ULTRA-TECH A Sourcehook of Weapons & Equipment for Future Ages Second Edition « Revised By David L. Pulver : Additional Material by William A. Barton, Loyd Blankenship, Michael Hurst, : Steve Jackson and Walter Milliken — ' Edited by Michael Hurst and Loyd Blankenship | Revised by Sean Punch Lamy Cover by John Zeleznik elt) Mlustrated by Dan Smith ! Additional Illustrations by Guy Burwell, Denis Loubet and Karl Martin Oo GURPS System Design by Steve Jackson i Dawson, Managing Editor an Punch, GURPS Line Editor Graphic Design, Interior and Color Production by Jeff Koke Page Layout and Typography by Lillian Butler and Jeff Koke Print Buying by Rusell Godwin ‘Art Direction by Lillian Butler STEVE JACKSON GAMESAbou GURPS 3 Using This Book 3 About the Author 3 1. TECH LEVELS ‘Technological Timeline 5 TLS ~ The Edge of Tomorrow v5 ‘ Gear! TL9~— The Road to the Stars TLIO — Interstellar Civilizations 26 TLL & 12 ~ Masters of Foree.ssa7 TLI3.& 14 — Superscience 8 Business at TLS ~ Credit Transactors 8 TLIS & 16 ~A Suliciently Advanced Technolog 9 Improvements at Higher Tech Levels 10 Types of Power Cells 10 Weapon Improvements u Power, 12 Solar Panels (Ti+) 2 Beamed Power (TL13+). 1B Tools & Construction Materials...15 Sensors, Viewing Aids & Sci Sensors Viewing Geue Scientific & Survey Tools Adventuring Exploration Gear Survival Gear. Life-Suppost Equipment Personal Equipment Complexity Using Computers Program Types. TL iti Data Penetai Hardware Software Pesavine tay (Computer Hacking) Communicators (TL8+), 36 Information and the Media 38 Recording Equipment 38 Teaching & Learning Technology 39 Entertainment Technology 40 Timeline 42 Ranged Weapons 3 Melee Weapons. 2 ‘Weapon Accessories ot Explosives and Grenades 66 Biochemical Weapons 0 ‘Timeline RB Armor, Deflectors & Force Screens 73 Other Defenses 0 Equipment lar Tools 3 Surveillance Equipment 84 Stealth Technology 85 Counter-Surveillance Gear 30 Lavs-Enforcement Equipment 31 Timeline 93 Medical Equipment 4 Wonder Drugs 7 Biotechnolos “Medical Techniques. Body Moditicat Bionics (TL8+) Implans(TL9+), Brain Implants (TL104) 10. TRANSPORTATI Personal Vehicles Teleponation (TLIS#) Gadget Tables. ‘Armor, Deflectors ‘& Force Sereens Biochemical Weapons Biotechnological & Medical Techniques. Body Modifications Communications. Computers Counter-Surveillance Gear Criminal Equipment & Burglar Tools. Defenses Entertainment ation Gea sand Grenades Housing: Relate. Law-Enforcement Equipment Life-Support Equi Medieal Equipment Personal Items Power Recording/Playback Devices Scientific Equipment Security Systems Sensors Software Special Weapons Stealth Technology Surveillance Equipment Survival G Transporation Viewing Aids. Weapon Accessories, Wonder Drugs Ranged Weapons. Melee WeaponsUtira-Tech is the GURPS sourcebook of science fiction technology. It begins where GURPS High-Tech left off, and covers the future from TLS (near future) 10 TLI6 (science fantasy). The emphasis of GURPS Ulira-Tech is on the personal. The g24 erful but they expand the possibilities of character interaction rather than replacing it with bolts of scientific lighting. However impressive the hardware, it remains 3 tool, to serve the mind and hand (or paw, tentacle, flipper or pseudopod). 'A word about futuristic combat . .. This book contains many powerful weapons, and some very tough defenses. If a combat-centered adventure is planned, GMs should take care to balance weapons with armor. Legality clas is 4 good guide to this. In social situations, no one wears armor, and only the smallest holdout weapons will be carried. If slumming in a shady startown, cealable armor like monocrys or a biosuit should be worn, along with a he: pistol or powered blade; anything more will attract the atention of the local con Stabulary. Military weapons and armor are best restricted to military operations! But Ulira-Tech is more than just a book of weapons and useful gadgets for adventurers. Many of the technologies described could potentially change the way ordinary people live. Flying grav belts might transform society as automo- biles did. What if no one had to fear death, because his mind was on tape? Are clones people? In the book, we have tried to give a glimpse of some of the more ‘dramatic domestic possibilities of future technology. Ultra-Tech was designed for GURPS Space, but it can be handy for other campaigns. In particular, GURPS Uplift GMs can use it as an inspiration for alien technology (almost anything could be in the Galacties’ Library) while GGURPS Supers roleplayers will find ita valuable source of gadgets for techno logially-inclined supers, visiting aliens or powerful organizations Usinc THis Boox In GURPS Ultra-Tech, technological innovations are sorted by function, with each chapter describing a general class of technologies. For instance Chapter 5, The Armory, covers the weapons ofthe ultra-teeh battlefield. These chapters, in tum, may contain one or more subsections ~ again, arranged by function, For example, within Chapter 5, we have Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons, Weapon Accessories and s0 on. Fiall section are aranged first in order of ascending TL (that at which the dev appears), and then in alphabetical order. For quick reference, tables listing weight, cost, legality class, TL and page references canbe found inthe Appendix ABOUT THE AUTHOR David L. Pulver grew up in Canada, England and New Zealand. He has been a scence fiction fan for most of his life, an avid gamer since 1978, and a fre quent playtester for SI Games and the BTRC, He began freelance writing in 1988, and has been published in White Wolf and Challenge magazines. His pub- lished work includes GURPS Psionics, GURPS Vehicles, GURPS Robots Aliens and Artifacts (ICE), Glory of Rome (TSR) and Indiana Jones and the Rising Sun (West End Games) He presently ives in Kingston, Ontario, the innovations in each sub- first AROUT GURPS Stee Jckson Games is commited fal apport of the GURPS system. Our ade {3 Games, Box 19957, Austin, TX 78760, Please inclede »soll-addressed, stamped favelope (SASE) any time you wile ul Resources now sila icine Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyrami, ‘Que online mazarine includes new rls ad Srticles for GURPS. Tt also covers all the Hobby’s top games - AD&D. Traveller, World of Darkness, Call of Chalke, ‘Shadowram and many more ~ and other $b ‘Games releass lke Fa Nomine, VWO, Car Wars, Toon, Ogre Miniatures, and mor ‘And Pyramid subriers lo have aoe © yes files online to ce nd comment om) Sey books befere they're released, ‘New supplements and adventures, GURPS continues 10 grow, and we'll Be apy to let you Know whats new. A came sag i avilable Yor an SASE. Or check | oar Wed sie (Delon) ata. Up-to-date errata sheets fo al {GURPS roles. incising this book, ate [always avaiable fom S) Games: be sure “polode an SASE with your request. OF download them from te Web sce Blom (Q&A. We do our best to answer at ‘game question accompanied by an SASH. = (Gamer inp, We vale your coma ‘We will consider them, not only for mew tals when we epi this Book Upicrect. 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GURPS ha ts own Use _owp oo: ee games epg "GURPSrer Much of the ooline discus, ‘sion of GURPS hsppens on GURPSnet To send mol o majordomo. com wits scribe GURPSnet-L" in the body, of ‘point your World Wide Web browse to tron d.comvGURPSnetv ww. “The Ulira-Tech woh page is located at ‘wre slgames.com/gurpvbooks/Ultra-Tea, Page References spel fer OURS Bo St Thr Bato, Revised. iy pone rere tat fogs ite 8 ren whe GUS Bae agp Di0z meam p 102 oC CORPS Bas Set Thr Faton Revd,i DES] rr] This chapter gives a brief overview of the technological timeline assumed by this book, as well as some general rules that pertain to equipment as it advances in TL Timelines that go into more detail on a specific class of technology (such as ‘weapons or transportation) can be found in the appropriate chapters, TL8 - THE EDGE oF ToMORROW At TLS, industry has gone into space, taking advantage of the gravity-free environment to develop new and better industrial processes, Materials are both ligher and stronger. Standardized energy cells can power anything from a hand computer toa lser rifle, while on a large scale, fusion and solar power provide soca wth almost unlimited energy. Computers continue to improve, and bion is begins to bridge the gap between man and machine. Pethaps the biggest advances are in bioscience, especially medicine. Zer0-G chemistry ereates a range of “wonder drugs.” while transplant technology and human cloning offers the promis of immortality ~ to those who can afford it Uving in the Future ‘Allmidleclss houses and apartments (and most hotel rooms ger lp cabins) have an integrated, voice activated computer system that con proganmed to respond tothe owner's voiceprint. A typieal “SmartFome” sys. temcoxs $4.00 plus the price of a Complexity 3 compute Che hovse ait”) tonnte system. Cheaper apartments ti int the landlod's main building com ute, which provides similar services, but with less scoutly. Very cheap tene tensa prone to malfonctons While ret ansctors (ce sidebar, p, 8) are used for faceo-fice purchases cn vlldeveloped worlds, consumers may use computer dtanes for home shop” pie, Using the Smartfome sytem, the shopper eal the electronic yellow pages fe fom user renly shopping menu ofl eile subsribing tthe net and Gals ptce-dimensonal or high-quality digital images of available pets fo ingeaion, To purchase, the user simply transfers from his bank aosount to the ssn f teste. The sore verifies the transfer (eration takes «second The ienwilleherbe delivered or reserved tobe picked up a the ore's nett outlet nd passen: The side Short descriptions of ach TL. These are intended t0 give Dlayers some idea of what the state-of the-art mercenary or sventarer might be equipped with ‘The TLS Soldier A typical TLR infantryman wears ‘Combs Infantry Dees, possibly sprayed With ablative fours His elmet i ited ‘with a multview vier. short-range com Imunicstor and HUD. He cares a rocket atine, military loser rifle o assault car Sine sy ded wih i of sb nds and explosive bullets), The Bl or cwsine Wes an noord Ieee Scope with HUD sigh, and probably mini-grenaée launcter with Prism and Shaped-sharge grenades, The soldier has either ten spare magazines ora spare D fell and « bandolcr of grenades. Over his shoulder is slung portable missile launcher or electron grenade launcher For close comb. he uses broke, The TL9 Soldier The typical TLY soldier wears fnfantry combat arm, often with an TR loking and laser sensors, His helmet it ‘equipped with holographic HUD. mul Liview visor, nd possibly « personal transponder. He is armed witha military Taber, heavy bsser rile plasma fle, ot ‘Gauss batle rifle wih saboted ammo, ‘and carries a D cell for his weapon (OF five magazines) and an extra E cll for the squad Gatling lve. Slng over his Shoulder isan infantry missile launcher vith a single rian! mise ora eee fromag grenade launcher with clip of lator guided clever arenades. The sob se wil have an implant communicaog augmenting bis helmet's system and ‘wear a medsensor with a dose of Quickheal or Superstim. For close com- bathe caries monomolecular blade Continued on nest page:fers oe sevisis 32) ‘The TLIO Soldier By TLIO there i a sharp distinction made between the mobile, battles ‘equipped trooper and the regul fafantryman vty locks the rab and firepower of powered armor. Sil, Tega far infatry az fr chcaper, and ae ete 1y as good for holding ground. A platoon Of soldiers in Infantry Combat Armor farmed with over hundred anti-armon brilliant missiles and supported by & half-dozen Gatling X-lasers, is nok something a squad of butlesuted top Infantry Combat Armor fied with ee Sensors and a chameleon system; elite tls have Powered Combat Armor and nde circuits He sare with anil itary X-ray laser rile. For use against anks, mecha (anthropomorphic tanks) “and batlesuits he caries either a spare E cell for the squad Gatling oF an infantry missile launcher loaded with & ‘eliant missile {As well asthe basic hologeaphie THUD, the soldier's helmet has «nesting Aeceiver and sensor visor, and he may Ihave a es brain implants, such a6 aa interface to link him eybernetically with een i ‘TLU Soldier “The average | infantryman weary A mary cyber ih hema ap f or the st has Ise se Gees clouing.» diner bed Sensors, 2 sonic scrcen to keep Blah len, and an intrader system to tend him invisible. He may ure © HR pack {the TLII improvement of the fsoa Jeack) for mobility He s armed with a Illitary X-ray laser ville, and over is shoulder is slung a packet of brilliant missles. The solr has a spare power fll o¢ wo for his weapon, an Eel for ‘he squad Gatling. and possibly a force sword for close combat, He has a rai implant with» neural imerface connect edo is weapon Continued on nest page TL9 — Tue Roap To THE Stars 9 fusion power is coupled with a better understanding of physis to make interstellar travel a rehity. Computers get smarter and smaller, and more and more devices include small dedicated computer systems: scanners, recognition ‘A bewildering array of energy weapons are devel oped, many for special purposes ~ stunners, holdout lasers, particle beam blasters, flamers. Great strides continue to be made in medicine. New drugs such as Quickheal can vastly speed healing, panimmunity banishes the specter ot disease, and braintaping offers insurance against death, 4 Room With a View Voice-activated “SmartHome” computer systems controlling appliances, environment, security and communications are standard in every house, apart ‘ment and shipboard cabin. The house brain is a Complexity 4 or better home computer, accessible from every room, (On many worlds, and in spaceships and space habitats, living space is Timi. ced; but flat-screen holographic projectors are highly sophisticated and reason- ably inexpensive, permitting the illusion of vast space 10 be created. The Vist. ity 9 is typical; for a mere $4,000, a unit can be purchased that projects 3 complete, pre-programmable, three-dimensional environment on the walls and ceiling. With the addition of scented air conditioning and audio tapes, the owner ‘can create a quite realistic illusion of open space, TLIO — INTERSTELLAR CIVILIZATIONS AAs science guns a greter understanding of the human mind, complex brain implants, such as the neural interface and memory implant, come into us. The new materials technology of bioplastics makes possible a whole range of tough lightweight equipment for protection and exploration, Weapons technology takes a quantum leap with the use of the X-ray laser, forcing armor to become stronger and smarter, Medicine and biotechnology progress steadily, with majt advances in genetic reconstruction and first ad rip weapons, automedi The House of the Future By TLIO the house brain is increasingly intelligent, typically « Complexiy '5 minicompute, which handles everything from doing the dishes to tutoring the children. I is smart enough to atieipate the owner's desires which may Be ood or bad. When someone says house or apartment has personality, te may mean exactly that, Most cli Be sed and usually at least one wall, m:Room With agertment to seem tobe floating in sta TLII € 12 - Masters or Force TTLII and TLI2 societies have begun to de’ sics to make id more and recognition. s are devel- ticle beam New drugs the specter devices and effects that are incomprehensible to less advanced cultures TL appliances, vise, apart vetter home which produces everything from sensa-skin (living houses The House That Lives vee is lim ind reason. The Vista projects a walls and the owner capes, sell cl chemical or electron: nb ouses (or cities!) with warm fleshy walls, cell-like m« plex brain Atypical three-bedroom living house costs only $12,000, ose. The + of tough, schnology to become vith major abage TLIZ While all aspects of technology continue to improve steadily. and weapons, and in medical technology Castles in the dir ‘The development of contragravity generators (which ean ¢ fies rather than simply creating the wher in Earthlike comfort, Float with muliply-redundant power plants in case of fail- tue; with TLL biotechnology, they might even be alive! A less extravagant dwelling is the contragray owseboat, which can be moored anywhere on the planet thatthe user desires, tethered just above the tne (or above the clouds). CContragrav also lets mineral-tich high-G worlds te-setled without having to worry about exoskeletons cr creating variant humans. Antimatter or inexpensive fusion power stations and artificial-gravity generators enable asteroids and small moons to have normal omplexity | gravity, and huge, sprawling orbital cities to be con- coring the | sracted without worrying about providing spin. may be By generating a low-power deflector shield over lity, they J acty city planners can dispense with solid domes or ybeused | underground dwellings — and won't have to worry Ere S19 @ AAZARY 152 giant-sized computer or holocom screen. Holographic projectors (see A A View; above), are standard, allowing any room in the home or space or hidden in a tropical jungle. clop an understanding of the ‘workings of the universe far beyond that of previous tech levels, producing "The major advances of TLII are in force fields and in genetic engine TLII genetic engineering creates durable domestic products. One is livin; ining and requiring only a few additional nutrients to maintain, Using bioplastic, furniture ~ beds, tables, chairs - can be created that can assume preprogrammed shapes, textures or colors in response to the proper tic stimulus, or be absorbed into walls, floors or ceil ing when notin use. Artifacts and interior partitions become mutable, their col: ors easly changed with a word (0 the house computer. Late TI.11 developments make it economical (though not always fashionable!) to grow complete, living ss for doors, and cxirudable furniture. The house lives on human waste products and other fhe major breakthroughs are in contragravity, Which is used in personal vehicles, houses cel gravitational ) lets unmodified humans live nearly any= buildings, or even cities are possible, usually reyes (ContinveD) ‘The TLIZ Soldier The average TLI2 soldier is rch Tike his TLI1 counter: Spat bot may cary a fish rie exe Than laser, and is also protected by deflector belt. He may use a grav plat form for mobility: commandos drop slowly and silently from shutes or orb with grav chutes. Squad leaders ~ oF ven individual soldier ~ may have A batle computers ‘The TLI3 Soldier With the development ofthe personal eontragravity bel. infantry becomes af tmobile as aircraft ~ and unlike aitcraf, ‘they can take cover! An average soir ned with an assault pulsar or heavy pulsar. He wears eybersuit with ther Inal-supercondocting mor and the wal ‘stealth and sensor systems (see TLD, fd a personal or hickpock Force screen: be also has a distort toto jam scanners His helmet incldes oth 8 macrovisor and ashor-rangeneurno communica, and be likely has few brain implants [robably an mln computer anda neu Al imterface linked to his fle. Over his shoulder he slings pack of hunter mise ‘les For close combat he cates fos biel bracelet and force sword ‘The TL14 Soldier “The weapons and defenses of TLL4 ‘become so powerful and unique that there ‘might aot even be such a thing ws a "BR ‘al infantryman. The GM is encouraged fo usehis imaginationPLUS POSSE AY bye ee ey TRANSACTORS Most face-to-face exchanges use the edit ransacior, Also called a erode, this isan electronic curreney-transfer caleultor i) A creat wansactor debit an account. Aa mount of money i programmed onto the ard the cand olf the second the record of the transaction Tn most retsondbly free societies, a ‘redcard requires bank account wilt & ‘minimum initial deposit of $100. There isan additonal charge of $20 to make the card. The user can encode more money ono his card or deposit fom the ‘ard to his account) by communicating With the bank, He simpy visits «ereit terminal dials the number of his bank Account inserts the cd and encodes the Amount onto the ard self. Funds om fard are encoded in (amper-resistant molecular cirevitey: st is difficult forge credcard's balance (see (Gredeart Crime. p83) Th use, two credcards are linked {together and ie amount o be transfered is Keyed in, One credcard’s balance ix debited, the thes reed. Represive Ssccleties may rire tat a record Be kept Of the exchange in the cant's memory, Including the serial number of the othe. ‘ard. More fce-whecling culres insist that part ofthe purpose of eran Keep transactions private All credcards require the owner tise positive ID vey We exchange. The man common it Fingerprint snd core number. Inclading ‘enifiation, a tamacton with thi system takes shout en seconds. Some banks ashe more secure eedeas (eg aso ein ‘retina or voice print ahentcaton) This lakes longer, depending on how tight the Secusity Soins aa voce eit take 30 Seconds. This costs $200 and usdaly equres a substantial balance ($100,000). atthe issuing bank, A soln credeard is sles without the ID code (an possibly the victim's eyes or finger) or a redead senacker (see p83), Continued on nex page about bad weather, either. Or a homesteader can buy a smaller field generator and power plant and set up on the asteroid of his choice. OF course, if the field goes down, he’s in trouble — unless he has a backup generator on. With a sufficiently powerful antimatter powered force screen and antigrav generator, a research station could even be built deep within a gas giant's crushing atmosphere, or hover \ithin a star, The engineering problems would be immense, bt think of the view! A gravity neutralizer for a houseboat, small asteroid, etc. is a grid built into the walls attached to a large power pack. It costs $10,000, masses. ton, takes up -1 ey, and requires an E cell for one year of operation, It neutralizes gravity for a ten-ton mass; several generators can be combined for a larger object. 4 TLI1Z € 14 - SuPERSCIENCE ‘TLIS and TL14 make use of near-miraculous devices such as living metal ammua-ray lasers and force sereens. In the GURPS Space background. this i the technology of the long-gone Precursors. Pocket antimatter reactors power sgravears, and spaceships and cities run on total conversion of mass. Entire plan ets can be moved, or disassembled to build a shell around a star Ifa GM doesn’t want active TL13 or TLL civilizations in his campaign, be can still use the technology. Individual gadgets may be found by archacologists investigating Precursor ruins. Artifacts may still be working (TL13+ devices are built to last’), or could provide clues that enable a lowertech society 10 dup cate them, even though the principles behind them are not fully understood. Living With Superscience GMS should careully consider the effect of introducing superscience io a campaign. What would antigravity belts do to transportation? Windows would Assuming that, that any criminals sureved, with TLIO psych implants nox costing only a few hundred credits. For that matte, computer and personalis implant are now cheap enough that people might put en oF ake of de easily as they would change clothes. TLIZ ‘TLI3 technology is not subtle. The major developments of TL13 are in high-energy and exotic physics: antimatter beam weapons, powerful force screens and contragravity belts. The medicine reflects this high-powered approach: the standard way (0 heal someone is to take him apart (using the chrysalis machine) and put him back together again, but fixed.erator and 2 field goes sufficiently atch station or hovering the view! J built into takes ng metal, ada this is, ns power tire plan paign, he eologists to dupli- vod + would passers. ronality ul force vowered sing the TLI4 "TLIM technology continues to refine the developments of TL 13. Very high caergy personal weapons are developed, while neural tech 1 braintap- ing reach a peak of development with the braincorder an ology ghostcomp. Boredom in Paradise What do people do in a TL14 culture? Most wouldn’t be needed to run any- thing, make decisions or handle information, Sentient robots could reproduce themselves rapidly, spreading like a plague to terraform (or eat!) a planet in a als are easy rater of months, or build any industry that is required. Raw m tocame by. While asteroid belts may be already used up, TL14 cultures can dis- mantle Jupter-sized gas giants for raw materials Of course, if several TL 14 nations existed in the same area and no one wanted toleve, they Would soon run out of gas giants, Then things might get nasty TLIS € 16 - A SurFFICIENTLY ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY ‘Attech Ievels above 14, it becomes very difficult to imag- ine what society, as a whole, might be like. With enough improvements in medicine, manufacturing and computer sci- ence anything could happen. Therefore, TLIS and 16 technology will be presented as simply a collection of interesting gadgets for use as Precursor artifacts the final inventions of mad scientists or the Tike Many TLS or 16 technologies could be used in a lower- ‘TLeampaign. Timescanners, stasis webs or teleportation could allhave been discovered at a lower TL, especially in a GURPS Supers oF Time Travel campaign. All of the devices are “play falanced” to the degree that they should not ruin a campaign if used carefully ~ but their introduction could potentially change society ina number of ways ... which is part of the fun, TLIS |ACTL 15, the very fabric of time and space, matter and energy can be affected through technology. TLIS technology will it in well as “experimental” devices in a lower tech cam- paign (at 100 or more times the price!) TLIS ‘TLI6 is the age of technological magic. Wizardry is for sale al every corner, and the universe is not necessatily the limit. TL16 gadgets should be restricted to one-of-a-kind devices. Infinity Rooms ‘A infrity room iso small pocket universe, set aside ina pane reality of its own. A typieal infinity room isa sphere 13 yards across. The lower hall contains a small totl-comer Sion power plant and the equipment which org tnd pow maltsis tbe pocket, as well as ife-spppon ally created te TECH LEVELS: ——————— oe BUSINESS AT bye ea ey TRANSACTORS (ContinvED) If crodcard is lost or destroyed, the money encoded init lost a well, FW ‘eople pt more thin srall percentage ‘ftir bank lance on their card at ay ‘ne time. Most banks tht issue ered: ‘ands pay a reward of 10% ofthe cans balance if missing card is returned, They then deduct the reward ara fee from the account unt return the cad ‘Credcards run fortwo years on ‘le AA cal,TYPES OF POWER CELLS ‘There are six sizes of power cel designated by lee font AA (he small fst) to E (tho largest). Power cells Increase in power exponentially. An/A eal is ten times as powerful as an AA cll, a B call has fen times the power of fn Acell, and 20 0 ‘AA cell: This cel is a disk the sie af pinhead, "in dismeter and” the ‘Ad cals are used to power microbat brain implants, calculators, ete. They {ost $2: 500 AA cells weigh | otc ‘A cell: An A cell a esinder 12 ia lamer and "tal. cells are wed 8 Dower wristcomps, short-range radios And other devices with small power quirements. An A cell costs S10. 25 fweigh I ounce B cell: B cells ae cylinders 4 i diameter and" tal, They a used 10 power various sors of hand-held expe fet, inclading smal, easly-coneeals Able weapons. B cells cost $30: 20. ‘Weigh I pound Continued on nex page: ity generators. The upper hemisphere can be furnished as the owner desires, perhaps incorporating a suite of rooms, a laboratory, even soil and a garden. Using infinity rooms, a seemingly small spacecraft (the size of a shuttle, for instance) could have the capacity of a dreadnought, (a closet or phone booth could conceal a palace. One uses an infinity portal to enter an infinity room, Infinity portals are identical to portable telegates (see p. 117) and use similar principles, except that one portal is always fixed in the infinity room. Cost, weight and volume are the same as normal telegates, Except via its portal, there is no way to gain access to an infinity room, An infinity room costs $5,000,000 at TL16. Larger infinity rooms are perfectly possible; the cost inereases by $1,000,000 each time the diameter is doubled, so an infinity room 480 yards across would cost $10,000,000. IMPROVEMENTS AT HIGHER TLS ‘The TL of any technology in Ultra-Tech is the TL at which itis fist introduced. Any technology trom lower TLs might be available at higher TLs. Its price varies with the game world, Old devices might be junk: ‘they might be rare and valuable antiques. The creator of the universe, or the GM, decides. In gener One TL after it frst appears, any item of equipment, as well as won der drugs, computer programs, and services like cloning or bionic opera fions, costs half as much. Two TLs after introduction, prices are the original cost. There is no further reduction in price unless specified for a particular device. For some equipment, there are additional modifications: Gadgets Unless specified otherwise, all devices, except for weapons, vace suits and oer survival suits and body armor, weigh half as much one TL alter being ino diced and / as mc after to oF more TL, (round down). For instance. TL9 radscanner weighs one pound. An equivalent radseanner at TL10 weighs pound, at TL11 and up. pound. Many gadgets ¢e improve ineffectiveness. communicators) also Armor Higher TL versions of armor have increased DR; see the individual descrip. tions for each type. Power Any equipment that runs off of power cells gains shots or increased operat time at higher tech levels, This adds 50% ofthe original operating time or shots 10 the listed number for each tech level afier the one at which the device was first introduced. This is because the high-tech cells contain mote power. However, any devices also make better use of the power they have available. For weapons, ‘that means that they have more shots and that the shots are more powerful! 'ECH LEVELS: eeWeapon IMPROVEMENTS e452 097 ea Tr soos paws ty poner clk Tas ces at OS oS ao eam weapons, all Gauss weapons and all powered melee weapons such as (ContINUED) vinobades and fore swords, For each TL. after the types’ frst appearance, "eee The ia diansr by Peto aid sl to an ccergy Weapon's damage for every 16 of damage it aormally [MBEerC cis wens ea ag pees inflicts. For weapons with damage adds, 3+ points of damage adds also gives mon power source for personal weapons weight : febis and equipment They ae the al, there ide: familiar power source in most advanced Rag sess, AO 49 AD and Max gs per Ter helen at = Example: A TL9 Blaster Rifle normally does 124 damage, with a AD and |e prance cos $10 and fan Max ange of 300 and 800, [gains +12 damage per TL above 9 (+1 foreach die | MERA inter 2g of damage done normally), so at TL 10 it does 12d+12 damage. Using the ameter and” al D cells power mile Modifing Dice + Adds rules, p. B114, this becomes 15d+2. In addition, its “1D __ffy weapons and heavy equipments tan DTS battlefields are litered. wi and Max ranges improve by 10% to 330 and 880. At TLI2, the same Blaster | Dimaean reels ae erat » Rifle would do a whopping 12d+36 (equivalent of 22d+1) and would have a Dds are litered with expended eat 390 and Max of 1,040. fridge cses and machine oun links Eh Improvement Limits: Unlike number of shots, damage and range only Pell cost $500 and weighs § pounds: increase for the first 3 TLs after the weapon's introduction. Thus a TL13 Blaster | gly andl Eels power see : Rifle has the same range and damage it did at TL12. ES sp wn nl ts po > jun Inteasive sysicms, An E-cell couta verse, or Needlers $2,000 and weighs 20 pounds. Regular and Gauss needlers get 20 more shots per magazine at each TL ‘Regchaxyeable Power Cella. afer the TL of introduction, (rs) 2s won- [Ate GMs option, any TL sae ri the Other Dieapons Stace ey let on aie cee Conventional slugthrowers, gyroes, ice guns and other chemical or spring- igrpwevide hal x many shor at ae powered weapons do not increase in damage, but advanced ammunition types peters! a ony power lat, (ea, heat-secking bullets) do come into use. Explosive warheads have a 50% | ama of» speci, in abot a increase in damage at’TL9 but after that do not gain in povser; but other types of alle at meglpble cost ough @ vareads (soni, nuclear, et.) become available fie power gi. They we uberis a, Heal normal power cells above) sits and sino: sa TLS 15) also descrip perating shots to as frst weapons,By aay Solar panel can substitute for powee cells in any envionment where sunlight is available: the Earth normal sun fied propestonatly fr higher o lower level flight. Size B and smaller panels ‘will work pesfecly well undet normal Indoor stil ih. Panels come in sizes AA through BE teach may be substituted forthe equvie Tent cell in applications requiring steady demand (including slow vehicles) but ‘ever weaponry AA: square inch, $2: negligible weight A Ji square inch, $10; negligible weit B: Two square inches, $50; neigh ble weit (C16 square inches. $300; 5 ounces D: One square foot, $2,000; 218 pounds E: One square yard, $10,000; 28 pounds. ‘Any suitable cell-operated deviee wll have jacks to plug in a sola pane It automatically goes over to its powet fell when light is cutoff from the pane els, Many devices ean be Bought with bal-in solar poncls (add all the price and weight above) Solar pancl are dessticaly improved as TLs increase. AUTLY, halve cost and divide weight by 10. At TLIO, halve ‘com again, and divide TLE weight by 100. ACTLIT, divide TLE weight by 1,000; at TL13, divide TLS weight By 10,000 Solar panes are relatively tough (DR 2) and damaged pancls may continue 1 Work at reduced levels (GM's option) ‘Each point of darmige that ges past the DR wil destoy 12 sire inches tks 12 points of damage wo destoy one square fot of pane. criial hit or a deliberate we of clipes cus the connection fom the panel tothe device it powers, POWER An important feature of an ultra-tech campaign is that gadgets make th users very powerful .. . while they work. But a laser without power isn’t evens 00d club. Most gadgets need a power source. If no power requirements are lst ed, though, the device needs none; it has cotal-conversion cells, draws energy from alternate universes, functions forever by the will of the ultimate designer or some such system. A¢TL1S+ the GM can say that any gadget requires no power source, even if power requirements are given Power Cells (TL8+) AUTLS and above, most equipment runs on standardized power cells (see side bars pp. 10-11). How they work is up to the GM. These rules assume that they use” plutonium, metastable helium, antimatter, or something equally esoteric and expen sive. They can’t be recharged, and can’t be discharged quickly enough to explode. Any cell will store power indefinitely if notin use: they have an indefinite shet lief Unless otherwise specified, they will are good for 2 years" continuous use At each successive TL afier the introduction of a device, it will use power ‘more efficiently, The number of shots or the operating time is inereased by 50% per TL after the TL of introduction. Example: An ultrascanner (TL12) normally runs for five minutes of contin uous use. At TLI3, the equivalent ultrascanner will operate continuously for 7 ‘minutes on a TL13 C cell Example: A TL8 laser rifle gets 12 shots from a C cell, At TL9, an equive lent laser rifle, using TL9 power cells, gets 18 shots. An equivalent TLIO rifle gels 24 shots, and so on, Some weapons also get increased damage per shot at higher TLs ( Weapon Improvements, p. 1). Jury-Rigging Power Cells In an emergency, wrong-szed cells can be used, Rigging this requires a rll aeinst Elecrones-? and 3d+10 minutes of work. A failure meats the Wont delivers no power: acral fale damages the padget A lager ell canbe so stituted fora smaller listing no more than twice a Tons. Ase of 10 sale els can be substituted forthe next larger size. usually lasting ony shor time (deals ae up to the GM, depending on the Electronics sil of the tinker, on god roll, the GM should warn the technician what to expect fom his juy-rig). The GM may also rule that different planets or nations use diferent vutages or ies for their power cel. This means an Electonics rol ta penalty set By the GM, will be rquied to une falar power cells range equipment fr vice vera,make the atteven a sare list, ws energy lesigner or no power sisce side atthey use and expen: wexplode, shel if, use power ed by 50% of cont uly for an equiva. TLI0 rifle FTLs (see utes a rot the jury-rig. can be sub- maller cells ime (deta on a good ty-rig). The ges or sizes by the GM, ze versa), Lower TL cells can be used t0 power a higher TL device, but this is alwa «a jury-tig. High-TL devices using lower TL cells will, at best, function like the lower-TL version of that same device; a bad roll on the jury-rig could result in failure to operate, or even damage to the device. The penalty to the Electronics ral for jur nereases by -2 for each difference in TL (Eleetronies-4 for one TL of difference, Flectronics-6 for two TLS, etc.) Low-TL devices can use higher-tech cells, getting increased operating time tut no other increase in efficiency. However, if the TL of the cells is more than 1 greater than the deviee’s TL, the GM may require an Electronics roll, with appro: prately cinematic results on a failure. (“The TL13 power cells just destroyed your flashlight, but before it melted, the beam went through the wall.") Example: A TLS laser rifle gets 12 shots from a TLS C cell. Using a TL9C cel, it would now get 18 shots, but no extra damage. With a TL10 cell, it could get 24 shots if it worked at all. The equivalent TL9 laser rifle gets 18 shots and txva damage from a TL9 power cell; jury-rigged to a TLS cell, it would per foum exactly like a TLS laser rifle Explorers, merchants or diplomats who must spend a long time in a culture ofa lower TL are well advised (0 have equipment adapted to the power sources ofthe lower TL. Higher TL devices can be permanently adapted (as distinct from jury-rigged) to use lower TL ower cells, Number of shots or operating time is the same ‘that of the equivalent lower TL weapon. For devices that donot exist at a lower TL, shots and operating time are up to the GM. The rule of thumb is a 50% decrease for each top in TL (round down) Example: A TL12 fusion pistol gets six shots from a TLI2 C cell. Adapted to TLII cells, it would get three shes, Adapted to TLIO cells, it would get only one shot. If shots go down to one, further decreases in TL halve damage instead; adapted to TLIO cells, the fusion pistol above would fire once for 4dx10 damage. Adapted to TL9 cals it would do only 4dxS; with TLS cells, 4a. Itis possible to adapt even more archaic power sources tothe operation of higher TL equipment. This is normally a Task (see Long Tasks, p. B93) and the details are up to the GM. One Task that may be especially useful is adapting a recharge unit (see sidebar, p. 11) to primitive power sources, The GM who feels that these calculations don't add to the game is free 10 declare that power cells were perfected TLS and don’t change with inereasing tech levels. Replacing Power Cells Ihakes 3 seconds fo replace an A, B. Cor D cell with a sew one, o 6 seconds to replace a tiny AA or large I cell Spesd-Load (Power Cell skill (see p. BS2) applies to B. C ani D calls being reloaded into weapons. Successful use of tisk redoces the time to | second, Lite-suppor systems, BEAMED POWER (TL13 ‘AU TLIS and above, vehicles and ther devices may operate on power “beamed! from s centr sation, a ong as they remain within fine of sight tauldings will have receivers onthe root totum beamed power nin "wal power.” ‘There may be many bean stations on & ilized words colony may have only afew, and a new colony will have jot ‘ne. A very large spaceship can beam ‘power to ground uns in line of sight below ic This means that nobody has to won about powering vehicles --- unt something happens othe power sation, ‘A receiver for bested power weighs ‘he same ae the normal power cell is replacing. bu operates indefinitely. Cost {she sane, Us. only D and E unite fre designed o receive beamed power, an other items that cannot afford power interruptions, have ‘two oF more cells, so that if one is drained another takes ‘vet immediately. They are also usually equipped with a warning system to notify the user that one call has been expended.ly Hi hil Hl MAThis section lists the tools and construction materials found seach TL, These technologies range from the mundane (such £54 faslight or fire extinguisher) to the miraculous (such as Diplo living metal) and everything in between FiasHLicuT (TL?+) The flash throws, a $0-foot beam for six continuous months oC cell. Itcosts $20 and weighs one pound, A belt or helmet del that leaves the hands free costs S10 more, $100 buys hearty light that can be used 3s baton without being dam ‘gal. A mini-flashlight (15-Foot beam) is also available, ri tian A cell for one month for $8, with a weight of! poun BruasE Rope (TL8+) A diameter Biphase rope supports 1,000 pounds. Ten urs of rope weigh pound and costs $5. AX" diameter rope ‘apps 4,000 pounds; costs $30 and weight is two pounds for ‘enya. Stength doubles at TL10 and again at TL12, EXOSKELETONS (TL8*! ‘An exoskeleton is an open framework of bulky, artifical *euces” and a strap-on power pack. When the user moves, the sears inthe suit react to and match his movements. The wear cess the ST ofthe exoskeleton rather than his own Exoskeletons are ofien used by those who must work under een, While weting one, he wer ignores ST peas y gravity and uses the exo's ST instead. He halves found don) all DX penalties for heavy gravity. HT and 10 pemiies are unchanged, Euoseletons are slightly clumsy. For any ordinary DX roll, a exoskeleton wearer rolls against DX. For other DX-based ail he rolls against the skill-1. The GM may assess extra peaties for actions that should be especialy difficult such as Aambatcs. However, most exoskeletons (oF “exosuits") have ‘roovabe gauntets to allow the wearer to do delicate work imsteletons give no protection im and of themselves (they see10 open), But may’ be worn over light clothing or conceal- dle armor, or the advanced skinsuits and biosuits, Anything heaves worn under the exo interferes with its sensors, while the sits to bulky for anything to be worn over it. Exoskeletons stuld be fted to the user, though “generic” models may be vem by anyone of the right general size, at an extra -1 to DX or Sill lls It takes two minutes 10 strap into an exo, and one to reawve it. All necessary bodily functions ean be performed Wie wearing an exoskeleton Cast for typical exoskeleton is $35,000 (ST 15). Subtract ‘4,0 ifthe suit is generic rather than fitted. Increase the cost ty S10000 for each ST point added, up 10 20. Above 20. ST fois cost an additional $20,000, An exoskeleton will run for tae week on a D cell; it has sockets for (wo, for safety. An taoaleton weighs 10 pounds per point of strength up to 20 ST. ‘Above 20, each additional point adds 20 pounds of weight voskelctos lack environmental protection, To remedy this, sn exokeeton can also be built into a heavy-duty vace suit oF asad vace Suit (see p, 25). This gains the life support and DR afte sul, but adds the weight and cost of the exoskeleton, TOOLS AND CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ‘The heavy-duty vace suit with exoskeleton is known ay an EVAC (exoskeletal vace sui). The armored mode is called an EAVS (exoskeletal armored vace sit). Unlike a vace suit the weight ofan exosut is reduced at later TLs. Ina TL 9¢ version of an EVAC of EAVS, the weight of the ‘ce suits not reduced, but the weight ofthe added exoskeleton is, Fine EXTINGUISHER TuRE (TL8*) This 2% pound tube tha sprays fire-retardant foam. Tes a one-ise only device intended for sal fies It wil extinguish them ona roll of 110.4.0n hat five yards’ range. Weight of he tube is negligible and cot i $10. Larger fire extinguishers, with tight uss. sigh two pounds and cost $50. Any ite exingus fr ean be used ax 4 weapon, Tt defaults to DX-4 or Beam Weapons (Flamer}-2: SS 10. Ace I, »D 3, Max 5. does 3d damage, bt this ts counted only for knoekback purpenes~ i des oy minor brising. Any hit to the face ans an nar mored person stuns and Blinds ifs HT-3 roll filed: ro teams HT3 each tar to recover, HicH-Power Dritt (TL8+) ‘This drill is useful for boring through laser-refractive sub- stances. It uses synthetic monodiamond bit of ineredble hard ness. Itcan drill through 4 DR per turn of any material with a DR of 50 or less (2 DR if material is DR 51-100; 1 DRif the material is DR 100+) as long as itis eld steady on the same spot: once it has drilled through DR, it does Id+2 impaling damage each turn. Because it has to be held steady. itis useless as a weapon unless the target is held down (grappled Bled). It runs for 30 minutes on a C cell. The bit may need to replaced occasionally (about every 10,000 DR); bits cost $40 apiece. It costs $120 and weighs four pounds. No handyman oF burglar should be without one Laser Torcu (TL8* “This is close-focus hind laser for light cutting and spot Welding. It does 4d per second of cutting damage to doors, bulk heads, ete. Used asa weapon, has SS 12, Ace |, RoF 4, Damagefd cut, AD 3, Max 15. Use the laser autofie rues (see p. 47) against @ person or moving target it only does 4d if all four shots hit! It uses a C cell, which lasts for 60 seconds. Cost is $250 and weight is Five pounds, Toot Kits (TL8*) Too! kis exist at all TLS; this section covers those for TL8. Normal tool kits do not drop in price oF weight as TL. inercases ‘nor do they gain in effectiveness. As gadgets get more complex. so do the tools required to fix them. Any attempt to repair equipment ‘of higher TL than the kit has 4-2 per TL difference penalty Anyone aftempting repairs without one ofthese kits docs so at 5 1o sill, Each type of kit must be purchased separately though ‘user may “make do” with one of the others at a3 penalty All toolkits contain several power cells, but the cells found in salvaged kits are likely (GM's decision) to be partially oF ‘completely used already Portable Shop (TL8+) ‘An elaborate version of the basic toolkit (below), its equiv lent to a repair shop on a small starship. I has everything nee: essary for emergency repairs, plus a wide range of spare parts that Gan be tooled to specific requirements. Tt adds +2 t0 the user's shil, Iwill have 2d AA, A and B cells, 1d C cells, 16-2 D cells. and 1 E cell, A Mechanic, Engineer or Armoury shop ‘cons $4,000, weighs 3,000 pounds and has a volume of live Electronies shops eost $7,000, weigh 1,500 pounds and have & volume of dey Basic Tool Kit (TL8+) ‘The standard tool kits for engineers, mechanics, armorers nd electrons technicians, allowing major and minor repairs to bbe made at no penalty on skill, Any kit includes a few devices requiring small power cells, and is therefore a good source of ex cells ina pinch ~ rll Td+2 for the number of AA cells. I For the number of A cells, 1d-2 For B cells, Mechanic or Engincer toolkits cost $800, weigh 300 pounds and have a volume of ey as cargo, Armoury or Electronics kits cost $1,200, weigh 100 pounds and have a volume of Portahle Tool Kit (TL8+) ‘A smaller version of the basic tool kit it fits into a ease or backpack and weighs 20 pounds for Mechanic or Engineer kits or 10 pounds for Armoury or Electronics kits. Major repairs can be made at -2 10 skill, and minor repairs are at no penalty. It contains Id+2 AA celis, Id A cells and 14-3 B cells, Cost is $600 for Mechanic or Engineer kits, $900 for Atmoury or Electronics kits Mini-Toolkit (TL8+) ‘This iva smal, bel size too! kit, Routine repairs can be made ‘with one ofthese a only -2 1 skill. Major repairs are at 4 when Using a mini-toolkit. Roll Id forthe number of AA and A cells in the kit, 1d-3 for B cells. Cost is S400 and weight is 2 pounds Construction Foam (TL9*) hands nats coun © pati ba unico he tien used by rot police and soldiers to eeate arrces or bunkers, and asi is fireproot, by firefighters to form temporary Firebreaks. When sprayed on a person it acts as a tangler hit though the vietim will soon suffocate if he cannot break fee (see p. B12) and anti-tangler aerosol is useless, Used 4 ‘weapon a foam sprayer defaults to Beam Weapon (Flamer) has SS 5, Ace 2. and a maximum range of six yards. I sprays {wo ey of foam (enough to cover one hen) pet turn Construction foam is fireproof, waterproof and lighter tht ‘most liquids (iis used for fife rats). Its permanent but a cube foot can be chipped away in about an hour. A 14-pound tank a construction foam can fill ten cubie yards, A one-foot thicknes ‘of foam (the minimum to create a stable vertical wall) has DR and HT 30, Each extra Foot adds 5 to HT, The skill to proper use construction foam is usually a professional sill Construction workers, fire fighters, flood control specialists ani Fiot-control police are all taught to use it. The amount of actual Practice they get depends on theie particular job AA loaded sprayer costs $100 nd weighs tanks cost $40 and weigh [4 pounds apiece, CynerTex (TL9+ Looking lke a gigantic metic spider, a eybertek is a seme Portable, automated repair shop, It wil attempt to fx any piece ef broken or damaged equipment, using its sensors and programmed repair manuals o diagnose the problem, then repairing it with is tool-equipped waldoes. It has a hay coataining a wide range of "generic spare parts that can be tooled to specific requirements. A ybertek is controlled by a dedicated computer with a skill level of 13 in Electroniev TL, Mechanie/TL. and Armoury/TL +1 per TL over 9. However, it can only maintain and repait devices that are in its database (or closely related) I it encoun ters a problem it can’t fix, i calls for human help. I's human technician is directing a cybertek, itis as good as a Portable Shop (see above) with an additional +2 bonus due to its exten sive technical database and usefulness as an automated assistant Cost is $30,000. weight 800 pounds and volume 5 ey. Ituses building power or runs for six months on an E cel. Monovure (TL9+) ‘A practically invisible strand of monomolecular thread monowire is capable of supporting up to 500 pounds. A stan dard spool of 100 yards weighs J: pound and costs $1,000, and ‘comes with x BPC handle on both ends of the wire to Facilitate use. Monowire can also be strung to create effective traps ~ any roll o see monowire requires a Vision roll at 4, or i looking for it, Anyone walking through @ monowire “spiderweb” wil take 2d cutting damage per strand (1d if moving very slowly ot 3d i running); armor only protects with Yo its DR. Care must be taken to avoid injury when stringing monowire, since its hid to see and cuts almost anything. On a ertical failure when usin it for climbing, traps, ete.) the user has eut himsel, taking 18 cutting damage to the hand: armor proteets atv DR. Monowite itself has DRT0and HT Power Gove (TL9+) ‘ ‘A miniaturized exoskeleton covering the hand and foreaam, often used for construction work, it gives an effective ST of 0 ¢ for crushing, gripping and holding (including strangling) but nt for lifting or melee damage. If the user gets a grip on something he can do 24-1 rushing damage each turn, 2 pounds. Spartemporary tangler hit, break free Used as @ lamer). Tt st sprays ighter than uta cubic und tank of de thickness Iphas DR 4 to properly yal skill sialiss and tof actual ands. Spare any piece of vogammed eit with its de range of witha skill rmoury/TL, and repair fitencoun 1a human a Portable cdassistamt, cy. Ttuses| var thread, fds. A stan $1,000, and vo facilitate traps — any Lif looking erveb™ will Fy slowly oF ae must be fee itis hard when using taking 1d eMonowire and forearm, ine ST of 20 Jing) but ot ‘something The glove can be set on “auto-grip.” which makes it “feze™ in any desired positon; the user can even slip his hand atof the glove and leave it clamped onto something. It ean be programmed to release its grip after up to ten hours have pase "The glove protects the hand with PD 3, DR 25 (415 per TL shove 9), and can be wor in pace of armor gloves. I takes three seconds fo put on a power glove. When using the gloved hand. rll egaiast DX for ordinary DX rolls; for ether DX-based skill, rllagainst skill. A power glove runs off a C cell for up to ten fours of continuous use, Cost is $2,000 and weight is two pou, Sonic Prone (TL9*) ‘Tho sonic probe has enough legal uses that possession of itis sully not enough to make a case for possession of burgla’s| tk This makes ita favorite of low-grade burglars and street penis A shakedown of any startown street would probably pro= {eat least one sonic probe for every two people, ‘The probe is a multipurpose sonic tool the size of a cigurete ppckage. It generates a low-intensity, focused beam of sound: taves useful for cleaning delicate objects, combing hair oF tring eth, It also has other uses. can be used to pick mechanical or electronic locks, It gives 31 Lockpicking with TL9 or lower locks, but no bonus at Fiber TLs. Above TLS, locks are automatically designed to restsonic probes is vibrations can be very precisely tuned. When linked to a Complexity 3+ computer. it can be used asa short-ranged wlia sane scanner. The computer requires a Sonic Probe Readout program (Compleat 1, cost $300) and a sereen on which the roll can be seen. This will give the user a rough image of the inenor of objects or containers, Ithas maximum range of six imbes and is -1 to skill (roll against Electronics Operation/TL Sess) for each 10 DR it must penetrate. A sonic probe runs foro months of continuous operation on a B cell. Cost is 1.500 and weight is a quarter pound. Possession of a sonic probe is legal almost everywhere (lepaliy Class 6). Only the most paranoid and repressive of societies outlaw the useful, and usually innocuous, tool Caminal use of a sonic probe is another matter; thet is stil thelt rgatless ofthe tool. In many jurisdictions, picking a lock or ‘smniag container with a sonic probe agaravates the offense, relting in a longer sentence, stiffer fine oF more crippling raion (depending on local customs). Bupiastic (TL10+) Bioplastc isa tough, flexible material ~ but it is alive, Every squat inch of it contains electically-active muscles, fers and rane endings. A coded electrical impulse ean command these ‘uss to move — an item constructed entirely of bioplas can, iin, change its shape! Bioplastic is very resistant to dam {ge it as aecess to normal air and solar radiation, it ean repair isl, ealing ith suffered at | HT every six hours Bioplastic items in regular use at T.10 include reflex armor i. 16 the exploration suit (p. 26), the survival module (p. 24) sad the Nightwing ultralight (p. 115). At TLI, entire houses ‘anbe mode of bioplastic Biopls typically has PD 2, DR 15, TUE Sa Minirac (TL10: ‘The minifae, or Fabricator, is @ miniature robotic factory Given proper programming, minifaes are eapable of making. repairing or modifying most manufactured goods, if parts (sheet metal, circuit boards, chemicals) are available, without human supervision. Spaceships and small space stations (orbital science Tabs, et.) often have minifacs to fabricate spare parts and mis cellaneous gadgets. Start-up colonies (a few hundeed people) may purchase a few minifacs rather than a bulky and expensive robot factory Minifacs require databases with the appropriate information: see p. 34. Construction data for illegal devices (military lasers, tc.) will be very hard to come by. though a good programmer who is also a technician could write one himself given enough Minifacs do not have facilities for mass production: they are designed to produce 8 wide variety of high-tech stems in small ‘quantities, The GM must be the judge of how long any one item takes to build. If it has access to new, packaged parts for every thing it needs, one hour per $500 of valve, excluding the value of decorations or special materials, is about right. [rit is working from serap or salvaged materials, one day per $800 would be more appropriate. Cost when working from parts would be about {60% of base price. But since full-size robofacs produce items for hall tht, and merchants buy in bulk at 504% of greater discount, ‘owning a minifac does not mean you can get sich quick ‘A minifac can star a whole adventure just by flashing & red light and announcing that it ean‘ finish the current project until you give it three ounces of selenium and a quarcer-carat gem: ‘uality ruby {At TLIO, minifaes ean produce goods up to TL9. At TLI. minifaes ean cheaply produce TLIO goods. AUTLI2+, minifacs may produce items of their ows TL Minitacs cost $110,000 and weigh i ton, They take up 6 ey as eargo or when mounted in a ship: they usually use building ‘ower, but can operate fora Week of steady use on an E cel Ronorac (TL10+) At TLIO and above, a single factory is capable of producing almost any device for which it has instructions, A full-scale obofac covers several eit blocks, requires years to set up prop. erly, and costs billions ~ but it makes the difference between a civilized planet and a colony world. At'TLI2+, a very rich colony expedition, carying clone tanks and an advanced robo- fac, can develop a worl in an astoundingly short timeVira Souvent (TLI1+) See p. 84 InpustRIAL Repuicators (TL13+) ‘ACTLI3, most industrial production is handled by molecular sized machinery designed an contlled by AI computers The process isthe sme whether a power cello a eyberset being made. A sealed chamber, is size depending on what is being built i ied wth appropriate raw materi and the computer is given appropriate instructions, Countless self replcating ineroscopic robots swirl into the tank and begin bung the nocesay to finish the jo, Wher it fs Completed, the object toy seamfes, with io tol marks, rivets or other evidence to Livinc Meat (TL13+) For double its normal cost, any piece of equipment, from a personal force sereen {0 a neulrino communicator, ean be made of fiving metal. Living metal devices are constructed by the same process described above, but the microscopic construction robots remain active within the object after its built, Unless the ‘object has been totally destroyed (akes five times its hit points in damage), any damage to the object will be regenerated in a matter of hours. Living metal item heal at | HT per bour per ten pounds (or fraction thereof) of weight Living metal can cebuild itself at this speed if no parts are missing. If part of the original device is missing, but the proper eral i available very cose by, the construction robots ean Use| iL to replace missing pars: this halves the “regeneration” speed Fort ‘ofthe device that must be rebuilt from serateh, ‘ Any broken fragment of a living-metal device the whole device under the right circumstances, # tis dangerous to set # broken living-metal device on a metal surface; you may return to find the device repaired, of an regrow partially repaired, and the surface pitted where the robots tok ‘material from it! ‘ A million-year-old device made of living metal wil seem new a8 the day it was first built; corrosion, et, will have bet | repaired as quickly as it occurred, Powerful radiation (more than 1,000 rads in a single burst more than 500 radsfhour over an hour) can “kill” the robos, climinating their self-repair capacity. Worse, it might "mutate them, causing them to rebuild the device diferent! Motecutar Ronper (TLIS*) | ‘A molec bonder is a smal tool which can also be used a weapon, It projects a wide beam that instantly bonds we sbjects together, regards of their comportion. In onde ort to work the two objects must be touching cach oie and wi and line of sight of the device. proj beam tht fet 25 square inches of matral per ur, Tuned in combat ollohit S87 Ace 2, RaP 1, YD ~, Ma using Beam Weapons (Haes)2 skills misses may have uno seen effects ifthe wrong things were bonded together Seng of the moleculr bond is Hnted bythe sength of he swcakst ofthe two objets (0 flesh bonded to something che oul be tom sways taking a hit ox two of damage) Tews a ee stich gives 20st. Cass $3,000 and weights to ponds Universal Toot (TL15+) “Made of living metal (See above) his pocket-size device scape ble of reconfiguring its shape into a varity of small tools, enabling it to function as a mini-toolkit (see p, 16) for any Armoury Electonics. or Engineer job at any TL, of become a sonic probe (t P17). Shilling shape takes two Seconds. fa full sized repair kits lacking, routine repairs can be made with one of these a only 289 Skill. Major repairs are at 4. Using universal tool repair equip rent of one higher TL is ata further -2, Cos is $1.200 and weights ‘wo pounds It rans ona C cell for six hours of use SENSORS, VIEWING AIDS € SCIENTIFIC GEAR | “Technology advances only because of new scientific discover ies; hut (o make new discoveries, one must fits have tools that are capable of observing and analyzing new phenomena. Of ‘course, scientists aren't the only ones who have an interest in Finding things out... Police and eriminals, spies and solders all have a vested interest in knowing more than the opposition a sudvanced sensors and viewing aids can provide that crucial edge, “This ection presents devices that extend the range of human sen sory perception, ether by amplifying it (viewing aids) or bro cing the spectrum (sensors), 3s well as scientific equipment CHEMSNIFFER (TL8*) Seep. 91 Seismic Sensor (TL8+) This sa detector sense «© vibrations cared trough the played on fold-out monitor seren, or it may be linked to a HUD. (On a successful Electronics Operation (Sensors) rll it ean detest explosions or heavy vehicles and giant animals (such as tuck mecha or dinosaurs) at up to 1 mile. Lighter vehicles or large an mals (such 2s horses or automobiles) can be detected at up 0 700 yards, und people on foot within 100 yards, dedicated comput ‘istnguishes between diferent types of vibrations. Range doubles at TL9. Add bonuses for large numbers of vehicles of individual, and subtract penalties for trying to de norma range. A detection col is allowed every ten seconds of operation Individuals may attempt 10 fool a sensor by moving carefully jn a random patter, so that their footfall do not sound ike & person walking —roll a Contest of Stealth vs, the operator’ skill to escape detection, Seismic detectors are also used to predict earthquakes. 4 su ‘esslulskil rll (9s. the lower of Electronics Operation (Sensor) ‘or Geology skill) detects an impending tremor upto one minute in advance per point the roll was made by. This success will give a rough idea of the “quake’s magnitude. Seismic detectors cam map subterranean caverns by analyzing reflected shockwaves from Bo huts teers PoecesPdaecmo mt ago ove peawoenrobots took will seem as Ihave been fe burst, oF the robots, a mutate” be used as honds two. order for it “and with- beam that X-ray ScaNNER (TL8*) Seep. 91 Mepscanner (TL9*) Seep. 98 Scanners (TL9+) 1, Max 2, vse unfore ether. The nath of the thing else ses aC cell ond, Scanners are highly-sophisticated, hand-held sensors, each ‘signed to locate and identify one sort of thing. A scanner tion/TL (Sensors) skill 10 tem within its scanning range of 10 yards one roll i allowed every ten seconds. If set to pick ua specific item within its category, it searches at -2 to kill (crore, if the user is not exactly certain what he is scanning fe but can detect the item up to 2.500 yards away. Large con lected at up to twice these distances, More ds o lesson a lla skill+2. The device ean be used for detailed analysis of an soll against the appropri sie sientfic kil to properly interpret the data, ‘Stanners may be Set fora specific area sweep, which Its the sch (ur at the ranges listed above. A vgree sean instead, but all listed ing takes one turn ' bio or chem scanner is blocked by solid walls. If using GURPS Vehicles, all chem, bio, rad or muliscanners have sean ating equal to 2 times (TL-4) and use the muluscamner- Mugltiscanner (TL9*) allows a roll on Electronies Ope Geils general category of ices capa I enabling Armoury probe (see ‘pair Kits pair equip entations can be ‘ifc data can be picked up at range fem within 50 yards, but dhe user sare divided by 5. Changing thes woaHUD, can detect as tucks, large ani upto 700 compa se doubles rls from p. 174 of Vehicles Tee types of scanner ate available Radscanners (TL9+) dividuals. Fgncluding radar and radio si caposions, Several sensors (fr triangulation) and a Geology skill ‘nlare needed (o create an accurate map. One B cell operates x | $500 to cost (already inchided in the cost of holdout). eto for to weeks. Cost is $1,000, weight is three pounds ‘of 500 ‘These sean for energy, power and radiation sources of all kinds als, not just radioactivity), de normal J Radscanners can also pick up the scanning radiation of the other peation, ‘pes of seanners, but radscanners ure passive detectors and ca defeat radscanners; they give a -2 on detection chance, and add Chemscanners (TL9+) ‘These sean for minerals, metals and chemical compounds. They can detect even a single round of unfired TL? chemical propellant ammunition within 50 yards on roll against skill, ‘2 pair of scanners can triangulate the locaton. Larger amounts of ‘chemical explosive are detected automatically. However, their Dutlefield use is limited. since their scanning radiation is easily detocted by radscanners. A chemscanner is often used by customs fr security forces to detect drugs and alcoho, usually on roll of Skill+2 oF less (moxlified by the amount). The computer (oF opera tor) compares the readings with a list of proscribed substances, and if they match, sounds the alarm Bioscanners (TL9+) Bioscanners are highly-specialized chemscanners that locate the characteristic complex molecules produced by life-forms They are sophisticated enough that they can be set to locate humans rather than animals, or even a paricular specie son's genetic pattern has been previously scanned (requitin “detailed analysis” at 50 yards or less range) or is in computer database Tinked to the scanner, a bioscanner eam even be set t0 detect a specific individual, Since thei radiation is detectable by radscanners, thei batleield use is limited, but this eapability ives criminals and guerrilla fighters alot of headaches ~ specif cally-programmed bioscanners mounted at check poins, OF car Fied by security Forces can quickly detect a wanted criminal oF villa leader. Oudaws guard their genetic patterns as well as thei faces, and hope no one who knew their identity ever got close enough to make a full genetic scan, They guard themselves as though they were afraid ofa witch's cuse: even a fragment of skin ora few drops of blood would be enough for a genetic scan 'AUTLIO, all seanners have double range and give a +1 bonus to skill. At TLII+, they have five times range and a further +1 to skill for each added TL. Any type of scanner can be linked t0 ‘hand computer or (by radio) (a larger computer for more detailed information or analysis. Individual scanners are about the size of a pack of cigarettes. A scanner gets 10 months of constant operation on a B cell, in practice, one cell will last for ‘years, Cost is $1,000 and weight fs one pound. ‘Combines the funetions of all three scanner types, plus its ‘own dedicated computer (+ on science rolls to interpret data) and a data recorder. Includes a short-range communicator for Tinking witha larger computer. About the size of 20th-century cassetle recorder, it can be hooked to a uslty belt or carried on 4 shoulder strap. It works for ane month of continuous operation ‘90 & B call $5,000, 5 Ibs. Invites | SiSmceis i baat non aston seas sates, | RIOHOUND (TLIO+) soesshat! | Tyyemdcucra Dect (such asancapon) wit aoDyanison | Seep. 9 2 Molifen af an AA cll-3 fora cds | 4 SnSfora Beil fra Celland 3 fran keer | ULTRASCANNER (TL1Z*) (Sensors) | qutipe-ell arrays, roll for each cell Any eperating power cell rrinute in J (ach as an activated vibroblade) will be detected automaticaly vill give a J} Weapons that use only A or AA cells - Gauss needlers and hol An ultrascanner takes X-ray holograms ofthe interiors of any jobject (vehicle, house, person, et). Itcan sean and record one cubic yard per second. When an object has been totally seanned, sean map Jot lasers, for example ~ are very hard to detect. Military and jt assembles a three-dimensional hologram of the objects interior ves from] ldout weapons are routinely equipped with counterme: lard computer disk. By plugging the disk into a ::EQUIPMENT::computer (oF by dataink with the scanner) and projecting it, the user can instruct the computer to “peel away” layers of material like an onion skin to view the objects interior, Ultascan fs range of 500 yards at TL12, doubling at TL134. It will ot work through a force screen, but scanning is possible through a deflec tor field. Larger ship- or vehile-mounted ‘wih & propor tionately longer range, are possible. A successful Electronics Operation (Sensors) oll is required to make a clear sean: subtract any moxiiers for distort fields (see pp. 86 and 90), Failure means that the scan must be repeated. A ultrascanner uses a C cell. and ‘works for five minutes of continuous use. Cost is $8,000 and weight is ten pounds, An ultsscan of an object Fills 0.1 gig of memory ina disk or compoter per cubic yard seanned, Anti-GiarE GoccLes (TLS These ae polarized goggles that darken automatically 0 eu and ulabright hight allowing diet viewing of the sun Sithut rik of blindness They pret the wearers eyes agains tse fa ora, adding +5 to HT to resis igh Bess Cos is $150 and weight pound InFRARED GoccLes (TL9+) These extend the wearer's vison ino the fffared portion of the spectra, enabling him to sce varying depres of het The wearer can sce in absolute darkness ir there fea TOsdeqroe tem perature dfereacebetwcen objects No mater wha ibe tompere tre, the wearer sulle nly 2-1 penaly when ighing at ight The goles give a +2 to se any living bins during dylighi the wearer Scaming an area visually. They aso allow the Wea Ft follow a heat when tacking ang to Taeking rolls on 8 fresh ta (o} Hf ess than en mines ol 42 i ese han 20 minutes and i less than 30 minutes), However power heat sence wll musk sser het sources behod i Inte vss are available atthe same weight and cox. They Work for si. ton on an A cell cost S400 and weigh pound It using GURPS Vehicles, see Vehicles, 171 Tornoe information LiGHT-INTENSIFIER CONTACTS (TL8+) A pair of contact lenses which pick up and amplify any avi able light (even starlight). They halve any penalty for darkness (round in the user's favor) except complete darkness. They tua fut if hit by a laser! They work two weeks om an AA cell an ‘cost $300; weigh is negligible Mutti-View Goccies (TLS: gles) rk forte atin onan Ase ow Se Sind weight [5 pounds. They may be add toa ele the same price and weigh TELEvIEWwERS (TLS: i sharp, computer-enhaneed im tion can be ads ed from 5x to SOx. Included isan electronic range finder ace rate up 0 5,000 yards. Such a range finder gives +2 to Gua] or Forward Observer skill if used with artillery of TL6 ef below, which does ot normally have such accurate distance ‘measurements, Infrared of lightintensification (see above) ca be builtin at $300 extra each, The binoculars get three moa continuous operation on a B cell, Cost is $950 and weight two pounds INFRARED Contact Lenses (TL) me tft infeed ogsles toc sve Com for paca Tenses is $300, NicutsHapes (TL9*! These appear to be normal sunglases, but eombine the fans} tions of inftured,light-intenstication and anti-glare above). C isan A cel Sensor Visor (TLIO A sensor visor comes in goggle oF helmet-visor modes visual mode, it provides light-intensfication and anti-glare fe tures, halving any penalty for anything but total darkness, and automatically cutting out glare and ultrabright light. It project ‘rosshairs on the point thatthe user is focusing on, automa ly using computer image enhancement to bring whatever s being looked at into sharper focus. If desired, the user can vet bully order the visor to increase magnification from 2x to 100 ‘Anyone wearing a sensor visor gets a +3 on any Vision rol, ‘The visor ean also be switched t0 infrared, providing a thera image even in complete darkness ifthe target produces hea (a «do most living things and machinery). tn this case all sight and ‘weapon rolls are at -1, due tthe slight distortion when seeing IR. sensor visor works for a month on a pair of B cells. ‘weighs 2 pounds and costs $1,500, Macrovisor (TL13+) Macrovisors are helmet or gogele-mounted devices that com bine the function of muliscanners (se p. 19), sensor visors (a sbove) and ultrascanners (see p. 19). They have five times tb range of earlier scanners, and give a +4 to skill, Macrovises ‘weigh two pounds and cost $2,000,They bum AA cell and ind anti-glare ost $1,200 a helmet for sn extremely an be adjust finder accu +210 Gunner y of TLS of Fate distance above) ean three months nd weight is (TL9+) or pai et SCIENTIFIC AND SURVEY TOOLS Rapiation DeTEcToRS (TL6*) Film Radye (TL6-) ‘film badge turns dark inthe presence of radiation doses from -I rad to 200 of better. It should be chee vine the func gogales (see ve sic month, ATLb or above Radiation Alarm (TL7+) This sets off an alarm if radiation reaches a des de models. In ntelare fea Jarkness, and SU Tt projects ff estnbination. Costs $ and weight is pound, {Beto 100 ff ot may be bil into helmet visor tt dapays information HUD if one be nsled) Cost is S100 and weight Is pad dona’ | INERTIAL Compass (TL8*) Sep2. of B cells. It TRACER NEEDLE (TLS: Sept oro ae RusameLer (TL9+) Scanners (TL9+) 2 changed often, Cost is $100 for a box of 100; they are available ated level Lisatjusuble from 01 to 2 rads, It does not tel the actual san level. The alarm can be audible, visual or any other signal the radiation level, The same TIMESCANNER (TLI15+) ‘A timescanner is device which can be used to see into the past; itis useful for archaeologists, detectives and genealogists When activated, it provides a holographic image of whatever is occurrin two-yard radius centere sean ner, at some point in the past. Nothing out- side that atea can be seen ~ it can’t be used as a “window” fo sean the surrounding landscape. The place being scanned is re ‘muss (laege bei etary surfaces, continent-sized), only he used tose A timescanner must be set for an arbi trary point in time in the past. ex. 31 years, 84 days, IT hours and 50 minutes ago. Make a skill roll against Electronies Operation (Sensors). A successful roll means the scanner has locked onto the cor rect period, Failure means that the mark was missed by 10% times the amount failed by (plus or minus, roll randomly). A critical failure means that it eould be seit anywhere ... Other than actual evidence (why are they wearing {ogas ~ are you sure this is 19432) there is no way to tell when the scanner is actually focused, only where ~ the sume place itis inthe present The more distant the period t be seanned, the longer it takes the scanner to reach it. Tt takes 90 minutes to focus on some thing within the last 24 hours three hours to Focus on something n the last six days, six hours to focus on & point three months distant, twelve hours to focus on a point within the last. to and a half years, 24 hours to focus on something within 25 yeas, {wo days to focus on something within 250 years, and s0 fon. Each tenfold inerease in temporal distance doubles the amount of time that it takes the scanner to reach that perio. is ready, it will project the visual the area occupied by the scanner, and continue in “real time’ until deactivated. This can be unhelpful if, in the time being scanned, the area presently accupied by the seanner is filled with solid material For example, archaeologists take a timescanner to the aan ancient palace. They set it up, and choose to go back t0 a da exactly 3,200 years ago, the approximate date it was bul takes four days for the scanner to reach back that far (whether it shows brief glimpses of intervening periods is up to the GNM), then it starts relaying images, The scientists axed astronomical data to make sure they focused in duting the early moming, What they see is 1Wo halves of different rooms ~ a wall once bisected the area now occupied by the scanner. One is furnished a bit of rug extends out, and the corner of a chai, fn the other, they can see ball hed withthe bottom haf of someone slepin under fur cloak. If they want to see more, they would have t0 Wait for someone to come into the timesean Field (perhaps hop- ing the sleeper would get up and move into view). oF they could ‘uy apain, either resetting the time (by as litle as a few hours perhaps) or physically moving the scanner ise A timescanner uses a pair of E cells, which can power it for 16 days of eontinuous scanning. It costs $800,000. w tons, and occupies eight eyTechnology allows adventurers to explore more and more exotic Tocales by giving them new means to find their way faround and survive j al or hostile environments “This section covers Exploration Gear. such that used for “out. door activities" like elimbing, diving of orienteering: Survival Gear, which is basically carping and emergeney equipment and Life Support Equipment, for minute-to-minute survival in truly hostile environments ~ such as outer space. Exploration vehicles are covered in Chapter 10, Transportation EXPLORATION GEAR AvtocRAPNEL (TL8*) See p83, such unt Bupuase Rore (TLS See p15 Deptu Gauce (TL8*, For diving. The gauge is wristwatch size. It runs off an AA, cell for a year, costs $40 and weighs ¥ pound, The gauge may be inset into the goggles of a wet suit Inertial Compass (TL8*) This hand oF belt unit indicates the direction and distance traveled from any preset point on a planetary surface. It can be set for te location at sehich the user is physically present, or for y other coordinates (requiring a Navigation roll if coordinates of the location aren't known), Distances measured are accurate Within 1 yard/1,000 miles. It must be calibrated for the planet ng one hour with a personal computer und a Navigation oF tronics Operation roll). The compass uses an A cal, Cost is 50 and weight is one pound. Rocket Prron (TL8*) A pistolgrip, disposable launcher which fires a rocket-pro pelled, explosive-stpiton. It is used to project an attached line Up (© 200 yds, ~ a successful Climbing Foll (made by the GM) uns the piton is securely lodged and will support weight: a critical failure means the Free ony shinks its! Roll vs. DX-4 0 hit if used as a weapon; SS 15, Ace 5. Damage is 1d+2 imp for the stake, D 30 yds. affects Ace only the stake does the same ADVENTURING GEAR damage at any range), Max 200 yds, Cost is $40 and weigh two pounds, Wer Surr (TL8+) ‘A wet suit is a one-piece, ultralight underwater suit, I cow the user's entire body, with goggles and a face mask for ata ing an artificial gill or air tanks, It insulates the wearer ag cold (+5 to HT rolls against cold) and incorporate balls a cient to keep the diver at any depth he wishes. Fins add 25% swimming speed (or +1 to swimming Move, whichever sgreater). The suit has PD 0 and DR I. HUDs, vision radios, etc. may be added to the suit at extra cost. It tak ‘minutes to put on or remove the suit. Costs $200 and w five pounds Military Wet Suit (TL8+) This incorporates a thin layer of monoerys, with PD 2, Di (PD 1, DR vs, impaling) over the whole body except the (location 5 feom the front). The face mask and goggles transparent armorplast {PD 4, DR 10). Goggles may be f with HUDs, vision gear, radios, ete. Cost is $700 and weet fine pounds. AUTLIO, the suit may be made of bioplast. Ci is $2,500, but suit and mask are PD 2, DR 1S, and weigh if sere 6 pounds, Moputar Cace (TL9*) ‘This kit allows the user to assemble any size or shape of with a maximum volume of ton cubic yards. Assembling 12 takes one minute per cy of volume; cages may be combiee build larger one. Traps skills required to build anythin a simple cubical Cage. Cage bars are "in diameter and ma padded BPC: they have HT 4 and DR 20. Cos is $5,000, Vi ‘when disassembled is one ey: weight is 200 pounds. Environmental Cage (TL9) This is also a kit, butt takes thre times aslo Once assembled the cage is sealed and hasan ns ‘dent life support system which can duplicate and maintain iy any planetary environment (except for gravity). Asn Itc (on inches across allows acces or feeding. It opera ‘ne month ona Deel Cost $0,000. Volume dissent thre ey weigh 600 pounds Mownoumre (TL9+) See p. 16. SPINNERET (TL9*) See p. 84 Suck Surr (TL10¢) This is a thin, full-body stocking, hood, with an outer-surface layer of very-low-frction nat ‘The siearer can swim extremely fst, slip out of restraints ale very hard to grapple, The suit is usually worn with slippers normal friction soles, and its gloves detach in two seconds mitting normal erp. Pata ke —i 1d weight is sit Heovers ‘Tor attach arer against vallast suffi add 25% to hichever is ision ear, takes two. nd weights PD2,DR8 pt the face ogeles are ay be fitted vd weight is slastic. Cost weight is a ape of cage, bling a cage combined to anything but and made of, 100. Volume long 0 put detachable fon materia rants and is lippees with conds, per: Wearing a slick suit gives 43 to Move while swimming an 4310 Escape (including rolls to escape a tangler round), Hhwetr, if the wearer is climbing, subtract 4 from effective all sice only the palms of the hands and soles ofthe feet may teased, and a slip is more likely. Riding is also at 4; riding hback is at -8! The suit has a PD of 7 against lassos, bolas snl 0 on (or gives +7 DX to resist being grappled) and PD 1 pinta other Weapons, thas a DR of lagainst any attack, ‘Sick suits are principally used for underwater exploration oF ifitration missions. The suit takes ten seconds to put on: itis hue 10 remove, requiring a DX-] roll and 15 seconds (repeat tn failures) to do $0, A standard slick suit costs $700 and vig four pounds. For an extra two pounds and $900, the suit rm bave an inner layer of ballistic bloplastc: PD remains the Sime but DR becomes 15, ‘Aslcksuit surface may be added 10 any vace suit oF suit of conat arm, Use the armor's DR, and whichever PD is high ‘depending on the individual attack, It cannot be added to 2 ‘ut equipped with a chameleon or intruder surface until TL12, Scksuiting adds $1,000 to cost and one pound t0 weight. Gravpack (TL12Z+) This is a monoerys-fabrie backpack fitted with a contragrav tenenioe to screen the interior of the pack from the planet's pasational pull. Weight carried in the pack, up to a maximum f 120 pounds, is not counted toward encumbrance. Due to its Tuk. ony one can be wom ata time, However, while weight is tacled, mass is not. with the generator activated, the user will teat-1 DX per 40 pounds carried until he gets used to dealing the load’s inertia without its weight. Ifthe same mass is teen in a pack for mone than a day, the penalty can be ignored. The pack siself weighs 15 pounds with the generator off and cas $2,000. It works for 12 hours on aC cel SURVIVAL GEAR Exvirogac (TL8+) This is an insulated and heated sleeping bag designed for taremes of temperature. Using @ C cel, it works the same as a Heat Suit (see p. 25). Tt can be sealed and hooked up to air tls. I folds to the size of a paperback book. The bag is $75 aad veighs six pounds: the temperature control unit costs $80) ‘nd wos one pound, Enviro-Bupace (TL8*) This inftable bubble, with sclE scaling Nap, canbe erected alitadin four seconds oak a Fast Dra (iro Bubble) illo fave ihe ine) and provides 13 minutes of ae I also fa nds Menibe enoogho move in, bu ata Move oF 1 fol worn om he bet for quick acta I canbe hooked tartans ora temperature conto units Cost or te Dobe ‘aio 8 S800; welt sive pound FurraTion CaNnTEEN (TL8+) TBs canteen wil puny and hold a quar of water It removes ahs ail impurities microbes and polsons but there i always Srpssitiy of a Contaminant for which the filter was not ped (GMs option takes 30 minutes to puny agua of tex Fite must be replaced overy 100 quar color change Stata ———— signals this. An “exhausted” filter still has a few quarts of capacity, but only the GM knows how many. Cost is $17 ‘weight is one pound (empty) or three pounds (full) Replacement filters cost $25 pers. Pressure TENT (PERSONAL) (TL8+) This is @ completely airtight tent, strong enough to be inflat ed to one atmosphere in a vacuum. The user(s) must have an air supply with thera! Opening it completely evacuats all the air in the tent: entering or leaving through the one-man lock takes one ‘minute. Cost is $500 and weight 15 pounds for one-man tent $1,500 and 30 pounds for a two-man tent; $5.000 and 150 pounds for an eight-man tent Vapor CanTEEN (TL8*) “This canteen actually draws moisture from the atmosphere a long there iy ay water vapor a lI eatcts and ho ‘one quart of wate. Time required varies withthe amount 9 Miter vapor inthe ar ~ with an Earstandard humity of 30 percent takes four hours to ental a quar of water The can. fren extracts 100 quart ona cel, Cont S480: emp) eight istwe pounds: led it weighs four pounds. Larger version are Sallabe for use at base camps, 83.000 buys a one-cube yard terion tht weighs 300 pounds, runs month onan E ell and makes quam per ve mites in S0% humdi The lage-se vapor system i tana military and potce outposts tes them Irom the necessity Csublishing & post neat a water source, Sabotaging the vapor system is favo ploy of villains in Kiddie advemore serie ‘The plot eso hackneyed that real adventurers laugh at hand may ote prepared iit happens BIoSaMPLER (TL9+) ‘This specialized biochemical analyzer determines if a poten tial foodstuff is edible oF nutritious, detects harmful microbes trace elements or poisons. It incorporates a dedicated computer that interprets results with a Biochemistry/TL. skill of 14, or ‘adds +210 the user's own skill when doing so; add to skill per TL over 9, It uses B cell, good for three months of continuis ‘operation. Costs $500 and weight is one pound, Pestcuarp (TL9+) See p80. Survivat Cocoon (TL10+) Siar oan nvibuble (ee above) this a pres ne-mat iflaable spre takes (wo seconds fo get in and provides 15 mimes ofa. Once Winrar ou ith an emer fencyheraton sem The ser ok up theif supps on Tetons (uni aes ane minute ar 5) sects areone oe thes ifr hin), and ten floes the covoon with esp gl | hich places the er no iteration Whe nthe ceo th ts ostupan formonts orev Jean ach months HT ls required, fre results in fxs of one HT de slow del. poner, constant radio beacon (etectable fom et at expeditions andTemay be wom as a backpack for quick atvation One of the more exclusive sociti: is the Caterpillar Club. The only re ranges of hundreds of thousands of miles in space) which will as for ten years om a C cell. Cost is $8,000 and weight is six pounds smong space adventurers emeat for membership is to have survived a minimum of one year, in a life-threatening situation. in a survival cocoon. Members we pillar insignia: they are considered lucky and get a-+I from spacemen. (On the other hand, anyone with wo o caterpillars may be a Jon ‘4-I reaction!) Survivat Mopute (TL10+) A bioplastic box the size of a hardcover book. When activat- ed. it draws air out ofthe surrounding environment and inflates tse, becoming a comfortable wo-person cabin holds four ia a Pinch). with transparent plastic windows, pull-out inflatable Tables, chairs and beds, and an airlock door (takes four seconds. to cycle). His pressurized, with a complete life-support system including an air filter and reducer/respirator. If oxygen is Unavailable, air tanks will be required. The survival mendule's ‘only disadvantage is a tendency to blow away in a strong wind when set up but not occupied, but it can be weighted or ted down. I uses a C cell (for thiee months of operation). costs 3600 and weighs four pounds. Survivat Foam (TLI+) ‘This can be used to encase someone in a fast-hardening fo to creating a lie ne cocoon, A ean of survival foam vill ion for up t 72 hous, even in hard ‘vacuum or temperature extremes from -200 49 408) degrees. It takes five seconds to harden (making the foum useless as a ‘weapon the user experiences an unpleasant drowning sensation eombined with disorientation, but will be unconscious within seconds equal to HT A survival-foam cocoon has DR 3 and 40 points. I can be chipped off (ata isk of damage to the sub- ject if done too quickly) or instantly dissolved with neutealizer spray (SIO and pound fora can with enough to fe three peo ple). Survival foam can support a person for up to 72 hours. The subject will lose 2 HT every six hours (only 1 if'a HT roll is made) ay a result of gradual dehydration and oxygen starvation, A can of foam weighs two pounds and costs $700. 182 low-power (PD 0, DR 0) deflee- tor field that keeps out rain, snow, wind and bail. Wt is usefl for ‘camping (no nee to stake tent), holding ceremonies or pienick g. Large versions of te field can be built 1 cover entire cities! A standatd field generator works for 48 hours on a C cell, weighs Four pounds, eos $2,200 and protects a ten-yard radius Gravity Mart (TL13+) ‘A G-mat (or “gravity bubble”) is a backpack-sized, seni Portable module which generates an arificial-G field over five Yard aus. I can raise or lower the gravity within that area byw {© 1G (0 a minimum of 0 G ~ “negative” gravity is not posse With a G-map. The gravity-bubble generator uses an E cell Te Power cell lasts for 24 hours for an increase or decrease of 2G 12 hours for G, six hours for 6G. three hours for 8 Gund ies fora full! G increase or decrease. If connected to build ing or ship power, duration can be extended indefinitely Gravity mats are typically used by individuals camping (oe Fi sg) on worlds with uncomfortable gravitie, but can also be bul into vehicles or houses; zero-G bedrooms ar especially popul A gravity mat must be stationary and earefully tuned to op ate. Setting it up and calibrating it takes 30 seconds, and sn additional 30 seconds is required each time the changed. Anyone moving into a different gravity increment ‘must roll against DX at per 2 difference in G: add 31 DX if the user is aware ofthe Gefield and moving carefully results in the user tripping and falling: calculate damay fon the new gravity field, A G-mat costs $8,500 and wei effectiveness is doubled ase by EQUIPMENT Air Tanks (TL7+) ‘A two-hour tank weighs ten pounds and costs $100 (full Af 24-hour tank weighs 73 pounds and costs $400, Don’t rede} Weight or cost at higher TLs. Air refills are $5 per hour if yo {don't have your own ship with an air compressor, Tanks tke et seconds 10 hook up and two seconds to jettison. Note that ante of oxy-helium breathing.mix weighs only about 1.5 pounds rest is the tank weight. (Oxy-nitrogen ~ ordinary compressed i Would weigh 4.2 pounds.) OF course, these times are an appro ‘mation. Different people use air a different rates. For game pu poses. assume that all adults breathe the sume amount of aia {hat children under 12 use half as much. All times given hee assume an external pressure of 1 atmosphere of fess. At 2 at heres, an air tank lasts only half as Tong, and so on, Prices a those charged by an honest dealer when air ix pletitl: they wil be considerably higher i iris scarce! Arn Masx (TL8*) | The sir mask is used on worlds that have an unbreathable be ‘otherwise harmless atmosphere (nitrogen, reduc, dioxide and so on). The mask covers the entre fac eyes get oxygen directly from the air. It always includes 3 short-ranged communicator, which uses an A cell. It requires tanks of a filter (see below). It takes three seconds to put ‘mask on, one second to take it off. Weight is two pounds a cost is $100. For another $50, the mask includes 4 mini-tn with ten minutes’ worth of air CBR Firter (TL8*: sep. 79. '