Tools and Basic Equipment

In earlier ages, these tools produced practically everything of note. All are LC4 unless otherwise specified.

In addition to these tools, carpenters often use chisels similar to those under Mining and Tunneling (p. 30) and hammers like those under Smithing (p. 30).

Adze (TL0). Like an axe, but with the blade perpendicular to rather than parallel to the haft. Treat as a poorly balanced hatchet in combat (-2 to skill). $40, 2 lbs.

Drill, Bow (TL0). A bow drill resembles a small bow and arrow, except that the arrow is perpendicular to the plane of the bow, its blunt end is held steady in a socketed block, and the bowstring is wrapped around it. The user moves the bow back and forth, making the arrow spin and drill a hole at the pointed end. Does thr-1(2) pi+ damage per second. $8, 1 lb.

Drill, Pump (TL0). The pump drill uses an arrow-like shaft with a weight near the pointed end, a crossbar with a hole through which the shaft passes, and strings that connect the ends of the crossbar and the end of the shaft. The user spins the vertical shaft, which wraps the cords around it and pulls the crossbar up. Pushing down the crossbar spins the shaft with enough force that the cords, which unwrapped when the user was pushing down, wrap around again in the opposite direction and pull the crossbar up again for another push down, and so on. Does thr(2) pi+ damage per second. $18, 1.5 lbs.

Lathe (TL1). A lathe spins a piece of wood with a back-and-forth motion so that it can be shaved down or have carvings applied evenly around it. It requires either an assistant or a foot pump with an attachment to a spring (usually a tree branch) to provide motion. $235, 40 lbs.

Saw (TL1). A small saw for single-person use. Does sw-3(2) cut per second. $20, 3 lbs.

Square (TL1). An L-shaped tool, use to make sure right angles are correct. $7, 2 lbs.

Auger (TL2). This T-shaped drill produces broader holes than contemporary tools, but drills slowly because of the awkward grip. Does sw-2(2) pi++ damage every other second. $24, 4 lbs.

Brace and Bit (TL3). The familiar hand-cranked, U-shaped drill with a metal bit appeared at the end of the Middle Ages. Does sw-2(2) pi++ damage per second. $30, 5 lbs.

Alembic (TL2). This tall jar has a tight-fitting lid with a beak-like spout pointing down and away. It vaguely resembles a penguin! When the alembic is heated, vapors rise into the spout, where they condense and drip into a separate container. Alembics are fragile, and usually heated in a sand or water bath to regulate temperature. $8, 1 lb.

Aludel (TL2). A stackable vessel used for sublimation, pear-shaped and open on both ends. A series of aludels are stacked over the material from which the chemist intends to extract vapors, the bottom is heated, and vapors condense around the edges of the cooler upper vessels. $2, 0.5 lb.

Crucible (TL2). A small (1-2 cups) but thick ceramic pot, with a small spout or angled edges to facilitate pouring. $6, 0.75 lb.

Cupel/Scorifier (TL2). These two similar vessels (cupels are smaller and flatter) are made from bone ash, which draws off oxidized metals when heated, helping isolate gold and silver from small samples. $2, 0.25 lb.

Awl (TL0). A thin, pointed tool for piercing leather and heavy fabric. Awls are bone or horn at TL0. Metal ones are available at TL1, but inexpensive bone and horn stayed in use into TL4. $10, 0.25 lb.

Loom, Vertical (TL0). A simple rope-and-wood loom that may be hung from a post or a tree, suitable for producing cloth no larger than 6’¥3’. $25, 4 lbs.

Needle, Sewing (TL0). A very thin sliver of bone, thorn, or metal (TL2) that can draw a thread after it. $3, neg. Halve cost for sewing pins, which lack an eye.

Spindle (TL0). A near-universal tool for producing thread, this is a rod with a small weight and a dull spike on which to put a bundle of raw fiber. Some spindles are sharp enough to do thr-2 imp. $4, 0.5 lb.

Loom, Backstrap (TL1). A header board through which threads pass, a shuttle to wrap thread around, and a beater to manipulate the thread. Loom capable of producing cloth a yard wide: $36, 5 lbs.

Scissors (TL1). Pre-modern scissors were made from a single piece of metal, bent into a U shape with blades on the ends. The arms of the U were squeezed together like a pair of tweezers to make the blades cross. Does thr cut damage every other second. $35, 1.5 lbs.

Thimble (TL2). A tiny cup to protect a finger while sewing. $2, neg.

Loom, Treadle/Flying (TL3). A full-frame loom that automatically adjusts sheds for faster weaving of fabric up to 6’ wide. $440, 60 lbs.

Fish Trap (TL0). Many traps were developed to capture fish while the fisherman was busy elsewhere. Most were anchored baskets with hinged, inward-opening doors; fish could enter but not escape. Fish wheels, used on North America’s Pacific coast, incorporated several nets or baskets on spokes around an axle. The wheel was partly submerged, and the force of the water rotated it like an undershot waterwheel. Fish were scooped out of the water and retrieved by an attendant. Fish traps – particularly fish wheels – worked well when fish population density was high; +2 to Fishing skill in such areas. Trap capable of catching fish up to 10 lbs.: $14, 2 lbs.

Fishhook (TL0). A small bit of barbed bone – or possibly metal, at TL2+. $6, neg.

Fishing Spear (TL0). A thin, spear-like tool used to catch fish near the surface of the water. The point may be forked (perhaps extensively – some designs have a cluster of points) and/or barbed to counteract the effects of refraction on aim. Treat as a javelin (see Chapter 5), but poorly balanced for throwing (-2 to skill).

Net (TL0). Per square yard: $20, 10 lbs.

In addition to these items, miners and stonemasons used some of the equipment under Carpentry (pp. 28-29). Mining tools require ST 11.

Chisel (TL1). Chisels are made from bronze (TL1) or iron (TL2+), with ends ranging from small points to broad, axelike shapes to scalloped edges. However, all are shaped to fit in the hand (5”-8” long) and take the impact of a hammer on the far end. When used with hammers, chisels convert damage from crushing to piercing. A typical chisel is $20, 0.75 lb.; others may cost and weigh from half to twice as much. Crowbar, Large (TL1). A 5’-6’ metal bar, providing improved leverage. In combat, treat as a cheap-quality tetsubo (see Chapter 5). $95, 8 lbs.

Hammer (TL1). Hammers for mining had heavy metal heads, sometimes slightly pointed on one end. Brandished in anger, a hammer uses Axe/Mace skill, and has Reach C and Parry 0U. Small hammer (sw cr damage): $90, 6 lbs. Large hammer (sw+1 cr): $180, 11 lbs.

Pick (TL1). At TL1-4, a typical pick is made of wood, bone, or antler. This does -1 to the damage listed on p. B271, takes twice as long to break up normal or hard soil (see Digging, p. B350), and will break if used on stone: $35, 2 lbs. Metal picks, which do full damage, are used mostly by professional miners: $70, 3 lbs.

Shovel (TL1). Before TL5, a typical shovel is wooden, which doubles base digging time (see Digging, p. B350): $12, 4 lbs. A metal-edged one multiplies base digging time by only 1.5: $18, 5 lbs. All-metal shovels use base digging time, but cost enough that only professional miners use them: $25, 6 lbs.

In addition to these tools, smiths used a variety of punches and chisels, similar to the chisels under Mining and Tunneling (above). Smithing tools require ST 11.

Anvil (TL1). A metal block 6”-7” across, surface-hardened and tapered at the bottom to fit into a hole in a tree stump. It also has small holes to assist nail production, or grooves for wire production or other fine shaping. $1,300, 100 lbs. Larger, less-portable models can weigh up to 500 lbs., with a corresponding increase in price.

Hammer (TL1). Blacksmithing hammers are much lighter than mining hammers. Like chisels, hammers came in varied shapes for specific purposes. For example, a grooved hammer might be used to make wire, while other hammers may have heads presenting a rounded surface, a dull edge, or a point. Typical hammer: $30, 2.5 lbs.

Pliers (TL1). Slightly larger than the user’s hand, suitable for getting a firm grasp on small objects. $15, 1 lb.

Shears (TL1). Heavy, pincer-like shears for cutting softened metal. Do thr+1(2) cut damage. $65, 2 lbs.

Tongs (TL1). Two feet long, suitable for grasping heavy objects and holding them firmly at a distance. $40, 3 lbs.

Draw Plate (TL2). A stone block with holes of graduated sizes through which to draw wire. $50, 2 lbs.

File (TL2). A metal plate with a rough face for grinding down edges. $45, 1 lb.

Jewelry requires tools similar to but smaller than regular smithing tools. Jewelers’ versions of the above tools – except the draw plate – are available at double cost and with half weight. These don’t have a ST minimum.

Hammer, Soft (TL0). A piece of bone, horn, or wood used for softer percussion than a rock. $4, 1 lb.

Hammer, Stone (TL0). A rounded pebble large enough to hold comfortably in the hand. Free, 2 lbs.

Punch, Small (TL0). An antler or sharpened bone suitable for pressure flaking. $6, 1 lb.

Punch, Chest (TL1). A T-shaped punch with a pointed, possibly copper tip. The user places the crossbar of the T against his chest and presses the point down on the edge of a prepared core to produce a long, thin blade. $10, 2 lbs.

A few tools in the right hands can turn scrap into wonders. Henry Ford’s first engine was built from a discarded steam pipe; his first workshop was a backyard shed. Charlie Taylor hand-built the Wright brothers’ airplane engine in a bicycle shop in just six weeks, using little more than a drill press and a lathe.

Tool Kits (see below) describes tools for the repair skills commonly used by adventurers, but kits and workshops exist for many other skills: Carpentry, Cooking, Leatherworking, Prospecting, Smith, and so on. These have the same skill (quality) modifiers, costs, weights, etc., as regular tool kits. For arts and light crafts that require fewer or lighter tools – e.g., Artist (Drawing), Artist (Painting), and Sewing – divide cost by 4 and weight by 10.

Tool kits are essential to repair skills (see p. B190). A separate kit is required for Electrician, Machinist, and each specialty of Armoury, Electronics Repair, and Mechanic. You don’t use an Armoury kit to repair a pistol – you use an Armoury (Small Arms) kit. The kit’s quality determines the equipment modifiers (p. B345) that apply when using the relevant skill. If the item being worked on has a different TL from the tool kit, apply Tech-Level Modifiers (p. B168) as well.

The exact components of a tool kit are deliberately left vague. It suffices to say that tool kits contain a variety of appropriate tools and spare parts. At higher TLs, they might include power tools. They don’t get cheaper, lighter, or more effective as TL increases. As gadgets get more complex, so do the tools needed to fix them!

Note that Mechanic (Vehicle Type) and Armoury (Vehicular Armor) tool kits and workshops can only perform major repairs on vehicles up to 10 tons. Multiply tool cost and weight by (vehicle weight in tons)/10 for larger facilities. For instance, a Mechanic (Submarine) workshop with a 2,000-ton capacity has 200x cost and weight.

See Repairs (p. B484) and Breakdowns (p. B485) for further details on repairs, maintenance, and spare-parts costs.

This is a belt-sized tool kit. At TL7-8, it may contain a few small batteries. It gives a -2 (quality) modifier for the specific skill and specialty for which it’s designed. A kit for Electrician, Machinist, or any Armoury or Mechanic specialty is $200, 4 lbs. Kits for Electronics Repair specialties are $400, 2 lbs. LC4.

This is the standard tool kit – the type found in a toolbox behind a truck seat or under the kitchen sink. It counts as basic equipment for the specific skill and specialty for which it’s designed, and gives a -2 (quality) modifier for other specialties of the same skill. At the GM’s option, such kits may have a handful of small batteries at TL7-8. A kit for Electrician, Machinist, or any Armoury or Mechanic specialty is $600, 20 lbs. Kits for Electronics Repair specialties are $1,200, 10 lbs. LC4.

This is an elaborate set of tools that fills a room. It has everything necessary for repairs or fabrication (welder, mill, lathe, etc.), including a wide range of materials and spare parts that can be tooled to specific requirements. It gives a +2 (quality) bonus to skill. Each skill requires its own shop, but the wrong type of shop is better than nothing – the quality modifier ranges from -2 for reasonably close crafts to -5 for distant ones. A workshop for Electrician, Machinist, or any Armoury or Mechanic specialty is $15,000, 2,000 lbs. Workshops for Electronics Repair specialties are $30,000, 500 lbs. All require external power. LC4.

The most basic tools rely on elbow grease and mechanical advantage for their power. From the end of TL5, hand tools change relatively little in function, if not in form. A non-sparking NASA hammer is still essentially the same tool used by a TL2 blacksmith. Its ergonomics and construction have changed, but it still whacks things that need whacking.

When American frontiersmen moved into the Appalachians, they regarded the axe as the essential tool. A pioneer could hack a field out of a forest, build a house, cut fuel for his hearth, and even fashion a comfortable chair – all using nothing more than a simple axe.

An axe counts as improvised equipment for the Carpentry skill. Intricate work is possible, but it takes longer (see Time Spent, p. B346). If used in combat, treat most of these axes as a great axe (p. B274); see the descriptions for penalties to combat skill.

Broad Axe (TL5). This is an axe for hewing timbers. It has a wide and heavy head with a chisel-like cutting edge. The handle is bent or slightly offset from the head so the user can chop round logs into square timbers without busting his knuckles. -3 to Two-Handed Axe/Mace. $100, 6 lbs. LC4.

Felling Axe (TL5). An axe with a comparatively thin, light blade designed for felling trees. It rings like a bell when it strikes a tree; it’s said that a skilled lumberjack knows the type of wood being struck by the “song” of a felling axe. $100, 5 lbs. LC4.

Spike or Fireman’s Axe (TL5). A felling axe with “ripper” spike opposite the blade. Originally designed for boarding actions during the Age of Sail, it’s still in favor among professional firemen today. Interestingly, collectors have discovered authentic Napoleonic-era boarding axes in English firehouses, used unknowingly as common fire axes for nearly two centuries! With a Ready maneuver, the wielder can switch from the blade to the spike and use it as a warhammer. Gives +1 (quality) to Forced Entry skill. $100, 8 lbs. LC4.

Double-Bitted Axe (TL6). This axe has one edge ground thin for felling and delicate chopping work and the other left somewhat blunter for heavier cutting. $100, 5 lbs. LC4.

Splitting Maul (TL7). An axe suitable only for splitting logs, as the massive, wedge-shaped head is too clumsy for felling or hewing. Modern woodchoppers often have only a splitting maul – felling is done by chainsaw, not by axe. -3 to Two-Handed Axe/Mace. $100, 8 lbs. LC4.

Multi-Purpose Rescue Axe (TL8). A non-sparking, nonmagnetic axe. The wicked-looking head has a pick opposite the blade (treat it as an axe or a pick in combat, depending on the side used). Like a barbarian’s version of the Swiss Army Knife, it has cutouts in the blade and metal handle that allow it to function as a hydrant wrench, fire-hose spanner, or gas-shutoff tool. The haft end of the axe is shaped for use as a pry bar. Gives +1 (quality) to Forced Entry skill. $200, 4.5 lbs. LC4.

Below is an assortment of tools that might be found in a tool kit or a workshop. In addition to being used with repair skills (see Tool Kits, p. 24), many work well with the Forced Entry skill (p. B196) and/or as improvised weapons (p. B404).

Bit and Brace (TL5). A hand-cranked drill and a set of bits. Does sw-2(2) pi++ per second when drilling through wood or similar materials. $30, 5 lbs. LC4.

Crosscut Saw (TL5). A two-man logging saw. Does sw- 3(2) cut per second to wood. Add the two sawyers’ ST scores to determine damage. $80, 8 lbs. LC4.

Grinder (TL5). A hand-powered grinder for sharpening blades. At TL6, it’s powered by an electric motor, which uses external power. $35, 40 lbs. LC4.

Hacksaw (TL5). Does sw-3(2) cut per second to metal bars, chains, and cables. Early hacksaw blades ($5, 0.1 lb.) wear out after only a few minutes of use; TL7+ models with carbide or diamond teeth last much longer and get +1 to damage. $10, 2 lbs. LC4.

Hammer (TL5). Some have claws for removing nails, others have two heads. TL7+ models have all-steel heads and steel or fiberglass handles; halve weight. Treat as a small mace (p. B271) in combat. $15, 3 lbs. LC4.

Jack (TL5). A common piece of equipment for wagons, this simple brace and lever is capable of lifting 4 tons. A rope or metal bracket holds the lever in place. At TL6, a hand-pumped hydraulic jack weighs half as much but lifts twice as much. $75, 75 lbs. LC4.

Saw (TL5). A handsaw for carpentry. Does sw-2(2) cut per second to wood. $20, 3 lbs. LC4.

Shovel (TL5). When use to dig, see p. B350. When used as a weapon, treat as a cheap great axe (p. B274) at -2 to skill. $15, 6 lbs. LC4.

Sledgehammer (TL5). A two-handed hammer for driving posts, rock drills (p. 26), and so on. Treat as a maul (p. B274) at -2 to skill. $10, 15 lbs. LC4.

Whetstone (TL5). For sharpening tools and weapons. $5, 1 lb. LC4.

Wire Cutters (TL5). Do 2d(2) cut to rope, barbed wire, thin cable, etc. $30, 2 lbs. LC4.

Bolt Cutters, Heavy (TL6). Do 12d(2) cut to chains, bars, cables, etc., if the user can make a ST+4 roll. $50, 30 lbs. LC4.

Bolt Cutters, Light (TL6). As above, but do only 8d(2) cut. $30, 15 lbs. LC4.

Shovel, Folding (TL6). Entrenching tools are sometimes used by soldiers in close combat. Treat as an axe (p. B271) at -2 to skill. Holdout -4. $10, 3 lbs. LC4.

Utility Knife (TL6). A short handle with about 1” of blade at one end. Treat as a small knife (p. B272) that can only make cutting attacks. The blade is retractable and replaceable. $2, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Wire Saw (TL6). A serrated wire “commando” saw that does 1 point of cutting damage every four seconds. DR 5+ material will quickly ruin it. Works as a wire garrote (pp. B272, B405) at no penalty. $10, neg. LC4.

Superglue (TL7). One application holds up to 2 tons (ST 20). Also used in surgery for suturing! Per 10-use tube: $2, neg. LC4.

Shovel, Titanium (TL8). A corrosion-resistant, nonmagnetic, but otherwise normal shovel. $40, 4 lbs. LC4.

Karl Elsener’s multi-bladed folding knife was first issued to Swiss soldiers in 1891. Similar pocket knives were already common during the American Civil War – a favorite of telegraphers, among others. From the trenches of WWI to Space Shuttle flights and the International Space Station, the multi-function knife has been a coveted accessory of well-prepared people the world over.

Elsener’s original knife had wooden scales concealing a clip-point blade, a screwdriver, an awl, and a can opener. The officer’s model quickly followed. It added a second, smaller blade and the famous corkscrew.

Knives since then have added other features, including saw blade, scissors, magnifying glass, emergency whistle, toothpick, and tweezers. Treat the largest models as multitools (see below). At TL8, many multi-function knives come equipped with electronics such as a digital alarm clock, thermometer, altimeter, micro-flashlight, or digital storage device.

Depending on the job, the GM may treat a multifunction knife as improvised equipment (-5 quality) for minor repairs or as basic equipment for extremely simple tasks (e.g., using the screwdriver to open a gadget’s case). A basic version is $25, neg. LC4.

The modern Pocket Survival Tool was invented by Tim Leatherman in 1983, but similar “multiplex” tools have been around since the 1850s. Their versatility and compactness make them popular among soldiers and emergency personnel. Many variations exist, featuring such tools as blasting cap crimpers, needle-nose pliers, locking pliers, digital tire-pressure gauges, saw blades, and different types of screw- and hex- drivers. Finishes range from stainless steel to stealthy matte black.

Like the multi-function knife (above), the utility of a multi-tool depends on the skill being used and the job at hand. It’s probably at least improvised equipment (-5 quality) for most technological tasks. For routine tasks, the GM might allow it to stand-in for a mini-tool kit. $50, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Often called a “jack,” this is simply a long steel rod with a star-shaped cutting head. One man strikes it with a hammer while another man holds it and turns it a quarter-turn after each blow, causing the rod to bite deeper and deeper into the rock, expelling spoil as it goes. (This is the source of the term “jackhammer.”) A set of progressively longer bits makes it possible to bore deeper holes. Such holes are often packed with explosives – for instance, to blast a railroad tunnel through solid rock.

A rock drill has an armor divisor of (2) and does huge piercing damage equal to a crushing blow struck against the drill; e.g., a ST 15 hammer man dishes out 2d+5 cr with a maul, so his jack does 2d+5(2) pi++. A set of rock drills ranging from 1’ to 16’ in length is $200, 200 lbs. LC4.

This WWII-era tape consists of three layers: a plastic covering, a cloth mesh, and a thick rubber adhesive. Silvery tape is most familiar (a testament to its use in air-conditioning vent work), but it comes in every color and even in camouflage patterns. Clever characters may use duct tape as improvised equipment for many tasks – repairs, bandaging, splint wrapping, etc. An entire roll can be braided into a 20-yard rope capable of holding 200 lbs. Duct tape is also a handy makeshift restraint; a prisoner must make a ST-3 or Escape roll to break free. A 60-yard roll is $1, 2 lbs. LC4.

In a cinematic campaign, the “circle cutter” is the definitive cat burglar’s tool. The user attaches its suction cup to a window or a glass case, pivots the blade 360° to score a circle in the glass, and then uses the suction cup to lift out a perfect glass disk – allowing him to reach through and open locks, steal secret plans, etc. This procedure requires a DX or Forced Entry roll. Failure means a noisy break; critical failure also means 1d-2 cutting damage to the hand.

Real cutters don’t work this way unless you’re very lucky. For one thing, scored glass must be tapped on the far side to break it out! Rolls for this stunt are at -6 in a realistic game. $140, 1 lb. LC4.

Portable power tools are a fairly recent development. At TL4 and below, tools powered by beast, wind, and water exist, but they’re not portable! At TL5, steam engines enable semi-portable power tools, and carts, wagons, and small ships serve as platforms for both the tools and the necessary power plants. At TL6, widespread adoption of electricity and internal combustion engines makes powered tools truly portable. At TL7, battery power greatly increases portability. As TL8 progresses, fuel cells and micro-engines promise to further revolutionize the field.

The first functional automatic sewing machine was invented in 1830 in Paris. It was so efficient that Parisian tailors ransacked the first sewing-machine factory in an attempt to destroy it.

Sewing Machine (TL5). A treadle-powered machine produces over 200 stitches a minute versus a professional tailor’s 30. Gives +1 (quality) to Sewing skill. $50, 100 lbs. LC4.

Electric Sewing Machine (TL6). Capable of 1,500 stitches per minute. Gives +2 (quality) to Sewing skill. $250, 100 lbs, external power. LC4.

At TL5, many crafts and industries use semi-portable steam engines (p. 14) to power tools. The boiler and engine are mounted on a wagon and pulled from one work site to the next by draft animals.

Drill (TL5). This tripod-mounted drill does 6d(2) pi++ per second to concrete or rock. $2,000, 500 lbs., external power. LC4.

Pump (TL5). Pumps 200 gallons per minute. $5,000, 450 lbs., external power. LC4.

Saw Mill (TL5). Can produce 2,000 board feet of lumber per day (200 10’ boards, 100 20’ boards, 80 25’ boards, etc.). As examples, the HMS Bounty was built from 400,000 board feet of lumber, while a modern 2,000-square-foot home requires about 13,000 board feet. $7,500, 2 tons, external power. LC4.

These tools might be found in a workshop or used on their own, most often at a construction site.

Air Compressor (TL6). A portable compressor for filling tires, hard-hat diving, or operating air-impact or hydraulic tools. Consumes 1 gallon of gasoline per hour. Halve weight at TL8. $100, 125 lbs. LC4.

Air Compressor Hose (TL6). For air-powered tools. Per 5’ length: $5, 1 lb. LC4.

Circular Saw (TL6). Does sw+3(2) cut per second. At TL8, halve weight and cost; cordless versions use a battery (M/30 minutes). $150, 20 lbs., external power. LC4.

Cutting Torch (TL6). Does 1d+3(2) burn per second, with 30 seconds of cutting time per bottle (extra bottles are $50, 5 lbs.). $75, 7 lbs. LC4.

Jackhammer (TL6). Referred to as a “breaker hammer” by professionals, this is a giant, two-handled beast for demolishing concrete, stone, and asphalt. It does 7d(2) pi++ damage per second. At TL6, it requires an air compressor and hose; at TL8, weight is halved and it runs off normal building power. $1,500, 160 lbs., external power. LC4.

Power Drill (TL6). Does 1d+2(2) pi++ per second to wood, plastic, or metal. Diamond or carbide replacements bits are $40 each. The similar rotary hammer does 2d+2(2) pi++ to concrete or rock, and has 10x cost and 5x weight. At TL8, battery-powered versions are available (M/30 min.). $50, 2 lbs., external power. LC4.

Pocket Torch (TL7). Does 1d-2 burn per second, with 20 minutes of burn time ($1 for refills). Burning at up to 2,500°F, it can melt lead, aluminum, gold, tin, silver, glass, etc. $25, neg. LC4.

Plasma Torch (TL8). Does 3d+6(2) burn per second. Requires a small tank of compressed air every 10 minutes (see Air Tanks, p. 74) – or an air compressor. $2,000, 35 lbs., external power. LC4.

A German engineer invented the first practical portable, gasoline-powered chainsaw in the 1920s. Such early saws were two-man contraptions, with one man holding the engine and the other moving the cutting bar. One was smuggled out of Germany in 1941, and the U.S. Army asked American manufacturers to copy and improve upon it – which they did. By 1950, the chainsaw was a one-man affair.

As a rescue tool, a chainsaw uses the Forced Entry skill. In combat, it uses the Two-Handed Axe/Mace skill. While fearsome when wielded against defenseless vacationers, it has several problems as a real weapon against determined foes. A chainsaw has an (0.5) armor divisor when striking or parrying anything made of concrete, metal, or a material of comparable hardness (not wood, plastic, flesh, bone, etc.). If it fails to penetrate DR, it can malfunction. Roll 1d: on 1-2, nothing happens; on 3-5, the chainsaw stalls and must be restarted; and on a 6, the chain snaps. At TL7, a snapped chain whips around and strikes the wielder for 1d cutting damage; at TL8, it simply breaks the saw until it can be repaired.

For double cost, a carbide-toothed chain can be had. This eliminates the (0.5) armor divisor and the accompanying limitations on cutting hard materials.

TWO-HANDED AXE/MACE (DX-5, Axe/Mace-3, Polearm-4, or Two-Handed Flail-4)

The first pneumatic nail guns come on the scene at mid- TL7. These require an air compressor and hose, but can drive nails at twice the rate of a skilled carpenter and are much faster when driving nails in awkward positions. Powder-actuated models also appear at TL7, and use an explosive akin to a pistol primer to drive the nail. At TL8, combustion nail guns ignite small quantities of fuel from a tiny internal tank to propel the nail; nails are loaded in long strips held together by glue or paper.

A nail gun usually has a safety that prevents it from being used as a projectile weapon, but often this can be simply bypassed (held to the rear with the off hand – or a paperclip). A somewhat cinematic weapon, it uses DX-4 or Guns (Pistol)-4. It has Dmg 2d-1 pi-, Acc 0, Range 5/25, RoF 1, Shots 50(3), ST 11†, Bulk -4, Rcl 2.

Pneumatic Nail Gun (TL7). Holds 50 nails. $200, 7 lbs., external power. LC4.

Powder-Actuated Nail Gun (TL7). Uses 10-shot blank cartridge strips ($0.7, 0.01 lb.). Holds 50 nails. $220, 5 lbs. LC4.

Combustion Nail Gun (TL8). Drives 1,000 nails per fuel canister ($7, 0.15 lb.). The rechargeable battery can ignite four fuel canisters before being drained. Holds 50 nails. $350, 8 lbs. LC4.

These items may equip a corporate or university facility, a remote government base, or a mad scientist’s lab.

Blueprints are a set of drawings and/or instructions for manufacturing an item. A full set of blueprints provides all the information necessary to make the item, assuming one has the necessary skills, tools, and materials. Legal blueprints for many commercial goods are subject to licensing fees, royalties, and other charges – typically 10%-50% of the item’s base cost. LC is equal to that of the item.

Blueprints (TL5). Early blueprints had white lines on blue paper. Since TL7, blueprints have used blue lines on white paper. The original process was invented in the 1840s, for making copies of military maps in the field. It didn’t catch on with architects and designers until the 1900s.

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) Project (TL8). A set of computer files for use in computer-aided manufacturing (see below). They’re Complexity 2 for items costing up to $100, Complexity 3 for devices up to $1,000, etc.

In the 1950s, the aerospace industry began wedding computers and industrial tools in an effort to increase efficiency. These early “numerically controlled tools” exceeded human capacity in speed and accuracy, but were so expensive that few companies could afford them. As computers became cheaper in the 1970s, computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) flourished.

The advantage of CAM is “agile” or rapid manufacturing: the ability to design and produce parts in hours rather than months, and to retool for a new job in minutes. In 2003, during the Iraq War, the U.S. Army’s Mobile Parts Hospital in Kuwait received a call to design and produce a machine-gun mount for a truck door. The part was ready in only five hours and flown to Baghdad the same day!

There are two distinct CAM technologies. A computer numerically controlled (CNC) workshop uses computer-controlled and automated mills, lathes, etc., to remove material from a block of metal, plastic, or wood to create a part. The tools are guided by a computer, and drill, grind, and cut until the part is completed.

Rapid prototyping (RP) is fundamentally different. Instead of removing material, RP uses powders or liquids to create a part, layer by layer. The “print head” moves back and forth like that of an ink-jet printer, depositing materials in minute layers until the component is completed. The disadvantage of RP is speed: on average, RP is much slower than CNC when producing a part of the same size.

Rapid prototyping machines produce parts from only one class of material: metal, ceramic, or plastic. This must be decided when the workshop is purchased, and cannot be changed afterward. For instance, a workshop that builds plastic and metal parts would need two separate RP devices.

Assume that RP machines can work multiple materials within their category; the cutting edge of RP technology, laser engineered net shaping (LENS), can fabricate production-ready parts from several different metals and alloys – titanium, aluminum, stainless steel, etc.

Regardless of the underlying technology, CAM equipment uses the Machinist skill. The GM may consider a CAM workshop an appropriate facility for building certain inventions (see New Inventions, p. B473). All CAM devices require CAD project files (p. 29).

Workshop CNC (TL7). A professional-grade CAM workshop like those used by NASCAR racing teams, custom firearms producers, and after-market specialty shops. It can fabricate 10 lbs. of parts per hour. Gives +2 (quality) to Machinist skill. $250,000, 2 tons, external power. LC4.

Desktop CNC (TL8). The smallest available CNC device fits on a tabletop. It can fabricate 0.5 lb. of parts per hour. It counts as basic equipment for Machinist. $25,000, 200 lbs., external power. LC4.

Workshop RP (TL8). Similar to the workshop CNC, but for RP work. It can fabricate 1 lb. of parts per hour. Choose whether it manufactures metal, ceramic, or plastic components. Gives +2 (quality) to Machinist skill. $500,000, 2 tons, external power. LC4.

Desktop RP (TL8). This unit can fabricate 0.1 lb. of parts per hour. Choose whether it manufactures ceramic or plastic (but not metal) components. It counts as basic equipment for Machinist. $2,000, 35 lbs., external power. LC4.

Mini-Manufacturing Workshop (TL8). An elaborate portable factory. One example is the U.S. Army’s Mobile Parts Hospital. It fits in two 20’ shipping containers: a workshop RP for metal in one, a workshop CNC for metal in the other. These provide a combined +4 (quality) to Machinist skill. $1,000,000, 13.5 tons, external power. LC4.

This refrigerator-sized unit fully scans a sample part placed inside it in 15-30 minutes, depending on the model’s size and complexity. With small alterations, such a scan becomes a usable CAD project file (p. 28). $5,000, 200 lbs., external power. LC4.

At TL5-6, the hardware used by rescue workers consists largely of regular hand tools and power tools. Elaborate, purpose-built rescue tools begin to appear at TL7, in the racing and aviation industries. They soon become a lucrative business.

Many of these tools use the Forced Entry skill or a Professional Skill such as Firefighter. At the GM’s discretion, troops from military units that receive training in the use of rescue equipment may roll against Soldier skill.

For the breathing equipment (masks, tanks, etc.) and protective clothing used by firefighters and other emergency workers, see Chapter 4.

This is a one-man battering ram, used by SWAT teams to knock down doors. Against a braced, unmoving object such as a door, roll against Forced Entry to hit. A successful attack does sw+3d+1 cr. The ram has Reach 1 and ST 20†, requiring either a strong wielder or at least two Ready maneuvers between strikes. Used as a weapon, it functions as a clumsy maul (p. B274): -3 to Two-Handed Axe/Mace.

In practice, SWAT team “breachers” take an Evaluate maneuver and aim for the area just above or below the door handle. A miss generally means hitting another part of the door, possibly punching a hole in it without knocking it down. A critical miss may jam the door in the frame, which necessitates wasting valuable seconds to get it open. Either means a very loud knock that may alert hostile inhabitants to the arrival of “guests”!

A non-sparking, nonmagnetic model costs double but comes in handy if the door being busted down leads to a volatile drug lab. $150, 35 lbs. LC4.

Many of the following items are likely to be found at the scene of an accident, or in an emergency vehicle, a fire station, or a shipboard damage-control locker.

Fire Extinguisher, Large (TL6). Good for 20 one-second bursts. Has a 3-yard range; see Cone Attacks (p. B413) and Attacking an Area (p. B414) for rules. It puts out a fire immediately on a roll on TL+2 or less. $75, 20 lbs. LC4.

Fire Extinguisher, Small (TL6). As above, but only capable of eight one-second bursts at a 2-yard range. $50, 8 lbs. LC4.

Spanner Wrench (TL6). A firefighter’s multi-tool, used to connect fire hoses, operate fire hydrants and gas mains, and cut seat belts. In combat, treat as a small mace (p. B271) at -2 to skill. $15, 3 lbs. LC4.

Come-A-Long (TL7). A lever-operated pulling device. It moves objects at only a few feet per minute but has Lifting ST 25. $20, 15 lbs. LC4.

Go-Bar (TL7). This heavy-duty, non-sparking, and nonmagnetic “gorilla bar” is typically used with the Forced Entry skill to bust locks, hinges, and other door hardware. Treat it as a maul (p. B274) in combat, at -2 to skill. $175, 17 lbs. LC4.

Stokes Litter (TL7). A wire basket that holds a single casualty securely during a risky evacuation (up a cliff, across a river, via rescue hoist, etc.). The occupant has DR 5 in the event the litter is dropped or suffers a collision. $500, 20 lbs. LC4.

Cable Ladder (TL8). A flexible 10-yard ladder with aluminum steps suspended between two cables. $100, 5 lbs. LC4.

Carbon Monoxide Monitor (TL8). Alerts firefighters or workers in confined spaces to dangerous carbon monoxide levels. $350, 0.25 lb., XS/40 hrs. LC4.

Crowbar, Titanium (TL8). Non-sparking, nonmagnetic tool for Forced Entry. Treat as a small mace (p. B271) in combat, at -1 to skill. $50, 2 lbs. LC4.

Doorbuster (TL8). The so-called “knock-knock gun” resembles a pistol with chisel replacing the barrel. The user holds the head against a lock, hinge, bolt, etc., and pulls the trigger, which causes the chisel to slam forward with great force: 4d(2) pi++. It uses 10-shot strips, as described for the nail gun (p. 28). $1,500, 6 lbs. LC3.

Folding Ladder (TL8). This goes from a briefcase-sized package to a 16’ ladder in two seconds; capacity is 300 lbs. $300, 20 lbs. LC4.

Hydraulic Door Opener (TL8). A hand-pumped hydraulic spreader jack for silently forcing open locked or barred doors. After three Ready maneuvers spent pumping, it inflicts 10d cr to doors and doorjambs. $1,500, 9 lbs. LC4.

Lock Buster (TL8). A hooked beak that’s placed on a padlock and then struck with a sledgehammer. It doubles the damage done to the padlock. $50, 3 lbs. LC4.

Thermal Imager (TL8). Rescue teams use thermal imagers to search for victims through smoke, and to detect hot spots inside walls, electrical equipment, etc. See Thermographs (p. 48).

Rescue Hoist (TL7)

This is a hand-cranked hoist with a working load of 500 lbs. (see Rope, p. 56) and a lifting speed of 8 yards per minute. It’s either attached to a tripod ($1,500, 75 lbs., 3-ton rating) for use over manholes or vertical mine shafts, or clamped to a tree, vehicle bumper, window sill, or other sturdy attachment point. $3,500, 20 lbs. LC4.

Rescue Spreader/Cutter (TL7)

This powerful tool is used by crash squads, firefighters, rescue teams, and salvagers. The operator holds a cutter/spreader unit, which resembles nothing so much as a gigantic pair of pliers. Five yards of hydraulic line link this to a small gas engine and a hydraulic compressor, which power a piston that can open and close the jaws with tremendous force.

Opening or closing the jaws is a long action requiring four consecutive Ready maneuvers. Each “bite” with the cutter involves four seconds for the jaws to open and four more seconds for them to close. Reversing the switch causes the jaws to spread wide open. This can damage structures (e.g., car doors) or lift many tons – although the total lifting distance is only about a foot.

Rescue Spreader/Cutter (TL7). The handheld unit does 6dx4(2) cr per activation, has Reach 1 and ST 16†, and weighs 38 lbs. It has Arm ST 36, BL 259 as a spreader. The power pack weighs 50 lbs. and uses 1 gallon of gasoline per hour. $15,000, 90 lbs. LC4.

Rescue Spreader/Cutter (TL8). The handheld unit does 6dx5(2) cr per activation, has Reach 1 and ST 14†, and weighs 23 lbs. It has Arm ST 45, BL 405 as a spreader. The power pack weighs 30 lbs. and uses 0.5 gallon of gasoline per hour. $15,000, 55 lbs. LC4.

Fire Shelter (TL8)

A fire shelter resembles a sleeping bag made of reflective, nonflammable material. It protects those inside it from being burned alive in a wildland fire, giving them DR 10 vs. burning damage. Users might still die from breathing superheated air, however; see Heat (p. B434). $400, 5 lbs. LC4.

Firefighter Alert System (TL8)

This is a personal alarm worn by firefighters. The user must shake it at regular intervals (20 seconds is common) in order to reset it. Should it remain motionless – presumably because its wearer is trapped or incapacitated – it will sound a piercing audible alarm (+4 to Hearing). This gets progressively louder, alerting those nearby that a firefighter is down, pinned by debris, or otherwise in need of help. For double cost, it also has temperature alarm that goes off when the wearer has been in especially hot areas (200- 350°F) for too long or when the temperature increases rapidly – which may indicate that a flashover is imminent. $100, 0.25 lb., XS/40 hrs. LC4.

Lift-Bag Kit (TL8)

A “lift bag” is a reinforced bag designed to lift or shift a heavy load as it’s inflated. It’s connected to an air compressor (p. 27) or the power pack of a rescue spreader/cutter (see above). A standard kit includes an assortment of bags capable of lifting from a couple of tons to more than 70 tons. $5,000, 75 lbs. LC4.

These goods might seem even more pedestrian than ordinary tools and expedition gear, never mind weapons and armor. However, a cane, a waffle iron, or a belt can come in handy when no real weapons are handy – and food and household goods are often crucial to long-term survival.

The right accessories are vital when dressing to impress. Some of these items are worn or carried; others are used to straighten up before stepping out. All are marks of the neat, the stylish, and the well-heeled, and are likely to take advantage of Styling.

Belt (TL5). A belt can be incredibly useful. It can retain holsters and sheaths, conceal money or a survival kit in its lining (+4 to Holdout), or act as an improvised climbing harness. The buckle can hide a dagger, a push knife, or a small gun. $10-$50, neg. LC4.

Cane (TL5). A walking stick – possibly with ornate carvings, exotic woods, a sculpted or silver handle, etc., all of which would count as styling. It’s useful for pointing, poking, and, if necessary, fighting (for rifle canes, see p. 98; for sword canes, see p. 197). $5, 2.5 lbs. LC4.

Cigar or Cigarette Case (TL5). Holds half a dozen cigars or 20 cigarettes, a box of matches, a cigar cutter, etc. Ulysses S. Grant was known to smoke 20 or more cigars a day. $30, 0.1 lb. LC4.

Collapsible Cup (TL5). Usually pewter or steel. $3, neg. LC4.

Grooming Kit (TL5). A leather Gladstone, vanity, or toilet bag holding comb, hairbrush, razor, toothbrush, soap, aftershave, shoe polish kit, etc. $25, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Handbag or Waist Pack (TL5). A woman’s purse, a doctor’s medical bag, or a day-hiker’s fanny pack. Holds up to 10 lbs. $10, 1 lb. LC4.

Hip Flask (TL5). Holds 1 pint. Holdout -1. $10, 1 lb. (full). LC4.

Mirror (TL5). Handy when applying makeup – and for peering around corners and signaling. At TL5-6, it will break if dropped! At TL7-8, it’s made of nearly indestructible plastic. $5, neg. LC4.

Pocket Watch (TL5). The pocket watch is a TL4 invention, but it isn’t until TL5 that it’s accurate to within a minute a day. The second hand becomes common at TL6, by which time watches sometimes include other features, such as calendars and moon-phase indicators. Other innovations at TL6 are the so-called “perpetual,” which is self-winding, and the ultra-reliable “railroad” watch, which is certified as being accurate enough for train engineers. A good-quality pocket watch is $100, neg. LC4.

Pocketknife (TL5). A small knife with one or more short, folding blades. The largest pocketknife blade might count as a small knife at -1 to damage; the shortest aren’t useful weapons. See Multi-Function Knife for a more utilitarian alternative. $5, neg. LC4.

Religious Symbol (TL5). A small crucifix, rosary, ankh, etc. $1, neg. LC4.

Sewing Kit (TL5). Travelers and soldiers have long carried a “housewife” to mend torn fabric. This includes a needle, several colors of thread, a thimble, etc. It counts as basic equipment for sewing. $1, neg. LC4.

Tobacco Box (TL5). Holds 1-2 oz. of tobacco. The removable lid on 18th-century Hudson’s Bay Company models has a built-in burning glass for lighting a smoke in sunny weather! $20, neg. LC4.

Umbrella (TL5). A folding umbrella keeps the rain off and is useful for prodding suspicious items. $5, 1 lb. LC4.

Attaché Case (TL6). A briefcase with a simple lock. $20, 2 lbs. LC4.

Wristwatch (TL6). Initially, the “wristlet” – a small watch worn at the wrist – is a lady’s accessory. At mid-TL6, though, soldiers fit pocket watches to leather wrist straps in order to keep their hands free in combat. These “trench watches” feature leather or pierced-metal “shrapnel guards” to protect the crystal face under harsh conditions.

A TL6 wristwatch might be self-winding or waterproof, have luminous hands or a date function, or show the time in several time zones, but a given watch seldom has multiple features – pick two, if it matters. The best mechanical watches lose 10 seconds a day through TL6; “synchronizing the watches” is an important part of military operations. At TL7, battery-powered quartz watches appear; digital displays follow. This is the first time a watch can be said to be accurate to within a second, day after day. A good basic watch is $25; a luxury watch, such as a Rolex, can go as high as $40,000! Weight is negligible. LC4.

A towel is valuable to any adventurer – interstellar or not. Besides being useful when bathing, it can serve as a blanket, a fire tender, clothing, or a head covering. Attached to a stick, it’s a legionnaire’s pack – or a sail. It’s a privacy screen, a signaling device, or a cushion for an uncomfortable seat. Lashed to a foot and stuffed with newspapers, it’s a passable arctic boot. A soldier can use it to keep body armor from chafing or to cushion his helmet, or cut it into strips for bandages or a weapon sling.

At TL5-6, a 2’x4’ towel is $5, 1 lb. At TL7-8, a 2’x4’ microfiber towel – quick-drying and highly absorbent – is $30, 0.25 lb.

Gadget Wristwatch (TL8). At TL8, miniaturization lets wristwatches contain a bewildering array of gadgets. Some common features are altimeter, barometer, calculator, cell phone, compass, digital camera, digital storage device, dosimeter, GPS, pepper spray, and thermometer. Treat such watches as improvised equipment (-5 quality) for relevant technological skills. To reduce the penalty, the operator must spend extra time fiddling with the controls (see Time Spent, p. B346). Prices start at $100 and rise quickly; minimum cost is that of the built-in gadget. Weight is negligible. LC4.

Propane gas cylinders commonly fuel barbecue grills and camp stoves. They’re also potent field-expedient explosives. To set one off, it’s necessary to rupture the cylinder near a flame (like the ever-popular hand flare). If any non-crushing damage penetrates the cylinder’s DR 6, the cylinder will rupture and ignite into a huge fireball. The explosion does burning damage, calculated according to Demolition (p. B415) using the cylinder’s full weight and assuming a REF of 0.5. Fragmentation from the cylinder alone is 1d cutting.

Small Cylinder (TL6). A disposable tank for camp stoves, lanterns, etc. (4dx2 burn ex). $5, 1 lb. LC4.

Large Cylinder (TL6). A bulk tank, often found under a barbecue grill or on the exterior of a camper trailer (6dx5 burn ex). Swapping an empty tank for a full one at a retailer costs about $8; a brand new tank is $45, 14 lbs. LC4.

Whether one is taking a rest between moments of danger or skulking through a home during a black op, the most mundane items can sometimes prove important.

The “Ice Revolution” begins at TL5. Ice cut from ponds, lakes, and rivers is buried under sawdust and kept in icehouses throughout the warm season. In the 19th century, ice-cooled freight cars transported meat by rail to New England from packing plants in Chicago – a common market for rangy Texas longhorns fresh from the cattle drive.

This is a profitable business. The Ice King, Frederic Tudor, shipped thousands of tons of ice from Boston to Charleston and New Orleans – and later to Havana, Calcutta, and Singapore. He secured low freight rates by offering the ice as ballast to ship owners. “Ice speculator” would be an excellent cover for the globetrotting adventurer at TL5.

At TL5, home refrigeration means an icebox of heavy oak, with sawdust and/or a zinc-lined container as insulation. Initially an appliance of the rich, the icebox is common among the middle class by TL6. Door-to-door ice deliveries by wagon are a colorful part of the American landscape until the late 1940s.

The refrigerator gradually replaces the icebox through the second half of TL6. The first “electric icebox” is a big hit, but pricey: in 1925, it cost more than a Ford Model T! Cutting-edge TL8 fridges are “smart,” capable of tracking their contents and ordering replacements over the Internet.

Ice (TL0). At TL5, transportation and storage make harvested ice expensive: $5 a pound. At TL6, mechanically produced ice is much cheaper: $0.05 a pound.

Icebox (TL5). Holds 50 lbs. of ice. Has 3 cubic feet of storage space plus an internal 2-gallon water cooler. A 25-lb. block of ice will last 2-4 days, depending on the temperature. DR 2. $300, 140 lbs. LC4.

Refrigerator (TL6). Holds 9 cubic feet. Includes the newfangled “freezer” for making ice cubes. DR 2. $3,000, 400 lbs., external power. LC4.

Refrigerator (TL8). Holds 20 cubic feet. Has a freezer, ice maker, and water tap. DR 2. $800, 200 lbs., external power. LC4.

At TL5, the cook stove burns wood, is made of heavy cast iron (at least 1/4”), and uses a surprisingly sophisticated arrangement of baffles and louvers to manage air flow, thereby regulating heat and reducing fuel consumption. A night’s fuel is an armload of wood; cooking a meal requires only a log or two. In warmer regions, the stove may not reside in the home – the kitchen is often an outbuilding, for both comfort and safety.

The surface of a cast-iron stove gets hot – red hot. Somebody falling on a hot stove (or held there by a couple of thugs) can get a serious burn. Depending on the temperature, this inflicts from 1d-1 to 2d burn damage per second. Of course, the same is true of the burners and heating elements of modern stoves.

At TL6, kerosene, natural gas, and electric stoves take over. At TL7, microwave ovens come on the scene. The first are water-cooled, refrigerator-sized behemoths, used only in institutional settings – but by TL8, almost every home kitchen has a microwave oven.

Cast-Iron Cook Stove (TL5). A box or “pot-bellied” stove. The stovepipe is fitted with a small baking oven or a waterheating jacket. DR 12. $200, 250 lbs. LC4.

Electric Range (TL6). Three or four burners and an oven. DR 2. $500, 150 lbs., external power. LC4.

Gas Range (TL6). A large oven and six burners, connected to neighborhood gas lines. DR 6. $750, 400 lbs. LC4.

Barbecue Grill (TL7). Henry Ford and Thomas Edison developed charcoal briquettes, which were sold at Ford dealerships until the 1950s. Gas grills (x2 cost) are more common at TL8, and use propane tanks. $75, 30 lbs. LC4.

Microwave (TL7). A heavy-duty institutional model does 1 HP per second to things placed inside it, such as severed zombie hands and annoying little purring furballs. DR 1. $500, 100 lbs., external power. LC4.

Halve the weight of these appliances at TL7-8.

Blender (TL6). A blender can make margaritas and quickly mince a hand (1d-3 cut per second). $50, 4 lbs., external power. LC4.

Coffee Maker (TL6). A pot of scalding coffee does 1d-3 burn. $10, 5 lbs., external power. LC4.

Hotplate (TL6). Does 1d-3 burn to a hand pressed to it. Useful for lab experiments! $20, 8 lbs., external power. LC4.

Toaster (TL6). Does 1d-3 burn to a hand trapped in it. Later models pop up and automatically switch off (rigging one as a time-delay trigger requires a Traps roll). $30, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

Vacuum Cleaner (TL6). Helpful for collecting specimens, cleaning up alien spores, etc. $200, 20 lbs., external power. LC4.

Waffle Iron (TL6). Damage is as for a hotplate. Handy for making soles for athletic shoes, too. $30, 5 lbs., external power. LC4.

Washing Machine (TL6). Scrubs 10 outfits an hour. Gadgeteers often scavenge the useful motor. $1,000, 250 lbs., external power. LC4.

“An army marches on its stomach,” Napoléon Bonaparte once said – an astute observation from a man who died of stomach cancer. Fuel and ammo might sustain a band of adventurers through chases and firefights, but even action heroes need to eat.

A multitude of traditional food-preservation methods are still in use at TL5-8. As with all food-storage techniques, the goal is to prevent the growth of bacteria that cause spoilage.

Smoking meat or storing it in brine kills the bacteria. Drying meat removes the water that bacteria need to survive; it also reduces the meat to 25% of its previous weight (e.g., 20 lbs. of fresh meat makes 5 lbs. of jerky). Meat thus preserved may last for weeks or months.

Milk can be turned into longer-lasting products. At TL5, a dairy cow provides one or two gallons of milk a day; a goat, half a gallon. At TL8, a cow bred for milk production and pumped full of hormones produces seven gallons a day; a goat may produce a gallon or more. A gallon of milk weighs 8 lbs.; 10 lbs. of milk yield 1 lb. of cheese or 0.5 lb. of butter. Cheese dipped in wax (the rind) can keep for years, while butter can be stored unrefrigerated for several days before going rancid.

At TL5, grains are harvested, threshed, winnowed, and stored dry and whole; flour is produced in batches. Fruits and vegetables dried in the sun will keep all winter if stored in the root cellar, buried in the garden, or kept in sawdust-filled barrels. Melons, peaches, and other “wet” fruits are kept in a springhouse or a well.

At TL6+, refrigeration (p. 32) and vacuum packaging help preserve all food much longer.

In 1795, Napoléon Bonaparte’s Society for the Encouragement of Industry offered a prize of 12,000 francs for a better way of preserving food. French candy-maker Nicholas Appert stepped forward to claim the prize in 1809. His process of boiling food inside a sealed glass jar proved to keep food safe to eat for months. Within a few years, canned food was being sold around the world.

In 1858, John L. Mason combined a threaded glass jar with a tin lid and rubber seal. Prior to this, attempts at home canning involved hot wax or melted lead, and were slow, tedious, and dangerous. Mason’s resealable jars allowed rural families to “put up for the winter” with confidence.

Home canning requires some special equipment, but it’s as effective as factory canning. A home canner working at a leisurely pace can preserve 100 lbs. of food a day. Canners concerned about the fact that glass jars don’t tolerate rough handling can use food-grade tin cans and a can sealer at home. Few actually bother, though – the necessary machinery is more expensive than that required for jars.

Canned food loses taste and nutritional content, texture, and coloration over time. Most sources suggest two years as a reasonable shelf life. Because tin cans are sealed and sterile, though, the food inside is microbiologically safe for much longer. In 1865, the steamboat Bertrand sank on the Missouri River. When it was discovered more than 100 years later, chemists from the National Food Processors Association analyzed the canned food onboard. They found no microbial growth, and rated the food safe for consumption!

Early canned food wasn’t always so safe. In 1845, Captain Sir John Franklin set out from England to find the Northwest Passage through the Arctic waters north of Canada. He took 129 hand-picked men and had two ships – the Terror and Erebus – specially equipped with iron prows, heated cabins, and steam-powered screw propellers. The expedition vanished somewhere in the Arctic wastes, with only a handful of skeletons and a lifeboat to indicate its fate. Recent forensic examination of the remains revealed that the Franklin party suffered from acute lead poisoning (see Lead Poisoning, see below). It seems that their canned food was poorly prepared, contaminated by the tin-lead solder used to seal the cans. Experts surmise that the poisoning caused the explorers to make a series of bad decision, including leaving the ships, and they eventually succumbed to a slow, agonizing death in the Arctic.

Can Opener (TL5). The first can opener is a large, handcranked device often found bolted to a table. Canned food manufacturers recommend using a hammer and chisel! At TL6, a can opener costs $0.50 and fits on a key ring, or is built into pocketknife (p. 31) or a multi-tool (p. 26). $5, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Food Canner (TL5). A pressure cooker and/or mechanical canner, plus all of the tools and supplies needed for canning in glass jars; double price for equipment to seal tin cans. $150, 25 lbs. LC4.

From 1756, a dehydrated “portable soup” was issued to sailors in the British Navy: a broth of vegetables and meat reduced to a rubbery consistency and then pressed into a cake. It was despised by British seamen, but American explorers Lewis and Clark carried 200 lbs. of it on their journey to map the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. During the American Civil War, “desiccated” vegetables and potatoes, oven-dried and compressed into blocks, were issued to Union soldiers – and received with complaint and loathing. Recipes for dehydrated food improved gradually, until at TL8 there was enough interest in the technique to market electric dehydrators (possible but not desirable at TL6) to homemakers.

Despite the savings in weight and the excellent storage properties of dehydrated foods, they’re less convenient to use than other preserved foods. They require large amounts of water to reconstitute, and some foods must be soaked for hours before they’re completely rehydrated.

Dehydrator (TL8). Dehydrates 25 lbs. of food in 24 hours. $250, 22 lbs., external power. LC4.

Nutrients and minerals are sometimes added to prepackaged and canned foods. This can improve a society’s overall health. Examples include iodine added to salt, niacin added to bread, and vitamin D added to milk.

Preservatives are also common. At TL6-8, they increase shelf life by 50% or more – perhaps much more. There are many types; for instance, antimicrobials prevent the growth of bacteria while antioxidants slow the oxidation of fats. Sulfur dioxide does both, and predates TL5 as a preservative for wine. Other examples include borax at TL6 and antibiotics at TL7.

And in an action-movie game, repressive regimes, archvillains, etc., might add psychoactive or addictive drugs to food…

Refrigerated food generally keeps for days or weeks, while frozen food – stored in a home deep freeze or the walk-in freezer at a butcher shop – lasts for months to years. For further details, see Refrigeration.

Freeze-drying, or lyophilization, is essentially a fancy dehydration technique. It involves freezing the prepared food in a vacuum and then heating it slightly to remove the water by sublimation. The end result is food that has lost about 98% of its water content.

This is a costly process, but it preserves the taste and texture of the food much better than simple dehydration. Freeze-dried foods are often processed as ready-to-eat meals, while dehydrated foods are usually packaged as bulk foods. Freeze-dried food can last for 30 years or more.

Retort packaging is the greatest advance in food preservation since canning. The food is cooked, sterilized, and then packaged in a plastic pouch or tray. It may be loaded with preservatives, or exposed to radiation or UV light to kill microbes; many retort foods are completely natural, and thus have a better taste and quality than conventional canned goods. Retort packaging allows sandwiches, bread, and even pastries to sit on the shelf for years and still be fresh and nutritious. While the results are more fragile than cans, shelf life is 5-10 years if kept cool. Modern U.S. military rations (MRE, or “Meal, Ready to Eat”) are retort-packaged.

Below are some foods of special interest to TL5-8 adventurers. An asterisk (*) indicates a TL0-1 item manufactured at and priced for TL5-8.

Canned Food (TL5). One meal of canned provisions: $1, 1 lb. A case of 24 cans (8 man-days) in a wooden crate: $24, 30 lbs.

Dehydrated Food (TL5). One meal of dehydrated soup or vegetables. Requires a pint of hot water. $5, 0.75 lb.

Desiccated Vegetables (TL5). A block of chopped, dehydrated, and compressed mixed vegetables. Makes 3 meals. $3, 2 lbs.

Fresh Food* (TL5). A meal of ready-to-prepare food: vegetables, seafood, meat, fruits, etc. Shelf life is limited without refrigeration. $3, 2 lbs.

Hardtack* (TL5). A dried cracker, 3”x3” by U.S. Army regulations, made from flour, salt, and water. Keeps indefinitely. Per meal (10 crackers): $0.50, 1 lb. Per crate (16 man-days): $25, 50 lbs.

Jerky or Pemmican* (TL5). A meal of well-seasoned and salted meat, reduced to only 4 oz. by drying. Pemmican mixes animal fat and dried fruit with the meat, adding important nutrients. It was a favorite of trappers and Indians throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, and the staple of Arctic explorers up to the 1930s. $2, 0.25 lb.

Portable Soup (TL5). A dehydrated and concentrated soup made by boiling beef broth until only a gelatin-like substance remains. One meal: $1.50, 1 lb.

Trail Food* (TL5). A minimalist meal for travelers: jerky, pemmican, hardtack, parched corn, dried fruit, etc. Today, backpackers carry GORP: “good old raisins and peanuts.” $2, 0.5 lb.

Freeze-Dried Food (TL7). A generous meal of freezedried potatoes, lasagna, bacon and eggs, etc. Requires a pint of hot water. $4, 0.25 lb.

Snack (TL7). A high-carbohydrate snack such as an “energy bar” counts as a “decent meal” when resting, restoring +1 FP; see Recovering from Fatigue (p. B427). The GM may let those who don’t rest regain 1 FP but dock them 2 FP two hours later. $2, 0.25 lb.

Sports Drink (TL7). A 32-ounce drink formulated to increase hydration and energy levels. It functions like a snack (above) and counts as a quart of water for hydration purposes (see Dehydration, p. B426). $2, 2 lbs.

Survivalist Food Cache (TL7). A full year’s supply of freeze-dried food for one person. $2,500, 600 lbs. Compressed Rations (TL8). A single, highly compressed, retort-packaged meal. No water needed. $6, 0.75 lb.

Military Rations (TL8). A retort-packaged MRE or similar, with entree, side-dish, condiment pack, dessert, and meal heater (p. 57). Per meal: $5, 1.5 lbs. Twelve meals in a cardboard box: $60, 22 lbs.

Survival Tablets (TL8). These chewable tablets provide the minimum nutrients to survive for a short period. One quart-sized bottle (which can be used as canteen when empty) provides sufficient calories and nutrients for 6 meals. Shelf life is 10 years. $25, 1.5 lbs.

Man has always enjoyed a few little extras, without which morale suffers. Modest amounts of such things are included in cost of living when at home; the prices below are for basic luxuries bought on their own. People with the Connoisseur skill (p. B185) can bribe and impress with finer fare – treat this as Styling (p. 10). For alcohol and other drugs, LC varies with local laws.

Alcohol: A bottle of wine (5 drinks) or liquor (16 drinks of rotgut, schnapps, vodka, etc.), or a couple of bottles of beer, ale, etc. (2 drinks). See Drinking and Intoxication (p. B439). $5, 2.5 lbs.

Candy: A bag of “hard candy” or half a dozen candy bars is $3, 0.5 lb.

Recreational Drugs: A “hit” of the preferred cheap local recreational drug. A single use is typically $1-$25.

Tea or Coffee: A daily serving for a month is $5, 1 lb.

Tobacco: A month’s supply of tobacco, in various forms (cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, or pipe tobacco) is about $20, 1 lb.

Two high-tech items are vital for adventurers on lengthy stakeouts:

Lunch Box (TL6). A metal box with space for a large lunch and a thermos bottle. DR 1. $10, 1 lb. LC4.

Thermos Bottle (TL6). A glass-lined flask fitted with a cork stopper. A plastic drinking cup attaches to the top. A dropped thermos usually means a shattered liner – but at TL7, the all-steel thermos solves this problem. Keeps one pint hot (24 hrs.) or cold (72 hrs.). $10, 2 lbs. LC4.

Taken in sufficiently large doses (0.25 oz. or more for a typical human), lead is a digestive agent with a three-month delay and a HT-4 roll to resist. It inflicts 1d toxic damage, repeating at six-week intervals for three cycles. Once the victim loses 1/2 of his basic HP, he begins to suffer more severe symptoms. At the GM’s option, he may gain Bad Temper (15) or Laziness, or suffer spells of the agony, daze, or retching afflictions. Loss of appetite is also common. Multiple failed resistance rolls lead to intensifying symptoms, eventually resulting in seizures and coma.

Getting a message to a distant party hasn’t always been as easy as sending e-mail or dialing a number.

For a period of 18 months, the Pony Express braved 2,000 miles of whooping Indians, scorching deserts, and blinding blizzards to deliver the mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California in just 10 days on average. Delivery of Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address was their fastest run: a hair less than eight days. Rail (and telegraph) eventually put long-range dispatch riders like the Pony Express out of business. Today’s cheap, reliable overnight express mail makes all of these accomplishments seem lumbering and unreliable.

The steam engine revolutionized the mail business. Its strength, dependability, and high speed rendered all other methods obsolete. In 1804, Richard Trevithick’s Penydarren managed 5 mph; 25 years later, Robert Stephenson’s Rocket won the Rainhill Trials at the then-blistering speed of 25 mph.

Trains and train routes come in three varieties: local, long-haul, and express. Local trains move slowly and stop frequently. Long-haul trains stop less frequently and travel at higher speeds. Express trains have only a few stops and move as fast as is practicable. At TL8, high-speed passenger trains can be thought of as “super-express” trains – France’s TGV, Germany’s ICE, and Japan’s Shinkansen reach speeds of 170 mph or more!

Early Rail (TL5). Normal operational speed is 30-40 mph; averages 200-800 miles per day. A standard railcar carries 20 tons or 2,800 cubic feet. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is about $1 per mile.

Mature Rail (TL6-7). Normal operational speed is 50-75 mph; averages 300-1,200 miles per day. A standard railcar carries 100 tons or 5,200 cubic feet. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is $0.10 per mile.

High-Speed Passenger Rail (TL8). Normal operational speed is approximately 150 mph; routes are seldom longer than a few hundred miles. Price per passenger is $0.33 per mile.

Sailing vessels continue to compete with steam until TL6 – but in 1807, Robert Fulton’s Clermont, a 100-tonner whose paddlewheels barely made 5 mph, ushered in a new age in water transport. Steam had a profound impact on river traffic, where constant thrust against the steady current was desirable. The ability to choose a course regardless of wind direction proved invaluable in navigating narrow channels.

Shallow-draft steamers opened the interiors of Africa and Asia to European colonial powers. The steamboats of the Mississippi proved the utility of steam-powered cargo vessels – despite an appalling safety record – and were followed by larger ships like the RMS Britannia, which crossed the Atlantic in 11 days in 1840. By the turn of the century, steamers routinely completed the trip in a week. Speed continued to improve through TL6. In 1938, the RMS Queen Mary crossed the Atlantic in just under four days, securing the Blue Riband – the trophy for the fastest North Atlantic crossing.

At TL7-8, passenger liners become bigger and safer, while new hull designs enhance stability during foul weather. Early Steamships (TL5). Steamers range in size from 500 to 5,000 tons, sustain speeds of 10-20 knots, and average 300- 400 miles a day. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is $3 per mile.

Passenger Liners (TL6-8). Liners and freighters may exceed 100,000 tons, sustain speeds of up to 30 knots, and average 400-600 miles a day. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is $0.10 per mile.

Airmail becomes possible at mid-TL6; the first mail planes carry a few dozen pounds. By TL7, this improves to dozens of tons. At TL8, overnight delivery on the same continent is possible (assuming the package doesn’t get lost!). Worldwide delivery can take a couple of days with express mail, a couple of weeks at normal shipping rates.

Early electric telegraphs, powered by primitive batteries, used a switch to open and close a circuit on a wire, thereby signaling from one station to the next. The first telegraph networks were established in the 1840s. By 1860, the major cities of the eastern U.S. were connected by telegraph, as were parts of Europe. In 1861, California was linked to the Atlantic coast. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Grant’s Army of the Potomac was in telegraph contact with Washington, D.C.; President Lincoln spent many evenings in the War Department’s telegraph office, anxiously reading reports from the front as they were decoded.

Telegraph went on to bridge continents in 1866. The Great Transatlantic Cable required several costly and timeconsuming attempts before it succeeded. In July 1866, over 1,700 miles of cable finally connected Heart’s Content, Newfoundland with Valencia, Ireland. By the end of the 19th century, only a few remote locations weren’t part of the telegraph network, which connected the world with blistering speed.

The range of a telegraph depends directly on the power use to push the signal through the line. At TL5, one large battery (p. 13) is needed per 10-20 miles of wire. Long distances require relays. Automatic relays between humanoperated stations make relaying messages less laborintensive. Telegraph messages must be sent in code. This generally means Morse code. Roll against Electronics Operation (Communications) (p. B189) to send or receive a message. Success means the message is sent or read correctly. Failure means it isn’t understood. On a critical failure, it seems fine but is badly misunderstood. Garbled messages are a wonderful opportunity for some devious GM creativity!

Telegraphers can put Electronics Operation (Comm) to several interesting uses. For one thing, they can encipher messages. Such messages are harder to send and receive accurately, since spelling can’t be corrected from context (e.g., “hte” isn’t obviously “the”). All skill rolls involving enciphered messages are at -4.

Every telegrapher has a distinct fist: his way of sending a message. A successful skill roll lets one operator recognize another by his fist. To fake a fist, the imposter must win a Quick Contest of Electronics Operation (Comm) with the recipient. The faker rolls at -6.

Finally, a telegrapher can tap a line to intercept a message or send a false one. At TL5, a tap is impossible to detect and requires only an uncontested Electronics Operation (Comm) roll. At TL6, the snoop must win a Quick Contest of skill with the intended recipient to avoid alerting him that somebody is listening in.

Telegraph Rates (Var.). At TL5, rates are $10 per word (Transatlantic rates were $50 per character!). At TL6-7, telegrams are $0.50 per word – or $2.50 per word internationally. At TL8, a paper telegram, delivered worldwide the next day, costs $15 for 200 words. LC4.

Telegraph Key (TL5). A simple telegraph that can push a signal through 10-20 miles of wire. $150, 3 lbs., external power. LC4.

Register Telegraph (TL5). A telegraph that prints received messages on paper tape, allowing the operator to decode them at a later time. $5,000, 30 lbs., external power. LC4.

Automatic Telegraph (TL5). This telegraph uses punched paper tape to send a message at 300-400 words per minute. It’s useful for sending large amounts of information repeatedly, such as news reports or military orders to multiple units. With perforator, transmitter, and receiver: $7,500, 100 lbs., external power. LC4.

Stock Ticker (TL6). A telegraph receiver that prints out business stock prices. Historically, New York City had so many stock tickers running that “ticker tape” was used for confetti during parades and celebrations. Renting a stock ticker line costs $200/month. $3,000, 25 lbs., external power. LC4.

Telegraph wire is strong enough to span continents and oceans. Permanent landlines are suspended on head-height or lower poles alongside roads or railroads. They require frequent maintenance. A good lineman inspects and repairs the line in his zone, regardless of the danger or the weather. A “line shack” holds tools, wire, and possibly a relay and a power source – and in winter, a warm pot-belly stove, and perhaps a cot for the lineman. Temporary lines are another matter; U.S. Army doctrine during the Civil War was to place military lines on fences or convenient bushes!

Heavy submarine cables are laid by ship. Playing out cable and splicing the ends together at sea is a difficult job.

Telegraph Wire, Land (TL5). Per mile: $1,500, 350 lbs. LC4.

Telegraph Wire, Ocean (TL5). Wrapped in heavy, tar-covered rope. Per mile: $10,000, 2 tons. LC4.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell developed the first practical telephone. Less than two years later, the first commercial switchboard system was implemented in New Haven, Connecticut. By 1890, every major U.S. city had a phone system (some had two or more competing systems). Most major European cities had such a network, too – run as a government monopoly. Quality was variable; e.g., Paris had a good network, but the rest of France had poor service. An indication of how fast the telephone system spread is the number of phones in the United States: less than 3,000 in 1877, but almost 1.5 million by 1900!

Long-distance lines soon tied together local networks – but only between major cities at first. In the U.S., long-distance connections spread from the Eastern Seaboard. Boston and New York were linked in 1884. The lines reached Chicago in 1892, but didn’t go much further until after the turn of the century.

At early TL6, calls are difficult to set up and involve one or more operators. Transmission and reception are variable; misunderstandings are common. Routing a call from one phone to another requires the caller to “switch hook,” which alerts the switchboard operator that a call needs to be placed. The operator cuts in, asks “Name please?”, and then manually patches the phone into the correct line. The GM may demand IQ rolls at penalties of up to -4 to interpret hasty or easily confused messages.

The fact that all calls involve an operator can be important to adventurers. In small towns, the local operator is likely to know an inordinate amount about everybody else’s business. This may be an excellent source of information, a serious leak of secrets, or a channel for planting disinformation. In larger cities, the operator’s intimate knowledge may be less encompassing – but there’s always the chance that a call was noted or listened to. A friend at the telephone company is the easiest way to bug a call. Furthermore, the log of calls is an actual log-book, and crafty or well-connected snoops might be able to sneak a peek.

By mid-TL6, automated switchboards use relays and vacuum tubes instead of hand-patched connections. Phone numbers enter use, along with rotary-dial phones that allow callers to dial these numbers directly. Calls no longer involve speaking with an operator and being routed by name, increasing convenience and privacy.

Another important TL6 advance is the teletypewriter – or “teletype” – which marries the principles of the telephone and the telegraph. A teletype can send a text message or a photo to one other phone number or to every line in a directory. News services capitalize on this feature to post bulletins to entire networks, making it almost impossible for news-makers to outrun the news!

These are conventional, landline telephones. For radiotelephones, cell phones, and satellite phones, see Radio (p. 37).

Communications Wire (TL6). A mile of phone line on a hand-held spool, used to link two military telephones, phone and switchboard, etc. $15, 35 lbs. LC4.

Military Telephone (TL6). Sound-powered – meaning that a hand crank rings a connected phone and a loud voice generates the power to carry the message. $50, 5 lbs. LC4.

Telephone (TL6). $25, 3 lbs., external power. LC4. Telephone Switchboard (TL6). A portable 10-line switchboard; female operators worked these behind the trench lines during WWI. $1,000, 50 lbs., external power. LC4.

Teletype (TL6). Prints text from information transmitted via phone line. From the 1920s, a model capable of printing photos is available for x2 cost – or x4 cost if it can handle color photos (TL7). Renting a teletype line costs $500/month. $7,500, 200 lbs., external power. LC4. Phone Service Until mid-TL6, long-distance phone calls are simply impossible owing to the patchwork nature of telephone networks. The first transcontinental telephone line dates to 1915. Even then, such calls are prohibitively expensive: a call from New York to Havana in 1921 cost $130 for three minutes! At TL7, fully automated switchers and highly sophisticated networks, which often bounce radio waves off the upper atmosphere or use orbiting communications satellites, allow relatively inexpensive worldwide phone calls in seconds. Digital phone services can carry data, too – but initially, this is both slow (a few bytes per second) and costly ($100/month). Phone service costs about $30/month. At TL8, this includes call waiting, voice mail, etc. RADIO Radio is probably the most impressive advance in communications at TL6. The first transmissions were made after 1900. By 1950, there were still places without phone lines . . . but the whole world was tuned into radio! At mid-TL6, radio installations are large and clumsy, and found only on ships or at permanent land sites. It’s easier to send Morse code than voice; in fact, long-range messages generally go by code until the end of TL6. Size and weight drop constantly, driven primarily by military demand. By early TL7, transmitters and receivers come in all sizes – from “Handy-Talkies” with a range of a few hundred yards to multi-ton installations with intercontinental range. Radios (TL6) Radios can send and receive code or voice transmissions. When connected to a terminal or a computer (see Computers, pp. 19-22), they can also exchange text, video, or data. Use Electronics Operation (Comm) (p. B189) to operate radio hardware – but don’t bother rolling for operation under normal circumstances. Use Electronics Repair (Comm) (p. B190) for service and repair. Radio range is given in miles. However, many factors can affect effective range; see Radio in Use (p. 38). Large Radio (TL6) These “base station” radios are normally vehiclemounted or carried in heavy transport cases. They often work on “short wave” frequencies (see p. B91). It takes about 15 minutes and an Electronics Operation (Comm) roll to set up a large radio and its antenna.

Large Radio (TL6). Radios like this are used in scout planes, mounted on sleds during Arctic expeditions, and carried by mule teams across the Andes. 50-mile range. $3,500, 100 lbs., 3xM/3 hrs. LC3. Large Radio (TL7). A typical aircraft radio. 100- mile range. $5,000, 100 lbs., VL/10 hrs. LC3. Large Radio (TL8). A radio found in a large police department or a military HQ. 200-mile range. $15,000, 100 lbs., external power. LC3. Medium Radio (TL6) These are military-style backpack radios. Similarsized systems are often installed in such military vehicles as tanks and small aircraft. Medium Radio (TL6). One of the first backpack radios, like the U.S. Army’s “Walkie-Talkie,” this is beastly to carry, fragile, and short-ranged . . . but it allows mobile communication, which is a breakthrough. 5-mile range. $2,500, 30 lbs. 4xM/14 hrs. LC4. Medium Radio (TL7). A medium-range radio, common during the Vietnam War. 10-mile range. $3,500, 25 lbs., 10xS/30 hrs. LC4. Medium Radio (TL8). A high-tech patrol radio. Military versions often have the encryption, GPS, and satellite uplink options. 35-mile range. $2,000, 8 lbs., 2xM/30 hrs. LC4. Small Radio (TL6) These are handheld radios, typical of those used by police and security forces. Small Radio (TL6). A massive radio, the size of shoebox, like the “Handie-Talkie” used in WWII and Korea. Similar civilian kit-built radios were available in the 1930s. 1-mile range. $250, 5 lbs., 3xS/10 hrs. LC4. Small Radio (TL7). Police and rescue squads used these radios from the early 1960s to the 1980s. 2- mile range. $500, 2 lbs., 3xS/8 hrs. LC4. Small Radio (TL8). A standard handheld radio. Military versions often have encryption and GPS capability. 5-mile range. $250, 0.5 lb., 3xXS/10 hrs. LC4. Tiny Radio (TL7) These palm-sized radios fit in a pocket. Tiny Radio (TL7). A standard pocket radio with a pull-out antenna. 0.5-mile range. $100, 1 lb., XS/5 hrs. LC4. Tiny Radio (TL8). A civilian pocket radio. High-end models may have GPS capability. 2-mile range. $50, 0.25 lb., XS/10 hrs. LC4. Radio Options (TL6) As well as modifiers for quality (p. B345) and the options under Integrating and Modifying Equipment (pp. 9- 10), radios may have some special modifications. Multiply cost factors together, and do the same for weight factors. Code-Only (TL6). Many early radios are “CW-only,” meaning that they can only transmit in Morse code (or similar). This lowers bandwidth but can greatly increase range; see Radios in Use (see above). x0.5 cost. Encryption (TL6). Radios are often mated directly to cipher machines (p. 211) or have built-in computer encryption (p. 211). Simply add costs and weights. Radio Direction Finder (RDF) (TL6). This device is designed to intercept and pinpoint radio broadcasts. It can receive transmissions on any civilian, police, or military frequency. To get a fix on a broadcasting radio, the user

must win a Quick Contest of Electronics Operation (Comm) with the transmitter’s operator. Victory reveals the general distance and direction to the radio; a margin of 5 or more gives an exact location. The GM may allow repeated attempts once per minute or so. This option is often but not always combined with “receive-only.” x5 cost. Radio Intercept (TL6). This is specialized equipment for conducting radio eavesdropping (p. 209). It has large precision tuning dials, a sophisticated antenna array, and so on. At higher TLs, it’s highly automated but can still be spoofed by ECCM-equipped radios (see below). It uses the Electronics Operation (EW) skill (p. B189). x5 cost. Radiotelephone (TL6). A predecessor of the cellular phone (see below), this adds special equipment so that a radio receiver that’s physically linked to a telephone line can route its transmissions over the telephone system. x1.5 cost. Receive-Only (TL6). A radio can be built only to receive messages. x0.1 cost, x0.2 weight. ECCM (TL7). The radio uses frequency-hopping to make its transmissions hard to jam or intercept. When communicating with another radio synchronized to use the same settings, this prevents any interference from selective radio jammers. It has no effect against noise jamming. A radio with ECCM can be detected at 1.5x its range at most (as opposed to at 2x range). x2 cost. GPS (TL8). The radio has an internal GPS unit (p. 53) and a small map display. When two radios like this communicate, their relative locations are marked on a display screen. x2 cost. Satellite Uplink (TL8). Only for medium and large radios. This allows the radio to reach any other radio in the world via communications satellite. x2 cost. Radio Accessories (TL6) Radios can be fitted with many gizmos. None of these include the radio – buy that separately! Headsets and Microphones (TL6) Earphones allow a radio operator to more easily understand radio traffic in a loud environment, while a wearable mike makes it easier for others to make out what he is saying to them. Headphones and Throat Mike (TL6). Vehicle crewmen (fighter pilots, tankers, etc.) wear headphones and a throat mike. The throat mike detects vibrations from the voice box, which prevents noise from the vehicle from garbling the message. Weight becomes negligible at TL8. $500, 2 lbs. LC4. Ear Microphone System (TL8). A thin cable connects a single “earbud” to the radio. This earpiece acts as both earphone and mike (via bone induction), allowing the operator to subvocalize and avoid detection in a crowd. $500, 0.25 lb., T/72 hrs. LC3. Tactical Headset (TL8). Soldiers and SWAT officers prefer a hands-free, voice-activated boom microphone set to transmit whispers, but not screams or the sounds of battle. Headphones or earbuds keep nearby enemies (or civilians) from hearing the conversation. Earbuds double as hearing protection (p. 70). $200, 1 lb. LC4. Wireless Earphone (TL8). A tiny earpiece picks up audio signals from a short-range transmitter box connected to the radio. The voice-activated microphone is worn like a necklace, and is concealable under normal clothing. $300, 0.5 lb., T/72 hrs. LC3. Long-Range Antenna (TL6) Radio range benefits greatly from a more extensive antenna array than the short “whip” found on most portable radios. A large antenna takes at least 5 minutes to erect but doubles the radio’s maximum range. Roll against Electronics Operation (Comm) skill to set up and tune the equipment properly. Cost and weight are 25% of the cost and weight of the radio for which it’s intended. Cell Phones (TL8) At TL8, radiotelephones connect to landline telephone trunks via networks of automated radio towers. Each tower acts as a node, or cell, and as the mobile radio moves between zones, the connection is passed from cell to cell – whence “cellular network.” Of course, in an area without a network, a cell phone can’t make or receive calls! Early cell phones are simply phones. Later models are brimming with functions that even the most demanding adventurer would appreciate. These include voice recognition (allowing hands-free use), push-to-talk radio (for free phone-to-phone service), GPS, digital cameras (still and video), digital music players (with enough memory for hours of music), video games, and customized ring tones. Modern cell phones often have built-in wireless interconnectivity, too. A phone like this can connect directly to a nearby computer – usually a PDA or a laptop – and serve as a modem. Such “kitchen sink” devices make it difficult to distinguish between a cell phone and a full-featured PDA. Cell-phone gadgetry is tiny and lacks proper ergonomic controls; using it can be frustrating. The GM may wish to penalize such skills as Computer Operation, Navigation, and Photography when using appropriately equipped cell phones. A phone might count as basic equipment in absolutely mundane situations, but it’s probably no better than improvised equipment (-5 quality) the rest of the time. To reduce the penalty, the operator must spend extra time fiddling with the controls (see Time Spent, p. B346). Cell phone service costs $50 a month. Prices per minute vary from outrageous, for so-called “roaming charges,” to free. Early Cellular Phone (TL8). A big “brick,” with 15-30 minutes of talk time. $4,000, 2 lbs., S/30 minutes. LC4. Cellular Phone (TL8). A sleek, modern phone, with a few extra functions. Good- and fine-quality phones have more features. The battery lasts for several hours of talk time and perhaps a week on standby. $100, 0.5 lb., S/6 hrs. LC4. Satellite Phones (TL8) Also at TL8, portable radiotelephones can connect to landline telephone networks via communications satellite. Such phones can make calls from anywhere in the world! Service costs $50 a month . . . plus $1-2 a minute.

Satellite Phone (TL8). In addition to normal cell-phone service (and many of the features common to cell phones, above), this phone can relay calls through a communications satellite to reach any other phone in the world. It can also act as a modem for a computer. $1,000, 1 lb., S/4 hrs. LC4. Satellite Videoconferencing System (TL8). A satellite phone and video screen built into a rugged, waterproof suitcase. It can transmit live video from a digital video source or use its built-in camera for videoconferencing. $10,000, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

The ranges given for radios assume routine use. Many factors can affect the actual range of radio communication.

Radio signals propagate farther than the “effective ranges” listed – and a skilled operator can pick them up. Make an Electronics Operation (Comm) roll at -1 per 10% added to range, to a maximum extension of 100%. Some radios can use “short wave” frequencies to enjoy global range, as noted for the Short Wave modifier on p. B91.

When transmitting data or code groups (Morse code, recorded audio-video, etc.), it’s possible to lower the transfer rate or “bandwidth” and use message repetition to significantly boost range: 1/4 speed gives 2x range; 1/100 speed gives 10x range, 1/10,000 speed gives 100x range, and so on. This technique is often used for ship-to-shore communication at TL6, and for deep-space transmission at TL7-8.

The listed ranges assume that transmitter and receiver have the same range. If this isn’t true, an extra step is required. Radios are rated by size: large, medium, small, or tiny. To determine the range at which two radios with differing ranges can communicate, start with the range of the shortest-ranged radio and modify it for the size difference in as follows:

Example: Nat is flying a plane equipped with a TL8 large radio (200-mile range). Airk tries to contact him with a TL8 small radio (5-mile range). Can they communicate? The shorter range is 5 miles, but the large radio being two sizes greater gives x10. That’s a 50-mile range. Provided the radios are no more than 50 miles apart, no skill roll is needed to extend range.

Range may drop to as little as 1/10 usual in an urban environment or underground. Also divide range by 10 when transmitting real-time video or audio-video.

Landlines and radios are the most popular means of communicating over long distances at TL5-8, but other options exist.

The heliograph consists of a mirror-and-shutter apparatus atop a tripod. In sunny conditions, it can flash a signal across 30 miles, terrain permitting. The U.S. Cavalry occasionally transmitted from mountaintop to mountaintop, achieving distances in excess of 150 miles! Anyone might see the signals, but they can be encoded or enciphered. Heliographs are generally available after 1850. $100, 50 lbs. LC4.

This device uses a near-infrared laser beam to transmit signals – usually voice messages. The communicator consists of a headset and a transmitter the size of a miniature flashlight, both of which plug into a cassette-tape-sized receiver worn on the body. The unit also doubles as an IR flashlight (p. 47).

The communicator can operate in two modes: narrowbeam and wide-beam. Narrow-beam mode requires line of sight, but the communicator cannot be jammed or intercepted except by enemies directly in the beam path. Effective range is about 1 mile. In wide-beam mode, the signal is broadcast (this requires no line of sight if indoors) and thus can be intercepted; range is about 0.5 mile. $1,000, 0.75 lb., VS/4 hrs. LC4.

Sometimes called a “divecom,” this special sonar transmitter allows voice and data communications underwater. It has fittings for use with a full-face dive mask (p. 71). Divers can talk freely with each other, while those on the surface must use a base station to communicate with the divers. Hydrophones (p. 49) and sonar (pp. 45-46) can easily detect the signals. Like radio, adverse conditions (in this case, fast currents, thermal boundaries, etc.) can reduce range to 1/10 normal.

Divecom Base Station (TL8). A surface base station, mounted on a boat, pier, etc. It only works while its transceiver array is in the water. $3,000, 10 lbs., external power. LC3.

Diver Communicator (TL8). The civilian version has a range of up to 3,000 yards. The military version has builtin encryption and double the range, but cost and weight are x3. $1,000, 1 lb., S/4 hrs. LC4.

At TL5-8, many technologies emerge for recording and playing back audio and video content – whether for education, entertainment, or propaganda. These aren’t the only media, of course. See Information Technology (pp. 17-22) for print media and computers, and Communications (pp. 35-40) for broadcasting equipment.

At TL5-7, audio storage means hardcopy – records, tapes, etc. An 8’x10’ shelf filled with standard 12” LPs would hold about 5,500 albums. That’s two tons of vinyl.

At TL8, audio storage and retrieval make staggering gains. The shelf mentioned above, for instance, would hold 28,000 albums on compact disc. That same 2.5 TB of music could be stored in a hard drive smaller than a shoebox.

Like all of these sections, the list below is representative, not encyclopedic – it’s merely a small sampling of what’s possible. Prices assume basic, consumer-grade equipment. High-fidelity and professional equipment should be of good or better quality (p. B345).

Proper headphones are basic equipment for Connoisseur (Music). Electronics Operation (Media) also requires a microphone. Treat the lighter versions included with communications gear as improvised: -2 to -5 (quality) to skill and to Hearing rolls made for fine details. These devices are powered by the attached hardware.

Headphones (TL6). At TL7-8, these deliver very high-quality sound. $50, 1 lb. LC4.

Microphone (TL6). At TL8, halve price and divide weight by three. $100, 3 lbs. LC4.

Thomas Edison founded the Edison Phonograph Company in 1887 to market the first practical audio recording device. The phonograph is a tabletop apparatus about the size of breadbox. The user speaks into the “listening horn,” which transports the sound through a metal tube to a writing apparatus, the “scribe.” The scribe travels along a track, etching groves in a spinning cylinder of wax-coated cardboard. When the scribe reaches the end of the track, the cylinder is full and the device stops. Continued recording requires replacing the cylinder with a fresh one. Some models are powered by a hand crank, others by electricity. $2,000, 30 lbs., external power. LC4.

A cylinder-shaving machine allows one to reuse the wax-covered cylinders by shaving them smooth, thereby erasing the recording. This has the same weight and cost as the phonograph itself.

The “gramophone” is essentially Edison’s phonograph using a disc instead of a cylinder. Early models have a hand-cranked clockwork mechanism to spin the turntable and a brass horn for playback; records are made of wax at first, and then vinyl. Later models use electricity and have far better sound quality. Play time is initially very short, but increases dramatically as records grow in size and the groove becomes smaller (microgroove records in the 1950s) – a single 12” LP (“long play”) record plays for 20-30 minutes per side. At TL8, music labels often produce a small run of old-fashioned vinyl records in homage to the long legs of the LP.

Gramophone (TL6). Records and plays records. Sound quality is terribly poor and scratchy. $500, 40 lbs., external power. LC4.

Pocket Phonograph (TL6). Looks like an oversized pocket watch (4” across) but unfolds to become a hand-cranked record player. The Mikiphone brand was popular, marketed as “A Jazz Band in Your Pocket.” Holdout -2. $250, 4 lbs. LC4.

Portable Phonograph (TL6). A hand-cranked record player in a small briefcase – the perfect picnic Victrola. $100, 10 lbs. LC4.

Record Player (TL7). Plays records but doesn’t record. $50, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

Wire recorders were developed near the end of the 19th century. Early models were similar in appearance to the phonograph, but recorded magnetically to steel wire wrapped around a cylinder. Later models used reels of steel wire or tape, and resembled reel-to-reel tape recorders. By the 1930s, wire recorders could be found in most executive office settings, laboratories, and warships (where they were used to record radio messages for later decryption). A typical recorder is box-shaped, with two reels on top: $1,500, 15 lbs., external power. LC4.

The first practical magnetic tape recorders – called “open tape” or “reel-to-reel” recorders – were built by AEG in Germany in 1935. By the early 1950s, magnetic tape recorders were the standard audio recording technology. In the 1960s, small reel-to-reel recorders were used as “body wires” for espionage and police work… and each episode of the Mission Impossible TV series began with a miniaturized recorder offering Jim Phelps a new adventure!

Magnetic Tape Recorder (TL6). $8,500, 100 lbs., external power. LC4.

Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder (TL7). $150, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

Reel-to-Reel Tape Recorder, Miniature (TL7). Mini-reel lasts 1 hour. Holdout -1. $500, 1 lb., 2xXS/5 hrs. LC3.

Tape recorders that used compact tape cassettes entered the market in 1964, offering unparalleled portability and ease of use. The technology’s TL8 incarnation was Sony’s Walkman – a small, personal, stereo cassette player, first sold in 1979.

Cassette Recorder (TL7). A portable player/recorder, about as large as a mid-sized book. $150, 3 lbs., 5xS/8 hrs. LC4.

Handheld Cassette Recorder (TL8). A pocket-sized player/recorder with an AM/FM tuner. $10, 0.5 lb., XS/36 hrs. LC4.

Compact disc (CD) players went on sale in 1982. Sony beat CD development partner Phillips to the punch, selling their product one month earlier than Phillips. Portable players followed in 1985.

Compact Disc Player (TL8). A CD-player console, with AM/FM tuner, etc. $900, 15 lbs., external power. LC4.

Portable Compact Disc Player (TL8). A “walkman” style CD player. Later models have FM tuner, “anti-skip,” etc. $25, 0.5 lb., 2¥XS/75 hrs. LC4.

Digital media players are tiny audio-playback devices, typified by Apple’s iPod. The first were the size of a pack of cigarettes, but recent models are the size of a pack of gum – and prices have likewise shrunk, from expensive to affordable. All play audio content converted to (or, increasingly, recorded in) compressed digital formats: MPEG, MP3, etc. With gigabytes of storage, they can hold hundreds to thousands of songs. The rechargeable batteries last for at least 12 hours. Higher-quality versions (p. B345) support more formats, store more songs, and/or include such features as audio recording, wireless connectivity, and video playback. $100, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Secrets stored this way could be the MacGuffin that drives an adventure.

12” LP (TL6). Plays 20-30 minutes per side. $15, 0.5 lb. LC4.

5.5” Record (TL6). One of the first popular collectable records, these “Little Wonders” played about 90 seconds of music per side. $1.50, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Wax Cylinder (TL6). Holds about 10 minutes of scratchy, poor-quality audio. Holdout -2. $5, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Wire Reel (TL6). Holds about an hour of poor-quality audio. Holdout -1. $15, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Audio Cassette Tape (TL7). A plastic cassette holding 30-60 minutes of music (660 KB of data) per side. Holdout 0. $1, 7 weigh 1 lb. LC4.

Reel-to-Reel Tape (TL7). The most common reel at TL7 is a 1,200’ length of 1/4” tape on a 7” reel, which holds about an hour of standard audio or 15 minutes of professional-quality recording. $3, 1 lb. LC4.

Compact Disk (TL8). A single CD holds 74-90 minutes of audio (650-800 MB of data). Holdout 0. $0.50, 15 weigh 1 lb. LC4.

At TL5, the photographer surpasses the portrait artist as society’s recorder of visual images. While an artist charges upward of $100 for the week-long process of painting a portrait in oils, a photograph soon drops from $100 to $5, and seldom takes longer than an hour.

At TL6, photography is no longer so complicated that it requires a professional. Toward the end of TL6, most high schools offer photography classes, while mail-order catalogs hawk cheap developing equipment, film, and cameras. By the dawn of TL7, even the most remote backwater usually has inexpensive cameras and film for sale. At TL8, video storage – like audio storage (p. 42) – benefits greatly from digitization; pictures stored on computer or CD can be printed at home at the touch of a button.

Use the Photography skill (p. B213) to take good pictures, develop film, or use TL8 image-editing software. Roll at -3 for moving pictures.

The camera obscura is simply a box with a lens fitted to a drawer in the front. A mirror at the back of the box reflects the image upward, where the artist can trace it on paper. To focus, the operator slides the drawer in and out. While not a camera in the modern sense, this device was one of the first means of capturing an exact copy of an image. Itinerant artists often used it to produce drawings of homes and architecture for a small fee. Meriwether Lewis berated himself for not taking one along during the exploration of the Louisiana Purchase in 1804-1806. Use Artist (Drawing) skill to make an accurate or attractive copy. $50, 10 lbs. LC4.

Cameras of the 1840s relied on one of several chemical processes to prepare a plate of glass (“daguerreotype” or “ambrotype”) or metal (“ferrotype” or “tintype”) to receive an image. The wet-plate collodion process was the most widespread by the early 1850s. It remained the mainstay of photography until the turn of the century.

In the wet-plate process, the chemical-treated plate serves as the negative for printmaking – much like modern film. The photographer prepares the plate in a darkroom or a tent, working by the light of a lantern with a red glass or silk cover. He immerses the plate in a chemical bath to render it light-sensitive, removes it, puts it into a lightproof carrier, and attaches this to the back of the camera. To take a photograph, he removes the carrier’s front panel and the lens cap, exposing the plate to light for 15 seconds or more before replacing the cap. (This exposure time explains why period photographs often depict people sitting or leaning – and why action shots are impossible.) He then takes the sealed carrier back to the darkroom and makes prints on special photosensitive paper.

Developing Equipment (TL5). Enough chemicals and containers for developing a few hundred wet-plate images and accompanying prints. Many of the chemicals are flammable or poisonous! $300, 25 lbs. LC4.

Glass Plates (TL5). A common 5”¥8” glass plate. $5, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Wet-Plate Camera (TL5). A camera and tripod. $1,000, 50 lbs. LC4.

In 1888, George Eastman introduced the first consumer-friendly camera with the slogan “You press the button, we do the rest.” His Kodak camera created the amateur photographer. The later Brownie (1900) was light and simple enough for a child to use; Ansel Adams’ first camera was a Brownie, given to him at age 14.

A box camera uses photographic film. Once the film is used up, the whole camera is sent off to the lab. After 4-6 weeks, it’s returned with the prints and ready to shoot again. Professionals with access to a darkroom (p. 43) can develop the film and reload the camera themselves. Holds 6-12 exposures. $20, 0.5 lb. LC4.

The Bell & Howell Filmo was the archetypical movie camera of TL6. During WWII, U.S. Army combat cameramen carried it – and machines like it – from Bougainville to Berlin.

To use the camera, the operator loads a film cassette with a reel of film inside and then winds the clockwork mechanism (takes 15 seconds). The camera is then ready for about 30 seconds of filming before it must be rewound. Electric motors or a hand-turned crank can also power the camera, if it’s mounted on a tripod (see below). Halve cost and weight at TL7-8. $2,500, 6 lbs., external power. LC4.

The first 35mm single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras – such as the Leica and Kine Exacta – became available during the 1930s. Nikon and Canon quickly followed with their own versions. Variations on the theme are still popular today.

The main advantage of the SLR is that the viewfinder is the camera lens. This cuts down on getting fingers in the way of the lens, leaving the subject’s head out of the frame, etc. Expensive, higher-quality systems (p. B345) provide a bonus to Photography skill. $400, 3 lbs. LC4.

A subminiature camera such as the Minox is as likely to be used for vacation photos as for clandestine purposes. Its reputation as a professional “spy camera” is a consequence of its size – about 2” long by 1” wide – and the fact that its tiny lens can focus at sufficiently close range to photograph documents. It takes from 12 to 50 exposures per roll of film. At TL8, digital versions record to a digital storage device (p. 22) instead. Holdout +2. $500, 0.1 lb. LC4.

These are just a few of the many accessories available to TL6-8 photographers.

Camera Bag (TL6). Holds camera, lenses, film, cleaning gear, etc. $25, 1 lb. LC4.

Darkroom (TL6). All the equipment needed to develop film. Higher-quality equipment can develop unusual film (UV, IR, etc.), produce professional-quality prints and enlargements, and so on. $500, 25 lbs. LC4.

Telephoto Lens (TL6). 30¥ magnification. $500, 8.5 lbs. LC4.

Tripod (TL6). Stands 4’ tall, but collapses to 12”. Divide weight by 3 at TL8. $75, 9 lbs. LC4.

Underwater Housing (TL7). An airtight plastic shell (DR 2) for a camera, allowing full access to all controls. $200, 1 lb. LC4.

Wireless Pan-Tilt-Zoom (TL8). A motorized aiming system that’s mounted on a tripod and operated by remote control. $1,000, 3 lbs., 3¥S/10 hrs. LC4.

The Expo Watch Camera was introduced in 1905 – one of many miniature cameras offered around the turn of the century. Its pocket-watch size makes it difficult to operate: -3 to skill. It uses a miniature roll of film that holds 25 exposures ($2.50, neg.). Holdout +2. $25, neg. LC4.

The early 1980s brought the VHS (Video Home System) movie camera that stored images on magnetic tape. The compact VHS (VHS-C) camera followed shortly afterward, at 1/4 weight! By the early 1990s, most camcorders had LCD displays rather than viewfinders.

Common features on VHS cameras include an on-camera microphone and a removable spotlight. More expensive models use active night vision and accept specialized lenses (telephoto, wide-angle, etc.) like those used by SLR cameras (see above). $1,500, 8 lbs., M/2 hrs. LC4.

The first digital camcorders appear in the mid-1990s. A given model might store video on a digital storage device, DVD, or mini-DV cassette tape.

Micro-Camcorder (TL8): A digital camera about the size of a deck of playing cards. It records to a digital storage device – about one hour of video on a 256 MB card. The rechargeable battery lasts for 1 hour. Holdout +1. $200, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Mini-DV Camera (TL8). A compact digital movie camera with built-in features that give Night Vision 3 and Telescopic Vision 2. It has a small LCD screen and can take digital stills. The rechargeable battery lasts for 1 hour. $500, 1 lb. LC4.

Professional Mini-DV Camera (TL8). A larger and heavier professional camera with an array of filters and lenses (including wide-angle and telephoto), a shotgun microphone, and other accessories. It gives +2 (quality) to Photography skill. The rechargeable battery lasts for 90 minutes. $10,000, 8 lbs. LC4.

A digital camera stores color images on a removable digital storage device (p. 22) instead of on film, the exact number depending on image quality and the size of the storage device. It can transfer images directly to computer without any quality loss from scanning. Cheap digital cameras are often quite small (Holdout 0). $75, 0.5 lb., 2¥XS/10 hrs. LC4.

A DVR is simply a computer equipped with a $50 adapter and running special Complexity 2 software; see Computers (pp. 19-22) for hardware and software prices. It can record TV broadcasts or camera input. Each hour of recording requires 1 GB of storage. Such setups are rapidly supplanting VHS at high-security facilities. A DVR connected to a computer network allows remote access to security-camera footage – live or recorded.

Photographers, detectives, and spies should bring along a good supply of these items. Without them, a camera is at best an expensive monocular!

Film (TL6). Regular or high-speed film for a 35mm SLR or similar. 24-36 exposures/roll. Holdout +1. $2, neg. LC4.

Infrared Film (TL6). Lets normal cameras take pictures in Infravision (p. B60). “Color” versions appear at TL7. 24- 36 exposures/roll. $30, neg. LC4.

Movie Camera Film (TL6). A 100’ reel of film. Lasts 4-6 minutes. Holdout -3. $30, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Ultraviolet Film (TL6). Lets normal cameras take pictures in Ultravision (p. B94). “Color” versions are available at TL7. 24-36 exposures/roll. $100, neg. LC4.

Digital Versatile Disc (TL8). A DVD holds from 120 minutes (4.7 GB) to 240 minutes (8.5 GB), depending on format. Holdout 0. $2, neg. LC4.

Mini-DV Cassette (TL8). A tape cassette that stores about 80 minutes of digital video. Holdout -1. $6, 0.25 lb. LC4. VHS Cassette (TL8). Holds 800’ of tape. Records for 2-3 hours. Holdout 0. $2, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Radio receivers intended for ordinary consumers appeared in the early 1920s. By 1929, radio broadcasts were reaching 10 million Americans. The 1930s were the Radio Age, with listeners faithfully tuning into shows like Amos ‘n’ Andy, The Shadow, and Little Orphan Annie.

The radio wasn’t just a home appliance. Motorola sold its first automobile radio receiver in 1930. Many police departments installed such hardware in “radio cars” that could listen to dispatch but not respond (“Calling all cars!”), as did big-city taxi companies.

World War II rocketed radio to dizzying heights… only to see it crash in the 1950s, eclipsed by the television boom. The top three U.S. radio stations sold over $130 million in advertising spots in 1945, but managed only $64 million in 1955. Today, satellite radio gives broadcasters global reach and brings consumers the widest variety of content in radio’s history.

At TL6 and early TL7, a radio is vital for spies keeping up with current events, vigilantes monitoring police traffic, resistance fighters waiting for coded orders, and other adventurers. A radio might even pick up messages from aliens, the spirit world, the past, or the future!

Cabinet Radio (TL6). A typical radio of the 1920s, in a huge cabinet the size of kitchen stove. It comes on with a hum and frequently drops the station, requiring constant fiddling. $1,500, 150 lbs., external power. LC4.

Transistor Radio (TL7). An AM/FM radio the size of a cigarette pack. $15, 0.5 lb., S/10 hrs. LC4.

Boom Box (TL8). An AM/FM radio with cassette, CD player, etc. Loud enough to rock the block! $100, 15 lbs., 6¥S/5 hrs. LC4.

Satellite Radio Receiver (TL8). A pocket-sized satellite radio receiver. Service costs $10 a month. $50, 0.5 lb., XS/5 hrs. LC4.

Television broadcasts were experimental throughout the 1920s. Television sets were being sold commercially by 1938, but the phenomenon didn’t take off until the early 1950s. Less than 200,000 TV sets were produced in the U.S. in 1947. By 1953, that number had leapt to 7 million. In a historical game, it would be fair to regard television as a late-TL6 technology that doesn’t enjoy commercial success until TL7.

Television sets can be an important source of news during a campaign, taking over from radio in TL7. A TV might also be the voice of supernatural things from beyond, as in the film Poltergeist.

Early TV Set (TL6). A tiny monochrome display a few inches across, in a massive mahogany cabinet. $4,000, 150 lbs, external power. LC4.

TV Set (TL7). A 15” black-and-white display. A color TV has ¥10 cost! $500, 150 lbs., external power. LC4.

Portable TV (TL8). A 7” flat-panel color TV and DVD player with speakers, antenna, and power adapter. The rechargeable battery lasts 4 hours. $100, 2 lbs. LC4.

TV Set (TL8). A 42” flat-panel, high-definition color TV. $1,500, 100 lbs., external power. LC4.

TV Watch (TL8). The first wrist-mounted TV was sold by Seiko in 1982; it had a tiny 1.5” screen connected by a cable to a separate “shirt pocket receiver” (0.5 lb., 2¥XS/5 hrs.) and headphones. Newer versions dispense with the separate receiver and are truly self-contained wrist-top TV sets. Headphones plug into the watch, which runs for a little over an hour on its rechargeable battery. $200, neg. LC4.

Adventurers might use these devices to replay news stories, mission-rehearsal tapes, or crimes caught on camera.

TV Recorder (TL7). The first home television recorder was marketed in 1965. It recorded to open-reel video tape. By today’s standards, picture quality was poor. $3,500, 35 lbs., external power. LC4.

VHS Recorder (TL7). The videocassette recorder (VCR) appears in the mid-1970s. Records on VHS tape. $5,000, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

DVD Player (TL8). A standard model with remote control. $80, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

DVD Recorder (TL8). This can record directly from TV to DVD – or from a VCR tape to DVD, or vice versa. $200, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

VHS Recorder (TL8). A modern VCR with remote control. $50, 5 lbs., external power. LC4.

A bewildering array of technology is available to detect virtually anything – from atoms to galaxies.

Active sensors detect objects by bouncing energy off them and analyzing the returned signal. Radar emits radio or microwaves, sonar uses sound, etc. All such sensors incorporate display panels or terminals that translate the raw data into a comprehensible image.

Active sensors are rated for sensor type and range. Detecting hidden targets or resolving fine detail requires an Electronics Operation roll; the specialty depends on the sensor (see p. B189). This is at no range penalty out to the sensor’s rated range. Each doubling of range beyond that gives -2 to skill.

Rolls are only allowed against targets within the sensor’s arc. Unless otherwise noted, assume that active sensors scan a 120° arc in front of them. In effect, they have No Peripheral Vision.

Specialized detectors within an active sensor’s arc can detect the energy that the sensor emits at up to twice the sensor’s range. The signal doesn’t simply vanish at that distance, of course – sensitive detectors may sense it from much further away. Each type of sensor requires a different kind of detector.

Targeting Mode: Expensive combat-capable or “tactical” sensors incorporate a “target-acquisition” or “fire-control” mode, which works identically for all active sensors: The sensor generates a narrow targeting beam. It requires an Aim maneuver to “lock onto” a target that has already been detected. The sensor then acts as a rangefinder, determining the target’s precise range and speed. This gives +3 to hit with an aimed ranged attack – cumulative with the benefits of targeting software.

Sonar (sound navigation and ranging) uses ultrasonic sound waves to detect underwater objects and determine their general shape. The term is courtesy of the WWII-era U.S. Navy. As far back as 1917, the British called this technology “ASDIC” in honor of the Anti-Submarine Detection Investigation Committee, the group responsible for adopting sound-based standards of submarine detection.

In addition to watching a display screen, most sonar operators wear headphones that let them listen for audible clues about the object being “pinged” by the sonar. Make an Electronics Operation (Sonar) roll to detect or identify an object. Ambient noise from sea life and other ships interferes with detection, giving from -1 when near noisy whales to -6 when trying to detect something in a busy harbor. Sonar can also be “jammed” or fooled by an extremely loud noise (e.g., an explosion).

Individuals or devices with Ultrahearing (p. B94) can detect sonar.

Large Sonar (TL6). A powerful sonar suite and workstation, found aboard military vessels (patrol boats, submarines, etc.) or in a fixed station for harbor defense. Range is 4,000 yards at TL6, 8,000 yards at TL7, and 20,000 yards at TL8. $2,000,000, 1 ton, external power. LC4.

Medium Sonar (TL8). Sonar used by small boats or deep-sea salvage divers. The diver-operated version looks like a scuba tank with a display screen on the rear. Range is 2,000 yards. $15,000, 50 lbs., 12¥L/4 hrs. LC4.

Small Sonar (TL8). A handheld sonar unit that resembles a megaphone. It’s used by divers to detect underwater mines, drowning victims, discarded murder weapons, etc. Range is 100 yards. $2,000, 8 lbs., 8¥S/20 hrs. LC4.

Tactical (TL6). Medium and large sonar can be bought with a military-style targeting mode. This can track and identify up to 10 targets at once out to the listed range, and give +3 to hit any of them with an aimed attack. ¥5 cost. LC2.

Imaging (TL8). At TL8, high-frequency sonar can render fine surface detail rather than merely revealing an object’s general shape. This allows sub-bottom profiling to detect objects beneath the floor of a body of water, much like ground penetrating radar (see right). Range is 1/10 normal. ¥5 cost, ¥2 weight. LC2.

Radar (radio detection and ranging) uses high-frequency radio or microwaves to render an image of a distant object. Britain, Germany, and the U.S. developed it simultaneously and independently in the 1930s. The first true demonstration of radar’s capability was the defeat of the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain in 1941, thanks to the Chain Home radar network. Radar has played a significant role in almost every military operation since then. Today’s radars are smaller (often man-portable) and more powerful.

Radar indicates target speed, altitude, position, and approximate size. The GM can assume that radar automatically spots most moving targets that are in range and that fit its criteria. If a target is using radar countermeasures or being stealthy, though, the radar operator must win a Quick Contest of Electronics Operation (Sensors) skill against the Electronics Operation (EW) skill of an intruder with a jammer or the Stealth skill of an infiltrator on foot.

Radar is unimpaired by darkness, smoke, and bad weather, but it can’t see over the horizon, through solid obstacles, or underwater. It can’t discriminate between a moving human and a moving animal or vehicle of similar size. Background items make spotting stationary human-sized or smaller objects on the ground practically impossible in anything but open terrain. Assume that the operator can’t distinguish nonmoving targets from “ground clutter” unless he previously saw that particular “blip” moving.

Large Radar (TL7). A 100-mile range radar station for surface-to-air missile sites, airports, warships, or search aircraft. It consists of a large tower or radome, a cabinet full of equipment, and 1-3 workstations. $1,000,000, 10 tons, external power. LC3.

Medium Radar (TL7). A 15-mile range radar mounted on a tripod or a vehicle. $50,000, 100 lbs., external power. LC3.

Small Radar (TL7). A 3-mile range radar, typical of those found on marine vessels, civilian aircraft, and ground vehicles used by “storm chasers.” $10,000, 30 lbs., external power. LC3.

In all cases, double range and halve weight at TL8.

The radars above (but not ground-penetrating or thru-wall radar) can be bought with these modes:

Low-Probability Intercept (TL8). LPI radar uses rapid, frequency-agile bursts of energy. This halves range, but the signal can only be detected at 1.5 times the halved range (instead of at twice the usual range). ¥5 cost. LC2.

Tactical (TL8). This is military-style targeting radar. It can track up to 10 targets at once out to the listed range, identify their general class at 1/10 that range, and give +3 to hit any of them with an aimed attack. ¥5 cost. LC2.

This is Imaging Radar (p. B81) tuned to produce a subsurface scan that shows the inside of an object. It can locate old roads, burial grounds, buried pipes and wires, caverns, land mines, and long-buried treasure. In 1988, a search team using a GPR successfully located “The Lost Squadron”: a flight of eight Lockheed P-38 fighters abandoned in Greenland in 1942. A recovery crew worked for three months to dig one of the P-38s out of nearly 90 yards of ice. The old warbird, dubbed Glacier Girl, was fully restored and flew again in 2002.

Object detection depends on many factors, including the composition and alignment of the object under scrutiny, and the material around it. In general, a GPR gets ¥20 range in ice but only ¥0.1 range in concrete or rock. A successful Electronics Operation (Scientific) roll can deduce the type of soil or the distance to bedrock, or detect buried items. Suitable software tools (p. 2) can generate 3D images from the data.

Handheld GPR (TL8). A ground-penetrating radar the size of a hardback book. It has a range of 1’. A 2” LCD screen is built into the top of the unit. A digital storage device (p. 22) records data. The internal rechargeable battery lasts for 2 hours. $10,000, 3 lbs. LC4.

Portable GPR (TL8). A shoebox-sized radar unit connected to a color LCD screen. It has a 10-yard range. The operator drags the radar across the ground while watching the screen. The internal rechargeable battery lasts for 2 hours. $50,000, 30 lbs. LC4.

Like ground-penetrating radar, this specially tuned radar can see through solid objects and into the space beyond. An example is the law-enforcement and security tool marketed as Soldier Vision. It can see through a wall a foot thick (wood, brick, gypsum, etc.) and detect a person 20 yards beyond that. Its range is less than 1’ through concrete, however. It uses Electronics Operation (Surveillance) skill. The rechargeable battery lasts 3 hours. $30,000, 10 lbs. LC3.

Throughout TL5-6, “passive visual sensors” means the Mark I Eyeball, assisted by ever-improving optics. At TL7, sensors appear that work like normal vision but extend the limits of human sight. In particular, great advances are made in the area of night vision. The most common feature of passive sensors is telescopic magnification. Each doubling of magnification lets the user ignore -1 in range penalties on Vision rolls while using the sensor. The user can also “zoom in” on a particular target by taking an Aim maneuver, which is useful for making a more precise identification. While doing so, each doubling of magnification cancels -2 in range penalties to see that one target, but the sensor provides no bonus to spot other targets.

When comparing real-world sensors to those described here, note that the listed magnifications represent a simplification of a complicated issue. For most optics, aperture size and eyepiece magnification define performance. Determining the actual power of a telescope is a tricky proposition, and involves aperture size, focal length, focal ratio, etc.

Most of the sensors listed below can accommodate a camera. This is affixed to the eyepiece for non-electronic optics (all TL5-6 hardware). At TL7-8, electronic sensors can be plugged into other electronics using a cable. All of these devices protect the eye(s) behind them with DR 1.

During the Age of Sail, the telescope was a symbol of authority for military officers – especially naval officers. The “spyglass” was a near-constant feature in portraits of such men. Around 1830, binoculars came into use. They replaced the telescope in the field, except for special applications, and were de rigueur among officers in both World Wars.

One danger of optics is lens shine. On a bright day, the telltale glint of field glasses can be seen on a Vision roll. To avoid this, the user must make a Stealth roll. From mid- TL5, hoods that partially obscure the lens are available, granting +4 to Stealth for this purpose. Binoculars (TL5). An officer’s “field glasses.” 4¥ magnification. $100, 4 lbs. LC4.

Spyglass (TL5). A collapsible tube fitted with lenses. Early models were made of brass, often with leather trim. Such a spyglass can be used as a light club – and is fairly well-balanced as a weapon – but will never again be useful as a telescope! 4¥ magnification. Holdout -2. $25, 2 lbs. LC4. Binoculars (TL6). 6¥ magnification. $150, 3 lbs. LC4. Pocket Spyglass (TL6). 4¥ magnification. Holdout -1. $5, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Scissors Telescope (TL6). During the trench fighting of WWI, tripod-mounted stereoscopic telescopes were used for rangefinding and surveillance. They were standard equipment throughout WWII. Called “donkey ears” or “rabbit ears” by the British, these extend 2’ above the observer – well over the ramparts of most earthworks. An optional movie-camera attachment is available. 6¥ magnification. $1,000, 30 lbs. LC4.

Spotting Scope (TL6). A large scope mounted on a small tripod. The observer must either be prone or place both scope and tripod on a bench. 30¥ magnification. $300, 10 lbs. LC4.

Military-Grade Binoculars (TL7). From the 1960s, binoculars such as these are often ruggedized (p. 10). 10¥ magnification. $800, 2.5 lbs. LC4.

Military-Grade Binoculars (TL8). The lenses of modern military binoculars are often coated to protect the eyes from laser light (giving Protected Vision, p. B78) and fitted with anti-reflective screens to reduce lens shine. 10¥ magnification. $800, 3.5 lbs. LC3.

Stabilized Binoculars (TL8). Some advanced civilian binoculars incorporate mechanical stabilization. This eliminates up to -3 in movement penalties – handy when observing from a vehicle. 10¥ magnification. $5,000, 4 lbs. LC4.

The earliest night-vision devices were developed in the 1930s – an accidental discovery made during work on television cameras. They were monstrous cabinets that popped and hissed, and produced little more than a blurry image. During WWII, the British, Germans, and Americans all developed their own night-vision equipment, which was further refined throughout the Cold War. Modern systems are lightweight and cheap. They’re an essential military and police tool, but also used by wildlife-management personnel, bird watchers, journalists, and sailors.

The devices described below use near-infrared and/or computer-enhanced light-intensification optics to amplify ambient light levels. They’re rated for the level of Night Vision (p. B71) they provide. Each level lets the user ignore -1 in combat or vision penalties due to darkness. This has no effect on the -10 for total darkness, though. Some viewers offer telescopic magnification as well. In all cases, the user has Colorblindness (p. B127), No Depth Perception (p. B145), and No Peripheral Vision (p. B151) while using the optics.

Early Night-Vision Binoculars (TL7). A primitive nightvision viewer like the top-secret British TABBY device used during the Normandy invasion of 1944. It requires an IR illuminator (see IR Illumination, p. 47) to be effective. Gives Night Vision 2. $5,000, 3 lbs., 4¥XS/20 hrs. LC4. Night-Vision Binoculars (TL7). A typical vehicle- or tripod-mounted Cold War surveillance device, used from the Berlin Wall to the jungles of Vietnam. Standard equipment aboard AFVs and warships. Gives Night Vision 4. 16¥ magnification. $15,000, 35 lbs., 4¥XS/20 hrs. LC4. Military Surplus Night-Vision Binoculars (TL8). This is reconditioned “military surplus” hardware, often with older Eastern Bloc components, like that peddled in survivalist magazines. Typically has a built-in IR illuminator (see IR Illumination, p. 47). Gives Night Vision 4. $200, 1 lb., 2¥XS/30 hrs. LC4. Night-Vision Binoculars (TL8). Handheld, long-range night-vision binoculars. Gives Night Vision 9. 16¥ magnification. $6,000, 3 lbs., 2¥XS/20 hrs. LC4. Night Vision Goggles (TL8). Head-mounted goggles – known as “NVGs” or “NODs” – such as the U.S. Army’s AN/PVS-7 series, often worn on a flip-up helmet mount. Early versions were issued to helicopter pilots. Gives Night Vision 7-9. $3,500, 1.5 lbs., 2¥XS/20 hrs. LC4.

Most night-vision optics and thermographs pick up visible and infrared wavelengths. An infrared filter placed over a light source such as a flashlight completely blocks the passage of visible light but permits infrared – which is invisible to the naked eye – to shine through. Night-vision gear within such a source’s normal range can function even in total darkness, and gains two additional levels of artificial Night Vision. However, anybody with night-vision optics or a thermograph will see this “active IR” source as a flashlight or a spotlight, and get +4 to all rolls made to locate it (Vision, Observation, Electronics Operation, etc.).

Thermographs are devices that detect the infrared spectra emitted by objects at different temperatures and then build up a black-and-white (or more rarely, false-color) image of the environment. The first thermographs – called “forward-looking infrared” (FLIR) – were used on helicopters and fixed-wing gunships in Vietnam. Today, infantrymen, police, firefighters, and high-end security systems all benefit from “thermal imaging” technology.

A thermograph lets the user observe or fight at no darkness penalty, even in absolute darkness, if his target emits heat – which is typical of all living beings and most machines and electronics. It gives +2 to all Vision rolls to spot such targets, since their heat stands out from the background. It can also, at no bonus, distinguish targets that are warmer or colder than their surroundings: a running engine, hand prints on a recently handled object, a blood trail in the snow, etc. This grants +3 to Tracking rolls if the trail is no more than an hour old.

Thermal imaging doesn’t distinguish real colors, which may limit the ability to use some controls, and only allows the user to judge the general size and shape of heatemitting objects – including living beings. For instance, a scout might have trouble telling two people of the same size apart. Roll at -4 to distinguish objects of similar size and shape. As well, the GM may require a Vision-4 roll to read by reflected heat.

Thermographs have some other drawbacks, too. A sudden flash of heat (e.g., flare, fiery explosion, or infrared laser) can blind them, just as a flash of bright light can blind ordinary vision. Early thermographs are artificially cooled and need 1-2 minutes to reach operational status after being switched on. At mid-TL8, thermographs do away with the bulky cooling system and can be ready in 3- 5 seconds.

All of the systems below grant the equivalent of Infravision (p. B60), but also give the user Colorblindness (p. B127), No Depth Perception (p. B145), and No Peripheral Vision (p. B151) while in use. Most include some level of telescopic magnification as well.

Thermal-Imaging Sensor (TL7). A long-range thermal telescope of the type found on military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, television helicopters, etc. 32¥ magnification. $40,000, 50 lbs., external power. LC3.

Mini-Thermal Imager (TL8). A pocket-sized viewer that can be mounted on a weapon, or used as a handheld viewer or – with a helmet mount – a hands-free monocular. $10,000, 1 lb., 2¥XS/7 hrs. LC4.

Thermal-Imaging Binoculars (TL8). Used by military, police, border patrols, rescue teams, and others. 8¥ magnification. $7,000, 3 lbs., 4¥XS/4 hrs. LC4.

Thermal-Imaging Goggles (TL8). A thermal-imaging camera mounted on a helmet or a head-strap. 4¥ magnification. $13,000, 1.5 lbs., XS/2 hrs. LC4.

Thermal-Imaging Surveillance Camera (TL8). A security camera for outdoor surveillance. It’s standard equipment at such high-security installations as nuclear power plants. 4¥ magnification. $7,000, 1 lb., external power. LC4.

New weapons and vehicles fielded in the World Wars spur the development of many non-visual passive sensors at TL6. Cold War cat-and-mouse games played with spies, subs, and nukes at TL7 – and efforts to enforce global security at TL8 – ensure that such technologies continue to mature. Except as noted, these detectors are omnidirectional and don’t require a line of sight.

In April 1915, the Germans released over 150 tons of chlorine gas during the Second Battle of Ypres. French and Algerian troops fled in panic, and the German infantry slogged forward into a gap four miles wide. This was the Western Front’s introduction to gas warfare.

At TL6-7, chemical detection relies on reactive papers or powders. At TL8, an “artificial nose” can sniff out chemicals in the atmosphere and notify the operator. Each device is designed to detect a specific class of agents, which might be narrow or very broad.

Chemical Test Kit (TL6). The first detectors are strips of paper treated to react to specific chemicals. They’re worn on the sleeve by hazardous-materials workers and soldiers, dipped in suspicious liquids, etc. At TL6, a positive test means the paper changes color in a minute or two; at TL8, reaction time is instant. A test kit of 50 strips, covering a wide array of chemicals: $25, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Handheld Detector (TL8). This state-of-the-art handheld unit can sense an entire range of dangerous or illicit substances – typically chemical weapons, drugs, or explosives. Detection range is about 1’. $60,000, 6 lbs., 4¥S/12 hrs. LC4.

Portable NBC Detector (TL8). This lunchbox-sized detector automatically sounds an alarm in the presence of any known NBC agent. It can be connected to other sensors to form a perimeter, or monitored remotely from a laptop. Most modern AFVs carry such a detector. $100,000, 15 lbs., M/14 hrs. LC4.

A hydrophone is a sensitive underwater microphone that can detect and track moving or noisy objects in the water. The British used hundreds of them as early as 1911, mostly for navigation; buoys and other navigational aids had bells affixed to the underside so that vessels could get a bearing even in bad weather. By the end of WWII, the Americans were airdropping “sonobuoys” in the Pacific. During the Cold War, the U.S. developed a network of deepocean hydrophones – the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS) – capable of tracking Soviet nuclear submarines nearly anywhere in the world.

To detect a noisy underwater object, roll against Electronics Operation (Sonar). Most hydrophones give a bonus to this roll (see below). Look up the target’s size, speed, and range separately on the Size and Speed/Range Table (p. B550), and apply bonuses for size and speed, but a penalty for range. Swift currents generate “noise”; find the current’s speed on the table and assess a speed penalty.

Success reveals the target’s location (direction and distance), vector (speed and direction of movement), rough size, and general class based on sounds (e.g., “whale” or “nuclear sub”) – but not shape, color, etc. This information gives +8 to identify the target, +4 to shadow it, and +3 to hit it with an aimed attack. If using a hydrophone fix to direct an attack, the modifiers that applied to the detection roll also apply to the attack roll, but can never give a bonus to hit.

Hydrophones automatically detect sonar (pp. 45-46) and underwater communicators (p. 40) at twice those systems’ range.

Large Hydrophone (TL6). A vehicle-based system – or at TL7-8, a deep-ocean sensor like those that make up SOSUS. +4 detection rolls. $1,000,000, 2,000 lbs., external power. LC3.

Medium Hydrophone (TL6). A typical swimmerdetection system. +2 detection rolls. $50,000, 200 lbs., external power. LC3.

Small Hydrophone (TL7). A compact device, like an airdropped sonobuoy. $5,000, 15 lbs., M/4 hrs. LC2.

The detection bonus increases by +2 for each TL after introduction.

Simple hydrophones are used for underwater research, fishing, and perimeter surveillance. These don’t provide the +3 targeting bonus. Typical TL7-8 trawlers carry small search hydrophones. Divide cost by 10. Raise LC to 4.

The most basic radiation detector is chemically treated film that darkens in the presence of radiation. During the Manhattan Project, U.S. Army personnel wore badges made from discarded photographic film. Later models have colored level indicators, and are often built into ID or security badges.

A Geiger counter is the radiation detector most familiar to the average person, however. It measures the type (alpha, beta, or gamma) and level of radioactivity. Readings can give a user with Electronics Operation (Scientific) a clue as to the radiation’s source. For instance, atomic weapons contain uranium and plutonium, which are primarily alpha emitters.

A dosimeter is different from either. It tracks total exposure over a period of time and sounds an audible alarm if the dosage reaches dangerous levels. People working around radioactive materials are normally required to wear a dosimeter throughout their workday.

Geiger Counter (TL6). $800, 4 lbs., 4¥S/4 hrs. LC4.

Radiation Badge (TL7). This ID badge has a color strip indicator that shows the total dosage to which it has been exposed. $5, neg. LC4.

Geiger Counter (TL8). Has a digital display. $400, 0.5 lb., XS/10 hrs. LC4.

Personal Dosimeter (TL8). Industrial or military versions are the size of a pager, but the electronics can be miniaturized to fit inside a wristwatch (p. 31). $120, 0.5 lb., 2¥XS/yr. LC4.

From the start of the 20th century, there were attempts to locate targets via their acoustic emissions. During WWI, sound detectors successfully triangulated firing enemy artillery this way. Sound-detection equipment is available after 1910 in any industrialized nation.

A sound detector gives +4 to Electronics Operation (Sensors) rolls made to analyze and identify a particular sound. It can also zero in on and magnify sounds from a particular distant point for eavesdropping; this requires an Aim maneuver. Sound detectors work only in air – not underwater (use hydrophones, see above, which are far more sensitive) or in vacuum.

Sound-Detection Gear (TL6). This sensitive array of horns can locate a sound source of 100 decibels (firing artillery piece, approaching aircraft, etc.) to within two yards at a distance of 10 miles. Apply +1 to skill per mile closer or 10 decibels louder, -1 per mile more distant or 10 decibels fainter. Ambient noise can give -1 to -10 (GM’s decision). Multiple observation sites are necessary to triangulate a target, and each site needs its own set of equipment. Triangulation requires either successful observations at three sites or a success at one and a critical success at another. $10,000, 400 lbs., external power. LC3.

Directional Microphone (TL7). A mike that picks up sound in a narrow cone similar in shape to a shotgun blast. Headphones included. Amplifies a particular sound by 4¥ at TL7, 8¥ at TL8. $800, 3 lbs., 4¥S/10 hrs. LC4.

Scientific researchers use a lot of specialized, expensive gear. Mad-scientist PCs can improvise to save money, but there can be consequences beyond simple skill penalties. Thomas Edison’s first “lab” was a loose collection of chemicals, batteries, and glassware in a freight car. An accidental fire ensured that the 15-year-old railroad employee was promptly evicted!

A portable lab provides the scientific equipment necessary to conduct research in the field, away from specialized analysis systems and major research facilities. It’s dedicated to a particular skill – Archaeology, Biology, Chemistry, Farming, Forensics, Geology, Metallurgy, Paleontology, Pharmacy, or any other scientific skill. The included instruments fulfill that skill’s equipment requirements when gathering and analyzing samples. If lab TL and skill TL don’t match, apply Tech-Level Modifiers (p. B168).

For example, a TL6 suitcase chemistry lab is a portable chemistry workshop. It lets anyone with Chemistry/TL6 analyze complex compounds, exotic alloys, etc. It can also manufacture chemical compounds (such as explosives) in small quantities.

Labs don’t get cheaper, lighter, or more effective as TL increases. They allow use of higher-TL skills and applications. At TL7-8, all labs require external power or a variety of batteries.

Suitcase Lab (TL5). A “mail-order chemistry lab” or equivalent. Takes at least 10 seconds to set up or pack. Counts as basic equipment for the skill. $3,000, 20 lbs. LC4.

Field Lab (TL5). Equipment similar to that found in a well-appointed high school or college lab. Takes at least a minute to set up or pack. Gives +1 (quality) to skill. $15,000, 200 lbs. LC4.

Mobile Lab (TL5). Enough equipment to fill a room. Takes at least 15 minutes to set up or pack. Gives +2 (quality) to skill. $75,000, 1 ton, external power. LC4.

Several items are useful not only for ordinary fieldwork but also for espionage, detective work, and other adventuring activities.

EM Field Meter (TL7). This device detects slight changes in electromagnetic (EM) fields. Scientists use it to test electronic equipment. Parapsychologists use it to detect the EM fields that purportedly accompany supernatural events. $500, 1 lb., S/10 hrs. LC4.

Fume Sponge (TL7). An absorbent tissue introduced into a target area to collect dust, smoke, chemical droplets, etc., for later analysis. To analyze the materials on the sponge, roll against Chemistry or Forensics. Success may confirm the presence of a top-secret weapons factory, invisible pollution, or even a particular person (from his chemical “fingerprint” of toiletries, hair particles, body odor, etc.). $50, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Metal Detector (TL7). This is a handheld detector about a yard long. The user wears the attached headphones and sweeps the ground in front of him as he walks. If he finds something metallic, the device will beep. A basic model – often used as a mine detector – can detect metal up to 20” underground, although 6” is more typical for small objects like coins and rings. Higher-quality equipment can detect large objects much deeper, and at TL8 has a screen that displays the general shape and composition of the find. Halve weight at TL8. $100, 12 lbs., 6¥S/8 hrs. LC4.

Dart Transmitter (TL8). This is a radio beacon in a standard 11mm dart (p. 89). Use a radio direction finder (pp. 38- 39) to track it. The internal battery lasts for 3 days. $200, neg. LC4.

Pocket Weather Station (TL8). This cell phone-sized device has a large display screen and a coin-sized wind turbine, and displays altitude, barometric pressure, wind speed, temperature, wind chill, relative humidity, and dew point. The internal rechargeable battery lasts for 15 hours of continuous monitoring or hundreds of “spot” readings. $300, 0.5 lb. LC4.

TDS Tester (TL8). A pen-sized gadget that can detect the total dissolved solids (TDS) level in water, indicating whether water is safe to drink. $20, neg., T/1,000 hrs. LC4.

Temperature Gun (TL8). A non-contact infrared sensor for reading the surface temperature of objects up to 12 yards away. Beyond its scientific and engineering uses, ghost hunters claim it can detect “cold spots” generated by some supernatural phenomena. $400, 0.5 lb., S/20 hrs. LC4.

In 1804, Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery set out to cross a continent. Along with them went two tons of equipment selected by Lewis and his patron, President Thomas Jefferson. Their list included 10 lbs. of fishhooks, a sextant, a chronometer, and four compasses. The group returned two and a half years and 8,000 miles later, having lost only one companion (to a ruptured appendix, an untreatable condition at the time).

A century later, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen spent two years in the Antarctic and was the first to reach the South Pole – beating Englishman Robert Scott by a mere 35 days. All of Amundsen’s party returned safely; all of Scott’s perished. The deciding factor, according to Amundsen, was planning and equipment.

The well-prepared man always has a means of making light; the paranoid man, several means. Below are many options. For general game effects, see Visibility (p. B394).

Candles remain the main lighting technology through TL5. In the 1700s, the average family used 40 lbs. of candles a year. Lewis and Clark’s expedition took along moulds and wick to make tallow candles as needed. During the American Civil War, the U.S. Army ration was 1.5 lbs. of candles per 100 men each day.

There are two major types of candles: tallow and wax. Tallow candles are made from rendered fat; they stink, produce more smoke, and sputter loudly as they burn. Wax candles produce no odor unless perfumed, and are nearly silent. A candle of either kind produces enough light to read by, or to illuminate a 2-yard radius.

Tallow Candles (TL0). These are issued in some military survival kits until the 1950s, because tallow can be eaten – treat 0.5 lb. as a meal. Burns 4 hrs. per ounce (1/16 lb.). Per ounce: $0.03. LC4.

Wax Candles (TL1). Made of beeswax, whale oil (spermaceti), or paraffin. All produce a clean, odorless flame. Burns 8 hrs. per ounce. Per ounce: $0.30. LC4.

Candle-Lantern (TL5). A candle-lantern allows still-air burning rates even in the wind. A typical model is the size of soda can and equipped with a shutter to conceal the light. $5, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Oil-burning lanterns started to supplant candles as the standard light source during the American Civil War period. The trend continued until electricity finally reached the most remote backwaters of the U.S. in the 1930s.

At TL5, the most common fuels are whale oil (made from blubber), turpentine, and camphene (an alcohol-turpentine mixture). At TL6+, lanterns typically burn kerosene (p. 16) or lamp oil – purified kerosene that produces a clean-burning flame. The duration of a pint of fuel is given for each type of lantern, below.

Lanterns are much brighter than candles, but they aren’t durable. They’ll break if dropped on hard ground (roll vs. HT 6) and take 30-60 seconds to relight. They can burn in a wet environment such as a rainstorm, but are instantly extinguished if submerged.

Bull’s-Eye Lantern (TL5). A signal lantern used by sailors, soldiers, police, and railroad conductors. It has a glass lens and a shutter. Photographers cover the lens with red silk or paper when working in the darkroom. A lantern of this type was recovered from the wreck of the H.L. Hunley. 10-yard beam. Pint/6 hrs. $25, 2 lbs. LC4.

Glass Lantern (TL5). Most lanterns were of ornamental glass, and were kept by the table for sewing or reading at night. Such a lantern is fragile, and will cause a 1-yardradius fire if it breaks (see Molotov Cocktail, p. 191). Illuminates a 5-yard radius. Pint/10 hrs. $15, 2 lbs. LC4.

Carbide Lamp (TL6). Popular with spelunkers and miners since the 1890s, this consists of a belt- or head-mounted light. The user puts carbide and a small amount of water in the generator, which produces acetylene gas. It burns for 5 hours on 0.25 lb. of carbide ($0.30 per refill). Illuminates a 5-yard radius or projects a 10-yard beam. $50, 3 lbs. LC4.

Kerosene Lantern (TL6). A covered “hurricane” lantern that can’t be blown out. It’s also self-dousing, so it has little chance of causing a fire if dropped. Kerosene lanterns were first produced in the 1860s and are still manufactured today. At TL8, dual-fuel versions (¥2 cost) burn both gasoline and kerosene. Illuminates a 5-yard radius. Pint/12 hrs. $25, 4 lbs. LC4.

Electric lanterns appear at TL6 but can’t match the duration of fuel-burning ones until TL8. On the other hand, they can’t be snuffed by wind or doused by water, don’t require dangerous fuel, and are safe in volatile atmospheres. Most importantly, they can be turned on and off quickly.

Electric Lantern, Small (TL6). 3-yard radius. $5, 4 lbs., M/4 hrs. LC4.

Electric Lantern, Small (TL7). 3-yard radius. $5, 2 lbs., 3¥S/4 hrs. LC4.

Electric Lantern, Large (TL8). 5-yard radius. Double cost for dive-certified models that can operate to a depth of 600’. $30, 3 lbs., 4¥S/20 hrs. LC4.

Eveready’s “electric hand torch” debuted in 1898. The body was a paper tube. The flashlight’s small size and reliability made it a common item in almost every toolbox or automobile glove compartment by the 1920s.

A regular flashlight can be converted to an IR illuminator by adding a snap-on filter. Its bulb assembly can be changed to produce UV light, making it useful for forensic work, tracking alien blood, etc. Either modification costs $25.

It takes a Ready maneuver to turn a flashlight off or on, adjust the beam, switch settings, etc.

Flashlight (TL6). A basic flashlight. Batteries last 10¥ as long at TL8. 10-yard beam. $20, 1 lb., 2¥S/5 hrs. LC4.

Micro-Flashlight (TL6). A tiny penlight or key-ring light. Batteries last 10¥ as long at TL8. 1-yard beam. $5, neg., T/2 hrs. LC4.

Mini-Flashlight (TL6). A pocket-sized light. At TL8, the batteries last 10¥ as long and this type of light is often worn on the head, which allows hands-free use: the light points wherever the user is looking. 5-yard beam. $10, 0.25 lb., 2¥XS/1 hr. LC4.

Survival Flashlight (TL6). Gives 3 minutes of light after 30 seconds of winding or shaking. At TL8, double duration (to 6 minutes) but halve weight. 1-yard beam. $20, 1 lb. LC4.

Floodlight (TL7). A large, portable spotlight. Double cost for dive models that can operate to a depth of 600’. If aiming the light in combat, treat as a searchlight (p. 228). 200-yard beam. $100, 3 lbs., M/4 hrs. LC4.

Smart Flashlight (TL8). A flashlight with a super-bright light and a dimmer switch. It can switch between white, red, green, and infrared-only (as an infrared illuminator, p. 47). 50-yard beam for 2 hour or a 5-yard beam for 40 hours. $300, 0.5 lb., 2¥XS. LC4.

Tritium Illuminator (TL8). A light the size of ballpoint pen cap, bright enough to let one read a map or see a keyhole. The radioactive tritium gas inside stimulates a phosphor, making it self-powered for 10 years. It can be shuttered by turning a knob, but it can’t be shut off. $10, 0.1 lb. LC4.

In the mid-1970s, the U.S. military developed a chemical-luminescent light that didn’t produce heat or require batteries. The “chemlight” or “glowstick” was born. Simply snap the plastic rod and shake for three seconds. Most models provide 12 hours of light and come in a variety of colors – including a version that acts as an infrared illuminator (p. 47). Illuminates a 2-yard radius. $2, 0.1 lb. LC4.

Tactical lights are powerful, waterproof flashlights used by soldiers and police. They come in to two sizes: small and large. The small version can be mounted on any firearm, and illuminates an area immediately in front of the muzzle. Held in the fist, it can be used to deliver a devastating punch; treat as brass knuckles (p. B271). The large model is more powerful, and can be mounted on a rifle, shotgun, or SMG. It counts as a baton (p. B273) in melee combat.

A tactical light is bright enough to momentarily stun the opposition in potential surprise situations (p. B393). As well, those who look directly into the light must make a HT-4 roll or be temporarily blinded. Blindness lasts for 10 seconds times the margin of failure.

A tactical light is the flashlight of choice for those who need the most powerful, dependable hardware available. Treat it as rugged and expensive to begin with (see Integrating and Modifying Equipment) – don’t add those options again.

Large Tactical Light (TL7). 100-yard beam. $200, 2 lbs., 4¥S/1 hr. LC4.

Small Tactical Light (TL7). 25-yard beam. $100, 1 lb., 2¥S/2 hrs. LC4.

Large Tactical Light (TL8). 100-yard beam. $200, 0.5 lb., 4¥XS/2 hrs. LC4.

Small Tactical Light (TL8). 25-yard beam. $100, 0.25 lb., 2¥XS/2 hrs. LC4.

At TL5, the basic tools of navigation include the compass, the sextant, and the marine chronometer. At TL8, GPS makes navigation far easier and more precise.

A compass exploits the fact that a magnetized needle orients itself toward the Earth’s poles. This doesn’t reveal true north, but magnetic north. (On other planets, the two might be far apart, or there might not even be a magnetic field!) A compass gives +1 to Navigation (Air, Land, or Sea). Styles vary, from pocket watch-style compasses that open to reveal a sundial (popular with Rogers’ Rangers during the French and Indian War) to models worn on the wrist, stored in the handle of a survival knife (p. 197), etc. $25, neg. LC4.

The first topographic map of an entire country was completed in France in 1793 – the work of four generations of cartographers. Louis and Clark mapped parts of the Louisiana Purchase, and the Union army produced nearly 50,000 maps a year during the American Civil War. American infantry divisions during WWII printed maps by the ton, which were updated constantly from aerial reconnaissance.

Successful use of the Cartography skill (p. B183) allows a mapmaker to create a map accurate enough for navigation – that is, to fix a location or plot a course. However, collecting the information to place on a map can involve a variety of skills: Observation, Electronics Operation (Sensors), Interrogation, Photography, etc. For more on mapping, see Mapping Overland Journeys (p. B491).

An accurate map is considered basic equipment for the Forward Observer and Navigation skills. Inaccurate maps give from -1 to -5 for improvised equipment. Having no map at all gives -10!

Costs range from free to exorbitant; $15 for a national road atlas and $30 for a detailed topographic map of a region are typical. At TL8, topographic maps for an entire continent are $100 and fit on one CD. Weight is 0.1 lb.

An invention of the 1760s, the marine chronometer is a clock accurate to within seconds over the course of several months. It’s kept set to the time at a location of known longitude – historically, Greenwich, England. The constant rotational speed of the Earth lets a navigator use the difference between the set time and local time to fix his longitude. Many ships carry three chronometers as a safety measure.

A marine chronometer gives +1 to Navigation (Sea) by itself. When used with navigating instruments (below), the combined bonus is +3.

Pocket Chronometer (TL5). A chronometer the size of an oversized pocket watch. $500, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Ship’s Chronometer (TL5). An extremely accurate clock, mounted in gimbals so as not to be affected by the motion of a ship. $1,000, 15 lbs. LC4.

These include chart books, compass, sextant (or its precursors, cross-staff and astrolabe), dividers, lead line, log (to toss overboard to figure speed), and sand-glass (to measure time). Collectively, this gear gives +2 to Navigation (Sea) at TL5, +3 at TL6+. $3,000, 30 lbs. LC4.

Surveyors are in constant demand for road, bridge, and fortress construction. A typical surveying crew consists of three or four men. Starting from a known point, they can locate any point within five miles to an accuracy of one inch. This requires a day’s work. The necessary tools include compass, transit, chains, flags, plotting boards, and drawing instruments. These provide +2 to Mathematics (Surveying) or Navigation (Land). $1,000, 300 lbs. LC4.

In 1978, the U.S. launched the first Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite, fitted with extremely precise timeand station-keeping electronics. A receiver on the ground can locate itself via the signals broadcast by a “constellation” of several such satellites within line of sight, thereby providing accurate coordinates in three dimensions (latitude, longitude, and altitude). The unit also displays the exact time – the satellites’ internal clocks are synchronized to within nanoseconds!

A GPS receiver gives +3 to Navigation (Air, Land, or Sea) while it’s within line of sight of a satellite constellation. Maximum accuracy is to within a few feet. Early units were the size of a paperback book, but the smallest ones today fit inside a wristwatch or other tiny electronic device (add $50). A typical handheld model, the size of pack of cigarettes: $100, 0.25 lb., 2¥S/40 hrs. LC4.

When setting off on an adventure, all the supplies and high-tech gadgets in the world won’t do you much good if you can’t carry or ship them!

A canteen (from the Italian cantina, meaning “wine cellar”) is a water flask – a desert explorer’s most important kit. All of these containers but the water pack slosh loudly if not filled to the brim, negating the Stealth benefits of load-bearing equipment (p. 54). The weights given assume a container full of water (2 lbs./quart). Note that water in a canteen will soon freeze solid in winter.

Canteen (TL5). A basic, 1-quart canteen. At TL5, it’s made of wood, copper, or tin. At TL6, it’s aluminum or steel, often with a small cup, and easily wrecked if handled roughly (stepped on, dropped from a height, etc.). At TL7+, plastic models are much less susceptible to damage. These have a receptacle in the cap that mates with a tube on a gas mask (p. 72), making it possible to drink from them in NBC conditions. $10, 3 lbs. LC4.

Charcoal-Filtered Canteen (TL5). During the American Civil War, sutlers peddled what looked like an ordinary, quart-sized tin canteen. However, inside was a charcoal filter. Water was poured in one spout, passed through the filter in the middle, and poured out from the other side, ready to drink. This gives +2 to HT rolls when drinking bacteriaridden water (see Contagion, p. B443). $25, 3 lbs. LC4.

Water Bottle (TL8). A 1-quart drinking bottle made from shatterproof plastic, popular with athletes and outdoorsy types. $10, 2.5 lbs. LC4.

Water Pack (TL8). A 2-quart flexible bladder worn on the back, with a drinking tube that extends over the shoulder. The hose is bite-activated, so that the user can sip from it. Most backpacks can accommodate a water pack. $25, 5 lbs. LC4.

Whether planning a year-long expedition or a weekend trip, a traveler should pack his equipment carefully if he expects to find it in one piece at his destination. The shipping method determines the skill required: Packing (p. B212) if animals are involved, Freight Handling (p. B197) for vehicles of all types. A successful roll ensures that the cargo survives intact. The GM may assess penalties if the cargo is nonstandard (how do you ship an elephant?) or fragile, or if the route or shipping method is particularly arduous. A camera is far more likely to survive a 1,000-mile journey on a jet plane than on a buckboard! Likewise, the GM may grant bonuses for extra precautions, including high-quality containers (p. B345).

Steamer Trunk (TL5). An iron-banded travel trunk with lock. Holds 400 lbs. or 5 cubic feet. DR 2. $200, 40 lbs. LC4.

Wooden Barrel, Large (TL5). Holds 30 gallons. DR 1. $200, 50 lbs. LC4.

Wooden Barrel, Small (TL5). Holds 5 gallons. DR 1. $65, 20 lbs. LC4.

Wooden Crate (TL5). Holds 300 lbs. or 5 cubic feet. DR 1. $25, 20 lbs. LC4. 55-Gallon Drum (TL6). DR 3. $50, 55 lbs. LC4. 5-Gallon Can (TL7). A common fuel or water container. DR 3. $15, 10 lbs. LC4. Cargo Containers (TL7) At TL7-8, shippers use a cargo container – sometimes called a “container express,” or “conex” – to protect cargo. A conex is a sheet-metal box that provides a safe means of moving cargo via multi-modal transportation (ship, rail, and truck). Conexes can be stacked atop one another on ships and trains, handled by cranes, or attached to wheels and towed like trailers. Conexes can be found by the thousands at major ports, train stations, and trucking hubs. The most common sizes are 20’ and 40’. Both come in “dry” and refrigerated versions. They can be converted to offices, storage sheds, guard shacks, munitions-storage facilities, etc., with minimal effort. 20’ Conex (TL7). 20’¥8’¥8’6”. Gross weight is 26.5 tons. DR 4. $1,500, 2.5 tons (empty). LC4. 40’ Conex (TL7). 40’¥8’¥8’6”. Gross weight is 33.6 tons. DR 4. $1,500, 4 tons (empty). LC4.

Until late TL5, load-bearing equipment (LBE) – the belts, bandoleers, etc., that soldiers wear to carry kit – is made of leather. It’s heavy, shiny, and squeaky. It tends to dry rot quickly, and requires a lot of cleaning and polishing to outlast a single military campaign.

In 1877, U.S. Army Capt. Anson Mills drew on his experiences as a cavalry officer in the Indian Wars to develop the first cartridge belt made of fabric webbing. In his words, it was “lighter, more flexible, did not require oiling, and was less likely to break in the process of wetting and drying.” Mills’ webbing proved popular in America and abroad. He established the Mills Woven Cartridge Belt Company in 1880 and retired a millionaire.

Proper LBE doesn’t merely help adventurers lug lots of gear – it lets them carry it efficiently. It comes in the standard quality grades (p. B345). The user must make a Soldier or IQ-based Hiking roll to set up and maintain LBE. Success lets the wearer add the quality bonus of his LBE to several die rolls, as described below. Failure means the LBE counts as improvised at best, giving -2 or worse instead.

First, the GM may require a DX roll to reach gear if it or its user is in an awkward position; e.g., a soldier lying atop his grenades or magazines, or trying to grab a grenade while hanging one-handed from a helicopter skid. Readying in close combat (p. B391) also calls for a DX roll. The quality bonus of LBE benefits these rolls.

As well, retrieving an article crammed into a pack, cargo pocket, etc., is a “long action” that takes 1d or 2d seconds (p. B383). Fast-Draw isn’t allowed. Grabbing an item from properly set-up LBE requires only a single Ready maneuver – and a roll against a suitable Fast-Draw specialty makes this a free action. Add the quality bonus of LBE to such Fast-Draw rolls. Most people secure the flaps on LBE pouches (and packs) so things won’t fall out; opening a flap adds an extra Ready maneuver.

Finally, quality LBE benefits Stealth. With no LBE or only TL5 gear, Stealth suffers a penalty equal to encumbrance level; see p. B222. At TL6+, reduce this penalty by the quality bonus of LBE.

Cartridge Bandoleer (TL5). Bandoleers are a simple way to carry ammunition ready to use. They’re worn across the chest. A typical bandoleer holds 50 rifle, shotgun, or pistol rounds in loops. Takes one second (a Ready maneuver) to don or remove. $15, 1 lb. LC4.

Cross-Belts and Cartridge Pouch (TL5). A typical rig for a soldier from the 1700s through 1870, with leather belts crossed like suspenders and attached to a waist belt. A leather pouch – often metal-lined or with a wooden block inside – holds 20-40 paper cartridges. Takes five seconds to don, two seconds to remove. $50, 5 lbs. LC4.

Web Gear (TL6). A canvas belt and suspenders, with pouches for ammunition and equipment. A typical setup is two ammo pouches in the front; canteen, entrenching tool, or other gear on each hip; and a “butt pack” on the back. Fully loaded, it may support 20-30 lbs. Takes five seconds to don, two seconds to remove. $20, 3 lbs. LC4.

Load-Bearing Vest (TL7). The modern assault vest dates to the Vietnam War, and becomes popular in the late 1980s among SWAT teams and the like. An LBV is easier to take on and off – and the gear is carried up on the torso, which protects the contents when wading in water. It’s also less cumbersome in tight spots, which is important to tankers and aircrew. It’s designed to hold 20-30 lbs. of gear. Modern body armor often features integral pouches and attachment points, making it equivalent to a LBV. Takes two seconds to don or remove. $30, 2 lbs. LC4.

Explorers and soldiers alike prize a well-constructed backpack; for anyone who lives out of his pack, it pays to get the best tool for the job. British regulars during the Revolutionary War carried shaggy goatskin knapsacks – or flimsy canvas or linen bags, painted for extra protection. At TL5-6, most packs are leather or canvas like this, and incapable of keeping out the rain. At TL7, packs are made of water- and mildew-proof synthetics. At TL8, advanced ergonomic features – including S-shaped shoulder straps, internal frames, hip pads, and wide, padded waist belts – make it easier than ever to pack a heavy load comfortably.

Make a Soldier or IQ-based Hiking roll to fit a pack. Failure means a poorly fitted pack that will cause moderate pain (see Afflictions, p. B428) after a day of hiking. The -2 for pain definitely applies to the Hiking skill! Quality equipment grants a Hiking bonus but is hard to find before TL7 – it’s the purview of custom outfitters, and generally made-to-order. Expedition packs can cost many hundred dollars.

At TL8, halve all pack weights.

Backpack, Small (TL5). A small backpack or haversack. From the French and Indian War until 1900, soldiers typically carried packs of this size. Holds 50 lbs. Double cost at TL8. $60, 3 lbs. LC4.

Travel Bag (TL5). A leather duffle or similar. Holds 100 lbs. $60, 10 lbs. LC4.

Waist Pack (TL5). A small haversack, large purse, or “butt pack.” Holds 10 lbs. $10, 1 lb. LC4.

Backpack, Large (TL6). A heavy pack with frame. Dubbed a “mountaineering pack” by some, it’s typical of most modern military expedition packs. Holds 100 lbs. Double cost at TL8. $100, 10 lbs. LC4.

Whatever you call it, marching cross-country under full kit is exhausting. The hiking rules in the Basic Set are intentionally simplistic – they assume fine weather, ideal terrain, and a grueling 16-hour day spent doing nothing but putting one foot in front of the other. Hikers often march for less than a full day, which can make it useful to know hourly movement rates.

Assume that speed in miles per hour equals Move/2. Adjust the pace as usual for terrain, weather, and roads; see p. B351. Note the FP costs for an hour of hiking given on p. B426 – good FP scores and the Fit advantage (p. B55) give a significant edge here! Extra effort works as usual (see p. B357). Each foraging attempt (p. B427) takes an hour, during which no progress is made.

Perhaps the most famous climb in modern memory is George Mallory’s third attempt at Mt. Everest in 1924. Mallory and assistant Sandy Irvine were last seen less than 300 yards from the summit – “moving expeditiously” toward the top, as one observer famously said – before they vanished. New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, succeeded in 1953. Mallory’s remains were discovered in 1999, but the mystery of whether he and Irvine beat Hillary to the top remains.

Climbing is a complicated and potentially dangerous undertaking. Ropes fray, bolts pull loose, and high winds can toss a climber off a precipice without warning. Sometimes, though, tackling a crag (or an office tower!) is the only way to get the job done.

The well-equipped climber wears a harness connected to a safety line that is tied off to fasteners. This will stop his fall, should one occur. The results of a fall depend largely on the terrain and the precautions taken. In general, the maximum distance the climber can fall is twice the distance between the last fastener and his current position. Safety-conscious climbers tie off every few feet, guaranteeing a short fall with little chance of injury. Braver souls – and those in a hurry – tie off less often.

The easiest way to come down is to rappel. This requires rope, a harness, and a carabiner or descender. Normally, the climber faces the wall (mountain, building, etc.), looks over his shoulder as he slides down the rope, and pushes off the wall with his feet. A more daring method is to stand directly out from the wall, facing downward, and run toward the bottom. SWAT men and soldiers sometimes rappel this way so that they can shoot on the way down! This counts as bad footing and a minor distraction, for a net -4 to hit (see p. B548) – but the Sure-Footed perk (p. 250) can partially mitigate the penalty.

Climbing is possible without special gear, but speed is reduced and there’s no limit to how far you can fall. For climbing and rappelling speeds, see Climbing (p. B349). For the consequences of a failed climb, see Falling (p. B431).

Fasteners (TL5). Also called “protection,” these devices hold a rope fast in case the climber slips. Models differ by function: some are hammered into rock, others are placed in cracks or crevices, and still others are screwed into solid ice. Be they soft iron spikes ($1, 0.5 lb. apiece), steel pitons ($5, 2.5 lbs. for 10), or ice screws ($5, 0.25 lb. apiece), all penetrate the climbing surface. LC4.

Harness (TL5). A climbing and rappelling harness with several snap-links or carabiners. $75, 3 lbs. LC4. Ascender (TL6). Uses a cam or a ratchet to ascend a freehanging rope. Cancels the -2 for climbing up a rope (p. B349). $50, 1 lb. LC4.

Descender (TL6). A D-shaped device for rappelling down a rope. Cancels the -1 for climbing down a rope (p. B349), and allows the climber to stop and hang in midair with both hands free. $50, 0.75 lb. LC4.

Hand Drill (TL7). A one-man rock drill (p. 26). It requires one hand to hold the drill bit and another to hammer. It takes 30 minutes to drill a 3” bolt hole in normal rock. Bolts ($5, 0.1 lb. apiece) are hammered into the hole, and expand to grip the sides firmly. $50, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Climbing Kit (TL8). Harness, ascender, descender, an assortment of fasteners, and 100 yards of 3/8” rope. A highquality kit provides a bonus to Climbing skill. $400, 26 lbs. LC4.

Mini-Rappel Kit (TL8). A complete rappelling system: harness, carabiner, descender, and 33 yards of 1/4” rope. The whole kit fits in a small belt pouch. $150, 3 lbs. LC4.

Getting a grapnel to the target requires a DX-3 or Throwing roll. Maximum throwing distance is ST¥2 yards. Load limit is 300 lbs. at TL5, doubled at TL7. When a grapnel lands on stone, concrete, or similar materials, it can ring loudly – make an unmodified Hearing roll at 1 yard. A padded grapnel (+1 lb.) gives -2 to Hearing. At TL8, double cost buys a non-sparking, nonmagnetic version. $20, 2 lbs. LC4.

If climbing is challenging and dangerous, then tackling a mountain or crossing a glacier can be downright deadly. There are over 120 corpses on Mt. Everest, with new ones added each year. Dangers include hypothermia, frostbite, avalanche, collapsing crevasses, and altitude sickness. Well-equipped modern climbers use the equipment below, plus air masks and air tanks.

Crampons (TL5). These are heavy foot spikes attached to an explorer’s boots. They “grab” the ice like football cleats, granting Terrain Adaptation (Ice) (p. B93) and giving +1 to Climbing on ice. Crampons can be worn with boots, shoes, or snowshoes. The wicked spikes give +2 to kicking damage, but are noisy when worn on tile floors, concrete, bare rock, and the like: -2 to Stealth. $100, 4 lbs. LC4.

Ice Axe (TL5). This is a one-handed tool used by climbers and explorers. The head has a hooked and serrated “pick” on one face and an adze on the other. It can be used stop a fall, or to chop handholds or steps out of ice. The butt has a sharp point and the top of the head is smooth, allowing the climber to use it as a walking stick, with the point digging into the ice for leverage. Treat as a pick (p. B271) in combat. $100, 2 lbs. LC4.

Skis (TL5). Skiers treat snow as “good” terrain when moving cross-country (see Hiking, p. B351), and retain their normal Move on level terrain. Movement uphill is halved unless using ski climbers ($15, 0.5 lb.), which give normal Move. Going downhill, tremendous speeds can be reached – Olympic skiers on prepared slopes have been clocked at 50 mph, and ski jumpers at 90 mph. Early skis are wooden, bound to the feet with leather straps. At TL8, skis are mostly laminated composite: halve weight. $175, 10 lbs. LC4.

Snowshoes (TL5). Snowshoes attach to boots with bindings of leather, cloth, or, at TL7-8, cold-resistant plastic. Their large surface area reduces the depth to which a hiker will sink into snow; treat all snow as “ankle-deep,” regardless of its actual depth (see Hiking, p. B351). The snowshoes’ bulk gives -1 to Move, however. For longdistance movement, use the Hiking skill; those unfamiliar with snowshoes are at -2 (see Familiarity, p. B169). At TL8, high-performance snowshoes weigh half as much and are faster: they prevent sprinting but don’t otherwise reduce Move. $100, 5 lbs. LC4.

Avalanche Transceiver (TL8). This is a personal rescue beacon (p. 58) with a 20- to 50-yard range when buried under snow.

The load limits given below are working loads, set at 10% of the rope’s tensile strength. Any rope that’s likely to be given a sudden jerk, or that’s under constant tension, abrasion, or similar stressful circumstances, shouldn’t be loaded past this level. Exceeding this limit invites problems and shortens the rope’s life.

Cord (TL5). Hemp. Supports 50 lbs. Per 10 yards: $5, 1.5 lbs. LC4.

Rope, 1/2” (TL5). Hemp. Supports 300 lbs. Per 10 yards: $30, 3.6 lbs. LC4.

Rope, 2 1/2” (TL5). Hemp. Supports 1 ton. Per 10 yards: $450, 55 lbs. LC4.

Rope, 1/2” (TL6). Manila. Supports 350 lbs. Per 10 yards: $10, 2.2 lbs. LC4.

Rope, 1 1/2” (TL6). Manila. Supports 1 ton. Per 10 yards: $75, 18 lbs. LC4.

Cord (TL7). Synthetic. Seven inner lines – useful for fishing, suturing, or sewing – with a nylon covering. Supports 55 lbs. Per 100 yards: $15, 1 lb. LC4.

Rope, 1/4” (TL8). Synthetic. Supports 500 lbs. Per 10 yards: $30, 0.6 lb. LC4.

Rope, 3/8” (TL8). Synthetic. Supports 650 lbs. Per 10 yards: $25, 1.6 lbs. LC4.

Rope, 1/2” (TL8). Synthetic. Supports 2 tons. Per 10 yards: $90, 2 lbs. LC4.

In 1981, Dan Goodwin used three high-powered vacuum cups to climb the Sears Tower in six hours. Highstrength suction cups can hold up 200 lbs. and cancel the -3 for climbing a modern building (p. B349). Each: $80, 3 lbs. LC4.

This is a portable, one-man climbing hoist. It clips onto a climber’s harness. At the touch of a button, it can ascend or descend a rope at 3 yards per second. A fuel cartridge ($100, 2 lbs.) powers an ascent of 200 yards. Lifting capacity is 300 lbs. $8,000, 7 lbs. LC3.

When the best-laid plans fall apart, proper survival kit can mean the difference between a bad day and your last day. The same gear can make a weekend camping trip a wonderful natural experience.

Whether retreating from an arctic wind or hiding from the blistering sun, man’s thin skin requires shelter. Each item below notes a modifier to HT and HT-based Survival rolls to avoid FP loss in freezing weather (p. B430); having no equipment gives -5. Quality bonuses are cumulative with these modifiers. As well, appropriate sleeping gear improves sleep quality, reducing the likelihood of FP loss and consequent penalties to DX, IQ, and self-control rolls (see Missed Sleep, p. B426).

Blanket (TL1). The most likely sleeping gear up to World War I is a simple woolen blanket (or several blankets, in extreme cold). During the American Civil War, soldiers on both sides carried a blanket roll – with a rubberized gum blanket on the outside (a tarp, below), if they were lucky. Survival modifier: -2. $20, 4 lbs. LC4.

Sleeping Bag (TL5). In the 1850s, this means a fleecelined rubberized blanket. Modern versions are made of waterproof yet breathable materials. Divide weight by 2 at TL6-7, by 4 at TL8. Survival modifier: 0 at TL5-7, +1 at TL8. $100, 8 lbs. LC4.

Tarp (TL5). A heavy canvas or rubberized ground sheet – also called a “gum blanket” or a “ground fly.” Modern versions are made of waterproof polyurethane. Ultralight backpackers use one for a tent. Halve weight at TL8. Survival modifier: +1. $20, 3 lbs. LC4.

Tent, Shelter Half (TL5). The standard U.S. Army tent from the Civil War through the 1980s, this is a small “pup” tent – so called because it’s barely big enough for a dog! It consists of two separate sheets of treated canvas, the “shelter halves.” Weight includes poles and rope, which are split between two soldiers. Survival modifier: +1. $75, 10 lbs. LC4.

Tent, Wall (TL5). A common tent for an officer or a trapper – something that Washington, Wellington, or Grant might have used for a field headquarters. It’s big enough to sleep six men. Survival modifier: +1. $350, 80 lbs. LC4.

Sleeping Bag, Heavy (TL6). A canvas-covered bag lined with sheepskin, which the 1902 Sears and Roebuck catalog called “the best bed ever invented for outdoor sleeping.” Modern waterproof versions use synthetics and are much lighter: divide weight by 4 and multiply cost by 5 at TL8. Survival modifier: +3. $100, 15 lbs. LC4.

Blanket, Emergency (TL7). A fragile, metallized “space blanket” that reflects heat back toward the sleeper while repelling rain and wind. Survival modifier: -1. $5, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Tent, Dome (TL8). A modern, waterproof, expeditiongrade tent for four men. It can withstand wind speeds beyond 50 mph. It takes about a minute to set up. A two-man version is half cost and 1/3 weight. Survival modifier: +2. $150, 12 lbs. LC4.

Tent, Personal (TL8). A bivouac (“bivy”) tent just large enough for one person. It’s water- and windproof, and sets up in about a minute. Survival modifier: +1. $100, 1 lb. LC4.

When cooking in the wild, use the Survival skill to prepare an edible meal, the Cooking skill to produce more sumptuous cuisine.

Field Kitchen (TL5). A kitchen for 20 men, including serving and preparation utensils, stowed in a wooden box. $600, 80 lbs. LC4.

Hobo Knife (TL5). A pocket-sized jackknife with knife, fork, and spoon. When unfolded, it splits into two separate sections that can be used individually: a knife and a fork/spoon. A favorite of Union troops and Boy Scouts. $5, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Camp Stove (TL6). A portable cook stove suitable for an individual or a small group. It’s often called a “primus” in honor of the popular Primus brand of stoves, first sold in 1892; explorers and adventurers have used similar stoves ever since. Most can boil a quart of water in 4 minutes or less. The original stoves generally used gasoline or kerosene, burning a 1-pint tank dry in two hours. Many makers switched to propane at TL7 (a 1-lb. cylinder lasts for about an hour and costs $5). The newest TL8 stoves have piezoelectric ignition and titanium bodies (¥3 cost, ¥1/3 weight). $40, 1 lb. LC4.

Sea Kettle (TL6). A 2-quart “chimney kettle” or “jacket boiler.” Heat from a fire built in the base of kettle escapes out the chimney, heating up water stored in the jacket. This very efficiently brings the water to a boil; only a handful of twigs or a sheet or two of newspaper is necessary to boil 2 quarts of water in a couple of minutes. A rack fits over the mouth of the chimney for cooking a small meal. $75, 2 lbs. LC4.

Cooler (TL7). Coleman sold their first cooler in 1954. This example is capable of holding 16 cubic feet. It uses 25 lbs. of ice in three days in temperate conditions. At TL8, it uses external power to control the temperature thermoelectrically, from 40°F to 120°F. $150, 25 lbs. LC4.

Fuel Tablets (TL7). Many armies issued flammable fuel tablets during WWII; soldiers burned them to prepare a cup of coffee, tea, or soup. Each waterproof tablet burns for 15 minutes and can boil a quart of water in 5 minutes. A pack of 30: $10, 1 lb. LC4.

Group Mess Kit (TL7). A lightweight kit for four, with frying pan, bowl, and pot. At TL8, a titanium version is ¥4 cost but ¥1/3 weight. $30, 5 lbs. LC4.

Personal Mess Kit (TL7). A small cooking kit for one: small cook pot, can opener, fork, knife, cup, and spoon. At TL8, a titanium version is ¥3 cost, but weight is a mere 0.3 lb. $15, 1 lb. LC4.

Solar Stove (TL7). In clear conditions, a solar stove can cook a meal in about the same amount of time as a fire. This commercial model includes an airtight cooking box, a temperature gauge, and a polished mirror to focus sunlight on the food. $250, 20 lbs., LC4.

Alcohol Pocket Stove (TL8). A tiny stove favored by backpackers, it can be made with a pocketknife and a couple of discarded soda cans in about 15 minutes. It can boil a quart of water in less than 10 minutes using an ounce of alcohol. A store-bought model is $20, neg. LC4.

Meal Heaters (TL8). Just add water and place a military ration (p. 35) inside the pouch. The flameless chemical reaction reaches nearly 180°F, and cooks the meal in minutes. Per dozen: $5, 1 lb. LC4.

Building a fire with natural materials requires a DX-based Survival roll. Most of the items below give +5 to +10 to this task. Thus, the GM should only require a roll in extraordinary circumstances – wet weather, high winds, etc.

Flint and Steel (TL5). Flint and steel can make a fire in less than 30 seconds in ideal conditions. Specially prepared “char-cloth,” made by cooking scraps of cloth inside a tin, will catch a spark even in windy conditions. $5, neg. LC4.

Magnifying Glass (TL5). A small lens can easily start a fire on a sunny day. Such “burning glasses” were common firestarting tools during the Napoleonic period. $10, neg. LC4.

Matches (TL5). The first successful strike-anywhere friction matches – called “lucifers” – became available around 1830. Paper matchbooks are a TL6 invention, from the 1890s. Varnished, waterproof matches that will light even when wet are also TL6. A box of 50 matches is $0.25, neg. LC4.

Musket (TL5). With a black-powder firearm, fire is always as close at hand – just fire a blank charge into a pile of tinder. If the gun is loaded and/or the sound would draw unwanted attention, stick a twig in the touchhole, put charcloth and tinder in the flashpan, and catch a spark from the flint.

Cigarette Lighter (TL6). The famous Zippo was invented in 1932, but it was based on earlier designs, including WWI trench lighters. A lighter is good for several hundred lights and has a continuous burn time of about 20-30 minutes. At TL8, triple cost buys a windproof, waterproof model. $10, neg. LC4.

Fire-Starter Paste (TL6). A highly flammable substance used for lighting wet kindling in arctic conditions. A tube is enough for 20 fires. $5, 0.25 lb. LC4.

Solar Reflector (TL7). A pocket-sized parabolic reflector, which when aimed at the sun on a clear day will cause tinder to catch fire. An hour’s work polishing the bottom of a soda can with a mild abrasive (toothpaste or chocolate works fine) will create a perfectly functional solar reflector. A commercial stainless-steel version is $10, neg. LC4.

A fisherman or trapper can make up to five Fishing or Survival rolls per day for food; see Foraging (p. B427).

Fishing Kit (TL5). A few hooks and sinkers, and a length of fishing line. Basic equipment for Fishing, and often found in survival kits (pp. 58-59). $5, neg. LC4.

Traps (TL5). Spring-powered “bear trap” devices, staked to the ground with a chain, give +1 (quality) to Survival. They have a rated ST, and inflict thr+2 crushing damage for that ST. Victims roll against this ST during attempts to break free (p. B371). The two most common sizes are the beaver trap (ST 8, $20, 2.5 lbs.) and a monster-sized version for large predators (ST 15, $75, 35 lbs.). LC3.

Fishing Outfit (TL6). A pole with reel, plus a toolbox with an assortment of jigs and lures. Gives +2 (quality) to Fishing. $200, 10 lbs. LC4.

Snare (TL6). A steel wire snare is a common survival-kit item. It’s basic Survival equipment for trapping small game. $1, neg. LC4.

When it isn’t enough merely to survive, equipment beyond the tried-and-true signal fire can help signal rescuers. Except for the whistle, all of the items below grant at least +2 to Vision rolls made by a rescuer to spot the signaler, as long as there’s a line of sight.

Whistle (TL5). Detected on an unmodified Hearing roll at 128 yards. $5, neg. LC4.

Hand Flare (TL6). A brightly burning road flare that can easily set fires. Lasts about 30 minutes. Illuminates a 5-yard radius. $5, 1 lb. LC4.

Signal Mirror (TL6). A signal mirror has a hole in the center for sighting on aircraft or ships. Under optimum conditions, it can generate 8 million candlepower and be seen over 50 miles away. At TL7+, it’s made of silvered plastic to avoid breakage. $5, neg. LC4.

Pen Flare (TL7). A disposable, pen-sized launcher, often found on the sleeve of military flight suits. Shoots a colored signal flare to 70 yards. $15, 0.1 lb. LC4.

Strobe Marker (TL7). A palm-sized flashing light, visible up to 2 miles away. At TL8, a military-grade model acts as flashlight and has snap-on filter for infrared-only signaling (¥5 cost). $25, 0.25 lb., XS/8 hrs. LC4.

Laser Rescue Flare (TL8). A powerful laser that can be seen by aircraft up to 10 miles away. The user aims it at the aircraft cockpit. $50, 0.1 lb., T/week. LC4.

Survival kits are optimized for the environment in which they’ll most likely be used. This normally corresponds to one of the Survival specialties described on p. B224. The two basic categories are land and aquatic; kits intended for one give -3 to Survival when used for the other. A kit from a different specialty within the same category gives -1 to skill if the specialties are similar (e.g., an arctic kit in a mountain environment), -2 if they’re very different (e.g., a desert kit when you need a jungle kit). A kit for Urban Survival (p. B228) is possible; it falls into its own category, giving -3 if used in place of any conventional kit, or vice versa.

It’s difficult to generalize about what’s “essential,” since that’s situational, but experts list these basic requirements:

• Fire starter (flint and steel, matches, or lighter).

• Food and water collection (fish hooks, snares, iodine tablets and plastic water bags, etc.).

• General-purpose utility tool (knife, axe, or machete).

• Shelter (life raft, sunshade, mosquito repellant or netting, etc.).

• Signaling device (whistle, flare gun, rescue beacon, etc.).

If the kit doesn’t cover one of these areas, or if a class of gear is lost or used up, assess the -1 for “missing important items” (see Equipment Modifiers, p. B345). As the kit is depleted, it degrades to the level of improvised equipment at best. Good- and fine-quality kits are bigger because they include several items of each type, giving the survivor a backup in case something is lost or malfunctions. The best kits contain items that can’t be used up or that work on wholly different principles (flint and steel, waterproof matches, and fire-starting paste).

This is a radio beacon (p. 210) the size of a cigarette pack. It’s tied into a global satellite network so that when the beacon is activated, rescue teams are notified. At TL7, the beacon is located via radio direction finders mounted in rescue vehicles, and it might take rescuers 6 hours or more to get a fix. At TL8, location is determined from GPS data broadcast by the beacon – which is much more reliable – and the time from activation to an alert at a rescue center is a mere 3-10 minutes. $1,000, 0.75 lb., S/24 hrs. LC4.

This is basic equipment for a particular Survival skill specialty – the minimum that each person needs during a life-threatening situation in a specific environment. In all cases, it includes a knife of some sort, a light source and/or a fire starter, and some means to procure food and clean water. The specifics vary depending on the hardware available at the tech level (flint and steel instead of a lighter, cell phone in place of a signal mirror, etc.) and on the intended environment (money is much more useful than a fishing kit in an Urban Survival situation!). This gear alone might weigh 0.5 lb. or less.

However, many items might appear in a given adventurer’s personal basics; e.g., cord, duct tape, eating utensils, first aid kit, hip flask, notebook, towel, and water bottle. Prescription medicines and a spare pair of contacts or glasses (p. 225), are also a good idea.

In general, total cost is around 1% of the monthly cost of living, and overall weight is about 1 lb.

The ultimate in “minimalist,” this is basic woodland survival gear concealed in the lining of a belt: compass, empty 1-quart plastic water bag, fishing kit, matches, micro-flashlight, multi-function knife, notebook, sewing kit, signal mirror, snare, water purification tablets, wire saw, and a few feet each of cord and duct tape. $100, 0.5 lb. LC4.

A jungle survival kit contained on a load-bearing vest, this gives a +1 (quality) to Survival (Jungle). It includes: cigarette lighter, compass, emergency blanket, empty 1-quart plastic water bag, fishing kit, insect repellant, magnifying glass, matches, multi-function knife, pen flare, signal mirror, small first aid kit, snares, strobe marker, sunscreen, water purification tablets, whistle, and two snacks. In addition to all this, military versions add a handgun and ammunition – and most pilots add a larger knife and either a small radio or a personal rescue beacon. The civilian version is $250, 5 lbs. LC4.

The first priority in a long-term survival situation is to find a reliable water source. Leaving water in a clear, closed container on a reflective surface in the sun for six hours will kill any bacteria in it (a process called “solar water disinfection” or “SODIS”). Boiling water for 20 minutes also works. There are other ways to obtain potable water, however.

Chemical Desalter Kit (TL6). Standard equipment aboard life rafts and aircraft is a small box with eight bars of desalting chemical and a plastic bag. Each bar is dropped into a seawater-filled bag. Five minutes later, a quart of water is ready to drink. $25, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Water Filter (TL6). A water filter works by pushing water through some kind of filter medium (paper, charcoal, etc.). This gives a bonus equal to (TL-2) to HT rolls when drinking bacteria-ridden water (see Contagion, p. B443) but doesn’t remove salt – for that, use a desalinator (below). It takes a minute to filter a quart of water. At TL8, divide weight by 8. $100, 8 lbs. LC4.

Water Purification Tablets (TL6). A tiny amount of chlorine or iodine can kill most bacteria in a water supply in about 30 minutes. The taste leaves a lot to be desired, but it is safe. A bottle of 50 tablets: $5, neg. LC4.

Solar Water Still (TL7). A plastic bag or a rubber bladder used to distill potable water from almost anything with water in it – cactus pulp, kelp, seawater, etc. The still works by evaporation, using the power of the sun. It produces up to a quart of potable water a day. Make a Survival roll to use it and gather the water. $30, 2 lbs. LC4.

Hand-Pumped Desalinator (TL8). This is modern lifeboat equipment. The pump filters a cup of water for every 10 minutes of pumping (costs 1 FP). A larger model (¥3 cost and weight) produces a quart of water for the same effort. The filter lasts for 15,000 gallons. $500, 2.5 lbs. LC4.

MIOX Water Purifier (TL8). This pen-sized gadget uses an electrolytic process to create a chemical “cocktail” of mixed oxidants (MIOX) that safely eliminates microbiological contamination in water. The battery-powered device uses table salt to produce a salty liquid that’s left mixed with drinking water for 15 minutes to four hours, depending on the water’s condition. After that, the water is safe to drink. $100, 0.25 lb., S/200 quarts. LC4.

UV Purifier (TL8). A UV light source inside a special one-quart container. Water exposed to the UV light for 1-2 minutes is safe from microbiological contamination. $100, 2.5 lbs. (full), 4¥XS/20 quarts. LC4.

A few comforts from home are always welcome on the trail!

Camp Shower (TL7). A one-gallon shower bag. An hour of direct sunlight can heat it to over 90°F. $20, 2 lbs. LC4.

Chemical Toilet (TL7). A plastic bucket with seat. Kills bacteria and odors. $30, 7 lbs. LC4.

Clothes Washer (TL8). A hand-cranked washer that cleans up to 5 lbs of clothes in 2 minutes. $50, 4 lbs. LC4.

Espresso Maker (TL8). Prepares one serving in about 3 minutes. $10, 2 lbs. LC4.

The sea is a cruel mistress. It pays to enter her domain well-prepared.

The life jacket is the essential maritime life-saving device. The earliest models date to 1850s Britain, and were made from huge blocks of cork sewn into a canvas vest. Any life jacket gives +6 to Swimming rolls to avoid drowning (p. B354) but -3 in Quick Contests of Swimming when racing (see Swimming, p. B224).

Life Jacket (TL5). At TL5, cork-block construction gives -3 to Swimming rolls to avoid injury when first entering the water. At TL6-8, better materials eliminate this problem and weigh half as much. $10, 5 lbs. LC4. Flotation Belt (TL6). A heavy webbing belt with two rubber tubes inside. It was issued by the thousands during WWII. When activated, two CO2 cylinders inflate the belt. $15, 2 lbs. LC4.

Flotation Vest (TL8). A concealable life jacket – often incorporated into a load-bearing vest (p. 54). It can be manually activated or set to inflate automatically on entering the water. Its self-righting design will keep even an unconscious person’s head out of the water. $150, 3 lbs. LC4.

Modern skin diving got its start in the 1920s, when Guy Gilpatric began using aviation goggles while spearing fish in the French Riviera. The standard equipment we know today soon followed.

Dive Mask (TL6). See Goggles.

Snorkel (TL6). This modern snorkel with a rubber mouthpiece lets a swimmer keep his face in the water while swimming on the surface. $25, 1 lb. LC4.

Swim Fins (TL6). Although Benjamin Franklin fiddled with an early prototype, modern swim fins were custommade for divers during the 1930s. Commercial models appeared in 1940. Each fin requires a Ready maneuver to don or remove. They provide Enhanced Move 0.5 (Water) but reduce Move to 2 on land. $25, 3 lbs. LC4.

These items provide an extra degree of safety for those on the open water.

Dive Cage (TL7). A divers’ shelter for shark-infested waters. It has space for up to three men. A buoyancycontrol device allows use on or below the surface. DR 20. $3,000, 600 lbs. LC4.

Dye Marker (TL7). A container of fluorescent dye. Released in water, it takes 3d seconds to make a luminous circle 30’ in diameter, which gives +2 to Vision rolls to see it. It lasts for about half an hour in normal sea conditions. $5, 0.5 lb. LC4.

Life Raft (TL7). A round, high-visibility, self-inflating raft for one in a soda can-sized package – with weather canopy, sea anchor, etc. A larger, four-person model is also available (¥3 weight and cost). $50, 5 lbs. LC4.

Emergency Beacon (TL8). This wrist-worn, short-range radio beacon triggers automatically if submerged and can also be activated manually. It is part of the “man-overboard system” common on yachts and commercial fishing boats. When activated, an alarm sounds aboard the vessel and a shipboard radio direction finder (pp. 38-39) indicates distance and direction to the beacon. Each locator can be assigned a coded ID so that it reveals the survivor’s identity as well. $300, 0.25 lb., XS/8 hrs. LC4.

Diving rebreathers actually predate conventional scuba gear and were first used as submarine escape equipment. Since they recirculate the diver’s exhaled gases instead of exhausting them, they draw much less attention on the surface – a useful trait for military divers. For details, see Rebreathers (p. 76).

French naval officer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Air Liquide engineer Emile Gagnan produced a working model of the “aqua-lung” in 1943. Models reached the U.S. in 1948. By 1958, over 25,000 had been sold – thanks in no small part to the TV adventure series Sea Hunt.

A scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus) setup is an “open-circuit” breathing system – it releases the diver’s exhaled breaths into the water. Such gear is wasteful of air but simple to operate compared to a “closedcircuit” rebreather (p. 76). Its biggest limitation is that it’s restricted to relatively shallow dive depths.

Micro-Scuba Rig (TL7). A complete breathing rig with mouthpiece, regulator, etc., used as a backup by divers if their main system malfunctions. It provides air for 30-60 breaths; see Holding Your Breath (p. B351). Holdout -3. $200, 2 lbs. LC4.

Scuba Gear (TL7). A comprehensive set of scuba-diving equipment: wetsuit, dive mask, snorkel, fins, buoyancy compensator, medium air tank, regulator, weight belt, and so on. See Chapter 4 for details on air tanks and scuba masks. $1,500, 45 lbs. LC4.

In 1797, André Garnerin leapt out of a hydrogen balloon 3,200’ above Paris . . . and survived, courtesy of his invention, the first practical parachute. Interest in this technology grew enormously with the development of powered flight in TL6.

The first widespread use of parachutes was during WWI – initially as an escape device for balloonists, and later for pilots and even spies. In the 1920s, the Soviets conducted the first military exercises with parachute infantry, proving that a force could be landed behind enemy lines. Whole armies of parachutists were organized during WWII. Many countries maintain “airborne” units today; 100 U.S. Army Rangers parachuted into Afghanistan in 2001, and 1,000 airborne troops landed on a single airfield in Iraq in 2003. Parachutes aren’t exclusively safety gear and military kit. The civilian sport of skydiving blossomed in the ’60s and ’70s, thanks to safer parachutes and better training. All types of parachutes and parachuting use the Parachuting skill (p. B212).

A parachutist must make a Parachuting roll to use his equipment correctly on a jump. After pulling the ripcord on his parachute, he’ll fall a minimum of 80 yards before the canopy opens completely. Should he hit the ground before then, assume that he has half the usual velocity for the fall. Once his chute is entirely open, he falls at 5 yards per second (variables include canopy size, parachutist weight, thermals, etc.), and drifts with the wind. Add 1 yard per second to landing speed per 50 lbs. over the parachute’s maximum rated weight. A chute carrying 120% or more of its rated weight simply fails. Ram-air devices differ in several ways (see below).

Beginning at TL8, most parachutes are equipped with an automatic barometric actuating device that deploys the canopy at a preset altitude – usually 1,000’. This safety feature prevents an unconscious jumper from plummeting to his death. Of course, it can malfunction or be intentionally deactivated (or sabotaged!). It takes 10 seconds to put on a parachute, 2 seconds to take it off.

Parachute (TL5). The earliest experimental parachutes had no hole in the top to allow air to escape, so they oscillated ferociously. Parachutists jumping with these poorly designed parachutes must make a HT-4 roll to avoid becoming nauseated (p. B428). Maximum suspended weight is 150 lbs. $500, 50 lbs. LC4.

Parachute (TL6). One of the first commercial parachutes was the Guardian Angel, sold in England from 1917. This is a standard round parachute opened by a static line or by hand. It isn’t controllable and thus relies on the jumpmaster and the aircraft pilot for accuracy in hitting the drop zone. The current U.S. Army T-10 is very similar. Maximum suspended weight is 150 lbs. (200 lbs. at TL7, 250 lbs. at TL8). A reserve chute adds $250, 15 lbs. $750, 30 lbs. LC4.

Mini-Parachute (TL8). A parachute in a slim backpack that can be concealed under a jacket (¥5 cost) with ripaway back panels. One model is marketed as a high-rise building escape device. It opens in half the distance of a normal chute. $1,000, 8 lbs. LC4. Parachute Navigation Device (TL8). This gadget combines GPS (p. 53) and a helmet-mounted HUD to project a directional arrow that guides the parachutist to his landing zone. Military models are designed to work with nightvision goggles. $1,500, 1 lb., XS/20 hrs. LC3.

Ram-Air Parachute (TL8). At TL8, sport jumpers and high-altitude military parachutists favor airfoil-style parachutes. Such a chute is highly maneuverable. It can glide at Move 15 relative to the ground – and with a good tailwind at 20,000’, jumpers routinely cruise as fast as Move 35, flying dozens of miles under canopy in the right conditions. This allows black-ops teams to exit an aircraft at great altitude and fly in formation to a distant drop zone. Jumpers attempting such stunts require an air mask (pp. 72-73) and air tanks (p. 74) to avoid passing out due to lack of oxygen; see Atmospheric Pressure (p. B429). Maximum suspended weight is 400 lbs. For performance data as vehicle, see the Air Conveyances Table (p. 232). With reserve: $3,500, 25 lbs. LC4.

Sometimes, the only way to get equipment to people on the ground – be they smokejumpers, scientists in Antarctica, or troops in an area too hot for a helicopter landing – is to deliver it from the sky.

Parachute Container (TL6). A typical WWII-era cargo container, this packet holds 250 lbs., or 5 cubic feet, of gear. With parachute deployed, it descends at 6 yards per second, drifting with the wind. Military chutes are often colorcoded (blue for mail, green for ammunition, red for medical supplies, etc.). $50, 25 lbs. LC4.

Guided Parachute Delivery (TL8). Using GPS (p. 53) to guide the parachute via a strap-on control pack and a set of control arms that look like shock absorbers, a GPD can deliver cargo (like a parachute container, above) to preset coordinates. Such a system – like the U.S. military’s Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS), used in Afghanistan and the Iraq War – can steer itself to within a few dozen yards of the programmed landing point. It cruises at Move 10-15 relative to the ground. Maximum cargo load is 5 tons. $70,000, 50 lbs. LC3.

Infiltration Pod (TL8). This is a streamlined human cargo pod, like the EXINT (extraction/insertion) pod from London-based AVPRO. It holds one person and attaches to an aircraft’s hardpoints; a single AH-64 Apache helicopter can carry four. The occupant has a radio, a navigation display, and life support – but no controls! A GPS-guided control system steers the pod precisely and lands it safely using a combination of parachute and airbags. Maximum cargo load, including occupant, is 500 lbs. $100,000, 700 lbs. LC3.

A parachutist may need to dispatch an unwanted welcoming committee as he nears the ground. This requires a Move and Attack maneuver, with a penalty equal to the weapon’s Bulk or -2 (whichever is worse). Roll against the lower of Parachuting or ranged weapon skill to hit. Paratroopers who often find themselves in this predicament might benefit from the Mounted Shooting technique (p. 251).