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.

Inventory — Imperio (Insight) — Limes (Prowess) — Forum (Resolve)

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 noted ☑ in the description, but not on the character sheet.

Your load also determines your movement speed and conspicuousness:

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

3/4/5 load: Normal. You look ready for work — or trouble.

6/7/8/9 load: Heavy. You’re slower. You look like you are ready for heavy work — or war.

10-15 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 in your base — 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. The rules given are ideas of how it can work; some Items have their own rules, and the GM may play it differently.

Active

When in use the item 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.

Artifact

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.

Charged

The item has limited charges. When you use the item, make a Quality roll to see if you can use it again. On 1-3 or after two 4-5 results the item runs out of charges. ☐ A replacement battery.

Common

This is commonly available and need not be invented or sought out; +2d to Acquire Asset.

Concealed

The function of the item is not obvious from its form, or the item is easy to conceal on a person. Roll Quality to see how well this works under observation.

Conspicuous

This item doesn't go unnoticed. Take 1 Friction if a Conspicuous item is used on an operation.

Consumable

This creation has one use.

Military

Reserved for military use in most polities, licensed only under special conditions and to sanctioned groups. Take 4 Friction if a Military item is seen on an operation — this does not stack with the Friction of Conspicuous and Regulated. With a license (or where it is legal) this is merely Conspicuous.

Playbook

This item is only usable 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 Friction if a Regulated item is seen on an operation — this does not stack with the Friction of Conspicuous. With a license (or where it is legal) this is merely Conspicuous.

Unreliable

When you use the item, make a Quality roll to see how well it stands up to wear. On 1-3 or after two 4-5 results the item becomes Volatile after this use.

Volatile

Worsen Position when using item; Consequences often result from the item itself.

Weapon Tags

These are the same as Item Tags above, but listed separately for tags only applicable to weapons.

Energy

Inflicts damage through energy transfer — kinetic projectiles, directed-energy weapons, and burns.

Momentum

Inflicts damage through mass and motion — crushing blows, blades, and melee attacks.

Longarm

Long range; +1d when fired two-handed with space to aim; −1d when opponents are close.

Point-blank

Short range; −1d and reduced Effect at ranges beyond 3 meters and a maximum effective range of 15 meters.

Padded

Ineffective against construction and armor; double any Harm reduction from armor.

Piercing

Ignores personal armor; designed to penetrate hard materials.

Stun

Consequences lean toward stun and incapacitation instead of Harm.

New Items

You can add items to your Inventory on the fly, with your playbook's usual Quality modifier.

There are of course many more items available in the rich and mature culture of Sol. Most items you can think of already exist, and you just have to agree with the GM on how the item works and acquire the Design. But sometimes a Design is not available, the item is so odd and inventive that you have to invent it yourself, using the Philosopher's Design ability.

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 safe Quality, when available at a lower Quality rating, such under-quality Items are Unreliable. 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 in question, you roll Quality as if it was an Action, with Consequences causing problems with the item.

You can improve the Quality of a specific item in your Inventory using the Calibrate Item downtime action.

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

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.

Inventory — Imperio (Insight) — Limes (Prowess) — Forum (Resolve)

Weapons

Personal weapons are all powerful enough to incapacitate or kill on a good hit; what differs is ease of use and penetration. All are capable of automatic fire to suppress opponents or attack multiple targets. Concealed weapons are semi-silent; all others make loud bangs in an atmosphere, mostly from the vacuum tunnel they create. Witnesses often misjudge shot direction by sound.

1 Slugthrower

Chemical-propellant guns seen as quaint antiques. Charged when using autofire; Energy. Sensitive to spin: add Point-blank in spin habitats of Tier 1–3. Recoil in Micro requires an immediate roll to avoid Controlled Consequences; Risky with a rifle.

☑ Holdout. Adds Concealed, Point-blank at all times.

☑ Sidearm. Limited range.

☐ Compact. Use two hands and extended stock at range.

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm.

3 Lightning Gun

Energy weapons firing charged particles. Excellent for disabling electronics and stunning living targets and machinery; easily defeated by armor or surge protection. Popular police weapon. Active, Energy, Padded.

☑ Holdout. Adds Concealed, Point-blank, Stun.

☑ Sidearm. Limited range.

☐ Compact. Use two hands and extended stock at range.

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm.

2 Arc Lance

A plasma jet that slices through hardened materials. Not a melee weapon, but effective at melee ranges. Active, Energy, Point-blank, Regulated, Piercing.

☐☐ Handle and power backpack.

☐ Handle only. Adds Consumable.

2 Beamer

Baseline laser weapons. Energy, Regulated.

☑ Holdout. Adds Concealed, Point-blank.

☑ Sidearm. Limited range.

☐ Compact. Use two hands and extended stock at range.

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm.

5 Photonic Lance

Military-grade pulsed laser designed to defeat modern personal armor. Energy, Military, Piercing.

☑ Sidearm. Limited range.

☐ Compact. Use two hands and extended stock at range.

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm.

3 Gyrojet

Fires tiny target-seeking missiles. Point laser to lock; rocket homes independently. Works in laser smoke, less reliably. Charged when using autofire; Energy, Regulated. Ammunition: HEAP adds Military, Piercing; Gel adds Padded, Stun.

☑ Holdout. Adds Concealed, Point-blank.

☑ Sidearm. Limited range.

☐ Compact. Use two hands and extended stock at range.

☐☐ Rifle. Adds Longarm.

Medical

Medical science can rejuvenate and regrow an entire body as long as the brain is unharmed. The issue is to get the patient to a care unit fast enough.

1 ☑ Brain Freeze

Emergency cranial freeze to prevent hypoxic brain damage. Triggers when brain loses circulation. Implantable or wearable as a hood. Unreliable; emergency activation requires a Quality roll.

2 ☑ Medbot

Autonomous first-aid drone. Stabilizes and reduces one instance of Harm by one level after a minute of work. Unreliable; each additional medbot imposes −1d.

4 ☐ Medical Belt Kit

Controls nearby Medbots; adds Study to Medbot Quality rolls.

3 ☐☐ Medical Field Pack

Advanced kit; acts as a Medical Belt Kit and removes multi-medbot penalties.

Sensors

Sensors gather information before and during Operations.

2 ☐ Survey Binoculars

Gyro-stabilized multi-band optics. Active when rangefinder or IR illuminator is engaged. Unreliable at extreme magnification.

3 ☐ Specialist Belt Sensor

Single-domain sensor. Passive by default; becomes Active if projecting fields.

4 ☐ Multispectral Belt Sensor

Integrated suite. Active when radar/sonar/magnetic projection is used.

5 ☐☐ Specialist Sensor Probe Pack

Deployable probe network for wide-area sensing.

Hacking

Computer security tools. Quter codes are unbreakable and make hacking a matter of slow data collection and physical intrusion rather than dramatic code-breaking.

3 ☑ Hacking Wrist Tool

Wearable exploit module. Functions as a stripped Neme.

2 ☐ Hacking Belt Tool

Portable breach rig. Wireless operation is Active.

1 ☐☐ Hacking Pack Tool

Full mobile infiltration system. Active when transmitting.

Drones

Drones are remote-controlled vehicles with fallback expert systems. Use Quality rolls when autonomous. Drones are Regulated in urban areas; weaponized drones are Military.

3 Rocket Drone

Reaction-mass VTOL drone.

1 Copter Drone

Atmospheric rotor drone.

1 Fixed-Wing Drone

Long-endurance scout drone.

2 Ground Drone

Wheeled/tracked/walker drone.

Drone Swarms

Swarms of micro-drones. Active and Unreliable.

3 ☐ Mapping Swarm

Distributed mapping cloud.

2 ☐ Sentinel Swarm

Perimeter sensor net.

4 ☐☐ Utility Swarm

Maintenance and work swarm.

Research Devices

Tools to collate data.

3 ☐ Forensic Kit

Portable analysis unit. Unreliable using contaminated samples.

4 ☐ Knowledge Core

Offline data archive.

4 ☐ Cognitive Loom

AR inference system. Grants +1d to analysis.

3 ☐ Design Board

AR design workstation.

Grenade Weapons

Guided micro-rockets. Many effects are Unreliable due to targeting chaos, roll reliability separately for each target.

3 ☐ Grenade Launcher

Underslung or standalone launcher holding a single grenade. Can be reloaded with Grenades. Military.

2 ☐☐ Thumper

Dedicated grenade rifle. Charged, Military.

1 ☐ Grenades

A single grenade. Military.

Grenades

Various options for Grenade Weapons.

Breach Charge HEAP

Energy, Piercing.

HEDP

Energy, Piercing on hit; Unreliable, Volatile.

HEFRAG Airburst

Energy, Unreliable.

Thermobaric

Energy, Volatile.

Incendiary (Thermite)

Energy, Volatile.

Area-Denial (Micro-Mines)

Energy, Unreliable, Volatile.

Chem

Stun, Volatile.

Concussion / Stun

Energy, Stun, Unreliable.

Flashbang

Energy, Stun, Unreliable.

Pyro Smoke / Screen

Unreliable, Volatile.

Cryo Smoke / Screen

Unreliable.

Cryo-Blast

Hull-safe; slip hazard.

Decon / Sterile

Unreliable.

Adhesive Foam (“Gumshot”)

Stun, Unreliable.

Entangler Net

Stun, Unreliable.

Marker / Beacon

Tracking & handoff.

Recon / Seeker

Unreliable.

EMP / Disruptor

Unreliable, Volatile.

Limes

Vigilantia corporis — vigilance of the self.

Gear 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.

Inventory — Imperio (Insight) — Limes (Prowess) — Forum (Resolve)

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.

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 each time: 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.

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 each time: Mechanical, Electrical, Structural, Security, or Life Support (chemical/biological/recycling). Enables complex Rig tasks such as engine repair, hull patching, or system rebuilds without external support.

3 ☐☐ Portable 3D Printer

A suitcase-sized kit that can print items from available designs. The printer stores any designs you have and you can download more as they become available. Printing requires feedstock with the same load as the item to be made, meaning you need to expend further Load to use the printer unless you find feedstock during the operation.

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, Consumable, Volatile when used on unknown hardware.

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. Unreliable.

2 ☐ Breaching Kit

A compact toolkit of charges and cutting gear for forced entry, salvage cutting, and controlled demolition. Regulated.

1 ☑ Pocket Bypass Kit

A rudimentary, compact set of mechanical picks, shims, and low-profile electronic bypass tools for opening locks and simple access panels. Easily concealed or presented as an utility tool. Concealed.

1 ☐ Traverse Kit

Suspension harness, ropes, grapnels, grapple gun, carabiners, ascenders/descenders, tethers, pitons/mags, and line anchors for unpowered movement across hulls, shafts, cliffs, or ruins. Low signature, quiet, safe, but slow.

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.

4 ☐ Aegis

Personal Aegis Field generator provides limited radiation protection. Active.

1 ☐☐ Surfboard

A portable radiation barrier designed for microgravity operations. A rigid oblong panel — somewhat like a wide surfboard — filled with layered water and polymer gels that absorb particle and gamma radiation. Too heavy to carry in Terran gravity. The user orients the board toward the radiation source — typically the Sun — and shelters in its shadow. Fitted with Microthrusters (Steam), though these lack finesse and perform best in open space.

Spacers go surfing on these.

3 ☐ Seal-Mat (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 to 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.

1 ☐☐ Bubble Tent

Inflatable shelter for up to four people. Deploys as a bubble in microgravity or a dome in gravity. Walls allow slow passage without decompression and fuse with other tents for shared space. Charged. Additional air tanks to recharge the tent add ☐ Load each.

1 ☐☐ Glu-Vac (Stabilization Gel)

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 leaving some danger in place.

"In Human: This brushes the dirt under a white carpet."

— Ted Dendel, Rigger

3 ☐ Universal Solvent

A spray used to dissolve all kinds of glues, paints, plastics, and quick-hardening weapon effects. Covers about 10 m².

Consumable, Unreliable: and slow when used against fully hardened materials.

Custos

Custodia belli — guardianship in conflict.

Tools of protection, restraint, and close combat. Armor, shields, and melee weapons for those who keep order or survive where it fails.

1 ☐ Impact Suit

Protective wear used for labor, sports, and other moderately dangerous civilian activities. Easy to wear but not concealable. Reduces Harm form Momentum damage by one level. Charged, ablative, tends to fail after it protects.

2 ☐☐ Medical Exoskeleton

An medical exoskeleton that carries the weight of the body, mainly for those adapted to lunar gravity in a terran environment and to a lesser degree people adapted to micro gravity acting in lunar gravity. This is not for the character skilled in one environment acting in another; this is for people who suffer from degrav to the degree they could not function in heavier gravities. Without such an exoskeleton they could not not stand up and might experience heart trouble. Someone adapted to microgravity is helpless in terran gravity even with this assistance.

3 ☐ Armored Vest

Body armor worn under street clothes or as a visible vest. Protects against Energy damage, reducing Harm from Energy weapons by one level. Concealed, Unreliable: only covers part of the body.

1 ☐☐ Riot Armor

Heavy body armor that cannot be concealed. Protects against all damage, reducing Harm by one level, and is more reliable than an Armored Vest. Includes a visored helm and breathing mask but is not a space suit — many wear a Skinsuit underneath.

1 ☐☐ Riot Shield

Handheld composite shield; can be made transparent, reflective, or provide one-way vision. Designed for crowd control, close-quarters blocking, and anti-insurgent defense. When not outflanked, the shield reduces Harm by one level. Stacks with worn armor.

1 ☑ Knuckleduster

Hand protection allowing more powerful blows in combat, from the humble brass knuckles to the Karatand, a soft glove that hardens on impact. Concealed, Momentum.

1 ☑ Baton

An extendable baton popular with thugs, security, and law enforcement. Momentum, Regulated, Stun. Quality 3 adds a high-voltage incapacitating discharge option, replacing Momentum with Energy when in use.

1 ☑ Blade

A short blade. This can take the form of claws or other small sharp things. Momentum, Regulated. Quality 4 adds a vibro option, replacing Momentum with Energy when in use.

2 ☐ Sword

A long blade that is difficult to conceal. Favored by Jovian nobility and officers. +1d in melee combat. Momentum, Regulated. Quality 5 adds a vibro option, replacing Momentum with Energy when in use.

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 parts. In the outer system it is often showing, even at social events. A Skinsuit Customizer can create displays of dramatic colors, patterns, and animated designs.

1 ☑ Skinsuit

Skintight vacuum protection. Protects against abrasion and light impacts. Usually worn with a Bubble or Hard helmet, works with a number of other accessories.

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. Charged. Limited air supply. Roll Quality every 10 minutes, or after any significant exertion.

1 ☐ Bubble Suit

A the full-body equivalent of a Bubble Helmet, commonly stored near airlocks and large chambers on ships and habitats. Charged. Limited air supply. Roll Quality every half hour, or after a significant exertion.

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.

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. Charged. Roll Quality every 24 hours.

3 ☐ Aqualung

Replaces Bubble Helmet or Space Helmet. Floods lungs with oxygenated fluid. Reduces decompression and acceleration damage. Endurance measured in days rather than hours. Has external audio unit.

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. Unreliable when failing they default to normal function.

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. Unreliable when failing they default to normal function.

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. Charged. Roll Quality after a significant burn and every 10 minutes of use to determine fuel status.

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.

5 ☐☐ Microthrusters (Ion Pack)

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

4 ☐ Solvent Guard

A spray used to dissolve quick-hardening weapon effects triggers automatically when attacked by clingy stuff. Consumable, Unreliable: may not trigger properly.

3 ☐☐☐ Hardsuit

A full strength-assist exoskeleton with radiation shielding and extended life support. Often used for heavy construction even in atmosphere. Reduces Harm from Momentum by one level and Radiation ticks by one. You can add any Personal Protection accessory, ignoring the additional Load. Active.

4 ☐☐☐ Hazard Suit

An upgraded Hardsuit with full strength-assist exoskeleton, heavier plating, improved radiation shielding, and improved cooling fans. Often equipped with modular mounts for hardened comms, Universal Solvent, tools, and weapons. Reduces all Harm by one level and Radiation ticks by one.

You can add any Personal Protection accessory, ignoring the additional Load.

2 ☐☐☐☐☐☐ Bomb Suit

A suit for bomb disposal, reactor repair, and other extreme environments. An upgrade of the Hazard Suit with a massive strength-assist exoskeleton carrying energy and radiation absorbent gel weighting four times as much as the wearer. Comes with hardened comms and fittings for tools and weapons Reduces all Harm by two levels level and Radiation ticks by two. Penalizes all Actions by -1d

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.

Inventory — Imperio (Insight) — Limes (Prowess) — Forum (Resolve)

Quality of Life

Making the 24th century comfortable.

1 ☑ Neme

Personal assistant systems — limited AI companions that manage identification, communication, translation, scheduling, research, and routine administration. Every citizen in the System is expected to carry one; a person without a Neme is considered unreachable, untrustworthy, or primitive. Models vary in discretion, power, and personality, but all share the same basic 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); common usage dropped the initial “M.” Pronounced NEE-mee.

A standard Neme contains 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, situational overlays, and augmented reality. The hardware holds the personality and memory to keep it private from the net; users describe their Neme as an extension of thought rather than a tool.

Every Neme includes a suite of personal-scale sensors: passive radio, optical, thermal, magnetic, radiation, and chemical monitoring within a few meters, plus biometric and positional tracking. The Neme cross-references these inputs against health, atmospheric safety, and local navigation data to provide unobtrusive situational awareness. It also monitors public nets and sensors for chosen alerts.

Neme sensors are passive and low-power — they lack the range and resolution of belt/pack sensors but give every person a local bubble of awareness. Advanced models can form ad-hoc networks to map shared space or coordinate group activity; this requires consent and carries the usual privacy implications. In many habitats Nemes also serve civic functions, maintaining environmental logs and validating transactions.

You can pick up another's Neme, but to operate it you need to hack it or convince it that you are it's owner, which is very difficult, especially if it has a high Quality.

You in with your Neme — your memory, interpreter, and witness.

1 ☑ License

A License must be on your playbook to use it in play; you cannot simply pick one up during an Operation. You may need connections or proof of competence to add one to your playbook. Higher-Tier communities issue higher-Quality licenses, but demand more proof and justification before granting them.

A license grants legal authorization to possess or operate restricted technology within inhabited or regulated areas, typically extending 0.01 light-seconds (≈3,000 km) from permanent habitation. Physically it may be a signed document or sigil-stamped token, but what matters is the correct authorization code recorded in your Neme.

There are two main categories of license:

Personal — covers weapons, armor, and specialized tools tagged Regulated or Military.

Vehicle — covers spacecraft, atmospheric craft, and heavy equipment tagged Regulated or Military.

Each license can be held at two permission levels:

Operate — allows you to use or pilot the licensed equipment within local legal limits.

Possession — allows you to store and transport the items within local legal limits, and to operate the equipment in restricted areas (aboard your ship or on private property), in dedicated facilities (shooting ranges, enclosed thoroughfares), or in the wild.

Common allocations:

• Civilians such as bounty hunters, licensed bodyguards, and wilderness guides usually hold an Operate authorization for Personal Regulated equipment.
• Mercenaries, police, and military personnel typically hold Possession authorization for Personal Military equipment.
• Pilots and transport crews often hold Operate authorization for Vehicle Regulated craft and Possession authorization for Vehicle Military craft.
• No license is required in deep space or unregulated zones, though individual ships may enforce their own rules for passengers and crew.

Most equipment and vehicles do not require a license to operate. Personal weapons and particularly dangerous vehicles (such as construction machines) are tagged Regulated, while weapons able to penetrate armor and all armed vehicles designed to operate in habitable environments are tagged Military. All spacecraft include at least point-defense weapons for protection from meteoroids, which can be repurposed as offensive systems; even drives and the ship itself can serve as weapons, but it is considered impractical to regulate such general capabilities.

Unreliable. Local recognition outside the issuing polity depends on the Quality of the license and the Tier of the jurisdiction. When presenting a license, roll Quality:

if any die is 6 or equals the local Tier — the license is accepted immediately.

if any die ≥ 4 but none match Tier — expect delay; the license will usually clear in days, but you may face temporary restriction or confiscation.

if no die ≥ 4 or Tier, whichever is lowest — the license is invalid here.

Consequences: if you lack a license or your your license is not recognized, you risk confiscation, fines, or arrest. Continued violations may increase penalties.

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.

1 ☑ Fashion

A fashionable outfit and personal grooming that lets you appear several Tiers above your own. Generally requires a light Load; carrying a change of clothes counts as Load ☐. Conspicuous. If you dress two or more Tiers above yourself, make a Quality roll: 1–3: immediate attention and Heat. 4–6: 2 Heat. 6: No Heat.

1 ☑ Colors

A canned solution to project belonging to a subculture. Conspicuous: When you draw attention, make a Quality roll: 1–3: immediate attention and 1 Friction. 4–6: 1 Friction. 6: No Friction.

1 ☐ Virtual Reality Rig

Simple virtual experiences can be accessed through a Neme, but this is a pale imitation. True Virtual Reality requires dedicated equipment: goggles, earpieces, and gloves. These can be paired with a Skinsuit to enhance tactile feedback. The most immersive experience, however, comes from a stationary gimballed system, which can move and rotate the user in sync with the simulation.

1 ☐ Provisions

Consumable food and drink for survival and comfort of a single person. Provides sustenance for one week, assuming access to water and air supplied by any Recycling unit. Nutritious and palatable, but not luxurious.

Alternatively, this may represent a single day of fine cuisine and drink — suitable for hosting or gifting. High-Quality provisions, especially above the local Tier, make an impression and can improve relations. Consumable.

— There’s no diplomacy like dinner.

John Quill, Sophist

1 ☐ Pet

A small animal kept as a quiet anchor of attention adapted to microgravity. This includes a vacuum-rated cage environment and supplies. Your pet options depend on Quality: Q1 Isopod, Q2 Springtail, Q3 Tarantula, Q4 Gecko, Q5 Hairless Rat, Q6 Cat (micro-g adapted). Unreliable, Once per Score, you may play with the pet for a minute and attempt a Quality roll to regain 2 Stress. Consequences include distractions and disillusionment about the pet.

You can pick a pet with any Quality, but if higher than what you could normally pick, it becomes Volatile with a failure on the roll of unreliability indicates it has escaped and may cause trouble for you or itself.

If you want a pet trained to do work, that is a Cohort Expert with the Intelligent flaw.

Media

1 ☐ Media Drone

A compact recording and broadcast drone equipped with stabilized optics, directional mikes, and enhanced net uplink. It trails its user or films from the front, automatically framing shots and tagging subjects via visual cues, but can also be Neme-controlled to act as a remote camera. Regular cameras are not really in professional use; you either use your Neme or a drone. Unreliable: recording quality is always adequate but not might not be commercial grade without a skilled technician managing it.

3 ☐ Mood Mask

A programmable facial-film overlay that acts as animated cosmetics — shifting coloration, highlighting expression, and enhancing emotional cues for performance or persuasion. This can also alter your voice; it can improve a performance, make you seem to be speaking another language, and change your voice entirely. Can make the wearer appear calm, sincere, or radiant, or serve as an instant facial disguise in a pinch. Defeats a Stress Analyzer. Unreliable: prolonged use causes flicker, desynchronisation, or visible pixeling under bright light.

3 ☐ Stress Analyzer

An tool that senses short-term physiological markers of stress: pupil dilation, facial blood flow, micro-tremor, and respiration changes. Helps detect lies, nervousness, or hostile intent; can produce false positives from non-deceptive emotions. Unreliable.

Popular with police and security, less so with socialites.

1 ☐ Mixing Board

An editor or broadcast technician uses a mixing board to control multiple inputs—cameras, FX systems like a Stage Drone Swarm or Holo Stage, and other communication devices and able to add visual effects, both real and virtual even generate entirely digital media. A complex broadcast covering several performers or journalists on-site is nearly impossible without one; basic work of this kind can be managed on a Neme.

3 ☐☐ Communication Booster Pack

A relay unit that extends communication range and fidelity, best placed with a clear line of sight. It primarily relays radio and laser communications. When radio is functional, setup is quick and simple. When The Fall disrupts radio, laser communication is required, demanding a handshake with another laser unit—typically a ship or relay station—which takes time and influence to arrange.

2 ☐ Stage Drone Swarm

A coordinated group of miniature copter drones providing lighting, sound, smoke, and laser effects for spontaneous or improvised performance. Used by entertainers, politicians, and religious figures to turn any space into a stage. Active, Unreliable: vulnerable to interference, cross-link failures, and collision in confined areas.

Holographics

Holographics in Icarus Fall can create images that are believable; sound and olfactory effects are included in more advanced systems. It needs networked micro-machines, like fine dust, in the area the projection is to cover. All are Active: detectable by EM sensors when projecting an image.

4 ☐ Holographic Display Cartridge

All holo projectors operate by releasing micro-machines into still or predictably moving air; gusts or turbulence rapidly disrupt the cloud. Each projector runs on cartridges of uncertain duration. One cartridge is included with the device; this entry covers the cost and load of an extra cartridge. Active, Charged. Roll Quality every 10 minutes, or at jamming, air currents, or energetic movement within the field.

6 ☐ Holo Suit

A wearable projection system that emits a dense field of light-scattering micro-machines around the wearer, forming a holographic overlay. Used for performance or self-expression, it can add clothing, change apparent build, or even mimic another creature. It cannot diminish size or conceal fast movement; close observers see distortion where the projection lags the body. Commonly used to appear taller or larger than life during a performance. As a disguise, it works only on stage or at distance — the scale and lag make it unnatural up close.

The suit projects continuously from emitters woven into a flexible belt or collar and replenishes micro-machines from replaceable cartridges. Requires clean air and steady power; turbulence, wind, or particle drift can tear the illusion. Active: detectable by EM sensors when projecting an image, Unreliable: Duration and cartridge use are identical to those of a Holographic Display Cartridge.

5 ☐ Holo Avatar Drone

A hovering copter drone that disperses and illuminates micro-machines to project an animated, life-size holographic figure or symbol and functions as a Media Drone. The drone’s projectors create convincing visual and auditory presence for remote communication, negotiation, or intimidation. The image can walk, gesture, and speak, but cannot physically interact. Commonly used for remote negotiation, decoys, public announcements, and psychological operations. Range is limited to local comms or direct Neme link. Active: detectable by EM sensors.

4 ☐ Holo Projector

A portable projection mat that fills the air above it with a fine mist of short-lived micro-machines, forming volumetric holograms visible from all angles. The projector can create life-sized figures, environmental backdrops, or immersive displays for performance, briefing, or ritual. It can obscure or decorate objects within the field but cannot make them invisible. Active: detectable by EM sensors when projecting an image.

It comes in three square sizes, which can be combined to cover a larger area:

☐ Two-meter side and projection height. Takes one minute to lay out and activate.

☐☐ Five-meter side and projection height. Takes five minutes to lay out and activate.

☐☐☐ Ten-meter side and projection height. Takes thirty minutes to lay out and activate.

5 ☐ Holo Projector Drone Swarm

A swarm of small Drones that fly in formation, releasing a fine mist of short-lived micro-machines to create volumetric holograms visible from all angles. Each swarm can cover about 30 m³ in a minute, and multiple swarms can operate together to expand the projection area. These drones cannot be recharged with a Holographic Display Cartridge; their operational duration is identical, but once depleted, the swarm must be replaced entirely. Active: detectable by EM sensors when projecting an image.

4 ☐ Stereo Recorder

A personal 3D recorder consisting of twin sensor orbs mounted on flexible stalks that extend from a headband or collar. The “eyes” adjust their position to capture stereoscopic light and sound, producing lifelike depth and spatial realism. Unreliable: prone to motion jitter or comedic misalignment when the wearer moves abruptly. Recordings are viewable but not of professional quality.

3 ☐ Holo Recorder

Small swarm of holographic capture drones that records volumetric scenes in three dimensions using micro-machine aerosol and polarized light grids. Can cover about 1,000 m³. Capable of preserving an event for later playback on any Holo Stage or Holo Avatar Drone. Active, Unreliable: susceptible to drift, interference, and environmental contamination; multiple takes preferred.

Persona

1 ☐ Disguise

A disguise prepared in your base you don when needed; a minute does so securely, spending only a few seconds is possible but chancy.

1 ☐☐ Disguise Kit Pack

Allow on-site creation of a Disguise from records or direct observation. Matches the targets appearance when the data is collected, which gains an advantage from on-site observation.

1 ☑ Concealed Neme

In certain circumstances you may be asked to leave your Neme behind; this allows you to appear to do so while still having access using a duplicate. Concealed, Unreliable. Using your Neme to communicate risks being detected.

2 ☑ Spoofed Neme

A neme that projects a manufactured personality. Any in-depth check is likely to spot fault with this. Unreliable. Using your Neme for any communication outside routine risks being detected.

4 ☑ Phantom Neme

A neme that projects a manufactured persona, issued by a friendly polity or bribed official, showing an invented identity matching your DNA code. You cannot just pick one of these, they have to be acquired during play.

Inspection can't find fault with this, but it does accumulate a "paper trail" whenever you use it. The manufactured identity generally has a Tier at least 3 lower than that of the Quality of the Phantom Neme, not that it risks being spotted, it just grants you less privileges than you are used to.

There is no Design for a Phantom Meme; each Item is a unique data set encoded by a quter.

So, Carlström from Vetabix III? Not that Vetabix III inspires trust, but such an odd Scandinavian name on top of that?

— Jonsson, Security officer

3 Bio Drone

A remote-controlled android. It has an expert system that can do routine tasks, but anything advanced requires control via Neme and a communication link. Used to care for patients remotely; such use is not Conspicuous. Cargo, Conspicuous, Unreliable.

1 ☐ Forgery Pen

You can write using another's handwriting, primarily to fake signatures. Many contracts and encoded documents are still hand-signed. This pen is a subtle work of art carried in a fancy box, which explains the load. Regulated.

1 ☐ Hand Forgery Kit

A compact kit for producing convincing physical and electronic forgeries — seals, paper, glass IDs, and spoofed files. Unreliable: Usually passes casual inspection automatically; cursory database or forensic checks frequently reveal defects; a forensic lab will automatically reveal the truth after some time. Allows on-site forgeries, especially useful if you lacked information when preparing for an Operation.

1 ☐☐ Forgery Kit Pack

An expanded version of the Hand Forgery Kit that can produce ☑ items such as copies of small items that look like the original to casual observation, entire catalogues of data, and biometric identifiers such as faux retina, fingerprint, and blood samples. Unreliable: Usually passes casual inspection automatically; cursory database or forensic checks frequently reveal defects; a forensic lab will automatically reveal the truth after some time.

Surveillance

3 ☐ Surveillance Drone

A tiny drone and the gear needed to use it. The size of an insect, or even a cybernetically enhanced insect, this is a small listening and limited camera drone able to pass through pipes and cracks. The drone is controlled by an expert system in order to make tracing it more difficult; it can report by returning to base or by burning itself out in a final burst of information once a set goal has been achieved. Secure systems are supposed to be screening these; a Quality roll against the Tier of the installation can usually find a vulnerability.

3 ☐ Automated Security Kit

An Expert System packaged with a compact Security Tool Kit. Place the unit against a lock, terminal, or alarm and it works autonomously to probe, bypass, or jam simple security. Unreliable. When used roll Quality and step the result down once on the usual outcome ladder (Critical → Success → Opposed Success → Failure → Fumble). Consequences often involve delays.

1 ☐ Data Tap

Plug this into a network and it will record traffic for later replay and decoding. It can be instructed to report using the network it is connected to, but this is risky; preferably you have someone come read it physically. Data is then uncoded on an advanced computer, or preferably quter. This can take a very long time. Quter-encoded data can only be decoded by a quter. Unreliable. If the Quality of the Data Tap is higher than the Tier of the installation, the Tap is safe. Otherwise make a Quality check when connecting the tap or asking it to report via the net.

1 ☐ Communication Spoof

A portable comms jammer/injector for listening to, rebroadcasting, or inserting short messages into unsecured civilian links and legacy networks. Includes a basic transmitter, protocol mimics, and a short-range directional antenna. Also provides you will quter-generated code protocols to secure your own communications. Active, Unreliable. Effective against simple civilian and legacy channels; cannot break modern quter-level encryption without a separate quter or valid keys.

Use to intercept or inject brief transmissions in low-security channels. Active use has worse consequences and requires more rolls.

See Also

• Interface — Action used to remotely operate stuff.
• Rig — Action used to physically manipulate stuff.
• Philosopher — Playbook that designs new stuff.
• Praxic — Playbook that tinkers with stuff.