How does the Gadgeteer Advantage work?

[kevperrine]

From our recent game session.
My group and I are not sure from the wording on the Gadgeteer Advantage.

Gadgeteer: You do not use the same * of equipment at all times, but are always making new equipment for yourself to meet specific needs. Once per issue you can invent (you must successfully use the Science skill), build (you must successfully use the Technology skill), and use a new piece of equipment. To do this, one piece of your normal equipment must be replaced by the new piece. The point value of the new piece must be equal or less than the old piece. Similarly, you could build two or even three weaker devices to replace a more powerful one.

It specifically says normal equipment but then it also talks about "point value". But normal equipment does NOT have "point values".

Does it mean... If I have points with the Gadget Limitation - I can rearrange THAT Gadget (power) points once a game
OR
Is it suppose to just be equipment that you can make do simple, non-power things?

Also... What if the Gadgeteer character FINDS or RECOVERS a piece of equipment (either a Villain's gear/equipment or something from an NPC or plot item piece of equipment). Can THAT item be subject to the Gadgeteer rule to change around points for the Issue?

For Example: In last evening's issue. Gorilla X captured the villain, named Architect's, remote training device. The device is a special piece of equipment with these abilities:

ARCHITECT'S AWESOME TRAINING CUBE [Total Cost: 27pts]

Stats [10pts]
AGILITY 4
No BRAWN (it had: 40 Hits, 10 Soak)
No MIND (although Architect could contest rolls to hack the device remotely)

POWERS:
Hovering 1 [1pt]
Invisibility 5 (LINKED: Illusion 3) [8pts]
Telepath 3 (L: wireless audio/video communications) [2pts]
Special Attack "Self Destruct" Area Medium Burst, Dmg x4 [6pts]

So could Gorilla X take that captured device (that he did an Extended Check vs. Architect to control and disarm) and use Gadgeteer to rearrange the points as his own Gadget? (if so, I'd assume that it "goes away" at the end of the Story Arc? Or would it be at the end of the Issue?)



Anyway...
We're not sure about any of that.
So...
How does this work exactly for a heavily Gadget focused character? Examples?

thanks!
-kev-

[BASHMAN]

Kev- the updated version of Gadgeteer in the new printing allows you to a lot more stuff. You can use "power tricks" to get a single-use item on your person, you can spend Hero Points / take setbacks to build an invention instead of cannibalizing your existing tech (but that is still an option).

[Dustland]

I prefer to use Conjuring to simuate Gadgeteering. I find Gadgeteering to be too vague.

As to cannabalizing someone else's power, I'd allow it for cinematic reasons only (i.e. using the villain's death ray on himself when no other attacks seem effective), or by spending some Hero Points as a power stunt.

But once again, I prefer Conjuring.

[BASHMAN]

Conjuring 5 <Requires> is an excellent way to do inventing. For a Reed Richards or Brainiac 5 type character this is exactly what I would do in fact.

But you could do that AND have Gadgeteer Advantage and still get use out of both.