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Equipment

Sometimes the key to survival in the Local Spur isn't just as simple as having a good pistol at your side and a solid vest on your chest. Sometimes it means having a multi-tool in your pocket, a datapad in your backpack, or a plasma cutter in the cargo hold. The Red Star Chronicles has many ways to solve a problem and many different types of equipment to do it with. Though an individual tool may have many types or aesthetic forms, the basic types have been listed in the categories provided below. Unlike the proficiency requires to make use of weapons or armor, equipment is generally situational; they may provide a benefit to a particular Skill Check, or may require a certain skill to be trained in order to function properly. Any special qualifications for the use of a tool or object will be listed with the items description, but as with anything if there are questions or uncertainties be sure to ask your Runner.

Availability

Equipment may have one or more of the five total Availability Tags; [Licensed], [Restricted], [Military], [Illegal], or [Rare]. These tags determine what steps are necessary to purchase equipment, and how long it may take to acquire it. Equipment with no availability tag listed are easily available and have no restrictions on their purchase. Items with the [Rare] availability tag do not require an additional cost on their registration, but they do cost 5x the Base Cost at a Black Market regardless of any other availability tags, and require 3x as long in order to find one for sale unless there are special circumstances. Consult the table to the right to determine the Registration Fees of any gear you are purchasing, but be aware that only equipment with the [Licensed] or [Restricted] tags are available during Chargen.

Once the campaign has begun, gear can be purchased normally with any Availability Tags so long as all conditions for cost, registration, and time ( including any adjustments from weapon or armor modifications, qualities, accessories, and manufacturer ) can be met. Gear acquired with Lots includes any registration fees and licenses, and it is assumed that the time spent gathering that equipment is done prior to the start of the campaign.

Licencing

Some items are considered to be specialized equipment that require specific training or tracking for approval, and in order for a legitimate merchant to sell an individual the item in question, the purchaser must have a valid license. In order to acquire a license, a filing fee is required. This fee is a fixed percentage based on the Availability Tag as expressed above. Once the fee has been paid, a Knowledge (Bureaucracy) check is made against the listed Difficulty Check with any modifiers that apply to the situation; a disgruntled employee or an attempt to rush processing may require a higher check, while a previously verified user of a similar item requested through the same agent may make getting the approval easier. Taking 10 or 20 cannot be done on these attempts, and after the check is made the results will be provided after the relevant waiting period listed in the Equipment Registration table.

On a success, the license is made available at the registration office where the request was made. Once collected, the appropriate item can be purchased from a merchant willing and able to sell the desired goods if their price and conditions are met. On a failure, the request is registered, but the license is not provided. You may attempt to request another license as often as you like so long as you have the time and funds to do so. Whether the request is approved or denied, a record of the request is made and filed with the appropriate agencies. More controlled goods require far more thorough background checks, and this can leave a far more thorough paper trail for others to follow.

It is no secret that government officials may be "bent" occasionally. If you are unsure about the success of the legitimate channels, Persuasion can be used in place of Knowledge (Bureaucracy) in order to attempt a bribe, though this many have severe consequences on a failure. Because of the inherent risk of the bribe, expect the license to cost double. If the heat is a bit too hot, and you wish to lie about your identity in order to acquire the license, or perhaps falsify the documents by stealing someone else's identity, you can use Deception instead, but may create problems down the line. Regardless, if either Persuasion or Deception are used and the check fails by 5 or more, local authorities will get involved.

Other Means

Some sellers may be willing to sell goods without an appropriate license, but often this can mean an increased cost, dangerous favors, or just far more questions from authorities. Individual sellers rarely have the governmental oversight to require licensing checks, but they also set their own terms and prices. For the more adventurous, illicit, or simply brazen, just about anything you may seek can be bought or sold on the Black Market, but finding an appropriate marketplace for the desired goods takes time and resources. To locate a black market in the area, make a Gather Information check against a DC equal to the Skill Check column of the Equipment Registration table, though this may be adjusted with modifiers determined by your Runner, such as a well known prevalence of illicit trade in the area providing a +5 Circumstantial Bonus to the attempt. If the check is successful, you find a merchant who has access to the goods or services you are after, and for a price based on how difficult the item is for them to acquire, will make the item available to you in a number of days listed in the Time Required column.

If you fail the Gather Information check, you spend 1d8 hours searching but with no results, and may try again the next day. If you fail by 5 or more, someone has noticed your actions and may come to question you about your illicit activities.