
Effect: Boost flight speed to double base Speed for 1 round. Can be used once per round. Additionally, standard atmospheric flight (Twin Flight Rotors) no longer costs Energy; only boosted flight and vacuum thrust consume Energy. The rotors are permanently hot; the afterburner just makes them angry.

Reactor Overcharge

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Enhanced Power Cell, PSU Mount, 10 Parts to install
Effect: The Rig's power systems hit critical mass. Energy capacity increases to 200 (replaces Enhanced Power Cell's 150). Recharge rate increases to 30 Energy per minute outside combat (replaces Enhanced Power Cell's 20). Additionally, while the Energy Pool is above 150, the Rig Shield activates for free (no Energy cost per round). The reactor hums. Everything hums. You learn to love the hum.

Ability Tree

All Rigger abilities are purchased with Ability Points (AP) during R&R.

Tier 1 (Ranks 1-3)

Field Repair

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 1
Frequency: At will
Effect: Perform emergency repairs on any mechanical system. Restore 5 Structure Points to a vehicle, fix a malfunctioning system, or get a disabled device working temporarily. Proper repairs may still be needed later.

Grease Monkey

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: You perform basic mechanical repairs in half the normal time. Routine maintenance, part swaps, and diagnostic checks that would take others an hour take you thirty minutes. Stacks with the Quick Fix rigging trick (half of half = quarter time). Time saved is fuel earned.

Vehicle Intuition

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: You can determine a vehicle's condition and identify any mechanical problems just by listening to it run. No diagnostic scanner needed; your ears are the scanner. You automatically detect hidden faults, sabotage, or imminent failures.

Emergency Start

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 1
Frequency: At will
Effect: Get any vehicle running for at least 10 minutes, regardless of its current condition. The vehicle operates at minimum capacity; it moves, but don't expect miracles. After 10 minutes, the jury-rig fails unless you make proper repairs.

Fuel Efficiency

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Vehicles you personally maintain use 25% less fuel. Your engine tuning, intake calibration, and obsessive tinkering squeeze every drop of performance from every drop of fuel. On long hauls, this is the difference between arriving and floating.

Evasive Manoeuvres

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: When piloting, you gain Boon(1) to checks made to avoid collisions, obstacles, and environmental hazards. You read terrain and traffic the way other people read faces; instinctively.

Efficient Stripping

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: You know exactly where the good parts are. When using Strip for Parts, gain 1d6 Parts instead of 1d4. Additionally, you can strip a piece of equipment as an Extra Action once per round instead of an Action. Stacks with the Salvage Master rigging trick (+2 bonus parts on top of the improved die).

Improved Field Patch

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Field Patch restores 2 Quality instead of 1, OR restores 2 typed DR instead of 1. Parts cost remains 2.

Improved Rig Repair

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Rig Repair now restores 6 SP instead of 3 (6 Actions, 6 Parts).

Improved Jury-Rig Weapon

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: You can jury-rig two weapons per tier during a Stim Break instead of one, or two per 30 minutes during a Lockdown.

Improved Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: You can jury-rig targeting on two weapons per tier during a Stim Break instead of one, or two per 30 minutes during a Lockdown.

Improved Jury-Rig Armour

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: You can jury-rig two suits of armour per tier during a Stim Break instead of one, or two per 30 minutes during a Lockdown.

Improved Jury-Rig Special

Cost: 2 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 1
Effect: Jury-Rig Special can now be performed during a Stim Break (one per tier) in addition to Lockdown.

Tier 2 (Ranks 4-6)

Pilot's Touch

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: Gain Boon(1) to all Piloting checks. When operating a vehicle you've personally maintained, gain Boon(2) instead. Vehicles under your control gain Boost to their Armour Factor.

Overcharge

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 2
Frequency: At will
Effect: Push a vehicle or mechanical system beyond its limits. Choose one: double speed for 1 round, deal +1 Hit with vehicle weapons for 1 attack, or boost shields to absorb the next 3 Hits. After the effect ends, the system loses 2 Structure Points. Red-lining: where the fun starts.

Combat Pilot

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: You gain Boost to attack rolls while piloting a vehicle. Your understanding of vehicle dynamics translates directly into weapons accuracy; you know where the vehicle will be, so you know where to aim.

Damage Control

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Extra Action (your vehicle takes a critical hit)
Requires: Tier 2
Frequency: Once per encounter
Effect: Negate a critical hit against a vehicle you are piloting or crewing. You reroute power, seal breaches, and compensate for the damage before it cascades. The hit still connects, but the critical effect is cancelled.

Push the Limits

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: 1 Action
Requires: Tier 2
Frequency: Once per encounter
Effect: Exceed a vehicle's maximum speed by 50% for 1 round. The vehicle groans, the instruments redline, and you grin. After the round ends, the vehicle loses 1 Structure Point from the strain.

Quick Refit

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Extended Action (1 minute)
Requires: Tier 2
Frequency: At will
Effect: Swap vehicle weapons or modules in 1 minute instead of the standard 10. Your practiced hands and intimate knowledge of modular systems let you reconfigure a vehicle's loadout mid-mission. Requires access to replacement modules.

Shipboard Systems

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: Life support, navigation, and sensor systems you maintain gain Boost to their function checks. Your meticulous calibration keeps everything running above spec. Crew morale improves when the air recycler actually works.

Advanced Field Patch

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Improved Field Patch
Effect: Field Patch now restores 3 Quality or 3 typed DR. Additionally, Field Patch can be performed as an Extra Action once per round instead of an Action.

Advanced Rig Repair

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Improved Rig Repair
Effect: Unlocks a 9 Action Manoeuvre Rig Repair that restores 12 SP for 12 Parts.

Advanced Jury-Rig Weapon

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Improved Jury-Rig Weapon
Effect: Jury-Rig Weapon grants +2 Hits instead of +1.

Advanced Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Improved Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting
Effect: Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting grants Boon(2) to attack rolls instead of Boon(1).

Advanced Jury-Rig Armour

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Improved Jury-Rig Armour
Effect: Jury-Rig Armour grants +2 DR (untyped) instead of +1.

Advanced Jury-Rig Special

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Improved Jury-Rig Special
Effect: You may apply two special properties to a single item instead of one.

Master Stripper

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2, Efficient Stripping
Effect: Strip for Parts gains 1d8 Parts instead of 1d6. You can strip up to two pieces of equipment as Extra Actions per round instead of one.

Parts Efficiency

Cost: 6 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 2
Effect: All Parts costs for Jury-Rigging actions and Rig Repair are halved (round up). Field Patch costs 1 Part, Rig Repair costs 1 Part per 2 SP restored, and Jury-Rig enhancements cost 2 Parts instead of 4. Your intimate knowledge of materials means nothing goes to waste.

Tier 3 (Ranks 7-10)

Master Mechanic

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: You can perform repairs without proper tools (no penalty). Your repairs are permanent unless the system takes additional damage. You can salvage parts from any wreckage to repair other vehicles. Stacks with the Welding Expert rigging trick; no tool penalty from Master Mechanic plus the +1d6 Boon from Welding Expert. Spit and solder, elevated to an art form.

Miracle Worker

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Extended Action (10 minutes)
Requires: Tier 3
Frequency: Once per Mission
Effect: Bring a completely destroyed vehicle back online. The vehicle operates at 50% capacity but is functional. Alternatively, enhance a working vehicle to operate at 150% capacity for the remainder of the mission. They said it couldn't be done. They were wrong.

Ace Pilot

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: Once per encounter, you may reroll any failed Piloting check and take the new result. Additionally, you gain Boon(1) to all vehicle-based attack and defence rolls. At this level, the vehicle is an extension of your body.

Living Vehicle

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: Your bonded vehicle responds to voice commands, anticipates your needs, and seems almost alive. It can perform basic autonomous actions (start, drive to a location, evade threats) without you at the controls. The bond is forged through countless hours of maintenance and shared near-death experiences.

Fabricator

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Extended Action (30 minutes)
Requires: Tier 3
Frequency: At will
Effect: Build replacement parts from raw materials in the field. Given scrap metal, salvage, or even unrelated mechanical components, you fabricate functional parts for any vehicle or mechanical system. Stacks with the Mad Scientist rigging trick, Mad Scientist provides the creative concept, Fabricator provides the raw material generation. Combined, you can conceive and build impossible devices from scrap. No supply chain required, you are the supply chain.

One With the Machine

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3
Effect: While piloting, you feel damage to the vehicle as though it were your own body; and you respond accordingly. You gain Advantage on all Piloting checks and evasive vehicle manoeuvres. However, when the vehicle takes Structure Point damage, you take 1 Hit from sympathetic neural feedback. The connection cuts both ways.

Legendary Mechanic

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Extended Action (10 minutes)
Requires: Tier 3
Frequency: Once per mission
Effect: Fully restore a vehicle from 0 Structure Points to maximum capacity. The vehicle is completely repaired; hull integrity, systems, weapons, everything. This goes beyond repair into something that looks a lot like resurrection. Riggers don't name their ships, but they whisper to the engines anyway.

Master Field Patch

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Advanced Field Patch
Effect: Field Patch restores all lost Quality to a weapon or armour piece, OR restores all lost typed DR to armour. Parts cost reduced to 1.

Master Rig Repair

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Advanced Rig Repair
Effect: Unlocks a 12 Action Manoeuvre Rig Repair that restores SP to full (1 Part per SP restored).

Expert Salvager

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Master Stripper
Effect: Strip for Parts gains 1d10 Parts instead of 1d8. You can strip up to three pieces of equipment as Extra Actions per round. Additionally, you can strip vehicle-scale wreckage and large machinery for 2d6 Parts (1 Action). Stacks with the Resourceful Scavenger rigging trick; Resourceful Scavenger finds parts where there are none, Expert Salvager strips at vehicle scale. Combined, you can scavenge in any environment at any scale.

Master Jury-Rig Weapon

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Advanced Jury-Rig Weapon
Effect: Jury-Rig Weapon grants +3 Hits instead of +2. Enhancement lasts until the end of the mission instead of the next encounter.

Master Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Advanced Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting
Effect: Jury-Rig Weapon Targeting grants Boon(3) to attack rolls instead of Boon(2). Enhancement lasts until the end of the mission instead of the next encounter.

Master Jury-Rig Armour

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Advanced Jury-Rig Armour
Effect: Jury-Rig Armour grants +3 DR (untyped) instead of +2. Enhancement lasts until the end of the mission instead of the next encounter.

Master Jury-Rig Special

Cost: 10 AP
Activation: Passive
Requires: Tier 3, Advanced Jury-Rig Special
Effect: You may apply three special properties to a single item instead of two. Three items per tier during a Stim Break instead of one.

"The readout says fine. The engine says otherwise. Believe the engine."

— Grease, FOFT