Core Universal Armor Gadgets

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The following gadgets are universal and can apply to armors.

**Chameleonic Surface**

Chameleonic materials are the end result of the marriage of sensor technology and nanotechnology. Similar in many ways to the painton LCD of the Information Age, the chameleonic surface armor gadget allows any armor to remake its own image to better blend in with the background. Microsensors on the surface of the armor detect surrounding imagery and project it from the opposite side, in effect coloring the wearer to look just like whatever is behind him. The armor blends in with any background.

This gadget provides the armor’s wearer a bonus on Hide checks. For light armor, this bonus is +4; for medium, +6, for heavy, powered, and environmentally sealed armor, +10.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +6.

**PL:** 7

**Environment Seal**

Since many armors are designed with a particular environment in mind, this gadget provides the wearer protection from harsh conditions. The environment seal gadget transforms any armor into a stable and insulated artificial environment. This provides the wearer with the right amount of breathable air and external pressure to assure comfort and survival for up to eight hours, ensuring that the armor can function in the extremes of the deep sea or deep space, along with any environment in between. Only certain types of armor can handle this modification and those that do usually integrate a sealed helmet, body glove, and emergency air tanks to generate internal atmosphere.

**Restrictions:** Medium, heavy, or powered armor only.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**PL:** 6

**Integrated Equipment**

A particular piece of nonweapon equipment has been integrated into the armor and can be used by the armor’s wearer at any time. This gadget is often used to add features such as glow-lamps or duracable to armor, though it is not limited to those applications. Indeed, some armors are intended to make their wearers into independent one-person armies, and sport a dozen or more such equipment integrations.

When selecting the integrated equipment gadget, choose a piece of equipment. That equipment is integrated into the base armor and can be used at any time. Additionally, you must choose whether or not the equipment may be physically separated from the base armor or not at the time of purchase. This gadget may be selected multiple times, each time adding a single additional piece of equipment to the base model.

**Restrictions:** The character must also purchase the piece of equipment to be integrated separately from the armor, before the gadget modification is made.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +2.

**PL:** 5

**Integrated Weapon**

Some armors are designed with specific combat purposes in mind and build in certain weapons as standard equipment. Examples run from a pair of pop-out wrist blades to shoulder-mounted plasma cannons. Additionally, many armors link their weapons to integrated heads-up displays, turning the user into a walking combat machine.

When selecting the integrated weapon gadget, choose a single weapon. That weapon is integrated into the base armor and can be used at any time. Additionally, you must choose whether or not the weapon may be physically separated from the base armor or not at the time of purchase. This gadget may be selected multiple times, each time adding a single additional weapon to the base armor.

**Restrictions:** The character must also purchase the weapon to be integrated separately from the base armor, before the gadget modification is made.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** 5 + cost of weapon

**PL:** 5

**Prehensile Appendage**

Useful for scientists, explorers, and others that have need for an extra hand, the prehensile appendage gadget is both utilitarian and expensive. Essentially, this gadget consists of a long flexible cylinder capped at the end with a grasping claw that attaches to the armor’s side or back. The prehensile appendage gadget essentially gives the wearer of the armor an additional hand with which to hold and manipulate objects. The gadget cannot be used to make normal melee attacks or fire ranged weapons, but it can make grapple attempts (with a Strength bonus of +2 and using the wearer’s base attack bonus). The appendage is controlled through a pair of gloves worn by the user; by issuing commands via a specific set of hand signs, the wearer can order the gadget to pick up, drop, or manipulate an object once per round as a free action.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +6.

**PL:** 6

**Storage Compartment**

A simple but often overlooked modification that can be of great benefit in almost any situation is the ability to store and carry small items in a safe place. The storage compartment gadget accomplishes just that, incorporating an empty space where other objects can be carried by the wearer with relative ease. Each storage compartment gadget allows the wearer to carry two items of Small size (example such as a 9mm handgun or a lightsaber) in a container built into the armor. This gadget may be taken multiple times, each time providing another compartment where small items may be carried.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +1.

**PL:** 3

**Ultralight Construction**

The development of new and experimental structural designs constantly allows armor technology to advance to the point where once bulky and heavy armors become as easy to carry as lighter models. Any armor with the ultralight composition gadget weighs significantly less than similar pieces of armor and is more easily used and worn. The armor reduces its Armor Check Penalty (if any) by 1. Furthermore, the armor’s speed limitation is increased by 5 feet (to a maximum of the user’s normal speed). So, for example, an armor with an Armor Check Penalty of –2 and a speed limitation of 20 feet now has an Armor Check Penalty of –1 and a speed limitation of 25 feet.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**PL:** 4

**Self-Repairing**

The self-repairing gadget implements nanotechnology in its infancy to repair minor damage to armor. Whenever the armor is damaged, the self-repairing gadget immediately issues commands to a set of nanites that move to the problem spot and begin making repairs. The gadget repairs 1 point of damage per minute to the armor.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +6.

**PL:** 8

**Gravity Anchor**

With space combat almost as common as ground combat in the Energy Age, armor manufacturers seek to make their armor more useful in both space and atmospheric combat. One such enhancement is the gravity anchor gadget, which generates a field of artificial gravity around the armor’s wearer. In low gravity and zero gravity conditions, the gravity anchor can be activated to give the wearer the benefits of full gravity in any situation. Characters with this gadget are unaffected by low gravity and zero-g conditions.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**PL:** 8

**Morphic Metal Alloy**

A combination of nanotechnology and armor engineering, morphic metal alloy is a special material used in the construction of armor to enhance the user’s ability to move freely. When activated, morphic metal bends and shapes itself to the contours of the wearer’s body, giving it both a snug fit and increased mobility. An armor with the morphic metal alloy gadget reduces its armor check penalty by 1 and increases the maximum Dexterity bonus by 1 as well.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +6.

**PL:** 8

**Neg-Grav Boosters**

Similar in design to the gravity anchor, but with an opposite purpose, neg-grav boosters can be installed into any armor to give the wearer the benefits of low gravity conditions. Neg-grav boosters create a low-gravity field around the user and counteract the effects of gravity, allowing the character to jump to incredible heights. Any armor with this gadget grants a +10 bonus on all Jump checks in any situation where gravity is a factor. This gadget has no function in zero-g environments.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**PL:** 8

**Techno-Organic Makeup**

Though the technology of Earth is based on electronics and mechanics, some alien cultures may have developed technology based on living organisms working in harmony for an intended purpose. Additionally, advanced civilizations may make use of certain biological forms of technology integrated with their own mechanical devices to form a techno-organic hybrid capable of performing certain tasks with increased efficiency.

An armor with the techno-organic makeup gadget is composed of living tissue or a biological/mechanical hybrid material. Unlike normal armors, armor with this gadget heals itself at a rate of one hit point per hour when damaged. Additionally, armor with this gadget is susceptible to diseases and poisons specifically designed to target techno-organic material.

**Restrictions:** None.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**PL:** 8

**Targeted Pulse Burst Screen**

Fully sealed armor can be equipped with a special computerized system that detects and protects against electrical fields designed to inflict brain, nervous system, or psionic damage on the armor’s wearer. The instant the system detects any sort of artificial field that can affect the wearer’s mind or nervous system it emits a counter field – the wearer gains a +2 equipment bonus to all Will saves to resist any mind-affecting attacks.

**Restriction:** Military (+3).

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +5.

**PL:** 8

**AUTOMATED LOADER**

This device attaches to powered armor and consists of a small robotic arm and a storage compartment that holds up to 2 bulk of ammunition and batteries. You can activate the automated loader as a move action to reload or recharge a weapon that’s mounted to the powered armor (but not to replace the batteries of the powered armor itself). Abilities that let you reload faster than a move action don’t apply to an automated loader.

This upgrade can be installed only in powered armor.

**Restrictions:** Medium, heavy, or powered armor only.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**PL:** 6

**BACKUP GENERATOR**

You can connect charged electric items such as batteries to this miniature generator to recharge them. The electricity comes from the kinetic energy of your movement, which generates 1 charge every 10 minutes of movement. No more than one item can be plugged in at a time, and the generator doesn’t produce charges when you’re resting or otherwise stationary.

**Restrictions:** Medium, heavy, or powered armor only.

**Purchase TN Modifier:** +4.

**PL:** 6