Equipment: Progress Level 7 Equipment

The Gravity Age sees many of the most revolutionary changes to technology, particularly to technology used on the battlefield. Plasma weapons are finally made small enough to become practical for battlefield use, while the first powered armors begin to take shape. The advent of gravity-related technology brings some new forms of construction as well, incorporating new gravity-based technologies in practical ways.

As this Progress Level opens, the invention of two key technologies herald humanity’s climb to the stars. The gravity induction reactor systematically replaces fusion power as an even more efficient source of energy that can be miniaturized with great ease. With the use of the mass reactor, world powers explore, divide, and colonize the entirety of the local star system. For the most part, life on the home planet is unchanged.

The second advance of the era brings perhaps the greatest upheaval in the history of human civilization. The introduction and integration of gravity induction technology leads to the creation of the induction engine, which allows starships to bridge the gap between the stars. Political and economic reorganization occurs as the species spreads far from home.

Projectile firearms are in their last days, as crude energy weapons become available. Powered armor is available to warriors of this age. Personal (melee) weapons enjoy a resurgence, due in large part to a shift in military tactics—armed conflict between individuals seldom occurs on an army scale, but more frequently involves engagements of small units in conditions when ranged weapons are not necessarily effective.

Computer technology links every society, settlement, and outpost of a star system in a single information net, creating an unparalleled and expedient exchange of knowledge and data for business, entertainment, and research.


[h=5]GRAVITY AGE WEAPONS[/h] The following weapons are available at PL 7 and later.

[bar]Table: Progress Level 7 Ranged Weapons[/bar]

Concussion Rifle: A concussion rifle fires an artificial gravity pulse at the target with enough force to hurl it through the air (along a path away from the shooter). The discharged gravity pulse is mostly transparent, but bends light around itself, creating a ripple effect along its path. The pulse deals 2d10 points of concussion damage with a successful hit. In addition, the target is thrown back 5 feet for every 5 points of damage dealt by the weapon. The target must also succeed in a Fortitude save (DC = damage dealt) or be knocked prone. If the thrown target strikes a wall or other solid surface, it takes damage as though it had fallen from a height equal to the number of feet it was thrown back.
Gravity Snare: The gravity snare resembles a laser rifle but with two metal prongs where the muzzle should be. When fired, the prongs generate a strip of luminescent white energy that leaps from the end of the rifle toward the target. When the strip of energy strikes a target, the energy bolt bends and creates a ring of gravity around the target.
A creature hit by the gravity ring must succeed in a Reflex save (DC 13) to avoid its effects. On a failed save, the target is entangled and unable to move for 1d6 rounds, until the gravity ring dissipates. An entangled creature can escape the gravity ring with a successful Escape Artist check (DC 40) or break free with a successful Strength check (DC 30).
Plasma Weapons: Plasma occurs when gases become electrically charged after losing electrons. Plasma weapons condense this electrically charged gas into a destructive force that can eat through solid objects and cause severe damage. Like laser weapons, plasma weapons come in many varieties. Most plasma weapons generate their destructive ammunition by superheating gasses held inside specialized power packs and then compressing those gasses into a focused plasma round.
Plasma weapons do not use ammunition, but are instead powered by power packs.
Rail Gun: The Gravity Age rail gun uses gravity pulses, not magnets, to propel a projectile at high velocities. Metal shards are accelerated along the rail gun’s length, leaving the barrel at an extremely high velocity.

[bar]Table: Progress Level 7 Melee Weapons[/bar]

Concussion Rod: Modeled after the medieval mace, this weapon has a miniature artificial gravity generator embedded in its alloy head, which increases in mass at the instant of impact. The rod deals 2d8 points of damage with each successful hit; half of the damage is bludgeoning damage; half is concussive damage.

[bar]Table: Progress Level 7 Ammunition Types[/bar]

Ammunition, Deflecting: Deflecting ammunition creates a gravity deflection field that causes the bullets to bounce off walls. When used properly, deflecting ammunition can be bounced around any barrier, around corners, underneath vehicles, and so forth for maximum penetration potential.
Any character using deflecting ammunition immediately gains the benefit of the Skip Shot feat.
Ammunition, Plasma-Coated: Consisting of an armor-piercing round enveloped in superheated plasma, this type of ammunition reduces the Defense bonus provided by armor by 2, to a minimum of +1. Half of the damage it deals is fire damage, and half of the damage is ballistic damage.
Ammunition, Seeker: Each round of seeker ammunition contains a microscopic computer and gravity-bending generators. When seeking ammunition leaves the chamber, it immediately detects the distance to its current target. If that target moves, the gravity generators nudge the bullet into a new trajectory to intercept its target at its new location. Seeking ammunition grants a +1 bonus on all ranged attacks.

[bar]Table: Progress Level 7 Explosives And Splash Weapons[/bar]

Grenade, Dissolver: This grenade releases a cloud of gas that dissolves organic matter, dealing 2d6 points of acid damage per round to all living creatures and organic materials in a 5-foot-radius burst. Suspended in an artificial gravity well, the cloud persists until the gravity well collapses after 1 minute. The gravity well prevents even strong winds from dispersing the acid cloud.
Grenade, Gravitic: When this grenade detonates, it releases incredible gravitational forces. All creatures within a 10-foot-radius burst are crushed for 6d6 points of bludgeoning damage. A successful Reflex save (DC 15) halves the damage.
Grenade, Stun: A stun grenade deals no damage, but any creature within its 15-foot burst radius that fails a Reflex save (DC 18) must immediately make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. A creature that succeeds on the Reflex save is not required to make a Fortitude save and is unaffected by the grenade. A stun grenade has no effect on robots and other creatures immune to stunning effects.
[h=5]GRAVITY AGE WEAPON GADGETS[/h] The following gadgets are found in the Gravity Age and can apply to weapons of that era or later, provided all gadget-specific restrictions are observed.
[h=6]SOUND SUPPRESSOR[/h] Similar to the technology that produced the silent suit, the sound suppressor gadget is the Gravity Age replacement for the silencers of the modern era. Since energy weapons cannot make use of the traditional silencers found on most ballistic weapons, the sound suppressor takes over this function with almost all Gravity Age weapons.
The sound suppressor generates a field of sonic energy that cancels sound produced within field, reducing weapon firing noise to a mere whine of sonic energy discharge. The sound suppressor adds +10 to the DC of Listen checks made to hear the weapon firing.
Restrictions: Ranged weapons only.
Purchase DC Modifier: +3
[h=5]GRAVITY AGE ARMOR[/h] The following armors are available at PL 7 and later.

[bar]Table: Progress Level 7 Armor[/bar]

Medium Combat Armor: Designed for heavy warfare and dangerous situations, medium combat armor covers the user almost head to toe in armor plating. Medium combat armor comes with a helmet that fits snugly on the head and does not interfere with the soldier’s field of vision.
Silent Suit: The silent suit uses cutting-edge sonic dampening technology to increase the stealth of the user. Silent suits look like form-fitting bodysuits with padding on the shoulders, elbows, and knees. Sonic dampening field generators are built into the suit, reducing to a minimum the noise made by movement. A character wearing a silent suit gains a +10 equipment bonus on all Move Silently checks.
Space Combat Armor: Space combat armor is the first true powered armor to reach common use. Space combat armor consists of heavy body armor with an environmental seal and built-in communications gear. Additionally, space combat armor boasts a jetpack specifically designed to function in space, allowing the user to maneuver in zero-g conditions. Space combat armor can be difficult and unwieldy, but makes even individual soldiers a threat in ship-to-ship combat.
[h=5]GRAVITY AGE ARMOR GADGETS[/h] The following gadgets are found in the Gravity Age and can apply to armors of that era or later, provided all gadget-specific restrictions are observed.
[h=6]CHAMELEONIC SURFACE[/h] 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 DC Modifier: +6
[h=5]GRAVITY AGE EQUIPMENT[/h] The following equipment is available at PL 7 and later.

[bar]Table: Progress Level 7 Equipment[/bar]
[h=5]GRAVITY AGE EQUIPMENT GADGETS[/h] The following gadgets are found in the Gravity Age and can apply to equipment of that era or later, provided all gadget-specific restrictions are observed.
[h=6]HUD SOFTWARE, AMMUNITION TRACKER[/h] A piece of software for the heads-up display device, the Ammunition Tracker is able to keep track of exactly how many shots have been expended from a particular weapon. Additionally, when a character starts to get low on ammunition, a warning flashes on the HUD indicating that a reload must occur soon.
Restrictions: Heads-up display only, requires a weapon with an integrated computer.
Purchase DC Modifier: +1
[h=6]SOUND SUPPRESSOR[/h] Similar to the technology that produced the silent suit, the sound suppressor gadget silences almost any noise. It generates a field of sonic energy that cancels sound produced within field, reducing all noise to a mere whine of sonic energy discharge. The sound suppressor adds +10 to the DC of Listen checks made to hear the weapon firing.
Restrictions: None.
Purchase DC Modifier: +3