General Equipment

Most items of general equipment provide Features or other comparatively minor effects. Each of the following items is a rank 1 Feature, costing 1 point, unless specified otherwise.

Electronics

Computers and electronics are common in the modern world. Gamemasters should note most of these devices are fairly delicate (Toughness 4 or less) and affected by electricity, radiation, and powerful magnetic fields, which can short them out entirely.

Camera: A digital or film camera for taking still images. Most cameras have a capacity of 24 or 36 images and you can use one in conjunction with appropriate Expertise skills, such as photography.

Cell Phone: A small handheld or headset unit for communication. The battery lasts for approximately 24 hours before it needs to be recharged. For an extra point, a phone can have most of the capabilities of a computer, at least with regard to accessing the Internet and providing data.

Commlink: A tiny buttonsized device for radio communication with an effective range of about a mile (longer if patched into the cellular network or a similar network). Many hero (and villain) teams use commlinks.

Computer: A computer includes keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, modem, and other standard peripherals, and may include things like a scanner at the GM's discretion.

Audio Recorder: These tiny digital recorders (about the size of a deck of playing cards) can record up to eight hours of audio and can be connected to a computer to download the digital recording.

Video Camera: A hand-held camera that records video and audio on tape or digitally, with a capacity of about 6 hours of footage. Video cameras cost 2 points, since they effectively double as audio recorders as well.

Criminal Gear

This equipment is most often used by criminals or to catch criminals.

Handcuffs: Handcuffs are restraints designed to lock two limbs--normally the wrists--of a prisoner together. They fit any medium or small humanoid. Handcuffs can only be placed on a defenseless or unresisting target. Steel cuffs have Toughness 9 and are DC 10 to escape using Sleight of Hand (or Technology to pick the lock).

Lock Release Gun: This small, pistol-like device automatically disables and opens cheap and average mechanical locks operated by standard keys as a routine check. It does not affect other locks.

Restraints: Similar to handcuffs are plastic restraints, used in cases where authorities need to restrain a large number of people and cuffs are impractical. They are generally Toughness 5 or so and DC 10 to escape with Sleight of Hand but cannot be removed except by cutting or breaking them.

Surveillance Gear

Heroes often use surveillance gear to keep tabs on criminals and their activities.

Binoculars: Standard binoculars allow the user to make visual Perception checks at a greater distance, or with a reduced penalty for distance, effectively providing a +2 equipment bonus that overcomes some or all of the distance penalty.

Concealable Microphone: A tiny receiver usable as a listening device. It has a broadcast range of about a mile. It requires an Investigation or Perception check against the results of the Sleight of Hand check used to conceal the microphone to find it.

Mini-Tracer: A tiny radio transmitter with an adhesive backing. It requires a successful attack check to plant a tracer on a target (or a Sleight of Hand check to plant it outside of action time). Noticing the tracer is a DC 10 Perception check or the result of the character's Sleight of Hand check, whichever is higher. The tracer has a transmission range of about 2 miles.

Night Vision Goggles: Night vision goggles use passive light gathering to improve vision in near-dark conditions. They grant the user darkvision--but because of the restricted field of view and lack of depth perception these goggles provide, they impose a -1 circumstance penalty on Perception checks made while wearing them. Night vision goggles must have at least a little light to operate. A cloudy night provides sufficient ambient light, but a pitch-black cave or a sealed room doesn't. For situations of total darkness, the goggles come with an infrared illuminator that, when switched on, operates like a flashlight visible only to the wearer (or anyone else with IR vision).

Parabolic Microphone: This apparatus has a gun-like microphone with an attached set of headphones. A parabolic mike provides a +2 equipment bonus to listening perception checks that overcomes some or all of the penalty for listening to sounds at a distance, through walls, etc.

Survival Gear

Camo Clothing: Clothing in the right camouflage pattern for the environment grants a +2 equipment bonus on Stealth checks in that environment. Patterns include foliage, desert, urban, and arctic.

Flash Goggles: These tinted eye-coverings provide protection against blinding light, granting a +2 equipment bonus to defense checks against visual Dazzle attacks involving bright light.

Flashlight: Flashlights negate penalties for darkness within their illuminated areas. The standard flashlight projects a beam 30 feet long and 15 feet across at its end.

Fire Extinguisher: This portable apparatus uses a chemical spray to extinguish small fires. The typical fire extinguisher ejects enough extinguishing chemicals to put out a fire in a 10-by-10-foot area as a move action. It contains enough material for two such uses.

Gas Mask: This apparatus covers the face and connects to a chemical air filter canister to protect the lungs and eyes from toxic gases. It provides immunity to eye and lung irritants. The filter canister lasts for 12 hours of use.

Global positioning system receivers use signals from GPS satellites to determine the receiver's location to within a 50 foot radius.

A GPS receiver has the following powers (5 points total): Attain Knowledge (2 point base) linked with Find the Path (2 ranks), Entire Path, limited to being on Earth with a satellite connection (-1 flaw).

It also has the following Features (4 points total): estimated arrival time based on current speed, maps available, can connect to a database of commonly useful categories of locations such as gas station or hospital, and coordinate information always includes longitude, latitude, and altitude (this coordinate information is a single feature).

The GPS receiver has the following Quirks (-3 points total): does not know the name or address of any location that has not been officially mapped (this means that it must be along a road), can't locate places that are well known (you must save the location), takes a move action to be turned on (see Activation flaw).

The total is 6 equipment points and has Easily Removable which doesn't change equipment costs. The GPS receiver can only locate places based on the address (including intersections), latitude and longitude, business name, or using the feature for category. Using the category feature provides the list sorted from closest to farthest. The GPS takes a standard action each round to updates path and coordinate information however it can't take any other actions. Find the Path has 2 ranks because with the limitation it costs 1 point per 2 ranks. A robotic construct or vehicle may have a GPS built in (making it non-removable) for the normal cost (6 equipment points).

Multi-tool: This device contains several different screw-drivers, a knife blade or two, can opener, bottle opener, file, short ruler, scissors, tweezers, and wire cutters. The whole thing unfolds into a handy pair of pliers. A multi-tool can lessen the penalty for making skill checks without appropriate tools to -1 instead of the normal -2. The tool is useful for certain tasks, as determined by the GM, but may not be useful in all situations.

Rebreather: A small cylinder that fits over the mouth and provides two minutes (20 rounds) of oxygen, during which the character does not need to make suffocation checks.

SCUBA Gear: A back-mounted oxygen cylinder and face-mask, used for diving. SCUBA (Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus) gear provides two hours of oxygen, and characters using it do not need to make checks for suffocation unless the gear is damaged or disabled.

Utility Belt

A common piece of equipment for crime fighters and espionage agents is the utility belt (or bag, pouch, backpack, etc.): a collection of useful tools and equipment in a compact carrying case. Some characters may have a Removable array of devices instead, allowing for far more unusual effects than run-of-the-mill equipment.

Heroes often have 1-point items in their utility belts, like flashlights, rebreathers, and so forth.

By spending Victory points you can temporarily add something 10 points or less to your utility belt as a power stunt, for those one-time items you may need in a pinch.

Sample Utility Belt

Feel free to modify this example (adding or omitting items) to create your own customized utility belts.

Brass Knuckles: Damage 1, Strength-based • 1 point.

Bolos: Snare 3 (Hindered and Vulnerable, Defenseless and Immobilized) Alternate Resistance (+1): Sleight of Hand: Escaping instead of Fortitude or Will • 12 points.

Boomerangs: Ranged Damage 1, Strength-based • 2 points.

Cutting Torch: Damage 1 Linked to Weaken Toughness 1 Affects Objects Only. • 2 points.

Explosives: Ranged Burst Area 1 Damage 5 • 15 points.

Flash-Bangs: Ranged Burst Area 1 Visual and Auditory Dazzle 4 (Resisted by Fortitude; Vision and Hearing Impaired, Vision and Hearing Disabled, Vision and Hearing Unaware). • 20 points.

Grappling hook: Movement 1 (Swinging). • 2 points.

Pepper Spray: Resisted by Fortitude; Visual Dazzle 4 (Vision Impaired, Vision Disabled, Vision Unaware). • 4 points.

Sleep Gas Pellets: Ranged Cloud Area 1 Sleep 4 Resisted by Fortitude (Fatigued, Exhausted, Asleep). • 12 points.

Smoke Pellets: Ranged Cloud Area 1 Visual Concealment 1 Attack • 7 points.

Tear Gas Pellets: Ranged Cloud Area Affliction 4 (Resisted by Fortitude; Dazed and Vision Impaired, Stunned and Vision Disabled, Incapacitated) • 16 points.