by Anders Blixt
BIOCHEMICAL
Anti-fatigue
drug
Anti-fatigue drug takes away feelings of fatigue and sleepiness.
A person taking this drug can stay awake and work hard without feeling tired
and without suffering the usual ill effects of exhaustion and lack of sleep.
The effect of the drug lasts two hours per reliability point. Extra pills
has no further effect. When the duration has passed, the user quickly falls
asleep for ten hours. Prolonged daily use of the drug will gradually halve
its beneficial effects and dependency may develop.
Weight: 10 doses per ounce. Price: 2 pds per
pill.
Research data: Chemistry, Biology, 17,
2.
Cellulose
digester
Cellulose digester is a liquid which gives the human intestines
the ability to utilize the cellulose found in plant fibers. If a human drinks
half a pint of the drug just before a meal, he can efficiently digest grass
and leaves just like an herbivore. The advantage is that you do not need
to bring any food while traveling in Earth's wilderness. Instead, you can
survive on what plants nature provides. However, the fare is bland and boring.
Caution is also necessary, since there are many poisonous plants and the
drug does not protect against their effects.
Weight: 1 lb per pint. Price: 1 pd per
pint.
Research data: Chemistry, Biology, 20,
3.
Dream
drug
Dream drug produces very vivid dreams and may unleash ideas
hidden in the user's subconscious. The drug is most likely to be used by
authors and artists seeking inspiration. Sometimes it can also be used by
a scientist who is looking for a solution to a complicated problem and who
hopes that this is hidden deep inside their minds. When taking a pill the
user loses consciousness for about one hour, during which he dreams intensely.
Add the character's Intellect and the drug's reliability to see how many
dice should be rolled towards the difficulty level of the problem. If successful,
the character will get some kind of flash of inspiration from his dreams.
If all the dice are 1's, the user wakes screaming due to terrible nightmares;
for the next 24 hours all his difficulty levels will become one step harder,
since he is so upset by this experience. Prolonged daily use of the drug
will cause delusions and hallucinations.
Weight: 10 doses per ounce. Price: 2 pds per
pill.
Research data: Chemistry, Biology, 20,
2.
ELECTRICITY
Stun-ray
Pistol
This gun fires a bluish energy bolt that stuns living creatures
(up to gashant or horse size) and disrupts the operation of electrical devices.
The discharge is accompanied by a loud cracking sound and the odor of ozone.
The pistols effective range is a number of yards equal to its reliability.
A person or creature hit by the ray is stunned for (6 + gun reliability -
target endurance) rounds. An electrical device hit by the ray is rendered
inoperable and must be repaired by a skilled technician before functioning
properly again.
Weapon data: Shots 1, Magazine 10, Required strength
2. The magazine is reloaded by connecting the pistol to an electrical power
source for one minute per "shot".
Weight: 10 lbs. Price: 30 pds.
Research data: Physics, Electricity, 20,
2.
Ultrasonic
Scanner
This device emits ultrasonic signals and measures the time
it takes for their echoes to return to produce an outline of the surroundings
on a screen (basically utilizing the same method as bats). It is very useful
where visibility is limited, such as underground, underwater, and in fog.
However, the quality of the screen's picture is far below that of the eye,
since it only shows the outlines of observed objects and they are often hard
to identify properly. The observation range is rel x 100 yards. The device
does not function in vacuum. Humans, Martians and Lizardmen do not hear the
ultrasonics, but many animals, for instance dogs and bats, perceive the sounds
as unpleasant noise.
Weight: 40 lbs. Price: 50 pds.
Research data: Physics, Electricity, 23,
4.
PRECISION
MACHINERY
Rocket
Tube
This weapon is a six foot long tube with 4-inch caliber. It
is a recoilless single-shot breechloader, which fires solid-fuel rockets
with explosive warheads. Its effective range is rel x 30 yards. The kneeling
marksman puts the tube on his shoulder when firing. The loader kneels behind
him, feeding ammunition into the tube. The rocket warhead is either shrapnel
or shell. When firing, a searing flame extends momentarily about 15 feet
behind the weapon; the loader must beware.
Weapon data: Shots 1, Reload 1, Required strength 3,
Burst 2.
Weight: tube 15 lbs, rocket 10 lbs. Price: tube
20 pds, rocket 5 pds.
Research data: Structural Engineer, Machinist, 7,
0.
Copyright © 1996 Anders Blixt
Space: 1889 is Frank Chadwick's registered trademark for his game
of Victorian Era space-faring |