Equipment:
Survival Gear
| Item | Cost | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Antiseptic lamp | 50 cr | 1/2 lb. |
| Aquatic shelter | 10.000 cr | 500 lb. |
| Artificial gill | 200 cr | 5 lb. |
| Backpack | 40 cr | 2 lb. |
| Bipper | 300 cr | 1 lb. |
| Climbing gear | 250 cr | 15 lb. |
| Drysuit | 800 cr | 7 lb. |
| Electronic mapbox | 750 cr | 1 lb. |
| Emergency food synthesizer | 800 cr | 10 lb. |
| Emergency beacon | 75 cr | — |
| Emergency pod | 1,000 cr | 15 lb. |
| Filter mask | 65 cr | 1 lb. |
| Fire paste | 5 cr | — |
| Flare | 2 cr | 1 lb. |
| Flare gun | 25 cr | 2 lb. |
| Gel breather | 300 cr | 1 lb. |
| Hostile environment suit | 1,400 cr | 12 lb. |
| Powerboots | 2,000 cr | 5 lb. |
| Portable power generator | 500 cr | 20 lb. |
| Quickcrete | 2 cr | 1 lb. |
| Radiation shelter | 4,000 cr | 60 lb. |
| SeaCell | 300 cr | 1 lb. |
| Skychron program | 50 cr | — |
| Sleeping bag | 50 cr | 1 lb. |
| Strobe beacon | 50 cr | — |
| Survival kit | 60 cr | 8 lb. |
| Survival rations (one week) | 5 cr | 3 lb. |
| Temporary shelter | ||
| 1-person | 300 cr | 5 lb. |
| 2-person | 500 cr | 8 lb. |
| 5-person | 800 cr | 15 lb. |
| 10-person | 1,500 cr | 20 lb. |
| Vapor still | 200 cr | 10 lb. |
| Vulcan gloves | 250 cr | 3 lb. |
| Web cage | 5,500 cr | 15 lb. |
| Water purifier | 15 cr | — |
Antiseptic Lamp: This is a simple handheld device that fits easily in the palm. It combines an ultraviolet lamp with a low-grade EMP generator. Swept over a wound, equipment, or food, it acts as a fairly effective antiseptic. It is not advised for use near sensors or exposed circuitry. The UV light has a range of 10 feet, but the antiseptic properties only function at a range of a few inches. The EM pulse is also limited to a range of one foot.
Use of the lamp can help stop infections and the spread of infectious disease. The antiseptic lamp provides a +4 circumstance bonus on Heal checks to treat infections or infectious diseases.
Aquatic Shelter: This shelter is designed for emergency aid. Explorers and military units use aquatic shelters to construct quick undersea bases. When the shelter is activated, a small battery provides power to the unit and small propeller screws. Once under power, the shelter can be easily maneuvered to a suitable foundation point. The base of an aquatic shelter may be up to 10 feet by 10 feet.
The shelter is constructed from a morphing material capable of altering characteristics such as shape, texture, and flexibility. The shape of the basic framework is determined by the shelter's initial programming, though this can be altered with a successful Use Device check (DC 20). Once the shelter has assumed its final shape, the membranous walls and surfaces thicken and harden, becoming a somewhat spongy, tough material. The original frame provides a rigid support structure for the shelter. Round sections of the membrane thin and become translucent, forming windows. Sections that separate under direct pressure become hatches, while openings in the bottom of the shelter can create moon pools. When the shelter is complete, a small integral pump activates and removes the water from the structure. The battery is used to crack oxygen from the seawater, filling the shelter with breathable atmosphere. The entire setup process takes 30 minutes to complete.
The shelter provides warmth and renewable atmosphere for up to four people. In cold waters, the material thickens and provides better insulation. Hatches are flexible, inflated irises that serve as effective airlocks. The shelter is rated to a pressure of up to 500 atmospheres (at standard gravity, that is a sea depth of 300 feet).
Backpack: A large, comfortable kit that can hold up to 200 lbs. of supplies. Backpacks are waterproofed and constructed of rugged materials with reinforced frames. They receive a +2 circumstance bonus on Fortitude saving throws and receive a save even if unattended.
Bippers: These foot-long perimeter-security devices can telescope up to 10 feet tall and can be arranged up to 100 feet apart. Using low-intensity lasers and low-light imaging systems, a bipper can detect movement within 10 feet as well as objects crossing between one bipper and the next. While they can register sizes of beings and and general shape and outline, bippers are incapable of visually distinguishing friend and foe.
Bippers can be hooked up to a datapad and monitored.
A robot can also be set up to control a bipper perimeter.
These devices can sound or flash an alarm, as desired. They can also set off loud noises, noxious smells, and flashes of light, potentially startling off animals. Those interested in a good night's sleep should set the perimeter fairly wide, set to flash and release mild odors.
Drysuit: This is a diving suit made of rugged, variable-state material. It can be worn as either a loose-fitting jumpsuit with good ventilation or a close-fitting diving suit with excellent insulation. A low-power electrical current is used to alter the material from a baggy, open weave to a tight waterproofed state. Standard drysuits are designed for use with artificial gills and come with a headlamp-equipped diving mask and swim fins.
Electronic Mapbox: This handheld device is a global positioning unit with an integral datapad that can store and display digital maps. The device also includes a digital compass and inertial navigator. The electronic mapbox allows the user to locate and track his position and movement anywhere on a planet and plot them on an existing map display. The global positioning unit is accurate to within a meter but only functions on a planet with an accessible global positioning satellite network.
Emergency Beacon: This is a small, high-power radio transmitter that uses an integral battery and solar charger to generate a continuous, pulsing telemetry signal intended to guide rescuers. These are useful devices, but many soldiers and adventurers deactivate them when traveling in hostile areas for fear that the emergency beacon will be used by their enemies to locate them.
Emergency Food Synthesizer: Space crews throughout the galaxy hate this device. Aboard starships and space stations, most food comes from a food synthesizer of some kind. Synthesizers use engineered organisms to turn power, waste, and air into a variety of nutritional substances. While not particularly appetizing by themselves, these base substances can be mixed, modified, and flavored to provide palatable meals.
The emergency food synthesizer, however, lacks the refinements that many ship and habitat synthesizers enjoy. The system produces a nutritional substance available in "dry and gritty" and "runny paste" forms. The waste cycling and synthesis process is not perfect: Without supplements, characters using an EFS will begin to suffer nutrient deficiencies. Within two weeks, characters dependent on emergency synthesizers can become seriously ill.
The EFS is powered by a minicell, though it can be connected to larger systems. It serves up to four people at a time. Without water or waste, it can only provide limited sustenance for one character, and nutrient losses occur much faster. An EFS can run indefinitely. A minicell provides sufficient energy for one week of maximum use.
An EFS can also be designed for marine environments. The organic core of these synthesizers is able to supplement waste with plankton and minerals, preventing nutrient loss.
Emergency Pod: These are rescue devices designed to aid survival in a variety of emergency situations. Emergency pods are typically about three feet wide and contain miniature life support systems. To activate it, the user pulls the collapsed pod from its storage pack, climbs inside, and zips it shut. When the pod is sealed, the device inflates and the life support system is activated. The system provides breathable air and temperature control for up to 100 hours for a single adult. The devices also come with an integral emergency beacon that activates upon inflation. Emergency pods are effective in the deepest oceans and the furthest reaches of space.
Filter Mask: This device filters the air and protects the user from most airborne chemical agents and contaminants. The user is immune to the harmful effects of smoke, gas, and toxic inhalants. The user must still have available air to breathe, so the filter mask is not sufficient to sustain the user in space, underwater, or in any other airless environment. Filter masks cover the user's nose and mouth and feature airtight goggles and adjustable fitting straps.
Fire Paste: This is a chemical putty that it used to start or sustain fires. Fire paste comes in small blocks with integral igniters. The user simply pulls the tab on the igniter and seconds later the paste bursts into flame. Fire paste quickly ignites any inflammables in contact with it and a block will burn by itself up to 30 minutes.
Flare Gun: This handheld device is used to fire emergency flares. It can fire a standard flare cartridge 500 feet in the air. Flare cartridges use chemical inflammables to burn hot and bright in a variety of colors.
Gel Breather: These blobs of translucent gel initially resemble jellyfish, with an outer, smooth surface on the concave top and a rougher underside covered in tiny cilia. No one is really sure if this organic matter possesses some degree of life, or even sentience, but the gel breather still serves a seemingly benign purpose, helping other beings to function in tainted atmospheres.
A gel breather combines the utility of the artificial gill with the functions of a filter mask. The user simply molds the rough surface to his face, covering the nose and mouth (or other breathing orifices); the minute cilia cling to the skin and form an airtight seal. The wearer can still breathe through the gel's body, though with slightly more effort than normal. The gel breather extracts oxygen from the existing atmosphere, even if contaminated, and purifies it in such a way that the wearer can breathe normally underwater, in smoke, tear gas, and thin atmospheres. The user is immune to drowning and damage or suffocation due to breathing tainted or hostile atmosphere.
The breather does not protect the user from corrosive effects or other potential hazards of hostile atmospheres. The gel breather cannot support the user in space or other environments with no oxygen content. It does not protect the wearer from depth and decompression hazards. The gel breather works for 200 hours of continuous operation before it wears out.
Hostile Environment Suit: The HEV is similar in manufacture to the drysuit, constructed of variable-state material designed to alternate between a loose, open weave and a tight, sealed protective suit. The HEV is intended for use in environments—from planets to space stations—characterized by toxic atmospheric elements, extreme temperature, or dangerous levels of radiation. The suit comes with a helmet equipped with an integral breathing mask, but it does not feature a full life-support system and cannot be used in a completely airless environment. The HEV suit provides protection in temperatures ranging from -50°F to 150°F, allows the user to breathe tainted air without ill effect, and grants a +10 circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves to resist the harmful effects of radiation.
Portable Power Generator: The PPG is a fusion generator. It splits hydrogen from water or from water vapor in the air as fuel. It is inefficient, but its portability and low maintenance needs are suited for recharging powered armor and light vehicles. It can fully charge the cells used on most powered armors in six hours, assuming either standard atmosphere or small amounts of water. A set of four combat hardsuits could be used for 16 hours and then recharged in an eight-hour rest period.
Powerboots: These devices provide mobility and speed, useful for everything from rescue operations to crossing badlands quickly. They rely on a rigid sole that can change shape as needed. At higher speeds, the sole becomes curved and elastic. Combined with a servo to boost the user forward and robust feedback to keep balance, it adds +5 feet to the wearer's speed. The boots also provide a +4 circumstance bonus on Jump checks.
Quickcrete: This gel is easy to apply and spread. When subjected to a precise electrical signal, it hardens within a second into a solid substance. It has hardness 10 with 15 hit points per inch of thickness. A pound contains about six cubic inches of this material. With an applicator (10 cr) it can be released as a thin liquid or foam, mixing with other materials to add bulk. Quickcrete can be doubled in volume as a foam, having hardness 8 and 8 hit points per inch of thickness. It can be doubled by mixing in dirt or rocks without noticeably changing its properties. It is waterproof and forms just as readily in a vacuum or underwater.
Quickcrete has a second activation signal. If this signal is used, the quickcrete can be dissolved later using a third signal and spraying on specific solvents. This allows quickcrete to be used temporarily, such as for a quick airtight seal. This removal process reduces the quickcrete's hit points by 5 per round. When an inch of material is removed, another application is needed to dissolve it further.
Radiation Shelter: On many planets, radiation is a fairly common environmental hazard. War, poorly maintained power plants, dumping, or natural conditions can all cause severe radiation threats. A radiation shelter can be useful in response to shifting winds or to provide secure sleeping quarters. In space, stellar flares provide another constant threat. Spikes in stellar activity can causes fluxes of electromagnetic activity that send massive streams of hard radiation out into space. In large enough doses, this can cause sterility, cancer, and radiation poisoning.
Whether on the ground or in a habitat, the shelter is fairly basic. It is made of a flexible but tough material and a series of struts. The standard design is a tent about eight feet by eight feet by five feet. The material comes apart along seals. With some ingenuity, shelters can be divided into pieces and combined into larger structures. In any form, the shelter has a series of vents and filters along the top and bottom. Normally, air is sucked from above, filtered, and then moves through the shelter. Vents along the bottom push out air, also removing dust and other airborne contaminants.
Vent systems can be removed and attached to other parts of the shelter, or connected to ventilation systems outside. A temporary shelter or emergency pod can be covered with the radiation shelter material.
Setting up the basic radiation shelter takes four rounds. In a rush, a Use Device skill check can drop the time needed by one round for every 5 points of the check result above DC 10. More complex tasks may take anywhere between 10 and 40 minutes.
The standard, two-person radiation shelter has a normal hardness of 5 and provides 21 points of protection from radiation each round. It uses a minicell, which provides sufficient power for one week of continuous operation. While it provides some warmth and cooling, it is not designed for weather extremes. It has adequate filters for most toxins. Radiation shelters can be sealed but have no integral oxygen supply.
SeaCell: This is a miniaturized fusion generator. It is the size of a minicell and provides similar power. It relies on cellular fusion, which uses small-scale quantum effects to trigger fusion in repeated pulses. An extraction chamber splits hydrogen from water and feeds it through a series of thin capillaries to banks of fusion cells. Each cell absorbs hydrogen, undergoes a pulse of fusion, releases helium, and then repeats the process. The cells are also shielded, minimizing radiation risks. The process is inefficient but provides electricity so long as the system has water.
A seacell can turn a pint of water into as much energy as the output of a standard minicell. It also produces waste heat, a bright signal to infrared sensors. The waste product is hot water saturated with oxygen and helium.
The cell occasionally needs cleaning. Eventually, the cellular components begin to break down, but this only becomes a problem after 625 gallons of water have been processed.
Cellular fusion is only suited for low-power applications, particularly in marine environments. It is less efficient than the portable power generator but more reliable and releases less radiation. Larger versions are available that have the size and power of a heavy cell. Anything larger relies on hot fusion, such as the portable power generator. Ultimately, fusion systems using water fuse hydrogen, limiting their power output. Vehicles and ships use deuterium, which fuses more easily and produces higher power. Fuel plants concentrate the natural deuterium found in water, storing it as heavy water or liquid deuterium.
Skychron Program: A useful survival program, this software reads and analyzes the position of the sun, magnetic fields, and local stellar information. It can calculate important information about movements of celestial bodies. The primary use of the skychron program is to calibrate an electronic mapbox. A blind landing on a planet, teleport magic, and other effects can throw off a mapbox's inertial compass. With no GPS unit, the mapbox can record the movements of the character but cannot be sure where the original location is.
Skychron is useful for stellar navigation. With accurate images of the stars from the present location, the program can accurately determine the ship's position. This in no way matches the capabilities of an astronav computer. The detail needed by a starcaster is much greater than this program can provide. Still, if the astronav is damaged, this program can come in very handy.
A datapad can use skychron information to determine what the view would be from a planet anywhere in the explored galaxy. Models can be run forward and backward in time, shifting stellar positions accordingly. Skychron has basic information on most surveyed planets, though this information is only as good as expeditions and military security allow.
Sleeping Bag: These lightweight units are made of durable composites and are the explorer's best friend. They can be folded down to a small rectangle and easily stored in a backpack. They provide excellent insulation, protecting the user from both heat and cold.
Strobe Beacon: This personal rescue device is slightly larger than the minicell that powers it. The strobe beacon easily fits in a pocket and slips into most emergency survival packs. When activated, it emits a bright burst of light once every three seconds. Others can spot the light from two kilometers away during the day or five kilometers away at night, depending on atmospheric conditions.
A chromatically adjustable lens over the strobe allows users to change the light color from bright white to red, green, yellow, or blue to correspond with common emergency and communication codes. The beacon also sends a burst transmission telemetry signal on standard rescue frequencies, a simple radio pulse retrieval parties can follow with remote sensor equipment (the transmission has a range of 100 kilometers). A pattern within the transmission indicates the color of the strobe in case poor visual conditions obscure the beacon.
Users can disable the transmission feature for other purposes: rigging several strobes to outline a temporary landing area, marking a target for incoming starfighters, or creating a diversion during combat. Short spikes fold out from the sides and base so users can firmly anchor it into soft surfaces or the ground. The magnetic base disk also allows it to adhere upright to metallic surfaces.
At night, the strobe's intense bursts of light provide irregular illumination to the immediate area. Anyone within 50 feet of the strobe suffers a -2 circumstance penalty on all attack rolls and vision-related checks, even if adequate lighting exists. This penalty affects those with darkvision or other means of enhancing their sight in dim conditions.
Some scoundrels use the beacon as a diversion for tight situations in poorly lit, close quarters. They conceal the beacon in their hand, then flash it once (while averting their eyes) to temporarily blind and startle their unsuspecting victims. Anyone looking in the strobe's direction must make a Reflex save (DC 15) to look away (the user gains a +10 circumstance bonus to this save since he controls the strobe). Those failing the save are blinded for 1d2 rounds (light-sensitive creatures suffer these effects for twice the normal duration). Any characters making the save quickly avert their eyes and avoid the effects of blindness.
The beacon's minicell provides enough power for 60 hours of continual use.
Survival Kit: This kit is carried by explorers, soldiers, pilots, adventurers, and anybody else who prepares to operate, travel, and survive in a wilderness environment. It comes in a small collapsible kit that includes the following items: digital compass, bedroll, three survival ration packs, fishing line and hooks, survival knife with multitool, canteen, and a chemical igniter.
Survival Rations: These are durable, high-energy food products stored in a sealed plastic packet. A wide variety of foods are available—some to be heated up and some to be eaten cold. A single packet will sustain a Medium-size character for one week, and survival rations have a shelf life of several years.
Temporary Shelter: Temporary shelters are more versatile than tents, typically offering more spacious, durable, and weatherproof accommodations. Temps are easy to assemble and disassemble and come in a variety of designs. Some are small one- or two-person shelters, while others are larger multi-room structures. Temp panels contain electrically sensitive frames that, when activated, stiffen and support the structure's roof and walls. The user simply unrolls the temp and pushes a button. The frames stiffen and the shelter raises itself. Temps have integral solar panels that trickle-charge small batteries to provide power.
Vapor Still: A vapor still condences water from the air. It is limited by humidity. In thick, humid air, the still can extract enough potable water each day to hydrate four individuals. In drier, cooler environments, it may only be sufficient for 1 to 3 individuals per day. Arid climates with some moisture can possibly support a single individual. In deserts or in subzero weather, the still is unlikely to support even one but might slow down dehydration.
The device is a small pack that unfolds when used. Fully deployed, the still stands on a set of long anchoring legs with a fan of filaments spread out above it. The fan swivels to keep the edge into the wind. Small fibers draw moisture as the air moves across the fan. The device also incorporates solar cells to augment the microcell that powers it. Under reasonably sunny conditions, the still can be used continuously for 48 hours. Larger power supplies or constant daily bright sunlight can keep it going indefinitely.
Vulcan Gloves: Commonly used in manufacturing and research, these look like regular rubber gloves, coming up to the elbow. They provide 100 points of protection against acid, cold, electricity, and fire damage. Nails or sharp edges can cut through a glove easily, rendering them useless. The material tightens to make a good fit, and then expands slightly. It has a spongy feel, but there is almost perfect tactile feedback. The gloves allow wearers to dunk a hand into molten lava and then immerse it in liquid nitrogen, with no ill effects. The resistance to these extreme conditions is limited to a relatively short duration, depending on the extremes of heat, cold, electrical current, or acidity. A glove changes its color, fading to a mottled gray, to warn of degradation in its protective capabilities.
Water Purifier: These simple devices are essentially large plastic straws fitted with filters and ionized chemical scrubbers. The user puts one end in the water, the other in his mouth, and sucks the water through the straw. Purifiers are disposable and good for about 20 gallons of water before the filters fail. Water purifiers remove toxins, contaminants, and harmful microbes from water, and also remove salts from seawater.
Web Cage: This system is favored by explorers, rangers, and adventurers who depend on protection from beasts and monsters in the wilderness. The system is based on the same principles as starship shield technology, though it is much less complex and requires much less energy.
The system is composed of a dozen emitter units and a handheld remote control device. When activated, the emitters create a powerful electrical field in a hemispherical grid. Any creature coming in contact with the grid suffers 6d6 points of electrical damage. The grid is quite strong and has a Break DC of 30 for the purposes of attempts to break through it.