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How to read weapon descriptions

A longer weapon is an advantage in melee as long as the enemy can be kept at a distance. In fisticuffs or wres-tling it is a disadvantage.

Wounds are an instructive expression for what kind of wounds a good hit with the weapon will usually produce.

Speed tells you how swiftly it can be shot or thrown after the enemy has been seen, as well as how easy it is to otherwise handle and turn. It also tells you how quickly it can be reloaded.

The effective range is exactly that. A gun may carry three to ten times as far but as the range increases, the odds of hitting your target go down rapidly.

Clip is an assumption of the average ammo capacity of a typical gun of that type. Depending on the make or size of the weapon, this may vary greatly.

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weaponry for soldiers and organized crime.

Smoke grenade (€30) Medium, range 30m, smokes

A grenade that will release thick plu-mes of smoke for a few minutes. It can obscure visibility for tens of met-res. Smoke makes it easier to approach or flee as your opponents are firing blind.

Pistol (€300)

Fast, range 30m, serious wounds, clip 10-15

A semiautomatic pistol. The most com-mon calibre in Europe is 9x19mm Parabellum. A pistol is easy to handle but inaccurate over long distances and has poor penetration. However, the small weapon is easy to re-aim and the shooter can fire quickly into multiple targets. This makes the pistol suited for mobile combat or when you do not know where the opponent will pop up.

The pistol can also be used in melee as long as you are not wrestling.

Magnum revolver (€500)

Slow, range 50m, moderate wounds, clip 6

A heavy revolver that shoots far and straight. Due to recoil and slower rate of fire, the shooter cannot switch tar-gets as nimbly as with a pistol but the heavy bullet will pierce most protec-tive gear and even some walls if you happen to know on which side of a doorway your opponent is hiding. Gi-ven the time to aim, you can shoot ac-curately over quite a distance but in mobile combat its effective range is no greater than the pistol’s. You can fire a revolver in melee combat but it is difficult.

Sawed-off shotgun (€150)

Medium, range 10m, serious wounds, clip 2

Saw off the barrel and the stock of a hunting shotgun and you get a com-pact, easily concealable weapon that is lethally effective up to a few me-tres. Because of the short barrel, the shot will spread so wide that something is bound to hit the opponent even if your aim was only in the ballpark. Be-cause of this the sawed-off shotgun is especially good for moving combat indoors, where distances are short and situations come up fast. However, the shot is stopped by pretty much any cover. A weapon favoured by crimi-nals.

Pump-action shotgun (€300) Medium, range 30m, moderate wounds, clip 8

A shotgun that chambers a new round with the pumping action of the fore-grip. Shoots lethal clouds of shot, very rapidly if necessary. The length of the weapon is such, however, that while you can still react to enemies in the direction you’re aiming at (and the spread of the shot helps you hit), it is too slow for opponents popping up in other directions. This makes the wea-pon good for defence against attacks from a known direction, or advancing indoors as long as someone else has your back.

Hunting rifle (€400)

Slow, range 100m, moderate wounds, clip 5

A rifle that fires single shots and is recocked after each shot. The rifle cannot be used effectively while mov-ing and the direction of fire cannot be switched quickly. However, when firing aimed shots it is extremely ac-curate and a bullet that will take down an elk will do likewise to a man. The bullet also pierces easily anything short of an armour plate.

Sniper rifle (€1,000)

Slow, range 200m, serious wounds, clip 10A heavy rifle, usually equipped with telescopic sights. Some models are semiautomatic but the recoil will ratt-le the weapon enough so that each shot has to be aimed separately. It is best for situations where the enemy is at a great distance and the shooter has had time to pick out a good sniping posi-tion. Military snipers will seek out a new position after each shot, whether they hit or not.

Submachine gun (€1,000)

Medium, range 50m, moderate wounds, clip 30

An automatic weapon that fires pistol bullets, either in single shots or in bursts. Easier to control in full auto than rifle-calibre weapons and the larger models can be very accurate over short distances. The weapon can fire single shots, short bursts or full auto. When not aiming, the range is nonexistent but firing in full auto you can still hit easily at close range. This makes it handy for confined spaces and ambushes.

Assault rifle (€1,500)

Slow, range 100m, moderate wounds, clip 30

An automatic rifle that can fire sin-gle shots, bursts or full auto. The same rules apply to single shots and short bursts as with any rifle. Full auto is good for defending fixed positions or advancing when someone else covers your rear. The effective firing sec-tor in full auto, close range, is 90 de-grees. This is why soldiers often move in pairs. An assault rifle has the same penetrating power as a rifle. In full auto it can also be used to spray entire areas, such as rooms, by firing straight through the walls.

Assault shotgun (€1,000)

Medium, range 30m, moderate wounds, clip 24

An automatic shotgun that can fire single shots or full auto. Firing single shots, the weapon functions like a pump-action shotgun but firing full auto, it can be used to quickly fire into a wide sector. This makes it ideal for confined indoor spaces as well as defending a fixed position. Its ef-fects on soft targets are terrible but shotguns are ineffective against cover and protective gear.

Stack of arrows (€40)

Fibreglass arrows. Usually they have round arrowheads for sports but hunt-ing stores also sell broadheads meant for taking down game animals.

Box of ammo, pistol (€30)

A box of ammunition in some common pistol calibre. Magnum revolver ammo can cost two to three times this much.

For the same price, you can also get a couple of clips without ammo, or a re-volver speedloader.

Box of ammo, rifle (€100) A box of ammunition in some common rifle calibres. Sniper rifle ammo can cost two to three times this much. For the same price, you can also get a cou-ple of clips without ammo.

Box of ammo, shotgun (€30) A box of shotgun cartridges. There is a variety of special ammunition avai-lable for the shotgun but the prices will be much higher.

Gas mask (€100)

Also protects the eyes and face. An activated charcoal absorbent that must be periodically changed (a new one costs maybe €10). The mask obstructs airflow and you get exhausted more easily while wearing it.

Bulletproof vest (€600)

A kevlar vest, as used by the police.

Stops handgun bullets and occasional shrapnel but is less effective against rifles. Expensive special models may be so thin they fit under normal clothes.

Camouflage fatigues (€50)

Camouflage-patterned jacket and trou-sers with many pockets, made of dura-ble, water-resistant cloth. Loose enough for several layers of under-wear. There are many different pat-terns available but stalkers prefer the traditional green-brown.

Wetsuit (€200)

Skin-tight, yet thick and porous foa-med neoprene garment that keeps you warm even when wet. It also protects against small particles and milder che-micals and is surprisingly durable against slashing. A wetsuit will stiffen the body and make movement heavier.

Some stalkers prefer wetsuits on short expeditions.

Breathing apparatus (€200) A pressurized oxygen container that straps on your back, connected with a mask that straps onto your face. The oxygen will last for an hour. Some stal-kers have replaced the filter of their gas mask with the oxygen tube.

Rain poncho (€20)

A dark or camouflage-patterned, wa-tertight poncho with a hood that can be tightened around the head. Light-weight, protects both the wearer and their gear from moisture but may get in the way while climbing or crawling.

A poor man’s protective suit against particle fallout, or at least it will be eaten through first, giving the wearer some time to react.

STALKER: The SciFi Roleplaying Game

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Safety goggles (€5)

Boxy goggles used in workshops and the like. Fit well over most eyeglasses.

Protects the eyes and the surrounding skin. Most stalkers have goggles at least with them. More expensive mod-els are stylish, mirrored, darkened, filter certain wavelengths or react to lighting conditions.

NBC suit (€500)

NBC stands for Nuclear, Biological, Chemical. It is a full-body suit worn over all other equipment and tightened around the gas mask. Durable and re-sistant to most chemicals. It is not fool-proof but buys you more time in irra-diated areas. It is also hot and does not breathe, so wearing it for too long may lead to a heatstroke. More expen-sive versions have their own breath-ing apparatuses and a suit made to measure will not impede movement, unlike the baggy cheap models.

Digital camera (€300)

A pocket-sized camera with a memory card that can hold hundreds of photo-graphs. Mechanical cameras cost a third of this and the film can hold may-be twenty photos but they will also work without electricity. Cheap mod-els are available for around €20.

GPS receiver (€300)

This small device shows its map coor-dinates accurately to within a metre.

For the most part, it does not function inside the Zones because it cannot get a satellite signal but you can still ac-curately measure where you entered the Zone and use that with pre-Visita-tion maps.

Heat imaging camera (€5,000) A device that shows warm targets in lighter and cold targets in darker shades of grey. Warm targets may be visible through cover and sometimes even through walls.

Laptop (€1,000)

A portable computer. Smaller models are pocket-sized. With a good battery it can work for a dozen hours. A laptop can be plugged into most digital equip-ment for things like analyzing photos taken with digital cameras.

Mobile phone (€50)

A pocket-sized telephone. The more expensive models are little computers and cameras in their own right and can even access the Internet. Borderlands tend to have poor reception except for the larger population centres like Tou-louse. In the Zone the signal is nonex-istent. Mobiles are easy to trace, so stalkers often switch their phones off and never take them on expeditions.

Metal detector (€500)

A metal detector for finding hidden weapons or items buried in the ground.

Walkie-talkies, two (€100) Cheap walkie-talkies sold in pairs.

Does not really work in the Zone but outside the range is around a kilome-tre, depending on the circumstances.

Can send and receive both sound and data. The signal is easy to eavesdrop

if you know the correct frequency.

The black market also sells walkie-talkies tuned into military frequencies but you will need a computer to de-crypt the messages.

Electrician’s tools (€400)

A toolkit meant for inspecting, repair-ing and modifyrepair-ing electric devices and systems. You can still get killed work-ing on high voltage systems.

Geiger counter (€250)

Measures magnetic fields as well as radiation.

Night vision device (€1,000) Light-intensifying binoculars. Gun-sight versions and helmet-mounted vi-sors also exist. There is enough light even in pitch black for you to see where you are going. Light sources in your field of vision will be blinding.

Binoculars (€100)

Traditional binoculars. You can per-manently blind yourself by looking into the Sun or sufficiently bright anoma-lies with these.

Climbing irons (€50)

Steel pieces attached to your shoes that make climbing rockfaces or build-ings easier.

Beef jerky (€5)

Dried jerky in an airtight package.

Keeps practically forever and is the equivalent of one meal, as long as the eater also has something to drink.

Rope, 30m (€50)

Strong nylon rope that can be used for climbing, pulling or binding.

Compass (€10)

A camper’s magnetic compass that will either point to the magnetic North Pole or the closest magnetic anomaly.

Sleeping bag (€150)

A sleeping bag meant for outdoor use.

Fits one (or two intimately) and keeps him warm even in sub-zero tempera-tures as long as it isn’t too windy.

Camouflage netting (€100)

A 5m x 5m plastic net patterned and coloured to look like earth. It can be spread over a car, a tent or any other equipment to make them harder to spot from the air or from afar.

Mess kit (€10)

A metallic container for food or other things. Can also be used for cooking.

Backpack, frameless (€100) A sturdy backpack, made of durable, water resistant cloth. Stalkers prefer subdued colours.

Backpack, with frame (€250) A large backpack with a stiff support frame. The frame can be used to hang other baggage. When correctly ad-justed, the complicated array of straps and buckles will make carrying the frame backpack easier.

Portable stove (€70)

A small gas cooker fuelled by a canis-ter of liquid gas. A detachable nozzle breaks up the flame. Remove it and you get a tall and hot flame useful for heating up metal.

Lighter (€30)

A quality lighter with a wick instead of a gas flame. The flame is extinguis-hed by flipping the lid shut. A lighter like this can be thrown without the flame going out.

Canned food (€3)

You can get nearly anything canned but stalkers on expeditions prefer food with a lot of energy such as fatty meats. An opened can may be used as a dish to heat the food.

Winter clothes (€300)

A padded, water-resistant set of clothes good for freezing weather. It can get very cold up in the Pyrenees.

Electric torch (€20)

A LED torch with a battery life of sev-eral hours. Some models have hand-cranked chargers.

Tent (€300)

A camping tent for two. Stalkers pre-fer subdued colours in their tents and either dye them themselves or use cloth covers.

Water bottle (€20)

A durable plastic bottle that holds one or two litres. It is sufficient for a short expedition and is easily carried on the belt. On a longer expedition, you should reserve two to three litres of water per day. Water found in the Zone is usually not drinkable.

Pickaxe (€40)

An arm-length pick useful for climb-ing, taking samples or breaking locks.

Can be tied to a rope and used as a grappling hook, or wielded as a melee weapon.

Test tube (€3)

Made of thick duraglass, about the width of a finger. The plug is acid-proof. Useful for taking samples.

Multi-tool (€100)

An assortment of pliers, screwdrivers, blades, files, saws, etc. that folds neatly inside a handle and fits into a pocket. Won’t replace your toolkit but is still helpful.

Plastic explosive (€30)

Pliable explosive material. While it can be used for making bombs, it is meant for breaking doors, locks, wall sections, beam joints and other tar-gets requiring accuracy and finesse.

Steel nuts, 10 (€2)

A box of large nuts. Stalkers throw these before them to see if the coast is clear. They often tie bandages to them for better visibility.

Armoured briefcase (€200) A hard briefcase, divided into padded compartments for transporting explo-sives or fragile objects. Handy for

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transporting artefacts, since it is well insulated and will even reduce radia-tion significantly.

Entrenching tool (€25)

A folding entrenching tool made fa-mous by armies the world over. Easy to carry, makes digging easier and makes a good melee weapon.

Block and tackle (€250)

A system of pulleys for lifting or pull-ing loads that can weigh several tons.

Short chains included, which can be extended with ropes. The tenacity of the rope and strength of the block’s fastening are the limiting factors.

Lockpick (€100)

Usually a handmade special tool for opening mechanical locks. A burglar’s tool but some police forces and intel-ligence agencies also manufacture lockpicks.

Jack (€150)

The block and tackle are for pulling, the jack is for pushing. A car’s jack can lift several tons of weight, which is handy for clearing your way into a collapsed building.

Toolkit (€250)

A wide assortment of different manual tools in a steel box. Large and heavy, but capable of nearly anything in ex-pert hands.

Adrenaline injection (€300) A shot of this into the heart can still bring back someone dying of an elec-tric shock, blood loss or suffocation.

Comes with a long, sturdy needle for piercing the sternum.

Disinfectant (€10)

A bottle of antiseptic solution for clea-ning wounds and sterilizing medical equipment.

Bandage (€5)

A pocket-sized package of gauze ban-dage and tape for tying it down. Works well for staunching bleeding wounds and protecting open wounds from dirt.

Strips of this can be tied to steel nuts.

Syringe (€5)

An empty syringe, marked with meas-ures.

Medic’s kit (€300)

A field medic’s kit. About the size of a briefcase. The equipment within is sufficient for treating nearly any non-lethal injury. Usually the objective is to keep the victim alive long enough to get them into a hospital but this does not apply to stalkers.

Injection needles, 10 (€5)

Individually packaged injection nee-dles, clean and sterile.

Hard drugs, one dose (€50) A dose of cocaine, heroin or similar drugs, straight off the street. No guar-antees on purity, which is a common reason for overdoses.

Soft drugs, one dose (€5)

A joint of cannabis, an Ecstasy pill, some khat, or similar drugs.

Antibiotics, 20 pills (€15)

A package or blister-wrapped slab of strong antibiotics, for bacterial di-seases and infections.

Iodine, 100 pills (€10)

Taking iodine tablets when threatened with radiation exposure will reduce the amount of radiation accumulated in the body.

Insulin, 20 pills (€10)

Diabetics need insulin to break up the sugars that accumulate in their blood.

In the Borderlands, getting insulin may be a question of life and death.

Painkillers, 20 pills (€15)

Strong painkillers help you ignore at least some of the pain and weakness brought on by injuries.

Sleeping pills, 20 (€20)

These pills help you get a good night’s sleep in airplanes as well as in the Zone and normally-dosed patients will still wake up to loud noises or a bit of a shake. An overdose will knock you out, or may even kill you.

Stimulants, 20 pills (€30)

These drugs will help you stay up for days at a time, alert and even hyper-active. At some point, though, fatigue and lack of sleep will return with a vengeance.

Sedatives, 20 pills (€20)

Shock, mental disorders or psychic anomalies in the Zone may require me-dical attention. The use of sedatives tends to dull your wits as well, though.

Solar panel (€500)

A foldable solar panel sufficient to load the battery of a single device or

A foldable solar panel sufficient to load the battery of a single device or