Page 140 - World of Darkness

exceeded to cause damage to them). People and bonuses to Drive rolls, while a new sports car can offer
sentient targets who wear protective gear have four.
armor ratings that are subtracted from attack- Generally speaking, useful but simple items and tools
ers’ dice pools (see “Armor,” p. 166). A person offer a +1 bonus. Most specially made gear that’s designed
wearing a flak jacket is not considered to have a and fabricated for a particular purpose is rated +2. Say, a
Durability rating, for example. The rating of his slimjim for auto theft. Tools at +3 are reliable and precise.
armor imposes a penalty to an attacker’s dice Tools rated +4 and +5 are top-of-the-line, craftsman-made
pool (see Chapter 7: Combat). and probably expensive devices. Add one dot to the listed
If you want to determine if someone be- costs for items rated +4, and two for items rated +5. Thus,
yond a barrier or inside an armored vehicle can if your character has a set of lock picks (which normally
be hurt, see “Cover,” p. 162. have a cost of 3) with a dice bonus of +4, his tools have a
cost of 4.
Equipment created or altered by supernatural or ad-
vanced means can be rated +4 or +5 (or higher!), but is
Equipment probably always assigned an equal cost — if available for
purchase at all. An inventor who works beyond the realm
of ordinary human technology might design a universal
The following items are indicative of just some of the lock set, for example. One tool can open doors of any kind.
gear that your character may acquire or use when dealing It confers a +5 die bonus to B&E efforts, and costs five
with the mysteries of the unseen world. The creatures that dots to be acquired. Of course, cost has little bearing if
haunt the shadows may have miraculous capabilities, but someone can steal or barter for an item rather than buy it.
modern technology can be used to even the odds some- The relative costs of items are listed in dots. Com-
what. Sometimes beings in touch with humanity turn to pare these to the dots in your character’s Resources Merit
these items to ply them against rivals, and some shepherd (if any) to see if he can afford them with disposable cash.
the way to new innovations that are eventually shared with See “Resources,” p. 115, for more information.
the masses. The items listed here tend to be somewhat uncon-
ventional — things you might not see everyday, but that
Die Bonuses your character might intentionally seek out. It’s assumed
Using equipment and tools to accomplish feats gen- that you can assess the utility (and die bonuses) of ordi-
erally improves your character’s chances of success. Gear nary items such as computers, household tools and handy
is typically rated 1 to 5 in terms of quality, and that num- items such as Swiss Army knives.
ber of dice is added to your dice pools when pertinent Dice bonuses can apply to instant actions — feats
actions are performed. For example, an attempt to break performed in the space of one turn. They can also apply
into a car involves Dexterity + Larceny. Your character to rolls made in extended actions. A project occurs over a
can try it without any tools or devices, but the effort is period of time, with rolls made at intervals to gauge
difficult and probably crude (he busts out a window to get progress. Having tools (getting dice bonuses) definitely
in). But if your character uses a crowbar to help the effort, improves your character’s chances of success at an extended
the Storyteller might grant a +1 bonus. You add one die action, and may help him accomplish it more quickly than
to your dice pool. Now, if your character has a high-qual- without the gear.
ity, precise set of tools designed specifically for breaking When a dramatic failure occurs, something may have
and entering, the Storyteller might grant you as much as gone horribly wrong with the tools used. The Storyteller
a +3 or higher bonus. The better tools brought to bear are decides just what has happened. One of your character’s
simply more effective than a crowbar. picks could be broken, lost, hopelessly jammed in a door,
Most conventional equipment offers a +1 to +3 die or simply dropped making enough noise to draw atten-
bonus. These items are commercially available and not tion. In the case of damaged or broken tools, consider their
necessarily unusual. The most basic, rudimentary or im- bonus ratings to diminish by one thereafter, along with
provised of tools may add nothing to your character’s ef- their cost dots if they’re sold.
forts. A bent coat hanger isn’t really so useful in giving Cost dots for equipment are ultimately relative as-
your character a bonus at breaking into a car, for example. signments. In the free world where commerce is largely
Indeed, some activities require tools or devices to be open, costs are as listed. In a politically or religiously op-
attempted at all. In these cases, bonuses are gained for pressed locale, forbidden items are rare and more expen-
using good-quality equipment. You can’t play in an or- sive. Illegal items in any region are certainly expensive
chestra without a violin, for example. Possessing any old and must be acquired through underground channels.
violin doesn’t grant your character an immediate bonus Consider any illegal or black-market purchase to be at
to Expression rolls. The instrument needs to be special to least one dot more expensive than indicated in these rules.
confer bonuses. A finely crafted antique piece might be There could also be a cost to life, limb and liberty, but
+2, while a Stradivarius is +4 or +5. Likewise, you can’t that’s for the Storyteller to decide in your story.
drive without a vehicle. A beat-up old sedan may offer no

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SYSTEMS- EQUIPMENT