04 – Savage SF Equipment: Defenses

Defensive Power Screens

All power screens except the chameleon screen are worn like belts around the waist. Special adapters are provided for Dralasites at no extra cost. Only one power screen can be worn or used at one time. Putting on or taking off a power screen takes 2 full rounds. When a screen runs out of power. it has no effect.

NOTE: Personal Force Field Generators (found in the Savage Worlds Science Fiction Companion pg 14) do not exists in Savage SDF.

Albedo Screen – An albedo screen projects a silvery aura that absorbs laser damage. The aura completely surrounds the person wearing the screen.  The screen has enough power for 1 hour of continuous use.  The screen blocks up to 20 points of Laser damage.  The person wearing the screen will take no damage from lasers – it absorbs 100% of the damage  – as long as the power holds out. Upon reaching the 21st point of damage, the screen shuts down and must be recharged (5 hours).  A person can fire a laser weapon out of an albedo screen. $200, 4.4 lbs

Gauss Screen – A gauss screen generates an invisible barrier that provides protection to the wearer from electrical attacks. It absorbs one-half of the damage from an electrical attack before it is applied to the wearer.  The screen can take 40 points of electrical damage. There is a quick flash of light when the screen is hit. Upon reaching the 41st point of damage, the screen shuts down and must be recharged (5 hours).  $100, 4.4lb

Inertia Screen –  An inertia screen defends against all impact weapons – high velocity weapons like slug throwers, gyrojet, explosive grenades as well as other explosives and low velocity weapons like melee weapons except electrical or sonic.  When hit by high velocity weapons damage, absorbs one-half of the damage, before the damage is applied to ones overall Toughness. When hit by low velocity weapons, it absorbs all the damage.  The screen can take 40 points of damage from impact weapons.  $200, 4.4 lbs

Simp Screen – A simp screen is similar to an albedo screen and even has the same silvery aura about it, but it protects against Rafflur fire instead of laser damage. See Albedo Screen for effects. $200, 4.4lb

Defensive Screen Add On

Phased Screen Inducer – These are highly regulated, and on some planets illegal, devices that phase the frequencies enough between two defensive screens that allow two screens to be worn by a single user.  It tends to reduce the effectiveness of the individual screens but allows the user to be protected by more than one category of damage.  When using with a PSI, screens half as much damage (20 is reduces to 10, 40 is reduced to 20).  The penetration amount is also reduced – 100% is reduced to half, half is reduced to a quarter. $300, 1.0lb

Stealth Power Screens

Holo-screen –  A holo-screen projects a 3-dimensional image around its wearer. The image is projected from a holo-disc, a small disk that slides into the top of the holo-screen control unit. The holo disc contains complete holographic information on one person or thing. For example, a holo disc could project the image of an adult male Yazirian in civilian clothes. Onlookers may make a Notice roll at -4 in order to detect the false image / disguise.

The holo-image is limited to roughly the same size and shape as the wearer. For example, a Vrusk could not masquerade as a Human. Personalized holo-discs can be ordered for 5,000 Cr. A personalized holo-disc contains holo-information on a specific individual. Producing a personalized holo-disc takes 5-10 months, because it requires detailed (and very illegal) holo-filming of the desired subject. If the subject is willing, the filming can be done in one day. A camouflage feedback loop can be added to the holo-screen for an additional 1,000 Cr. The camouflage loop adjusts the holo-image to match nearby surroundings, giving the wearer a +4 to one’s Stealth roll chance to be “invisible” to onlookers. $150, 4.4 lbs

Light Shift Screen – A light shift screen (LSS) sets up a light-bending magnetic shell around the individual or unit using it. The effects of the shell differ for each type of screen, but energy consumption and penetration are the same for all LSSs.  LSSs enough power for 1 hour of use.  Visible penetration of the shell is impossible while the LSS is on, but detection is possible in one of two ways. Infrared optics always show the proper heat image and location of an individual usuing a LSS. Ultraviolet optics show operating LSSs as areas of solid purple light. Light shift screens are rare and expensive. Most civilized worlds forbid their use as they are preferred devices of criminals, Sathar agents, etc.

There are three types of LSSs.

• Shadow Cloak (Type 1): A Type 1 LSS bends all light away from the shell, thus creating a totally black area. This LSS types is usually used at night or by a character masking his identity. +8 to Stealth checks while in Darkness. $300, 4.4lb
• Doppelganger (Type 2): The Type 2 LSS shifts the wearer’s image away from his actual location to a distance of one to three meters in a fixed direction. The direction must be specified when the character purchases the device.  The shifted image that appears is an exact duplicate of the character using the LSS. This version of the LSS is often used by Star Lawmen and Landfleet officers to draw enemy fire away from themselves. $200, 4.4lb
• Multipliers (Type 3): The Type 3 unit is a variation on the type 2 but instead of shifting a single image of the wearer it creates up to five images (at the wearer’s option), all exactly the same. Type 3 LSSs always create the images in a side-by-side line, with up to three meters between each image. These LSSs are often used by Landfleet soldiers to draw fire away from themselves and to swell their ranks, thus confusing the enemy. $300, 4.4lb

Defensive Suits

Note:  These take the place of Body Armor and Combat Armor in the Savage Worlds Science Fiction Companion.

Albedo Suit – An albedo suit is made from a special shiny flexible material. It will partially reflect the damage from a laser attack. An Albedo suit grants a +4 to one’s Toughness versus Laser attacks only and negates up to 4 points of AP from laster attacks. $100, 2.2lb

Dead Suit – A dead suit is a black one-piece synthetic garment that resembles a wet suit. It masks the heat emissions of the character wearing it, thus preventing any IR devices or heat scanners from detecting the wearer. +4 to Stealth vs these means of detection.

Gridsuit – The gridsuit is probably the most unusual, sought after, and expensive of defensive suits. The inner lining of the suit is a nullifying absorption field circuit that absorbs and dissipates large amounts of energy. The result is the wearer gains s +4 toughness vs all attack from Laser, Rafflur, Plasma, Electric, or other energy related weapons, and ignores up to 2 points of AP from those attacks. 

A Gridsuit comes in both military and civilian styles. The military style is a camouflaged uniform that has convenient patch pockets. The civilian style can be any fashion desired, though this may increase the cost.

$500, 2.2 lb Additionally, a fire-retardant version can be purchased that adds +4 to Toughness versus flame and fire attacks. $550, 3 lb

Skeinsuit – The most common body armor worn in the Frontier, a skeinsuit is made of light ballistic cloth. It can be used along with an inertia screen. A character wearing a skeinsuit adds +4 to their Toughness versus inertia / ballistic attacks and ignores up to 4 points of AP from ballistic attacks. 

Two types of skeinsuits are available: military and civilian. Military skeinsuits are camouflage green. Civilian skeinsuits look like regular clothing.   $100, 2.2lb.  Additionally, a fire-retardant version can be purchased that adds +4 to Toughness versus flame and fire attacks. $120, 3 lb

Synthvelope – A sythvelope suit is a synthetic one-piece envelope that absorbs the damage from laser and rafflurs beam weapons – +4 to Toughness versus Rafflur energy and +2 against Laser.   The suit must be stepped into from the back and zipped up, completely encasing the wearer’s body except for the head. It is flexible enough even for a Dralasite to use. $250, 5lb

Helmets

Basic Helmet – A helmet is made of polymer construction and for purposes of protection covers the wearer’s entire head. A basic helmet provides +2 Toughness to the wearer’s head only. Helmets come in many shapes and sizes to fit all races. Most are made with modular sections that can be removed to add microphones, goggles, etc. The items in this section can be added to helmets.  There are eight (8) ports on a helmet for add-ons; only one add-on can be attached to a port.

Helmet Add-ons

Commlink – (See Commlink pg 14 in SW SFC).  This requires a Helmet Powerpack.

Computer link – This links a helmet to a computer remotely.  Range depends on the type. Type 0 are personal Comp-links used strictly for Bodycomy communication.  Their range is just five feet and can only connect to Bodycomps.  Type 1 is 1 km.  Type 2 is 10 km.  Type 3 is 100km.  These can be combined with Link types.  Link type A links to a small single user computer or land/airvehicle computer.  Type B connects to a small ship’s or small facility’s computer.  Type C connects to a large computer in a facility or ship.  For example, type 1A can connect to a vehicle computer within 1 km.  This requires a Helmet Powerpack. Type 0 Comp-link: $75.  Type 1A Comp-link: $100. Type 1B Comp-link: $150.  Type 1C Comp-link: $200. Type 2A Comp-link: $300. Type 2B Comp-link: $450.  Type 2C Comp-link: $600. Type 3A Comp-link: $500. Type 3B Comp-link: $750.  Type 3C Comp-link: $1000.

Gas mask (see SW SFC pg 16 Rebreather) –  $300 for helmet add-on.

Helmet Weapons – These are small versions of the various weapons types available, loaded with a small power clip or magazine.  For powered weapons, this is separate from the helmet powerpack.

Weapons	Range	Damage	RoF	Shots	Min Str	Weight	Cost
Helmet Lasers	12/24/48	2d6-1	25		—	1	$300
Notes: AP 2, SS. Energy pack: $20, .25 lb.
Helmet Rafflurs	12/24/48	2d6-1	25		—	1	$300
Notes: AP 2, SS. Energy pack: $20, .25 lb.
Helmet Mini-Auto	10/20/40	2d6-1	12		—	1	$300
Notes: AP 1, SA.  Ammo Mini-Clip: $25, .5 lb
Helmet Mini-Grenage Launcher	24/48/96	2d6+3	6		—	1	$1000
Notes:  Ammo Mini-Clip: $50, .5 lb

Poly-vox – A poly-vox helmet add-on is a specialized device that can translate a message that it hears in one language into another language, and then repeats it. It can learn an unknown language if it can be programmed with key phrases, and then exposed to the language for 1-1 00 hours. A character does not need computer skill to use a poly-vox. This requires a Helmet Powerpack. $300, 1lb. 

Power-light – The powerlight is a cylinder 60 cm long by 20 em in diameter. Its beam has a range of up to 300 meters and it operates
for 400 hours on two microdiscs.  It comes in visible light, and Infralight. lnfralight powerlights emit an infrared beam that can only be seen by those using IR optics. All other statistics are the same as a powerlight. It is generally used as an invisible signal or search light. This requires a Helmet Powerpack.  $100, 1lb. 

Powerpack – Battery packs used to power various powered units on the helmet.  Enough power to run a full helmet 20 hours before recharge is needed (5 hours).  $200, 1lb. 

Sonic protection – This add-on provides a natural, nonpowered sonic baffler that protects the ears and head from sonic damage. Any character wearing a helmet with sonic protected helmets only receives half damage from sonic attacks, unless otherwise stated. Extremely strong sonic attacks, such as boomer grenades or sonic warheads, affect the entire body and sonic headphones have no effect on those.

Visors – Visors can have up to three of the following functions:  solar, magnifying , electromagnetic (EM), infrared, starlight and ultraviolet capabilities. These combination visors are more expensive than normal ones (the cost of all three types is +20% of the total cost).  This requires a Helmet Powerpack.

• Electromagnetic optics are used to spot the tell-tale pale blue or purple sheen surrounding all force screens and fields, whether caused by a device or a Psionic power.
• Infrared optics allow a character allow a character to see heat images in total darkness. They can be used to spot characters that are hidden in light foliage or darkness, or that are using a holo-screen or similar device.
• Magnifying optics magnify visual images the same way binoculars do. They triple the distance at which a character can identify a man-sized object. They do not work like telescopic sights, and a character wearing magnigoggles can not aim a weapon.
• Solar optics have a thin layer of polarized material between the glass that instantly darkens when brilliant light appears. Though the reaction is too slow to prevent the wearer from suffering the effects of a flash grenade, solar optics do help a character looking into floodlights and powerlights. This type of optics is used extensively by starship personnel.
• Starlight optics allow night scenes to be viewed as clearly as if it were daytime. This is because starlight optics greatly amplify ambient light to almost
  daytime intensities. Therefore the character suffers no penalties for darkness. The only time starlight optics do not work is when the sky is heavily overcast and no artificial light is present.
• Ultraviolet optics are useful in detecting anything printed or written in UV ink, paint, or dye (commonly used by Star Law to mark valuable objects), a LSS in use, or any object that emits UV waves.