Item Tags

Item tags at a glance:

This list covers the terms used for the basic properties and special traits of weapons, items, armor, and protective gear.

Besides appearing on items, these terms also appear in other resources.

Example: a character attacks without a weapon, but their natural weapon attacks have the [Magical] trait.

Example: a character wears no armor, but their body has the [Bulletproof] trait.

In such cases, the descriptions on this page still apply.

[High Speed X]: also called a High Speed advantage. A target hit by an attack with this trait takes a penalty equal to this trait's value to its Base Defense + Dodge Defense + Parry Defense, down to 0 at most. But [High Speed] can't break through the Shield Defense within Parry Defense. The order is Parry Defense, then Dodge Defense, then Base Defense. For an area attack with [High Speed], the Reflex roll also takes a penalty equal to the value. In general, most crossbows have [High Speed 2], firearms [High Speed 5], Gauss weapons [High Speed 6], and ranged energy weapons [High Speed 8].

If one attack has several [High Speed]s: if one says it increases High Speed by X, it stacks; if it says it gains X High Speed, it doesn't stack.

[Armor Piercing X]: a weapon with Armor Piercing reduces the target's armor bonus, Shield Defense bonus, and Natural Armor by that amount when it attacks, but doesn't break other types of bonus from armor, such as a deflection bonus or force bonus to defense. In general, the order is Shield Defense, armor bonus, then Natural Armor.

In general, if an attack's Armor Piercing exceeds the total of the target's Shield Defense, Armor Defense, and Natural Armor, the excess is wasted.

If Armor Piercing reduces the defense of any armor, shield, or body to 0, that armor's, shield's, or body's [Bulletproof], [Energyproof], [Sealed], and "super protection" traits don't work against that attack.

When area damage has Armor Piercing, if the target's Reflex save includes Natural Armor, Armor Defense, or Shield Defense, you can break through those defenses as normal.

Also, when a weapon with Armor Piercing attacks items, buildings, or similar targets, it lowers their Hardness by its Armor Piercing.

Also, when a weapon with Armor Piercing attacks something that isn't an item or building (usually a creature), if the Armor Piercing completely breaks the target's Natural Armor and some is left over, it lowers the target's Hardness by what is left.

If one attack has several [Armor Piercing]s: if one says it increases Armor Piercing by X, it stacks; if it says it gains X Armor Piercing, it doesn't stack.

Special: Armor Piercing on an attack that deals force damage can break force bonuses to defense.

[Spell Piercing X]: just as Armor Piercing reduces physical armor, Spell Piercing ignores a number of points of defense from supernatural effects, including but not limited to the armor bonus from Inert Armor, the cover bonus from Protective Mire, and the circumstance bonus from Saltpeter Shield. Spell Piercing can't reduce the Armor Defense and Shield Defense from physical armor and shields, whatever the Essence of that armor or shield, but it can break spell armor and spell shields built by magic. Nor can it reduce Natural Armor, the Base Defense, Dodge Defense, Parry Defense, and Insight Defense a character gets from their own actions, or cover defense and circumstance defense from Natural Essence cover or environments.

When area damage has Spell Piercing, if the target's Reflex save includes defense from supernatural effects, you can break through those defenses as normal.

If one attack has several [Spell Piercing]s: if one says it increases Spell Piercing by X, it stacks; if it says it gains X Spell Piercing, it doesn't stack.

Note: if the target has several effects that [Spell Piercing] can affect, the attacker decides the order.

Note: if both Armor Piercing and Spell Piercing can apply to the same protective effect, they stack. But if Armor Piercing or Spell Piercing can apply to several places, including the same protective effect, the attacker decides how to split them.

[Light Throwing Weapon]: this weapon is suited to throwing, and gains a 1 DP equipment bonus on throwing attacks.

[Heavy Throwing Weapon]: when throwing it, roll with Strength as the key Attribute.

[Concealed Weapon]: a concealed weapon is always a light throwing weapon, and when you attack with one, the target must make a PER + Investigation roll at DC 1. If it fails, the target counts as flat-footed; this is an Unranked flat-footed effect.

[Flexible Weapon]: when you grapple or trip with a weapon with this trait, you can roll Blade instead of Brawl. It can entangle items, and the weapon's reach is double the reach worked out from its Size.

[Fist Weapon]: these are usually gauntlets, or weapons worn over natural weapons. Attacks with one use a Brawl roll, not a Blade roll, and its effects stack with those of natural weapons; if an effect repeats, use the higher, and if effects conflict, the natural weapon wins. Fist weapons don't count as Blade weapons, so Skills, Feats, and Techniques that need Blade can't be used with them.

When a fist weapon receives any modification or enchantment that raises weapon damage, it ignores the weapon damage increase.

[Polearm]: when attacking with this weapon, its reach is double the reach worked out from its Size.

[Explosive]: explosives usually burst when they go off, scattering their contents everywhere and affecting creatures in the area.

Unless stated otherwise, all explosives of the Technological Essence, such as grenades, C4, missiles, and bazookas, gain High Speed 5.

[EMP Field]: a single-target EMP field only affects its target; one with an area affects every target in the area.

An EMP field affects all items of the Technological Essence.

Armor and shields lose all their traits, keeping only their basic properties and special traits.

Weapons and mechanical vehicles are disabled at once and can't be used.

Items categorized as "device", "system", or "plug-in" lose all their traits.

An EMP field only works on items up to one Rank above its own. (For example, an Unranked EMP field works on items up to D-Rank. An EMP field with no stated level counts as its purchase level or creature level.)

[Defense A/B]: means a piece of protective gear has different defenses against melee and ranged attacks. Against melee attacks, use the value before the slash, A; against ranged attacks, use the value after the slash, B.

[Armor Penalty X]: Armor Penalty represents how armor hinders and limits a character's movements. It applies to Base Defense and base speed (for abilities that double base speed and the like, this penalty applies before the doubling). It also applies to some Physical rolls.

In any case, Armor Penalty can't reduce your Base Defense below 0 or make your base speed negative.

[Bulletproof]: attacks from ballistic firearms deal damage one grade lower to it (bashing at least). If a target with this trait has no matching Armor Defense, Shield Defense, or Natural Armor (for example, a bulletproof body but no Natural Armor), any attacker with just 1 Armor Piercing can punch through [Bulletproof].

[Energyproof]: energy weapon attacks can't convert damage to aggravated damage against it. If a target with this trait has no matching Armor Defense, Shield Defense, or Natural Armor (for example, an energyproof body but no Natural Armor), any attacker with just 1 Armor Piercing can punch through [Energyproof].

[Sealed X]: armor with this trait fully encloses the wearer, protecting them from area attack damage. When the wearer takes any area damage, they negate points equal to this trait's value. Also, any area damage lower than the armor bonus plus the Sealed value is reduced one grade, as if affected by "Bulletproof" or "Energyproof".

If a creature itself has this trait, its skin's outer layer encloses it completely, and the armor bonus above becomes Natural Armor instead.

[Hazard-Proof]: proof against high pressure, space, and extreme temperatures. Armor with this trait fully encloses the wearer. The wearer is immune to damage from water pressure and the effects of altitude, immune to the effects of vacuum and radiation, and immune to the effects of temperature changes.

[Spell Resistance X]: armor with this trait fully protects the wearer against the impact of spells. When the wearer is hit by any spell effect (including but not limited to Taoist arts and magic), the spellcasting roll's successes drop by successes equal to the Spell Resistance.

[Penetrating]: after successfully damaging a target, you can immediately make another attack roll against a target in line behind it. This attack roll's attack DP is reduced by DP equal to the damage dealt by the previous attack. Keep going until there are no suitable targets or a roll deals no remaining damage. If the weapon also has the [Tracking] trait, that trait only applies to the first target.

[Super Penetrating]: like [Penetrating], but attacks with it ignore obstacles along its path with Hardness lower than its Armor Piercing, and deal normal damage to them. It also doesn't take the usual [Penetrating] penalty when attacking targets. But if there is an object or character along the path with Hardness above its Armor Piercing, from that object on, it works like an ordinary [Penetrating] attack. It also ignores cover bonus equal to its Armor Piercing.

[Energy Weapon]: ranged energy weapons have [High Speed 8]. When attacking with one, up to half its weapon damage can be converted to aggravated damage. Unless stated otherwise, energy weapons deal pure energy damage.

[Magical]: attacks with this trait get through the matching damage reduction, and can harm spirit and incorporeal creatures to some degree. When a weapon with this trait attacks a spirit or incorporeal creature, roll a d10; on a 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10, it harms the incorporeal or spirit creature normally. Items and equipment with this trait can be used in Films where technology doesn't work.

[Ghost Touch]: items with this trait can directly affect and harm spirit and incorporeal creatures, and their final damage is doubled.

[Holy]: also called [Light]. Damage from such weapons against creatures of darkness has up to the weapon's damage raised one grade.

[Unholy]: also called [Dark]. Damage from such weapons against creatures of light has up to the weapon's damage raised one grade.

[Stun]: because of the huge impact, if this damage exceeds the target's Size or Stamina (whichever is higher), the target gains stun points equal to the weapon damage; Fortitude save, non-stacking.

[Knockback]: these weapons hit hard enough to knock opponents flying. For each point of damage beyond the higher of the target's Size and Stamina, the target is knocked back one meter, in a direction the attacker chooses. The target must pass a Reflex roll with a difficulty equal to the knockback distance (in meters), or fall prone.

[Overpower X]: just as Armor Piercing reduces physical armor, Overpower ignores a number of points of defense from parrying, including but not limited to Parry Defense, Shield Defense, the force bonus from Aurora Shield, and the feat bonus from Dragon-Slaying Knight. Overpower can't reduce Armor Defense or Natural Armor, a character's own Base Defense, Dodge Defense, or Insight Defense that doesn't come from parrying, or cover defense and circumstance defense from Natural Essence cover or environments.

When area damage has Overpower, if the target's Reflex save includes bonuses from parrying or shields, you can reduce those bonuses as normal.

If Overpower reduces all defense from parrying to 0, other effects of the parry don't work against that attack either, as if there had been no parry.

If one attack has several [Overpower X]s: if one says it increases Overpower by X, it stacks; if it says it gains X Overpower, it doesn't stack.

When Overpower has no value, its value defaults to half the weapon's Size (rounded down).

Note: if Overpower and Armor Piercing or Spell Piercing can all apply to the same protective effect, they stack. But if Armor Piercing / Spell Piercing and Overpower can apply to several places, including the same protective effect, the attacker decides how to split them.

[Returning]: weapons with this trait automatically return to the user's hand at the end of a ranged throwing attack.

[Parry X]: when parrying with this weapon, the character gains a shield bonus of X, added together with the parry bonus to the defense from parrying. A character can only benefit from one weapon with the Parry trait.

When Parry has no value, its value defaults to the weapon's Size.

[Explosive Ammo]: if a target attacked by any weapon with this trait has Armor Defense + Natural Armor (after Armor Piercing) lower than the weapon's damage, damage equal to half the weapon's Size is converted to aggravated.

[Bombardment]: bombarding means making an area attack on a target area, and every target in the area makes a Reflex save. The area's diameter is the artillery's Size, and the area damage is the weapon damage. You make a normal artillery attack roll with no weapon damage, subtracting all the target's defenses except Base, Dodge, Insight, and Parry Defense, and your Armor Piercing works as normal against the target's Armor Defense, Natural Armor, and Shield Defense. The target makes a Reflex save, each success saving against 1 damage; the save takes a penalty equal to your successes, and the High Speed penalty as well.

Since bombardment subtracts part of each target's defense, make a separate roll against each target.

[Mount]: if such a weapon is set up on its mount on a stable surface with a full-round action, its Strength requirement is halved.

[Guided]: such weapons can use a full-round action to "lock on to a target". You make a ranged touch attack roll (without weapon damage) opposed by the target's Reflex or evasion (for a vehicle) roll. For each point you win by, the next time you attack the "locked target" with this weapon, you can convert 1 DP into 1 extra success, up to the weapon's damage. Guided weapons usually can only fire after locking on, and get no benefit from aiming.

[Homing]: like [Guided], but it doesn't take an action to lock on; it locks on automatically after firing.

[Tracking]: tracking must build on guidance. If such a weapon misses this round, it keeps attacking the target next round with a cumulative 5 DP penalty, until the target leaves its maximum range or it runs out of dice.

[Short Burst]: you can fire a short burst with this weapon, usually 3 rounds at once. This gives your attack a 1 DP perfect bonus.

[Long Burst]: you can fire a long burst with this weapon, usually 5 rounds at once. This gives your attack a 2 DP perfect bonus, and as you attack the target, it automatically attacks one target adjacent to it as well. For each extra target you attack, you take a 1 DP untyped penalty; within one attack, a target isn't affected by this more than once. Some Techniques or Skills can give you [Long Burst]; in that case, ignore this entry's action requirement.

[Full Auto]: you can fire full auto with this weapon, usually 10 rounds at once. This gives your attack a 3 DP perfect bonus, and as you attack the target, it automatically attacks all targets adjacent to it as well, up to the number of rounds fired. For each extra target you attack, you take a 1 DP untyped penalty; within one attack, a target isn't affected by this more than once. Some Techniques or Skills can give you [Full Auto]; in that case, ignore this entry's action requirement.

[Suppressive Fire]: a weapon with this trait can, as a standard action, sweep a line of half its base range or a cone of a quarter of its range with no penalty. This counts as an area attack, usually uses twice the ammo of full auto, and deals damage equal to the weapon damage. You make a normal Firearms attack roll with no weapon damage, subtracting all the target's defenses except Base, Dodge, Insight, and Parry Defense, and your Armor Piercing works as normal against the target's Armor Defense, Natural Armor, and Shield Defense. The target makes a Reflex save, each success saving against 1 damage; the save takes a penalty equal to your successes, and the High Speed penalty as well. You can deliberately avoid some targets in the area; each target you avoid costs your Firearms attack roll 1 success. If your Strength is below the weapon's requirement, you take a matching damage penalty when using suppressive fire.

You can choose to spend double the ammo again to keep the suppressive fire going until the start of your next round. If you do, any creature or other obstacle that enters the area during that time also takes damage.

Since suppressive fire subtracts part of each target's defense, make a separate roll against each target.

Suppressive fire targets everything in the scene within range that isn't in total cover. If a target is in total cover, the suppressive fire can attack the cover, and if it breaks through and destroys the cover, it damages the target behind it as normal.

Special: some Techniques or Skills can give you [Suppressive Fire]; in that case, ignore this entry's action requirement.

[Unlimited Ammo]: weapons with this trait are usually projectile ranged weapons. Their ammo or energy use counts as unlimited, needing no matching bullets or power source.

If such a weapon fires physical ammo, it can't use special ammo or have its bullets modified.

The bullets or energy of such a weapon can't be removed by any means. Only when it attacks normally does exactly the right amount of ammo or energy load automatically and fire at once.

When a weapon with unlimited ammo fires, each attack fires at most the weapon's original ammo capacity (if any).

[Material]: this isn't the trait's actual name. A weapon with this trait is made of a certain material, gains that material's effects, and gets through the matching damage reduction. In general, one weapon can only have one material type. For example, [Adamantine] or [Mithril].

[Two-Handed]: weapons with this trait are called two-handed weapons; those without are one-handed weapons. These weapons are usually big and heavy. When wielding a two-handed weapon in one hand, its Strength requirement rises by half the weapon's Size. When wielding a one-handed weapon in two hands, its minimum Strength requirement counts as 1 lower than it really is.

[Heavy]: this weapon is heavier than it looks. Its Strength requirement rises by half the weapon's Size.

[Soulbound]: a soulbound item forms a close bond of fate with the first person who can wield it perfectly, and no one else can use it after that. The item is bound to its master's soul; if the master returns to the Overseer's Space without it nearby, it returns too. If the item is lost after its master dies, it automatically appears in the master's hand if they are revived. The item's master always knows where it is and how far away; this is a mind-affecting effect and can't be blocked by any means.

[Spray]: a weapon with this trait can make a spray attack as a standard action. This is an area attack whose area depends on the weapon's traits below. You make a Firearms attack roll and use the successes as this attack's area damage, gaining the High Speed, Armor Piercing, and Spell Piercing this Firearms attack would normally have. Every target in the area makes a Reflex save, each success saving against 1 damage.

Unless stated otherwise, every firearm with this keyword has a base range equal to its maximum range.