Ancient Technology in Gamma World

[Rolzup]

Just wanted to get some thoughts on something....

I'm gearing up to run Gamma World in another month or so. Rules and background are a synthesis of Omega, Gamma, and Darwin's Worlds.

Early on, I want to let the PCs stumble across a bit of Ancient technology. Nothing too significant, but enough to give them an idea of how damned impressive Ancient science was.

So. A helmet, one part of a military hardsuit. Rest of the suit, nowhere to be seen. Very light, but very tough; made of an unfamiliar material. It's a rather shabby olive green color normally, but if someone should happen to put it on the color will shift to match (as closely as possible) that of the area.

Somehow the thing still has power, as whoever puts the helmet on will quickly discover. It amplifies ambient light, telescopically focuses in on whatever the wearer is looking at, and enhances any unusual sounds. It may have other capabilities, as well, but it will take someone with more of a technical background to figure them out.

Game effects:
+1 AC -- Not much, but it is just a helmet.
+2 to Hide skill -- yes, only the head is camoflaged...but not being able to see the wearers eyes or teeth is actually pretty useful.
Low Light Vision, 60 ft.
+10 to Spot checks.
+10 to Listen checks.

Too much? The characters are starting out at 4th level or so, but I don't think that this is excessively overpowered.

And while I'm at it, any idea for cool/interesting Ancient artifacts? Non weapons especially.

Rolzup

 

[DMauricio]

Just wanted to get some thoughts on something....
...

Game effects:
+1 AC -- Not much, but it is just a helmet.
+2 to Hide skill -- yes, only the head is camoflaged...but not being able to see the wearers eyes or teeth is actually pretty useful.
Low Light Vision, 60 ft.
+10 to Spot checks.
+10 to Listen checks.

Too much? The characters are starting out at 4th level or so, but I don't think that this is excessively overpowered.

I think you'll find that a +1 AC boost is quite high...
Think about making it give the wearer the effects of the dodge feat instead (ie the bonus only works for one opponent - usually the one in front of the wearer)
also let the helm keep lowlight vision (unimpeded - ie not just 60' but just leave as normal low-light vision)

drop the spot and listen checks to +5 each (possibly even down to +2)

Honestly, I like the idea, but I wouldn't want it to provide too much of an edge to the PCs. (if you think of it in DnD terms, the helm is the equivalent of a small shield + eyes of the eagle + a huge boost to listen + it gives a hide bonus)

As to other ideas? I look into the DMG towards the miscellaneous magical items and make a futuristic equivalent.

Take a hoverboard/jet-shoes concept. With game mechanics similar to boots of striding and springing, but with a caveat that it does require a power-source. (well until the PCs can rig it to work indefinitely)

Another idea would be something like a portable hole or bag of holding. Where the bag uses some type of technology (think Tron) to shrink objects placed in it as opposed to magically whisking it to a different dimension.

Or how about an extendable pole (think rod of lordly might - minus the weapons) which starts off as a walking stick, and can transform (due to nanotechnology or something) into a ladder, or into a 50 coil of inch thick cable and grapple.

Mind you I tend to get very sketchy on the pseudo scientific stuff behind the objects... I just tend to label things as of "a fantastic technology (which the PCs cannot fathom)"

HTH


D

 

[Wraith Form]

Not to sidetrack this post, but I just thought about the helmet from a different's person's perspective....some joker behind the helmet-wearing NPC who doesn't know the full story....

Your PC is going to look like a headless, animate corpse walking around if only the helmet has a chameleon/cloaking/camo effect..! (Thus only the PC's head will seem to "disappear"!) Funny!

Arrgh, too little sleep....

 

[Biohazard]

Just wanted to get some thoughts on something....


Game effects:
+1 AC -- Not much, but it is just a helmet.
+2 to Hide skill -- yes, only the head is camoflaged...but not being able to see the wearers eyes or teeth is actually pretty useful.
Low Light Vision, 60 ft.
+10 to Spot checks.
+10 to Listen checks.

Too much? The characters are starting out at 4th level or so, but I don't think that this is excessively overpowered.

And while I'm at it, any idea for cool/interesting Ancient artifacts? Non weapons especially.

Rolzup

The helmet is very cool. I'm going to plagarize it for my upcoming campaign in the new year. My only suggestion would be to tone down the Spot and Listen checks...and I'm not convinced a helmet alone justifies *any* increase to Armor Class (although the technical term is "Defense"--remember, we're in d20 Modern here, boys. )

 

[Rolzup]

The helmet is very cool. I'm going to plagarize it for my upcoming campaign in the new year. My only suggestion would be to tone down the Spot and Listen checks...and I'm not convinced a helmet alone justifies *any* increase to Armor Class (although the technical term is "Defense"--remember, we're in d20 Modern here, boys. )

That's the thing: doesn't cover much area, but the whole *point* of wearing a helmet is to provide a bit of protection. I think that D&D just assumes that it's already part of whatever armor the character is already wearing.

Frankly, the helmet is going to be head and shoulders (hah!) above anything else available to the PCs in terms of quality. Some kind of defensive bonus seems to be called for.

The Spot and Listen are indeed high, but I was taking my cue from the Omega World mutations chart. Toning them down does seem to be in order...I should take a look through d20 Modern, see what kind of bonuses (if any) binoculars and a parabolic mike would give.

Rolzup