A number of examples are provided below to illustrate typical item schticks, but this list is by no means comprehensive or limiting; use it as a source of inspiration and as a benchmark.
Skill Enhancers
These work for one specific skill in one specific task - like a sword that enhances your MartialArts for attacks and parries. You may spend one Magic point for a one-use bonus die. This bonus die can be combined with Fortune points.
Spending several schticks might broaden the scope (a ring that can enhance any use of MartialArts or allow several skills for one type of task (a mask that aids both Intrusion used for stealth, Deceit when using disguise or setting up a distraction, and Intimidation when facing down those who happen to notice you, so that they ignore you.
Armor
These are the benchmark attributes of armor. In general, each level of technological sophistication beyond the minimum allows half a schtick to be spent improving the armor. More baseline armor can be found at Armor.
| Name | Protective Value | Ref Penalty | Tech Level | Concealability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leather | 1 | -1 | Ancient | Jacket |
| Bulletproof vest | 2 | -1 | Nuclear | Jacket |
| Chain mail | 3 | -2 | Blacksmith | Trenchcoat |
| Shell armor | 4 | -2 | Combustion | Trenchcoat |
| Plate Mail | 5 | -3 | Clockwork | NA |
| Bomb disposal suit | 6 | -3 | Nuclear | NA |
Enhanced Armor
One point can increase the protective value of the armor by one. Some armor is based on force fields, nano-thin webbing or other effects that make it invisible and nonencumbering - that is, it doesn't use any base type, paying for protection from the ground up.
Comfortable Armor
Item Schtick can remove or mitigate the Reflex penalties of armor. In general, a suit of armor has a Reflex penalty equal to half it's armor value. Each Item Schtick used reduced the penalty by one. Such armor is still visible, and has a concealability depending on its protective value. These are the types of armor that are available without paying Item Schticks; any improvements have to be paid for.
Invisible Armor
One schtick can reduce the concealability of a suit or armor to nothing, but there is generally a minimum concealability based of the Ref Penalty; -1: Jacket, -2: Trenchcoat, -3: Unconcealable.
Weapons
Base the weapons characteristic on any contemporary weapon. Each Item Schtick improves the damage value of a weapon by one point. Alternatively, it can give the weapon some special ability, like those of Melee Weapons or Gun Schticks, though gun-schtick like effects are often limited in some fashion (you might have a very large magazine, but not an unlimited one). A weapon can also have it's Concealability, Range or some other attribute improved by one category.
Blast Foci
Blast foci are the various devices sorcerers use to blast, and are available in a setting with lots of magic items. They are bought using Blast schticks, and only listed here to show what is available. They all use Foci that are obligatory (and thus free). They normally used with Sorcery, but in high-magic settings they may be usable with or Guns.
Magic Enabler
One of the most difficult types of items to create while maintaining game balance, a sorcerous item allows the use of a specific Sorcery or Creatures effect. Because sorcery effects vary so tremendously in power, it is usually wiser to stick to Creature Powers when possible.
A Magic Enabler can either have a limited number of charges per session (usually three), or it can cost a Magic point to use each time.
A Potion is a specific class of Magic Enabler, that can only be used once per session, but which allows great flexibility using an ItemPool.
Power Battery
A power battery stores Chi energy for use with mystic abilities. There are three different types, Lucky Charms, Fu batteries and Magic Batteries. All Power Batteries recharge each session. They need not resemble batteries at all; charms, amulets, mementoes, all work well.
Lucky Charms: These store Fortune points, and generally only one. If a lucky charm is somehow limited, so that it only works under certain circumstances (a portrait of a loved one, that can only be used when striving to be reuinited), the ratio might be better; two points, or even three points if quite restrictive.
Fu Battery: These store Fu points. If these are good only for one specific schtick, the capacity is 15, points, if it works for a whole path (or animal type), the capacity is 10 points, and if it works for any Fu power, the capacity is 5 points. Batteries that recharge themselves each Sequence (Fu-Generators, really) have 1/5 the capacity. A weapon that stores Fu, that can only be used with that specific weapon, counts as one category better.
Magic Battery: These store Magic points. If these are good only for one specific sorcery effect or Creatures/Arcanotech schtick, the capacity is 5, points, if it works for a whole sorcery schtick, the capacity is 3 points, and if it works for one of Sorcery, Creatures, or Arcanotech, the capacity is 2 points and if it works for anything, the capacity is but one point.