Humanity used to stand proud and tall. We transformed matter atom after atom with nanotechnology. We created AIs that thought at the speed of light. We made our children healthy and beautiful and clever and immortal. We reached for the stars. That was the Light.
But pride comes before a fall and the higher you rise, the harder your fall. Maybe it was a war. Maybe a natural disaster. An alien invasion. An insane omega psion. A simple mistake that turned the ubiquitous nanite clouds at us. We fell, and no one remembers the fall today. That was the Dark.
But now, the Dark is in the past and a bright future of reclamation and re-discovery looms near. People emerge from ancient vaults and arcologies, or finally dare to venture away from their hidden villages and sheltered towns. That which was lost will be found again.
What once were the city spires that reached so high above now all lies buried in toxic muck, yet both the treasures and the defenders of yore remain. Radiation and bioengineered super-plagues and insane medical nanites and other horrors released by a million past accidents and catastrophes threaten the intrepid pioneers. The land at large is ruled by mutants and insane technology, full of danger and wonder and excitement. Death is always near, but so is endless fame and untold riches.
What awaits in this brave new world? In the After-Dark?
The truth is, this was not the first time. There was another apocalypse before the last one, and more before then. If you dig deep enough, you will find ruins of hundreds, thousands fallen civilizations. Buildings buried by continental drift. No one remembers the years any more, as they no longer make sense to human mind. No one remembers the true cause for the cataclysms, for every time it was something different that brought humanity to its knees.
There was Dark, and there will be again. We shall rise and we shall fall, until the very ashes of past civilizations smother the Sun, already tinged red.
"I play Conan, you play Mulan, Bob plays Gandalf, and we fight Dracula because there's sick loot in his castle."
Showing posts with label post-apocalyptic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label post-apocalyptic. Show all posts
18 June 2022
QHW, Day 18: Post-Apocalyptic
17 June 2022
QHW, Day 17: Roadside
Raiders of the Weird Wasteland
HD 1
Move normal
Lieutenant: Any raider with max hp is a lieutenant.
d10 What are they attacking with?
- their own mutated arms (d6)
- a severed rotting arm (d4, Save vs disease)
- lots and lots and lots of knives (d4 attacks for d4 damage)
- cutlery spear (d6, on maximum damage the fork remains stuck in your body and causes bleeding)
- chainsaw-chucks (2d6, beheads self on any double)
- scissor sword (d8 but extremely silly-looking)
- mithril skillet (d6, +4 to cooking checks)
- knuckledusters with vulgar inscriptions (d6, critical hit leaves a FUCK-shaped scar)
- spiked chain (d6, reach)
- GIANT DEATH BEAM LASER CANNON (d20 once, then it overheats)
d4 What armour do they have?
- none, but they have sniffed some silver paint and now scream: "Witness me!" (unarmoured, but immune to pain, fear and morale)
- bottlecap maille, handmade (leather)
- tire tread armour, from the ever-burning rubber hills of the north (chain)
- scrap plate (plate, but Move becomes half normal)
d4 What is the lieutenant's deal?
- Super: Can fly and shoot lasers for d8 damage.
- Zombie: Regains 1 hp / round and cannot be killed unless the players specifically say they destroy the head.
- Terminator: Their human disguise is discarded when they first reach 0 hp. They transform into a HD 4 killer robot and all damage done so far is revealed to have been superficial.
- Wizard: Roll for two random spells they know. They have a "spellbook" with incantations scribbled in the blank spaces of an old Playboy.
7 June 2022
QHW, Day 7: Humanoid Races
Baseline Humans, True Men
- Citizens of the few arcologies that were not damaged or destroyed.
- Cults of pure blood are rampant, with all other strains of humanity seen as only good to be enslaved or purged.
Cyborgs, Shellers, Aug-Men
- Second-class citizens of the arcologies, super-soldiers and specialized slave-workers. Dependant on the few skilled surgeons and remaining auto-docs, thus kept in line.
- Out in the Rad Wastes, they either die of implant rejection, or thrive as invincible warlords.
Robodroids, Mech-Men
- They never were human and thus don't cling to a humanoid shape. Intelligent vehicles, buildings, etc.
- Immune to hunger, thirst, asphyxiation, fatigue, poisons and diseases, but suffer from nanites, malware and EMP.
Chimerae, Splicers, Beast Men
- Humans cross-mutated with animals via careful gene-engineering, gaining useful perks with minimal downsides.
- Range from a human with a few animal characteristics to a humanoid animal.
- Unlike mutants, they breed true, including with their parent species. Many splicer tribes roam the Rad Wastes.
- Radiation exposure often times turns them feral and mindlessly hostile before resulting in mutations.
Synths, Fake Men
- Shapeshifters. A brain-box suspended in metamorphic synth-flesh.
- Can also spend their biomass for various effects, like fabricating bone items, breathing toxic gas, shooting enamel-bullets, or creating independent, non-intelligent life forms.
Replicants, Vat Babies
- Their DNA was hand-crafted to make them peak human, and it shows. Their brains were pruned to make them obedient and happy to serve, but it didn't work. They have no belly buttons.
- Created in batches of hundreds of clones. Some pre-Turn sites will have tribes of people that all share the same face.
- Extremely vulnerable to radiation due to their delicate DNA.
Holograms, eGhosts, Hollow Men
- They all have a phylactery, a tiny piece of tech containing their mindstate, a holo projector and a power source.
- Can freely switch between soft- and hardlight, but hardlight drains their power reserves fast.
- Most were once powerful people who sought immortality. Now they are the tyrant kings and queens of the Rad Wastes.
Blighters, Zeds, Chem-Men
- Gene-plagues and chemical superweapons depopulated whole countries during the Turn. A tiny fraction of a percent of the victims survived, albeit changed.
- Extremely resistant to diseases, toxins, chemicals and radiation. Basically unageing. Their bodily fluids swiftly kill most lifeforms.
- Shunned by all, they live in isolated villages or abandoned pre-Turn sites deep in the Rad Wastes.
6 June 2022
QHW, Day 6: Radiation
Dreamers
- Humans with a non-intelligent symbiont which grants them psionic powers.
- The symbiont can cross from one host to another, usually on the host's death, taking some memories with them.
- A single host is sometimes called an incarnation, with the switch between hosts being a reincarnation.
- Strong emotions carry over the best between incarnations. It is not unheard of feuds or affairs between Dreamers that span multiple reincarnations.
- Like an unborn baby, a symbiont absorbs any radiation the host is exposed to. This makes the host mostly immune to the Rad Wastes, but it also affects the psionics of the symbiont, increasing their power at the cost of stability and reliability.
- Some Dreamers purposefully expose themselves to radiation in hopes of getting a temporary power boost. However, an overdose will leave the symbiont broken, with their powers unshackled and uncontrollable. Such monstrosity is known as a Nightmare.
- Awakening is a rare and dreaded quirk where the symbiont gains full sapience. An Awakened takes over the host body and subsumes the self of the host completely.
- An Awakened will sometimes quickly jump from one body to another to gain the skills and knowledge of the hosts.
- Awakened are mortally afraid of Nightmares.
13 June 2020
Ancient Artifacts of Stupendous Science
There are interesting gadgets that your players can find when prowling the wasteland, and then there are these things. They were rare and expensive before the Turn, and now they are the most prized possessions of the most powerful water barons, the sacred relics of hidden arcologies, or long lost in forgotten vaults.
Some might be a treasure in the big bad's lair, some a treasure the big bad seeks. Some will be the crux of their evil master plan.
All can surely be used for many a shenanigan.
Some might be a treasure in the big bad's lair, some a treasure the big bad seeks. Some will be the crux of their evil master plan.
All can surely be used for many a shenanigan.
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| A cruciform. I've stolen this one wholesale from the Hyperion Cantos. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend that you do. |
d20 Artifacts
- Bioprinter: From a single droplet of blood, this device can recreate and clone any creature. An adjustable fast-time field will even age the subject appropriately.
- Recoiler: A piece of jewellery (normally a ring, bracelet or a brooch) that can be activated to instantly return the wearer to the safety of a pre-defined receiver chamber. Its range is long enough to bring one from Earth to the Moon.
- Transmat cannon: During the Turn, these weapons were used to instantly teleport an armed antimatter bomb onboard an enemy vessel. It has a range of about a light second, a projectile chamber large enough to fit several people inside, and cannot be blocked by anything short of very advanced force shields.
- Hypnolearning bay: A comfortable coffin where one can lie down to sleep and learn a new skill overnight*.
- Phylacterion: A throne of chrome and wiring. When a creature is strapped into it, the phylacterion can either scan their brain and create a new mindstate disc, or download a mindstate disc into the creature's brain, overwriting their whole psyche with another person.
- Cruciform: A cybernetic symbiont that bonds with the user and makes them nigh immortal. No matter how grisly their injuries or how little remains from their dead and destroyed body, the symbiont will eventually reconstitute them to full (physical) health. It's impossible to deactivate or detach, so users tend to be dealt with by chucking them into a volcano.
- Becoming nook: Lie down into this surgery station and close your eyes as it anaesthetises you. One quick implantation later, you will be on your way to bionic ascension. No surgery roll is required and the recipient gains +4 bonus to their post-surgery Con Save if the becoming nook is used to add a new augmentation.
- Warp star: A miniature black hole trapped in an indestructible crystal. Serves as an infinite power cell, capable of powering a whole city alone.
- Gravity cannon: An unassuming platform that can nonetheless accelerate anything up to the size of a spaceship to a good fraction of c.
- Phase gate: A cannon-like device that will charge up with 5D energy, then blast a hole to the next dimension over.
- Nulltime tank: Inside, the time itself stands still. The grieving might keep their loved ones alive, for a certain measure of "life", while the decadent will always have their meals fresh and warm.
- Replicator: A cloud of nanites in a box will break down matter on atomic level, then rebuild it into whatever their owner desires. While pretty much anything can be quickly fabricated, one still needs the materials and blueprints.
- Matrix: There are many people with access to the Matrix, but this is the Matrix. Destroy this core, and the Matrix is gone. Or reprogram it to change literally anything inside. You can be a virtual god.
- Humongous mecha activation codes: The chrome colossi of yore have lain dormant since time immemorial, but this could bring them back to life.
- Sensory deprivation tank: The resting place for powerful psions. See here.
- Regeneration tank: A sarcophagus-like medical device that can heal any injury, and even bring back the recently dead. Minor injuries disappear within ten minutes, a lost limb would regrow in an hour, while a resurrection might take half a day. When used to bring back the dead, however, they must Save with a penalty equal to the number of hours since their demise, or gain an insanity. Corpses that already started to rot cannot be brought back at all.
- Time machine: When you climb inside, you can travel anywhere along the machine's own timeline, from the first moment it was activated to a split second before it will be rendered inoperable.
- Docility drug formula: Dulls emotions, squashes all defiant thoughts. Easily spread through water supply. With a passable chemical lab, it wouldn't be hard to mass-produce the drug.
- Small spaceship: One planet is not enough.
- Stargate: Actually, you don't need a spaceship.
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| A phase gate, from Stranger Things. |
*) Still subject to the limits on Memory.
23 May 2020
Post-apocalytic Adventure Quickstart
Pick your favourite OSR hack and roll for stats, then roll for starting gear:
d20 Weapons
d20 Weapons
- Knuckleduster (1d6 unarmed dmg, concealable)
- Combat knife (1d6 dmg, throwable)
- Chain (1d6 dmg, at max damage foe Saves vs trip or disarm)
- Machete (1d6 dmg, at max damage foe Saves vs bleeding)
- Barbed wire bat (1d6 dmg, step up damage die if two-handed)
- Crowbar (1d6 dmg, advantage on breaking things)
- Fire axe (1d6 dmg) and scrap metal shield (+1 Def)
- Knife spear (1d8 dmg, two-handed, extended reach)
- Sledgehammer (1d10 dmg, two-handed, at max damage foe Saves vs knockdown)
- Bow (1d6 dmg, range 100 m, two-handed, silent) and a quiver of arrows
- Twin revolvers (1d6 dmg, 6 shots, range 100 m, noisy, 2 attacks/round)
- Semi-automatic pistol (1d8 dmg, 10 shots, range 100 m, noisy)
- Hunting rifle (1d10 dmg, 5 shots, range 300 m, two-handed, noisy)
- Sniper rifle (1d12 dmg, 1 shot, range 500 m, two-handed, noisy)
- Shotgun (3d4 dmg, 2 shots, range 30 m cone, two-handed, noisy)
- Flamethrower (2d6 fire dmg and foe Saves vs catching aflame, range 30 m cone, two-handed)
- Overloaded laser pistol (1d8+2 radiant dmg, 6 charges, range 200 m, explodes on critical miss)
- Stun baton (1d4 dmg and foe Saves vs stun) and riot shield (+1 Def)
- Vibrokatana (1d10 dmg, step up damage die if powered)
- Chainsaw (2d6 dmg, two-handed, noisy, foe Saves vs dismemberment at 10+ dmg)
If you rolled a ranged weapon, you also start with a (roll d4, all deal 1d4 dmg):
- Big wrench
- Kitchen knife
- Lead pipe
- Sharpened screwdriver
If your ranged weapon has a number of shots listed, you need to take a turn to reload it once you use the shots up.
d20 Armours
- Full body tattoos (Def 10): What do they depict? Why are you so proud of them to wear no armour?
- Tattered formal wear (Def 10): It used to be really expensive. Who were you, once?
- Wrapped in rags (Def 10): Each rag seems to come from a different clothes, different place. What have you seen on your travels?
- Leather jacket (Def 11): It's black, spiked and has a skull on the back.
- Padded jacket (Def 12): Bright, colourful and in a surprisingly good condition.
- Hide armour (Def 12): You tracked it, killed it, flayed it, tanned it and sewn it.
- Patchwork armour (Def 12): Pieces of metal, plastic and leather mish-mashed to guard your limbs.
- Flak jacket (Def 12): Inherited from your great-grandfather, yet it still serves you well.
- Hardshell parka (Def 12): Warm and stab-proof!
- Sports gear (Def 12): You know, real men don't need body armour to play football...
- Camo suit (Def 12): Camouflage jumpsuit made of pre-Turn reinforced cloth.
- Fireproof bodyglove (Def 13): You won't burn, but should still be careful about smoke inhalation.
- Arachnofiber shirt (Def 13): Thin, light and skintight, it makes for an ideal concealed armour.
- E-tex dress (Def 13): The celebrities of yore used to wear something like this. It still plays old ads.
- Tire tread armour (Def 14): Old truck tires are surprisingly durable.
- Chitin breastplate (Def 14): Some mutated insect carapace repurposed as armour.
- Ballistic vest (Def 14): Faded inscription on the back reads P( _'CE.
- Mesh armour (Def 15): Modern equivalent to a chain mail. Made of a fine mesh of plasteel wires sewn into nanofibre coat.
- Liquid armour (Def 15): Trendy jacket filled with antikinetic smartgel that becomes harder than steel on impact.
- Full metal jacket (Def 16): Enhanced exoskeleton scavenged from a dead soldier. When powered, grants advantage on athletic checks.
Choose one of the benefits below:
- Cybernetic
- Gadget
- Mutation
- Psionic
- Vehicle
- Small but vicious dog (HD 1, 1d6 bite)
And also start with enough water and rations for two days.
Finally, what's happening that requires your immediate attention?
- The daughter of your village's leader had been betrothed to a powerful water baron, and thanks to his help everyone is happy and thriving. The daughter will soon be departing for the nuptials and you have been chosen to escort her as a honour guard. Just as you're leaving the village, the daughter's supposedly former lover attempts to get to her, but is stopped and dragged away. He vows to rescue her before the wedding.
- You have learned about an armed convoy of a nomadic tribe that will go past your village in a few days. They might have ammo, slaves, cisterns with fresh water, or even medical supplies. You know of a bottleneck on the road that they must pass.
- The local water baron announced a high bounty on the head of a woman who insinuated herself into his bedroom and then made off with his technological artifact of stupendous science. Was she working alone? Did someone send her? Will you keep the artifact for yourself if you find her?
- As every autumn, the emissary of the Flaming Telepath has come to your village to claim some of the produce and youths. Your people are forced to hold a feast for her tonight, and in the morning, she will choose who will be dragged away to slavery.
22 March 2020
Augmentations, Bionics, Bodymods, Cybernetic Implants
When delving through a zombie-infested underground lab in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, you might come upon still-operational auto-doc bodymod station. Or you could kill a gang leader in the cyberpunk ghetto and butcher their body for implants. Or maybe your space ship was hijacked by transhumans who wish to augment you beyond your obsolete baseline humanity.
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| Monocle by yvanquinet |
These are simple, minimalistic bionics, so each implant is assumed to have an internal power source, barring any special limits noted in their description. There are also no prices listed, as I like games with randomized, scavenged resources more than ones where you can buy your way to min-maxing. Everything should be more or less compatible with any sci-fi OSR, though you might find some GLOG-specific terms.
In any case, two checks are required when installing a bodymod. A surgery check vs Int by the surgeon (there's hope you won't be operating on yourself), getting bonuses from proper skills, tools, or access to an auto-doc. If this check fails, roll on the Failed Implants table instead of the main table of bionics. The recipient then rolls a Con Save to prevent post-surgery complications, taking -1 penalty for each bodymod they already have installed. If this check fails, the augmentation works normally but the body does not properly recover. The recipient takes 1d6 Con damage that can only be healed with another surgery or permanent drug regime.
In any case, two checks are required when installing a bodymod. A surgery check vs Int by the surgeon (there's hope you won't be operating on yourself), getting bonuses from proper skills, tools, or access to an auto-doc. If this check fails, roll on the Failed Implants table instead of the main table of bionics. The recipient then rolls a Con Save to prevent post-surgery complications, taking -1 penalty for each bodymod they already have installed. If this check fails, the augmentation works normally but the body does not properly recover. The recipient takes 1d6 Con damage that can only be healed with another surgery or permanent drug regime.
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| Clone World by OmeN2501 |
d12 Failed Implants
- Bugged augmentation: It's not working and it's spreading! Save every day, or another implant of yours will stop working until repaired.
- Visual debilitator: At least it wasn't an IQ enhancement that got this badly botched. You cannot see beyond 10 m.
- Bionic deformity: A combination of poor surgical installation and unpleasant scarring has lead to the catastrophe you now call your face. Take -2 to Reaction rolls unless covered.
- Electrical drain: A malfunctioning implant that doesn't perform any useful function, but still draws on your energy reserves. When you use any other implant, it has a 1-in-6 chance of failing due to insufficient power. Tough luck if you have bionic limbs.
- Overstimulator: One implant backwards, two crossed wires and four burned-out capacitors later you started falling on your face and writhing around at the least convenient times. Every time you take damage, Save or loose your next action.
- Self-locking thumbs: They hold tight and don't let go (even when you'd rather they did). It takes you a full round to drop anything or release your grip. On the other hand, you cannot be disarmed.
- Squeaky joints: Your movements are annoyingly loud. Grants -4 Stealth.
- Voice disruptor: Something went wrong with your throat implants and now you only screech and make robotic noises instead of speaking.
- Endocrine enervator: A failing pharmaceutical implant makes you constantly fatigued. You don't recover Fatigue during daily rest, only stimulants or extended rest will help.
- Leaky implant: Whatever was this bionic supposed to do, it's instead leaking toxic fluids into your bloodstream. Unsurprisingly, that's not good for your health. Take -4 to Save vs poisons and diseases.
- Expired sealant: Bionics should be waterproof, but this one is pretty obviously not. When you are exposed to water (even rain will do) take 1 damage per round as the implant short-circuits and electrocutes you.
- Self-destruct system: Either you're mad, or you didn't know. Now there's a bomb in you head. You can be careful not to trigger it, but what if a hacker shows up?
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| Dermal plating. |
d130 Bionics
- Prosthetic limb: A simple replacement limb capable of full range of motions and sensations. To think that in the not-so-distant past of the 21st century, this would seem like a small miracle!
- Cosmetic bodymod: Video-tattoos, reskins or body reconfiguration, even pseudo-animal features for the really weird fads.
- Optical array: Your corneas have been enhanced with an Advanced Visual Aids display. Roll for 2 settings (d10): 1) infrared vision, 2) ultraviolet vision, 3) night vision, 4) powerful zoom, 5) microscope magnification, 6) light-adaptive (protects from flashes and bright light), 7) polarised (removes reflections from glass or water), 8) x-ray vision, 9) augmented reality (including navigation, digital clock, etc.), 10) targeting cross-hair (+2 to hit).
- Holo-eye: One of your eyes has been replaced with a holographic projector. The projection field covers one cubic meter and cannot project farther than about 10 m.
- Eye-cam: One of your eyes has been replaced with a camera linked to the datasphere. Everything you see is stored in the Cloud.
- Finger camera: Less overt than the eye-cam and lets you see around a corner.
- Finger knives: Self-sharpening surgical scalpels slide out of your fingertips. You can perform a back-alley surgery at any time, or attack for d6 damage.
- Finger injector: A syringe under your fingernail can deliver all sorts of fun chemicals. The ampoule in your palm must be replaced after each use.
- Finger laser: Not of the damaging kind. It can be used as a pointer, or to measure distance.
- Finger hack: It used to be necessary to smuggle a flash drive through security. Now you just stick your finger into a port and start uploading malware or downloading data.
- Security multi-tool: Everything you could need to jimmy a lock or jam a camera, hidden in your wrist and fingers.
- Detachable hand: Your cybernetic hand can be detached and remote-controlled. Even better with some more augmentations packed into it.
- Monofilament garotte: A nanofibre wire is hidden in one of your fingers. A creature you choke in a grapple must Save each round to avoid decapitation.
- Palm paralyser: A creature you touch must Save or be paralysed for d4 minutes. The device will then slowly charge up over the next short rest.
- Electroshock emitter: Your touch can deal d12 electric damage, or short-circuit most electronics. The device will then slowly charge up over the next short rest.
- Force emitter: Release a kinetic blast from your palm. The target must Save or be knocked back 10 m. The device will then slowly charge up over the next short rest.
- EMP discharger: Release a short-range, directed EMP blast from your palm. The device will then slowly charge up over the next short rest.
- EMP shielding: Subdermal shielding lattice protects your implants from electromagnetic pulses.
- Subdermal mesh: Thin wires of plasteel were woven under you skin. Reduce physical damage taken by 1 point.
- Dermal plating: Skin-coloured plates of implanted plasteel make you look less human than many androids, but offer excellent protection. Grants Def as plate mail.
- Bionic arms: A whole limb of metal and synthetic flesh. Grants +2 Strength.
- Bionic legs: A whole limb of metal and synthetic flesh. Grants +2 Dexterity.
- Bionic heart: It never falters. Grants +2 Constitution.
- Cerebral booster: A cocktail of drugs constantly drips into your brain, making your synapses faster than ever. The side effects are better not even mentioned. Grants +2 Intelligence.
- Synaptic reinforcement: An implant monitoring your brain activity will release hormonal countermeasures whenever your determination might be compromised. Grants +2 Will.
- Penile erector: No more embarrassing failures or unwanted wood. Now you're in control. Grants +2 Charisma.
- Breast implants: Bigger, firmer, shapely, or even more of them. Grants +2 Charisma.
- Adrenaline pump: Intravenous injector hidden in your chest can deliver a dose of pure adrenaline when you need it. Treat your Str and Dex as 18 for a round at the cost of 1 Fatigue.
- Battle module: Bionic processors and databanks loaded with martial arts combat programs are integrated into your nervous system. Grants +2 to hit and Def.
- Matrix backdoor: Implanted into the base of your skull, this receiver lets you easily link yourself directly to the datasphere, no VR set or other interface necessary. Note that while your brain is immune to malware, your bionics might not be, and there are also memetic hazards to avoid.
- Kinetic shock absorber: The bones of your legs were reinforced and equipped with inertia dampers. Take no damage from falls, if you can land on your feet.
- Electromagnetic sensor: A simple passive EM sensor will alert you to all unshielded electronics within 10 m.
- Polygraphic sensor: Complex physiological sensors in the tips of your fingers allow you to detect lies of anyone you're touching.
- Air current sensor: Multiple microsensors in your skin grant you a +4 bonus to sense invisible creatures, secret doors and other sources of movement or draught within 10 m, but only when you skin is exposed.
- Tremor sensor: Implants in your feet locate the sources of tremors as faint as light steps or silenced machinery within 10 m. Double the range in water.
- Hyper-elastic ankle tendons: Bands of synthetic flesh reinforce your feet. Increases Movement by 50%.
- Visage module: Malleable synth-flesh allows for quick reformation of facial structure. Also includes polymorphic synth-hair and an iris shifter. Gain advantage on disguise checks.
- Twitch-mask: Neural impulses firing through your facial muscles cause constant twitching that is specially designed to befuddle face recognition software. It's also illegal as hell and makes you look unhinged.
- Poker face: Impulse barriers on your nerves allow you to turn off your facial expressions. Gain +4 to bluffing and against interrogation, but others will quickly figure out that something is wrong with your (e)motionless face.
- Aim stabilizer: Chrome clasps lock your joints in place for steady aim. Gain +4 to hit with ranged weapons if you take a round to aim and lock. Can stay completely still indefinitely.
- Pentaceps: The quartet of knee joint extensors gain the assistance of a synthetic fifth. Gain +4 to jump checks and double your jump range.
- Dopamine pump: Intravenous injector hidden in your head can deliver a dose of pure dopamine when you need it. Gain +4 to any Stress-related check at the cost of 1 Fatigue.
- Integrated commlink: Implanted earphone, subvocal microphone and a corneal screen linked to the datasphere allow you to always stay in touch.
- Integrated radio: A tiny receiver with a frequency selection is installed in your skull, the antenna interwoven into the spine. Archaic, but still useful to listen in on retro-gangs and under-equipped survivors.
- Intravenous port: Standardized ampoules can be prepared for later free use of medication or drugs.
- Motorized treads: This rather extravagant augmentation replaces your legs below the knee with a pair of tiny tank treads. You can move as fast as a car, but lack all of the normal protections and safety features of driving a vehicle.
- Gun rack: A special platform was fused to your shoulder bones and connected to your spine. You can use it to carry a shoulder-mounted heavy ranged weapon of your choice (rocket launchers, machine guns or laser cannons are common).
- Implanted weapon: One of your forearms has a light or medium weapon of your choice hidden inside (mostly duralloy claws or a ray gun).
- Prosthetic weapon: One of your arms was replaced with a heavy weapon of your choice (current favourites are a chainsaw, a flamethrower, or a grenade launcher).
- Force modulator: Microemitters in your skin synchronize your phase frequencies with the standardized band for force emissions. Walk through force fields unimpeded.
- Voice modulator: Your vocal cords were partially replaced with cybernetics, allowing you to mimic voices or replay other sounds.
- Voice amplifier: Empower your voice to boom loud enough to be heard over a noisy town square or a quiet mountain valley. You may also scream, taking 1d6 damage from the strain, but brittle object within 10 m cone will be shattered, and affected creatures must Save vs being deafened and stunned for the same number of rounds.
- Subsonic box: A pair of subwoofers installed in your back xx
- Cortical node: A small medical implant used for synchronization of other augmentations. Halve the penalty to the post-augmentation recovery check for all subsequent bodymods.
- Biomonitor: All your medical signs are constantly monitored. Any medical or surgical intervention on your body is done with an advantage.
- Databank port: A tiny socket in your skull lets you insert a miniaturized databank. One slot in your Memory becomes unavailable for knowledge learned normally, instead accessing the information on your currently installed databank. Alternately, you may save your sensory input on the databank, simulating an eidetic memory.
- Skillsoft port: A tiny socket in your skull lets you insert a neurocognitive chip. One slot in your Memory becomes unavailable for knowledge learned normally, instead accessing the skill on your easily swappable chip. The really fun chips are not easy to come by, though.
- Drone control unit: With a transmitter stuck in your brain, you can control a single drone as a free action, or multiple drones if you do nothing else.
- Rearwatch: Several covert cameras in your skull grant you a 360° vision without alerting others that you can see them.
- Spiked heel: You have a retractable plasteel spike hidden in your heel. It is strong enough to sink itself into concrete, or deal d10 damage to a creature you step on.
- Spring heel: Flexiweave cords in your legs thrum with tension. You can discharge them to jump 10x further than normal, and they will tense up again over the next a short rest. You should be careful about the landing, though.
- Camo-pseudoskin: Reactive camouflage will render you nigh-invisible as long as you remain still. Unless you cover your skin, that is.
- Reflec-pseudoskin: Scintillating replacement skin will turn away lasers and other ray-based attacks with a 4-in-6 chance.
- Enviro-pseudoskin: Durable skin replacement lets you ignore hot, cold, noxious or slightly caustic environments, and even vacuum. Extreme heat or strong acid will get through, though, and you should probably secure an oxygen supply if you wish to expose yourself to such places.
- Air filtration: Fine tracheal filters purify your air to prevent toxic atmosphere, dust storms, combat gases or nanite swarms from harming your lungs.
- Internal oxygen supply: An oxygen tank linked to your lungs can hold up to 30 minutes worth of air. A ventilation subsystem will refill it over a short rest.
- Internal storage: A cavity hidden in your body grants you 2 extra inventory slots.
- Utility toolset: Hammer, pliers, screwdriver and more are stored in an artificial arm.
- Pedal mufflers: Silencer implants in your feet let you walk without a sound. Grants +4 Stealth.
- Wireless eyes: Your eyes can be taken out of their sockets without loosing visual feed.
- Ethanol burner: With this handy stomach extension, a shot of hard liquor will serve as a ration. You also can't get drunk unless you turn this augmentation off.
- Rapid fire finger flexors: Your synthetic finger tendons twitch with anticipation. Make +1 ranged attack per round and type like a madman.
- Thermal dissipation: Internal cooling system linked to an aluminium heat sink on your back makes you immune to hot weather and halves fire damage taken.
- Sensory dulling: A simple neural control unit lets you switch off any of your senses at will.
- Smoke generator: Open your mouth and fill a 10 m radius with thick smoke from the exhaust installed under your tongue. A new cartridge must be inserted after use.
- Toxin exhaler: With a spray hidden under your tongue, a selection of substances can be delivered to your foes with just a breath. Remember not to breathe in. A new cartridge must be inserted after use.
- Blood filtration: A set of microfilters in your aorta quickly removes most toxic substances from your bloodstream. Gain +4 to Save vs poisons and intoxication.
- Platelet cloning system: Replacing your bone marrow with bioengineered stem cells, your blood is now oversupplied with platelets. Grants immunity to bleeding.
- Leukocyte breeding system: Replacing your bone marrow with bioengineered stem cells, your blood is now oversupplied with leukocytes. Gain +4 to Save vs viral and bacterial diseases.
- Counter-nanites: A cloud of defensive nanites makes it easier to survive in environments contaminated with cyber-plagues. Gain +4 to Save vs nanite-based diseases.
- Cranial flashlight: When you want night vision but cannot afford it.
- Integrated dosimeter: Lets you know the exact dosage of radiation you are currently exposed to. It's good to know when you're already dead.
- Radiation purger: A system of advanced piezomechanical filters implanted throughout your body allows you to partially purge yourself of absorbed radiation. Gain +4 to Save vs radiation.
- Olfactory enhancement: Why would someone enhance their nose when bioscans and drones with face recognition exist is a good question, yet this bodymod is still quite popular. Grants scent.
- Power armour interface: A thought-link interface allows for much finer control over the good old full metal jacket than a basic HUD. Gain advantage on all rolls while in power armour.
- Telescoping arms: Extendable replacements for your arm bones covered in elastic synth-flesh increase your reach to 3 m.
- Goo shooter: A dispenser hidden in your forearm can spray a so-called "pink goo". The goo quickly expands into a sticky containment foam and takes hours to degrade on its own. A new cartridge must be inserted after use.
- Grapple shooter: A miniaturized grappling hook along with 10 m of monofilament rope and a winch are concealed in your forearm.
- Cyber-tentacles: Four 3 m long cybernetic tentacles were welded to your spine. They are not dextrous enough to wield weapons, but are strong enough to support your weight.
- Remote controller: Compatible with anything from garage doors and holovision to hovercars and hacked battledroids.
- Stasis field generator: A fist-sized supertech capsule welded to the inside of your ribcage lets you lock your body in a nulltime field. You are immobile and inviolable for exactly 57 minutes, after which the generator needs an hour on a cable charger.
- Force field generator: Microemitters in your skin can cover your body in a thin sheet of protective energy. Once activated, it will completely negate the next attack to connect with you, and then slowly recharge over the next short rest.
- Digestive assistance: You have been outfitted with three synthetic stomachs and industrial-grade intestines. Any organic matter is digestible to you.
- Recycler unit: Careful re-routing of sweat glands and an upgrade to your urinary bladder allow you to survive without water for as long as without food.
- Nutrient tank: Intravenous feeder with a week of liquefied rations stored for emergency situations.
- Alarm system: A motion-detecting alarm system will notice any and all movement within a 20 m radius, and will silently alert you. Mostly useful when alone or sleeping.
- Electromagnetic manipulators: Powerful electromagnets in your palms allow you to attract metal items, or to stick to metallic surfaces.
- Integrated defibrillator: When reduced to 0 or less hp, get back to your feet with 1 hp on your next turn. Cannot be used more than once per day without electrocuting yourself.
- Wired reflexes: A series of independent microcontrollers implanted in each of your main muscle groups lets you react before your brain is even aware of any danger. Gain +4 to initiative and never loose your Dex bonus to Def.
- Black brain-box: Your skull has been converted into a duralloy safebox for your brain, including a cryo module that will keep it viable should the blood supply be cut. Unless you are completely disintegrated, you can live again once someone plugs your brain-box into a replacement body.
- Pain editor: A simple switch in your brain lets you turn pain on and off at will.
- Hydraulic legs: Ugly but strong. You never take Fatigue from long marching and gain +2 Inventory slots.
- Anti-psi lattice: A carefully laid out pattern of hyperfolded wiring in your skull prevents any thoughts from getting in or out. You are immune to psionics, but also cannot use thought-link interfaces or any psychic powers of your own.
- Pheromone repellent: Your sweat has been biochemically altered. Insects and most animals now need a successful Save to approach you.
- LDV audio receiver: A laser in your fingertip is used for non-contact vibration measurements of distant surfaces. Basically, you can hear what you point at. Neat!
- Implanted microcomputer: Everything you would want from a computer, directly in your brain. Be really, really careful about malware.
- Repair nanites: Unless you outright die, the nanites in your bloodstream will quickly patch you up. Minor injuries or missing fingers will be repaired in a day, while a whole limb might take a week.
- Locator matrix: A forearm display that offers not only geographical information, but also a compass, maps, tracking, coordinates of your present location, your velocity and altitude, the time of the day and more.
- Audio analyser: Record and replay what you hear, filter out background noise, amplify quiet sounds and muffle loud ones, even interpret ultrasound. Plus you get sweet robo-ears in chromed retro design.
- Emergency life support: Internal medical systems will keep your body going even through mortal injuries. You only die at -10 hp.
- Sleep regulator: You no longer experience the negative effects of sleep deprivation, but must still sleep is you want the benefits of a daily rest.
- Signal jammer: Interference resonator causes all tech communications within 10 m fail. This includes commlinks, remote controllers and more.
- Scanner scrambler: Interference resonator prevents scanners from probing your body. Useful for hiding illegal implants, except it's obvious you have something to hide.
- Adaptive fingerprints: Small-scale skin replacement will allow you to change your fingerprints to any of the templates stored in its database.
- Fortified feet: People wanted to be cool and walk barefoot like their ancestors. People were too used to their comfort to just walk barefoot. Now those people have hardened pseudoskin feet that are immune to scrapes, sores, wetness, cold, fire, electricity, blades, bullets and nanite-based disintegration.
- Anti-emotion implant: Who needs them, anyway? You are immune to both negative and beneficial emotional effects.
- Gyroscopic stabilizer: A whirling gyro in your chest keeps you from falling over. You cannot loose balance.
- Parabolic audio: Your ears may now look funny, but you can hear clearly from great distances.
- Skeletal bracing: Coating your bone structure in duralloy makes you heavy and hard to destroy. Halves all bludgeoning damage taken and prevents loosing a limb or having a bone broken due to an injury.
- Redundant organs: Several spare synth-flesh systems have been added to your body. Gain +1 HD to maximum hp.
- Phase engine: Excitation of your biodynamic field causes a dimensional leap, momentarily placing you out of phase with this universe. You will be translucent and intangible for 1d6 rounds, and then need an hour on a cable charger.
- Flux relocator: A quantum computer in your brain floods the local subspace with calculations complex enough to collapse your probability field, teleporting you to a random empty space within 10 m. The sudden space-folding is however very taxing on your bodily integrity, causing d6 damage on use.
- Gravity normalizer: Subdermal grav-mesh equalizes the effects of increased gravity or inertia on your body. High g will cause no damage or discomfort.
- Gravity harness: Subdermal grav-mesh adjusts your personal gravity field to your preferences. Walk on walls, fall like a feather.
- Antigrav array: Strong subdermal grav-mesh allows for a controlled flight, even if slow and clumsy.
- Rocket legs: They are clunky and more bulky than your natural legs. They need refuelling after about 10 minutes of use. The flight is hazardously fast and very loud. It's still very cool, though.
- Helping hands: A harness bearing two extra cybernetic arms. Linked directly to your neural cortex, they can be operated as easily as your own hands.
- Mnemonic enhancement: Nanogrowths reinforce your neural patterns into unalterable rigidity. Gain perfect recall and immunity to memory-altering effects (both amnestic drugs and psionic powers).
- Cybersymbiont: Integrated AI offers witty remarks and takes over when you cannot act (unconscious, paralysed, frozen with fear, etc). You can use all your implants and linked tech even while helpless.
- Full body conversion: Nothing but your brain remains from your old organic body. Change your race to a cyborg race-as-class, which I have yet to write.
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| One way to interpret full body conversion. Cyborg by disse86 |
10 June 2019
Flux Shields
Inspired by Dune, of course. Dune is the best.
Flux shields are a rare piece of pre-Turn technology sometimes found in the ruined government vaults and military bases lost deep within the post-apocalyptic wasteland. Unlike other types of force field generators, flux shields are small enough to carry on your person, usually on a shield belt, or integrated into power armour.
When activated, the shield generator projects a flexible force field wound tightly around the wearer, offering variable damage reduction based on the power cell used to power the flux shield. Active flux shield glows as brightly as a candle and emits a low droning sound.
Roll the Power Die once per round when you have your flux shield activated. In addition to that, roll the Power Die X times whenever you are stuck by an attack, where X is the intensity (damage reduction) offered by the shield. The intensity of the shield can be adjusted on your turn.
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| Flux shield generator. |
Unfortunately, flux shields are highly vulnerable to phasic attacks. Whenever an active flux shield is struck by a phasic weapon, roll its Power Die on the table below:
- The shield's power cell is drained of all energy.
- The shield generator burns up and must be repaired.
- The weapon short-circuits and its power cell is destroyed.
- The shield flares up, blinding anyone who is looking at it for 1d6 rounds.
- The shield collapses. The user takes double damage from the phasic attack.
- The shield generator overloads, encasing the wearer in an impenetrable, immovable force field for 1d6 rounds.
- The shield generator explodes, inflicting the damage from the energy attack in a 10 m radius.
- The phasic weapon explodes, inflicting its damage to the attacker.
- The phasic attack completely ignores the flux shield.
- (And more.) Both the shield generator and the phasic weapon explode, dealing X damage in a 10 m radius, where X is the number rolled.
16 May 2019
Death on Wheels
Here is something to drive in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, inspired by this.
Hit dice (HD) work the same for vehicles as they do for creatures.
Seats denote how many people can normally use the vehicle. More people can hang on, but any risky manoeuvre forces them to Save or fall off, and any damage taken by the vehicle is also taken by them.
Cargo is the number of inventory slots you can store in the vehicle. Various upgrades can also be installed into cargo slots.
Fuel is a usage die rolled for every overland turn spent travelling (wait for hexcrawling rules), and for every risky situation you get yourself into. Every time you roll a 1, decrease your fuel reserve by one category. Using a canister of fuel conversely increases your reserve by a category.
Weight is rather obvious. Heavy vehicles are generally better for car combats.
Speed marks the maximum speed the vehicle can go. All vehicles accelerate one speed category per round, so a Fast vehicle would need three rounds to reach its max speed, and slow by halving their speed.
Defense of a vehicle is based on its current speed: Unarmoured while standing still, as leather at Slow speed, as chain at Mid-Speed, as plate at Fast speed, and then +1 per category. Roll a driving check instead of Attack when using a vehicle as a weapon.
Vehicles do not use separate actions to attack, but rather move to ram or overrun. This causes damage depending on the vehicle's weight or current speed, whichever is better, 1d6 damage per category. If one vehicle is heavier than the other, decrease the damage against it by the difference in weights. Vehicles take no damage for running over soft targets (like people).
For example, an SUV rams a chopper. The SUV goes at its max speed, dealing 2d6 damage. The chopper is still picking up seed, going only Mid-Speed, so it would deal the same damage as the SUV, but because of the weight difference this is decreased by one category, resulting in 1d6 damage.
When a vehicle runs out of hp, it is Wrecked. If currently moving, the driver must make a driving check to crash safely. Passengers normally take no damage until their vehicle runs out of hp, but crashing may cause them damage based on the vehicle's speed. Vehicles can be repaired with spare parts during downtime.
Sidesweeping deals half damage and forces a driving check from the lighter vehicle to avoid crashing. Driving check may also be called for in risky situations, and failure may cause damage to the passengers.
Mechs could use similar rules.
Roll d6 for a biker gang, d10 for motorized raiders, and d20 for a motley crew of randomly scavenged vehicles.
d20 Vehicles
And for the truly desperate: Segway: HD 1, Seats 1, Cargo 0, Fuel 1d10, Light, Slow.
Upgrades do all sorts of crazy things, but it should not be easy to find them. Roll 1d20 for relatively common upgrades, 2d20 for uncommon and 3d20 for rather rare upgrades.
Upgrades:
Of course, you can also get rid of seats for extra Cargo, install more upgrades on the roof, or anything else your GM lets you. Go crazy.
Hit dice (HD) work the same for vehicles as they do for creatures.
Seats denote how many people can normally use the vehicle. More people can hang on, but any risky manoeuvre forces them to Save or fall off, and any damage taken by the vehicle is also taken by them.
Cargo is the number of inventory slots you can store in the vehicle. Various upgrades can also be installed into cargo slots.
Fuel is a usage die rolled for every overland turn spent travelling (wait for hexcrawling rules), and for every risky situation you get yourself into. Every time you roll a 1, decrease your fuel reserve by one category. Using a canister of fuel conversely increases your reserve by a category.
Empty > Low Fuel > Full Tank
Weight is rather obvious. Heavy vehicles are generally better for car combats.
Speed marks the maximum speed the vehicle can go. All vehicles accelerate one speed category per round, so a Fast vehicle would need three rounds to reach its max speed, and slow by halving their speed.
Light/Slow > Mid-Weight/Speed > Heavy/Fast > Very Heavy/Fast > Super-Heavy/Fast
Defense of a vehicle is based on its current speed: Unarmoured while standing still, as leather at Slow speed, as chain at Mid-Speed, as plate at Fast speed, and then +1 per category. Roll a driving check instead of Attack when using a vehicle as a weapon.
Vehicles do not use separate actions to attack, but rather move to ram or overrun. This causes damage depending on the vehicle's weight or current speed, whichever is better, 1d6 damage per category. If one vehicle is heavier than the other, decrease the damage against it by the difference in weights. Vehicles take no damage for running over soft targets (like people).
For example, an SUV rams a chopper. The SUV goes at its max speed, dealing 2d6 damage. The chopper is still picking up seed, going only Mid-Speed, so it would deal the same damage as the SUV, but because of the weight difference this is decreased by one category, resulting in 1d6 damage.
When a vehicle runs out of hp, it is Wrecked. If currently moving, the driver must make a driving check to crash safely. Passengers normally take no damage until their vehicle runs out of hp, but crashing may cause them damage based on the vehicle's speed. Vehicles can be repaired with spare parts during downtime.
Sidesweeping deals half damage and forces a driving check from the lighter vehicle to avoid crashing. Driving check may also be called for in risky situations, and failure may cause damage to the passengers.
Mechs could use similar rules.
Roll d6 for a biker gang, d10 for motorized raiders, and d20 for a motley crew of randomly scavenged vehicles.
d20 Vehicles
- ATV: HD 2, Seats 1, Cargo 10, Fuel 1d12, Light, Mid-Speed
- Buggy: HD 2, Seats 2, Cargo 10, Fuel 1d8, Light, Fast
- Chopper: HD 2, Seats 1, Cargo 5, Fuel 1d10, Light, Very Fast
- Dirtbike: HD 2, Seats 1, Cargo 5, 1d12, Light, Fast
- Motor Trike: HD 2, Seats 2, Cargo 10, Fuel 1d10, Middleweight, Fast
- Sidecar Bike: HD 2, Seats 3, Cargo 5, Fuel 1d10, Light, Mid-Speed
- Cabriolet: HD 3, Seats 4, Cargo 30, Fuel 1d8, Middleweight, Fast
- Jeep: HD 4, Seats 4, Cargo 30, Fuel 1d10, Middleweight, Mid-Speed
- Pickup: HD 4, Seats 6, Cargo 40, Fuel 1d10, Heavy, Slow
- Sportscar: HD 3, Seats 2, Cargo 20, Fuel 1d8, Middleweight, Very Fast
- Semi Truck: HD 5, Seats 4, Cargo 20 (200 with trailer), Fuel 1d8, Very Heavy, Slow
- SUV: HD 3, Seats 5, Cargo 30, Fuel 1d10, Middleweight, Mid-Speed
- Van: HD 4, Seats 6, Cargo 40, Fuel 1d8, Heavy, Mid-Speed
- Bus: HD 5, Seats 20, Cargo 60, Fuel 1d8, Very Heavy, Slow
- Skiff: HD 3, Seats 4, Cargo 20, Fuel 1d10, Light, Fast, aquatic
- Yacht: HD 6, Seats 10, Cargo 50, Fuel 1d8, Heavy, Slow, aquatic
- Helicopter: HD 3, Seats 2, Cargo 10, Fuel 1d8, Middleweight, Super-Fast, flying
- Hovercar: HD 3, Seats 4, Cargo 20, Fuel 1d6, Middleweight, Fast, flying
- Armoured Transporter: HD 8, Seats 10, Cargo 30, Fuel 1d8, Super-Heavy, Mid-Speed
- Tank: HD 10, Seats 4, Cargo 10, Fuel 1d6, Super-Heavy, Slow, chain cannon
And for the truly desperate: Segway: HD 1, Seats 1, Cargo 0, Fuel 1d10, Light, Slow.
Upgrades do all sorts of crazy things, but it should not be easy to find them. Roll 1d20 for relatively common upgrades, 2d20 for uncommon and 3d20 for rather rare upgrades.
Upgrades:
- Extra Fuel Tank: 3 Cargo, step up Fuel die.
- Extra Seat: 5 Cargo, +1 Seat.
- Turbo: 3 Cargo, temporarily increase speed one category above max, but also decrease Fuel reserves.
- Airbags: 1 Cargo per Seat, negates one instance of damage to passengers.
- Float Bags: 5 Cargo per weight category, the vehicle floats on water rather than sinking.
- Improved Shock Absorbers: 2 Cargo, +1 to driving, stackable.
- Radio Receiver: 4 Cargo, for remote communication.
- Heavy-duty Frame: half max Cargo, +1 HD.
- Harpoon: 5 Cargo, 1d8 damage and reel-in chain, range 50 m.
- Spikes: 5 Cargo, heavier vehicles don't get decreased damage.
- Wheel Blades: 3 Cargo, sidesweeping deals full damage.
- Plough: 6 Cargo, use d8 for ramming damage.
- Flamethrower: 5 Cargo, 2d6 fire damage and Save vs catching fire, range 30 m cone, out of fuel on any 1.
- Claw Crane: 10 Cargo, can lift heavy objects.
- Five-point Harness: 1 Cargo per Seat, prevents damage from failed driving checks.
- Searchlight: 4 Cargo, powerful light.
- Secret Stash: 2 Cargo, half your Cargo can be hidden in secret compartments.
- Steam Engine: 10 Cargo, can use wood/coal and water instead of petrol/diesel.
- Camouflage: 6 Cargo, hides the vehicle when stationary.
- Plasteel Plating: 5 Cargo, gain DR 3 (does not stack).
- Stereo System: 3 Cargo, for really loud music.
- Bed: 10 Cargo, provides a comfy bunk.
- Minifridge: 4 Cargo, keeps your food cold.
- Kitchen Unit: 10 Cargo, cook your meals without a camp.
- Water Purifier: 5 Cargo, makes polluted or brackish water drinkable.
- Onboard Lab: 20 Cargo, equipment and chemicals to make your drugs or explosives.
- Medical Unit: 20 Cargo, helps with treating injuries.
- Forklift: 8 Cargo, can lift heavy objects.
- Roller Drum: 6 Cargo, use d10 for ramming soft targets.
- Security System: 3 Cargo, failing to unlock the vehicle deals 1d8 electric damage.
- Alarm System: 3 Cargo, motion sensors linked to sirens.
- Solar Panel: 5 Cargo, generates 1 Energy per hour of sunlight.
- Ejection Seat: 5 Cargo, activate to shoot yourself out of the vehicle.
- Computer Terminal: 8 Cargo, all the computing power you might want.
- Recharging Station: 1 Cargo, roll Fuel dice to recharge 1 Energy for a gadget.
- Weather Station: 5 Cargo, measures wind, humidity, radiation etc. and helps in predicting dangerous weather.
- Self-destruct System: 2 Cargo, with a remote control you can carry.
- Autopilot: 4 Cargo, the vehicle will keep to its course if you stop steering it.
- Duralloy Plating: 10 Cargo, gain DR 6 (does not stack).
- Navigation: 4 Cargo, decrease chance of getting lost by 2.
- Jet Engine: 10 Cargo, increase Speed by two categories, but decrease Fuel die by two steps.
- Minireactor: 20 Cargo, set Fuel die to d20, but can only be refuelled by uranium rods, antimatter, dark matter, or something similarly rare and dangerous.
- Plasma Turret: 10 Cargo, 2d8 fire damage, range 150 m, out of ammo on any 1.
- Laser Turret: 5 Cargo, 1d10 radiant damage, range 200 m, out of energy on 1.
- Minigun: 5 Cargo, 1d12 damage, range 100 m, out of ammo on 1.
- Machinegun: 15 Cargo, 4d6 damage, range 100 m, out of ammo on any 1.
- Coilgun: 20 Cargo, 6d6 damage, range 100 m, out of ammo on any 1.
- Grenade Launcher: 10 Cargo, damage per grenade, range 150 m.
- Rocket Launcher: 15 Cargo, 2d10 fire damage, seeking missiles, range 150 m, out of ammo on any 1.
- Water Cannon: 5 Cargo, 1d6 damage and Save vs knockback, range 30 m cone, out of water on 1.
- Chain Cannon: 20 Cargo, 3d10 damage, range 200 m, out of ammo on any 1.
- Particle Cannon: 30 Cargo, 4d10 damage, range 200 m, out of ammo on any 1.
- Laser Array: 15 Cargo, 1d20 radiant damage, range 200 m, out of energy on 1.
- EMP Blaster: 10 Cargo, 2d10 damage vs electronics, range 50 m cone, out of energy on any 1.
- X-ray Blaster: 15 Cargo, 3d8 radiation damage, range 50 m cone, out of energy on any 1.
- Targeting System: 8 Cargo, +4 to hit with mounted weaponry.
- Antigrav Thrusters: 8 Cargo, +4 to jumps with the vehicle.
- Scanners: 5 Cargo, detect technology within the hex.
- Shield Generator: 20 Cargo, force field grants DR 10, runs out of energy when any damage gets through.
- Gravity Manipulator: 5 Cargo per weight category, with a driving check you can ride on walls.
Of course, you can also get rid of seats for extra Cargo, install more upgrades on the roof, or anything else your GM lets you. Go crazy.
11 April 2019
d101 Sci-Fi Gadgets
I was looking for some "wondrous items" table for a sci-fi OSR campaign, but could not find any. There seems to be a pressing lack of d100 sci-fi treasures or post-apocalyptic loot tables. So I made such a table. :)
Here are d101 tools, gadgets and curios that your players can have fun with. They are fairly system-neutral, just replace Energy with whatever source of power your rules use. Note that while these items could work in any sci-fi setting, they are intended for a post-apocalyptic or gritty game where high tech is scarce. It's more interesting to find a single gadget in a lost bunker on the corpse of a survivor than to order a cartful of them on eBay.
This list contains no weapons, armour, implants or vehicles, as those will come in later posts.
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| This is exactly where you should find some gadgets. From here. |
d101 Gadgets
- Superconductor spray: This can contains room-temperature superconductor nanopaint. Your science projects were never so easy!
- Cleverpaint spray: This can contains nanopaint with adjustable colour. You could even create an animated graffiti.
- Vantablack spray: This can contains a supremely black nanopaint that completely absorbs visible light (including lasers).
- Durafoam spray: This can contains a pressurised liquid that hardens into concrete-like foam when exposed to air. There is enough for 1d6 cubic metres of durafoam.
- Medigel spray: This can contains first aid nanogel used to treat severe injuries. While it cannot repair the damage done, it will clean and seal the wound, relieve pain and prevent infection. Each application removes a Fatal Wound, but you still need to see a doctor afterwards. Contains 1d6 doses.
- Nanowelder spray: This can contains nanites programmed to unite the matter of two touching objects at molecular level, inseparably welding them together. Contains 1d6 doses.
- Psychic printer: You can print anything you picture in your mind. Takes 1 Energy per page.
- Glowing floatsphere: Conveniently requires no hands to hold, floating nearby you at all times. Takes 1 Energy per exploration turn.
- Decoy floatsphere: Outfitted with a holoprojector and several recordings of very annoying people, it may be sent to distract your enemies. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Cloaking floatsphere: An inbuilt perception filter diverts attention away from anything within 3 metres from this floatsphere. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Chameleon cloak: Reactive camouflage of this cloak will render you nigh-invisible as long as you remain still. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Holomask: It allows you to superimpose any uploaded face over your own. Normally used along with polymorphic synth-hair and a voice modulator, though today such complete set could be found maybe in a tomb of a pre-Turn actor.
- Bio-scanner: Any organic life within 50 m will be instantly reported. Takes 1 Energy per exploration turn, but can be overloaded to take 2 Energy, increase its range to 100 m and burn up with 1-in-6 chance.
- Cyberscanner: Any cybertech within 50 m will be instantly reported. Takes 1 Energy per exploration turn, but can be overloaded to take 2 Energy, increase its range to 100 m and burn up with 1-in-6 chance.
- Structural scanner: Reveals your surroundings within 50 m. Takes 1 Energy per exploration turn, but can be overloaded to take 2 Energy, increase its range to 100 m and burn up with 1-in-6 chance.
- Psi-scanner: Reveals the use of any psychic powers within 50 m. Takes 1 Energy per exploration turn, but can be overloaded to take 2 Energy, reveal psychic potential rather than active use of powers, and burn up with 1-in-6 chance.
- Motion sensor pack: Alarm system was never so easy to set up as with this pack of subtle motion sensors.
- Malware databank: This databank contains a massive selection of malware, an arsenal powerful enough to win a virtual war.
- Hypnoloop clip: This databank contains a video of strange colour patterns. Anyone exposed to it must Save or be unable to look away. A vigorous slap or any danger will break the fascination.
- Subliminal music: This databank contains a recording that causes heightened suggestibility. A victim will treat anything as a suggestion, up until the first successful Save.
- Mindstate disc: A person's whole mind is saved on this databank. It could easily be uploaded into a clone or android.
- Datasphere archive: This databank contains all non-classified information you could ever need, but searching it will take a long time. Once per day, you may roll an Intelligence check to find the information you were searching for. Also half of it is filled with porn.
- Phase-gate bracelet: Any living tissue put through this bracelet is phased into an adjoining dimension. The limb on which the bracelet is worn becomes invisible and intangible, only capable of interacting with the target dimension. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Autodoc bracelet: Strapped over the veins of your wrist, this bracelet can be loaded with any chemical and intravenously deliver it to your bloodstream as a free action.
- Diagnostic bracelet: Continuously monitors your physical and mental well-being, overall health, and any detrimental conditions. Especially effective when linked to an autodoc bracelet.
- Transmat bracelet: Rare and powerful gadget capable of teleporting the wearer up to 10 metres to any space they can see. Takes 5 Energy per activation.
- Chemlight: Two small vials that burn with extremely bright light when their contents are mixed.
- Morpheus pill: Makes you sleep hard and fast. You will fall asleep for one hour after taking this pill, awakening with all effects of a full night of rest. Nothing can wake you for that hour. One Morpheus bottle contains 1d10 pills.
- Retcon pill: Ingested removes the past day of memories. One Retcon bottle contains 1d10 pills.
- Nutritab: A single pill has the same nutritional and caloric value as a whole ration. One bottle of nutritabs contains 1d10 pills.
- Inoculation injector: Multiple types of this injector exist, each making you immune against a specific disease.
- Pheromone injector: For 1d6 hours after you inject this serum, you have advantage at all social interactions.
- Adrenaline injector: This serum forces you into a murderous rage. For 1d6+1 rounds, you have +1 to hit and damage, are immune to pain and fear, and cannot do anything calm, curative or overly tactical.
- Mutagen injector: Roll for a random mutation here.
- Anodyne injector: A syringe of nanites that permanently block all pain by restructuring your nervous system.
- Truth serum injector: This drug makes the recipient very talkative and incapable of lying for an hour.
- Sedative injector: This medication suppresses aggression. Even highly hostile creature will be reduced to evil glares if you manage to inject them. The effect wears off in 10 minutes. Overdose causes deep sleep, coma, and death.
- Anxiolytic injector: This medication alleviates mental trauma. It will suppress any insanity and prevent Cracking for 1d6 hours.
- Eugeroic injector: This drug suppresses the effects of Fatigue and sleep deprivation for a whole day.
- Antidote injector: A dose of nanites in this syringe will filter your blood, removing any toxins currently affecting you.
- Antirad injector: This drug fortifies your body against radiation, making you immune to ambient radiation for 1d6 hours. It cannot cure damage already done, nor is it powerful enough to block concentrated radiation (such as gamma ray blasts).
- Coagulant injector: This medication stimulates platelet growth and bonding, instantly stopping blood loss and creating scar tissue much faster than usual. Healthy person must Save vs stroke when injected.
- Stimulant injector: This medication bolsters the body, healing 1d6+1 hp.
- Steroid injector: This medication boosts the body, allowing you to treat your Strength as 20 for 1 round.
- Brainiac injector: This medication boosts the mind, enhancing your psionic powers for 1d6 minutes.
- Inhibitor injector: This drug prevents the use of psionic powers for 1d6 hours.
- Mnestic injector: This drug enhances your power of recall to inhuman levels and prevents any memory tampering or amnesia for 1d6 hours.
- Antimatter capsule: It's supposed to be used as a fuel in a reactor, but it could easily be rigged into a bomb.
- Barrel: Roll d10 for the contents: 1) liquid nitrogen, 2) petrol, 3) hydrofluoric acid, 4) mustard gas, 5) dark matter, 6) non-perishable rations, 7) radioactive waste, 8) a zombie, 9) pink hyper-bouncy gel, 10) melange.
- Paradeflector: Anyone wearing this piece of psi-tech becomes immune to telekinetic powers. Takes 1 Energy per deflected attack.
- Telepathic relay: When you are subjected to a telepathic power, you affect the psion by their rebound power. (For example, a telepath tries to read your mind, but thanks to your relay, you may read their mind in return.) Takes 1 Energy per activation and normally comes integrated into a helmet or other headgear.
- Video scrambler: Anyone wearing this tiny device becomes invisible to droids and video surveillance. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Ocular scrambler: Anyone wearing this tiny device becomes invisible to biological creatures. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Sensor scrambler: Anyone wearing this tiny device becomes invisible to scanners and detectors. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Psionic scrambler: Anyone wearing this tiny device becomes invisible to telepathic powers. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- E-tex shawl: Made of smartcloth that can be toggled to take on steel-like hardness in whatever shape it currently has. Takes 1 Energy per minute of being hardened.
- Omnidress: This choker can project a hardlight clothing of any kind. It can even imitate armour or spacesuit, though it offers none of their benefits. As an added bonus, turning it off and on again will remove any tears and stains. Takes 1 Energy per hour.
- Grey goo ampule: These nanites are programmed for a specific target (be that an object or a person). On contact, the nanites proceed to break the target down into dust in seconds.
- Cyberbug: The sensitive microphones of this cockroach-sized droid can be linked to your comm. Eavesdropping was never that easy. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Stasis container: Anything placed inside will enter stasis, but it cannot hold anything larger than a head. Takes 1 Energy per day.
- Rebreather: This mouth-mask filters oxygen out of water, allowing you to dive with no need for an oxygen tank.
- Filter mask: This full face mask cleanses the air to prevent toxic atmosphere, dust storms, combat gases or nanite swarms from harming your lungs.
- Blast glove: A pulse emitter is set into the palm of this glove. Activating it sends out a blast of force that sends your foe sprawling 10 metres backwards. Takes 1 Energy per shot.
- Resonance glove: The ultrasonic emitter set into the palm of this glove can shatter any glass (be it bulletproof, plexi-, cyber- or otherwise) with a touch. Takes 1 Energy per activation.
- Second skin gloves: A pair of pseudoskin gloves with configurable finger prints.
- Hologloves: They allow easy interaction with non-hardlight holograms. Takes 1 Energy per exploration turn.
- Parachute: Sometimes you fall from a very high place and don't want to go splat.
- Hoverboard: Antigrav propulsors hold this board about ten centimetres off the ground. It's great fun to ride, but never forget that it cannot truly fly. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Gravitron harness: Your personal gravity field can be adjusted to your preferences. Walk on walls, jump like on the moon. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Inertial boots: The inertial dampeners in these boots safely absorb impacts from high falls, letting you land lightly even if you jump off a cliff. For every dice of falling damage, they drain 1 Energy.
- Universal translator: Capable of simultaneous translation between all know languages. Takes 1 Energy per exploration round.
- Emergency stasis field: Personal safety device that will envelop you in a stasis field should your life be threatened. Unfortunately it requires external deactivation, so you could be frozen for quite some time. Becomes inoperable on deactivation with 50% chance.
- Geiger counter: Readings of ambient radiation come in handy in post-apocalyptic wasteland.
- Grappling gun: Comes with 10 metres of high tensile rope, anchor capable of embedding itself into concrete, and automatic reeling system.
- Net gun: Can shoot a sturdy plasteel net with range of 10 metres. Comes with 1d6 cartridges.
- Tractor beam gun: Can exert powerful attractive force out to range of 10 metres. Takes 1 Energy per round.
- Water purifier: Intelligent nanofilters remove all harmful substances and impurities from the water.
- Portable solar panel: Generates 1 Energy per hour on a sunny day.
- Cyanide cigarette: Smoking this cigarette forces you to Save or die.
- Marijuana joint: Smoking it removes 1d6 Trauma.
- Spool of monomolecular wire: As strong as a heavy-duty plasteel cord, and extremely sharp.
- Indestructible briefcase: Manufactured with a long-forgotten technology, this briefcase resists plasma blasts, psionic disruption, antimatter annihilation and nuclear explosions with ease.
- Manifold briefcase: Extradimensional technology extends the interior of this briefcase, granting it inner volume of 1d12 cubic metres. Yes, it's bigger on the inside.
- Beacon dart: This dart injects a minuscule hypertransmitter into the bloodstream, making the tracking of your prey easy even from light years away.
- Code cracker: This palm-sized cube contains one of the most powerful quantum supercomputers ever built. It can break through any password, access code or cypher in seconds (2-in-6 chance of success per round). Takes 1 Energy per round.
- Automatic locksmith: Sometimes you find one of those old mechanical locks and need to open it in a hurry. This gadget will do just that (2-in-6 chance of success per round). Takes 1 Energy per round.
- Injection ring: Inconspicuous ring with a hidden analgesic needle, usually used to deliver toxins or nanites with a handshake.
- Sound damper: This vibration suppressor weakens sound waves within 10 meters, making loud noises muffled and quiet noises silent. Takes 1 Energy per minute.
- Supermagnet: This extremely strong electromagnet takes 1 Energy per round of activation.
- Bulletproof umbrella: Grants +1 Defense. Also resistant to acid rain.
- Microcamera: Wide-angle CCTV camera the size of a dust mote, live-feeding to your comm. Takes 1 Energy per hour.
- Remote detonator: This device will trigger and detonate explosives of all kinds within 10 metres. Takes 1 Energy per activation.
- Antigrav thruster: Generates a short but very strong upward thrust when activated. Takes 3 Energy per activation.
- Tactical peril-visor: Inbuilt AI evaluates danger and highlights risks. The goggles grant advantage at spotting enemies, concealed weapons and traps.
- Cyberblindfold: Removing your eyesight, this device allows you to see dataflows and energy streams instead.
- Smartglasses: Roll d10 twice for the settings on this pair of glasses: 1) infrared vision, 2) ultraviolet vision, 3) night vision, 4) powerful zoom, 5) microscope magnification, 6) light-adaptive lenses (protect from flashes and bright light), 7) polarised lenses (remove reflections from glass or water), 8) inbuilt camera, 9) x-ray vision, 10) augmented reality (including compass, navigation, digital clock, etc.), 11) commlink, 12) targeting assistant (+1 to ranged Attack).
- Overseer helmet: Wearing this helm obscures you normal vision, but allows you to control and see from the cameras of a small drone. Takes 2 Energy per minute.
- Emergency jacket: Can inflate an air-tight sphere of reinforced nanofiber around the user.
- Olfactolocator: This mask covers the mouth and nose, and greatly amplifies ambient odours. It grants you a sense of smell on par with a scent hound.
- Wrist comm: A communicator bracelet with a holographic interface.
- Tachycomm: An unwieldy, experimental communicator. Unlike regular communication (and travel), it is not limited by the speed of light, allowing instant transmission over intergalactic distances.
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