CREATING EQUIPMENT
Adventurers need costumes and props for their adventures, such as pieces of personal equipment, vehicles, and structures.
Equipment within a setting implies a civilization of craftsmen, factory workers, or automation gathering and shaping materials into the ready-made items your Adventurers carry and use.
When creating equipment and items, consider the following possible core attributes:
Core Equipment Design
☐ EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION
What is this equipment commonly called?
Who manufactures it?
What does the Adventurer need to know about this equipment on first impressions?
☐ EQUIPMENT USE
What does the equipment look like or do when started or activated?
What do Adventurers see, hear, feel, smell, or taste regarding this equipment while in use?
☐ EQUIPMENT GAMEPLAY
What uses or effects will this equipment have on the Adventurers' game?
Does the equipment have any adventure hooks waiting to be discovered?
Extended (Optional) Equipment Design
☐ EQUIPMENT TYPE
A general classification or grouping for the equipment.
What category of equipment is this?
Accessories
Ammunition
Armor
Augmentations
Containers
Clothes
Drugs: Potions, elixirs, ointments, salves, poultices, pharmaceuticals, medicines, poisons, and more …
Explosive Weapons: detonators, explosives, and
Lifestyles: Air, water, food, clothes, shelter, power, conveniences, luxuries, entertainment, and more …
Melee Weapons
Ranged Weapons: including missiles and thrown weapons
Screens
Shields
Supplies
Tools: Communications, exploration, musical Instruments, security, sensors, stealth, surveillance, survival, and more …
☐ EQUIPMENT ILLUSTRATION / SCHEMATIC
Setting-Based Elements
☐ TECH LEVELS
Starting and Ending Tech Level Availability
When does the item come into use as a prototype or as a common item?
What Tech Levels are this item appropriate in?
When does the item's technical abilities manifest?
(-10 to 0 to +10)
☐ MAGIC LEVELS
Starting and Ending Magic Level Availability
What Magic Levels are this item appropriate in?
When does the item's magical abilities manifest?
(-10 to 0 to +10)
☐ EQUIPMENT SOURCE
Where does an Adventurer obtain this equipment? (craftperson, corporation, maker template)
☐ EQUIPMENT COST
What does the equipment cost in which currency?
☐ EQUIPMENT RESTRICTIONS
Are there legal issues or requirements to obtain, possess, or use this equipment?
(None, Licensed, Illegal/Black Market)
System- or Mechanics-Based Elements
☐ ENVIRONMENTS
Are there requirements or constraints to use this item in specific environments?
(land, sea, air, space)
☐ MASS
How heavy or bulky is the item when carried or transported?
☐ USES/SIZE/CAPACITY
How many times or how often may an Adventurer use this item? (1-unlimited)
☐ REQUIRES
Does this item require an Adventurer to possess or use other items at the same time?
☐ EFFECTS
What benefits and detriments will an Adventurer gain from using this item?
Does the item or service alter the wearer's or operator's abilities or reserves?
☐ STRENGTH (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the wearer's Strength?
How durable is this equipment?
How much capacity or lifting ability does the equipment possess?
☐ ENDURANCE (-10 to 0 to +10)
How much damage can this equipment take?
How tough is the equipment superstructure and armor plating?
☐ AGILITY (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the wearer's Agility or movement?
How maneuverable is the equipment as a whole?
☐ DEXTERITY (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to Adventurer's Dexterity?
☐ SPEED (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to Adventurer's Speed?
How fast does the equipment itself operate?
☐ APPEARANCE (-10 to 0 to +10)
How attractive or stylish does this equipment appear?
So called “smart gear” may add electronics, computers, bio-engineering, and synthetics bringing mental abilities into play.
☐ INTELLIGENCE (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Intelligence during use?
How autonomous or aware is the equipment?
☐ WILL (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Willpower or Will-based activity such as spell-casting, mysticism, or psionics?
How strong is the equipment effect or personality?
☐ INGENUITY (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Ingenuity or creativity?
How capable is the equipment of creatively working around obstacles to orders, repairing damage, or making self-modifications?
☐ AWARENESS (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Awareness or observation abilities?
How sensitive are the equipment internal and external sensors?
Are there any hidden attributes exposed to those with high Awareness?
☐ REFLEXES (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to the Adventurer's Reflexes or response times?
How fast does the equipment react to events?
☐ CHARISMA (-10 to 0 to +10)
Does this equipment grant a bonus or cause a penalty to others perception of the Adventurer?
How is the equipment personality perceived by others it interacts with?
☐ DEGREE OF SUCCESS
Are there any notes relevant to specific Degrees of Success when using this equipment?
(-10 to 0 to +10)
☐ ADDITIONAL ATTRIBUTES OR POWERS
What additional abilities or powers does this equipment impart?
☐ ALLOWED FOR STARTING ADVENTURERS?
Is this equipment allowed for starting Adventurers?
☐ TOOLS OR SPELLS(S) REQUIRED TO USE
What tools or spells would an Adventurer need to use this equipment?
☐ SKILL(S) REQUIRED TO USE
What skills would an Adventurer need to use this equipment?
☐ CRAFTING RESOURCES
What resources and time are required to craft this equipment?
☐ SKILL(S) REQUIRED TO CRAFT
What skills would an Adventurer need to craft this equipment?
☐ TOOLS OR SPELLS(S) REQUIRED TO CRAFT
What tools or spells would an Adventurer need to craft this equipment?
☐ CRAFTING RECIPE
What steps are required to craft this equipment?
☐ IMPROVEMENTS OR UPGRADES
What resources, skills, tooling, and time are required to improve or upgrade this equipment?
☐ REPAIR RESOURCES
What resources and time are required to repair or refurbish this vehicle after use or if damaged?
☐ SKILL(S) REQUIRED TO REPAIR
What skills would an Adventurer need to repair this equipment?
☐ TOOLS OR SPELLS(S) REQUIRED TO REPAIR
What tools or spells would an Adventurer need to repair this equipment?
☐ REPAIR RECIPE
What steps are required to repair this equipment?
☐ SALVAGE
What resources, skills, tooling, and time are required to salvage materials from this equipment?
What is the salvageable yield?
Worksheets
| Attribute | Equipment |
|---|---|
| Description | |
| Use | |
| Gameplay | |
| Attribute | Equipment |
| Strength | |
| Endurance | |
| Agility | |
| Dexterity | |
| Speed | |
| Appearance | |
| Intelligence | |
| Will | |
| Awareness | |
| Ingenuity | |
| Reflexes | |
| Charisma |
Technology Levels
| TL | TL DESCRIPTION | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
| -10 | Prehistoric | Before fire |
| -9 | Stone Age | Paleolithic, Ice Age |
| -8 | Bronze Age | Ancient Egyptian, Ancient Greek, Ancient Chinese |
| -7 | Iron Age | Ancient Greek, Ancient Roman |
| -6 | Middle Ages ~500-1400AD | Medieval, Medieval Fantasy |
| -5 | Renaissance ~1400-1500 | |
| -4 | Age of Sail/Exploration ~1500-1760 | Pirates, Swashbuckling |
| -3 | Industrial/Technological Revolutions ~1760-1914 | Old West 1780-1920's, Horror 1890's-1920's |
| -2 | World War I and II ~1914-1945 | Pulp 1920's-1930's |
| -1 | Atomic/Nuclear/Space Age ~1946-1970's | Atomic Age Horror 1945-1970's, Superhero Era 1940's-1970's, Espionage Era 1940's-1980's, Space Age 1960s-1980s |
| 0 | Information Age ~1970s-2020s (Now) | Modern, Modem-punk, Modern Conspiracy/Horror 1990's- |
| +1 | Synthetic (Biological/Intelligence) Age ~2020-2199 | Tomorrows, Cyberpunk |
| +2 | Stellar Age ~2100+ | Conquest of the Solar System, Trans-humanist, After the Apocalypse (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, Technological, Ecological) |
| +3 | Slower-Than-Light Interstellar Age | |
| +4 | Mass-less Faster-Than-Light (Communication) | Moving energy/information only above c |
| +5 | Mass Faster-Than-Light (Travel) | Moving energy/information and mass above c |
| +6 | Faster-Than-Light Interstellar Age | Interstellar Expansion, Post-Scarcity, Federation |
| +7 | Galactic Age | Interstellar Empires, Decadent |
| +8 | Extra-galactic Age | |
| +9 | Pre-Ascendant | the Krell, Markovians, Xeelee, limited mass/energy conversion and control |
| +10 | Post-Ascendance | After the Singularity, Post-Instrumentality, total mass/energy conversion or control |
Note: From TL+2 (Stellar Age) onward, multiple technology levels become possible in a setting as different distant locations diverge in their technological capabilities and social conventions.
Design Notes
Equipment capable of self propulsion, such as by wheels or jets, may be designed as a vehicle instead.
Equipment capable of autonomous action with or without a pilot or passenger may be designed as a robot instead.
Additional Resources
Roleplaying Tips #0192 Tips On Managing Mundane Equipment
Roleplaying Tips #0268 Special Equipment Tips
Salvage Space: Equipment
◢ Salvage Space: Equipment
◢ Salvage Space: Accessories
◢ Salvage Space: Ammunition
◢ Salvage Space: Armor
◢ Salvage Space: Augmentations
◢ Salvage Space: Containers
◢ Salvage Space: Clothes
◢ Salvage Space: Drugs (including Medicines and Poisons)
◢ Salvage Space: Explosive Weapons (including Grenades)
◢ Salvage Space: Lifestyles (including Food)
◢ Salvage Space: Melee Weapons
◢ Salvage Space: Ranged Weapons (including Missiles, Thrown Weapons)
◢ Salvage Space: Screens
◢ Salvage Space: Shields
◢ Salvage Space: Supplies (including Power)
◢ Salvage Space: Tools (including Communications, Exploration, Musical Instruments, Security, Sensors, Stealth, Surveillance, Survival )