A few simple examples of the gear available in the SANTIAGO adventure path.  If you know how to play D&D 4E, you already know how equipment and items work.  Standard gear is fairly cheap, whilst tech-enhanced gear comes at a higher price.  The Democracy's standard currency is the Credit (abbreviated cr), but on the Inner and Outer Frontiers other currencies may be accepted, including Maria Theresa dollars, Bonaparte francs (still being used in the Binder system), New Stalin rubles, and more.
Mundane Gear

Gear comes in a variety of forms, including basic gear, armor, weapons, tech items, injections, and software.  Here's a small sample of mundane gear:

Plasma Rod (2cr):  This minor tech item sheds bright light to a radius of 20 squares for 4 hours before burning out.

Personal Communicator (50cr):  Software users use a personal communicator to store and access the software they have acquired.

Electronic Lockpicks (20cr): Really a simple hacking kit, these grant you a +2 bonus to Thievery checks to hack a lock or deactivate a security device.
ENERGY - Energy is a tech resource that results from using the Drain Battery software package on a tech item, and can also be used as a generic component for software usage.  In some exotic planetary systems, energy is even traded as currency, carried in small, specially engineered battery packs, and can be a convenient way to transport large sums of wealth; a battery able to store 10,000 credits worth of energy weighs as much as a single credit coin, so a 1lb battery is worth half-a-million credits and fits in a large pocket.


Injections

Healing can be accomplished in a variety of ways; medics can trigger healing surges with various procedures, and simple injections can be used to recover from injury or fatigue.
MED-ROID INJECTION  (Level 5)
A med-roid injection is a simple and easy-to-administer method of healing small wounds.
Injection   50 credits
Power (Consumable) * Healing: Minor Action.  Inject this medical formula and spend a healing surge.  Instead of the hit points you would normally regain, you regain 10 hit points.


Weapons

There is a wide variety of weaponry available.  Whilst ranged weapons are far more common than melee weapons, it is not unknown to see someone wielding a knife or a sword.  Ranged weapons come in a variety of types, the most common being projectile (bullets) and laser weapons, followed by sonic, explosive, and electric weapons.  The quality of a weapon, and its tech-enhancements, will greatly influence its price and effectiveness.

SIMPLE RANGED WEAPONS
Weapon Prof Damage Range Price Weight Group Properties
Laser Rifle +3 1d10 (fire) 20/40 40cr 4lbs Firearm Brutal 2
Pistol +2 1d8 5/10 8cr 1lb Firearm Brutal 1

It's easy to apply tech enhancements to weapons:

SONIC WEAPON (Level 3+)
You can unleash a clap of sonic energy when this weapon hits, carrying your foe away on a wave of deadly sound.
Lvl 3 +1 680cr Lvl 18 +4 85,000cr
Lvl 8 +2 3,400cr Lvl 23 +5 425,000cr
Lvl 13 +3 17,000cr Lvl 28 +6 2,125,000cr
Weapon:  Any
Enhancement:  Attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +1d6 thunder damage per plus
Power (Daily) * Thunder:  Free Action.  Use this power when you hit with the weapon.  Deal an extra 1d8 thunder damage and push the target 1 square.
Level 13 or 18: 2d8 extra thunder damage
Level 23 or 28: 3d8 extra thunder damage


Armor

There are, of course, more exotic weapons available, along with various armor types ranging from lightweight synthetic alloy weaves through to expensive force-field based protective gear.

Armor Bonus Min Enhance Check Speed Price Weight
Synthetic Weave +2 - - - 25cr 15lbs
Navy Kevlar +6 - -1 -1 40cr 40lbs
Navy Battlesuit +8 - -2 -1 50cr 45lbs
Field Generator +12 +6 -1 -1 5,000cr 40lbs


 Tech Gear

In addition, those with money to burn can purchase tech gear which can accomplish a bewildering variety of tasks, as well as technological enhancements to their own bodies, from artificial limbs to enhanced eyes.

STEEL FIST (Level 5)
A steel fist can replace a missing hand, increasing your strength and can be activated to increase your damage.  The bounty hunter Giles Sans Pitie is known for his steel fist.
Item Slot: Hands   1,000gp
Property: Gain a +1 item bonus to Athletics checks and Strength ability checks (but not Strength attacks).
Power (Daily): Free Action.  Use this power when you hit with a melee attack.  Add a +5 power bonus to the damage roll.


Software

Another category of gear includes software.   You can access the commercial galactic networks, which include NAVCOM, and the GALACTIC DATABANK; or you can hack into private, governmental, or military systems.   You can purchase software for the Software Price indicated, and may thereafter use it by paying the Access Cost for each use.  Some software requires a skill check - frequently this will be Tech, but some medical software may require Heal, and some software designed for the avid outdoorsman may need Nature.

Software can do all sorts of things - it can be used to communicate, hack electronic locks, access information both public and private, diagnose and treat injuries and illness, scan and locate items, create holographic constructs, ward and protect areas, and much, much more.
GALACTIC TRANSLATOR
You use your personal communicator to purchase a 24-hour user pass on the commercial galactic language databank, which contains files on every language known to the Democracy and algorithms capable of translating even new unknown languages.

Level:  1 Access Cost: 10cr
Category: Exploration Software Price: 50cr
Time: 10 minutes Key Skill: Tech
Duration: 24 hours

When beginning the software, choose a language you have heard or a piece of writing you have seen within the past 24 hours (this will have been automatically logged by your personal communicator).

Using this software on a language you have heard allows you to understand it when spoken for the next 24 hours and, if your Tech check is 35 or higher, to speak the language fluently for the duration.

Using this software on a language you have seen as a piece of writing allows you to read the language for the next 24 hours and, if your Tech check is 35 or higher, to write the language in its native script or in any other script you know for the duration.
TERMINOLOGY OVERLOAD?  
 If you're struggling with some of the terminology here, it helps to remember a simple rule - the SANTIAGO adventure path is just D&D 4E "reskinned" - there's nothing new, it's exactly the same rules you're used to (well, new classes and powers), but with a sci-fi flavor attached. Here's a quick "translation" of the terms on this page:

Tech Items = Magic Items
Tech = Arcana
Energy = Residuum
Injection = Potion
Software = Ritual
Plasma Rod = Sunrod
Personal Communicator = Ritual Book

You'll quickly find that SANTIAGO is just D&D 4E with some sci-fi names in place.  You'll get a grip on it in no time!