TL8 Gadgeteers and TL12 Genetic Engineering

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by whswhs

There seems to be no question of propositional logic applying here. The statement in the rules is "If you create an invention one TL higher than your current TL the cost is multiplied x10." There is no "if" term for "you create an invention two TLs higher than your current TL." Therefore there is no rule in that case; the cost is not defined.

If your current TL is 8, and you create a TL9 invention, your current TL does not become 9; you seem to be assuming the contrary, but there is nothing in the rules to justify this.

But the book does not say that the inventor pays x10 as much, it just says that as an optional rule, a government agent or similar character can have access to experimental biological modifications from one TL higher. It is just an alternative to buying High TL+1 or Unusual Background (Inventor Friend).

[Pmandrekar]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

So, I was wondering if you would allow a TL8 gadgeteer to create a TL12 genetically engineered superhuman? A 500 point genetically engineered template with radical species modifications would have a base value of $600,000 (making it a Complex 'gadget'). The facility would cost $2.25 million ($250,000 plus $500,000*4) while the cost of the genetically engineered superhuman would be $18 million (meaning that the project would be well within the budget of a TL8 Gadgeteer with Multimillionaire 2). Of course, a TL12 metamorphic virus could cost the gadgeteer only $12 million to produce (plus $2.25 million in facility costs), but the recipient of the metamorphic virus might not be as loyal as someone that the gadgeteer raise from infancy, and the gadgeteer would need to invent the template in the first place anyway.

Biological gadgeteers could actually be an interesting source of 'realistic' superheroes. If they created TL12 metamorphic viruses, they could potentially infect humans with any biomod and/or racial template that they had already invented. Imagine the chaos that could occur if they produce a plague version of a TL12 metamorphic virus in an attempt to cause a biological singularity or to uplift an entire species of animals?

So, I would normally not allow this as a GM, but I can see a few circumstances where this kind of thing (building something several TL's above campaign TL) might be allowed.

If you were running an X-Com Style campaign, where the SpecOps and scientists get Alien tech back to their base, and then deconstruct it, then, maybe they could get some insights into how this would happen several TL's above their level.

Alternatively, I can envision running a game where one 'Mad' Scientist starts and builds up in one very specific area, but even there, I would have the Scientist/Gadgeteer build up from TL8 slowly. This kind of jump, even in a cinematic campaign is the stuff of one's entire career. 30 years for Doc Brown to go from 1955 to DeLorean Based Time travel, even from a concept that would make it possible.

I am speaking from some personal experience. 20 years in a field that has moved quickly, and there are probably hundreds of us actively doing research and we've moved the needle since 1998 in Forensic DNA tech, but not really a whole TL.

-P