Random Factories(Roll Charts)
Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2017 9:20 am
Random Factories For Rifts Earth(Random Roll Charts)
“We only produce one Cosmo-Egg a year, but our order book is booked for the next thirty years. Business couldn’t be better!”
“We produced fifty thousand three hundred and twenty five units last quarter, and we’re expecting to make sixty thousand units this year, and seventy-five thousand units next year, but to do that we’ll need to add at least five hundred new biologicals to the assembly lines, with a factored-in on-the-job attrition rate of fifteen percent over the next quarter. Given the decline in recruitment from the ‘burbs, we’ll need to acquire most of the new biologicals from outside slaver---ahem, indentureship contractors. Yes, the cost of engaging their services will be more than covered with our projected profits, so no real concerns there.”
“Yeah, our cigars are hand-rolled by zombies! Gives the Deathstick-brand that signature tang of formaldehyde! Here, have one on the house!”
“Welcome to Smogville! What do we make here? What? Can’t you tell? We make smog here!”
“The Enemy Doesn’t Take Paid Vacations! Every Extra Minute of Hard Work You Put In On the Job Is An Extra Minute In the Service of Humanity!”
---Work Slogan, CS Warplant
The actual MAKING of goods and products has long been seen as a sign of industrial civilization, and many a community rates its prosperity by the number of factories that it can boast. Here’s a few guideline roll-charts for building random factories.
(Note: I’ve chosen NOT to cover in the charts the means for generating slave-labor factories which are a very real concern in Rifts Earth. The following covers standard-model capitalist factories and PAID employees. However, a GM wanting to generate a forced-labor industrial complex or set up an Oskar Schindler situation can use the following easily enough)
a) Sponsorship
“We were failing until Chi-Town stepped in and offered to modernize us. No, we still manage the factory and run the work, Chi-Town hardly interferes at all. Only thing they ask is for some factory floor space and to keep our noses out of what they do with it.”
Factories represent a massive investment which is often beyond the resources of most individuals; finding a sponsor or investor helps defray startup and upkeep costs. However, it may also mean giving up a degree of control of the factory.
01-30% Private---The factory is owned by an individual or family. +10% on Community Relations.
31-50% Corporation ---A larger organization with shareholders runs the factory. +15% on Budget.
51-65% Community---The local community runs the factory as a municipal asset. +5% on Labor Relations, +20% on Community Relations, +15% to Pollution.
66-75% State---The local government runs the factory as a state asset. +10% on Budget, +10% on Transportation.
76-80% Major Nation---The factory is a nationalized asset of a major government such as the Coalition States, Free Quebec, Ichto, etc. In the case of the New German Republic, chances are 50/50 that the factory is operated by Triax, which IS the NGR. +20% to Security Rolls, +25% on Product Type, +15% to Transportation, +15% on Budget.
81-00% Organized Crime---The factory is owned and operated by the Black Market or other organized crime syndicate. Depending on the products being made, these can be sweatshops filled with unhappy slaves, or highly specialized production facilities staffed by elite talents cozened by the BM for their skills. +10% on Security, +5% on Transportation, -15% on Safety.
b) History:
“As long as there’s been a Howelton, there’s been the Mills. If the Mills ever shut down, I tell you that Howelton will cease to be inside a year.”
How old is the factory?
01-25% Ancient---The factory’s been there and likely operating for longer than most people can remember; 7d6x10 years. Whether it’s been continuously operating all that time, or was fairly recently rediscovered and reopened. -5% to Safety.
26-75% Modern---The factory’s been around for about 1d6x10 years, and has likely seen a number of overhauls and upgrades.
76-00% New Construction---The factory is brand-spanking new, and has been at its current location less than 2d4 years.
c) Size:
“Man, look at the floor space here! Anybody starve to death trying to walk from one end of the building to the other?”
Employee-wise, how big is the factory?
01-10% Tiny---2d4x10
11-25% Small---3d6x10
25-55% Modest---1d4x100
56-90% Large---3d6x100
90-00% Massive: 2d6x1,000---Outposts this large generally represent a MAJOR investment of corporate resources and are akin to small towns. The enclave probably turns out multiple forms of a single product(like an automobile plant), or may have three or four different products being produced simultaneously(like television sets, radios, and small electric motors).
d) Products:
”WE MAKE JACKHAMMERS HERE!!!! WHAT?! I SAID, WE MAKE JACKHAMMERS HERE!!!!”
What does the Factory produce?
01-30% Agricultural---The factory is a processing center for organic materials, filtering, refining, and packaging them. This covers slaughterhouses, grain mills, and distilleries.
31-70% Domestic ---Everyday civilian goods
71-91% Industrial---Equipment and materials for industry and heavy infrastructure.
91-00% Military---Military equipment and weapons systems
Products(Agricultural)
01-10 Ranching(Meat)---Animals raised for meat(and skins); pigs, cattle, poultry, and the like.
11-20 Ranching(Dairy)---Animals raised to be milked; cows, goats, camels, and the like. The factory is a dairy mill, processing milk and bottling it, or making cheese.
21-25 Ranching(Fiber)---Sheep, rabbits, alpaca, chinchilla, and the equivalent. The factory is a spinning and dying mill.
26-30 Fish Farming/Aquaculture---Be it wild-caught fish or vat-raised shellfish. The factory slices, preserves, and packages the meat for sale.
31-35 Orchard/Fruit---Citrus, apples, bananas, pineapple, you name it. Sidelines include juicing mills.
36-44 Materials---Timber, bamboo, rubber, paper pulp, etc.
45-66 Feed Grains----The daily bread; corn, wheat, cassava, etc. Includes at the end large-scale industrial bakeries.
67-70 Vegetables---Everything else, from lettuce to potatoes. The factory packages (cans/freezes) them.
71-76 Distillation Stock---The crops grown at the outpost are meant to provide feed for distillation and/or fermentation; corn, wheat, sugar cane, grapes. Can be simple milling and pressing, or can include full-process distilling.
77-80 Fiber---The crops provide feed stock for fiber; cotton, hemp, jute, and the like.
80-95 Chemical Feed stocks---Lubricants; cottonseed, rapeseed, linseed, etc.
95-97 Spices---Pepper, cumin, cloves, saffron, ginger, etc.
98-00% Pharmaceuticals---Drugs; be they narcotics or medicinal
Products(Domestic)
01-15% Commercial/Consumer Electronics----From television sets and stereos to personal computers and cellphones, this factory makes stuff for the civilian market.
16-20% Home Plastics---Toys, plastic ware, tarps, plastic bags and the like.
21-30% Spare Parts(Vehicular)---Not whole vehicles, but all those little parts that are assembled elsewhere into whole vehicles; windshields, seats, tires, gaskets, screws, bolts, etc.
31-40% Vehicles(Civilian)----Motor scooters, cars, trucks, fire engines, forklifts, yachts, personal planes? The factory produces them.
41-43% Civilian Robotics---Home automata like robotic floor cleaners, home security sensors, low-end commercial exoskeletons.
44-47% Commercial Cybernetics---Synthetic tissues, organ replacements, sensory implants, cosmetic implants; this is the openly available artificial body part stuff.
48-55% Ceramics---Kitchenware, pottery, bathroom furnishings, decorative ceramics; this is the place with the kilns,
56-70% Textiles----The factory makes fabrics, thread, carpets and/or finished clothing
71-75% Furnishings---Heavy furniture; chairs, tables, beds, bureaus.
76-80% Heavy Appliances----Stoves, washing machines, refrigerators, kitchen sinks, etc.
81-85% Glass---Windows, glassware, light bulbs, fiberglass.
86-90% Pharmaceuticals---The factory turns out drugs and other medical supplies, such as surgical equipment.
91-00% Agricultural Equipment---Plowshares, harvesters, tractors, garden tools
Products(Industrial)
01-10% Tools--Handheld tools from precision wrenches to laser drills.
11-20% Machine Equipment---Floor-mount machine tools and processing equipment
21-25% Industrial Robotics---Mainly static-mount factory automata.
26-27% Industrial Bionics---Tool arms, exoframes, an d the like(this incidentally also includes slave borg gear).
28-30% Industrial Substrates---Component materials such as adhesives/abrasives, composite fibers,
31-40% Processed Metals----Rolls of sheet steel, ingots, wire, pig iron, machined metals.
41-50% Construction Supplies----From ready-mix concrete to finished wood paneling and prefab housing, the factory makes something to make something else out of.
51-55% Electrical Supplies---Superconductors, batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, transmission wire, switches, insulators, transformers, all the widgets and wiring needed for an electrified society
56-60% Liquid Fuels---Refineries, turning out everything from gasoline and biodiesel to liquified natural gas and more exotic substances.
61-62% Fissionable Fuels---Refined uranium, plutonium, and the like, processed for use.
63-64% Fusionable Fuels---Deuterium, Helium-3, and other similar fuels are refined and packaged for use.
65-70% Engines(small)----Internal combustion, electrical, or nuclear engines for products ranging from lawnmowers and small boats up to cars and small aircraft.
71-72% Engines(large)--From jet engines to spacecraft propulsion; these are the big movers.
73-75% Powerplants(large)---These are big stationary generators for powering communities, factories, or military installations.
76-80%Vehicles(Heavy)---Industrial vehicles, from trucks and earthmoving equipment, to commercial aircraft , trains, and ships.
81-89% Industrial Chemicals/Materials---This can include paper, cardboard, styrofoam, lubricants, liquid nitrogen, waxes, polymers, plastics, and the like.
90-93% Industrial Chemicals(Hazardous)---This includes acids, bases, and similar concentrated and poisonous industrial materials.
94-97% Commercial Megadamage Materials--Typically this is described as materials too bulky or time-consuming in setting to be effective in combat applications,
98-00% GM’s choice(technowizardry, combinations of the above)
Products(Military)
01-15%Military-Grade Megadamage Materials
16-25% Body Armor
26-30% Military Bionics
31-40% Small Arms----Personal weapons are produced by this factory.
41-50% Military Electronics---Milgrade sensors, communications gear, jamming systems and avionics.
51-60% Weapons Assemblies(vehicular)---The guns that are too big to be man-carried are manufactured here.
61-70% Vehicles(Military)---APCs, tanks, fighters, warships; the factory is part of the arsenal of state.
61-65% Robots(small)----Can be semi-automous combat robots, or power armors.
71-75%Combat Robots(large)---Big honkin’ vehicular robots, Glitterboy-sized and up.
76-90% Ammunition---Because all that ammunition has to come from somewhere, right? Alternately, can produce explosives.
91-97% Missiles---The heavier self-propelled projectiles are made here.
98-00% Strategic Materials----These are hush-hush materials related or vital to weapons systems, such as certain megadamage construction materials, nuclear materials, or, on the real dark side, biochemical weapons.
e) Powerplant
“Yep, that’s an eight thunderbeetle powerwheel! Keep them fed, and they keep the factory running! Great motivation for the workers, too!”
Factories use a LOT of energy; so what powers them?
01-10% Animal--The factory is reliant on harnessed animals(or serfs/slaves) turning wheels to power the works.
11-20% Hydropower---Good old-fashioned waterwheels, as long as the water flows.
21-50% Fossil Fuel---Coal or oil. Good, stable, but finite energy sources reliant on a good steady supply.
51-80% Electric---Could be hydroelectric, solar, wind, or fuel cell, or a combination of all of them. Renewable power sources, but dependent on the water, wind, and weather all cooperating.
81-90% Nuclear---Fission or fusion; the factory has its own reactor(s) to power the works.
91-00% Magic---Maybe it’s a leyline tap, or a captive Elemental, but the factory is powered by magic(obviously, factories in the CS will not have this as an option).
f) Security
“Do we REALLY have to go through the strip search routine every time we enter and leave? I’ve had so many cavity searches I feel like Carlsbad Caverns! I know microchips are big business around here, but these security measures are just plain humiliating-”
How secure is the factory from intrusion, trouble, or industrial espionage?
01-05% None; aside from physical locks on doors and the factory supervisors’ personal vigilance, there is no security to speak of.
06-20% Lax---The equivalent of a night watchman or two, fences, a basic security system, and better locks, maybe a watch animal or two.
21-45% Tight---Doors are multiple-locked, and a regular patrol of the facilities of the House is made. The factory administrators will have safe rooms for themselves to retreat to in an emergency.
46-65% Secure---A more elaborate set up with automated monitoring, reinforced walls and structures, a professional force of a dozen or more security men (of at least 4th level of experience) with weaponry, and maybe a security robot and/or automated sentry towers. Safe room and business areas are insulated against
66-80% Ironclad---The factory maintains a professional team of security experts to watch their properties and monitor their integrity. They also possess the means to sweep for electronic surveillance.
81-92% Paranoid---Same as Ironclad, only turned up a notch; communications are encrypted and logged, the properties are regularly swept for surveillance, and visitors and staff are routinely scanned/frisked for contraband. House members will have several escape plans already set up in case of an emergency.
93-97% Impregnable---The factory is a fortress; automated(or magical) defenses, lethally-armed guards, and multiple barriers making getting through the House’s grounds difficult, if not impossible, for any unsupervised visitor.
98-00% Small Army---The factory is adjacent to a military base that holds not just a security force, but enough troops to actively patrol a larger region around the factory, and pursue any attackers to put them down.
g) Safety
“Fire exits in the work hall? Why do we need fire code compliance? These are d-bees, sir! I can lose a hundred of them today, and tomorrow I’ll have two hundred more clamoring for the same jobs! Treating them like human workers is expensive, money I can better put into making more products!”
This covers safety measures put in place to protect the premises and workforce.
01-10% None---The factory has no provision for worker safety or fire emergency. The factory is reliant on outside firefighting/crisis response; until that arrives, it’s every man for themselves.
11-25% Crude---Rudimentary fire control measures(buckets of water and sand) and a few marked fire exits. Alarm systems are dependent on observant workers. Medical care is reliant on outside sources
26-60% Basic---The factory has a basic sprinkler system and extinguishers located in easily-accessible places. Smoke detectors (or small animals like canaries) are located in strategic locations, and there are several clearly marked fire escape routes.
61-80% Good---In addition to the basic systems, the factory has fireproof containment doors, a separate pressurized water system for firefighting, and a team of supervisor-level employees trained in CPR and basic firefighting. The company also pays for an on-staff paramedic, clinician or healer. Dedicated escape structures, such as fire escapes and rope ladders are also part of the emergency plan, and regular worker fire drills are held once or twice a year.
81-95% Excellent--- The factory has a central monitoring system that can detect and respond to an outbreak within 1d8 minutes. A dedicated firefighting team with heavy equipment(this may be a cart-mounted pumping apparatus or full-scale fire engine) is onsite at all times. Upgrade the on-staff EMT to an emergency medical doctor and several assistants/nurses. Emergency drills are held monthly.
96-00% Extensive---The factory has an extensive monitoring system that can pick up on situations in 1d8 melees(vector in response teams in 1d4 minutes), a full fire containment system in place, including sprinklers, chemical neutralizers, and self-contained safety bunkers for workers. The company also has several onsite fire teams and EMTs with a company clinic/hospital nearby. Emergency drills are held weekly.
h) Transportation
“Cargo steamer’s here! Good weather on the lakes; once we finish loading up, they should make Ironheart by evening, no problems!”
This reflects the available means of transporting finished goods to market(and also resources back to the factory).
01-20% None; finished products are sold directly from the factory.
21-60% Private Contractors---The factory relies on its distributors bringing their own vehicles to pick up inventory.
61-85% Company Fleet---The factory has its own in-house fleet of supply and delivery vehicles. It is still reliant on public roads and canals, however.
86-00% Private Rapid-transit Network--This can be its own roads, railway lines, monorail system, canals, or port facilities, but the factory has its own private system for speeding goods and materials in and out.
i) Versatility
”Oh, we make pencils NOW, but in crisis mode we can switch over to making wood laminate aircraft frames, and we have several local wizards who can magick them into ironwood fuselages. Dovetails quite nicely with the motor works across town and the gun-smithy next door.”
Versatility reflects how quickly, efficiently, and substantially a factory can be retooled to produce new and different products(such as automobile factories converted to produce aircraft airframes). While to some degree ALL factories can be converted to produce other goods, the percentage of floor space and equipment that can be re-tasked may vary, and the effort may not be worth the time and cost against the income likely from the new product line.
Very versatile factory workings can mean that the factory can turn out goods using relatively basic equipment(albeit not as fast or efficiently as more specialized equipment can), or it can represent very advanced and flexible technology.
01-30% Inflexible---The factory’s equipment is so product-specific that it cannot make anything else. It would be easier to build another factory than to convert this one.
31-70% Basic---The factory can quickly (within 2d4 weeks) switch over to making similar products or variations on existing ones, such as a bottling plant switching from soda to ice tea or plain water, or a steelworks changing the formulation of its metal stock. Anything more radical would require months of refitting.
71-95% Flexible---Can switch over to making products of similar materials with some retooling and retraining, like a furniture company making wooden gun stocks or aircraft components. Takes in general 2d6 weeks to switch over.
96-00% Protean----The factory can retool for completely different products surprisingly fast; within 1d4 weeks by most estimates.
j) Budget
“I’m afraid that if we retool for the CXR-2, we’re not going to have enough money for the expansion to the DL line, unless we get the money from somewhere else. Delley, do you REALLY need the employee swimming pool?”
How much does the factory have in terms of funds for dealing with emergencies, improvements, and repairs?
01-10% None---Nil, zilch, nada, pass the hat....
11-45% Nickels and Dimes----20,000 to 25,000 credits
46-75% Small Potatoes----100,000-200,000 credits
76-80% Large Loans----1-3 million credits
90-97% Big Bucks---15 million credits
98-00% MegaFund---2 billion credits
k) Wages
“Yeah, ah get a few pfennings for a hard day’s work, but the company feeds me family, provided a house, and we get to use the company clinic, so it’s not all that bad compare to others.”
How well are employees paid?
Note that low pay doesn’t necessarily mean poor working conditions; the factory may offer other compensation to its workers.
Note that these are the PAID employees; those GMs wanting slave labor-augmented factories can just tack on contingents of unpaid captive workers, however miserable the GM wants them to be.
01-15% Pittance/Break-Even----Everything the employees make goes back into the company, and operating costs leave very little left over. Employees make a pittance of 3d6x10 credits a week
16-50% Low---- 200-900 credits a week, depending on position and rank
51-80% Fair----400-2,000 credits a week, depending on position and rank, plus a severance package of 1d4x1,000 credits
81%-94% Excellent---Employees enjoy high wages(500-5,000 credits a week, depending on position and rank), comprehensive medical and benefits packages, and get generous retirement packages(40% of standard pay rate for the next 2d6 years)
95-00% Outrageous---Employees are paid like kings, even the lower echelon workers! 500-5,000 credits a week, depending on position and rank, plus 3d6x1,000 credit bonuses for special performance. Even after one trip, these folks are set! And then there are the massive retirement and health care packages...50-60% of standard pay for 10-20 years.
l) Employee Perks
“It’s mandatory, Bob. We don’t care that you’re ‘in the zone’ on the pencil assembly line. You and your family are taking the next two weeks off at our resort-spa in Lazlo.”
These are benefits in addition to pay. Wages might be low, but a company might offer very generous access to housing, medical care, and food, or another company might pay its employees high wages, but provide little in the way of anything else. Chose or roll for 1d4 perks.
01-25% None---The company provides nothing in the way of extra compensation.
26-35% Onsite Housing---The company provides housing for its employees on or near the factory. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the housing; 1 being , and 10 being
36-50% Free Meals---The company feeds its employees from a staffed cafeteria. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the food; 1 being basic institutional slop and 10 being can’t-wait-to-come-in-to-work delicious.
51-60% Daycare---The company provides a staffed daycare facility for workers’ children, convalescents, or elderly. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the care; 1 being bored indifference and shut-the-hell-up-brat, and 10 being we-love-you-like-family.
61-70% Medical Plan/Care---The company provides free medical assistance beyond the initial onsite accident response. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the medical care; 1 being basic first aid and a local doctor or basic clinic, and 10 being a fully-staffed professional hospital.
71-80% Recreational Facilities---The company maintains relaxation facilities on or near the factory for the employees. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the facilities ; 1 being a room with a ratty pool table or a scum-covered wadding pool, and 10 being a well-kept park/campground or fully-staffed spa.
81-90% Company Transport---The company provides free transport, typically between housing and the factory, but also to nearby locations. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the transport ; 1 being a bus or communal wagon, and 10 being individual high-tech flying lifter, private jet, or teleport.
91-00% Retirement Plan---The company sets up a pension for retired employees.
Roll a d10 to determine quality of the plan ; 1 being a minimum wag stipend , and 10 being a hefty closing bonus and full medical coverage for as long as the pensioner is alive.
m) Labor Relations
“UNIONIZE NOW!!!!!”
How well does the factory management work with its employees?
01-10% Dismal---Any worse, and they’d be calling in the military. There’s constant complaints, frequent strikes, and allegations of the management being actively hostile and abusive to the workers.
11-20% Poor--- There’s discontent in the air, the workers don’t trust the management, and the bosses are suspicious of the workers whenever the latter start whispering(or stop talking when anybody in authority wanders near). If there’s not already a union agitating for change, there’s talk of unionization. There’s a 15% chance of employee sabotage going on.
21-40% Fair---Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse. There have been a number of complaints leveled in both directions, and one or two incidents, but nobody’s reaching for guns or rocks.
41-70% Good---More often than not, the management acts on employee complaints, though there’s the occasional complaint of heavy-handedness or unfairness.
71-90% Excellent---Management listens to the workers, and the workers regard their bosses with great respect, if not outright affection. Complaints are dealt with quickly and efficiently.
91-00% Fanatical---The factory is held up as a model of worker-supervisor cooperation.
n) Community Relations
“Thank you for returning our wayward employees. They get easily disoriented when they wander into unfamiliar ground. They say all sorts of outrageous things once away from our careful health monitoring. Again, thank you for your help escorting them back to their workplace. See you all next week at the opening of the new community center?”
How well does the factory work with the local community?
01-15% Hostile---The locals resent the factory; maybe it pollutes their town, maybe it takes away their traditional livelihoods, or maybe it was imposed on them by an unpopular regime. Factory officials exercise caution when traveling outside the bounds of the factory, and the outside of the works are frequently vandalized.
18-30% Unsettled---The factory is tolerated but barely. There’s complaints about noise and smell, and the occasional protest of some aspect of the factory operation.
31-80% Tolerant---Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse. The factory’s contribution to the community is recognized, and locals tend to cut the factory some slack on minor problems.
81-00% Bonded---The community and the factory are inseparable; in many ways the factory IS the community. This means that anything that threatens the factory, threatens the community, and the locals will act accordingly.
o) Pollution
“Bad news; the Gaians found our sewer outflow. Be prepared to switch over to our backpipe to the municipal sewage works. “
How well does the factory handle its own industrial wastes?
01-15% Filthy---The factory regularly and routinely dumps its toxic waste where it will. The local creeks are clogged with wastes, and the smokestacks belch nonstop clouds of ash and smog.
16-60% Controlled---The factory cuts down on most of its efflux, though it may still leak unseen long-term risk waste, such as greenhouse gases, asbestos fibers or trace heavy metals.
61-90% Clean---The factory runs clean, but still has the problem of long term waste disposal.
91-00% Ultra-Green---The factory not only cleans and recycles its own waste, it actually uses the garbage and waste of its environment as raw materials for processes. This can mean recycling municipal garbage, scavenging carbon from the atmosphere, or filtering local water of contaminants and putting the cleaned product back into circulation.
Random Factories Template:
a) Sponsorship
b) History
c) Size
d) Products
e) Powerplant
f) Security
g) Safety
h) Transportation
i) Versatility
j) Budget
k) Wages
l) Employee Perks
m) Labor Relations
n) Community Relations
o) Pollution
“We only produce one Cosmo-Egg a year, but our order book is booked for the next thirty years. Business couldn’t be better!”
“We produced fifty thousand three hundred and twenty five units last quarter, and we’re expecting to make sixty thousand units this year, and seventy-five thousand units next year, but to do that we’ll need to add at least five hundred new biologicals to the assembly lines, with a factored-in on-the-job attrition rate of fifteen percent over the next quarter. Given the decline in recruitment from the ‘burbs, we’ll need to acquire most of the new biologicals from outside slaver---ahem, indentureship contractors. Yes, the cost of engaging their services will be more than covered with our projected profits, so no real concerns there.”
“Yeah, our cigars are hand-rolled by zombies! Gives the Deathstick-brand that signature tang of formaldehyde! Here, have one on the house!”
“Welcome to Smogville! What do we make here? What? Can’t you tell? We make smog here!”
“The Enemy Doesn’t Take Paid Vacations! Every Extra Minute of Hard Work You Put In On the Job Is An Extra Minute In the Service of Humanity!”
---Work Slogan, CS Warplant
The actual MAKING of goods and products has long been seen as a sign of industrial civilization, and many a community rates its prosperity by the number of factories that it can boast. Here’s a few guideline roll-charts for building random factories.
(Note: I’ve chosen NOT to cover in the charts the means for generating slave-labor factories which are a very real concern in Rifts Earth. The following covers standard-model capitalist factories and PAID employees. However, a GM wanting to generate a forced-labor industrial complex or set up an Oskar Schindler situation can use the following easily enough)
a) Sponsorship
“We were failing until Chi-Town stepped in and offered to modernize us. No, we still manage the factory and run the work, Chi-Town hardly interferes at all. Only thing they ask is for some factory floor space and to keep our noses out of what they do with it.”
Factories represent a massive investment which is often beyond the resources of most individuals; finding a sponsor or investor helps defray startup and upkeep costs. However, it may also mean giving up a degree of control of the factory.
01-30% Private---The factory is owned by an individual or family. +10% on Community Relations.
31-50% Corporation ---A larger organization with shareholders runs the factory. +15% on Budget.
51-65% Community---The local community runs the factory as a municipal asset. +5% on Labor Relations, +20% on Community Relations, +15% to Pollution.
66-75% State---The local government runs the factory as a state asset. +10% on Budget, +10% on Transportation.
76-80% Major Nation---The factory is a nationalized asset of a major government such as the Coalition States, Free Quebec, Ichto, etc. In the case of the New German Republic, chances are 50/50 that the factory is operated by Triax, which IS the NGR. +20% to Security Rolls, +25% on Product Type, +15% to Transportation, +15% on Budget.
81-00% Organized Crime---The factory is owned and operated by the Black Market or other organized crime syndicate. Depending on the products being made, these can be sweatshops filled with unhappy slaves, or highly specialized production facilities staffed by elite talents cozened by the BM for their skills. +10% on Security, +5% on Transportation, -15% on Safety.
b) History:
“As long as there’s been a Howelton, there’s been the Mills. If the Mills ever shut down, I tell you that Howelton will cease to be inside a year.”
How old is the factory?
01-25% Ancient---The factory’s been there and likely operating for longer than most people can remember; 7d6x10 years. Whether it’s been continuously operating all that time, or was fairly recently rediscovered and reopened. -5% to Safety.
26-75% Modern---The factory’s been around for about 1d6x10 years, and has likely seen a number of overhauls and upgrades.
76-00% New Construction---The factory is brand-spanking new, and has been at its current location less than 2d4 years.
c) Size:
“Man, look at the floor space here! Anybody starve to death trying to walk from one end of the building to the other?”
Employee-wise, how big is the factory?
01-10% Tiny---2d4x10
11-25% Small---3d6x10
25-55% Modest---1d4x100
56-90% Large---3d6x100
90-00% Massive: 2d6x1,000---Outposts this large generally represent a MAJOR investment of corporate resources and are akin to small towns. The enclave probably turns out multiple forms of a single product(like an automobile plant), or may have three or four different products being produced simultaneously(like television sets, radios, and small electric motors).
d) Products:
”WE MAKE JACKHAMMERS HERE!!!! WHAT?! I SAID, WE MAKE JACKHAMMERS HERE!!!!”
What does the Factory produce?
01-30% Agricultural---The factory is a processing center for organic materials, filtering, refining, and packaging them. This covers slaughterhouses, grain mills, and distilleries.
31-70% Domestic ---Everyday civilian goods
71-91% Industrial---Equipment and materials for industry and heavy infrastructure.
91-00% Military---Military equipment and weapons systems
Products(Agricultural)
01-10 Ranching(Meat)---Animals raised for meat(and skins); pigs, cattle, poultry, and the like.
11-20 Ranching(Dairy)---Animals raised to be milked; cows, goats, camels, and the like. The factory is a dairy mill, processing milk and bottling it, or making cheese.
21-25 Ranching(Fiber)---Sheep, rabbits, alpaca, chinchilla, and the equivalent. The factory is a spinning and dying mill.
26-30 Fish Farming/Aquaculture---Be it wild-caught fish or vat-raised shellfish. The factory slices, preserves, and packages the meat for sale.
31-35 Orchard/Fruit---Citrus, apples, bananas, pineapple, you name it. Sidelines include juicing mills.
36-44 Materials---Timber, bamboo, rubber, paper pulp, etc.
45-66 Feed Grains----The daily bread; corn, wheat, cassava, etc. Includes at the end large-scale industrial bakeries.
67-70 Vegetables---Everything else, from lettuce to potatoes. The factory packages (cans/freezes) them.
71-76 Distillation Stock---The crops grown at the outpost are meant to provide feed for distillation and/or fermentation; corn, wheat, sugar cane, grapes. Can be simple milling and pressing, or can include full-process distilling.
77-80 Fiber---The crops provide feed stock for fiber; cotton, hemp, jute, and the like.
80-95 Chemical Feed stocks---Lubricants; cottonseed, rapeseed, linseed, etc.
95-97 Spices---Pepper, cumin, cloves, saffron, ginger, etc.
98-00% Pharmaceuticals---Drugs; be they narcotics or medicinal
Products(Domestic)
01-15% Commercial/Consumer Electronics----From television sets and stereos to personal computers and cellphones, this factory makes stuff for the civilian market.
16-20% Home Plastics---Toys, plastic ware, tarps, plastic bags and the like.
21-30% Spare Parts(Vehicular)---Not whole vehicles, but all those little parts that are assembled elsewhere into whole vehicles; windshields, seats, tires, gaskets, screws, bolts, etc.
31-40% Vehicles(Civilian)----Motor scooters, cars, trucks, fire engines, forklifts, yachts, personal planes? The factory produces them.
41-43% Civilian Robotics---Home automata like robotic floor cleaners, home security sensors, low-end commercial exoskeletons.
44-47% Commercial Cybernetics---Synthetic tissues, organ replacements, sensory implants, cosmetic implants; this is the openly available artificial body part stuff.
48-55% Ceramics---Kitchenware, pottery, bathroom furnishings, decorative ceramics; this is the place with the kilns,
56-70% Textiles----The factory makes fabrics, thread, carpets and/or finished clothing
71-75% Furnishings---Heavy furniture; chairs, tables, beds, bureaus.
76-80% Heavy Appliances----Stoves, washing machines, refrigerators, kitchen sinks, etc.
81-85% Glass---Windows, glassware, light bulbs, fiberglass.
86-90% Pharmaceuticals---The factory turns out drugs and other medical supplies, such as surgical equipment.
91-00% Agricultural Equipment---Plowshares, harvesters, tractors, garden tools
Products(Industrial)
01-10% Tools--Handheld tools from precision wrenches to laser drills.
11-20% Machine Equipment---Floor-mount machine tools and processing equipment
21-25% Industrial Robotics---Mainly static-mount factory automata.
26-27% Industrial Bionics---Tool arms, exoframes, an d the like(this incidentally also includes slave borg gear).
28-30% Industrial Substrates---Component materials such as adhesives/abrasives, composite fibers,
31-40% Processed Metals----Rolls of sheet steel, ingots, wire, pig iron, machined metals.
41-50% Construction Supplies----From ready-mix concrete to finished wood paneling and prefab housing, the factory makes something to make something else out of.
51-55% Electrical Supplies---Superconductors, batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, transmission wire, switches, insulators, transformers, all the widgets and wiring needed for an electrified society
56-60% Liquid Fuels---Refineries, turning out everything from gasoline and biodiesel to liquified natural gas and more exotic substances.
61-62% Fissionable Fuels---Refined uranium, plutonium, and the like, processed for use.
63-64% Fusionable Fuels---Deuterium, Helium-3, and other similar fuels are refined and packaged for use.
65-70% Engines(small)----Internal combustion, electrical, or nuclear engines for products ranging from lawnmowers and small boats up to cars and small aircraft.
71-72% Engines(large)--From jet engines to spacecraft propulsion; these are the big movers.
73-75% Powerplants(large)---These are big stationary generators for powering communities, factories, or military installations.
76-80%Vehicles(Heavy)---Industrial vehicles, from trucks and earthmoving equipment, to commercial aircraft , trains, and ships.
81-89% Industrial Chemicals/Materials---This can include paper, cardboard, styrofoam, lubricants, liquid nitrogen, waxes, polymers, plastics, and the like.
90-93% Industrial Chemicals(Hazardous)---This includes acids, bases, and similar concentrated and poisonous industrial materials.
94-97% Commercial Megadamage Materials--Typically this is described as materials too bulky or time-consuming in setting to be effective in combat applications,
98-00% GM’s choice(technowizardry, combinations of the above)
Products(Military)
01-15%Military-Grade Megadamage Materials
16-25% Body Armor
26-30% Military Bionics
31-40% Small Arms----Personal weapons are produced by this factory.
41-50% Military Electronics---Milgrade sensors, communications gear, jamming systems and avionics.
51-60% Weapons Assemblies(vehicular)---The guns that are too big to be man-carried are manufactured here.
61-70% Vehicles(Military)---APCs, tanks, fighters, warships; the factory is part of the arsenal of state.
61-65% Robots(small)----Can be semi-automous combat robots, or power armors.
71-75%Combat Robots(large)---Big honkin’ vehicular robots, Glitterboy-sized and up.
76-90% Ammunition---Because all that ammunition has to come from somewhere, right? Alternately, can produce explosives.
91-97% Missiles---The heavier self-propelled projectiles are made here.
98-00% Strategic Materials----These are hush-hush materials related or vital to weapons systems, such as certain megadamage construction materials, nuclear materials, or, on the real dark side, biochemical weapons.
e) Powerplant
“Yep, that’s an eight thunderbeetle powerwheel! Keep them fed, and they keep the factory running! Great motivation for the workers, too!”
Factories use a LOT of energy; so what powers them?
01-10% Animal--The factory is reliant on harnessed animals(or serfs/slaves) turning wheels to power the works.
11-20% Hydropower---Good old-fashioned waterwheels, as long as the water flows.
21-50% Fossil Fuel---Coal or oil. Good, stable, but finite energy sources reliant on a good steady supply.
51-80% Electric---Could be hydroelectric, solar, wind, or fuel cell, or a combination of all of them. Renewable power sources, but dependent on the water, wind, and weather all cooperating.
81-90% Nuclear---Fission or fusion; the factory has its own reactor(s) to power the works.
91-00% Magic---Maybe it’s a leyline tap, or a captive Elemental, but the factory is powered by magic(obviously, factories in the CS will not have this as an option).
f) Security
“Do we REALLY have to go through the strip search routine every time we enter and leave? I’ve had so many cavity searches I feel like Carlsbad Caverns! I know microchips are big business around here, but these security measures are just plain humiliating-”
How secure is the factory from intrusion, trouble, or industrial espionage?
01-05% None; aside from physical locks on doors and the factory supervisors’ personal vigilance, there is no security to speak of.
06-20% Lax---The equivalent of a night watchman or two, fences, a basic security system, and better locks, maybe a watch animal or two.
21-45% Tight---Doors are multiple-locked, and a regular patrol of the facilities of the House is made. The factory administrators will have safe rooms for themselves to retreat to in an emergency.
46-65% Secure---A more elaborate set up with automated monitoring, reinforced walls and structures, a professional force of a dozen or more security men (of at least 4th level of experience) with weaponry, and maybe a security robot and/or automated sentry towers. Safe room and business areas are insulated against
66-80% Ironclad---The factory maintains a professional team of security experts to watch their properties and monitor their integrity. They also possess the means to sweep for electronic surveillance.
81-92% Paranoid---Same as Ironclad, only turned up a notch; communications are encrypted and logged, the properties are regularly swept for surveillance, and visitors and staff are routinely scanned/frisked for contraband. House members will have several escape plans already set up in case of an emergency.
93-97% Impregnable---The factory is a fortress; automated(or magical) defenses, lethally-armed guards, and multiple barriers making getting through the House’s grounds difficult, if not impossible, for any unsupervised visitor.
98-00% Small Army---The factory is adjacent to a military base that holds not just a security force, but enough troops to actively patrol a larger region around the factory, and pursue any attackers to put them down.
g) Safety
“Fire exits in the work hall? Why do we need fire code compliance? These are d-bees, sir! I can lose a hundred of them today, and tomorrow I’ll have two hundred more clamoring for the same jobs! Treating them like human workers is expensive, money I can better put into making more products!”
This covers safety measures put in place to protect the premises and workforce.
01-10% None---The factory has no provision for worker safety or fire emergency. The factory is reliant on outside firefighting/crisis response; until that arrives, it’s every man for themselves.
11-25% Crude---Rudimentary fire control measures(buckets of water and sand) and a few marked fire exits. Alarm systems are dependent on observant workers. Medical care is reliant on outside sources
26-60% Basic---The factory has a basic sprinkler system and extinguishers located in easily-accessible places. Smoke detectors (or small animals like canaries) are located in strategic locations, and there are several clearly marked fire escape routes.
61-80% Good---In addition to the basic systems, the factory has fireproof containment doors, a separate pressurized water system for firefighting, and a team of supervisor-level employees trained in CPR and basic firefighting. The company also pays for an on-staff paramedic, clinician or healer. Dedicated escape structures, such as fire escapes and rope ladders are also part of the emergency plan, and regular worker fire drills are held once or twice a year.
81-95% Excellent--- The factory has a central monitoring system that can detect and respond to an outbreak within 1d8 minutes. A dedicated firefighting team with heavy equipment(this may be a cart-mounted pumping apparatus or full-scale fire engine) is onsite at all times. Upgrade the on-staff EMT to an emergency medical doctor and several assistants/nurses. Emergency drills are held monthly.
96-00% Extensive---The factory has an extensive monitoring system that can pick up on situations in 1d8 melees(vector in response teams in 1d4 minutes), a full fire containment system in place, including sprinklers, chemical neutralizers, and self-contained safety bunkers for workers. The company also has several onsite fire teams and EMTs with a company clinic/hospital nearby. Emergency drills are held weekly.
h) Transportation
“Cargo steamer’s here! Good weather on the lakes; once we finish loading up, they should make Ironheart by evening, no problems!”
This reflects the available means of transporting finished goods to market(and also resources back to the factory).
01-20% None; finished products are sold directly from the factory.
21-60% Private Contractors---The factory relies on its distributors bringing their own vehicles to pick up inventory.
61-85% Company Fleet---The factory has its own in-house fleet of supply and delivery vehicles. It is still reliant on public roads and canals, however.
86-00% Private Rapid-transit Network--This can be its own roads, railway lines, monorail system, canals, or port facilities, but the factory has its own private system for speeding goods and materials in and out.
i) Versatility
”Oh, we make pencils NOW, but in crisis mode we can switch over to making wood laminate aircraft frames, and we have several local wizards who can magick them into ironwood fuselages. Dovetails quite nicely with the motor works across town and the gun-smithy next door.”
Versatility reflects how quickly, efficiently, and substantially a factory can be retooled to produce new and different products(such as automobile factories converted to produce aircraft airframes). While to some degree ALL factories can be converted to produce other goods, the percentage of floor space and equipment that can be re-tasked may vary, and the effort may not be worth the time and cost against the income likely from the new product line.
Very versatile factory workings can mean that the factory can turn out goods using relatively basic equipment(albeit not as fast or efficiently as more specialized equipment can), or it can represent very advanced and flexible technology.
01-30% Inflexible---The factory’s equipment is so product-specific that it cannot make anything else. It would be easier to build another factory than to convert this one.
31-70% Basic---The factory can quickly (within 2d4 weeks) switch over to making similar products or variations on existing ones, such as a bottling plant switching from soda to ice tea or plain water, or a steelworks changing the formulation of its metal stock. Anything more radical would require months of refitting.
71-95% Flexible---Can switch over to making products of similar materials with some retooling and retraining, like a furniture company making wooden gun stocks or aircraft components. Takes in general 2d6 weeks to switch over.
96-00% Protean----The factory can retool for completely different products surprisingly fast; within 1d4 weeks by most estimates.
j) Budget
“I’m afraid that if we retool for the CXR-2, we’re not going to have enough money for the expansion to the DL line, unless we get the money from somewhere else. Delley, do you REALLY need the employee swimming pool?”
How much does the factory have in terms of funds for dealing with emergencies, improvements, and repairs?
01-10% None---Nil, zilch, nada, pass the hat....
11-45% Nickels and Dimes----20,000 to 25,000 credits
46-75% Small Potatoes----100,000-200,000 credits
76-80% Large Loans----1-3 million credits
90-97% Big Bucks---15 million credits
98-00% MegaFund---2 billion credits
k) Wages
“Yeah, ah get a few pfennings for a hard day’s work, but the company feeds me family, provided a house, and we get to use the company clinic, so it’s not all that bad compare to others.”
How well are employees paid?
Note that low pay doesn’t necessarily mean poor working conditions; the factory may offer other compensation to its workers.
Note that these are the PAID employees; those GMs wanting slave labor-augmented factories can just tack on contingents of unpaid captive workers, however miserable the GM wants them to be.
01-15% Pittance/Break-Even----Everything the employees make goes back into the company, and operating costs leave very little left over. Employees make a pittance of 3d6x10 credits a week
16-50% Low---- 200-900 credits a week, depending on position and rank
51-80% Fair----400-2,000 credits a week, depending on position and rank, plus a severance package of 1d4x1,000 credits
81%-94% Excellent---Employees enjoy high wages(500-5,000 credits a week, depending on position and rank), comprehensive medical and benefits packages, and get generous retirement packages(40% of standard pay rate for the next 2d6 years)
95-00% Outrageous---Employees are paid like kings, even the lower echelon workers! 500-5,000 credits a week, depending on position and rank, plus 3d6x1,000 credit bonuses for special performance. Even after one trip, these folks are set! And then there are the massive retirement and health care packages...50-60% of standard pay for 10-20 years.
l) Employee Perks
“It’s mandatory, Bob. We don’t care that you’re ‘in the zone’ on the pencil assembly line. You and your family are taking the next two weeks off at our resort-spa in Lazlo.”
These are benefits in addition to pay. Wages might be low, but a company might offer very generous access to housing, medical care, and food, or another company might pay its employees high wages, but provide little in the way of anything else. Chose or roll for 1d4 perks.
01-25% None---The company provides nothing in the way of extra compensation.
26-35% Onsite Housing---The company provides housing for its employees on or near the factory. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the housing; 1 being , and 10 being
36-50% Free Meals---The company feeds its employees from a staffed cafeteria. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the food; 1 being basic institutional slop and 10 being can’t-wait-to-come-in-to-work delicious.
51-60% Daycare---The company provides a staffed daycare facility for workers’ children, convalescents, or elderly. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the care; 1 being bored indifference and shut-the-hell-up-brat, and 10 being we-love-you-like-family.
61-70% Medical Plan/Care---The company provides free medical assistance beyond the initial onsite accident response. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the medical care; 1 being basic first aid and a local doctor or basic clinic, and 10 being a fully-staffed professional hospital.
71-80% Recreational Facilities---The company maintains relaxation facilities on or near the factory for the employees. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the facilities ; 1 being a room with a ratty pool table or a scum-covered wadding pool, and 10 being a well-kept park/campground or fully-staffed spa.
81-90% Company Transport---The company provides free transport, typically between housing and the factory, but also to nearby locations. Roll a d10 to determine quality of the transport ; 1 being a bus or communal wagon, and 10 being individual high-tech flying lifter, private jet, or teleport.
91-00% Retirement Plan---The company sets up a pension for retired employees.
Roll a d10 to determine quality of the plan ; 1 being a minimum wag stipend , and 10 being a hefty closing bonus and full medical coverage for as long as the pensioner is alive.
m) Labor Relations
“UNIONIZE NOW!!!!!”
How well does the factory management work with its employees?
01-10% Dismal---Any worse, and they’d be calling in the military. There’s constant complaints, frequent strikes, and allegations of the management being actively hostile and abusive to the workers.
11-20% Poor--- There’s discontent in the air, the workers don’t trust the management, and the bosses are suspicious of the workers whenever the latter start whispering(or stop talking when anybody in authority wanders near). If there’s not already a union agitating for change, there’s talk of unionization. There’s a 15% chance of employee sabotage going on.
21-40% Fair---Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse. There have been a number of complaints leveled in both directions, and one or two incidents, but nobody’s reaching for guns or rocks.
41-70% Good---More often than not, the management acts on employee complaints, though there’s the occasional complaint of heavy-handedness or unfairness.
71-90% Excellent---Management listens to the workers, and the workers regard their bosses with great respect, if not outright affection. Complaints are dealt with quickly and efficiently.
91-00% Fanatical---The factory is held up as a model of worker-supervisor cooperation.
n) Community Relations
“Thank you for returning our wayward employees. They get easily disoriented when they wander into unfamiliar ground. They say all sorts of outrageous things once away from our careful health monitoring. Again, thank you for your help escorting them back to their workplace. See you all next week at the opening of the new community center?”
How well does the factory work with the local community?
01-15% Hostile---The locals resent the factory; maybe it pollutes their town, maybe it takes away their traditional livelihoods, or maybe it was imposed on them by an unpopular regime. Factory officials exercise caution when traveling outside the bounds of the factory, and the outside of the works are frequently vandalized.
18-30% Unsettled---The factory is tolerated but barely. There’s complaints about noise and smell, and the occasional protest of some aspect of the factory operation.
31-80% Tolerant---Things could be better, but they could be a lot worse. The factory’s contribution to the community is recognized, and locals tend to cut the factory some slack on minor problems.
81-00% Bonded---The community and the factory are inseparable; in many ways the factory IS the community. This means that anything that threatens the factory, threatens the community, and the locals will act accordingly.
o) Pollution
“Bad news; the Gaians found our sewer outflow. Be prepared to switch over to our backpipe to the municipal sewage works. “
How well does the factory handle its own industrial wastes?
01-15% Filthy---The factory regularly and routinely dumps its toxic waste where it will. The local creeks are clogged with wastes, and the smokestacks belch nonstop clouds of ash and smog.
16-60% Controlled---The factory cuts down on most of its efflux, though it may still leak unseen long-term risk waste, such as greenhouse gases, asbestos fibers or trace heavy metals.
61-90% Clean---The factory runs clean, but still has the problem of long term waste disposal.
91-00% Ultra-Green---The factory not only cleans and recycles its own waste, it actually uses the garbage and waste of its environment as raw materials for processes. This can mean recycling municipal garbage, scavenging carbon from the atmosphere, or filtering local water of contaminants and putting the cleaned product back into circulation.
Random Factories Template:
a) Sponsorship
b) History
c) Size
d) Products
e) Powerplant
f) Security
g) Safety
h) Transportation
i) Versatility
j) Budget
k) Wages
l) Employee Perks
m) Labor Relations
n) Community Relations
o) Pollution
I'll put it with an 'OPTIONAL' addendum....Prosperity/Production/Status maybe?...soon as I can devote some time to it. 