Equipment and Augmentations

She thrust and she thrust and she thrust again, each time her spear bouncing off his impenetrable scales. So she made a plan. Throwing her spear aside, to Dorgur's mockery, Aldra took out a long chain. Swiftly, she danced around the dragon, dodging swipes and evading claws, wrapping him round again and again, until he was tied from head to toe.

— An extract from the Balra myth Aldra and the Dragon.

Equipment in Ventures is used to mean any items or equipment you character owns and uses. An Augmentation is a piece of Equipment which is integrated into your body in some way, either by grafting on organic parts, or installing robotic components into you.

Purchasing Equipment or Body Augmentations uses a token-based system. Every character has 4 Tokens as a baseline (unless taking the “Poorly-Equipped” Quirk), with people taking the “Well-Equipped” Quirk gaining an additional 4 tokens. Note this Quirk can be taken up to two times, gaining 4 extra Tokens each time it is taken.

Each piece of Equipment has a Token cost, and can be given Modifiers increasing or reducing its cost to a minimum of 1. Having Tokens spent on a piece of Equipment doesn’t just mean you own it, but also that you are well-trained with it. Equipment can also be gained later on in the game using the “Procure Equipment” Goal Action, where you get 4 more tokens to spend on Equipment and/or Augmentations.

A maximum of 5 pieces of Equipment can be carried by a player at a time, though Augmentations, Vehicles, Robotic Companions, and Equipment with the Compact Modifier do not count towards this total. A Bulky piece of Equipment counts twice towards this total. This is not a limit on how much a player can own, just how much they can take with them on a particular turnsheet. The rest of the Equipment you own can be assumed to be back home, in storage, or otherwise inaccessible.

When writing Equipment into your character submission, or acquiring new Equipment in turnsheets, please write it in the following format:
Equipment (base cost→cost with modifiers), modifier 1 if relevant, modifier 2 if relevant; any additional flavour text that you want.

For example:

• EVA Suit (3→3), A Cut Above, Bulky; An older and bulkier design, but made to last.
• Weapon (2→3), Compact; A compact laser rifle.
• Wingsuit (1→1);

Modifiers are effects that can be applied to Equipment and Body Augmentations. When taking a Modifier, describe how and why it affects the Equipment in question, either positively or negatively. A single item can have at most 2 Modifiers, and has a minimum cost of 1 Token regardless of Modifiers.

• A Cut Above: Whether through being top-of-the-line, having extensive training in it, or being significantly more powerful than industry standard, this Equipment will serve you more effectively than the norm. Cannot be taken with Shoddy. (+1 cost)
• Compact: This piece of Equipment is collapsible or otherwise easy to carry, either in a pocket, or in a handy travelling case, depending on its size. It does not count towards the maximum number of items you can carry. You cannot take this Modifier and “Bulky” on the same piece of Equipment.(+1 cost)
• Prototype: Whether part of a new, experimental line, or a tool adapted and upgraded to your own specifications, this Equipment has extra effect. Specify this effect when you take the Equipment, along with its price. This is subject to GM balancing, which may add side-effects or restrict the functionality of the Equipment. (+1–3 cost)
• Bulky: This Equipment is heavy, and takes up a significant amount of space, making it difficult to carry and very conspicuous. It is very difficult to hide, and will be a hindrance in fast-paced situations due to its unwieldiness. It counts as 2 pieces of Equipment when working out how much you can carry. Cannot take this Modifier and “Compact” on the same piece of Equipment. (-1 cost)
• Contraband: This technology is stolen, outlawed, counterfeit, or otherwise illegally-owned property. If discovered, this may lead to a whole world of problems. (-1 cost)
• Untested: This Equipment is cutting edge design, but is still in the testing process. Whilst it may work well most of the time, using unproven Equipment in the extreme harshness of space carries its own risks. (-2 cost)
• Shoddy: Whether it's a cheap and cheerful knockoff of the real thing, or a jury-rigged contraption liable to break at any moment, this piece of Equipment is notably low-quality. This Equipment is less likely to perform well, giving poor results. Cannot be taken with A Cut Above. (-1 cost)

Each character will be assumed to have a basic amount of standard Equipment for no cost, including those with the “Poorly Equipped” Quirk:

• Scanner unit: Detects motion, noise, infra-red, radio signals, LiDAR etc.
• Chemical Analyser: For use in identifying and classifying unknown minerals and atmospheric gases, for instance.
• Data Transmitter: Steady lines of communication are vital when venturing into the unknown.
• Laser Cutter: Standard multi-purpose tool, equivalent to a pocket knife. It can be set to have variable strength, to take samples, perform autopsies, and slice your way through dense jungle. Useful for self-defence in a pinch. Protective goggles or lenses are included.

Simple and cheap things, such as rope, lighters, a torch, and rations, can be acquired relatively easily without needing to spend Equipment Tokens. If you're unsure whether you would have access to a particular item needed for your turnsheet, feel free to ask the GMs!

Many individuals choose to Augment their body in various ways. Cybernetic implants, biological modifications, the works. This is especially of use to those needing access to specialist equipment. Any time you gain Equipment Tokens, they may be spent on Body Augmentations and Modifiers instead of Equipment. Again, no Modifiers may take the cost of an Augmentation or piece of Equipment below 1 token. Whilst Androids are not biological, they may still have their body modified to the same effect as an organic Augmentation, so the same rules apply. For a Sailor, any Augmentations may be made to the Sailor themselves, or to their mechanical life-support suit. This must be selected when choosing the Augmentation. Biological Augmentations may still be taken on the suit, grafting it to a synth-skin covering in a similar way to Androids.

Any Augmentations taken with purely cosmetic effects do not require a Token cost, and may be taken freely (in the same way you do not have to spend Equipment Tokens so your character can have cool sunglasses or carry a walking cane). The list down below is not prescriptive, just a few examples of cosmetic Augmentations a character could have. Note that not all of these are for a cosmetic purpose, they're cosmetic in the sense that they have no mechanical in-game effect.

• Bioluminescent Tattoos
• Braces
• Gender-Affirming Augmentations
• LED Hair Implants
• Metal Teeth
• Piercings
• Prosthetics
• Tinted Irises