Bulletproof Blues 4e EN:Equipment

Contents

Characters use equipment to make their efforts more successful. Equipment makes it easier to pick a lock, repair a vehicle, hack a computer, hurt someone, or resist being hurt. Unless otherwise noted, equipment has a rating of 1, adding 1 to the character's skill roll or defense.

There is no character point cost associated with ordinary equipment and vehicles. However, there may be legal or financial obstacles to obtaining such equipment, even if it's relatively commonplace. All equipment requires periodic maintenance, but this usually happens when it is convenient for the character.

Special Weapon Types

Area

Area attacks inflict damage to everyone within a certain distance of the target -- everyone within 5 meters, typically. The attacker rolls once for the attack.

Auto

A character may attempt to hit a target by spraying the area with multiple shots. This is called "suppressing fire". Suppressing fire inflicts one less damage for each +1 skill bonus on the skill roll. If the attacker chooses to gain a +5 skill bonus, they would inflict 5 less damage if the attack is successful. Only weapons with "auto" in the notes are capable of suppressing fire.

SIDEBAR: What, no burst fire?

Note that a weapon which fires multiple times per turn, such as a machinegun, usually inflicts more damage than its single-shot equivalent. However, the attack is only resolved once. Whether the damage from an attack is inflicted by one discrete injury or twelve, it's all just one attack. There's no "roll damage three times" mechanic like some game systems have.

Blinding

A successful blinding attack renders the target unable to see clearly. Normally, a character who can't see incurs a -3 skill penalty on their Hand-to-hand Combat rolls and defense, a -3 skill penalty on their Ranged Combat defense, and they automatically fail any Ranged Combat rolls. However, if the blinded character is able to locate their target to within a meter or so (by using their Hyperacuity-granted super hearing, for example), then the blinded attacker incurs a -3 skill penalty on their Ranged Combat rolls. A blinded character suffers no penalty on their Mental Combat defense, but they automatically fail any Mental Combat rolls.

To recover from a blinding attack, the target must use a standard action to attempt a Survival (Brawn) roll against 8 + damage rating of the attack. If the target has Alteration Resistance, they may add it to this roll. If the target succeeds at this roll, they recover from the blinding attack. If the target has not recovered from the blinding attack by the end of the scene, then they recover from it shortly thereafter.

Piercing

Damage Resistance, Alteration Resistance, and Mental Resistance are less effective against piercing attacks. The target's resistance against the attack is reduced to one-half of its normal value (rounded down, to a minimum of 1).

Stunning

Some attacks are normal, but nonlethal. The damage is applied to the target's Endurance rather than to their Health. If a character with zero Endurance suffers additional Endurance damage from another attack, the additional damage is treated as Health damage. The target recovers their lost Endurance after the fight is over, when the character has had a chance to rest and recuperate.

Terrifying

A successful terrifying attack causes the target to involuntarily cower or flee (defender's choice). A cowering character incurs a -3 skill penalty on their defense, unless they have something to hide behind, which would grant a +3 skill bonus to their defense. A fleeing character is granted a +3 skill bonus to their defense, because they are running.

To recover from a terrifying attack, the target must use a standard action to attempt a Survival (Presence) roll against 8 + Power Level of the attack. If the target has Mental Resistance, they may add it to this roll.

If the character has not recovered from the terrifying attack by the end of the scene, then they recover their composure shortly thereafter.

Armor

Armor provides Damage Resistance (DR) against normal damage, but it doesn't help against mental attacks or alteration attacks. If the character has more than one source of Damage Resistance, only the highest value applies.

Table: Armor

Name	DR	Max AGL	Cost	Notes
Leather jacket	4	9	$250	Not concealable
Light tactical armor	4	9	$50	Concealable
Medium tactical armor	5	8	$250	Concealable under outerwear
Heavy tactical armor	6	7	$1,000	Not concealable
Light assault armor	7	6	$2,000	Not concealable
Medium assault armor	8	5	$6,000	Not concealable
Heavy assault armor	9	4	$15,000	Not concealable

Shields

Ballistic shields help characters to divert attacks. A character with a shield gains a +3 skill bonus to their defense value.

Ballistic shields lose effectiveness as they withstand attacks. The first attack against a shield in a scene, it grants its full skill bonus to the character's defense value. The second attack against a shield in a scene, it grants one less than its full skill bonus to the character's defense value. This continues until the skill bonus granted by the shield is reduced to zero. The shield will be restored to full effectiveness after the fight is over, when the character can perform maintenance on it.

Table: Shields

Name	DV	Max AGL	Cost	Notes
Ballistic shield	+3	7		1d6+1 damage, Not concealable

Hand-to-hand Weapons

Hand-to-hand weapons are typically useful up to a distance of one meter, and they affect a single target. Hand-to-hand weapons are targeted with and opposed by Hand-to-hand Combat (Brawn). A successful attack reduces the target's current Health. Damage Resistance is effective against a hand-to-hand weapon. Hand-to-hand weapons inflict the damage which exceeds the target's Damage Resistance.

Each weapon has an accuracy rating and a damage rating. The accuracy rating is added to the action value of the character using the weapon. The damage rating indicates the dice that are rolled if the attack is successful.

Weapons which are described as being "two-handed" are more difficult to use with one hand. Someone making a combat roll while holding a two-handed weapon with one hand incurs a -3 skill penalty on their attack roll.

Table: Hand-to-hand weapons

Name	Acc	Damage	Cost	Notes
Light pole arm	+1	1d6		May be thrown
Light bludgeon	+0	1d6+1		May inflict stunning
Light blade	+1	1d6+1
Medium pole arm	+1	1d6+1		May be thrown, Two-handed
Medium bludgeon	+0	1d6+2		May inflict stunning
Medium blade	+1	1d6+2
Heavy pole arm	+1	1d6+2		Two-handed
Heavy bludgeon	+0	1d6+3		May inflict stunning, Two-handed
Heavy blade	+1	1d6+3		Two-handed

Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons are targeted with and opposed by Ranged Combat (Agility). A successful attack reduces the target's current Health. Damage Resistance is effective against a ranged weapon. Ranged weapons inflict the damage which exceeds the target's Damage Resistance.

Each weapon has an accuracy rating, a damage rating, and a range. The accuracy rating is added to the action value of the character using the weapon. The damage rating indicates the dice that are rolled if the attack is successful. The range is the maximum range at which the weapon is useful.

Weapons which are described as being "two-handed" are more difficult to use with one hand. Someone making a combat roll while holding a two-handed weapon with one hand incurs a -3 skill penalty on their attack roll.

Short Range Weapons

Short range weapons are typically useful up to a distance of 10 meters. Someone attacking a target beyond this range incurs a -3 skill penalty on their attack roll.

Table: Short range weapons (10 m)

Name	Acc	Damage	Cost	Notes
Light pole arm	+1	1d6		May be used hand-to-hand, Two-handed
Recurve bow	+0	1d6+1		Two-handed
Light crossbow	+1	1d6+1		Two-handed
Medium pole arm	+1	1d6+1		May be used hand-to-hand, Two-handed
Light pistol	+0	1d6
Light submachine gun	+0	1d6		Auto
Medium pistol	+0	1d6+1
Light shotgun	+2	1d6+1		Two-handed
Heavy pistol	+0	1d6+2
Taser	+0	1d6+2		Stunning
Medium shotgun	+2	1d6+2		Two-handed
Heavy shotgun	+2	1d6+3		Two-handed
Hand grenade, concussion	+0	1d6+7		Area, Stunning
Hand grenade, fragmentation	+0	1d6+2		Area
Flamethrower	+0	1d6+3		Area (2 m × 10 m line), Terrifying, Two-handed

Medium Range Weapons

Medium range weapons are typically useful up to a distance of 100 meters. Someone attacking a target beyond this range incurs a -3 skill penalty on their attack roll.

Table: Medium range weapons (100 m)

Name	Acc	Damage	Cost	Notes
Longbow	+0	1d6+2		Two-handed
Heavy crossbow	+1	1d6+2		Two-handed
Compound bow	+0	1d6+3		Two-handed
Compound crossbow	+1	1d6+3		Two-handed
Medium submachine gun	+0	1d6+1		Auto
Light rifle	+1	1d6+1		Two-handed
Light assault rifle	+1	1d6+1		Auto, Two-handed
Heavy submachine gun	+0	1d6+2		Auto
Medium rifle	+1	1d6+2		Two-handed
Light machinegun	+1	1d6+2		Auto, Two-handed
Medium assault rifle	+1	1d6+2		Auto, Two-handed
Heavy rifle	+1	1d6+3		Two-handed
Heavy assault rifle	+1	1d6+3		Auto, Two-handed
Grenade, concussion	+1	1d6+7		Area, Stunning
Grenade, fragmentation	+1	1d6+2		Area

Long Range Weapons

Long range weapons are typically useful up to a distance of 1 kilometer. Someone attacking a target beyond this range incurs a -3 skill penalty on their attack roll.

Table: Long range weapons (1 km)

Name	Acc	Damage	Cost	Notes
Sniper rifle	+1	1d6+3		Two-handed
Medium machinegun	+1	1d6+3		Auto, Crew 2, Two-handed
Light cannon	+1	1d6+4		Fires every other round, Two-handed, Vehicle mounted
Heavy machinegun	+1	1d6+4		Auto, Crew 2, Two-handed
Heavy cannon	+1	1d6+5		Crew 2, Fires every other round, Two-handed, Vehicle mounted

Other Equipment

Other equipment has an action value rating. The action value rating is added to the relevant skills of the character using it. Simple or multipurpose equipment, such as a Swiss army knife, generally has an AV rating of +1. Ordinary equipment, such as a reasonably complete box of tools, would have an AV rating of +2. Special-purpose or very high quality equipment, such as a complete surgical theatre, would have an AV rating of +3.

Vehicles

A character with special vehicles should usually buy them using a power, such as Flight, or with the Vehicles gift. However, any character with the appropriate background could conceivably own and drive ordinary vehicles. As with weapons, ordinary vehicles are unreliable and require periodic maintenance.

Air

Table: Air vehicles

Name	DR	Health	Top Speed
Corporate Jet	6	6	800 km/h
Private Plane	6	6	420 km/h
Military Jet	6	12	1,600 km/h
Passenger Jet	6	7	800 km/h
Dirigible	4	6	130 km/h
Civilian Helicopter	5	6	260 km/h
Military Helicopter	8	12	480 km/h

Street

Table: Street vehicles

Name	DR	Health	Top Speed
Mini	5	6	160 km/h
Sports Car	5	6	260 km/h
Bus	6	7	120 km/h
Police Car	6	7	225 km/h
Recreational Vehicle	6	7	130 km/h
Sedan	5	8	210 km/h
Surveillance Van	6	7	180 km/h
Fire Truck	6	8	130 km/h
Minivan	7	8	190 km/h
Truck Tractor	7	9	160 km/h
SWAT Van	8	9	180 km/h
Armored Car	9	9	105 km/h
Security Limo	9	10	180 km/h

Off-road

Table: Off-road vehicles

Name	DR	Health	Top Speed
Motorcycle	5	1	260 km/h
Pickup Truck	6	8	180 km/h
Bulldozer	6	9	11 km/h
Heavy Truck	7	9	160 km/h
Snow Cat	9	6	40 km/h
Snowmobile	9	2	160 km/h
Main Battle Tank	9	16	75 km/h

Water

Table: Water vehicles

Name	DR	Health	Top Speed
Jet Ski	5	3	50 km/h
Fishing Boat	5	7	40 km/h
Patrol Boat	6	9	75 km/h
Go-fast Boat	5	7	150 km/h
Battleship	8	15	65 km/h
Destroyer	8	15	80 km/h
Aircraft Carrier	8	14	65 km/h