Gear

Armor

Some Storm Knights fight the High Lords unencumbered—leaping, dodging, and maneuvering freely. Others prefer to put as much leather, metal, or advanced polymers between themselves and their foes as they can. The Armor Table lists the most common types of protection worn in the cosms. Wearing multiple layers of armor uses only the best value rather than adding the values together—they’re just not designed to hold together that way.

Bonus is the number of points added to the wearer’s Strength to calculate his Toughness. The total bonus from armor is listed in parentheses behind the full

Toughness rating for use with armor piercing effects.

Notes lists any special qualities of the armor, such as:

• Fatigues: Whenever a Fatigue result comes up on the Conflict Line of the Drama Deck, the wearer suffers one additional Shock.
• Maximum Dexterity (Max Dex): The hero’s Dexterity can’t exceed the listed maximum while the armor is worn.
• Minimum Strength (Min Str): A character suffers -1 to his Dexterity and related skills for every point he has under the listed Minimum Strength. This penalty is applied after the maximum, if armor has a Max Dex as well.
• Full Body/Torso: By default, armor covers the torso and portions of the wearer’s limbs and head. A -4 Called Shot avoids the armor’s bonus to Toughness. If armor notes it only protects the torso it only requires a –2 Called Shot to avoid. Full body armor protects against fire and other attacks that target the lowest armor value of the subject.

Shields

The amount of protection a shield offers adds to a character’s defensive skill, normally melee weapons or dodge, as long as the attack comes from the front or shield-side (GM’s call). A shield-bearer surrounded in melee gains keeps his protection against up to three opponents. If the character uses an Active Defense, the shield's bonus is added to Toughness as well as defenses.

• Shield Bash: If a shield is used to bash an opponent, its damage is Strength +1.

Melee Weapons

While a weapon is equipped the character must use his melee weapons skill for attacks and defense. Large objects or weapons like rifles may be wielded as a light club. Here’s what the weapon statistics mean:

Tech is the Technological level of the weapon—important when determining whether or not it may cause a Contradiction in certain cosms. Higher axiom versions made out of more advanced materials are possible.

Bonus is added directly to the damage for Strength-based weapons. This may be a fixed number for weapons like chainsaws or power saws that deal damage regardless of the force behind them.

Price (Value) is the typical cost of the weapon in dollars, as well as its Value on the Torg Value Chart.

Notes lists any of the weapon’s special traits:

• Armor Piercing: The weapon ignores points of Armor up to the number specified.
• Fragile: On a Mishap (page 109) the weapon breaks.
• Painful: If the attack deals any damage at all, it does +1 Shock.
• Small: The item is relatively small. and easy to hide. Searches suffer a –2 penalty to find the weapon if it’s hidden.
• Stagger: The target becomes Stymied after any damage is dealt.
• Thrown: The item also counts as a missile weapon, and can be thrown using the missile weapons skill with a Range of 10/20/40.
• Two Handed: Requires both hands to use. The weapon may be used with one hand with a 10 Strength or higher.
• Unwieldy: The attacker becomes Vulnerable after a miss.

Missile Weapons

Missile weapons are muscle-powered, Strength-based devices which hurl projectiles at their target. This includes everything from throwing daggers to crossbows—both modern and ancient.

Tech is the minimum axiom of the weapon. Higher tech versions made of more advanced materials may also be found. See the Melee Weapons section for the axiom levels of common materials used in some of these weapons.

Damage is either a bonus, which is added to the user’s Strength, or a fixed value for those that provide their own power, such as grenades or crossbows. Any melee weapon can be thrown. It uses its regular bonus for damage, but suffers a -2 penalty on the attack unless it has a property stating otherwise. Spears appear on both lists, and don’t suffer a penalty when thrown. Drawing a weapon to throw (or an arrow for a bow) is a simple action, so two or three may be readied and used if the character is Multi-Targeting.

Range is the weapon’s Short, Medium, and Long Range bands. See page 116 for details.

Price (Value) is the cost in dollars, and its value on the Torg Value Chart.

Notes lists any special traits the weapon has, which may include:

• Armor Piercing (AP): The weapon ignores points of Armor up to the number specified.
• Ammo: The number of shots that may be fired before the weapon must be reloaded (see page 126).
• Blast: The size of an explosion, which determines how many targets may be affected. See Explosives & Area Effect Attacks, page 122.
• Reload: The weapon is very slow or cumbersome to reload. It takes a full turn to reload, which means reloading can’t be combined with any other actions. Firing the weapon may be combined with other actions normally.

Firearms

The weapons listed here only begin to scratch the surface of the many kinds of firearms that have been developed through Core Earth’s history and in other cosms. Except for values like ammunition capacity and price, the values given here should work for any other firearm of the same general type or size.
In general, pistols and submachineguns may be operated with one hand, while rifles and shotguns require two hands.

Tech is the minimum axiom of the weapon.

Damage is the gun’s base effect value. Rapid Fire options don’t directly affect a weapon’s damage value, but the bonus to hit increases the odds of a Good or Outstanding hit.

Ammo is how many shots the weapon holds in its magazine or clip, if it has one. Reloading requires spare ammunition and takes a simple action. Ammo determines the maximum number of targets the weapon can affect with a single action.

Range is the weapon’s Short, Medium, and Long range bands. See page 116 for details.

Price (Value) is the cost in dollars, and its value on the Torg Value Chart for requisitions.

Notes lists any special traits the weapon has, which may include:

• Armor Piercing (AP): The weapon’s damage ignores up to the listed amount of Armor.
• Bulky: The weapon is meant to be fired braced on the ground or a bipod. If the attacker doesn’t move there’s no penalty, but if firing on the move treat the weapon as Minimum Strength 12.
• Heavy Burst: The weapon fires Heavy Bursts (page 125) only. The guns only fires in that mode and the Ammo is expressed as the number of bursts rather than the number of bullets.
• Long Burst: The weapon may use the Long Burst option (see page 125) by using seven shots of ammunition.
• Short Burst: The weapon is capable of quickly squeezing off several shots at the same target. The attacker may use the Short Burst option by spending three shots of ammunition.
• Reload: The weapon is very slow or cumbersome to reload. It takes a full turn to reload this weapon, which means reloading can’t be combined with any other actions. Firing the weapon may be, but not the reload.

Special Ammunition

The firing characteristics of firearms may be altered with special ammunition.

Cyberware

Cyberware implants are sleek, attractive, and often installed as elective upgrades for merely cosmetic purposes. Sanctioned implants are ridiculously cheap, but those are connected to the GodNet and therefore useless to Storm Knights. “Clean“ installs are done at illegal chop shops throughout the Cyberpapacy. Storm Knights must purchase implants using the Cyberware Perk. When purchased through the Perk, implants are acquired at the base price and all malicious software and connections to the GodNet have been purged. Without the Perk the risks and side effects of an installation are untenable. Future sourcebooks will include the nasty details for heroes reckless or desperate enough to go under the scalpel anyway.

Implants purchased during play still require the character to find a chop shop for the actual purchase and installation. Just spending a day inside the Cyberpapacy is enough time to find an appropriate vendor.

Tech is the minimum axiom of the implant. A contradicting implant stops granting bonuses if it becomes contradictory, but doesn’t disappear. For example, a disconnected user with a HardPlas Arm doesn’t gain extra Strength, but may still use items that require two hands.

Price is the cost in dollars, and its value on the Torg Value Chart for requisitions. Actual implant costs on the street are usually much higher.

Occultech

Occultech implants are just as powerful as the higher-tech devices found in the Cyberpapacy, but the unmistakable stench of evil clings to them. Occultech tends to be large and obvious—almost all implants were originally designed for technodemons. Once a demon is slain or discards obsolete parts the salvage ends up adapted for human use, usually by either the demon’s thralls or the foes who brought him down. Scavenged demon parts must be carefully handled and exorcised before a new installation, lest the new cyborg succumb to the dark urges of the original owner. Even a “clean“ install imparts nightmares, pain, and occasional problems with impulse control. Storm Knights must purchase implants using the Occultech Perk. When purchased through the Perk the implants are acquired at the base price and any demonic influence has been removed. Without the Perk the risks and side effects of an installation are unbearable.
Implants purchased during play still require the character to find a chop shop for the actual purchase and installation. Just spending a day inside Tharkold is enough time to find a physician who can do the job.

Tech is the minimum axiom of the implant. A contradicting implant stops granting bonuses if it becomes contradictory, but doesn’t disappear. For example, a disconnected user with Digan darksight eyes can’t see in the dark anymore, but isn’t blind.

Price is the cost in dollars, and its value on the Torg Value Chart for requisitions. Actual implant costs on the street are usually much higher.

Heavy Weapons

Heavy weapons are devices used to destroy vehicles, structures, or masses of troops. Their use requires the heavy weapons skill. Heavy weapons aren’t carried; they are only mounted in vehicles or fortifications unless specifically noted. Heavy weapons use the same statistics as Firearms, but have a wider and more dangerous variety of ammunition options. The Blast listed in Notes is the default for the weapon—see Explosives & Area Effect Attacks.

Damage includes the Armor Piercing (AP) value of the most commonly used ammunition for each weapon.

Ammo is by weapons platform, or by individual device. A Nile Empire Paket carries 20 20mm rounds, while an Apache helicopter carries 1,200 30mm shots for its fast-firing autocannon.

Vehicles

Modes of transportation vary widely from one reality to the next. A trip of 500 kilometers may only take an hour in Core Earth thanks to jet aircraft, but takes days or weeks in realms with less advanced technology like Aysle, where a horse-drawn carriage is the best way to travel. The descriptions provided in this section can be used for craft similar to the specific one listed. Most variations between vehicles of a similar type and Tech Axiom are small enough that they do not affect the game values. For example, the statistics of the Sopwith Camel can be used for most other types of biplanes.

Top Speed: The vehicle’s maximum speed in kilometers per hour (KPH), followed by the corresponding value number. If a vehicle’s Top Speed is high enough to make it eligible for a Speed Penalty (page 132) the bracket is listed as well: Fast, VF (for Very Fast) or Ultra.

Passengers (Pass): The total number of individuals who can fit in the craft, including the driver/pilot. More passengers may be crammed in (up to one higher value) at the cost of performance and discomfort. When overloaded the vehicle’s speed drops one value, and all aboard are Stymied.

Maneuver Rating (MR): Apply this modifier to air vehicles, land vehicles, or water vehicles for skill tests and the vehicle’s defense. MR takes the vehicle’s size into account, so a larger vehicle is more likely to suffer a performance penalty than a smaller one.

Wounds (Wnds): The maximum number of Wounds a vehicle can suffer and still function. Any more Wounds wrecks the vehicle and causes it to crash (treat as a Collision, page 133). Wound penalties apply to tests to control the vehicle, up to a maximum of –3.

Toughness: The Toughness of the vehicle. The number in parentheses is how much of the vehicle’s Toughness is provided by Armor, useful when calculating Armor Piercing attacks. Any Shock done applies to all passengers aboard.

Air Vehicles

Land Vehicles