Spy Gear Roadblocks

Holo-Wristwatch: Unresolved issues over power Stealthy Computer Weave Gel-Cloth Suit: Unresolved issues over "Intellect" vs. "Agent", Unresolved issues over Database costs Intrusion Deck: Similar software issues as above Attache Case: Unresolved issues over how to stick it to the wall Sunglasses: "HUD" is a redundant feature with a lot of the technologies I'm trying to combine, and it's not clear *which* version of a HUD I should be removing from those items for the sake of eliminating that redundancy... It seems there are multiple mostly but not entirely redundant versions of HUD tech at different TLs and radically different costs: Personal HUD @ TL9, 1500; CSC, p. 166 (More difficult to use?) Data Display & Recorder @ TL13, 5000; CSC, p. 178 (Smaller, but with integrated mic & camera?) Data Shades @ TL14, 7000; Dilettante, p. 68 (???)

I'm not sure about the other stuff, but I'm glad you brought up the Heads Up Display issue. Not only are there two different versions of it on p. 166 and p.178 of the CSC, page 56 also has two different versions of the HUD on p.54. It's something that I think could benefit from a Ref making a house rule on it.  My suggestion would be to split the concept of the HUD into "display" and "feed". The display could be either the TL 9 eyepiece (1500cr, 0.5kgs - like in the Aliens movie!), the TL 11 holographic HUD (2000cr, 0kgs), or the TL 13 groovy holographic HUD (5000cr). I guess the TL 14 "Data shades" (7000cr) would be like the TL 13 only sneaky and easy to conceal even while you're using it? Encrypted feeds and recording and such.  These HUDs would be useless on their own. They need to have information fed into them from other sources, usually through a hand computer. So you'd plug your vacc suit, grav belt, and weapon feeds (available at 250cr each if you don't have an electronic sight or gun cam) into your hand computer (computer weave/battledress/intelligent weapon etc). The HUD would then be plugged into that computer to display all of the available information.   As for the targeting bonus' on p. 54 of the CSC, I'd suggest that we turn those into a computer program that functions like either the expert program or something totally new that we knock up ourselves.  Maybe: reticle/1 1000cr Provides a DM+1 when firing a linked weapon at Medium range. Requires HUD TL9 or better. reticle/2 10,000cr Provides a DM of +1 at Medium range and an additional DM+1 when when aiming at any range. Requires TL 11 holographic HUD or better. re ticle/3 100,000cr Provides a DM +2 to hit at any range. Requires TL 13 HUD or better.  These pretty much cover the DMs offered in the CSC. It just organizes them into computer programs rather than attaching them to specific items. These DMs would each be treated as an "aiming" bonus and count toward the +6 maximum for aiming. I pulled those CR values out of my bottom by the way. Just made them up loosely based on the expert program costs. If some other figure feels better for folks go ahead and change it.  Just a suggestion. +2 on all shooting attacks for a cheapish TL 9 device seems a little wrong to me. 

More on HUD nonsense: The "Helmet Reader" on p.177 of CSC; evidently, HUDs are priced according to how many data feeds they receive. This partially explains the varying costs for different types of HUDs, not including the "Personal HUD", for which additional feeds are still only 100 each ; then again, they may have meant "still only one at a time", which is still ridiculous . I think we should take "Helmet Reader" as the canon explanation, in spite of how bat-@^*%-stupid it is. GURPS would say an off-the-shelf device would include a HUD for no additional cost, and that it would cost only $50 to *add* one to something that doesn't have one; unfortunately, this isn't GURPS.

Two minor issue remaining on the Attache case build... First, the number of items: Currently, I'm combining several features into one item: Plasma Auto-Destruct Security Attaché Case TL15 Grav Belt with Auto-Pilot TL12 Advanced Personal Comms with Scrambler Unit TL15 PRIS TL15 Charged Shield TL15 There's an applicable penalty depending on the number of things you are combining into a single item. The question is, how many items is this really ? To some extent, some of these things can be combined as a vehicle, rather than disparate items, reducing the penalty for combining them. Then again, maybe I really should be applying the maximum penalty... thoughts? Second, as the designer, Boodle should be applying a skill-based modifier (Attribute Mod + Skill Mod) to the roll for combining multiple items; if you would, please toss me an appropriate modifier. I see this as an item all her customers walk out the door with; a "Boodle Capitulum Special", unlike the usual suggestion-based collaborations Charoux usually brings in. So I figure Charoux provides no bonus, but also pays "off-the-shelf" price.

Alby, you mentioned using "any old laser rifle" as a target designation laser... I'm aware that this is old-school Traveller canon, but I haven't seen any examples of that in the Mongoose rules. 1. Can you fish around the Mongoose Rules and see if you can find an example of that? 2. If not, can you find us some usable materials on how that is supposed to work going by the old-school rules?

How many different types of computer are there, in hardware compatibility terms? For instance, do Vargr use computers of their own design, or do they primarily use computers of other races? I'm trying to model compatibility with alien computers as another way to specialize a computer, for lack of a better idea on how to proceed with that. But there's pitiful little material on the different types of computers out there, and the extent to which they are compatible.

Tenacious Techhunter said: Alby, you mentioned using "any old laser rifle" as a target designation laser... I'm aware that this is old-school Traveller canon, but I haven't seen any examples of that in the Mongoose rules. 1. Can you fish around the Mongoose Rules and see if you can find an example of that? 2. If not, can you find us some usable materials on how that is supposed to work going by the old-school rules? There are no mechanical rules provided in Mongoose for using laser weapons as target painters as far as I have found, but it is hinted at in the paragraph describing them on p.100 of the Main Rulebook: "Directed-energy weapons first enter the battlefield as target designators and range-finders , but by TL 9 weapons capable of inflicting damage directly appear." The closest Mongoose has been to making a rule that allows you to paint a target with a laser for artillery is the "Spotter Drone" in Mercenary Book 1: Spotter Drone (TL10)  Tiny drones that are little more than a lift unit and a laser targeter , the spotter is an artillery team’s best friend. The small spheroid zooms out to where the artillery needs to fire, spends 1–6 minor actions holding a laser designator on the potential target, and waits for the attack. This requires the drone’s operator to pass a throw 9+, but will add a +4DM to the designated artillery team’s next attack roll when shooting at the target. Hull 1. Availability 8+. Cost Cr. 12,000. If you want my two cents worth, any laser scope or laser weapon switched to "Designate" (capacitors bypassed so that it fires a steady beam instead of a pulse) could be used to paint a target. A skill roll could pass a +DM up the line like any skill chain. In Classic Traveller the  "Forward Observer" skill was used to spot targets for artillery, but in Mongoose I guess we'd use Recon or maybe a straight Gun Combat (laser) skill check?  Or maybe the chain would start with the laser skill check, providing a bonus to the recon check, which would give a bonus to the artillery/ortillary/Hvy Wpn (launcher) attack roll? As far as Classic Traveller goes, this is from the first page of Classic Traveller Book 4: Mercenary... Mercenary Striker Operating on a moderate-to-low tech level world (probably TL 5-7), this trooper is serving as an artillery forward observer . The tech level 8 laser carbine ( page 43 ) is used as a range finder and target designator, as well as a personal weapon in an emergency . A ballistic cloth flak jacket (page 41) is worn over the combat uniform, and the helmet has been modified to include a personal commo link and night vision enhancement gear (page 43). The carbine's small power pack is worn high over the shoulder blades and a light assault pack (not visible) is hung below it. Because of his role as forward observer, the large pockets of his fatigues and flak jacket are probably filled with a variety of colored smoke grenades (page 41) for signalling purposes. PAGE 43 " Tech level 8 : The assault gun remains standard, but is supplemented by the laser carbine . The laser carbine has limited weapons potential, but is used primarily as a target designator and range finder. Ballistic cloth flak jackets are in universal use" PAGE 44 Tech level 8 : The RAM grenade replaces the early grenade launcher and most specialized anti-tank grenade launchers. Mortars are now capable of firing cluster bomblet rounds. The tac missile's guidance system now requires that the operator track only the target, not that he guide the missile. Advanced forms of the tac missile incorporate laser target designation. PAGE45 Tech level 8 : Weapons of 15 cm and larger can now deliver tactical nuclear devices, and guided rounds are available which home on laser painted targets. The descriptions of the ACR, Gauss rifle and RAM grenade launcher in book 4 all included a scope that incorporated "a laser painting and range finding device." So ... Book 4 tells you that its a thing but never really gives you any mechanics. I know there were mechanics for it in the Striker supplement but I don't have a copy of that at the moment. From memory laser guided artillery and missiles got a +4 DM if the target was painted with a laser.  In striker, vehicles could be fitted with "laser sensors" that could trigger prismatic aerosol or smoke to protect against being designated by a laser. If I remember right they could also help pinpoint the origin of the laser and feed those coordinates to artillery. That's what makes the Mongoose Traveller "Spotter Drone" such a great piece of gear. The drone would get blasted rather than a living soldier.  Interestingly, rolling up a Navy character in Classic would often grant the "Forward Observer"skill. 

Probably for those cases where a smaller craft was spotting for the big Navy “Battleship”. Darn. I was really hoping there would be something to shave the cost off of the Spotter Drone; which, admittedly, is cool, but isn’t as subtle as hiding a Target Designation Laser in your sunglasses ... “Holy crap ... he doesn’t have a nuke... he has all the nukes!!! Goddamnit, stand down !!!”. Maybe if I started with the cheapest barely functional laser pistol?

I figured a regular laser scope could be used as a target designator. If you're after a really mini mini laser I think I saw a TL 16 laser ring somewhere. The laser ring was powerful enough to hurt someone if you zapped them with it, so I'd say you could easily have one that small that was powerful enough to use as a target designator.  I always figured that if you're trying to guide ordinance that is being launched from the immediate area then you could use a regular low powered laser scope - like they did in the first Transformers movie when they were trying to take out that scorpion thing. If you're trying to paint a target for a ship in orbit however, you're probably going to need something more powerful like a laser weapon.  Keep in mind that things the descriptions on items like the HUD an the Holographic site suggest that they give you target ranges. If you know the range to a target and it's bearing from you then you have enough information to designate it as a target for most artillery or ortillary. Especially if that info was fed into a computer and sent to a gunner. 

Talking about "designating targets" I found this in the CSC on page 27: Guided Weapons in Indirect Fire Mode If terminally guided weapons are in use, then they can guide themselves onto the target once they reach the general area. Weapons of this type include self-guided artillery shells and missiles and weapons which can home in on a designator used by someone who can see the target. Roll to hit as normal. Success indicates the weapon has reached the target area. If it is a self-homing (‘smart’) weapon then roll 2d6. On 8+ the weapon scores a direct hit unless it is defeated by pointdefence. If the weapon is being guided onto the target by someone using a designator of ‘flying’ the weapon from a remote station, the operator makes a skill roll. If successful, the weapon scores a direct hit. A guided weapon failing at the terminal guidance phase rolls for effects as normal. It may still score a direct hit by a fl uke. Guided Weapons in Direct Fire Mode Guided or ‘smart’ weapons fired directly at the target automatically arrive in the target vicinity and begin the terminal guidance phase as above. Thus only one roll (skill for the operator or 8+ for the smart weapon system) is needed to determine a hit or miss. Success indicates a direct hit. Since most guided weapons (especially antiarmour weapons) use very focussed shaped charges, there is often little or no secondary effect so rounds that miss can be disregarded. It's a little vague when it says "the operator makes a skill roll". In our case is that the operator who fired the missile or the operator of the laser designating the target? I'm guessing the latter. And what skill is used? I'm guessing some kind of laser weapon skill or the recon skill. Or maybe the skill of the kind of weapon being guided? So if you're designating a target for orbital artillery, you could be using the Gunnery (ortillary) skill? I duno ... a lot of question marks.  I still like the idea of it being a skill chain.