Chapter 5: Tools of the Trade

1. Gear Protocols & Keywords

In FREE/FALL, you don't just carry equipment; you integrate it. Every major asset demands a sacrifice of your physical or mental bandwidth.

The Cost of Power

  • Binding Cost [Attribute X]: The permanent reduction to your Maximum Current Attribute pool while this item is equipped.

Example: A [Binding: Body 2] heavy weapon reduces your Max Body from 10 to 8.

  • Load Bearing [Attribute X]: This gear is designed to carry weight. It provides X points of "free" Binding capacity for other items of that Attribute.

Note: You should use your load-bearing capacity first before reducing your own Attribute pool.

Operational Keywords

Limited Use
Fragile, experimental, or disposable. If any die in your pool shows a 1 during an action using this gear, the item becomes Spent (useless) immediately after the action resolves. It requires an action and available resources to restock or repair. (eg, a weapon needs a spare ammo clip for a reload)

System Host
A platform required to run modular software or sub-systems. You cannot bind Sensor's Hacking Programs or Weapon Mods without a Host. If the host is broken or spent, moving the Program or a Mod to another host requires an action.

Integrated System
This item has another piece of gear built in. You must pay the Binding Cost for both, and if the Host breaks, the Integrated System breaks too.

High Visibility:
Loud, bright, or hot. Using this item guarantees that anyone within Long Range or less will detect you.

Combat & Sensor Keywords

Armor Value (AV X)
Reduces incoming Physical Harm by X.

Damave Value (DV X)
Causes X harm for each hit against the target. If typed

Piercing (X)
On a successful hit, this deals at least X Harm. An equipment's Piercing can exceed its DV.

Sensor
Generates data (thermal, drone feed, radar). Useless without a System Host.

Cover Fire
When suppressing, all characters and NPCs in a conal area suffer +5 TN.

2. The Catalog

2.1 Medical & Survival (Fixer / Generic)

Keeps the meat functioning when the environment tries to kill it.

Patch-Up (Trauma Kit) A brick of clotting foam, adrenaline spikes, and biostaples. Messy, but keeps the blood inside.

  • Role: Emergency Stabilization, Field Surgery.

  • Binding: Mind 2 (Requires intense focus and anatomical calculation).

  • Cost: 2 Credits.

  • Qualities: Human Systems, Limited Use.

Smog Mask Standard issue for the Al Presa lower verticals. Filters out Black Sahara dust and most tear gas.

  • Role: Breathing.

  • Binding: Ghost 1 (Obscures the face; dehumanizing social barrier).

  • Cost: 1 Credit.

  • Qualities: Immunity to Inhaled Toxins.

Mag-Boots Electromagnetic locking greaves. Essential for the Belt.

  • Role: Zero-G movement.

  • Binding: Body 1 (Heavy, clunky movement in gravity).

  • Cost: 1 Credit.

  • Qualities: Anchor to metallic surfaces.

Utility Toolkit Percussive maintenance is a valid engineering strategy.

  • Role: Repairs, Sabotage, Bricolage.

  • Binding: Body 1 (Heavy physical weight).

  • Cost: 1 Credit.

  • Qualities: Engineering, Limited Use.

2.2 Tech & Cyber-Warfare (Wirehead / Spectre)

The invisible battlefield. If you can see it, you can hack it.

Interface Deck A ruggedized forearm processor. Your window into the Mesh and the anchor for your software.

  • Role: Hacking Host, Drone Control.

  • Binding: Ghost 1 (The "Glass Glaze"—you are digitally present, physically absent).

  • Cost: 3 Credits.

  • Qualities: Hacking, Drone Command, System Host, Load Bearing (Mind 5).

Skeleton Key A signal cloner that screams "admin access" at digital locks.

  • Role: Electronic Bypass.

  • Binding: Mind 2 (Rapid-fire decryption puzzles).

  • Cost: 5 Credits.

  • Qualities: Subversion, Limited Use.

Deepfake Projector ("Face-Shift") A collar that projects a flickering, low-res holographic mask.

  • Role: Impersonation.

  • Binding: Ghost 1 (Identity dissonance).

  • Cost: 4 Credits.

  • Qualities: Deception, Limited Use.

Blacknet Shard Physical drive containing illegal market algorithms and turf maps. Possession is a felony.

  • Role: Underworld Knowledge.

  • Binding: Ghost 3 (Paranoia; you are carrying a death sentence).

  • Cost: 2 Credits.

  • Qualities: Streetwise, Acquisition, Limited Use.

2.3 Surveillance & Sensors (Operator / Scout)

Eyes in the dark.

Arthropod Optics A multi-lens headset that cycles thermal, night-vision, and EM bands. Looks distinctly insectoid.

  • Role: Detection.

  • Binding: Ghost 2 (Filtering non-human sensory data is disorienting).

  • Cost: 3 Credits.

  • Qualities: Sensor Interface, Surveillance, Electronic Warfare.

Sensor Swarm A canister of micro-drones that map the room in real-time.

  • Role: Area Awareness.

  • Binding: Ghost 3 (The god-view effect; dissociation from your physical body).

  • Cost: 4 Credits.

  • Qualities: Sensor Source, Overwatch, Combat Mod (+5).

Targeting Matrix Trajectory prediction software linked to your optic nerve.

  • Role: Precision Shooting.

  • Binding: Ghost 1 / Mind 1 (Delegating the decision to kill to an algorithm).

  • Cost: 3 Credits.

  • Qualities: Target Elimination, System Host, Combat Mod (+5).

2.4 Breaching & Heavy Tools (Vanguard / Heavy)

Tools that double as weapons. For when "knocking" isn't an option.

Pneumatic Ram A hydraulic impact driver. Cracks airlock doors and ribcages with equal efficiency.

  • Role: Forced Entry.

  • Binding: Body 2 / Mind 2 (Physical recoil + calculating stress points).

  • Cost: 3 Credits.

  • Qualities: Breaching, High Visibility, Atmospheric.

  • Weapon Profile: Melee (DV 3 Physical), Piercing (3).

Plasma Torch Industrial cutter. Hot enough to melt hull plating; bright enough to blind sensors.

  • Role: Cutting, Welding.

  • Binding: Body 2 (Heavy power pack).

  • Cost: 1 Credit.

  • Qualities: High Visibility, Atmospheric.

  • Weapon Profile: Melee (DV 2 Physical/Thermal).

Demolition Kit Shaped charges, timers, and detonators. "Front Toward Enemy."

  • Role: Structural Destruction.

  • Binding: Ghost 1 (The stress of handling high explosives).

  • Cost: 3 Credits.

  • Qualities: Breaching, Sabotage, Limited Use.

2.5 Combat Gear: Armor

The Shell. You trade speed for survival.

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Item

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AV

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Binding

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Cost

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Notes

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Light Mesh

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1

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Body 1

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2 Cr

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Concealable under street clothes.

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Tac-Armor

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2

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Body 2

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4 Cr

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Standard corp-sec issue. Balanced protection.

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Heavy Assault

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3

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Body 3 / Mind 1

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6 Cr

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Ablative plates. High Vis. Sensor Interface. Includes Melee (DV 2).

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Environmental Suits

  • Standard EVA Suit: [AV 1] [Bind: Body 2] (5 Cr). Life support (4hr). Bulky.

  • Combat EVA Suit: [AV 2] [Bind: Body 3] (8 Cr). Life support (6hr). Load Bearing (Body 5). Hardened against vacuum combat.

2.6 Combat Gear: Weapons

The Kinetic Solution.

Projectile Weapons

  • Light Pistol: [DV 1] [Bind: 0] (1 Cr). Last resort.

  • SMG: [DV 2] [Bind: Body 1] (2 Cr). Cover Fire. Room broom.

  • Assault Rifle: [DV 3] [Bind: Body 2] (4 Cr). Cover Fire. The professional's choice.

  • Shotgun: [DV 3] [Bind: Body 2] (3 Cr). High Vis. Brutal at close range.

  • Micro-Rocket Launcher: [DV 3 Expl] [Bind: Body 1 / Mind 3] (10 Cr). Piercing (3), Unwieldy. Smart-guided carnage.

Energy Weapons

  • Light Lance: [DV 4 Thermal] [Bind: Mind 3] (8 Cr). Piercing (1). Continuous beam.

  • Arc Caster: [DV 2 Elect] [Bind: Mind 3] (8 Cr). Piercing (4). Lightning gun. Fries electronics and nerves.

Close Quarters (Specialist)

  • Ceramic Blade: [DV 2] [Bind: Body 1] (1 Cr). Piercing (2). Invisible to scanners.

  • Kinetic Maul: [DV 4] [Bind: Body 3 / Mind 1] (6 Cr). Unwieldy, High Vis. Explosive impact hammer. Also counts as Breaching tool.

  • Mace Swarm: [DV 2] [Bind: Ghost 3] (5 Cr). A cloud of defensive micro-drones. Also acts as Sensor Source.

3. Exoskeletons (The Iron Skin)

The ultimate prosthetic. You don't wear it; you pilot it.

How to Read Exoskeletons

  • Machine Attributes (FRM/SYS): When piloting, you replace your Body with the machine's Frame (FRM) and your Mind with the machine's Systems (SYS).

  • Pilot Binding: The cost you pay to interface. This reduces your attributes while plugged in.

Utility Rig ("The Mule") Dock worker frame. No armor, just torque.

  • Stats: FRM 3 / SYS 3

  • Pilot Bind: Body 1 (Physical leverage).

  • Cost: 3 Credits.

  • Qualities: Walker Legs, Size (Small).

Void Jumper Thruster pack and roll-cage. Technically a vehicle, barely.

  • Stats: FRM 4 / SYS 4

  • Pilot Bind: Mind 1 (Vector calculation).

  • Cost: 4 Credits.

  • Qualities: EVA Thrusters, AV 0 (AV 2 vs Environment).

Cutter Frame Orbital salvage rig. Clamps, torches, and decent plating.

  • Stats: FRM 8 / SYS 4

  • Pilot Bind: Mind 2 (Limb coordination).

  • Cost: 6 Credits.

  • Qualities: EVA Thrusters, Mag-Legs, Hardpoints (2 Utility), AV 1.

Wraith (Stealth Rig) Active-camo infiltration unit. Hard to see, harder to hit.

  • Stats: FRM 10 / SYS 14

  • Pilot Bind: Ghost 4 (Sensor ghosting and stealth management).

  • Cost: 9 Credits.

  • Qualities: Micro-Servos, Signature Dampening, Hardpoints (4), AV 2.

Hardshell (Boarding Frame) A walking breaching pod. Designed to take hits and kill crews.

  • Stats: FRM 24 / SYS 6

  • Pilot Bind: Ghost 3 (Combat stress management).

  • Cost: 12 Credits.

  • Qualities: Mag-Legs, Hardened, Hardpoints (2 Assault, 1 Support), AV 4.