7. Equipment

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[forthcoming]

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Weaponry

Weapons come in all shapes and sizes, but combat weapons - those meant to be used in conjunction with the Close Combat or Ranged Combat Actions - can be broken down into two simple categories: Off-the-Shelf and Unique.

Off-the-Shelf
Off-the-shelf weapons are standard examples of their type. They may be as common or a kitchen knife, or as exotic as an antique Qin dynasty broadsword - regardless, their statistics are typical and unremarkable. One one hand, they lack the power of their Unique counterparts; on the other hand, they are easily obtained and replaced.

Improvised weapons such as a wooden 2x4 or a lead pipe are also essentially off-the-shelf weapons, but they tend to have weaker Advantages because they aren't designed for dealing damage. Truly awkward improvised weapons may also impose a situational modifier as a penalty, which can be countered by an appropriate Close Combat specialty ("improvised weapons" will do nicely).

The benefit of using a weapon in combat is slight: off-the-shelf weapons do not grant free stones from the General Pool, but they do come with one or more Advantages. Some weapons are meant only for use in conjunction with Close Combat, while others only for Ranged Combat; some weapons - usually thrown weapons - may be used interchangeably.

Off-the-shelf weapons are grouped by the Advantages they grant. Some weapons may have multiple Advantages:

+1 damage: Most light weapons fall into this category, including knives, sai, small clubs, baseball bats, nunchaku, police batons and night sticks, and so on. Most thrown weapons will also fit into this category, as do 9mm, 10mm, .22, .38 handguns and the like. Likewise, many improvised weapons, such as 2x4s and lead pipes should grant +1 damage.

x2 damage: Heavy weapons deal double damage. This includes large swords such as katanas, fire axes and spears. Large firearms such as shotguns and assault rifles of all kinds also qualify. Thrown objects of at least weight 4 on the D&R chart (such as cars) also qualify, as would very large improvised weapons such as telephone poles.

x3 damage: Only serious munitions deal triple damage. Grenades, rocket launchers and landmines, for example. Massive thrown objects of at least weight 7 on the D&R chart (such a a school bus) also qualify.

Reach: Reach weapons have a slight defensive advantage over other Close Combat weapons. As long as you have at least 1 stone in your Close Combat box, you gain a free +1 stone of defense against attacks made by opponents using non-reach weapons in Close Combat. Spears, whips, lances, and so on all qualify, as do very long improvised weapons like ladders or telephone poles.

Range 2: Thrown weapons usually have a minimum Range of 2, regardless of your actual Strength score. This includes shuriken, throwing knives, spears and the like.

Range 3: Projectile weapons such as slings, bows and arrows and crossbows typically have this range, as do firearms meant for short ranges, such as shotguns and light revolvers (.22 caliber).

Range 4: Most firearms such as 9mm handguns and assault rifles have this range.

Range 5: Specialty weapons such as scoped sniper rifles and rocket launchers operate at this range.

Burst: Some firearms such as assault rifles and sub-machineguns are capable of 3-round bursts and full-auto fire, while shotguns spray buckshot over large areas. When splitting stones between multiple targets, gain a free +1 stone of attack per target.

Area of Effect: Truly destructive weapons such as rockets, grenades and even flame throwers may qualify for an Area of Effect. The exact area is specific to each weapon, rather than variable.

Material Class: Some rare materials may be available for purchase, though even Material Class 2 equipment will be prohibitively expensive and often quite illegal. Teflon-coated bullets, for example, could be considered Material Class 2, allowing them to penetrate standard armor. Most Material Class 3 and higher equipment is considered Unique.

Some common examples include:

* hunting knife or sai [+1 damage, Close Combat or Ranged Combat (thrown, Range 2)]
* baseball bat or billy club [+1 damage, Close Combat]
* katana or longsword [x2 damage, Close Combat]
* spear [+1 or x2 damage, Reach, Close Combat or Ranged Combat (thrown, Range 2)]
* whip [Reach, Close Combat]
* Saturday Night Special .22 revolver [+1 damage, Ranged Combat (Range 3)]
* 9mm Glock or .357 magnum revolver [+1 damage, Ranged Combat (Range 4)]
* 12 gauge shotgun [x2 damage, Ranged Combat (Range 3), Burst]
* 9mm sub-machinegun [+1 damage, Ranged Combat (Range 4), Burst]
* AK-47 or AR15 [x2 damage, Ranged Combat (Range 4), Burst]
* PSG-1 sniper rifle [x2 damage, Ranged Combat (Range 5)]
* hand grenade [x3 damage, Ranged Combat (thrown, Range 2), Area of Effect 3]
* rocket-propelled grenade [x3 damage, Ranged Combat (Range 5), Area of Effect 5]


Costs: Off-the-shelf weapons can be purchased with money gained from the Wealth Modifier. You can either keep track of costs down to the dollar amount (search the internet for appropriate prices) or use these guidelines:

Wealth -1 = You're pretty much stuck with improvised weapons only, and even that might be considered theft.
Wealth 0 = You have access to something cheap, such as a knife or a baseball bat. If you save up, you might be able to afford a small handgun.
Wealth 1 = It is reasonable to assume that you can afford shotguns, a couple handguns, or maybe even an assault rifle if you buy used. Serious melee weapons such as a functioning sword is also a possibility.
Wealth 2 to 3= You can spare the money for exotic melee weapons and top of the line firearms, as long as you aren't buying a whole arsenal.
Wealth 4 to 5 = The black market becomes an option to the unscrupulous.
Wealth 6+ = Not only can you easily afford the best weapons available, you can hire soldiers to use them for you.

If you play your cards right, some applications of Business Skills, Social Skills or Thieving, along with a little roleplaying may help you bump your access up beyond your wealth level. As always, GM's discretion is advised.

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Unique Weapons
Some heroes and villains aren't content to use just any weapon - they need something truly special. Sometimes it's even the weapon that makes one special in the first place.

Unique weapons are always superior to their off-the-shelf counterparts, with most granting free stones from the General Pool to those who wield them, and often superior Advantages to boot. However, because they are so precious and rare, they must be purchased with character creation stones rather than just money.

Use the following steps to determine a unique weapon's cost:

Weapon Type
First, decide on what type of weapon you want, whether it's a magical axe or a high-tech laser pistol - get creative! Choose either Close Combat, Ranged, or Thrown. (Thrown weapons can be used with Close Combat or with Ranged Combat, but be careful where you throw something so precious - you might not get it back!)

Don't forget to come up with a great description of your weapon! Sometimes a weapon's details and features are what make it truly unique and memorable.

Weapon Bonus Bonus + 1 CL
Use this as your weapon's base price. These bonuses need not be large to have a big impact on play. As guidelines, Daredevil's billy clubs may grant a +1 bonus; Magik's Soulsword might have a +2 bonus; Captain America's shield may have a +3 bonus, and so on.

Advantages (variable cost)
Add the full cost of any advantages you want for your weapon. Even if you have chosen a sword, which might ordinarily get the "x2 damage" Advantage for free if you bought it off-the-shelf, you must pay +2 CL if you want your unique sword to deal double damage.

+1 CL = Reach
+1 CL = Burst
+/-1 CL = Range. Ranged Combat Weapons are assumed to have a Range of 4; Thrown weapons are assumed to have a Range of 2. You can raise or lower the Range of your weapon by adjusting the cost appropriately.
+1 CL = Returning. For thrown weapons only; your weapon returns to you, ready to be thrown again.
+1 or +2 CL = Dedicated. Your unique weapon functions only for a very narrow selection of people. For +2 CL, it only works for you.
+1 CL = Material Class 2+. To give your unique weapon a Material Class of 2 or higher, pay +1 CL, and an additional number of white stones: 1 white stone for Material Class 2, 3 white stones for Material Class 3, or 5 white stones for Material Class 4.

Special Powers
You may also give your unique weapon the benefit of an Action or Modifier, as though it were any other piece of special equipment. See "Special Items" below.


Example: Jack has decided to play Captain America in an upcoming game, and after building Cap's CAD, he gets to work on constructing his famous shield.

First, he decides that it is a Thrown weapon, meaning that he can use it in Close Combat, or as a Ranged Combat weapon. Next, he assigns it a weapon bonus, deciding on a bonus of +3. This sets the base cost at CL4.

Next he adds a host of Advantages, starting with x2 damage (+2 CL). He also increases it's Range to 3 (+1 CL) and gives it the Returning Advantage (+1 CL). The shield is also Material Class 4 (+1 CL and +5 white stones). Lastly, Jack decides that only those with natural talent and extensive special training can effectively use such a unique weapon in combat, and picks the Dedicated Advantage (+1 CL).

This all adds up to CL10, or 15 stones, plus an additional 5 for being Material Class 4. That brings it to a grand total of 20 white stones.

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Gear

Gear covers pretty much everything that isn't a Close Combat or Ranged Combat weapon - from body armor to personal teleportation devices. As with weaponry, gear comes in two basic varieties: off-the-shelf, and special items.

Note: If you fancy your character something of an inventor or tinkerer, and/or you're interested in having a lot of different gadgetry around, consider the Inventing Action.

Off the Shelf

[forthcoming]