TOMAGOMB Modern Items

This page is for use with TOMAGOMB Modern.

Starting Wealth
Unless the character has used points to buy up their starting wealth, they begin play with $10,000 in assets. Most modern characters will also have a real job that eats up their time. Assume the following as to job earnings: if a character possesses a trained skill (not one at a statistical default) which qualifies them for a particular job, then that character should be allowed to have that job unless there are unusual circumstances (the character is too young to have a job, the area is too remote to support the job, the zombie apocalypse has wiped out the job market, etc.). Some jobs don't even require enough skill to bother taking a skill for it, such as heavy lifting and working at fast food restaurants. Characters starting with the base $10,000 of wealth will initially not be paid very much. This is either because their job is not a high-paying one, or they are struggling in an early position such as an intern, or may be paying off student loans or mortgages and the like. In general, the average starting job will pay $1000 a month, which sounds OK until the cost of living is taken out, which on average will be about $400 to $600 for an apartment or mortgage, then money for utilities, food, gas, etc., so that the cost of living comes out to be around $900, leaving a mere $100 for savings or pleasure. (Some areas of the country may cost more or less than this amount, but assume that these prices and income levels equal out for the most part.) Smart or industrious characters may find ways of lowering the cost of living, such as getting roommates to bring down the rent and utilities, or doing a lot of walking, biking and mass transit to avoid paying for gas and insurance and upkeep on a car. Assume that not owning a car brings down the cost of living by $200 per month, and that having roommates lowers it by another $200. In any case, $500 a month is necessary for the bare essentials of food, clothing, shelter, and unforeseen mishaps. It will also sometimes be inconvenient for the character to use mass transit, or perhaps the roommates have brought additional baggage into the character's life by their presence.

A character with a starting wealth higher than $10,000 adds 2% of their starting wealth to their income. For instance, someone with $25,000 starting wealth would have an income of $1,500 a month. The GM and the player must be the final arbiters of the cost of living for higher income characters. Remember that people tend to live in a way that reflects their income, and that a sudden burst of income causes most people to go out and splurge on the things they didn't find "necessary" before. Of course, an extremely miserly character may live in a humble shack while he has millions in the bank, while a wastrel may take his starting funds and blow them on an awesome car, then max out his credit cards surrounding himself with electronic toys... until the lenders catch up and the repo man steals his wheels.

Starting Items
That "cost of living" does come with a few bonuses. Certain assumptions are made of your character's belongings. For instance, it is assumed that you have a week's worth of wardrobe available for everyday living, clothes for work, one slightly dressy set of clothes if you must go to a formal event, supplies for your bathroom and kitchen (including towels), a microwave, a television (these appliances may be in poor repair unless you paid for a nice one), a couple of battered chairs, some kind of table, a bed, and various odds and ends that go into an apartment or small house. The GM is the one who draws the line on what may be owned with "cost of living" and he may feel free to be restrictive as needed. Bear in mind that characters with a higher cost of living are likely to have not only nicer houses but also more stylish furniture, accessories, etc.

Weapons
Weapons in the modern age are often considerably more deadly than in medieval times, and in TOMAGOMB Modern this is no exception. Don't be surprised to discover that guns kill people, especially low-level characters. This is part of the reason why modern campaigns lend themselves much more to intriguing plotlines and feats of skill rather than shootouts. If the GM wishes to run a cinematic campaign, it is recommended to start the characters at a level higher than 1 (level 10 or 20 may be a good starting point). However, for a gritty "anyone can die" campaign, feel free to start at level 1 and see who survives.

Some notes regarding firearms:


 * Aim bonus is the positive modifier added to Dex on the next shot fired from the weapon. The shooter may spend a full round aiming to gain the full bonus, or may spend a main action to get a +2 instead of the aim bonus.  This bonus does not apply to further shots.
 * Shots refers to the number of rounds of ammunition the gun can hold before reloading. An entry of +1 means that the gun can hold one bullet in the chamber if the person loading it chooses to do so.  Rapid reloading in the middle of combat will not allow time for adding one in the chamber.
 * Reload is the number of actions or rounds it takes to reload the gun.
 * Recoil is the Dex penalty the shooter suffers on each shot after the first one, and it builds up cumulatively (so, Recoil -1 gives -1 to the second shot, -2 to the third shot, and so on). Taking any non-attacking main action, including a partial aim, removes the recoil penalty.  Recoil carries over from round to round if there is no interruption in the attacks.
 * Str Req is the Strength Requirement to use the gun effectively. Having a lower Strength gives a -1 penalty per point of Str under the requirement to every shot made with the weapon.
 * Guns can shoot a lot further than archaic ranged weapons, so the "effective" maximum range is increased to range increment x10 (while most guns can shoot even further, they cannot do so with any accuracy). Those wishing to hit targets a long way off should aim first!
 * The penalties for shooting into adjacent hexes are removed for pistols, since they are compact and easy to use in close quarters. The penalties will apply as normal for larger guns (see the Ranged Combat section under Attacking in TOMAGOMB).
 * Critical failures call for a Luck roll. If the Luck roll succeeds, the weapon fires as normal and the attack was just a miss (though it may still hit something).  On a Luck failure, the weapon jams and the character must either attempt a Gunsmithing check to clear it (if they possess the skill) as a main action, or give up on the weapon and do something else.
 * Dual-wielding pistols has its own interesting situations. The shooter may divide his attacks between them as he chooses, so long as each weapon fires once per combat round if it's being used.  They have separate recoil penalties, which can be overcome separately per arm.  Only one weapon can be fully aimed at a target, the other weapon gets a +2 aim bonus on its first shot.  If the weapons are fired at different targets, the one(s) the shooter is looking at has no penalty, while the other weapon cannot be aimed and suffers a -2 penalty in addition to any other penalties on the subsequent shots.
 * Fully automatic fire is treated similarly to single-shot guns in regards to number of attacks made: you can shoot more bullets in a round, but the ones you don't have attacks for are wasted. That being said, fully-automatic fire is different in the following ways.  First, each "attack" for full-auto fire is actually a set of 4 bullets.  If the attack misses by 1, one bullet still hits.  If the attack succeeds right on or by 1, then two bullets hit.  If the attack succeeds by 2 to 3, then 3 bullets hit, and attack success by 4 or more under Dex means that all 4 bullets hit.  Recoil for full-auto bursts is per 4-bullet grouping, not per bullet.  Anyone firing a full-auto weapon can use a burst of 4 bullets to guide the bullets to the right target, like spraying a water hose.  Doing so grants a +2 bonus on subsequent attacks.  Cinematic GMs can also open up the Crazy Critical Auto-Fire rule: a roll of 2 (one away from critical success) has two of the four bullets do critical damage, a roll of 3 (two away from a full critical success) has one bullet do critical damage.  If the target made their dodge by enough for the normal bullets but missed the amount needed to dodge a critical hit, only the critical bullets strike them from that grouping.  However, the weapon critically fails on rolls of 18, 19 and 20!  This decreases the possible accuracy that can be achieved and greatly raises the odds of the gun jamming.

Pistols
.22 Revolver - Damage 1d8, Range 30 ft., Aim +3, Shots 6, Recoil -1, Str Req -, Reload 1 round, Weight 2 lbs., Price: $300. This gun is not very accurate, and not necessarily deadly, but the ammunition is cheap and plentiful. 100 rounds cost $10.

.38 Government Issue - Damage 2d10, Range 40 ft., Aim +4, Shots 6, Recoil -1, Str Req 8, Reload 1 round, Weight 2 lbs., Price: $400. Old faithful has served the American government for many years, and seldom is a more powerful weapon necessary. 100 rounds cost $20.

Colt 1911 - Damage 2d10, Range 40ft, Aim +3, Shots 7+1, Recoil -2, Str Req 10, Reload 1 main action, Weight 3lbs., Price: $400.

Glock 9mm - Damage 2d12, Range 40 ft., Aim +4, Shots 17, Recoil -1, Str Req 8, Reload 1 main action, Weight 2 lbs., Price: $500. One of the most common guns of the modern age. 100 rounds costs $20.

Desert Eagle .44 Magnum - Damage 5d6, Range 40 ft., Aim +4, Shots 9+1, Recoil -3, Str Req 12, Reload 1 main action, Weight 5 lbs., Price: $900. When you've got to bring the pain, sometimes it takes a badass gun to do it. 100 rounds cost $30.

Shotguns
''All smoothbore shotguns loaded with shot give a +1 bonus to attack rolls. However, figure any armor used against shot loads as having +2 higher AC. Shotguns may be loaded with solid slugs to act like normal guns of their kind. Additionally, bear in mind that shotguns are much more legal than many other kinds of firearms.''

.410 Single-Shot - Damage 3d8, Range 20 ft., Aim +4, Shots 1, Recoil -1, Str Req -, Reload 1 main action, Weight 7 lbs., Price: $100. This lightweight shotgun is often given to children who are being taught proper gun handling and maintenance. It works perfectly well for hunting small game and in a pinch could be used for home defense. 100 shells cost $15.

Smith and Wesson 12gauge Double Barrel - Damage 4d10, Range 30ft.,Aim +4, Shots 2, Recoil -3, Str Req 12, Reload 1 main action, Weight 9lbs., Price: $300. Classic Redneck Peacemaker, a usual 'upgrade' from a .410 Single for larger game. 100 shells cost $20.

Remington 870 12 gauge - Damage 4d10, Range 30 ft., Aim +4, Shots 6, Recoil -3, Str Req 12, Reload 1 round, Weight 9 lbs., Price: $400. A ubiquitous shotgun, this Remington model has proven effective over the years. Pointing it at somebody usually entices them to get off your property. 100 shells cost $20.

Franchi SPAS 12, 12 gauge - Damage 4d10, Range 30 ft., Aim +4, Shots 7+1, Recoil -2, Str Req 10, Reload 1 main action, Weight 11 lbs., Price: $1,200. This combat shotgun was never intended for hunting deer or shooting ducks, its compact design and ammo clip make it an ideal choice for urban warfare. 100 shells cost $20.

Rifles
Thompson/Center .22 Classic - Damage 1d10, Range 120 ft., Aim +5, Shots 5+1, Recoil -1, Str Req -, Reload 1 main action, Weight 7 lbs., Price: $300. One of the multitude of variations on the .22 Rimfire rifle, these rifles are cheap, reliable, and fairly accurate. 100 rounds cost $10.

Winchester .30-30 - Damage 5d10, Range 150 ft., Aim +5, Shots 10+1, Recoil -1, Str Req 10, Reload 1 round, Weight 7 lbs., Price: $800. The .30-30 is a ubiquitous rifle that was in use for many years in America. 100 rounds cost $20.

M1 Garand .30-06 - Damage 7d10, Range 200 ft., Aim +6, Shots 8, Recoil -3, Str Req 12, Reload 1 round, Weight 11 lbs., Price: $1000. A wildly popular model of rifle for many years, the .30-06 has been used effectively by both hunters and law enforcement. 100 rounds cost $30.

Holland & Holland .700 Nitro Express - Damage 9d12, Range 250 ft., Aim +6, Shots 2, Recoil -7, Str Req 13, Reload 1 round, Weight 17 lbs., Price: $50,000 and up. This custom-made double-barrel elephant gun is very ornate and pricey, firing custom ammunition (each bullet is 1000 grains in weight). Though certainly not an efficient or practical choice, the .700 Nitro Express does make for a nice conversation piece, and it does kill elephants. The bullets cost $50 each.

Full-Auto
Bear in mind that fully automatic guns are not exactly legal and are liable to be more trouble than they're worth.

"Tommy Gun" 0.45 ACP - Damage 2d10, Range 100 ft., Aim +5, Shots 20, Recoil -3, Str Req 11, Reload 1 round, Weight 14 lbs., Price: $2,400. An infamous antique submachine gun associated with gangsters of the early 20th century. The ammunition costs $30 for 100 rounds.

M4 Carbine - Damage 5d8, Range 150ft., Aim +5, Shots 20+1, Recoil -1, Str Req 9, Reload 1 main action, Weight 8lbs., Price:1,250 Standard Issue SWAT rifle; very customizable. Can be fired as a single shot,using Rifle Skill,or fully automatic. 100 rounds costs $30.

Uzi 9x19mm - Damage 3d8, Range 100 ft., Aim +5, Shots 32, Recoil -1, Str Req 10, Reload 1 round, Weight 11 lbs., Price: $800. An Uzi, by any other name. 100 rounds costs $20.

Mini-Uzi .22 Conversion - Damage 1d8, Range 50 ft., Aim +4, Shots 20, Recoil -1, Str Req -, Reload 1 main action, Weight 9 lbs., Price: $700. 100 rounds costs $10, which is the primary purpose of this conversion.

AK-47 7.62x39mm - Damage 5d8, Range 150 ft., Aim +5, Shots 30+1, Recoil -1, Str Req 10, Reload 1 round, Weight 12 lbs., Price: $1,100. One of the most reliable auto-fire guns of all time.

Anti-Tank / Rocket Launcher
Coming soon.

Grenade
Coming soon.

Turret
Coming soon.

Blaster / Laser (optional)
Alien Raygun Pistol - Damage 10d10, Range 100 ft., Aim +4, Shots 40, Recoil 0, Str Req -, Reload 1 round (assuming there's any ammo to be had), Weight 2 lbs., Price: Artifact (or, $5,000,000). This optional gun can provide a tide-turning blast of condensed photons when the campaign calls for it. The GM should be cautious in allowing weapons of this power into the campaign, often the best restriction is severely limited access to ammunition.

Plasma Rifle - Damage 20d10, Range 300 ft., Aim +6, Shots 20, Recoil -1, Str Req 10, Reload 1 round, Weight 10 lbs., Price: Artifact (or, $8,000,000). Unlike the above raygun, a plasma rifle superheats its ammo and physically launches it, which has some recoil. It doesn't take many shots to kill just about anything, including tanks.

Pepper Spray
Keychain Pepper Spray - No damage, Fort save -4, Range Melee, Shots 10, Weight .1 lb, Price: $10. If the target fails the save, they are blinded. If they succeed, they take -2 to Dex and -6 to visual perception rolls. If they succeed by 6 or more, the pepper spray has no effect.

Taser
Coming soon.

A Note Concerning Archaic Weapons
As money has increased, inflation has risen. To get a combat-ready version of an archaic weapon, pay ten times its listed value on the TOMAGOMB Items page in dollars. If you just want a wall piece, you can pay three times its listed value, but the weapon will do decreased damage (1d8 goes to 1d6, etc.), and will break on any critical failure. While dwarves and elves may not be running around the modern age, the weapons can still be masterworked for an additional $300. In addition, even though there is no such thing as mithril, there are such things as titanium alloy and damascus steel, so one can still get the bonuses of "mithril" for the same price in dollars. Finally, there are still modern bowyers who can craft a mighty bow, for the same price in dollars as listed.

Armor
The armor listed here will follow the same rules governing normal armor found in TOMAGOMB Items. Where needed, new armor types have been added to existing archetypes.

Leather Class

Leather Trenchcoat - AC 2, Weight 8 lbs., Price: $200. This stylish and comfy trenchcoat is not very comfortable to wear in the warmer months.

Kevlar Class

All Kevlar Class armor has a drawback. Against blunt weapons, bullets included, they have the full listed AC but the person underneath always suffers 1 point of damage regardless of the blow struck from being crushed within the soft armor. Obviously, if the weapon would do more than 1 damage after AC is taken out it does that amount instead. If the damage dealt is greater than 20, the wearer suffers at least 2 damage from it, and every 20 damage after that increases the minimum damage taken. Against sharp weapons, Kevlar armor has AC 2 for the vest, AC 3 for body armor, and AC 4 for the combat armor.

Bullet-Resistant Vest - AC 8, Weight 5 lbs., Price: $500. This is a low-end protection which works pretty well against .22 rounds.

Body Armor - AC 14, Weight 18 lbs., SCP: 1, Price: $1,200. This is a step up to intermediate-grade kevlar.

Tactical Combat Armor - AC 24, Weight 30 lbs., SCP: 2, DP: -1/3rd, Price: $5,000. You could have bought a car instead. This armor assumes a metal or ceramic plate in the torso region and some of the more advanced kevlar available.

Shields

Riot Shield - AC 4, Weight 20 lbs., SCP: 3, Price: $1,000. This shield helps out a lot against non-gun weaponry common to riot mobs, and it does provide some assistance in slowing down bullets as well.

A Note Concerning Archaic Armor
Archaic armor fits an odd niche in modern combat (ignoring the fact that you'll look out of place in it): it is equally effective against all damage types, and is for most purposes still a better option against melee weapons. Bullets, of course, are the balancing factor. To be strong vs. guns, the character sacrifices some melee defense, and vice versa. Another nice aspect of archaic armor is its legality. In most jurisdictions, even plate armor is legal enough. Any kevlar higher than a bullet-resistant vest is regulated and restricted, prettymuch on a "shows valid need" basis. This means a police officer can acquire tactical combat armor (and a riot shield if its needed), but Joe Schmoe cannot.

Multiply armor costs by 10 to get the price in dollars from the TOMAGOMB Items page. Realistic costume armor can be had at approximately double the cost listed on the TOMAGOMB Items page, but reduce the AC by 1, and on any critical strike from an opponent the armor is destroyed (it still reduces the damage for that hit). Armor spikes also cost ten times as much. Refinement costs will stay the same. As mentioned under the archaic weapons section, you can effectively make something of "mithril" by using high-tech substitutes and processes, for the same price. The same can be done for "dragonhide," at the same cost.

Vehicles
Vehicles are operated by a skill check in the appropriate area, such as Drive: Automobile or Drive: Motorcycle, but a skill check is only necessary under situations of stress or sudden hazard. Everyday driving can be accomplished so long as the character maintains minimum competency (20%). Someone with less than 20% skill actually needs to roll against driving every time they get behind the wheel, although in a particularly easy situation with someone who has at least put points into the skill the GM may add up to +50%, and failure may not be catastrophic - perhaps the character grinds the gears or bumps into a trash can. On the other hand, driving failures at higher speeds and under stress can be quite deadly - see the skill for further description.

Automobiles

''Motorcycles may effectively be purchased at the grades listed below. However, in sacrificing cargo space motorcycles pick up speed and maneuverability, so at each grade they get +5% to Driving skill.''

Rustbucket - Price: $1,000. Many are the makes and models, but all have in common their ill-maintenance and shoddy craftsmanship. Occasionally a rustbucket will be a car that was once a classic, but has since been in such disrepair and through so many wrecks it no longer drives like it should. Rustbuckets actually subtract -10% Driving skill. The GM may allow even cheaper - and less reliable - rustbuckets.

Cheap Used Car - Price: $2,000. This class of auto is actually fairly reliable if one shops around to find a good deal. No one will be impressed with a car of this caliber, but they are eminently practical and affordable. No change to Driving skill.

Used Car - Price: $5,000. Sometimes a vehicle of this price range can be fixed up into something fashionable or powerful given time and effort, or be a careworn and aged car that was originally quite expensive. Often it's just a respectable vehicle with no rust or dents. +5% Driving skill.

Nice Used Car - Price: $10,000. This could also be "Cheap New Car." The vehicle hasn't lost all of its charms, and still likely could give a run for its money in a street race. +10% Driving skill.

New Car - Price: $20,000. This applies to practically any widely available model of non-sports car. +15% Driving skill.

Pricey New Car - Price: $50,000 and up. This amount of money can acquire you a vehicle that can at least compete with practically anything on the road, and some things off of it. +20% Driving skill.

Electronics/Communications
21st Century Cell Phone - Price: $0 at signing with 2 year contract, $40 / month. It may not make julienne potatos, but a modern phone can send text, browse web pages, tell you the time, stream video, snap pictures, act as a calculator and play games... oh, and allow verbal communication. These features are now largely standard on all models. An optional, but useful, feature of some phones is an LED flashlight. Some phone models may also be capable of direct radio communication if the cell phone towers go down or in other emergency situations; this will be limited to a range of about 2 miles. A phone guaranteed to have these options costs $100 instead of $0, otherwise roll Luck if the GM needs to determine your phone's features. Under light usage, the battery will last as much as 3 days, under heavy usage expect only about 12 to 24 hours. Recharge time varies, assume 4 hours. Cell phone insurance is another $10 / month, and it doesn't cover water damage.

Pricey Cell Phone - Price: $500, $100 / month. It may have a keyboard, it may have earplugs and MP3's, it may have a flashy user interface, it might act as a flash drive and have any number of other options. In all likelihood, is does all this and more. This monthly price assumes limitless talk, text and internet.

Basic Computer - Price: $300 to $500 new, down to $10 for a used system. A new basic system can play some games with the graphics options turned all the way down, but generally this is a system for lighter usage. It includes a printer and speakers, but not peripherals such as a scanner or external hard drive. -5% Computer skill, or -10% for a $10 system. Laptops are only in the upper price range.

Decent Computer - Price: $800 to $1500. A system in this range can power out most any game of the modern era to some extent, and is also capable of being used for heavy applications such as data processing and graphic arts. +5% Computer skill.

Ridiculous Computer - Price: $2500 and up. These computers are often in custom-designed cases with user-specific components, built to exacting specifications. They can do anything the character needs a single system to do, or sometimes several systems. Other than powerful gaming systems, this price range also indicates powerful servers and other specialized systems. +10% Computer skill, or +15% for $5000 or more.

Explosives
Just as a reminder, explosives are illegal for civilians to purchase and own, so characters much either have specialized jobs to gain access to it, or acquire it on the black market. A character with Knowledge: Chemistry and Explosives skill may create their own explosives for 1/4th the cost listed here.

Serpentine (Meal Powder) / Corned Powder - Price: No longer sold, though a minimum competency chemist can craft it easily. The materials to be accessed are saltpeter (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulfur. The materials cost is $15 per pound of saltpeter, $15 per pound of powdered charcoal (you can make the charcoal yourself for $1 per pound, but it takes more time), and $15 per pound of sulfur powder, so a pound of serpentine effectively costs $15. Buying some materials like saltpeter on a credit card may flag you as a person of interest to certain government organizations in the modern age, though it used to be sold in drugstores. The ideal mixture is about 75% saltpeter, 15% charcoal and 10% sulfur. Even carefully mixed the mixture will separate with time, though with another 8 hours of preparation and a flat Knowledge: Chemistry roll it can be turned into corned powder by pressing moist serpentine into cakes, drying them, then carefully crushing the cakes into powder. Serpentine powder explodes for 3d6 damage per pound, initially affecting a 5 ft. radius from the explosion point. At 5 lbs., this increases to 10 ft., at 20 lbs. this increases to 15 ft., and every 20 lbs. after that increases the radius by another 5 ft. Corned powder has the same radius of explosion, but it deals 3d6+2 damage per pound.

Miscellaneous
Swiss Army Knife / Multi-Tool - Price: $20. This is the real deal, a tool that can stand in when you just don't have the right piece of equipment. With a Swiss Army Knife, your Breaking and Entering only takes -5% without tools, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering only takes -10% without tools, and Knowledge: Medical only takes -5% for first aid (or -25% for surgery). It comes with a host of tiny useful tools and attachments that can save characters a lot of grief in other ways as well (such as access to bottle and can openers).

Professional Items
BREAKING AND ENTERING

Basic Thief Gear - Weight: 4 lbs. Price: $20. This gear is varied and likely scattered over the thief's body rather than be assembled in one kit. It includes a crowbar and some basic lockpicks (or items that double as crude lockpicks). Without the basics, Breaking and Entering takes a -10% penalty.

Advanced Thief Gear - 5 lbs. Price: $100. This equipment has a few nifty additions that can help you disable a variety of things and break into places, granting a +5% skill bonus with Breaking and Entering.

Nifty Not-Quite-Illegal Thief Gear - 7 lbs. Price: $1000. A lot of the things you carry around are very questionable, but not technically illegal. Having this diversity of tools and equipment available gives a +10% skill bonus with Breaking and Entering.

Awesome Illegal Thief Gear - 8 lbs. Price: $5000. We're talking about nigh-James-Bondian gear here. If you get caught and searched, and the searcher has any idea what this gear is, you're in BIG trouble. This gear grants +20% skill with Breaking and Entering.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING

Basic Electrical Tools - Weight: 4 lbs. Price: $60. These tools include a soldering gun and voltage testers. These tools are essential to Electrical Engineering, and without them the skill takes a -20% penalty.

Better Electrical Tools - Weight: 8 lbs. Price: $500. These tools are more extensive and more sensitive, allowing better accuracy and granting a +5% bonus to Electrical Engineering.

Great Electrical Tools - Weight: 20+ lbs. Price: $10,000. This is really all you'd ever need for any practical purpose. Due to weight this gear might be left in your workshop. +10% bonus to Electrical Engineering.

Engineer's Electrical Tools - Weight: 50+ lbs. Price: $100,000. Of course, engineers aren't known for holding themselves back to "practical purpose." These tools will allow you to build devices you probably shouldn't build. +20% bonus to Electrical Engineering.

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Basic Mechanic's Tools - Weight: 6+ lbs. Price: $100. These tools will let you change a tire or your oil, and includes a socket set and various peripherals. Without these basics, your Mechanical Engineering skill takes a -20% penalty. You still need to buy any special parts for repairs with any of these tool sets, except the most expensive set.

Advanced Mechanic's Tools - Weight: 400+ lbs. Price: $1000. You are prepared to fix a lot of things on a car, and have the potential to do some real tinkering. +5% skill with Mechanical Engineering.

Great Mechanic's Tools - Weight: 500+ lbs. Price: $100,000. You can do prettymuch anything that needs to get done with these tools. Some of them will have to stay in your workshop. +10% bonus to Mechanical Engineering.

Mechanical Engineer's Toys, Er, Tools - Weight: Tons. Price: $500,000+. To begin to catalog these tools would take hours. +20% bonus to Mechanical Engineering.

MEDICAL

Basic First Aid Kit - Weight: 1 lb. Price: $20. This is the most simplified and basic version of a first aid kit. It has gauze, wraps, antibiotics, bandages, and maybe one or two other basics. Without this kit, all first aid attempts take a -10% penalty. Even with the kit, surgery attempts take a -20% penalty, without the kit surgery is at -30%. It is worth noting that nearly any person's bathroom in-game is considered to have this level of first aid available. This kit will be exhausted after 10 uses.

Extensive First Aid Kit - Weight: 3 lbs. Price: $50. This kit is well-labeled and organized, assisting in first aid with a +5% skill bonus. Surgery attempts are at -15% with the kit. This kit will be exhausted after 20 uses.

Emergency First Aid Kit - Weight: 5 lbs. Price: $300. This kit has just about everything that can be had without an M.D., preparing you for all manner of worst-case scenario quickly and efficiently. This kit grants a +10% bonus to first aid attempts. Surgery attempts are at -10% with the kit. This kit is exhausted after 50 uses.

Doctor's Black Bag - Weight: 7 lbs. Price: $1000. The classic kit of the country doctor, this bag holds medicines that would be illegal for non-doctors to carry around. It actually requires 40% Knowledge: Medical to even use it properly, otherwise it only grants the bonus of the Emergency First Aid Kit. Someone with the right training can get greater use out of the bag, although if they aren't a doctor there could be serious legal repercussions! With the prerequisite skill level, this bag grants a +15% bonus to first aid attempts, and it allows the doctor to attempt field surgery with no penalty. The black bag is partially exhausted after 100 uses, going down to a +5% first aid skill bonus (and -10% surgery penalty) until it is refilled at a hospital or pharmacy for $200.

Hospital Equipment - Weight: 10 lbs. to 2,000 lbs. Price: $100 up to no upper limit ($50,000 per device is a good starting point). It is extremely unlikely that a character will own this type of equipment since it is bulky and enormously expensive. With access to it and 40% or more Knowledge: Medical, the character gains a +20% bonus to first aid attempts, and a bonus to surgery ranging from +5% (for a crappy hospital) up to +20% (for the specialization of a very good hospital, i.e., a very good hospital known as a "heart hospital" gets +15% to normal surgery, and +20% for heart surgery).