Modern Armor
Light armor typically manifests as T-shirts, shorts, and even swimsuits - clothing that covers and conceals very little, but which protects vital organs while retaining full mobility. Medium armor usually involves layering on a jacket and wearing real pants. Only the heaviest armor is obvious as protective gear. This level of protection involves ceramic plating, synthweave undergarments, and occasionally fully sealed environmental systems.
Tech-powered armor (or just "power armor") can come in any of these three varieties, distinguished from common armor by its interwoven nanomaterials, inlaid circuitry, and micro-field generators. Most power armor stores up energy from its wearer's movements, recharging as the wearer walks and fights, but a few require implanted batteries or an AI assistant to help with coordinating the armor's functions.
Shields are very uncommon outside of the corporate police forces. While modern shields are generally quite light - ranging from clear polymers to heavier but more protective carbon nanotubes - they are still somewhat awkward to wield. Mercenaries with extensive training in military-grade armor and weapons often learn to use shields, but many would prefer to fight with two-handed weapons.
Classes with no armor proficiency tend to wear very little, as their internal augmentations combined with the constant tropical weather keep their body temperature high. Wearing more than the bare minimum in such conditions is a surefire way to invite heatstroke. It's also an opportunity for more socially-active characters (especially Streamers) to show off their fashion sense.
Donning and Doffing Armor: Putting on light armor takes only a round, and putting on the second layer for medium armor takes another round; taking off either takes only one round. Putting on heavy armor takes one minute, and taking it off requires 5 rounds. Picking up or dropping a shield takes an action.
Modern Armor Table
Armor Cost Armor Class (AC) Strength Stealth Weight
Light Armor
Nanofilm $$500 11 + Dex modifier - Disadvantage -
Synthweave $$1000 11 + Dex modifier - - 1 lb.
Micromesh $$4500 12 + Dex modifier - - 1 lb.
Medium Armor
Leather $$1000 12 + Dex modifier (max. 2) - - 1 lb.
Plastinium $$5000 13 + Dex modifier (max. 2) - - 2 lb.
Nanoprene $$5000 14 + Dex modifier (max. 2) - Disadvantage 4 lb.
Newtonium $$40,000 14 + Dex modifier (max. 2) - - 3 lb.
Composite $$75,000 15 + Dex modifier (max. 2) - Disadvantage 4 lb.
Heavy Armor
Polycarbon $$3000 14 - Disadvantage 4 lb.
Ceramiron $$7500 16 Str 13 Disadvantage 5 lb.
Fullerene $$20,000 17 Str 15 Disadvantage 6 lb.
Polysteel $$150,000 18 Str 15 Disadvantage 6 lb.
Shields
Light shield $$1000 +1 - - 1 lb.
Heavy shield $$5000 +2 Str 13 Disadvantage 2 lb.
Weapon Proficiency
Your upbringing, class, and feats can grant you proficiency with certain weapons or categories of weapons. The two categories are civilian and military. Most people can use civilian weapons with proficiency. These weapons include knives, clubs, revolvers, and other weapons found in the hands of the common citizen (or common criminal). Military weapons - including swords, axes, and automatic weapons - require more specialized training to use effectively.
Proficiency with a weapon allows you to add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll for any attack you make with the weapon. If you make an attack roll using a weapon with which you lack proficiency, you do not add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll.
Weapon Properties
Most weapons have special properties related to their use, as shown on the Weapons table.
Ammunition. Most modern ranged weapons use a clip, magazine, or similar container to hold their ammunition. It is assumed that characters are constantly reloading during fights, and that this takes virtually no time unless otherwise noted. Characters only stop shooting when they completely run out of ammo on their person. If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, treat it as an improvised weapon.
Burst fire. When you fire this weapon, you can choose to attack a single target as usual or to fill a 10-foot cube within normal range with bullets. This uses up 10 bullets. Each creature in the area must succeed at a Dexterity saving throw or take the weapon's normal damage. The DC is 8 + your Dexterity modifier + your proficiency bonus (if you're proficient with the weapon).
Finesse. When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.
Heavy. Small sized creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons, as their bulk make them too large for a Small creature to use effectively.
Light. A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal to use in a character's off-hand when fighting with two weapons.
Loading. Because of the time required to cock or load this weapon, you can fire only once from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make. This is most common for revolvers and bolt-action rifles.
Range. A weapon that can be used to make a ranged attack has a range in parentheses after the ammunition or thrown property. The range lists two numbers. The first is the weapon's normal range in feet, and the second indicates the weapon's long range. When attacking a target beyond normal range, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. You can't attack a target beyond the weapon's long range.
Reach. This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for opportunity attacks with it.
Silent. This ranged weapon does not make noise when it is fired. Using this weapon while hidden does not necessarily reveal your location, requiring any foes in the scene to make Wisdom (Perception) checks to find you.
Special. A weapon with the special property has unusual rules governing its use, explained in the weapon's description.
Thrown. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon is a melee weapon, you use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would use for a melee attack with the weapon. For example, if you throw a hatchet, you use your Strength, but if you throw a knife, you can use either your Strength or your Dexterity, since the knife has the finesse property.
Two-Handed. This weapon requires two hands when you attack with it.
Versatile. This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property-the damage when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Modern Weapons Table
Weapon Cost Damage Weight Properties
Civilian Melee Weapons
Baseball bat $$20 1d6 bludgeoning 4 lb. Versatile (1d8)
Baton $$10 1d4 bludgeoning 2 lb. Light
Hatchet $$500 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Light, thrown (range 20/60)
Knife $$200 1d4 piercing 1 lb. Finesse, light, thrown (range 20/60)
Quarterstaff $$200 1d8 bludgeoning 4 lb. Two-handed
Spear $$100 1d6 piercing 3 lb. Thrown (range 20/60), versatile (1d8)
Civilian Ranged Weapons
Hunting rifle $$2500 1d8 piercing 18 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), loading, two-handed
Light pistol $$2500 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 30/120), light
Revolver $$2500 1d8 piercing 3 lb. Ammunition (range 30/120), loading
Slingshot $$10 1d4 bludgeoning 1 lb. Ammunition (range 30/120), silent
Military Melee Weapons
Axe $$3000 1d12 slashing 7 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Buster sword $$5000 2d6 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Dueling sword $$2500 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Finesse
Long sword $$1500 1d8 slashing 3 lb. Versatile (1d10)
Katana $$1500 1d8 slashing 3 lb. Versatile (1d10)
Machete $$1000 1d6 slashing 2 lb. Finesse, light
Maul $$1000 2d6 bludgeoning 10 lb. Heavy, two-handed
Mining pick $$500 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Versatile (1d10)
Polearm $$2000 1d10 slashing 6 lb. Heavy, reach, two-handed
Sledgehammer $$1500 1d8 bludgeoning 2 lb. Versatile (1d10)
Whip $$200 1d4 slashing 3 lb. Finesse, reach
Military Ranged Weapons
Automatic rifle $$10,000 1d8 piercing 9 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320), burst fire, heavy, two handed
Combat rifle $$7500 1d8 piercing 9 lb. Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, two-handed
Heavy pistol $$5000 1d8 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 80/320),
Hunting bow $$5000 1d8 piercing 18 lb. Ammunition (range 150/600), heavy, loading, silent, two-handed
Shotgun $$7500 1d10 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 30/120), heavy, two-handed
Submachine gun $$5000 1d6 piercing 2 lb. Ammunition (range 30/120), burst fire
Weapon Descriptions
Automatic rifle. Also known as a machine gun. Highly illegal to own. More illegal to use. Not noticeably more effective than guns that shoot one bullet at a time. Fucking impressive, though.
Axe. This is a big damn axe - like a fireman's axe, but serious.
Baseball bat. Popular with street gangs and sports enthusiasts alike. Typically made of aluminum.
Baton. A favorite of cops and leg-breakers alike since time immemorial. Batons are the modern version of a club or truncheon.
Buster sword. This massive two-handed sword would probably be too big to use effectively if it weren't made of modern hyper-alloys.
Combat rifle. A semi-automatic rifle with an extended magazine. Barely legal to own with the right licenses, but typically modified well past that point.
Dueling sword. A light, thin sword perfect for erotically tipping up your opponent's chin during a fight.
Hatchet. A small axe useful for fighting up close or throwing. Favored by the more ruthless sort of street criminal.
Heavy pistol. A large-caliber semi-automatic handgun. Anyone who uses this is probably overcompensating for something.
Hunting bow. A low-tech ranged weapon, still used by some wasteland warriors and small game hunters.
Hunting rifle. A small-caliber bolt-action rifle typically used for hunting vermin.
Knife. Guns for show, knives for a pro.
Light pistol. A small-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Old-school analog technology - just point and click.
Long sword. Whether it's a knight's sword, a katana, or anything else, the long sword is a favorite middle ground for military-trained melee combatants looking for a balance between power, weight, and versatility.
Katana. The quintessential sword for cyberpunk dystopias, though so much time has passed that no one quite knows why they're so prolific. Pretty cool though.
Machete. Somewhere between a long knife and a short sword lives the machete. Useful for chopping away brush or cutting off arms.
Maul. An ungodly big hammer. No, bigger than that.
Mining pick. Not just a weapon but a symbol of rebellion against corporate authority. Mining picks harken back to the days of unionized labor, when people had the ability to negotiate for slightly better pay-to-hazard ratios.
Polearm. Yeah, there's like a million of these things. They all have different names but they're basically identical. Glaive, halberd, guisarme - whatever, man.
Quarterstaff. A metal or composite pole just long enough to do a striptease with. When you attack with a quarterstaff, you can make an additional attack with it as a bonus action as though wielding a light weapon in your off-hand.
Revolver. A medium-caliber handgun that stores bullets in a rotating cylinder. Slow to fire, but reliable and with more stopping power than a semi-auto.
Shotgun. A firearm that shoots shells filled with metal pellets.
Sledgehammer. A big hammer made for taking out drywall or bashing in skulls.
Slingshot. Cheap and easy to make out of junk.
Spear. Several thousand years ago, some bright lad had the idea to put a knife on the end of a pole. No one has significantly improved on the design since.
Submachine gun. Sometimes called an "oozy" for reasons lost to history. Like a pistol but it can shoot a bunch of bullets at once.
Whip. Why is this a military weapon? Don't worry about it.
Ammunition
Item Cost Weight
Arrows (20) $$100 1 lb.
Bullets, pistol (20) $$100 1 lb.
Bullets, rifle (20) $$150 1 lb.
Bullets, shotgun (20) $$150 1 lb.
Pellets, slingshot (20) $$5 1/2 lb.
Combination Weapons
DMs are allowed to create and offer combination weapons; weapons that combine the traits and features of a ranged and melee weapon for the price of the two individual weapons combined. This allows players to avoid weapon switching or gives them multiple options for weapon loadout. The Heavy and Two-Handed traits override Light and Versatile traits, therefore a longsword+shotgun combo weapon would be considered heavy and two-handed.