MTH:Equipment Merits
Contents
EQUIPMENT MERITS[edit]
New equipment which is unique to the character or requires it's own part of the system is appropriate to create a merit for. 'Generic' superhero stuff isn't. For equipment, check the Super Equipment section.
Demolitions (**)[edit]
PREREQUISITES: Effective Strength, or Intelligence 3+
EFFECT: Through force of personality or natural talent, your character seems particularly inclined toward property damage. When the character would roll to see if they damage and object, subtract Power Level from the object's Durability.
Embedded Equipment (* to *****)[edit]
EFFECT: Your character has a genetic or technological implant that replicates the function of a piece of equipment. The base cost for the merit is equal to the Availability rating of the piece of equipment. Brandishing the equipment, such that it can be used, takes an action, which is usually obvious. Adding a dot to the rating removes this limitation.
If the equipment uses up a resource, such as ammunition, then it either has to be loaded after the equipment is brandished, or it can be stored internally with another purchase of this merit.
The embeds created with this merit are standardized. They can be visually detected for what they are unless hidden under heavy clothing. By adding a dot to the level of this merit, the embed cannot be noticed, even if the character is naked, without some form of medical diagnostic or security scan.
Add the Size rating of above (character's size-2), the cost of the merit is increased by 2 dots per every point of difference.
If the piece of equipment cannot be 'put away' or hidden at all, subtract a point for the merits rating.
For a similar merit with a more mystical feel, see Examic Object.
For a scalible offensive weapon that exists as part of the character's body, see Power Strike.
For scalible armor that exists as part of the character's body, see Armor.
Players may use this merit to build a supped-up vehicle or pet. The system is identical, the player need only identify that this merit is applied to the vehicle or pet.
Enhanced Item (* to *****)[edit]
PREREQUISITES: Varies. The ST will most likely veto certain forms of equipment, and will want a background story for most. Players should avoid simplistic enhanced item rationals, like 'It's just a really good gun'. Signature gear should have a tale to tell. Based on the rational provided the ST may require a certain amount of a given merit (such as resources or status).
EFFECT: Magically or technologically improved objects are not uncommon in the world of MTH. Any object can be enhanced to increase there equipment bonus by one per dot, or improve their durability by two per dot. Likewise, penalties to a normal item can be removed on a two-per dot ratio as well.
Equipment Theme (** to ****)[edit]
PREREQUISITES: An equal level of Resources or the Gadgetry Foresight merit. Characters may pool their Resources to achieve this minimum if they share a theme.
EFFECT: The character has a substantiated theme running through their gear, and this theme either reinforces their resolve such that it actually manifests in better performance, or the character just knows how to make/choose/use quality stuff. Most likely they have a Code Name and powers related to the theme, and will almost always have their costume patterned toward their theme (armor ratings are not enhanced by this merit, but other special traits of a costume might be, at ST discretion).
Effectively, the equipment has an enhanced equipment bonus when used for its intended purpose by the character with this merit. This bonus is equal to the rating in this merit minus one. The equipment must have the character’s ‘signature look’. A signature look might include painting the equipment in the colors of the character’s costume and placing their personal insignia on it (batarang, bat-shield, bat-underwear, ect), or almost any other set of descriptors the player can devise (with ST approval). Themed equipment must be prepared as such. This means themes cannot be applied to items found in the field unless they are substantially reworked.
Individuals may share a theme.
Fetish Object (*)[edit]
EFFECT: Often a religious icon, weapon, heirloom, or all three, a fetish object is of great importance to its bearer or protector. So great is its importance that the character possessing this merit adds two to their effective Resolve when bearing the object or protecting it. The object may also be an Exanimaic Object, if the player pays for them as such.
Gadgetry Foresight (* to *****)[edit]
Effect: The character uses this merit when they notice they just happened to have or are able to quickly craft an obscure item that would be useful in the given situation on their person, or, alternatively, if they are in their home or somewhere they frequent, the item is hidden nearby. It was, despite all likelihood, hidden well enough to be missed in any searches and uneffected by events. Some situations may take some rationalization.
The activation roll is Gadgeteer's Foresight + Power Level. If the item is reasonably likely to be possessed by the character and on hand, one success is all that is necessary to confirm it's presence. If the object is rare, expensive, unusual or if circumstances otherwise make it unlikely to be on hand, the Storyteller can apply a penalty to the roll.
This merit cannot produce unique and specific items, such as the specific key needed for a specific door. The item also cannot require any new game mechanics to function, so it must be relatively simple, conceptually. Likewise the item cannot be larger than the level of this merit in Size. Lastly the item cannot be a weapon or armor, and thus cannot be used to cause damage directly.
Dice bonuses granted for Stylish Execution count as double when using this power if the character comes up with a particularly creative way of acquiring the item in question. Items produced with this power break, are consumed, or otherwise become unusable after Power Level turns, at most.
Possible (Cumulative) Penalty Guidelines
A tool used only for a specific job, but which probably exists (lock picks). -1
A tool only makes sense in the loose physics of comic books (Bat Shark Repellent). -2
The area/character has already been searched. -1
If doesn't seem like there is enough room for the item. -1
The item requires exotic materials (Gold, Argon). -2
The item requires established fictional materials (Kryptonite, Adamantium). -2
Unlimited Resources (*****)[edit]
PREREQUISITES: Resources 5
EFFECT: The character has access to vast wealth: at least $1,000,000 a month in disposable income and millions, billions, or even trillions of dollars in assets. The character might be the beneficiary of a huge trust fund, the heir to a massive hereditary fortune, the owner of a multinational corporation, or some combination of these. For this character, it's not a question of whether or not she can afford any given item, it's a question of how soon she can get it.
Generally, it isn't necessary to quantify exactly how much the character is worth unless the player or Storyteller desires to; in game terms, the character is able to temporarily increase their Resources merit by spending Verve, on a one to one basis. This increase applies to only one purchase. Exactly what is available to be bought is, as always, in the hands of the ST. As a guideline, the ST may require the player to have other merits to help justify where the character found someone who could sell the item at all.
Purchases made with this merit are assumed to be temporary by default. Either the item is rented or must be returned, requires maintenance the character can't manage, or is just fated to end up being detonated. Story elements will remove it from the character's hands one way or another. If the character wishes to hold on to the item, the player must pay the applicable exp costs.
Note, however, that being richer than God does not equate to being God; even a character with this level of wealth can be held accountable for her actions, and a character who uses her fortune to cause trouble (and even those who don't) will almost certainly attract the attention of other powerful characters. Furthermore, the Storyteller should reserve the right to restrict the character's use of Unlimited Resources, or even remove the Merit altogether, if the character foolishly squanders her fortune, or even if it would just derail the narrative.
Note that Verve is not recovered between games, and that this forms a limit to how much this merit can be used in-between sessions.
God Machine Chronicle rules update: If using the rules update, this merit is replaced by the Ascendent Acquisition merit. This merit is identical to the Unlimited resources merit, except that it boosts the character's effective Acquisition rating, and has the following prerequisites: A total of 7 in any combination of Allies, Backing, Status, Resources, Larceny, Politics, Computer, or Power Level. Note that if you acquire an item temporarily (you didn't pay exp for it) and that item is destroyed or lost in the course of play, the ST may rule that you are Leveraged by the owner of the item.
Walking Armory (* to *****)[edit]
PREREQUISITES: None
EFFECT: Usually a character is limited in what gear they can carry by the common sense limitations for physical space. With dots in this merit, the character has learned to alter their gear and/or create hyper-efficient ways of carrying it on their person, so as to circumvent these limitations.
At one dot, no form of ammunition or fuel the character carries ever seems to run out without a specific reason. The player simply never needs to keep track of how may bullets, throwing knives, packets of web-fluid or etc the character has used. The ST may make exceptions to this for rare or particularly hard to carry objects. Likewise, this merit doesn't do anything to stop an enemy from taking action to steal or sabotage the character's supplies.
At two or more dots the player divides the amount of space the character has used up by their number of dots in this merit. Essentially, when judging how much a character can carry, use each dot in this merit beyond the first as if it was an additional person. With three dots, for instance, STs should look at the character's gear and ask themselves, 'Could three people carry this?' If the answer is yes, a character with three levels in this merit can carry it.
This merit doesn't represent the physical means of carrying so much as a knack for figuring out how to pack a personal armory. If the character's gear is permanently stolen, they only lose the benefit of this merit until they can re-stock. Likewise, the thief only benefits from the theft until they empty out the cache.
While there is no precisely defined limit to how much a character can carry in terms of gear, the ST can use the rating in this merit to help act as a guideline.
