In the world of Ground Zero, technology levels vary greatly. Some characters and groups will be little more than animalistic humanoids or primitive tribesmen, while others might possess an understanding of advanced ancient technologies. The tech levels described below are designed to manage the technology of characters in the campaign. These tech levels by themselves do not grant additional abilities, but rather open up opportunities to learn or use technological skills and talents.
Starting tech levels are specified by a character’s background. Characters may the Tech Familiarity talent to decrease their tech level penalties, or select the Tech Increase talent to improve their tech level. Advanced-tech characters may select the various Technology Craft talents, which allow the construction of high-tech items such as blaster weapons and advanced medicines. (These are all class talents for the thinker.)
(Note that in the Tribal Defenders campaign, all PCs have the tribal or feral backgrounds and are forbidden from selecting the Technology talent tree, at least to start. You're stuck with Primitive-Tech for now.)
The restrictions outlined below supercede any class benefits. If a class grants a restricted class skill or ability, the character ignores those benefits until he possesses the proper tech level that allows access to it.
A primitive-tech character has the ability to understand pre-industrial technologies. Examples include archaic weapons, blacksmithing, carpentry, herbal medicines, leatherworking, and stonemasonry.
Benefits: None.
Restrictions: A primitive-tech character cannot take ranks in the following skills: Craft (Electronic, Mechanical), Knowledge (Science), and Operate Computer.
The Disable Device, Operate Vehicle, and Repair skills can be learned, but characters suffer penalties when using them on retro-tech or higher items. The character may also use the Craft (Chemical) and Treat Injury skills, but he can only use primitive natural medicines (juju), and is unable to create modern pharmaceuticals or perform surgery. Likewise, Knowledge (Mutant Lore) only covers working knowledge, but not genetics. The Use Technology can be used to figure out retro-tech or higher items.
The following talents cannot be selected by primitive characters: Armour Proficiency (Power Armour), Weapon Proficiency (Basic Firearms, Advanced Firearms, Exotic Firearms, Basic Blasters, Advanced Blasters, Exotic Blasters), and the various Technology Craft talents.
A retro-tech character has the ability to understand some modern technologies. Examples include basic mechanics, modern firearms, and physical sciences. This does not mean the character can learn how to create such technologies, but it does mean he may learn how to use or repair them.
Benefits: A retro-tech character may take ranks in the following skills: Craft (Mechanical), Drive, and Knowledge (Science). The Knowledge (Mutant Lore) skill can be used to its full extent.
Restrictions: The character cannot take ranks in the Craft (Electronics) and Computer Use skills. The Disable Device and Repair skills can be selected, but characters still suffer penalties when using them on advanced-tech items. Some advanced aspects of the Craft (Chemical) and Treat Injury skills are not available. The Use Technology can be used to figure out advanced-tech or higher items.
The following talents cannot be selected by retro-tech characters: Armour Proficiency (Power Armour), Weapon Proficiency (Basic Blasters, Advanced Blasters, Exotic Blasters) and the various Technology Craft talents.
An advanced-tech character not only has the ability to understand the secrets of the Ancients, given sufficient training and resources he can even learn to create such lost technologies.
Benefits: The character has access to all skills and may use them to their full extent.
The character can also select many restricted talents, including Armour Proficiency (Power Armour), Weapon Proficiency (Basic Firearms, Advanced Firearms, Exotic Firearms, Basic Blasters, Advanced Blasters, Exotic Blasters), and the various Technology Craft talents.
Restrictions: Not many; the Use Technology skill is less useful to Advanced-Tech characters since they are already familiar with most technological items.
The Age of Wonders produced forms of technology that were beyond anything created before or since. Nano-tech is the best example of this level of advancenment - for all intents and purposes, it is indistinguishable from magic. Unfortunately, the capability to produce wonder-tech artifacts no longer exists in the world of Ground Zero.
Benefits and Restrictions: The benefits of wonder-tech are nearly without limit; unfortately characters are completely restricted from gaining this level of technology. It would be a campaign unto itself to relearn even one aspect of the secrets that are now lost.
The following talents represent various technological disciplines that advanced characters may use in conjunciton with the Craft skill. They are considered class talents for the thinker. These talents are intended to control access to the broad range of wondrous technologies left behind by the Ancients. Characters without these talents cannot craft the items listed below (although they may modify or repair existing items).
Unlike most talents, most Technology Craft talents have skill prerequisites that must be met before they can be selected.
Note that some forms of technology (such as energy weapons, power armour, advanced bio-tech, and nano-tech) are so complicated that they are beyond the reach of advanced characters, even with Technology Craft talents.
(I've got to finish this section someday.)
Throughout the campaign, characters will have to interact with artifacts or situations from a higher tech level than their own. In such cases, the character will have to succeed a Use Technology check against a DC set by the GM, depending on the complexity of the device. (Characters without ranks in Use Technology must make an untrained skill check.)
Characters suffer a penalty of -4 to all tech-related skill attempts (such as Craft (Mechanical or Electrical), Disable Device, or Repair) per tech level difference. In many situations, the GM may disallow the skill check entirely (a primitive character trying to repair power armour, for example). (Scavengers with the Trapfinding special ability do not take a tech level penalty when disarming high-tech traps, and the thinker's Tech Familiarity talent decreases the penalty to -2 per tech level difference.)
Important Note: Tech level penalties apply to skill checks only, not attack rolls made with high-tech weapons such as firearms and blasters. In this case, primitive characters will still receive the -4 non-proficiency adjustment (-2 for enforcers), but suffer no additional penalties.