UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Devices
Alkhimov Oscillator
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The Alkhimov Oscillator, developed by Ukrainian combat systems engineer and physicist Samuel Alkhimov is a Device widely feared for its ability to completely disable groups of enemies in a large area. Sometimes referred to as a “K.O.”, or “knock-out” over its formal initials of A.O., the device functions by emitting extreme levels of sound and light in a randomized strobe pattern. This disorients targets within range by overloading their sensory perception in a similar way to the archaic, “flash-bang”, but over a larger area and for a much greater duration.
When an Oscillator is activated, any Characters, NPCs or animals in the area will be stripped of a large amount of AP.
To avoid this, the user and their allies must have Oscillator counteractive equipment, consisting of special goggles with built-in ear covers. This equipment must then be synced to the exact oscillator(s) which will be active.
Syncing can be performed remotely via counteractive gear, but this requires either hacking the oscillator, or knowing the pass-key for the unit.
The maximum sync range is the same as the Oscillator's effect range.
With complete counteractive gear in place, there is no negative effect on the user, but this must also be true for any allies to be spared the debilitating effects.
Breaking line of sight on the oscillator immediately halves its effect. This does not refund AP lost due to the Oscillator's effect.
Visual or aural Perception test made to locate an active Oscillator receive bonuses. The bonus AP is equal to the potency of its effect. This means, if the Oscillator causes -15AP to targets within range, then a visual or aural Perception test to locate it would receive +15AP. This includes targets both within and outside its range.
AP damage from an Oscillator may be resisted as normal using the Resiliance Skill. See the
Vigor Skills section for details.
Detector
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Detectors are highly sensitive devices which read local emissions, then screen out background interference to produce clear information on the user's surroundings. Though limited by a high degree of specialization and directional usage, they are often superior to the Character's own senses nonetheless.
Detectors operate in a 120-degree cone, centered on the direction the Detector is pointing. This means the Detector can pick up any emissions within 60 degrees to either side, upwards or downwards of the specific direction it points.
Outside the detection angle, it offers no benefit.
Detection options include: (sound + vibration), (heat + cold), (light + ultra-violet), (odor), (nuclear radiation), (electricity + radio transmissions) (does not allow transmissions to be interacted with in any way, only detects their source direction)
A Detector requires 1 hand to operate at all times.
Performing a sweep with a Detector to check the entirety of a Character's surroundings requires 10AP. Checking only the forward facing hemisphere from the Character's position requires 5AP.
Fabricated Autonomous Kaleidoscopic Environment
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The Fabricated Autonomous Kaleidoscopic Environment (FAKE) uses complex imaging and sound replication to create convincing entities or surroundings with no actual substance. These are extensively used in the entertainment industry and have produced several adaptations suited to espionage and tactical warfare.
Projector
These generate sound and light to form a convincing three-demensional image with believable resolution and audio fidelity. Physical interaction with the projection visibly distorts and disrupts the image, scaling with the degree of interference. Some dust blowing through the projection is likely to go entirely unnoticed, while a large, solid object such as a person moving inside the projection area is likely to cause substantial image interference. Most stationary or near-stationary objects can rapidly be compensated for, only moving objects or those large enough to significantly interrupt line of sight between projector and image cause major problems. The projector may reside within its own hologram. when in doubt, refer to the Director's discretion.
Particle Cloud
Releasing a cloud of nano-particles which individually generate tiny amounts of sound and light to create a “mosaic” effect which render sound and imagery completely immersive, even from within the cloud. The particles maintain cohesion through the use of gentle, short range electro-magnetic fields, allowing them to maintain a high enough density for quality projection, while flowing effortlessly around any solid object moving through the area. The primary weakness of this FAKE type is its susceptability to forceful weather conditions when used in open areas. In this event, it may be completely impossible to deploy a projection of any kind. The cloud generator may reside within its own cloud. When in doubt, refer to the Director's discretion.
Stimulus Override
A Stimulus Override directly triggers electrical signals in the target's various nerve centers, allowing it to create a “real” environment which can be interacted with in any way, but is entirely limited to the viewer's subjective experience. Due to the method used, this is the most immersive projection type for those within range and does not suffer the drawbacks of other FAKE types, but offers nothing to convince anyone further away than its maximum range, making it most useful when it can be ensured that no person will be able to see the projection zone from outside its reach.
Before a Character may test to detect a FAKE, they must first have reasonable cause to doubt its realism.
For example, a cardboard box sitting on the floor of a room is generally not noteworthy in any way, and therefore would not normally allow a detection test. This is because a box is a common object and it is not out of place on the floor of a room, making it a totally believeable sight.
Passing through an aparrently solid object, seeing some kind of interference in the projection, or seeing something clearly out of place, such as a box hovering in the air, or a perfectly dry box surrounded by rain-soaked ground allows a straightforward Perception test (Instinct dice pool) to detect the presence of a FAKE.
In cases where the Character must deduce from evidence that a FAKE is in play, the Character should roll a Tech Lore test (Focus dice pool) to detect signs of their being correct. The Character is free to act in a cautious way, even if this test fails, as their suspicions may not have been satisfied; absence of evidence is not neccessarily evidence of absence.
If the Character has no reason to suspect the presence of a FAKE, even if the Player has deduced this likelihood out of game, the Character should be roleplayed in a sensible manner according to their knowledge. Players and Directors should do their utmost to show respect for each others' enjoyment of the game in these interactions.
When detecting a FAKE, the Character rolls either Perception or Tech Lore as an Opposed test against the FAKE user's Obscure or Interface test. Obscure is used to demonstrate shrewd placement and choice of content selected for the FAKE, while Interface represents the sheer quality and immersiveness of the illusion. One often compensates for the other, assuming a little common sense.
Depending on circumstance, a Character or NPC may have to make an act of sheer will to ignore illusory danger or abandon a beckoning paradise. The Character makes a Sustained Action Vigor test (no Skill used), rolling once immediately and again for every 4 hours of in-game time. Once the AP result exceeds the Obscure or Interface test used to set the FAKE, the Character has mustered the will to escape. If the FAKE has been detected, +10AP may be added to each roll. Other Characters and NPCs may also improve the test by making an opposed, non-Scrutinize, Social test. If the assisting actor achieves a positive result, the difference in AP is added to each Sustained Action roll for the Character or NPC still trying to escape the illusion.
Grapple Line
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The Grapple Line is a hand-held tool which fires a bonding device on the end of a long cable. Known as a “Campbel's Urchin”, the device is covered in tiny electro-tensile fibers, which allow it to bind itself to almost any surface near-instantly. Notable exceptions include glass.
If attatched to the human body, the device causes excruciating pain in a localized area, as the fibers burrow through skin and nerves.
As long as it is released before being removed, it causes no lasting damage.
If the device must be removed by force, it will take a sizable chunk of the victim's body with it.
The launcher makes use of elastic mechanisms to fire and is considered Near-Silent. Detection by sound suffers -5AP per meter of distance from the firing point.
Mobile Cover Unit
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At its heart, Mobile Cover employs heavy armor far too dense to wear as a directional shield. Several advanced systems have been applied to the concept, creating a device that can move on its own, actively tracking damage sources to keep the user safe, or alternatively, it can anchor itself in a nearby surface to create cover where before there had been none, along with other options.
Any Mobile Cover system is programmed by default to hover just off the user's back when out of use, protecting the direction most vulnerable to surprise. This is considered to protect the user's body and head from rearward attacks in a rearward-centered 90-degree arc.
When deployed, shields hover approximately 1m away from the Character, giving them room to wield their weapons effectively. This means shields must be repositioned before passing through any normal sized doorway when deployed.
Weapons do not suffer penalties for being obstructed when shields are deployed, unless the shield has been anchored and is therefore in a fixed position. In this case, penalties are applied as normal, at the Director's discretion.
Repositioning the shield requires 5AP, including deployment from the passive position and returning it to the passive position.
Refreshing the armor of the shield costs 10 Stamina and requires the Character to be within 1m.
To use the Shield as full cover, the Character must crouch, limiting them to walking speed. Otherwise, they must choose to leave either the top or bottom half of their body exposed. The exposed part, being only half-body sized, still forces a Small Target penalty of -5AP on any attacker.
When in full cover behind a shield, it effectively counts as extra armor.
Vision is offered through small camera clusters on the outer side of the shield which feed a display on the inner side, resulting in no loss of visibility. Enemies cannot see the Character through the shield in this way.
Shooting at a Character or NPC crouched behind a shield imposes a Blind Fire penalty of -20AP if they have not attacked or otherwise revealed themselves in the previous round, just as with any other form of full cover.
When Mobile Cover is employed against melee attackers, the defender has two options: they may pull the shield in for emergency defense, retaining its full armor benefit but losing the ability to attack until the shield is removed or destroyed, -OR- they may use the shield as a hinderance for their enemy, losing any armor benefits, but imposing a -10AP penalty on their attacker and retaining the ability to fight at melee range. Throwing a melee weapon does not trigger this option, it is considered a ranged attack.
The Mobile Cover system may be crashed as a Quick Action, instantly freeing the Character of the shield, but this leaves the shield wherever it drops and requires 15AP to reboot the system. The Shield must be within 2m of the Character to be recovered by the Anti-gravity binder.
Shields become inoperable if they receive more than double their armor in damage during a single round. When this occurs, the shield drops to the ground where it is and may offer no further protection.
Recovering the shield must be performed by hand and requires 5AP from the user to pick up as normal.
Shields can be repaired with the Tinker Skill. The armor repaired is equal to the AP score of the test. Limited to one test per day. Sustained Actions are recommended.
Light Shield
Medium Shield
Heavy Shield
Particulate Imaging Relay
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A soft, projectile is fired or thrown to a target point, where it attaches and disperses nano-particles into the surrounding atmosphere. These particles adhere to anything they contact and continuously report their position back to the projectile, creating a real-time three-dimensional map of a small area. This is relayed back to the user remotely through a visor, allowing them to monitor the space without detection.
The PIR is treated as a Ranged weapon when fired, or a Thrown weapon when thrown. Standard Shooting or Throwing tests are rolled, applying Range and Small Target penalties as normal. The resulting AP are used to calculate the effective dispersal of the particle cloud. See the Devices section below for details.
The Shooting and Throwing actions are considered generic tests. This means they roll on the Physique Trait as normal, but never benefit from any Skill bonuses and also never suffer the Untrained penalty.
If a Suppression Field with electrical suppression is active at the location of the particle cloud, the Character's Shooting or Throwing test suffers the full penalties of the Suppression Field. This means the AP used for effective dispersal will be greatly diminished, if not eliminated.
Enemies marked by the particle cloud remain so until either the duration of the effect ends, or they exceed the maximum signal range.
The launcher makes use of elastic mechanisms to fire and is considered Near-Silent. Perception tests to detect the sound of firing suffer -5AP per meter of distance from the firing point.
Throwing the projectile is considered Fully-Silent and may not be detected by sound.
The projectile is specially designed to land and attach quietly and its impact is considered Near-Silent. Perception tests to detect the sound of impact suffer -5AP per meter of distance from the impact point.
Suppression Field
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The Suppression Field Generator releases active particles held in cohesion by gentle electromagnetic fields. These particles emit carefully controlled energy into the surrounding environment, effectively masking various emissions that would normally give away locations of equipment and personnel. Due to the weak nature of the cohesion fields, solid objects may still pass without noticeable resistance into, out of and through the cloud, but this also makes the zone vulnerable to strong weather conditions an other factors, at the Director's discretion.
The Suppression Field masks emissions made within its range when detection is attempted from outside.
Once a detector is within the range of a Suppression Field, the detection penalty provided by the field is halved.
Emission types which can be masked are: Aural, Electrical, Olfactory, Thermal, Visual.
The Suppression Field is considered to mask its own presence, regardless of emission types selected.
Detecting the Suppression Field itself carries the same penalties as whatever it is currently masking, as long as it is active.
When inactive it is considered inanimate and does not emit noticeable radiation of any kind, like other inactive devices.
Target Marker
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The Target Marker is a compact device used to paint targets in ions, so they can be easily identified by allies using electro-sensitive gear. The Marker itself is equipped with such a function, though in the interest of making it as unobtrusive as possible, it has been made so small that it is unable to detect anything other than ion marks.
The device is touch activated and requires 1 hand to operate.
Marked targets or locations can be detected by several other Devices and Augs. Check their specific rules for details.
A generic Shooting test (Physique dice with no Skill bonus) may be used to employ a Target Marker, in addition to Turn AP during combat. Out of combat, marking requires 10s.