UNIVERSAL ARMOR GADGETS
The following gadgets are universal and can apply to armors
found in any era, provided all gadget-specific restrictions are observed.
Chameleoline
Chameleoline is a rare substance of eldar origin which can
be woven into the structure of most fabrics. Morphic polymer chains in the
material automatically take on the colours and textures of their surroundings.
The result is that after a second or two motionless the wearer appears to fade
into the background, offering chameleon-like protection from prying eyes. A
character with a chameleoline armour gets a +2 concealment bonus to Defense.
This gadget also provides the armor’s wearer a bonus on Hide
checks. For light armor, this bonus is +4; for medium, +6, for heavy, superheavy,
and environmentally sealed armor, +10.
Restrictions: None.
Purchase DC Modifier: +8.
Environment Seal
Since many armors are designed with a particular environment
in mind, this gadget provides the wearer protection from harsh conditions. The
environment seal gadget transforms any armor into a stable and insulated artificial
environment. This provides the wearer with the right amount of breathable air
and external pressure to assure comfort and survival for up to eight hours,
ensuring that the armor can function in the extremes of the deep sea or deep
space, along with any environment in between. Only certain types of armor can
handle this modification and those that do usually integrate a sealed helmet,
body glove, and emergency air tanks to generate internal atmosphere.
Restrictions: Medium, heavy, or powered armor only.
Purchase DC Modifier: +4.
Gravity Anchor
With space combat almost as common as ground combat in the
Energy Age, armor manufacturers seek to make their armor more useful in both
space and atmospheric combat. One such enhancement is the gravity anchor gadget,
which generates a field of artificial gravity around the armor’s wearer. In low
gravity and zero gravity conditions, the gravity anchor can be activated to
give the wearer the benefits of full gravity in any situation. Characters with
this gadget are unaffected by low gravity and zero-g conditions.
Restrictions: None.
Purchase DC Modifier: +4.
Heads-Up Display (HUD)
One of the most valuable innovations in portable information
technology is the personal heads-up display (HUD). A HUD is composed of optical
sensors for taking in data and a display device that projects an overlay in the
user’s field of vision. A HUD also typically incorporates some sort of
communications link or data link to allow another person or computer to see
what the wearer sees and transmit valuable information back to the HUD.
A HUD is typically incorporated into the armour’s helmet.
Armour without a helmet cannot incorporate a HUD.
The standard HUD can be used to highlight the outline of a
person or object bearing a specific transmitter or signal generator on voice
command, granting a +2 bonus on Spot checks when pursuing a specific target.
Additionally, a person with a link to the HUD can freely send data and images
to the wearer at any time. Individual software packages (represented as
gadgets) can further augment the abilities of a HUD.
Restrictions: Armour must contain helmet.
Purchase DC Modifier: +4.
HUD Software,
Ammunition Tracker
A piece of software for the heads-up display device, the
Ammunition Tracker is able to keep track of exactly how many shots have been
expended from a particular weapon. Additionally, when a character starts to get
low on ammunition, a warning flashes on the HUD indicating that a reload must
occur soon.
Restrictions: Heads-up display only, requires a weapon with an integrated
computer.
Purchase DC Modifier: +1.
HUD Software, Auspex
Link
A piece of software for the heads-up display device, the
auspex link allows the user to directly link any auspex to the HUD. As a
result, any auspex can be used hands-free as a free action, provided they are
present on the character’s person.
Restrictions: Heads-up display only.
Purchase DC Modifier: +2.
HUD Software, Biosensor
A piece of software for the heads-up display device,
biosensor software allows the wearer of the HUD to identify potential
weaknesses in enemies. When worn, the biosensor software integrates elements of
the medicomp auspex (though the sensor itself is not required) and can identify
exactly how many hit points a target has left. Initiating this scan requires a
full-round action, however, as the target must be kept precisely within the
sensor’s range for the duration of the scan.
Restrictions: Heads-up displays only.
Purchase DC Modifier: +4.
HUD Software, Targeting
A piece of software for the heads-up display device,
targeting software links directly to a ranged weapon’s video scope. This allows
the character to see exactly what the video scope displays without having to
look at the weapon. The character may fire around corners without exposing himself
as normal. The software also grants a +1 equipment bonus on ranged attacks
using the weapon to which it is connected.
Restrictions: Heads-up display only, requires weapon with video scope
gadget.
Purchase DC Modifier: +2.
HUD Software, Vehicle
Link
A piece of software for the heads-up display device, the
vehicle link allows the onboard computer system of any vehicle to be displayed
on the HUD. This grants a +1 equipment bonus on all Drive or Pilot checks made
on a vehicle linked to the device.
Restrictions: Heads-up display only, requires vehicle with onboard
computer system.
Purchase DC Modifier: +2.
Integrated
Equipment
A particular piece of nonweapon equipment has been
integrated into the armor and can be used by the armor’s wearer at any time. This
gadget is often used to add features such as glow-lamps or duracable to armor,
though it is not limited to those applications. Indeed, some armors are
intended to make their wearers into independent one-person armies, and sport a
dozen or more such equipment integrations.
When selecting the integrated equipment gadget, choose a
piece of equipment. That equipment is integrated into the base armor and can be
used at any time. Additionally, you must choose whether or not the equipment
may be physically separated from the base armor or not at the time of purchase.
This gadget may be selected multiple times, each time adding a single
additional piece of equipment to the base model.
Restrictions: The character must also purchase the piece of equipment to
be integrated separately from the armor, before the
gadget modification is made.
Purchase DC Modifier: +2.
Integrated Weapon
Some armors are designed with specific combat purposes in
mind and build in certain weapons as standard equipment. Examples run from a pair
of pop-out wrist blades to shoulder-mounted plasma cannons. Additionally, many
armors link their weapons to integrated heads-up displays (like the Incubus
tormentor a neurally linked splinter-pistol attached to their armours helmet)
turning the user into a walking combat machine.
When selecting the integrated weapon gadget, choose a single
weapon. That weapon is integrated into the base armor and can be used at any
time. Additionally, you must choose whether or not the weapon may be physically
separated from the base armor or not at the time of purchase. This gadget may
be selected multiple times, each time adding a single additional weapon to the
base armor.
Restrictions: The character must also purchase the weapon to be integrated
separately from the base armor, before the gadget modification is made.
Purchase DC Modifier: See text.
Jump Pack
This is a special pack that launches the target when
activated. Any armor with this gadget grants a +60 bonus on all Jump checks in
any situation where gravity is a factor. There is no limit to heights that can
be reached. If jump distance exceeds ordinary move capacity the character ends
his turn midway through the jump and will continue his jump when he has more
movement available; even if this means he is in mid-air at the end of his turn.
This gadget has no function in zero-g environments.
Restrictions: Only
medium armour or heavier can take a Jump Pack.
Purchase DC Modifier: +4.
Prehensile
Appendage
A favoured armour gadget of the Adeptus Mechancius Skitarii
warriors, and others that have need for an extra hand, the prehensile appendage
gadget is both utilitarian and expensive. Essentially, this gadget consists of
a long flexible cylinder capped at the end with a grasping claw that attaches
to the armor’s side or back. The prehensile appendage gadget essentially gives
the wearer of the armor an additional hand with which to hold and manipulate
objects. The gadget cannot be used to make normal melee attacks or fire ranged
weapons, but it can make grapple attempts (with a Strength bonus of +2 and
using the wearer’s base attack bonus). The appendage is controlled by a neural
uplink. This gadget can be taken up to 4 possible times.
Restrictions: None.
Purchase DC Modifier: +6.
Self-Repairing
The self-repairing gadget implements nanotechnology in its
infancy to repair minor damage to armor. Whenever the armor is damaged, the
self-repairing gadget immediately issues commands to a set of nanites that move
to the problem spot and begin making repairs. The gadget repairs 1 point of
damage per minute to the armor.
Restrictions: None.
Purchase DC Modifier: +6.
Storage
Compartment
A simple but often overlooked modification that can be of
great benefit in almost any situation is the ability to store and carry small
items in a safe place. The storage compartment gadget accomplishes just that,
incorporating an empty space where other objects can be carried by the wearer
with relative ease. Each storage compartment gadget allows the wearer to carry
two items of size Small or smaller in a container built into the armor. This
gadget may be taken multiple times, each time providing another compartment
where small items may be carried.
Restrictions: None.
Purchase DC Modifier: +1.
Ultralight
Composition
The development of new and experimental alloys constantly
allows armor technology to advance to the point where once bulky and heavy
armors become as easy to carry as lighter models. Any armor with the ultralight
composition gadget weighs significantly less than similar pieces of armor and
is more easily used and worn. The armor reduces its Armor Check Penalty (if
any) by 1. Furthermore, the armor’s speed limitation is increased by 5 feet (to
a maximum of the user’s normal speed). So, for example, an armor with an Armor
Check Penalty of –2 and a speed limitation of 20 feet now has an Armor Check
Penalty of –1 and a speed limitation of 25 feet.
Restrictions: None.
Purchase DC Modifier: +4.