Inventory (IB)

Starfox's Blades in the Dark hack

Equipment in Icarus Burning is not listed in advance; instead you select a level of Load and then decide what you are carrying when you need it within the limits of your Load.

Load

You have access to all of the Items on your character sheet and all the standard items below. For each operation, decide what your character’s load will be. During the operation, you may say that your character has an item on hand by checking the box for the item you want to use — up to a number of items equal to your chosen load. Why did you bring this? It was all the part of the plan your characters (not the players) made before the Engagement Roll.

Load is measured in ☐. Some items count as two items for load (they have two connected boxes) or even more. Items in italics don’t count toward your load at all, and are often noted ■.

Your load also determines your movement speed and conspicuousness:

1-2 load: Light. You’re faster, less conspicuous; you blend in.

3/4 load: Normal. You look ready for work — or trouble.

5/6/7 load: Heavy. You’re slower. You look like you are ready for heavy work — or war.

8/9/10 load: Encumbered. You’re overburdened and can’t do anything except walk.

In an emergency you can shed load, but this means dropping precious gear you planned to use.

Some special abilities (like the Lancer's Mule ability) increase the load limits. You still don’t need to select specific items before an Operation.

Fabrication and Load Most tools and gear are 3D-printed as needed. Marking Load during an Operation assumes the item is printed or assembled on site — you don’t need to carry a printer unless cut off from your ship or habitat.

Items

Item Tags

These are Tags Items can have.

• Active. Emits fields or effects that can be detected at a long distance; for a sensor, it can be detected beyond the range of the sensor itself. This may be continuous or only when in active use.
• Artifact is an item that only exists in a few copies and more can only be made with extreme effort or not at all. Many artifacts are plot items and under the GM's protection, be warned.
• Cargo. Too large to be carried by a person, must be transported by a vehicle unless it can move under its own power. It cannot be made in a standard 3D-printer.
• Common. This is commonly available and need not be invented or sought out, +2d to Acquire Asset.
• Conspicuous. This item doesn't go unnoticed. Take 1 Heat if is a Conspicuous item is used on an operation.
• Consumable. This creation has one use.
• Military. Reserved for military use in most polities, licensed only special conditions and to sanctioned groups. Take 4 Heat if a military item is seen on an operation — this does not stack with the Heat of Conspicuous and Regulated. With a license (or where it is legal) this is merely Conspicuous.
• Playbook. This item is only useable by those who have it on their playbook's inventory, it involves secrets only some people understand. These are only listed in playbooks that have access to them, not in the inventory lists.
• Regulated. This item is illegal for civilians in many jurisdictions. Take 2 Heat if a Regulated item is seen on an operation — this does not stack with the Heat of Conspicuous. With a license (or where it is legal) this is merely Conspicuous.
• Unreliable. When you use the item, always make a Quality roll to see how well it performs.
• Volatile. The item produces a dangerous or troublesome side-effect for the user. Make a Quality check to avoid consequences.

Weapon Tags

These are the same as Item Tags above, but a separate list for tags only applicable to weapons.

• Holdout. Small and easily concealed. Short range; −1d when attacking outside of your reach.
• Longarm. Long range; +1d when fired two-handed with space to aim; −1d when opponents are close.
• Padded. Ineffective against construction and armor; double any Harm reduction from armor.
• Piercing. Ignores personal armor; designed to penetrate hard materials.
• Stun. Non-lethal. Any Harm inflicted downgrades one level after a few minutes.

Quality

This is a rating for how well-made and expensive the item is and what Tier you need to be to have access. Items have a minimum Quality, and is not available at Tiers lower than this unless you spend Downtime Actions. Sometimes an Item might be available at a lower Quality rating, but such under-quality Items are Unreliable and Volatile. All items are available at any Quality from the minimum and up. If you are higher Tier, your items will have higher Quality. When the function of an item is critical and in question, you roll Quality as if it was an Action, with Consequences causing problems with the item.

Domains of Artifice

Every device belongs to one of three Domains, each reflecting a range of human action and intent. This framework defines the focus and scope of technological mastery.

The three Domains are Imperio, the reach, associated with Insight; Limes, the body, associated with Prowess; and Forum, the spirit, associated with Resolve.

Imperio

Dominium per distantiam — mastery over distance.

Technologies that project perception, power, or control across distance. Weapons, sensors, ships, and analytical systems belong to this Domain. Associated with: Insight, range, precision, coordination, and exploration.

Weapons

Personal weapons are all powerful enough to incapacitate or kill on a good hit; what differs is ease of use and penetration.

Slugthrower

1 Slugthrower

Chemical-propellant guns. Padded. Sensitive to spin, add Holdout in spin habitats.

☐ Pistol with extendable stock.

■ Concealable. Adds Holdout at all times.

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm

Lightning Gun

3 Lightning Gun

Energy weapons firing charged particles. Great for disabling electronics and stunning both the living and machinery, easily deflected by armor or surge protection. Popular police weapon. Active, Padded, Stun.

☐ Pistol with extendable stock.

■ Concealable. Adds Holdout

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm.

Arc Lance

2 Arc Lance

A plasma jet that slices through hardened materials. This is not a melee weapon, but is good in melee and has very short range. Active, Holdout, Regulated, Piercing.

☐☐ Handle and power backpack.

☐ Handle only. Adds Consumable.

Beamer

2 Beamer

Lasers are the most common weapon for civilian use where it is legal. Regulated.

☐ Pistol with extendable stock.

■ Concealable. Adds Holdout

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm

Photonic Lance

6 Photonic Lance.

A newly developed military-grade laser weapon firing short high-energy pulses to defeat modern personal armor. Military, Piercing.

☐ Pistol with extendable stock.

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm

Rocket Gun

4 Rocket Gun

Fires tiny target-seeking rockets, changing from shot to shot. Regulated. Can fire various ammunition: HEAP adds Military, Piercing. Gel adds Padded. Dart adds Stun.

☐ Pistol with extendable stock.

■ Concealable. Adds Holdout

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm

Sensors

Sensors are used to gather information both before and during an Operation.

Specialist Belt Sensor

3 ☐ Specialist Belt Sensor

Portable single-domain sensor tuned for a specific detection principle — visual, thermal, laser, radio, magnetic, radiation, sonic or chemical/biological. Functions as the compact, field-deployable version of its Science and Ship counterparts. Each sensor subtype is its own Item — visual, thermal, laser, radio, magnetic, radiation, sonic or chemical/biological — chosen when you pay the Load. Passive in standard operation; becomes Active if the chosen subtype employs radar, sonar, or magnetic field projection. Favored by engineers, scouts, and surveyors who know what they are looking for.

Multispectral Belt Sensor

4 ☐ Multispectral Belt Sensor

Integrated sensor suite combining the functions of several Wrist-scale systems — chemical, radiation, radio, magnetic, sonic, and visual. Cross-correlates data in real time to identify concealed structures, life signs, or active devices with greater precision than any single sensor. Can operate each mode independently or run full synthesis for composite imaging and anomaly detection. Active only when its radar, sonar, or magnetic field projection systems are engaged. Broad coverage but less depth; used by explorers and security teams for first assessment of a situation.

Specialist Sensor Probe Pack

5 ☐☐ Specialist Sensor Probe Pack

Sensor terminal and deployable sensor array of micro-probes, each equipped with miniature transmitters and receivers. Each Pack is configured for a single sensor subtype — radio, sonic, magnetic, visual, radiation, or chemical — chosen when you pay the Load. When deployed the probes form a local sensor net capable of three-dimensional mapping, long-baseline triangulation, and continuous monitoring over a wide area. Combines Pack-scale range with networked precision; ideal for reconnaissance, covert surveillance, and mining surveys. A deployed net can operate for extended periods; probes self-destruct when tempered with, on a timer, or on command.

Hacking Wrist Tool

3 ■ Hacking Wrist Tool

Wearable interface module and decrypt assistant. A compact Neme-like device stripped of private personal data and tuned for field exploitation. Functions as a Neme but under false identities. Provides secure credential storage, opportunistic packet sniffing, and a crypto-processor for running small exploits when connected to a local terminal or data stream. Useful for quick field checks, credential replay, and planting prepared malware.

Hacking Belt Tool

2 ☐ Hacking Belt Tool

Portable breach rig with injector hardware, shielded tap cables, protocol spoofers, and a library of prebuilt exploits. Includes a deployable inline tap for wired lines, low-power packet injectors for local radio links, and a small compute bank for staged payloads. Best suited to terminal or line access; useful for surreptitious insertion and on-site compromise. Can communicate wirelessly in Active mode.

Hacking Pack Tool

1 ☐☐ Hacking Pack Tool

Full mobile operations module for complex infiltration campaigns. Contains high-capacity compute racks, cold-storage exploit vaults, multi-band transceivers, hardened stealth relays, and receivers/broadcasters for laser and microwave traffic. Provided with wiretap probes to deploy; supports staged worm deployment, offline analysis, and long-running persistence. Active when transmitting.

Drones

Drones are remote-controlled vehicles with a fallback expert system to automate simple tasks. Each has onboard communications and sensors comparable to a Neme and links to the operator’s Neme for control. When operating on their own use Quality rolls to determine if they respond correctly, which is often to call for assistance.

Drones are Regulated in urban areas and near habitation because of privacy and safety concerns. A drone can carry a weapon like any other tool, but this makes it Military.

Manufacture: A drone is 3D-printed immediately before use, with a design optimized for its intended use, making drones an efficient tool and sensor platform. For the next job, the old drone is recycled and a new one printed to updated mission specifications. Patterns circulate freely, but fine calibration is what separates a toy from a tool.

Drones are as disposable as they are essential. Most spacers print them as easily as they refill a water cartridge — tailored for the next survey, salvage, or skirmish. Their parts rarely survive more than a mission, but their code does: each print learns a little from the last.

Rocket Drone

3 Rocket Drone

Rocket drones use reaction mass for VTOL and thrust. Excellent in Micro gravity; in Lunar gravity their endurance is limited by propellant. Typical endurance: ~15 minutes of hover in Lunar gravity or ~2 hours of continuous maneuvering in microgravity.

☐ Hand Rocket Drone — handheld, small frame. Can integrate a Load ☐ Sensor or an ■ item; carries one tiny manipulator.

☐☐ Pack Rocket Drone — backpack frame. Can mount a Load ☐☐ Sensor or any Load ☐ item; carries two light waldos capable of tool use.

Copter Drone

1 Copter Drone

Copter drones rely on aerodynamic lift (rotors or ducted fans). Best used in dense atmospheres and inside habitats. They provide very precise stationkeeping and safe low-speed handling. Performance collapses on thin-air worlds (such as Mars) unless specially scaled; they work well on Earth, Venus, and most hab atmospheres. Flight time is typically up to a day.

☐ Hand Copter Drone — handheld, small frame. Can integrate a Load ☐ Sensor or an ■ item; carries one tiny manipulator. Excellent maneuverability indoors. On Mars, this model cannot carry anything except itself.

☐☐ Pack Copter Drone — backpack frame. Can mount a Load ☐☐ Sensor or any Load ☐ item; carries two light waldos capable of tool use. On Mars, this only has the Load capacity of a Hand Copter Drone.

Fixed-Wing Drone

1 Fixed-Wing Drone

Fixed-wing drones use aerodynamic lift to stay aloft, trading hovering ability for range and endurance. They serve as long-distance scouts, couriers, and relays on atmospheric worlds and in large habitats. They require assisted launch and cannot hover or hold position but can cover hundreds of kilometers with minimal energy use. Ideal for survey, mapping, and atmospheric sampling on Earth, Venus, or within large open habitats. Some models can be recovered by net or midair snatch. Flight time may reach a week or more at subsonic speeds.

☐ Hand Fixed-Wing Drone — compact airframe with foldable wings. Launched by hand or small rail. Can integrate any Load ☐ item but lacks tool arms.

☐☐ Pack Fixed-Wing Drone — backpack frame with launcher or fold-out wings. Can mount any Load ☐☐ item but lacks tool arms.

Ground Drone

2 Ground Drone

Ground drones include wheeled, tracked, and walker designs. They offer the best endurance and payload-to-mass ratio; terrain dictates capability. They operate well in Lunar gravity and on roads in Terran gravity.

☐ Hand Ground Drone — handheld, small frame. Can mount a Load ☐☐ Sensor or any Load ☐ item; carries two light waldos capable of tool use.

☐☐ Pack Ground Drone — backpack frame. Can mount any Load ☐☐ item; carries two heavy waldos capable of heavy lifting.

Limes

Vigilantia corporis — vigilance of the self.

Tools that defend, sustain, and empower the body and its immediate surroundings. Suits, armor, exoskeletons, propulsion systems, and tools of labor or repair. Associated with: Prowess, endurance, adaptation, and craft.

Tools

Devices for maintenance, repair, and brute-force problem solving — fixing what breaks, forcing what jams, and powering what fails. Each tool kit covers its field and the integrated parts it shares with others; choosing one that matches the core of a problem is usually enough.

Hand Tool Kit

1 ☐ Hand Tool Kit

A compact multitool case for quick repairs and field maintenance. Includes microdrivers, sealant syringes, fusion tape, and diagnostic nanowires. Choose a specialization paying Load: Mechanical, Electrical, Structural, Security, or Life Support (chemical/biological/recycling).

Designed for tight spaces and short-duration jobs. Suitable for Rig tasks requiring precision but limited reach or power. Can diagnose but not manipulate large-scale damage.

Pack Tool Kit

1 ☐☐ Pack Tool Kit

A suitcase-sized kit for full maintenance and repair work. Contains powered tools, replacement components, weld patchers, and diagnostic sensors for Neme linking. Choose a specialization when paying the Load: Mechanical, Electrical, Security, Structural, or Life Support (chemical/biological/recycling). Includes fold-out waldos or a small manipulator harness for use in Micro gravity. Enables complex Rig tasks such as engine repair, hull patching, or system rebuilds without external support.

Power Battery

2 ☐ Power Battery

A high-capacity portable power cell with universal couplers. Used to jump-start disabled equipment or energize derelict systems for short periods. Commonly used during salvage, boarding, or emergency repair operations. Provides steady current for about one hour at field-tool levels or a few minutes for heavy systems. Risks surge or meltdown in unstable circuits; Active, Unreliable, Volatile when used on unknown hardware.

Power Jack

1 ☐☐ Power Jack

Hydraulic and electromagnetic jack for forcing open sealed hatches, jammed bulkheads, or collapsed panels. Combines telescoping mechanical arms with plasma-edge cutters for embedded fixtures. Can clear or open massive obstructions that could not be moved manually. Active, Unreliable.

Breaching Kit

2 ☐ Breaching Kit

A compact toolkit of charges and cutting gear for forced entry, salvage cutting, and controlled demolition. Regulated. Intended for trained riggers; possession without appropriate clearance or permit is a crime in most habitats and ports.

Protection Devices

Emergency systems that shield, patch, or stabilize the immediate environment. They are what you grab when the suit tears, the hull cracks, or something starts leaking that shouldn’t. Most are single-use and messy, but they keep you alive long enough for proper repairs.

Seal-Mat

1 ☐ Seal-Mat (Emergency Hull Patch)

A compact emergency patch stored as a thin folded roll. When deployed, it spreads over nearby surfaces, adhering and wrapping tightly around them. Once anchored, it swells into a dense, layered composite that absorbs liquid water or humidity in the air reinforce its own structure. The result is a tough, semi-rigid mat that seals punctures, gaps, or exposed machinery, providing both pressure containment and limited radiation damping. Consumable.

Glu-Vac

1 ☐☐ Glu-Vac (Stabilization Gel Dispenser)

A portable mitigation unit used to reduce immediate hazards from chemical, biological, and thermal incidents. The device sprays a rapidly setting stabilant that cools exothermic reactions, immobilizes particulates, encapsulates liquids, and forms a temporary barrier that makes contaminated zones safer.

The gel is a mitigation, not a neutralizer: it contains and stabilizes but does not chemically decompose most agents. Specialist cleanup is required to render a scene permanently safe.

One canister covers approximately 1,000 cubic meters; additional canisters add ☐ Load each. Unreliable, possibly with Volatile Consequences.

"In human: This brushes bad stuff under a white carpet."

— Ted Dendel, Rigger

Aegis

4 ☐ Aegis

Personal Aegis Field generator provides limited radiation protection. Active.

Water Board (Radiation Shield Board)

1 Water Board

A portable radiation barrier designed for microgravity operations. A rigid, wide, surfboard-like panel filled with layered water and polymer gels that absorb particle and gamma radiation. The user orients the board toward the radiation source — typically the Sun — and shelters in its shadow. Can be fitted with Microthrusters (Steam) at no additional Load, but these lack nimbleness and only work in open space.

Personal Protection

Environmental hazards are routine in space, and a wide range of protection systems exist — most built around the Skinsuit. This item has attained legendary status among spacers. There is little reason to wear one aboard a large ship or habitat, yet it has become a cultural icon of the spacer lifestyle, worn on almost every occasion.

In the inner system a Skinsuit is typically worn under clothing and may be nearly invisible except over private areas. In the outer system it is often worn bare, even at social events. See Skinsuit Customizer can create displays of dramatic colors, patterns, or animated designs.

Skinsuit

1 ■ Skinsuit

Skintight vacuum protection. Protects against abrasion and light impacts. Usually worn with a Bubble or Hard helmet.

Bubble Helmet

2 ■ Bubble Helmet

A personal emergency device worn as a hat, clip, or hair accessory. When pressure drops, a micro-charge unfolds a transparent, self-sealing bubble around the wearer’s head in under a second. The bubble rigidizes slightly on inflation, forming a smooth, clear sphere. Unreliable. Roll Quality to determine how long the air remains breathable; double these times if you stay at rest. 1: 5 minutes. 2–3: 10 minutes. 4–6: 30 minutes.

Bubble Suit

1 ☐ Bubble Suit

A full-body Bubble Helmet commonly stored near airlocks and large chambers on ships and habitats. Unreliable. Roll Quality to determine how long the air remains breathable; double these times if you stay at rest. 1: 20 minutes 2–3: 40 minutes 4–6: 1 hour

Space Helmet

1 ☐ Space Helmet

Add-on helmet that replaces the bubble helmet. Provides full pressure seal, air recycling, and thermal control. Allows operation limited only by metabolic processes.

Space Belt

1 ☐ Space Belt

Closed-loop waste recycler for Skinsuit use. Converts bodily waste into drinkable water and basic nutrients. Reduces life-support needs and extends air and hydration endurance greatly. Unreliable: Roll Quality as if Resisting to risk Stress every 24h.

Aqualung

3 ☐ Aqualung

Replaces Bubble Helmet or Space Helmet. Floods lungs with oxygenated fluid. Prevents decompression and acceleration effects. Removes Unreliable, endurance measured in days rather than hours. Has external audio unit.

Waldo Gauntlets

2 ☐ Waldo Gauntlets

Powered gauntlets that enhance grip and arm stability. Assist in tasks involving manual strength, climbing, or restraint. Reduce the chance of losing grip, suffering recoil, or overexertion.

Waldo Boots

2 ■ Waldo Boots

Powered boots that stabilize stance and balance across all gravity environments. Magnetic grapples in the soles lock to hulls and bulkheads, allowing controlled movement in microgravity or rotation. Assist with climbing, bracing, and maintaining footing on uneven or shifting surfaces. Reduce chances of slipping, rebound injury, or fatigue from prolonged exertion.

Microthrusters (Steam)

1 ☐☐ Microthrusters (Steam)

Water-fed resistojet pack for microgravity work. Endurance suitable for routine ten-minute hops; extended sorties require extra water cartridges or a suit reservoir tap. Unreliable: Roll Quality after a significant burn and every 10 minutes of use to determine fuel status.

Microthrusters (Arcjet)

3 ☐☐ Microthrusters (Arcjet)

Electric-arc thruster pack with higher exhaust velocity and longer range than Steam models. Draws heavy power and radiates visible heat; detectable to sensors. Active.

Microthrusters (Ion / MPD Pack)

5 ☐☐ Microthrusters (Ion / MPD Pack)

Electromagnetic propulsion pack for long-duration station-keeping and covert movement. Produces minimal thermal or visible signature but functions only in vacuum.

Hardsuit

3 ☐☐☐ Hardsuit

A full strength-assist exoskeleton with radiation shielding and extended life support. Reduces Harm from accidents and melee by two levels. You can add any Personal Protection accessory, ignoring the additional Load. Active.

Hazard Suit

4 ☐☐☐ Hazard Suit

An upgraded Hardsuit with full strength-assist exoskeleton, heavier plating, improved radiation shielding, and extended life support. Equipped with multiple sensor arrays, hardened comms, and modular mounts for tools or weapons. Reduces Harm from accidents and melee by two levels and Harm from weapons by one level. You can add any Personal Protection accessory, ignoring the additional Load.

Forum

Consensu humanum — the sphere of human accord.

Devices that mediate between minds: communication, identity, and persuasion. Com gear, Nemes, attire, symbols of authority, and instruments of leadership. Associated with: Resolve, presence, will, and the arts of cooperation and command.

Skinsuit Customizer

3 ■ Skinsuit Customizer

Use this to customize a skinsuit; it can change transparency, color, and luminosity, as well as pad itself where needed. It can even show animations or alter itself over time. Programs for fashionable patterns are hot commodities.

License

1 ■ License

A License always has to be added to your playbook, you cannot simply pick up a License if it is not on your playbook. You may need special connections or to show ability to get a License.

A permit to own or carry items tagged Regulated or Military. Physically it may be a signed document or sigil-stamped token, but what actually matters is the correct authorization code recorded in your Neme.

A license applies to all items of its type, either all Regulated or all Military. You can have separate licenses for both.

There are two permissions for each category:

Carry — allows you to carry and use the item in public spaces within local legal limits.

Possession — allows you to store and transport a disassembled item for use on ranges, private property, or beyond local jurisdictions such as aboard your ship, base, or in the wild.

Common allocations:

Bounty hunters, police, licensed bodyguards, and wilderness guides typically obtain a Carry authorization for Regulated items.

Mercenaries and military commonly hold Possession authorization for Military items.

Consequences: lacking the proper license risks confiscation, arrest, or prosecution. These consequences can be Resisted by rolling your Tier (representing legal assistance). You can suffer worse consequences if you continue to violate the rules.

Unreliable. Local recognition depends on Quality of the license and the Tier of the place of use. Make a Quality roll when you present the license in a jurisdiction: if any die equals the local Tier the license is accepted immediately. If any die is 4 or higher but no die matches Tier, expect delay — the license will clear in days but you may face temporary ban or confiscation. If the roll shows no dice ≥4, the license is invalid here.

Neme

Personal assistant systems — limited AI companions that manage communication, translation, scheduling, research, and routine administration. Every citizen in the System is expected to carry one, and a person without a Neme is considered unreachable, untrustworthy, or primitive. Models vary widely in discretion, processing power, and social personality, but all share the same fundamental architecture: a distributed mind embedded in personal hardware and mirrored across the network.

Originally NEME — Neural Executive & Memory Environment — the name comes from the Muse Mneme (Memory) of Greek mythology, but common usage dropped the initial “M.” Pronounced NEE-mee.

A standard Neme consists of a compact processor core, an audio interface or earpiece for conversation and real-time translation, and — for users who prefer visual augmentation — an optional visor or contact-lens display providing text, imagery, and situational overlays. The hardware contains the personality and memory in order to keep it private from the net. Users describe their Neme as an extension of thought rather than a tool.

Beyond its conversational and administrative roles, every Neme carries a full suite of personal-scale sensors, effectively replacing most handheld instruments of earlier centuries. These include passive monitoring of radio, optical, thermal, magnetic, radiation, and chemical environments within a few metres of the user, together with biometric and positional tracking. The Neme cross-references these inputs against personal health, atmospheric safety, and local navigation data, providing constant but unobtrusive situational awareness. The Neme also monitors the net, watching for certain news and accessible public sensors and cameras. These reports can be customized by a skilled user to a set of alerts perfectly adjusted to personal needs.

Neme sensors are passive and low-power, intended for proximity alerts, translation of environmental cues, and personal safety. They lack the range, resolution, and active scanning capability of specialized Belt and Pack sensors, but they ensure that every individual moves through the world surrounded by a bubble of awareness.

Advanced models can form ad-hoc networks, pooling data to map shared spaces or coordinate group activity, though doing so requires consent and carries the same privacy implications as any other datanet sharing. In many habitats, Nemes also serve as civic monitors, maintaining environmental records and validating public transactions.

To live in the System is to live with your Neme — your memory, interpreter, and witness.