The Standard Template Construct (STC) system is a compilation of complex analytical and processing programs, operated by artificial intelligenses, and was created during the Dark Age of Technology (M21 – M23). They are said to have contained the entirety of human technological knowledge up to that point. Following the Age of Technology, the systems became increasingly rare, until becoming lost entirely. In the current Age of the Imperium, the ancient technological knowledge survives only because it was preserved in STC hard copies and still functional ancient factoriums.
Production methods
STC constructor Pow: 10 Space: 10, Lost technology
-Omni-maker that is able to produce an any STC item from a hard copy that has been downloaded into it.
-Machinery combines a nanotech printer and a fusion reactor. You add hydrogen or other base element to constructor and it produces items based on STC hard copies uploaded to it.
-Knowledge of producing omni-makers is lost for the Imperium. It may be possible that complex omni-makers were never produced by any STC factory but each of them were created individually.
–No known STC constructor exists at the hands of the Imperium.
-May require AI to operate the complex and volatile fusion generator/nanoprinter.
STC factorium Pow: 4 Space: 6 Very rare to Unique depending on product.
-Mechanism designed to produce only single class of STC items. Example armor plating or Rhinos. As produced item is defined before construction of the factory it is not possible to change factory line to produce other class of STC items. However, if different STC design variant of the same item is available, it can be uploaded to factory to change design of produced STC item.
-STC hard copy includes instructions to set up factory to produce the item.
-It is more efficient to create designated factory for production of an item in large scale instead using STC constructor. For that reason from dark age of technology many such factories, with single STC hard copy uploaded, has survived.
-Unlike omni-maker STC factory must be fed with required materials for it to be able to produce STC item that factory was designed for.
-Many STC hard copies of different design variant factories are jealously guarded by different forge worlds and sects of Adeptus Mechanicum.
-Quality of a factorium affects on how many citizens are required to toil to keep production line operational.
-A best quality factorium requires 500 workers or servitors to operate. All parts of a factorium are fully working and assembly line runs automatically. Workforce are mainly needed for a maintenance of factorium.
-A good quality factory requires 5.000 workers or servitors.
-A standard factorium requires 50.000 workers or servitors.
-Poor quality factorium has many automated processes shut down and it requires 500.000 citizens or servitors to operate.
Data
STC database Pow: 20 Space: 4, Lost technology
-Component contains all STC designs and their variants developed during the Dark age of technology.
-These design variants are known in the Imperiuam as patterns, that are named after forge world producing such item. Example: Lathe pattern Class 1 Drive (Rogue Trader page 199) and Jovian pattern Class 1 Drive (Rogue Trader page 199) are variants of the same STC drive design produced in different forge worlds.
-No known database exist in the hands of the Imperium
-May require AI to process required STC design variant algorithms from immense and intricate data-cloud containing all STC knowledge.
STC hard copy From Rare to Unique
-Pre-created algorithm for a particular design variant of STC item.
–It was always optimized before download from STC database to suit available manufacturing resources and designated environment of use.
–Many STC hard copies that are found from ancient data-vaults are corrupted by time and are fragmentary.
–Many STC hard copy variants of different STC items are jealously guarded by different forge worlds and sects of Adeptus Mechanicum.
–Hard copy includes blueprints for a factorium able to produce the particular STC item.
STC hard copy fragment
–As even simple intact STC hard copy is hard to find from ancient data-vaults and many Mechanicum seek across the galaxy for these fragments of lost designs.
–If enough fragments of certain STC hard copy are found, they can be combined to produce STC hard copy with successful Forbidden lore: Archeotech skill check.
-Many Quests of Knowledge research done by the priests of Mars is directed to collecting, compiling and deciphering those fragments.
STC print-out
-Holy texts for Adeptus Mechanicus. Gives a tech-priest bonus for a skill check: tech-use to operate and maintain same design variant STC factories or facilities.
-Does not contain blue-print for production of an STC item but ignition, calibration and repair procedures of a STC factory or facility.
Product
STC item From Ubiquitous to Unique
–From shovel to rhino or from knife to power sword or star vessel components, all Imperial technology is based on STC legacy and produced in facilities which designs are based on STC system.
–It is possible to find STC items that have survived since Dark Age of Technology but which are not produced anymore. Those unique items are venerated and fought over by determined collectors but it is not possible to extract a STC hard copy for duplication from such item.
–Adeptus Mechanicus collects, catalogues and preserve in private collections these wonders of the Machine God.
Ultima Tectum 