Not all Gear focused characters are the same. Some may have unique or signature items they never part with, others use off the rack equipment and tools. Unlike most Powers, Gear can be exchanged, or possibly modified with much more ease.
Swapping from a rifle to a set of pistols between adventures should be relatively painless for a character. Depending on the campaign, or active narrative, this may be more difficult or require a personal scene for the trade out. Whether the troup plays out the scene, or it’s an update at the start of the next session, any changes should fit the narrative of the character and larger campaign.
From Darkness to Ice
Upanga is a legendary swordsman, who has collected a number of magical blades over a lifetime of exploration and adventuring. They are known for their signature shotel Ch’elema Memerīya, the Dark Sheppard which transfers energy from its opponents to the wielder. However, following an adventure that revealed the spirits trapped within the blade, Upanga vowed never to use it again.
Between adventures, she retires Ch’elema Memerīya, placing it in a secured vault until she can release the spirit safely and destroy the blade. After securing the sword, Upanga returns to her arsenal for Najm Aljalid, a long ajenwi, or flyssa made of enchanted ice.
The Walking Arsenal – Leveraging Tools For Other “Gear”
There are some characters that carry far more equipment than is reasonable to purchase with AP or Experience and are able to pull the right weapon out at the moment they need it. Hidden Weapon allows heroes to add a Power Boon or Advancement for Free Once per Session. This can be used to represent swapping to a different weapon or trading out ammo in a crucial moment.
GMs can also allow Hidden Weapon to let heroes ignore a Drawback on Gear for an Action, such as Limited: Not effective at Close Range, forgo Offensive Boons or suffer a -20 Penalty to fire to represent going from a rifle to a large handgun.
Players taking on added complications from swapping weapons can gain an additional use of Hidden Weapon. Complications might include dropping the hero’s primary weapon, running out of ammo, or it jamming / having another malfunction and needing repair. These complications add tension to the story and allow the hero to worry less about the Willpower Cost to continue using the alternate tool.
Swapping Gear During An Adventure
While it may fit some narratives, such as preparing to fight a vampire, GMs should be very careful of when and how often this is done. Rebuilding Gear mid-story, to fit the story can radically slow down the game. In these scenarios it is often better to use the Hidden Weapon option from Tools or consider these swaps a use of the Tricky Willpower Feature. In these instances, GMs may award the heroes a bonus Willpower for planning then apply the costs in media res so that the tool fits the scene. This rewards players for being creative without slowing the game down.
The Walking Arsenal II: Getting Flexible
For character concepts built around a workshop or or having a broad array of very different weapons, the Hidden Weapon Tool option might not cut it. In these instances, players can use a variation on Alter Self, to create an arsenal of weapons at their disposal. Here the hero adds various Gear options, all of them with Alter Self (Flexible Alter Self) MA2, remember it takes an Action to Alter Self, and this can represent changing weapons.
Design Note: Metahumans Rising is designed to be a flexible system that allows heroes to be spontaneous and creative. GMs may want to consider this when bringing these concepts to the table. Players should not be stuck trying to think of every contingency ahead of time as they build their character. Instead, they should feel like they can come up with solutions on the fly. For this reason, it’s important to find a balance for these types of characters.
Bonus Blades
If you would like Upanga’s swords for your next character:
Ch’elema Memerīya, the Dark Sheppard 12
- Parent Attribute: Dexterity (or Expression)
- Primary Role: Offense
Defended By: Quickness MA
Devastating (Boost Devastation, Penetrating) MA3
Drain: Constitution (Siphon) MA2
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Extra Stamina TY
(S) Blooded 3
Cost: 14 + 6 + 18 + 12 + 6 + 3 + 5 = 64 / Gear (8) = MA8
Forged in a red clay heart, this shotel was built with a singular purpose, to fell the Grootslang. The legendary serpent is said to guard a treasure beyond comprehension, taking the lives of any who enter the cave with greed in their heart. The Dark Sheppard was not made for wealth, but to save the son of the blacksmith who had gone missing. Word had returned that the young adventurer had stepped into the Wondrous Pit of the Grootslang before disappearing.
Pouring his essence into the blade, the blacksmith went to face the Grootslang. He expected only death, but it was enough for the chance to save his son. Instead of the giant beast, the blacksmith found only a common aurora snake. The serpent spoke to him, surprised that the man’s heart was pure, and he did not desire wealth. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for his son. The Grootslang had devoured the child for his avarice, but his spirit spoke to him.
The child had told Grootslang that he came for riches so that his father need not work any longer. Noble as his cause may have been, the Grootslang could not allow its treasure to be stolen. The Grootslang then offered the blacksmith a bargain. He would place the spirit of the young man into a vessel and upon his death, the blacksmith would join him. Once the vessel was purified, both spirits would be released.
Agreeing to the bargain, the Grootslang took its true form, its size beyond comprehension, before biting the blade and passing the soul into the blade. The blacksmith swore never to use the blade to keep it pure so that his son could be freed upon his death. What happened following that encounter is lost to myth, but to this day the soul of the blacksmith and his son lay sleeping in the Dark Sheppard.
Najm Aljalid, the Ice Star 12
- Parent Attribute: Dexterity (or Expression)
- Primary Role: Offense
Alternate Source: Ice MA
Lingering MA
Devastating (Boost Devastation, Penetrating) MA3
Trapping MA
Secondary Role: Defense MA
Resist: Cold & Ice TY
Extra Stamina MA
(S) Freezing Conditions 3
Limited: Wielder’s skin turns blue and is cold to the touch. Pick One when selecting the Ice Star: Frightening or Crippling Power Loss in High Heat (44 Celsius or 111 Fahrenheit).
Limited: Wielder gains a Vulnerability to Fire, or takes 2 additional Penetrating Damage if already Vulnerable.
Cost: 14 + 6 + 6 + 18 + 6 + 6 + 3 + 6 + 5 – 3 – 3 = 64 / Gear (8) = MA8
Legends of Najm Aljalid predate the written word. The oldest tale states that a star broke from the heavens and a single tear landed in a lake, instantly freezing it. This was the water supply for a local village, without it, crops began to wither, and locals died of thirst. A woman, whose child was dying and desperately needed water, walked out onto the frozen lake pulling the spike free. As the waters began to melt her body was transformed.
When she returned home, she was unrecognizable by the villagers. Seen as a monster, she fled into the jungle for safety. While she was never able to return, the waters were restored, and her son saved. They never knew what happened to her, but she watched over the village until the end of her days as its guardian and protector.
From these early days, Najm Aljalid has been passed down from protector to protector. The edge was refined by use and care until it took the form of the slender ajenwi; its edge is said to be as potent as a mother’s love for their child.
Note: (S) Freezing Conditions applies whenever the temperature is below freezing, even if the environment is not frozen. Additionally, thost struck by the blade and Trapped, are frozen in ice. This is a Freezing Condition, but will free the target from the Trap.
A Bit Of Chaos To End The Article
After sharing this article with one of our play testers, he had a variation on the Walking Arsenal II we would like to share.
The character possesses a container, a purse or a backpack that is a door to hammer space. At the start of an action scene, they reach into the container rolling a d6. This determines one of six different items floating in the extra dimensional space. They are all built with the same value adding Alter Self (Flexible Alter) MA2 as with the Walking Arsenal II, adding the Limitation: Doesn’t know what’s coming out.
This can add a ton of flavor to a character, and force creativity at the table, especially if options serve wildly different functions like a magic sword and force field generator.
