"Do you know how to fly it?"
"Not yet."
—Neo and Trinity, The Matrix
Learning on Cybertron is typically done through computer. Cybertrons can plug wires into their own processors and download specific types of knowledge directly into their minds from computers that have the knowledge on file. They can also download knowledge from each other through direct cable link. They can then use the knowledge where applicable, or simply encode it and store it away for later use. However, not all Cybertrons are capable of carrying all knowledge, for a basic intelligence is required to understand the more complex workings of history and robotic procedures.
Each unit in a Cybertron army has a central base computer, which is attached to their internal computer. This allows for different Cybertrons in the same unit to have similar energy signatures, which many Mechanisms can detect.
Rumors persist of more powerful, ancient computers, which exceed the levels of the surviving Autobot computers to great degrees. What kinds of mysteries a higher-level computer could hold are, so far, only the subjects of dreams.
"Ancient languages? Mega-boring! COBOL, FORTRAN...they're dinosaurs!"
—Enzo Matrix, Reboot, "The Tiff"
Cybertrons speak a language which sounds almost exactly like Modern English. No one is quite sure why, but it is quite possible that the process is inverse; that what we speak today is developed from the language the Cybertrons spoke when Cybertrons first visited Earth.
Of course, the purest, simplest language is the language of the processor: 11000101010010 0111100101...
Everything in between is relatively simple to understand. Spoken languages and even computer syntax languages can be downloaded into the brain of a Cybertron in mere nano-clicks, provided the language is documented in a computer. This is the simplest explanation for the reason why Cybertrons of different races still speak the same exact language, and why Cybertrons on far-off colonies still understand those they have had no contact with in over millions of years.
Basically, if it is logical that the Cybertron has heard a language regularly, assume she knows it. Only a Cybertron who was under-curious about languages in general would not bother to download knowledge on a language she heard spoken day-to-day. A Cybertron would obviously not know a language she had never heard before; a Cybertron of low Intelligence might know only a few languages. A Cybertron who had rarely left planet might only know her native language, having never heard anything else spoken.
Just because gaining facts is relatively easy does not mean that all Cybertrons know everything there is to know. Most increases in ability can only be gained through practice. A Cybertron can look at the schematics of an electron sword all he wants, but it will not make him any more capable of wielding it.
Characters are given experience points at the end of each gaming session, and at the end of a story. Each character gets one point automatically at each session; in addition, characters can earn extra single points for:
1. Good acting and creative role-play
2. Proving their character learned something from the session
3. Fulfilling their character's Nature/Concept
4. Acting in a heroic manner (or, perhaps for Predacons, a treacherous manner?)
At the end of an entire story, assign extra points for story success, danger, and/or character wisdom.
The following is the Experience Chart for gaining new Traits during role-play:
Attribute: current rating x 4
Ability: current rating x 2
New Ability: 3
New Weapon: weapon cost x 3
Mechanism: desired rating x 5
Spark Power (Transmetal II only): desired rating x 3
Spark Power (Optimal only): desired rating x 6
Energon: current rating
Spark: current rating x 3
Willpower: current rating
Do not allow players to gain Traits for no reason; make sure it is a gain which is justified by events in the story. For Knowledges, justifying Trait increases may be as simple as having the Cybertron find the right computer and plug in for a few megacycles. Other Traits are much more complicated to increase. Don't allow illogical increases simply because players "want" an ability. An all-brawn warrior with a single dot of Intelligence trying to plug into an exploration computer and gain the Science Knowledge "just to have the dot" doesn't work without some actual role-play and character-searching. Characters shouldn't gain more than one dot in any one Trait per story, though some Storytellers make exceptions. (Example: stockpiling a large amount of Experience for one Rebuilding overhaul to increase Flight abilities several notches.)
Characters gain new Backgrounds through roleplay itself, not through purchasing with Experience points. Characters can buy Willpower, earn Willpower through good play, or even lose Willpower if botching an important Willpower roll.
Learning new Procedures is in some ways similar to learning internal Mechanisms. In order to understand a new Procedure, the Cybertron attempting to learn it must have as many dots in the Procedures ability as the Level of the Procedure he is trying to learn. He must then locate a computer or another Cybertron who has the Procedure's information, and download the knowledge. Downloading Procedural knowledge requires an extended roll of Intelligence plus Computers, standard difficulty, where a number of successes equal to four times the Procedure's level must be accumulated. Success on this roll indicates that the Cybertron has now learned the new Procedure. Failure indicates that they were unable to learn this Procedure from this computer or ally and must now locate a different source of knowledge. A botch means that the Cybertron has received corrupt data, and will now never understand the Procedure, or, worse, will attempt the Procedure incorrectly. Each roll in this extended roll is one cycle of downloading. A Cybertron can typically attempt to download a Procedure for as long as he desires, but if the number of total successes falls below zero, the botch stands.
In practice, Procedures are organized more often by type than by level, so a Procedure of a higher level than the accessed computer may indeed be stored there if it is truly appropriate. For the most part, however, assume that the higher-level Procedures will only be stored on higher-level computers, due to their obscurity. Also, a high-level Procedure need not necessarily be found on every high level computer. Some Procedures are much rarer than others.
Characters with high levels of Procedural Knowledge may use this to develop their own Procedures. If you would like for a character to execute an unprecedented Procedure, ask your Storyteller for the possible required rolls. Developing a new Procedure is typically an arduous process, requiring extended rolls over long periods of in-game time.
Alter Activation Code
This procedure allows a character to renounce their current alliance and choose another. A Cybertron who knows this procedure need only access his internal computer and alert it that he is willing to alter his activation code to signify his belonging to a different alliance. After this point, he will change his alliance symbols, and his new activation code—typically "Terrorize," or "Maximize," will reflect his choice. This Procedure is easily programmed into a Cybertron by a computer that understands it.
Willing Alliance changes are not common on Cybertron, but happen often enough in farther-off places. Other Cybertrons are sometimes doubtful of a comrade who was once an enemy, but this is to be expected.
Realize Signature
This Procedure is used to add a new solider into a unit. It involves an interaction with the unit's base computer, and almost always requires the participation of more than one Cybertron from the unit. The Cybertron who knows the Procedure takes the new recruit's name and personal energy signature and feeds it into the computer, and the other members of the unit authorize the addition. From there on, the soldier is considered part of the unit, and carries the unit's radio signature and collective computer memory. Different units have different requirements for adding new recruits; some require that the recruit pass a competency challenge before being added to the base computer's data files. Smaller Maximal units usually require that all current unit members accept the new recruit; larger units only get support from the higher-ups.
Hero's Farewell
In war, death is a common reality. A Cybertron funeral is called a "Recycling," and, any Cybertron that understands this Procedure knows how to orchestrate this funeral.
Cybertron bodies, after their Spark has faded, are placed on pyres. The look of the funereal pyre differs considerably depending on locality and Alliance, but most are tall and spired structures, with their height indicating the prestige of the departed. The Cybertronian shell is then ritually atomized, its particles becoming one with the air, and, eventually, so legend says, the Matrix.
Bodies are atomized completely for several reasons. Most important among these reasons is preventing the possible desecration of an honored friend. The worst fate a Cybertron can imagine for a fallen comrade is to see his body reprogrammed and refitted with a new Spark: at the best, a lookalike shadow of the fallen, and, at the worst, a friend's visage on a new enemy. A second, equally important reason is spiritual, as the atomization of an ally's worldly body is said to ease his passage into the next world, and, eventually, next life. Finally, the atomization is logical; it saves the space that the body would otherwise occupy, and assures that the body's metal and organic components will again be usable resources in a relatively short amount of time.
The newer generations of Cybertrons consider lesser rites, such as burning the body, to be far less honorable than total atomization. To be buried, intact, is a disgrace.
Universal Greeting
Because Cybetrons tend to travel throughout outer space, a way of communicating with new and different life forms had to be developed. During the Great War, Cybertronian researchers studied the customs of foreign life, and finally arrived at a greeting which would be recognized throughout the cosmos. This greeting, "Bah weep grah nah weep ni ni ban," though generally meaningless, is recognized to all forms of life as a statement of peace. While the greeting is administered, a small piece of energon is typically offered as a token of goodwill. Any Cybertron who understands this Procedure can administer the greeting without difficulty. With hostile or unusual lifeforms, a Charisma plus Procedures roll may be required.
Jamming Frequency
A popular Procedure for military operations, a Cybertron who understands this Procedure can set a device to output a signal that confuses all normal signatures in the area. In any given jammed zone, Cybertron Radios will not work, and energy signatures from individual troops will be impossible to detect. Jamming stations, as these devices are called, are completely stationary; a jamming frequency covers an area, not a group or individual. Jamming frequencies do not interfere with vision-related Mechanisms, but may cloud the hearing-related to some degree (usually +1 difficulty). The area that can be cloaked under a jamming station depends on the size of the station itself; a small, easily hidden device can hide signatures over a few yards, but a giant tower can block out energy signatures for miles. Constructing the jamming station, for a Cybertron who has learned the Procedure, requires no rolls, only a matter of time.
Jamming stations can be useful when erected over hidden bases. Beware, however, for the station will also cloak the signatures of any approaching enemies, and prohibit radio contact.
Recover Lifeforce
In a pinch, this Procedure can be used to heal a weak Spark back to its full power. A Cybertron cannot heal his own Spark through this manner, only the spark of a comrade. In order to Recover Lifeforce, the Cybertron must plug his own circuitry into the damaged spark. He then transfers his internal Energon into the spark of the other. Once the Cybertron has hooked his circuitry into his ally's, he rolls Stamina plus Matrix, difficulty 6, to transfer his energy. Each success equals one Spark point that is recovered in his target. He uses his body's energy to replenish the spark, not his own Spark energy, but that does not mean the Procedure is without risk. For every point of Spark that the Cybertron is able to recover, he himself loses two Energon, and takes a single Health Level of damage. Too many successes, therefore, can be debilitating. A botch on the required roll means that the healer loses a temporary Spark point; no Spark is recovered in his target.
Optimize
Though most Cybertrons regard Optimization with an element of ignorance and awe, a Cybertron who is very intelligent or very lucky may learn the process of Optimization and how to go about Optimizing himself or another. He may attempt it on himself or lead a Cybertron who wants to be Optimized on a quest to find the perfect secondary spark.
Typically, an unwilling target in stasis lock has his spark temporarily removed and placed in the Cybertron to be Optimized to produce the transformation effect. If the new, "secondary" spark decides it is compatible with the new host, it may decide to communicate with the host and challenge him on a secondary memory plane. This is common with ancestral sparks who will discuss their role in preparing the Optimal. Failing the ancestor's challenge indicates that no Optimal is created, nor can the Cybertron ever attempt Optimization again.
If the spark is completely unwilling, the host's spark must overcome it by force. A straight Spark roll is required in contest with the Spark power of the secondary spark. Success indicates that an Optimal is indeed created from the original spark, with a 50% chance that the "Split Personality" Flaw will apply to the new Optimal. Failure on this role indicates complete rejection of the new spark—no Optimal is created, nor can the Cybertron ever attempt the procedure again. A botch on this role indicates that the Cybertron is now possessed by the "secondary" spark, which becomes his new personality.
The secondary spark is, ideally, removed from the new Optimal and placed in its original body; however, there are certain cases where an Optimal has refused to return his new spark and has instead carried two for the rest of his existence.
In a variation on this procedure, two living and awake Cybertrons with deep feeling for each other may choose to be "Spark-bound." One opens his spark cavity and places his spark into the cavity of the other; afterwards, the spark is returned, and the new Optimal places her spark in her companion. These Cybertrons are now bound to each other forever, and can communicate with one another telepathically. Because it is assumed that the sparks are willing, no roll is required for spark acceptance. If only one of the Cybertrons survives the procedure, the other's personality still exists within part of his consciousness.
A third possible source of a "Second Spark" for a would-be Optimal is an unrealized Protoform whose spark is intact and unused. This type of "spark-stealing" is frowned upon greatly, for the spark of the living Cybertron nearly always consumes the new spark utterly. If the Procedure is attempted in this fashion, there is no ancestral challenge or telepathic gain. The "overcome by force" method must be used, as with the first method, above.
The final risk to Optimization, for any version of the procedure, is the pain of the physical transformation that must occur. An extended roll of Stamina plus Matrix, difficulty 8, is required. Fifteen successes must be accumulated for the procedure to be completed, with each roll representing one cycle of difficult concentration. "Ones" subtract from total successes; if ever the would-be Optimal's total number of successes on this roll falls into the negatives, his spark is consumed, and he dies. Once the first spark is consumed, the secondary spark loses Spark power at a rate of one point per round unless it is put back into the original body; therefore there is the risk of it dying, as well.
When an Optimal is created, add half of the total spark pool for the secondary spark to his current Spark rating. Decide on the power of the secondary spark for Past Spark rolls, and give the new Optimal ten freebie points to spend as he will: on secondary modes, spark powers, etc. Decide how the secondary spark manifests itself. If it is very powerful or the margin of success of Optimization was very narrow, consider adding a Flaw such as Split Personality or Flashbacks.
Optimize may seem like a very simple Procedure...the reason it requires such low-level knowledge to learn. However, due to its risk, and relative obscurity, the Optimization procedure is rarely attempted. Optimization can only be learned from another Cybertron that knows the Procedure, though the curious may find records of the Procedure being attempted in some of the more important mainframe computers.
Storytellers reserve the full right to disallow player characters from attempting this Procedure if they feel it upsets game balance or is not dramatically appropriate. Despite this Procedure's low purchase cost, no Cybertron who is not already an Optimal may begin play understanding this Procedure.
Reprogram Alliance
This Procedure is used to alter the Alliance and data files of a stasis pod containing an inactivated Protoform. In order for the Protoform to have its Alliance altered, its pod must be found intact, and inactive. From there, a Cybertron who understands this Procedure can alter the files of the stasis pod computer, adding a shell program to the protoform inside, and thereby creating a member of an Alliance other than the protoform origin.
To attempt this Procedure, a Cybertron must have a chip with the shell program applied. This chip needs to be created ahead the fact, and each chip can be used only once. Typically, a Cybertron should have Repair and Computer skills to design this shell program; he may also specify its nature, if he desires. Creating the chip takes no less than a megacycle, and, perhaps, longer. A standard roll is Intelligence plus Computers to design the chip; if the Cybertron wants to add more specific information, such as certain data files, onto his shell program, the Storyteller should decide on the difficulty, rolls, and creation time for the alliance chip. If the chip's workings are designed to be very complex, the Storyteller may make these rolls in secret; then, the programmer will not know if his chip will succeed. Cybertrons who spend a lot of time altering Alliances may already have several of these chips in storage, waiting for stasis pods to link them to.
When the pod is approached, the shell program is applied to the computer on its outside. A Cybertron altering a protoform's Alliance simply removes the current data chip, being careful not to disturb the workings inside (make a Dexterity plus Repair roll, difficulty 7, for this), and places the new chip onto the stasis pod computer. He then runs the stasis pod's activation program.
The Reprogram Alliance Procedure may be attempted on an already-activated stasis pod, so long as the protoform has not yet emerged, but there is a very reasonable chance there will be several internal errors in the conflicting programs. Errors in alliance changes commonly result in Derangements for the newly created Cybertrons.
This Procedure was the most common way that Predacons in the Beast Wars on Earth gathered allies. It is also sometimes used by Organizations desperate for recruits.
Refine Energon
This Procedure allows for the refinement of raw, potentially damaging energon into the kind which is used for fueling. A Cybertron who understands this procedure is capable of handling raw energon carefully and without causing accidental explosions. He can find the fracture lines on an energon crystal and cut the crystal to a processable size without making a roll.
Refining raw energon requires a sterile lab and specific equipment. The energon is ignited with a particle beam, causing a chemical reaction within the crystal that alters its properties. Refining energon requires an extended roll of Intelligence plus Procedures. The difficulty is standard; the number of successes required is dependent on the amount of energon. Typically, refining only one crystal requires only one success, but one crystal is hardly worth the trouble of firing up the equipment.
Scientific computers often carry energon-refinement information.
Store Identity
Cybertrons realize that death, to them, is a "recycling" procedure, and that there will sometimes be chances to revive themselves nearly intact even after they have passed into the Matrix. Because of this, Cybertrons invented this Procedure to ensure that, in their next life, they are as solid as in their current life.
To store his identity, a Cybertron must first find a vessel. The most common storehouses for Cybertron identity are large computers; however, drones and the stasis pods of unrealized protoforms are other possible locations. Once a Cybertron chooses his vessel, he may choose only one; no Cybertron will have his identity stored in more than one location. (However, if the computer, pod, etc., is later destroyed, the Cybertron may again attempt this Procedure.)
After a suitable vessel is found, the Cybertron makes two rolls: Manipulation plus Computers, and Stamina plus Procedures, difficulty 7. If both rolls succeed, the storage is a success; if either fails, the Cyberton has been unable to store his identity, and must find a new vessel on which to reattempt the Procedure. The whole Procedure takes an average of a megacycle to complete, during which time the Cybertron can do nothing else.
Now, this Cybertron has made a "soft copy" of his personality files in the local computer. Typically, these files are for emergency use only, though what he does with the files is entirely up to him. Some Cybertrons only make these files as assurances that their life's work will be carried on after they have passed on to the Matrix. A new Protoform uploaded these personality files will not have the same Spark as the original, but he will certainly have a high Past Spark rating, and be very similar in form and personality to his "creator." Other, more ego-driven Cybertrons will insist on using their personality files, in whole or in part, on any Cybertrons protoformed in their vicinity, to promote similarity or obedience.
(Note: Beast Wars megafans know that this Procedure was used only once: in the episode "Bad Spark," and that its ability was realized in the unfilmed episode, "Dark Glass." Because "Dark Glass" serves to fill several gaps in the series and helps to explain the ending of the show in greater detail, it is canon despite its absence from film.)
Transmetallize
Transmetallization occurs when one Cybertron is bombarded with rays from a transwarp explosion. Without a transwarp signature, this Procedure is impossible, so, the transwarp core must first be located. Cybertrons who understand the Design Transwarp Core Procedure can build this core themselves, but others must find another source for the signature. Common sources include starship engine drivers, or modified energon-refinery equipment. (An alternate source is a Transmetal II Driver, which alters the Procedure only slightly; see Devices for more details.)
Once the vessel for the beam has been set up, a cage-like element is usually used to contain the Cybertron to undergo the Procedure. The exact appearance of the apparatus varies greatly, and uses a tremendous amount of energy. Insufficient energon reserves will prevent the Transmetallization Procedure from working before it even begins.
During the Beast Wars, the most common cause by far for Transmetallization was accidental exposure. Transmetal rays were an accidental product of the Beast Wars encounter with the Vok on early Earth. The same Procedure was altered considerably with the advent of the Transmetal II Driver, which allowed for even more advanced Generations of Cybertrons. Apply a Transmetal II Driver to the following Procedure to create a Transmetal II; in the absence of the Driver, a Transmetal is created.
Constructing the apparatus to create the Transmetal requires an extended roll of Intelligence plus Procedures. Each roll indicates a day's worth of work, and fifteen successes are needed. The difficulty of the roll is 7, but may be increased if the Cybertron has fewer resources to work with. After this device is completed, the Cybertron who is to undergo the transformation (this target may be either an already-concious Cybertron, or an unrealized protoform still in its stasis pod, who will become Transmetal upon activation) takes a place before the device. Because the subsequent energy bombardment is painful, standard procedure includes putting the target in stasis lock, although it is not required.
The activation roll for the final stage of the Procedure is Manipulation plus Repair. A new Transmetal will have to rest for a number of megacycles before he can do much at all. The number of megacyles of rest is equal to ten minus the number of successes on the Manipulation plus Repair roll. A botch on this roll indicates that the target is grievously injured, and sometimes, even destroyed. (As an alternative, the Storyteller may wish to make several of the construction rolls above in secret, not letting the Cybertron know how well the Procedure will take hold.) A stasis pod with a Transmetallized occupant cannot be activated until this time has passed.
For characters who were already created before their Transmetallization, modify the character sheet as needed to reflect this change. Storytellers may allot a number of Freebie points (5-10), or insist that the player spend accumulated EXP. The vehicle mode of the Transmetal form is "free," but newly created Transmetal IIs must use experience points to purchase their starting Spark Powers. The Transmetallization Procedure often yields unexpected results, so players waiting for an opportunity to overhaul their character's Weapons or Mechanisms can do so at this time. Weapons and Mechanisms can be "traded in," one point to one point (keeping prerequisites in mind), or purchased. No Abilities are altered through this Procedure (though it is an excellent time to purchase additional Attributes).
Note: There are no starting characters that are Transmetal II Fuzors, but combining a character who started as a Fuzor with the Transmetal II version of this Procedure may yield such a result. Therefore, roleplay is the only way this system can create Transmetal II Fuzors who are not Optimals.
Restore Alliance
This Procedure can be used to restore the "proper" alliance of a protoform who has changed sides through no will of his own. Because this Procedure is done to a fully aware Cybertron, after the fact, it is far more difficult than the Procedure used to alter an inactivated protoform.
In order to remove the shell program which alters initial protoform Alliance, the Cybertron to be altered is put into stasis lock, with primary Spark functions detached. This dangerous Procedure disables all vital functions, so, past this point, failing the Procedure results in death for the subject.
The Procedure requires several megacycles of careful and uninterrupted repair. First, a Dexterity plus Repair roll is used to carefully locate the program on the physical form of the subject. After that, a Wits plus Computers roll is used to deprogram and remove the shell. The difficulty for both rolls is usually 7. However, if the shell program is specifically safeguarded, the difficulty can be much higher, and more variable rolls may be required. Failing any roll results in catastrophe. Success on the Procedure means that the subject's Alliance has now been permanently restored to match his original protoform. Altering this Cybertron's Alliance through any means is now at a +2 difficulty.
Personality is often altered somewhat through this Procedure, though never completely. One additional boon of this Procedure is that it often counteracts "impurities" which were inherent from the altered Alliance, wiping most Derangements clean from the motherboard. However, no memories, Attributes, or Abilities are altered.
Because the risks involved in restoring Alliance are great, the Procedure to remove the shell program is undergone only for those who require complete absolution regarding their changed Alliance. Less fastidious Cybertrons who wish to return to their original protoform Alliance merely alter their activation codes, and leave the shell program intact. It is not unheard of for unwilling subjects to have Alliance forcibly restored, but usually restoration is a matter of choice.
Restore the Faded Spark
Most Cybertrons know there is a reason why blank protoforms are taken on important missions. However, it is rare that more than one Cybertron in a unit knows what do to with a blank protoform should the spark of an important Cybertron be destroyed.
A Cybertron who understands how to restore faded sparks can use this Procedure to return a fallen comrade to the world of the living, in a newly protoformed frame. This typically can only be accessed if the Cybertron died a violent or too-soon death which resulted in the utter disruption of his spark. If the Cybertron "spent" all his spark, or if his spark simply faded away, this Procedure is nearly impossible.
The Cybertron attempting the Procedure must have a way of attaching himself to the protoform that his ally's spark will enter, typically by wiring himself directly to the stasis pod. He must then concentrate completely on the Matrix for a megacycle, allowing his consciousness to drift. Only after this time does the Procedure even begin. The Cybertron first makes Perception plus Matrix rolls. The base difficulty for this roll is 10, but it is decreased by one for every remaining point of temporary Spark that the fallen Cybertron had at his passing. It may be increased if a great deal of time has passed between the Cybertron's passing and the Procedure's attempt (a Storyteller may declare certain revivals to be impossible). Each roll indicates a full megacycle of concentration. If a roll fails, the Cybertron attempting the Procedure must also roll his Spark. If he fails this roll, he loses a temporary point of Spark. He may try the first roll again in another megacycle, with the same risk, adding successes to the number he gained before, but always losing Spark for any roll where there are no successes. Therefore, it is possible for the Cybertron attempting this Procedure to calmly fade away into the Matrix himself, extending his consciousness into nothingness while seeking his former ally.
The Cybertron must accumulate as many successes as twice his fallen friend's permanent Spark. Once he has accumulated all of these successes, he has finally located his friend's entire Spark in the Matrix. He then begins pulling the Spark back towards the new body. This is a single, standard roll of Charisma plus Procedures. It requires only one success, but may only be attempted once, or the Procedure has failed.
From there on, the Cybertron who has completed the Procedure will awaken from his trance. It is now only a matter of time before the Cybertron he revived awakens in his new body: typically, the reviving process takes as many megacycles as the initial Procedure. Make a character sheet for this "new" Cybertron. He will have all of the same memories as he did in his original body, and, therefore, most of the same Abilities, but may have very different Attributes, having reached enlightenment or gone completely mad while in the Matrix. His permanent Spark rating will be exactly one less than it was before he was assumed into the Matrix (death is typically quite a shock to the system). This Cybertron will also typically have a larger Past Spark rating than he did before he was destroyed, having had his spark mingled with the sparks of countless generations.
The new body will mingle with his Spark, and will likely be both different from and similar to the Cybertron's old body. Friends will probably recognize the revived Cybertron right away, despite the change, but mere acquaintances may or may not make the connection.
This Procedure is somewhat controversial, and many Cybertrons, particularly Predacons, frown upon the idea of ripping a Spark from the Matrix when it has obviously earned a warrior's rest.
(Note: I had some qualms about including a system for this ability, accessed by Rhinox in "Coming of the Fuzors," since some of the dialogue seemed to indicate that the circumstances of Optimus Primal's initial passing were extremely unusual. However, since Rhinox seemed to understand right away what needed to be done with the blank protoform, and had the equipment needed to do it, I feel there must have been some precedence for this ability.)
Design Transwarp Core
A warp core that can travel through both time and space is not a simple device. While a common fixture for both Maximal and Predacon ships, many transwarp cores have their time travel functions disabled, or other such preventative measures. A Cybertron who understands this difficult procedure can not only repair broken cores, but can create a new, fully functional transwarp core, provided he has the required parts.
Building a transwarp core from scratch can require up to a decacycle of work: each day roll Intelligence plus Science, difficulty 6, for every megacycle spent on the device, and accumulate forty total successes. A botched roll at any time may be catastrophic, due to the very unstable nature of the transwarp cell.
Storytellers should decide on the damage to transwarp cores which require repair, and choose the amount of successes needed. The difficulty of the roll is typically standard, so long as the character understands the procedure. Characters that do not understand this procedure may attempt to repair a faulty core at difficulty 9, or 10 for extensive damage; they may not build a core from scratch.
Pure, refined energon is one of the components required to create a functional transwarp core. No core may be completed in areas where energon is not accessible.
Create the Frame
During the Great War, Cybertrons were built from metal and circuits, and had no organic properties. Frames were built, which housed the sparks of Autobots and Decepticons. Not all Cybertrons knew how to construct these frames; now, in this age of Protoformation, the technology is becoming rarer and rarer. Still, there are those creators who understand how to build a frame for sparks from nothing but metal.
Building such a frame requires a lot of resources as well as a lot of time. Use an extended roll to build a Cybertron frame; Intelligence plus Repair, with each roll representing one day of work. Accumulate at least twenty successes. If ever the number of successes falls below zero due to "ones" rolled, the frame is a failure and cannot be made into an active Cybertron. Then, a roll of Intelligence plus Computers is used to design the internal processors. For this roll, the designer need accumulate only a number of successes equal to the Mental attributes he wants his new creation to have. (Typically, a creation can not be more intelligent than its creator.) As above, "ones" subtract from total successes, and a negative amount of successes indicates the frame must be scrapped.
Finally, a spark is fit to the frame. Roll Wits plus Matrix to make the fit successfully. The number of successes on this roll is the current Spark power for the newly created Cybertron. If this roll is failed or botched, the spark was destroyed.
Make a sheet for this new character, who is considered to be a Generation of Transmetal due to lack of organic parts. This character may have both beast and vehicle mode, or only vehicle mode, if desired. This character may be a Transmetal Fuzor as well, but cannot be a Transmetal II or an Optimal (unless two sparks were given to the frame as per the Optimization Procedure). The Cybertron created by this method is not protoformed and thus is neither Maximal nor Predacon initially. It is an Autobot or Decepticon, if named so by its creator, or, it is nothing at all.
This Procedure can only be learned from another Cybertron who knows it, or from a schematics file dating before or during the Great War.