Not everyone in the shadows is keen on the wireless Matrix, especially after the new Matrix protocols were enacted. For some the potential drawbacks to being wireless—such as having your augmentations unexpectedly shut down—far outweigh any benefits. These niche operators prefer to use throwback technology and routinely disable wireless devices when they can. Even though the team’s riggers and deckers rely on current technology, a team may opt to “go dark” temporarily to avoid detection. This can be a viable tactic for secretly getting an asset in position to do real damage. When facing an opponent with superior Matrix assets, isolating all combatants can level the playing field. Operating in the dark is difficult but not impossible in 2075, and those who do develop skills that make up for their lack of reliance on tech.
PERISCOPE CAM
An inexpensive, hand-held sensor package used to look around corners or over top of obstacles. Image link is standard and it comes with limited upgrading capabilities. It can be accessed wirelessly or viewed di- rectly through a small viewfinder at the base.
CAPACITY AVAIL COST
1-3 10R Capacity x 600¥
BATTERING RAMS
Sometimes, when a maglock pass key or a lock pick just can’t get the job done, a more robust method be- comes necessary. Popular with entry teams, battering rams range from hunks of metal to high-tech wireless devices. Battering rams are not recommended for use as a melee weapon but can be used as such (use Exot- ic Melee Weapon (Battering Rams) skill, assuming you had the foresight to select it). For normal use, battering rams require a Strength + Agility Test to determine hits, which is added to the damage and then resisted by the object’s Body + Armor.
Standard Ram: A metal tube weighing approximately
20 kilograms with a blunted end and handles along the sides, this is a no-frills entry tool that relies on the user’s Strength for breaching. The standard ram is normally used by one individual, but heavier versions are available and can be used by two average humans.
ACC REACH DAM AP AVAIL COST
4 — (STR+2)P –1 10R 2,000¥
Fluid-Motion Ram: The same as the standard
battering ram, but it includes an internal ten-liter liquid reservoir. When used, the ram is swung backwards and then forward to strike the target. On impact the internal fluid in the ram creates extra momentum that increases the impact damage. Very useful against more durable doors, but using it requires two average-size humans or one average-size troll.
ACC REACH DAM AP AVAIL COST
5 1 (STR*+3)P –1 10R 3,500¥
*Strength Rating to be used is (combined Strength of all users) / (number of users)
Pneumatic Ram: Also known as the P-Ram, a
pneumatic ram’s breaching power comes from a large, battery-powered pneumatic piston. A P-Ram is too large and heave to be swung. The quad-legged device is securely positioned at the door or barrier before operation and triggered by a touch pad or wirelessly. Its power comes at the expense of mobility; it requires a four-person team of average humans to deploy.
ACC REACH DAM AP AVAIL COST
6 — 16P –4 18R 10,000¥
Shock Ram: Users call it the Shock Knocker. It’s
a shock ram is designed to disable electronic locks or defenses when it breaches a door or barrier. Four large conductive spikes protrude from the ram’s head that penetrates the barrier to deliver the charge. A metahuman in contact with the barrier or the spikes must resist shock damage per normal rules. Shock rams can be wirelessly discharged. Though an effective breaching tool, a shock ram requires frequent maintenance and constant monitoring, as repeated use can damage the mechanism and insulating protective casing. A glitch on a use test results in the batteries failing; a critical glitch results in a shock to the operator.
ACC REACH DAM AP AVAIL COST
4 1 (STR+2)P + 12(e) –3 10R 15,000¥
BLAST SHIELD
The blast shield is a two meter by one meter vari- able-geometry shaped charge consisting of thermite strips and several high-explosive devices. Handle straps in the center allow it to be carried and used like a shield until it’s deployed. Adhesives or magnets can secure the blast shield to any surface. The charge can be detonated with a timer or remotely. To use as a me- lee weapon, wielders must have Exotic Weapon (Blast Shield) skill; the accuracy rating of the item is 4.
DAM AP BLAST AP AVAIL COST
20P — Target –4 8R 20,000¥
ARES PED (PERSONAL
EXTRICATION DEVICE) MARK III
Originally called the “body bag,” the PED is a means to transport unconscious or immobile individuals that’s marketed to the general public as a lifesaving device. Essentially a flexible bag of woven Kevlar, the PED of- fers protection roughly equivalent to medium armors, and it is available in sizes to fit all metatypes. The PED can form an airtight seal and sufficient insulation to protect in hot, cold, or toxic environments; a tank with sufficient oxygen to survive an hour is optional. Emer- gency GPS beacons are standard.
ARMOR RATING AVAIL COST
12 10R 2,500¥
ULTRA-GLIDE INDUSTRIAL LUBRICANT ImpZetaChem initially intended to develop an innovative industrial-grade degreaser. On paper and in computer modeling, that’s exactly what they did. But when they tested their creation, they discovered the viscous liquid not only didn’t remove grease, it was itself almost im- possible to remove without specialized solvents. More importantly, any surface coated with their experimental cleaner became for all practical intents and purposes friction-free. ImpZetaChem wasted no time in rebrand- ing their failed cleaner as an industrial lubricant. Though chemically improbable, Ultra-Glide works—the coating produces a zero-friction surface that all but eliminates wear and heat in machinery. Sold to consumers in jugs and spray cans, Ultra-Glide is popular with security pro- viders who use it to coat approaches to potential breach points. It can also be used in squirt weapons or in stan- dard paint grenades (applicable skill tests apply). To move across a surface (per meter) coated with Ultra-Glide re- quires an Gymnastics + Agility (3) [Physical] Test, or an Agility (4) Test to hold on to an Ultra-Glide coated item.
AVAIL COST
12 30¥ (per liter)
HOLD-FAST ADHESIVE SPRAY
Hold-Fast was developed at MIT&T as an effort to meet—and cash in on—Dunkelzhan’s call for a non-le- thal alternative to conventional firearms. Its intend- ed purpose is to quickly immobilize subjects without harming them. Though initially rejected by the Draco Foundation for “not meeting the necessary criteria,” Hold-Fast was adopted by Lone Star after their own in- dependent trials, conducted on the streets of several CAS cities, proved it to be effective in apprehension and crowd control. Hold-Fast is a liquid that is deliv- ered through a sprayer not unlike a fire extinguisher. Once exposed to oxygen, the liquid hardens to form a clear plastic-like shell in about thirty seconds. Standard Hold-Fast become brittle after two hours, while the long-lasting formula is stable until removed with a sol- vent. Use Taser ranges for Hold-Fast sprayer. Breaking free of Hold-Fast requires a Strength (4) Test.
ACC DAM AP AMMO AVAIL COST
–2 Special — 10 12 50¥