Hey Game Fans, we’re back to take a look at the equipment you’re going to probably utilize at some point during your games of Edge of the Empire from Fantasy Flight Games. Star Wars has a rich history of cool gadgets and gizmos that crop up during important scenes during various movies, games and books. They are an essential part of life on the fringes of society and can do a lot of things. We’re not going to talk about Droids today (mostly because they are much better as a species discussion) nor are we going to talk about vehicles and starships (those belong in their own article). We’re going to cover the other pieces of technology that make life a much easier proposition in the Star Wars RPG. Now there are a lot of different kind of equipment, and we’re going to try cover as much ground as we can. Let’s take a deeper look at Equipment.
Tools
Tools are an essential component of living in Edge of the Empire. They provide either a capability to do something beyond what a normal person can do or they enhance an existing capability. There are a variety of tools and options, but they are all fairly essential for getting things done in Edge of the Empire.
Backpack
Everyone needs a portable storage device for hauling their various goods and or things from one place to another. Backpacks are excellent at distributing weight across a body and increase the character’s encumbrance value by 4.
Climbing gear
Including spikes, pitons, hooks, and a syntherope dispenser, climbing gear is essential for getting into an elevated position. Everyone who is moving vertically in relation to the surface they are working on needs to have a climbing kit available.
Datapad
The smartphone equivalent for the Star Wars Universe, Datapads are personal computing assistants with communication capabilities and a host of other options. If your smartphone can do it, there’s a fair bet that your Datapad can do it as well.
Fusion Lantern
A portable source of both heat and light. Built to last, Fusion lanterns are common in higher end survival kits. As a bonus feature, they can recharge small electronic devices. Everyone needs one.
Glow Rod
A directional light source, the Glow Rod is the Star Wars Universe’s flashlight. They can run on either internal power supplies or rechargeable batteries.
Jet Pack
For the folks who want mobility without being tethered to anything, the Jet pack provides a noisy option for getting from place to place. It requires the Piloting (planetary) skill to use to maximum effect, and gives the operator effectively a vehicle profile. (We’ll revisit that when we do Ships and vehicles soon).
Reloads/Power Packs (spares)
Most pieces of equipment require either ammunition or power, and being able to load in a fresh reload or spare power pack can be the thing that turns an epic failure into a smashing success. These are probably the most essential piece of gear in this section.
Tool Kit
If you’re playing a mechanically inclined character, the Tool Kit is essential. It contains all the essential tools, spare parts, and other bits and bobs that are needed to perform the Mechanics skill. These are also needed to “heal” droids and other mechanical things (like vehicles and starships)
Emergency Repair Patch
Vehicles, Starships and droids all suffer damage throughout the course of their day to day operations. The emergency repair patch is a short term solution to this problem and are intended to cover up damaged locations until proper repairs can be made. These repair wounds to droids, but are too small to effect any serious repairs outside of cosmetic damage (or very tiny holes) in larger objects.
Utility Belt
Another storage device, utility belts are extremely common throughout the galaxy. Designed to hold a variety of small pieces of equipment within short reach, the Utility belt increases a character’s encumbrance value by 1.
Black Market Items
Most of this stuff is astonishingly illegal. For a variety of different reasons, the galactic law enforcement community has decided that these items should be bought, sold, or traded in any fashion by anyone. There are two primary types of items in this section, Drugs and Equipment.
Drugs
There are a lot of drugs and other illegal narcotics that you can find in Star Wars. The ever-present Spice has fueled a lot of stories and drunken benders in the universe, but it’s not the only one. Drugs have two prices, one for a single dose for recreational use, and a cargo unit’s worth. Prices vary as do effects. You can acquire Avabush Spice, Booster Blue, Death Sticks, Glitterstim, Lesai, and Yarrick Root. All of these are highly illegal, and run the risk of getting you sent to the spice mines of Kessel, where you can harvest Glitterstim.
Outlaw Tech
Outlaw Tech is astonishingly not legal. These items circumvent security measures, and allow access to a host of restricted or illegal items. Possession of any of these items is going to trigger a lengthy jail term, and even finding one a given planet is going to require black market contacts, time, and a brick of credits.
Data Breaker
The first step in accessing a restricted computer system, the Data Breaker is a slicer’s best friend. In many ways it’s the slicer’s master key to secured systems and with it, the Slicer can go to work breaking into systems and gathering data in a variety of quasi legal ways.
Flesh Camouflage Set
The last word on disguise technology, the Flesh Camouflage Set allows a character to dramatically alter their physical shape, height and species. Further it has components to fool a variety of scans (including retinas, genetic locks, and fingerprints) and can allow the person using it to pass as a person who’s given a “sample.” The individual components of this set are curious, but a complete set is going to draw heavy questioning and a potential jail term for anyone caught with one.
Personal Stealth Field
Being able to turn invisible to the senses of most species and droids is amazingly handy as a criminal. The devices that enable this feat are rare examples of ancient technology or cutting edge prototypes. There are potential reasons for a character to legally own one of these, but it’s going to be a lengthy conversation with local security forces and the potential that it gets confiscated.
Next Time
Now that’s all of the equipment that’s listed in the Core rulebook. Next week we’re going to take a look at the customization rules (because they are deep enough to deserve their own article) and then we’ll start looking at starships and vehicles.
All right Game Fans, we’re starting to run a little long with this one, so we’re going to leave off here for now. We’ll try and catch the rest of the Equipment next time. We hope this gives you an idea of the things that are available for you to utilize in your game of Edge of the Empire. Game On, Game Fans
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