Industrial-Era Gadgets

Detonator Watch

Pocket Slick

Pressing twice on the watch face releases the back plate, revealing two long strands (each about 16 feet) of ultra-thin wire and two blasting caps. There is a small amount of plastic explosive within the watchband, enough to open an air vent grille or normal interior door, but not enough to seriously damage anything which could withstand four or five sledgehammer blows.

Explosive Belt

Jacket Slick

Simultaneously twisting and pulling on the belt buckle will release the catch mechanism, opening the compartment in the buckle. Inside the belt buckle are two blasting caps, and a single-charge "burst" battery to provide power to detonate the caps. The back end of the prong is sharpened to provide a minimal cutting edge. The prong is used to cut open the back of the belt, inside of which are 30 feet of very thin wire and enough plastic explosive to blast open a door. The belt is made to resemble alligator hide or similar material, to help mask its rather thick appearance.

Garrote Watch

Pocket Slick

Pulling on the time setting stem until it clicks allows the wearer to set the time on his watch as he normally would. Pulling the stem beyond this point releases two finger grips which detach from the watch casing. Holding the watch by the reinforced watchband, the wearer pulls on the finger grips to expose a length of strong, thin wire. This wire can be used as a garrote (q.v.), or as a saw wire.

Geiger Counter Watch

Pocket Slick

The sweep hand of the watch gives a reading of the radioactivity, 12 o'clock representing no appreciable radioactivity, 3 o'clock representing the point at which a man would become ill, 6 o'clock indicating the point at which an hour's exposure would result in an 80 percent chance of death and illness would strike almost immediately, and 9 o'clock indicating 15 minutes exposure would result in certain death within 24 hours. Readings above this level simply indicate less time until death. The sweep hand would lock at 11 o'clock should radioactivity ever get that high, which is extraordinarily unlikely. Nuclear materials will have radioactivity which range from 1 o'clock to 7 o'clock, depending on how they are stored. The watch is waterproof

Grappling Cane

Trenchcoat slick

Concealed as a metal headed walking stick is a spring-loaded grappling hook and cable. The cable can be shot to it's full length of 10 meters, and requires heavy gloves or the winding mechanism in the stick to climb on, as it is to thin for bare hands. When using the winding mechanism, the stick is flexed back and forth, pulling the character up the line like a windlass.

Magnetic Watch

Slick, Live and Let Die adventure

Inside this watch is a tiny, powerful electromagnet. It is activated by pressing the setting stem twice. The magnet will attract any iron within 20 feet. Small objects (1/4 pound or less) will fly to the watch; objects between 1/4 pound and 5 pounds will be jerked in the direction of the watch; and objects greater than 5 pounds must be able to move freely (on wheels or on water) to be drawn to the magnet. The watch's power source normally lasts for 5 minutes once activated. The watch can put out one strong magnetic pulse, affecting objects up to 125 feet away; however, this uses up the watch's power source immediately. The face of the watch must be pointed directly at the metal object to work. Also, the watch can be used to deflect one bullet fired at the character, if the watch is activated and one Fortune Point is expended. Using the watch in this way depletes its power source (the special battery that powers the watch cannot be changed in the field).

Marble Grenades

Jacket Slick, Redemption

These tiny grenades, each the size of a marble, are made of an experimental substance which detonate into a miniature explosion when it impacts on a surface with sufficient force. The common method of use is either to scatter them from a higher position onto an enemy below, or to either drop them behind or set them up on a floor where a pursuing enemy will step on them.

A packet of marble grenades is about a hundred, will cover five one-meter squares and can be spread with an action. They need darkness or some concealment, such as grass, to work well.

Marble Grenades are a trap, and uses the normal rules for discovering traps. An Intrusion or Perception roll against a difficulty of your Fix-It or Intrusion will discover it. Specifically looking for traps gives a +3 bonus.

Stepping on any of the marbles will cause a chain reaction, making them all explode. Anyone anywhere in the area when they explode take 15 points of damage, but those just a meter outside it are safe.

Miniaturisation

Industrial, Jacket

A skilled technician can create a miniaturised variant of almost any normal device. Most normal man portable devices (cameras, radios, recorders, projectors, typewriters, telescopes et al) can be miniaturised and hidden in inconspicuous containers. Of course, you must specify what kind of device you have miniaturised.

Phosphorescent Powder

Pocket Slick

This dust looks innocuous but glows distinctively under ultraviolet light. It adheres to whatever it touches. Agents use this substance to trap thieves and trace people. For example, a bureau which suspected one of its employees of purloining files might falsely label some document"secret"and sprinkle it with this powder. Later, counterespionage agents would examine the hands of employees under a black light to see who touched the document. Alternatively, one can arrange for surveillance targets to touch this substance, and then use an ultraviolet light to find out what the suspect has touched. When spread on a section of ground, will adhere to the feet of anyone passing through the area.

Assume that a sprinkling of this powder marks all people who touch the contaminated object or document. These people then leave traces on other objects for 2d6 hours. Placed on shoes or tires, this dust marks a trail for up to 1,000 meters. Tracing dust remains on the skin for 1d6 days under normal conditions. However, thorough scrubbing can remove this powder. GMs who intend to use tracing dust against PCs may wish to establish the party's hygiene habits well enough in advance to avoid arousing suspicion.

Rotary Saw Watch

Pocket Slick, Charges

A discrete pressure point in the watch casing releases the blade and simultaneously activates the miniature electric motor powering the saw. The saw can cut through steel at the rate of half an inch per minute. The power supply will be exhausted in 10 minutes.

Speedline

Trenchcoat

A line-throwing unit for emergencies such as a man overboard, or perhaps throwing a rope over the Berlin Wall. In appearance, the device is a cylinder with a carrying handle and a trigger housing at the top. Removing the front end of the cylinder reveals the rocket to which is tethered 275 meters of specially prepared rope.

The rocket requires a guns roll to determine how close to the target the line comes. It will play out all the line in six shots. It's firing characteristics are 11/4/1, with a -2 penalty to hit.

Truth Drug

Pocket

An injected substance that makes the victim suggestible and easier to question. Whenever the victim's Willpower is used, roll an open d6 and subtract the result, noncumulatively. If Willpower is ever reduced below zero, the victim goes unconscious.