Sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology, and vice versa. Blending the two can create some very interesting devices indeed.
A typical ray gun for far-future, high-tech, or magitech games. Wielding this puppy requires a normal Dexterity and Gun-Fu Roll, or the Combat Score. The gun fires beams that do 15 points of base damage (Bash type). This inflicts triple damage (after modifiers and armor are applied) to living tissue, and any armor (natural or worn) that gets in the way of the beam protects with only half of its Armor Value. Obviously not available in most settings, unless aliens from another planet or particularly vicious nerds invade your Series. The shot capacity is up to your Director (how big is your battery?)
A pulp-era combination of mad science and dangerous magic, this is one of the ultimate anti-vampire tools. Worn on a harness, this heavenly lantern fires a beam of “sunlight” at the undead. The lantern itself must be charged with six hours worth of direct sunlight (tricky in places like Britain, what with the weather and all). At full charge, it holds two minutes of solar energy (24 combat Turns, for those keeping score at home). Range is limited to the average room for all practical purposes, but if caught in the cone of light any vampire faces damage as if from the mid-day sun until they get out of line of sight of the device. Also a useful tool as a high power search light or other light source.
During the early days of the government's interest in the supernatural, the lab coats spent a great deal of time studying the vampiric vulnerability to sunlight. Despite initial hopes, it turned out to not be as simple as rigging up some ultraviolet lights. The vulnerability is a mystical reaction to the pure light of the sun. Still, after years of research, the superscientists on the payroll were able to produce a synthetic source of sunlight. The sun cannon is a floodlight that produces the equivalent of natural sunlight. It is not man-portable; a sun cannon could be mounted on a vehicle, but that’s about it. A sun cannon can illuminate a 10-yard radius at a distance of 100 yards, and any vampire trapped within the circle of light suffers as if trapped in the sun. Tracking a moving target requires a Dexterity and Gun Fu roll (opposed by a defense action). A sun cannon has an attached generator to provide power, but it is an extremely unstable device and typically burns out after an hour of use. Sun cannon technology is still highly experimental, and these weapons (along with daylight grenades and sun guns) should be seen rarely, if at all, in the field.
A portable sun cannon, this is basically an oversized flashlight connected to a backpack-sized power source. It can illuminate a five-yard radius at a range of 20 yards, providing the equivalent of full sunlight, but the charge only lasts for five minutes. Keeping the gun trained on a moving target requires a Dexterity and Gun Fu roll (opposed by a defense action).
You know the old saying - never bring a knife to a gunfight. Well, never bring ordinary lead bullets to a demon fight, when you can be packing something magically destructive!
These rounds are typically in color-coded boxes, and have matching color bands, to aid in quick identification during field operations. Variants of Mana Shells are available for most firearms and ranged weapons, and even in grenade form. Damage is half normal after Armor, but if the Mana Shell penetrated the armor, the spell inside ignores Armor!
Mana-White rounds generate a powerfully bright flash on impact that can blind those who look at it. Anyone within five yards in line of sight of the round upon impact must resist versus Constitution doubled at -2 or be blinded, with another chance to resist every Turn at +1 to shake off the effects; subtract an extra -1 per success level for the target. Subtract an extra -2 from the roll if in a very dark area; add any bonuses to resist blinding flashes from equipment.
Mana-Red rounds generate a burst of flames upon being activated, which inflicts an immediate 10 points of Fire damage on the unfortunate target; if the bullet penetrated armor, the Incendiary ignores Armor as well. In addition, the impacted area will catch fire, causing three points of Fire damage per turn until extinguished.
Mana-Blue rounds generate a physics-violating burst of extreme cold at the target area, which inflicts an immediate 10 points of Frost damage on the unfortunate target. If the round penetrated armor, a resist vs Constitution doubled, at -1 per SL of the hit, is required to avoid a -1 to Dexterity and Strength for ten Turns due to ice formation within the target area. Against entities made of fire, it instead inflicts double damage; against entities made of water or similar liquid, it freezes them (double effective SLs for purposes of slowing them down). Entities that are entirely immune to cold temperatures take only half normal damage and do not slow down.
(Note that while this section was originally written to take into account experiments on the supernatural, with some fresh paint it works just as well for other applications of mad science or futuristic developments.)
One advantage of the supernatural in a gameworld is that they give the creative bio-research operative a wider variety of sources from which to create new drugs - with new and unpleasant side effects. Many of these drugs include subterrestrial DNA, which can severely destabilize human physiology or psychology. Side effects can include:
It’s up to you to define and apply the downside of enhancement drugs. Consider how much disruption they are causing your plotline or how much your plotline could be enhanced by the characters spiraling downward. A nifty story could be based around a character becoming addicted to an enhancement drug with nasty side effects... side effects they may not discover until after they're already hooked. Here's a few examples of some potential magitech drugs that might exist.
This is a substance that is injected directly into the user's bloodstream, and pushes their body beyond normal limits by dramatically increasing the amount of mitochondrial energy producers in the body. It increases all physical Attributes by two for 10 Turns. The user also ignores all penalties from injury, all the way down to –10 Life Points. Of course, once the drug wears off, the user has to deal with her current Life Point situation, making any Survival roll necessary. If a character takes more than one dose of M-Boost in a single day, she loses one point from all of her physical Attributes for 24 hours. Still, her statistics are always restored to normal levels while she is under the effects of the drug. Yes, a character could keep taking shots of Boost and operating at a superhuman level, only to drop dead in her tracks when the effects wore off.
Let's face it. In a world where demonic powers and high-powered weaponry are running rampant, someone's gonna get stabbed or shot or impaled on a wall or something nasty like that. This blood plasm regenerative is partially derived from non-human sources, and works wonders - a dose of EHI lasts for three hours, and during this period, the user recovers Life Points equal to their Constitution every hour. This is a reasonably stable compound that accelerates the natural healing process without overly taxing the system; it only benefits those who do not already have a similar or better healing factor. An experimental version that heals faster may be available, but of course, such things always come with risks…
This program uses a variety of supernatural compounds administered in very precise doses to provide long-term augmentation of a user's natural abilities. It must be administered daily over a period of four weeks in order to build up to full effect. Once active, the user receives a +1 bonus to Strength and Dexterity, and one bonus level of Hard to Kill. However, the drugs count as an Addiction, as withdrawal can be physically and mentally damaging, causing violent psychoses, paranoia, and physical illness. Also, extreme long-term usage over a period of years may have unexpected side effects such as hybridization and deformations.
A number of demon species possess psychic abilities. Mindseye uses the DNA of these demons to temporarily induce psychic abilities in a human subject. The character gains the Psychic Visions and Telepathy Qualities for one hour. If the user already possesses psychic abilities — including Empathy, Psychic Visions, Psychometry, Telekinesis, Telepathy, or Sorcery used to represent psychic powers — she gains a +3 to all rolls involving these powers for one hour. The drawback is that the character also suffers from Severe Delusions while under the influence of the drug. It is extremely difficult to separate true visions and thoughts from the hallucinatory images. An experienced psychic can make a Perception (doubled) roll to determine the veracity of a particular image. A normal person just has to guess. So PERHAPS she knows what you’re thinking… or perhaps she only thinks that you’re thinking the things she thinks you’re thinking. We think.
This section details a few wacky gadgets that could be useful when dealing with the supernatural. Bear in mind that these are just some starting examples of things that could be made - sufficiently advanced technology is capable of battling on par with magic, after all.
The modern equivalent of the summoner’s circle, the Ectoplasmic Disruption Net is designed to contain poltergeists or other insubstantial supernatural manifestations. The EDN is a backpack-sized generator attached to a 20-yard coil of silver-alloy cable. When the cable is laid out in a circle and the generator is activated, a translucent spherical field appears, following the path of the cable. This energy field has no effect on living creatures, but ghosts and other insubstantial spirits cannot pass through the field or use poltergeist powers to affect objects on the other side of the field. The EDN does not stop vampires or other spirits that have taken possession of a physical form; crossing the field is a painful experience for these creatures, but causes no permanent damage. Depending on the circumstances, an EDN can be used to contain spirits or as a temporary defense against a spiritual onslaught. Activating the generator requires both a Willpower and Occultism roll; the generator holds a one-hour charge. This item is a Power Level 4 Superscience item (base 3 + 1 for duration.)
This rifle-shaped tool operates on the same principles as the Ectoplasmic Disruption Net - it delivers a burst of ectoplasmic energy that affects a spirit’s ability to manifest in the physical realm. Activating an EPG requires a single Success Level in a Willpower and Occultism roll. Striking a target requires a Gunshot maneuver; every Success Level stuns the spirit for one minute. If used against a vampire or other spirit that has possessed a physical form, the EPG inflicts five points of damage per Success Level. This damage bypasses all defenses, but cannot lead to dusting. An EPG has a maximum range of 10 yards. The weapon is extremely delicate - it has a Clip Value 3, and if it is jammed it takes twenty minutes and a successful Dexterity and Mr. Fix-It roll to get it working again. This item is a Power Level 3 Superscience item (base 3).
You always here that line about “advanced technology seeming like magic” – but people rarely point out the other side of the coin, which is that advanced magic might look like technology. There are a number of demon dimensions that have merged super-science and the art of enchanting, producing weapons and tools that appear to be technological in nature but defy all known laws of physics. The primary mission of agencies such as COSMO is to study hell-tech obtained from subterrestrial allies and find ways to integrate it into modern society. For the most part this just means that freaky government conspiracy groups get to have cool ray guns. But who knows? That whole clipper chip system for monitoring computer activity could be a little demon waiting to go in your system. It would explain a lot of those annoying crashes…
Repairing magitech is a tricky business; it requires a Intelligence + (Mr. Fix-it or Occultism) check, using whichever of the two skills has the LOWER value.
This versatile tool is a handy melee weapon for the supernatural-allied. It is a short metal tube, designed to be gripped in one hand. With the touch of a button and a whispered invocation, it can produce a solid blade of pure force. The weapon has two length settings; the shorter setting inflicts a base damage of Strength x3, while the longer setting inflicts Strength x 4. The shape of the blade can also be modified; you can inflict Slash/stab damage by setting it to a razor edge, or Bash damage by creating an energy baton. When the blade is deactivated the handle fits easily into a pocket; the weapon is made of mystical ceramics and will not show up on metal detectors. Using a forceblade requires a Dexterity + Getting Medieval roll, or the Combat Score.
A hellbore pistol looks like a sci-fi ray gun but actually shoots bolts of mystical energy. A hellbore pistol inflicts 35 points of base fire damage, and any mundane armor protects with only half of its Armor Value. Magical defenses – spells or shield armor – protect at full value. Typically, armored demon skin is not considered to be a “magical defense”, but you get to make the final call on this. A hellbore pistol draws its power from abyssal furnaces, and never runs out of shots. Handy, huh?
A bigger version of the hellbore pistol, this puppy inflicts 35 points of base damage (Fire type) and uses rifle attack ranges. A hellbore rifle is capable of automatic fire, but it has Clip Value of 1 when used for burst fire. It never actually runs out of ammo, but on an attack roll of 1 it jams. Hellbore rifles are made for demonic military forces and are rarely seen on Earth.
A Gatling gun from hell – literally! You must have a Strength of at least 5 to wield a hellbore cannon, and your Dexterity is reduced by 1 while you're carrying it (this limitation does not apply to cybernetically implanted weapons). A hellbore cannon inflicts 45 points of base damage (Fire type), is capable of automatic fire with no Clip Value, and has a range of 50/250/750 yards.
This odd-looking handgun is the standard weapon of telepathic demons. It draws on the telepathic abilities of the wielder and creates a burst of mental static that can disorient or incapacitate the target. In order to use a mental disruptor, you must have Psychic Visions, Telepathy, Telekinesis or another psychic ability. To attack, use your Willpower + Wild Card (Psychic Focus) or the Brains score; this cannot be dodged! If you hit, the weapon inflicts 10 points of base damage that ignores all armor. In addition, the victim must make a Willpower (doubled) roll at a penalty of three + the Success Levels of the attack; on a failure, she is knocked out. Even if she remains conscious she suffers a -2 penalty to all actions for the next four turns. A mental disruptor has a maximum range of 50 yards, with no range penalty. The attack cannot be detected by any normal senses, but anyone with psychic powers will feel the burst of mental energy.
This is a light metallic belt studded with glowing crystal spheres. The wearer is shielded from psychic attacks; she receives a +5 to any rolls to resist direct psychic manipulation (telepathy, hypnosis, or the attack of a mental disruptor). Any psychic damage is reduced by 5 points.
Hey! Here's a great idea for you – why don't you inject your body full of microscopic demons? On the plus side, this gives you an astoundingly accelerated healing rate – every minute you recover an amount of Life Points equal to your Constitution, and you recover from drugs and tranquilizers at the same rate as a vampire. On the down side, you've got little demons in your system. You'll probably develop Mental Problems (Cruelty or Delusions) as they restructure your brain, and who knows what physical changes they'll make in the long run?
If you've got nanodemons, you can be killed, but unless you are dismembered you will eventually come back to life. This is a good trick for that annoying recurring villain – hey, he's human, we shouldn't have to cut his head off – now how'd he survive that?
You know how the CIA is always supposed to be beaming messages into people's heads? This is what they (whoever 'they' really is) use to do it. A psychic transmitter is a crystal-studded cube about the size of a shoebox, with a large glowing sphere embedded on one side. A character with psychic powers can use the transmitter to establish a mental link with anyone she can see, anyone she is familiar with, or anyone that has been tagged with a mental beacon (a common element in government-made neural chips). The user can project telepathic messages into the mind of the victim; the victim can choose not to respond, but she'll keep hearing the “voice” of the transmitter. This is a good way to convince someone that she is going insane, or to manipulate someone who is already insane. If you possess the Telepathy Quality, you can read thoughts through this link, as if you were able to touch the target.
Another handgun used by those wacky telepath demons, this is identical to the mental disruptor except for the effects of the attack. Anyone struck by a psychotron must make a Willpower (doubled) roll at a penalty of 5 minus the Success Levels of the attack. If she fails, a mental link is formed between you and the victim. You can project images into her mind; this is treated as the level 1 Illusion power in Chapter 2. The effect lasts as long as you continue to concentrate on your victim. You may perform other actions while maintaining the illusion, but you will take a -4 penalty on any checks. You can use the psychotron on multiple opponents, but you have to project the same illusion into the minds of all victims.
This is a metallic harness that wraps across your chest. It can be worn under normal clothing. When activated, it projects a glowing field of energy around your body. This provides you with an Armor Value of 18 against Bullet damage, and an Armor Value of 9 against all other forms of damage. Even if the harness is worn under clothing, the energy field projects a good inch out from your body and will be obvious to any observers.
Hey! Vampires don't need to breathe! As a result, gas grenades make highly effective weapons against living opponents. A gas grenade works just like a normal grenade, but spreads a cloud of poisonous vapor 5 yards from the point of impact. If you are caught in the cloud, and you're not undead or wearing a gas mask, you have to make a Constitution (doubled) check to hold your breath; you take a cumulative -1 penalty for each round that you continue to hold it. If you fail the check, the gas takes effect. A gas grenade can hold any of the venoms described under Dart Ammunition, or you can produce your own nefarious toxins.
You know that whole “cyanide capsule in the tooth” thing? Same idea, but for vampires. Just the thing for the Big Bad who has everything. If one of your toadies gets captured, just trigger this hidden reservoir of holy water and POW! 60 points of holy damage. However, in the era of neural chipping, this old-fashioned device is less commonly used; why kill a perfectly good commando if you can just put them into a coma?
The battle dress of a Guardian commando includes a tough black bodysuit, goggles to protect the eyes, and ballistic armor that covers the upper torso and rises up in a high collar around the wearer's neck. This provides complete protection from sunlight, while the goggles protect the wearer from flashbangs or other blinding weapons. The material of the suit has an Armor Value of 3, but the small breastplate and collar are designed to protect the vampire's greatest weaknesses; the wearer receives 20 points of defense against any attack that targets the torso, heart or neck. The water-repellent material also provides protection from holy water (at least, if the water is applied externally). In addition, the all-black outfit gives the wearer a +1 to any stealth-related task, as long as she's in a shadowy environment. Finally, the outfit has a built-in thermal web; when activated, this causes the vampire to appear to have a normal human body temperature for purposes of infrared and temperature scans. While this suit is typically not worn anymore, instead using a Skin Suit layered with military armor, this still fills a niche for black ops operations for which the Guardians cannot be directly associated.
No, this isn't mechanized armor – it's the latest in undead business attire. Aside from being extremely stylish and available in the latest power colors (possibly granting a +1 to Influence checks in big business meetings), a power suit has a microweave Kevlar pad over the heart, providing the wearer with an Armor Value of 8 against Slash/stab or Bullet attacks aimed at the heart. The latest model – available only to directors and other extremely wealthy individuals – has an extra twist. Using a quantum flux generator, Guardian scientists have managed to create an artificial reflection – a holographic shadow superimposed over the wearer. This shadow shows up in mirrors, which can be quite useful when you have to go conduct business in a mirrored office. This quantum field also maintains a steady human body temperature around the wearer of the suit, allowing her to fool bioscanners – although an observant scanner (at least 5 Successes on the scan check) will notice that the temperature reading isn't perfectly matched up to the wearer's physical location.
While it would be an exaggeration to say that every vampire longs to return to the sunlight, it is no exaggeration that aversion to sunlight is considered one of the vampire's greatest weaknesses. Even demons that have no sunlight problems do prefer not having people scream 'oh my god what is that?' when they enter an office building. Hence, Guardian R&D came up with this custom-fitted bodysuit, the Skin Suit.
While the exact construction of the Skin Suit is a secret, speculation suggests that it is made using a combination of advanced polymers, Kevlar and Nomex weave, and chemically-treated human flesh. Regardless of how it's made, it has the following capabilities and drawbacks:
The Guardian Uniform is a standardized jumpsuit that provides a modicum of protection against damage, but mostly is used to cover the essentials, with pockets for standard gear, a point to clip one's ID badge to, and a sturdy rigger's belt. Guardians responsible for patrol work typically carry a service pistol, hand taser, handcuffs, and a cobra baton in holsters on the belt. The Guardian Uniform has an Armor Value of 3 against all forms of damage, and has a water-repellent outer coating that keeps pesky stains off.