Gear
Astrabound is a setting of frontier worlds, corporate strongholds, Commonwealth patrols, drifting stations, alien ruins, and deep-space survival. This chapter presents the devices, tools, armor, and weapons heroes use to cross the spaceways and stay alive.
Prices are listed as a practical galactic average.
Gamemaster Advice
Adjust prices based on legality, scarcity, local industry, faction control, war zones, embargoes, or trade disruptions.
For most Astrabound campaigns, characters should begin with $1,000 instead of the usual $500.
Example: Astrid might start a campaign as a trained Commonwealth operative with a solid loadout and practical field gear, while Flynn begins with scavenged civilian tech and a few precious survival tools. Zayko, depending on his background, might start with specialized Astra-related equipment that is harder to replace but invaluable in the field.
Development Levels
Savage Worlds divides equipment into broad eras such as Ancient, Medieval, Modern, and Futuristic. In Astrabound, futuristic gear covers a very wide range of advancement, so it is further divided into Development Levels, or Dev Levels.
See the Special Rules Chapter.
Variability
Development Levels do not always advance evenly across all fields.
A civilization may be Dev I overall but Dev II in cybernetics, medicine, Astra dampening, or communications. Another society might have excellent biotech and starship drives but almost no personal computing. A ruined precursor site may contain a few isolated Dev III artifacts surrounded by far more common equipment.
If a higher Dev Level exists in a campaign, lower-level gear is generally still available as well, including equipment from older eras. Prices often remain similar because lower-tech goods may be cheaper to produce but less desired.
Gamemaster Advice
Decide whether an item is available at base price, at an inflated price, or not available at all.
Acquiring Expensive Equipment
Some gear in Astrabound is extremely expensive, including heavy lasers, power armor, advanced vehicles, and starships. How the heroes gain access to such items depends on the campaign.
The Equipment Belongs to Someone Else
The heroes may be assigned expensive gear by a patron, faction, or institution. That might include a government, military unit, exploration guild, salvage company, corporate sponsor, rebel movement, Astra order, criminal syndicate, or scientific directorate.
The advantage is access. The downside is obligation.
The heroes may be expected to follow orders, report in, protect the asset, or return it after the mission. If they damage or lose it, that debt may become a story all its own.
Example: Astrid and Flynn might be issued a survey shuttle by a Commonwealth exploration office. It gives them mobility and authority, but every dent in the hull belongs to somebody with paperwork and questions.
They Own the Equipment
The party may own their gear directly. They might have inherited it, salvaged it, won it, stolen it, or bought it on credit.
Owning major equipment creates freedom, but it also creates responsibility. Repairs, upgrades, fuel, docking fees, and creditors all become part of the campaign.
A starship, walker, or armored vehicle should feel like a prize worth maintaining and improving over time.
Example: Zayko may possess an aging vessel with an Astra-sensitive guidance core. It is temperamental, expensive to maintain, and absolutely vital to the crew’s survival.
Adventure Awaits
Whether the heroes serve aboard a powerful vessel or scrape by in a patched freighter, expensive technology should create adventure, not accounting.
A patrol ship means missions, new worlds, and political complications.
A stolen smuggler craft means debts, bounty hunters, and risky jobs.
A half-functional relic means mystery, danger, and factions willing to kill to possess it.
Example: Flynn might see a battered ship as a way out. Astrid might see it as a mission platform. Zayko might insist it is something more, because the ship seems to react to Astra in ways no ordinary machine should.
Biotech
Biotech is an advanced field that uses genetic engineering, targeted mutation, and selective breeding to shape living organisms into forms that replicate technology.
Civilizations skilled in biotech can grow living weapons, armor, tools, sensors, survival gear, and even vehicles. These creations may integrate more naturally with their users and can reduce the environmental impact of conventional manufacturing.
Biotech gear functions like normal equipment, but the item itself is alive and possesses biological systems such as organs, tissues, instincts, and some degree of cognition.
A biotech flechette gun might be a living insect that launches hardened spines.
A biotech rebreather might resemble a mollusk that filters air for the wearer.
A biotech lockpick set might be a cluster of tiny arachnoid organisms that enter a lock, manipulate the tumblers, and return on command.
Even spacecraft may be biotech, grown from immense engineered organisms with chambers for crew, living systems for repair, and propulsion organs that mimic conventional drives.
Biotech Property
To convert any gear to biotech, add the following property. Cost, weight, Range, Hardness, and all other listed statistics remain the same.
Biotech
Biotech items are living creatures. They must eat, they must breathe in some fashion, and they may be Shaken or killed.
Assume a base Toughness of 4 for most biotech gear, and roll damage whenever the item is directly targeted or whenever the Gamemaster decides an area effect might reasonably harm it.
Energy requirements are replaced by food or nutrient intake, but otherwise function the same. A battery pack might become a nutrient pod, enzyme canister, or feeding sac. Ranged biotech weapons regenerate spines, acids, plasma-like secretions, or whatever else suits their design.
In play, biotech is mostly a trapping of normal gear and should be treated as mechanically equivalent unless it becomes interesting or important to the story.
Example: Zayko carries a biotech rebreather grown for his people’s physiology. Mechanically it works like a normal rebreather, but in the fiction it flexes and pulses softly as it filters toxins from the air.
Common Gear
The variety of gear available in a science-fiction campaign is immense. Futuristic versions of older tools may be lighter, more compact, more efficient, or simply more reliable, but their baseline function is usually the same.
Adventuring Gear
The galaxy spans worlds of radically different Development Levels, from iron-age kingdoms to post-scarcity civilizations and relic-bearing powers whose tools blur the line between technology and miracle.
The items below represent broadly useful adventuring equipment found across the setting. Some are common on high-development worlds and rare on the frontier. Others are specialized tools issued to military, survey, salvage, Stellaris, or exploration personnel. A few are so advanced that they are normally restricted to major powers, elite organizations, or relic-rich regions.
Availability by Development Level
As a rule of thumb:
- Dev 1-3: Low-tech tools, rope, containers, lanterns, writing kits, field tools, and pre-industrial equivalents
- Dev 4-5: Industrial and early electronic equipment
- Dev 6-7: Advanced electronic, orbital, and interplanetary gear
- Dev 8: Common interstellar civilian and military field gear
- Dev 9+: Extremely advanced, tightly controlled, or rare equipment
The gear below lists the minimum Development Level at which the item is normally manufactured in reliable quantity. Lower-development worlds may still have access through imports, salvage, military surplus, black markets, or ancient caches.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3D Printer | 6 | 10 | $500 |
| Adhesive Patches | 6 | 0.25 | $20 |
| Battery, Universal | 6 | 0.5 | $50 |
| Binoculars | 4 | 2 | $250 |
| Biolink | 7 | 1 | $100 |
| Command Suite | 7 | 20 | $10K |
| Commlink | 6 | — | $50 |
| Cutting Torch | 5 | 1 | $200 |
| Directional Microphone | 5 | 1 | $250 |
| Drone, Combat | 7 | 10 | $10K |
| Drone, Commercial | 6 | 2 | $200 |
| Emergency Beacon | 7 | 5 | $250 |
| Energy Sheet | 7 | 1 | $100 |
| Energy Tent | 7 | 2 | $200 |
| Exoskeleton | 7 | 5 | $10K |
| Generator | 6 | 50 | $500 |
| Gravity Trap | 9 | 5 | $1K |
| Language Translator | 6 | 1 | $250 |
| Line Projector | 8 | 3 | $100 |
| Manacles | 6 | 1 | $200 |
| Matter Cutter | 7 | 6 | $400 |
| Matter Disintegrator | 9 | 10 | $4K |
| Matter Replicator | 9 | 20 | $100K |
| Mineral Detector | 5 | 4 | $100 |
| Motion Detector | 6 | 2 | $200 |
| Omnitool | 8 | 6 | $600 |
| Penetrating Visor | 8 | 2 | $1K |
| Projected-Light Device | 8 | 4 | $1K |
| Astra Block | 8 | 1 | $5K |
| Rebreather | 6 | 1 | $250 |
| Repair Patch | 8 | 10 | $1K |
| Stun Collar | 7 | 1 | $500 |
| Time Dilator | 9 | 1 | $50K |
| Time Regulator | 9 | 1 | $25K |
| Wall Walker | 8 | 4 | $2.5K |
Gear Notes
3D Printer: A compact field fabricator able to manufacture most common gear items up to 10 pounds in weight, provided it has a valid blueprint and suitable raw material feedstock. Fabrication usually costs about the same as the finished item. Printing time is about one minute per pound. On high-development worlds, this is common expedition gear. On lower-development worlds, it is a luxury, salvage item, or restricted import.
Adhesive Patches: Emergency seal patches for punctured suits, shelters, or other sealed field gear. Applying one requires an action and a Repair roll at +2. Failure ruins the patch.
Battery, Universal: A standardized power cell used by most portable electronics, tools, and civilian field gear from Dev 6 onward. In well-developed regions they are routinely recharged rather than discarded. On a Critical Failure while using a powered device, the battery is drained and must be replaced or recharged.
Binoculars: Optical magnification and light-enhancing lenses grant 100x magnification, negate up to 4 points of Illumination penalties, and provide +2 to Notice when used as an action. They may be worn as goggles for double cost, allowing activation or deactivation as a free action by touch or voice.
Biolink: A secure personal sensor package used by military teams, survey crews, security units, and specialized agencies. A biolink functions as a commlink, camera, locator, and vital-sign monitor when paired to an authorized Command Suite. At Dev 7 it is clearly visible and about a pound of hardware. At Dev 8 and above it is compact enough to conceal easily, imposing -2 Notice to detect, or -4 for especially discreet models.
Command Suite: A portable tactical interface, usually tablet-sized or integrated into a visor or command rig, that connects the user to up to 100 linked personnel equipped with biolinks, powered armor, drones, or vehicles. Range is normally the same as a commlink, though local networks may extend it much farther. The operator may monitor linked visuals, audio, vitals, and battlefield position, and extend Command Range to all linked personnel.
Commlink: A hands-free voice communications device with a normal range of 20 miles. It may be worn as an earpiece, throat band, handheld unit, wrist device, or similar form. From Dev 6 onward this is ordinary field gear. At Dev 8, wrist comms are among the most common forms, especially in Alliance service.
Cutting Torch: A compact industrial torch used for welding, breaching, and emergency salvage. It deals 3d6 damage, AP 10, HW and may be used as an Improvised Weapon.
Directional Microphone: A compact audio pickup with earpiece capable of isolating whispers at up to 200 yards, granting +2 to hearing-based Notice rolls.
Drone, Combat: Use the appropriate drone rules or stat block for the specific model.
Drone, Commercial: A civilian or light-industrial drone, usually Size -2, equipped with a high-resolution camera and microphone. It has Toughness 3, Pace 12, and is typically operated through a handheld controller, visor link, or app using Piloting.
Emergency Beacon: A distress transmitter that broadcasts a location-tagged emergency signal across FTL communications infrastructure where available. A single charge typically lasts for weeks. In civilized space this is standard survival gear for serious expeditions.
Energy Sheet: A one-person insulated survival bedroll or thermal cocoon providing protection from temperatures ranging from roughly 150°F to -50°F for up to 72 hours.
Energy Tent: A two-person shelter with the same environmental protection and duration as an energy sheet.
Exoskeleton: A powered support frame that increases Strength by two die types. It requires a battery and may be worn over normal clothing or armor. Strength gained this way does not count for Advancement purposes.
Generator: A portable power unit using microfusion, advanced fuel cells, or similar compact energy systems depending on local Development Level. It can power structures, heavy equipment, vehicles, or charge large numbers of universal batteries. One month of heavy use generally consumes about $10,000 in fuel, rare feedstock, or recharge infrastructure.
Gravity Trap: A compact advanced restraint device, usually a black disc about a foot across, powered for one activation. Setting it takes about one minute. It cannot be thrown or used like a grenade. When triggered, it creates a gravity well in a Large Blast Template centered on the trap. The trap’s AI has d10 Smarts and may be given activation conditions.
Targets of Size 7 or larger automatically break free, but move as though in Difficult Ground. All smaller targets are automatically Bound and get one chance to break free at -6. If they fail, they remain trapped until the device is turned off or loses power one hour later. Detecting a competently hidden trap requires Notice at -4.
Language Translator: A compact translation unit or wearable assistant able to interpret most known spoken languages. It translates common trade and state languages at d10, and less familiar languages at d6, depending on database quality.
Line Projector: A wrist-mounted projector that creates a tether of hard light, smart filament, or similar advanced material. It functions like a rope, supports up to 1,000 lbs, and may extend up to 500 feet.
Manacles: Advanced restraints made of resilient smart material, hardened polymer, or projected locking bands. They have Hardness 16, and attempts to escape suffer -6.
Matter Cutter: A heavy-duty cutting tool designed for starship hulls, armored bulkheads, and other dense materials. It is awkward in combat, counting as a medium improvised weapon with Parry -2 and Min Str d6, but it deals 2d4+8 damage, AP 8, HW and has Cauterize.
Matter Disintegrator: An extremely advanced industrial or military breaching tool. It deals 3d10 damage, AP 20, Min Str d10 and can vaporize up to one cubic foot of matter per round. It may be used as an Improvised Weapon, though doing so is rarely wise.
Matter Replicator: A large advanced fabrication engine that rearranges up to 500 lbs of matter into another object of equal mass. It can duplicate the structure of a living body, but not life, consciousness, or soul. Anything organic created this way is inert and dead.
Mineral Detector: A prospecting and hazard-detection device able to identify mineral density, buried ore, and hidden metallic hazards within a Large Blast Template to a depth of about six feet. It also removes penalties for detecting mines or similar buried threats.
Motion Detector: Displays the position of anything not absolutely motionless within 25" (50 yards). Dense solid matter or strong energy shielding blocks it.
Omnitool: A compact personal field device, often worn as a bracelet or forearm module, that projects a hard-light or holo-interface on command. It provides a display, keyboard, interface, scanner, and can emulate most small handheld tools. Under normal use it runs about a month before recharge. Repeated heavy tool use shortens that significantly.
Penetrating Visor: Advanced sensor eyewear that negates up to 4 points of Illumination or Range penalties and may see through up to 6 inches of anything short of dense solid matter or active energy shielding.
Projected-Light Device: A holographic projector that creates a 3D image filling up to a Small Blast Template centered on the device. At the Gamemaster’s discretion, the projection may force a Fear check, make a target Distracted, or otherwise support deception and misdirection.
Astra Block: A headband, circlet, implant module, or similar shielding device designed to interfere with hostile Astra effects. It grants +4 to resistance rolls or Armor against Astra-based attacks. It stacks with Arcane Resistance mechanically, though in Astrabound it specifically represents protection against Astra phenomena.
Rebreather: Provides 12 hours of breathable air and grants +2 to resist harmful atmospheres, smoke, or gas exposure. If the local atmosphere already contains the user’s required gases in survivable form, it can function indefinitely as a filter and regulator.
Repair Patch: A high-end repair sheet containing nano-repair systems or smart reconstruction material. It applies an effective Repair d10+2, halves normal repair time, or reduces it to one-quarter on a raise. It is especially valued in shipboard emergencies and remote expeditions.
Stun Collar: A restraint collar or similar control device that may be triggered remotely by commlink as a free action once attached to a vulnerable anatomy. The target must make a Vigor roll at -4 or become Stunned. Multiply cost and weight by Size for larger captives.
Time Dilator: A rare wrist-mounted chronodynamic device. Activating it is a limited free action. For five rounds, time bends around the user, doubling Pace and allowing them to ignore 2 points of Multi-Action penalties. It then requires one hour to recharge.
Time Regulator: A self-powered temporal stabilizer that keeps the wearer aware of timeline shifts and immune to direct time-based effects such as time stop or time grenades. If someone using a Time Dilator comes within 5" (10 yards) of a Time Regulator, the Dilator effect immediately ends.
Wall Walker: A climbing frame or gravitic traction rig that lets the wearer move along vertical or inverted surfaces. Standard models move at half Pace and cannot run. Advanced models, common at higher Development Levels, move at full Pace, may run, and can cross almost any stable surface.
Development Level Guidance
Not every item above is equally common everywhere.
Dev 4-5 Gear
Industrial and early modern worlds commonly produce:
- binoculars
- cutting torches
- directional microphones
- mineral detectors
Dev 6-7 Gear
Orbital and early starfaring societies commonly produce:
- 3D printers
- adhesive patches
- batteries
- commlinks
- commercial drones
- rebreathers
- emergency beacons
- energy sheets and tents
- exoskeletons
- generators
- motion detectors
Dev 8 Gear
Mature interstellar powers commonly field:
- advanced biolinks
- command suites
- line projectors
- omnitools
- penetrating visors
- projected-light devices
- Astra Blocks
- repair patches
- wall walkers
This is also the level where gear becomes heavily integrated into daily life. Alliance wrist comms, military-linked personnel systems, and advanced field kits belong here.
Dev 9+ Gear
These devices are rare, restricted, strategic, or outright alarming:
- gravity traps
- matter disintegrators
- matter replicators
- time dilators
- time regulators
Many such devices are not sold openly even on worlds that can manufacture them.
Example: Astrid uses a biolink and command suite to coordinate a boarding team through a failing station. Flynn relies on a line projector and motion detector to cross maintenance shafts and track movement in the dark. A Stellaris field team may carry an Astra Block when expecting hostile Astra adepts, unstable relics, or corrupted Crystal sites.
Field Equipment and Personal Goods
The following items cover common civilian, frontier, expeditionary, and specialist equipment beyond basic adventuring tools.
As with all gear in Astrabound, an item’s listed minimum Development Level reflects the point at which it can be manufactured reliably and in quantity. Lower-development worlds may still possess such items through imports, salvage, inheritance, military surplus, old expedition caches, or black-market trade.
Animals
Beasts of burden, riding creatures, trained companions, and semi-domesticated working animals remain common across much of the galaxy, especially on lower-development worlds, frontier colonies, agricultural planets, and cultures that prefer living mounts to machines.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Dog | 7 | — | $500 |
| Ghevok | 1 | — | $500 |
| Monkey | 1 | — | $1K |
| Override Collar | 8 | 2 | $1K |
| Quatha | 1 | — | $500 |
| Stryder | 1 | — | $900 |
Animal Notes
Cyber Dog: A trained cybernetic working or security animal, usually fielded by military, police, or industrial teams on higher-development worlds.
Ghevok, Quatha, Stryder: Common examples of riding beasts, pack animals, or work creatures depending on local culture and environment.
Monkey: Often kept as a trained helper, scout, or nuisance depending on who is telling the story.
Override Collar: A controversial control device placed on the neck, head, or equivalent anatomy of a creature with Animal Smarts. The creature becomes loyal to the user controlling the paired commlink and obeys simple commands within its understanding, though it will not knowingly sacrifice itself. Multiply cost and weight by Size if the target is larger than Size 1.
Use of override collars is tightly regulated, culturally taboo, or outright illegal in many civilized systems.
Clothing
Clothing ranges from rugged frontier survival wear to adaptive smart-fabric common on advanced worlds. In Astrabound, clothing often says as much about origin and Development Level as language or accent.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alter Wear | 7 | 1 | $100 |
| Camouflage Suit | 7 | 2 | $2.5K |
| Environment Wear | 6 | 3 | $450 |
| Gravity Harness | 8 | 4 | $500 |
| Magnetic Boots | 7 | 4 | $100 |
| Nano Wear | 8 | 4 | $500 |
Clothing Notes
Alter Wear: Smart fabric clothing that can change color and display user-defined patterns, insignia, icons, or short messages. Popular on developed worlds and in urban station culture.
Camouflage Suit: A full-body stealth suit that shifts color, texture, and shadow response to match its surroundings, granting +2 to Stealth. On advanced Dev 8 models, double the cost to grant the suit the invisibility power while active, with about one hour of dedicated power before recharge.
Environment Wear: Field clothing designed for harsh climates. It reduces penalties to Vigor rolls made to resist Fatigue from temperatures between 150°F and -50°F by 2 points. With an integrated or attached battery, it provides active heating or cooling and may negate the roll entirely in ordinary extremes, or reduce penalties in worse conditions at the Gamemaster’s discretion.
Gravity Harness: A personal gravitic regulator that lets the user set their effective gravity to Low, Normal, or Heavy. Mostly found among advanced militaries, industrial workers, and high-end explorers.
Magnetic Boots: Allow movement on metal surfaces at half Pace. The wearer may not run. Common in shipboard work, EVA operations, and station maintenance.
Nano Wear: Advanced programmable fabric that changes shape, color, and texture to imitate many kinds of clothing, from formal attire to expedition wear. It cannot form armor or sealed suits.
Electronics
Electronics vary enormously by Development Level. At lower high-tech levels they are tools. At higher levels they become extensions of daily life, identity, and infrastructure.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Augmented-Reality Glasses | 6 | 1 | $300 |
| Cyberdeck | 8 | 2 | $500 |
| Electronic Lockpick | 6 | 2 | $500 |
| Navigation Beacon | 8 | 25 | $5K |
| Personal Data Device | 6 | 1 | $500 |
| Scanner | 6 | 1 | $500 |
| Sensor Array | 8 | 20 | $25K |
| Virtual Reality Set | 6 | 1 | $200 |
Electronics Notes
Augmented-Reality Glasses: Provide live overlays, environmental tagging, and linked interface support, granting +1 to Notice and Research in appropriate situations.
Cyberdeck: A dedicated intrusion and interface system that allows hackers to connect directly to virtual environments, secured systems, and high-end digital architectures. In Astrabound, this is most common among advanced states, espionage services, criminal specialists, and technical operators.
Electronic Lockpick: May be attached to an electronic lock. After one minute, it makes an Electronics d10 roll. Success opens the lock without triggering alarms. Failure allows another attempt. A Critical Failure means it cannot open that particular lock. On advanced Dev 8+ models, nanotech versions may also bypass many physical locks.
Navigation Beacon: A heavy, self-powered deep-space marker used to guide travel, especially in remote systems, unstable routes, or private navigation corridors. It transmits three-dimensional coordinates and may include warnings, route data, audiovisual messages, or encoded traffic advisories.
Personal Data Device: A portable communicator, organizer, and network terminal with about a month-long charge under normal use. When connected to public or private information networks, it grants a free reroll on Common Knowledge when used to gather information. At higher Development Levels, wrist systems, omnitools, or embedded wearables often replace it.
Scanner: Detects and identifies matter, energy, environmental anomalies, life signs, or system signatures even when not directly visible, though dense materials, shielding, or interference fields may block it. Handheld models have a range of 50 yards. Backpack or mounted versions may reach 500 yards or more.
Sensor Array: A deployable dish and console capable of scanning heat, light, gravity, radio traffic, electromagnetic radiation, and other detectable matter or energy sources. In space it may scan out to one light year. On a planet, it generally scans to line of sight, though linked satellites or launched mini-sats may allow hemisphere-scale coverage.
Virtual Reality Set: A headset or visor for entering virtual environments. For an additional 3 pounds and $1K, it includes a full-immersion suit that relays physical sensation across the user’s body.
Firearm Accessories
As weapon technology changes, so do the systems built to stabilize, secure, and extend those weapons. Some accessories are nearly universal. Others are associated with advanced militaries and restricted users.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Weapon Harness | 6 | 5 | $150 |
| Scope, Advanced | 7 | 1 | $1K |
| Tractor Glove & Grip | 8 | 0.5 | $100 |
| Weapon Lock | 7 | — | $200 |
Firearm Accessory Notes
Heavy Weapon Harness: A shoulder, back, and belt harness designed to offset the weight and recoil of support weapons. It negates Recoil and Snapfire penalties and reduces Minimum Strength by two die types. It also imposes -2 to Pace, Parry, Fighting, and Athletics while worn. The weapon may be shelved on the user’s back when not in use, but the penalties remain. Advanced versions at Dev 8 no longer reduce Pace.
Scope, Advanced: Negates Illumination penalties and 4 points of Range or Scale penalties when Aiming or when using it to Notice distant objects.
Tractor Glove & Grip: Lets the wearer draw a weapon fitted with a matching grip tag from up to 5" (10 yards) away as a limited free action. The weapon may weigh no more than 5 pounds. Additional grip tags cost $50 each installed.
Weapon Lock: Prevents a weapon from firing unless held by its authorized user. At Dev 7 this is usually biometric. At Dev 8 and above it often reads more sophisticated bio-patterns or identity signatures. Alliance service weapons commonly use more advanced user-locking systems tied to assignment and command policy.
Food
Food in Astrabound ranges from ration bars and purified water to local cuisine, imported luxuries, and things best left undescribed.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exotic Alien Liquor | 1 | — | $100 |
| Feed, Animal | 1 | 3 | $2 |
| Meal, Cheap | 1 | — | $10 |
| Meal, Average | 1 | — | $20 |
| Meal, Fine | 1 | — | $50 |
| Nutribar | 6 | 12/1 lbs | $5 |
| Water, 120 oz. Container | 0 | 8 | $1 |
| Water Purification Filter | 5 | 1 | $50 |
Food Notes
Exotic Alien Liquor: A catch-all category for strange intoxicants. The drinker must make a Vigor roll. On success, they gain +2 on Spirit and Spirit-based skills. On failure, they suffer -2 to Smarts, Agility, and related skills for one hour. On a Critical Failure, they also suffer Fatigue.
Feed, Animal: One day of ordinary feed for a typical work or riding animal.
Nutribar: Compact ration providing a full day’s nutrition for a typical human-sized being.
Water Purification Filter: Removes toxins and impurities from 12 ounces of water per minute and may be used around 100 times before failure.
Lifestyle
These prices represent average daily costs for food, drink, lodging, subscriptions, low-grade entertainment, and normal incidentals in settled regions. Conditions vary wildly by world, station, and local economy.
Gamemaster Advice
You may wish to charge daily lifestyle expenses during downtime, station stays, long layovers, or between expeditions.
Cheap lifestyles increase the chance of bad food, theft, harassment, disease exposure, and poor accommodations. More expensive lifestyles usually include privacy, comfort, security, or good location.
| Lifestyle | Cost |
|---|---|
| Destitute | $0 |
| Meager | $30 |
| Fair | $80 |
| Comfortable | $125 |
| Prosperous | $250 |
| Lavish | $500 |
| Opulent | $1,000 |
Locomotion
Not every world uses the same movement tech. A jump pack common on one advanced frontier colony may be military surplus on another world and impossible treasure on a lower-development planet.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glide Suit | 6 | 8 | $15K |
| Jump Pack | 7 | 20 | $5K |
| Power Loader | 7 | 20 | $5K |
| Rocket Pack | 7 | 30 | $25K |
| Teleporter Belt | 9 | 1 | $25K |
| Thruster Unit, EVA | 7 | 12 | $500 |
Locomotion Notes
Glide Suit: A winged body suit allowing glide travel at Pace 48 (120 MPH) for distances roughly 10 times the launch height. Piloting is used for maneuvering and landing. A failed landing causes 3d6 damage. A Critical Failure or high-speed collision causes 5d6 damage.
Jump Pack: A personal mobility rig that doubles jumping distance and lets the user automatically move their full running die when running, ignoring most low terrain in between. It also ignores 2 points of Evasion penalties while active. Early versions are bulky and noisy. Advanced versions become smaller, quieter, and more graceful.
Power Loader: A cargo-handling exosuit designed for industrial lifting, loading, and salvage work. It provides no Armor but has built-in Strength d12+4.
Rocket Pack: A personal flight system using controlled thrust. Baseline versions allow flight up to 25 MPH (Speed 4) with a maximum range of 100 miles, using Piloting. Higher-end versions become faster, lighter, quieter, and more maneuverable.
Teleporter Belt: A rare Dev 9 device. As a free action, the wearer may teleport instantly to a linked teleporter aboard a base, facility, or ship. If paired to multiple receivers, the user chooses the destination. The wearer may also teleport up to 12" (24 yards) in line of sight as a limited action in addition to normal movement.
Thruster Unit, EVA: A handheld zero-gravity propulsion unit allowing flight at Pace 6 in vacuum or microgravity. It contains about 24 hours of fuel and energy under ordinary use.
Lodging
Lodging costs vary heavily based on world, district, and local law level, but the following serve as useful baselines in civilized space.
Lodging prices generally include two beds per room. Suites housing up to six are usually available for double the listed price.
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Apartment, Cheap | $1,000/month |
| Apartment, Standard | $1,500/month |
| Apartment, Luxury | $3,000+/month |
| Hotel, Capsule | $25/night |
| Hotel, Common | $100/night |
| Hotel, Excellent | $200/night |
| Hotel, Luxury | $500+/night |
| Stabling for Mounts | $5/night |
Lodging Notes
Hotel, Capsule: Accommodates one being of Size 1 or smaller. Common on stations, dense cities, and heavily trafficked industrial worlds.
Medical
Medical technology in Astrabound varies enormously by Development Level, species, and faction access. Frontier med-kits may mean compresses and synth-drugs. Advanced powers field regeneration systems that look miraculous to less developed cultures.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medi-Gel | 7 | 1 | $50 |
| Medi-Scanner | 7 | 2 | $500 |
| Regeneration Gel | 8 | 0.5 | $1K |
| Revival Kit | 9 | 10 | $50K |
Medical Notes
Medi-Gel: A field treatment dose granting +2 to Healing rolls within the Golden Hour or to stabilize someone who is Bleeding Out.
Medi-Scanner: A compact diagnostic scanner allowing one free Healing reroll.
Regeneration Gel: A dose takes one action to apply and automatically heals one Wound, regardless of the Golden Hour. It also heals a Permanent Injury if used on someone with no Wounds.
Revival Kit: A terrifyingly advanced medical package. If used on a mostly intact corpse with an intact brain, the dead character returns to life fully healed after a one-hour regeneration period.
Packs
These packs bundle common equipment for particular environments or travel profiles and provide a slight discount in cost and weight.
| Pack | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Spacer’s Pack | 20 | $600 |
| Deep Space Pack | 25 | $700 |
| Desert Worlder’s Pack | 10 | $600 |
| Ice Worlder’s Pack | 25 | $700 |
| Jungle Worlder’s Pack | 25 | $600 |
Pack Notes
Basic Spacer’s Pack: Adhesive patches ×4, backpack, flashlight, goggles, nutribar ×10, spacesuit, water container.
Deep Space Pack: Adhesive patches ×4, backpack, emergency beacon, flashlight, line projector, nutribar ×30, spacesuit, universal battery ×2, water container.
Desert Worlder’s Pack: Backpack, bedroll, energy sheet, environment wear, goggles, nutribar ×10, shovel, universal battery, water containers ×2.
Ice Worlder’s Pack: Backpack, bedroll, energy tent, environment wear, goggles, grappling hook, line projector, nutribar ×10, shovel, universal battery, water container.
Jungle Worlder’s Pack: Backpack, energy tent, environment wear, flashlight, nutribar ×10, universal battery, water container, water purification filter.
Personal Defense
These devices are uncommon, expensive, and often tightly restricted outside military, security, or elite expeditionary use.
| Item | Min Dev | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Force Dome Generator | 8 | 30 | $50K |
| Force Field | 8 | 0.25 | $10K |
Personal Defense Notes
Force Dome Generator: Creates a force barrier around a Large Blast Template with Hardness 16. The dome cannot be moved while active and lasts one hour on a standard battery. If broken, it burns out and cannot be restored without a Repair roll taking ten minutes. Multiple domes may overlap and automatically connect, removing internal barriers.
Force Field: See Energy Armor or the relevant armor section.
Services
Services are usually paid by the hour or day, though contracts vary. Hirelings who travel with their employer must be provided food, water, shelter, and any necessary equipment they do not already possess.
Hirelings are generally loyal, but not suicidal. They will not knowingly violate their ethics or throw their lives away without reason.
Hirelings are Extras. Wild Card hirelings cost three times the listed price.
| Service | Cost |
|---|---|
| Astra Adept (Chaplain, Shifter, etc.) | $30/hour |
| Assassin | $500+/target |
| Bodyguard (Thug) | $50/day |
| Bounty Hunter | $1,000+/target |
| Diplomat | $100/day |
| Explorer | $50/day |
| Hacker | $70/hour |
| Local Guide (Citizen) | $30/day |
| Miner | $50/day |
| Personal Assistant (Citizen) | $50/day |
| Repairs | $50/hour |
| Scientist | $100/day |
| Security Guard (Law Enforcement) | $20/hour |
| Smuggler | $200/day |
| Space Cowboy | $70/day |
| Spy | $500+/day |
| Starship Captain | $300/day |
| Starship Crew | $60/day |
| Starship Engineer | $120/day |
| Starship Gunner | $80/day |
| Starship Medical Officer | $200/day |
| Starship Pilot/Navigator | $150/day |
Travel
Travel costs are per passenger and assume ordinary accommodations for the service level purchased. They do not include food, water, baggage surcharges, or special treatment unless noted.
| Travel Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Animal | $3/day |
| Caravan | $5/day |
| Cargo (one ton) | $500/day |
| Hover Cab | $3/mile |
| Starship, Common Berth | $50/day |
| Starship, Cabin | $100/day |
| Starship, Luxury Cabin | $500/day |
Development Level Guidance
Dev 1-5
Most worlds at these levels rely on animals, pack gear, ordinary clothing, food stores, and lodging. Imported advanced gear exists, but is rare, precious, and often poorly understood.
Dev 6-7
This is where portable electronics, comms, scanners, environment wear, consumer drones, virtual systems, modern expedition gear, and practical medical field technology become broadly common.
Dev 8
This is the level of mature interstellar daily gear: advanced command systems, smart fabrics, force tech, line projectors, high-function camouflage, override collars, and powerful compact field systems. Alliance wrist comms and most mature military-linked personal gear belong here.
Dev 9+
At this level, matter control, advanced teleportation, revival technology, and similar near-miraculous tools begin to appear. Such items are often restricted, strategic, or politically sensitive.
Astrabound Usage Notes
When placing gear in Astrabound, think about who made it, who controls it, and what that says about the setting.
A frontier world may have rugged environment wear, patched sensors, cargo beasts, and industrial surplus.
An Alliance world may issue clean Dev 8 comms, linked uniforms, user-locked weapons, and reliable personal field systems.
A Stellaris team may carry highly specialized field tools, scanners, Astra shielding, and recovery equipment not sold openly on civilian markets.
A Drakneri or Azaranian cache may contain devices that are more advanced than local users can reproduce, even if they can operate them.
Ancient ruins may contain relic-grade tools that blur the boundary between technology, Astra reaction, and forgotten science.
Armor
Across Astrabound, older armor never truly disappears.
Ballistic vests, leather coats, synth-mesh, sealed voidsuits, riot shields, chain, and rigid plate still see use on backwater worlds, frontier colonies, salvage stations, militia lines, and among groups that cannot afford or access newer protection. In advanced regions, these older armors are often replaced, upgraded, or layered with superior materials, field systems, and projected defenses.
Armor is shaped as much by Development Level, environment, and doctrine as by pure technology.
A Dev 2 warlord may trust steel and hide.
A Dev 5 planetary security officer may wear ballistic plates and a sealed helmet.
An Alliance marine at Dev 8 may rely on smart armor, user-linked systems, and a personal field generator.
A Stellaris Agent may favor sealed field armor built for ruins, relics, and hostile environments over open battlefields.
Availability by Development Level
As a rule of thumb:
- Dev 1-2: Leather, hide, quilted armor, shields, chain, scale, and early plate
- Dev 3-5: Ballistic armor, helmets, riot gear, military plate, industrial hazard suits
- Dev 6-7: Modern voidsuits, synth-mesh, sealed combat gear, advanced military armor
- Dev 8: Mature interstellar field armor, compact force protection, smart fabrics, shield drones
- Dev 9+: Highly advanced projected defenses, rare containment systems, and exceptional specialist gear
The items below list the minimum Development Level at which they are normally manufactured in reliable quantity. Lower-development worlds may still possess them through import, salvage, inheritance, black markets, old stockpiles, or faction issue.
Armor Rules
Toughness
Some armor provides Toughness rather than, or in addition to, conventional Armor.
Armor-based Toughness stacks with a character’s normal Toughness and other non-armor sources, but does not stack with other armor that also provides Toughness. If a character wears multiple items that grant armor-based Toughness, use only the best one.
Example: Astrid wears a suit that grants Toughness rather than rigid plating. That Toughness stacks with her natural durability, but if she swaps to another suit that also grants Toughness, only one armor-based Toughness bonus applies.
Ballistic Protection
Armor marked with an asterisk (*) reduces damage from bullets fired by slugthrowers by 4.
This reflects layered anti-ballistic fibers, reactive inserts, or dedicated projectile protection systems.
Example: Flynn is wearing a ballistic vest marked with
*when a pirate opens up with a slugthrower. The armor reduces that incoming bullet damage by 4 before the rest of the attack is resolved.
Cloaking Skin
Starting at Dev 8, many advanced suits may be fitted with cloaking projectors that distort the light around the wearer.
Treat this as a normal activation of the invisibility power when the system is switched on.
A battery powers the field for one hour of continuous use. Increase the armor’s cost by $5K.
Cloaking skins are expensive, delicate, and uncommon outside advanced military, covert, or specialist use.
Example: Zayko’s infiltration armor uses a cloaking skin projector that bends light around him. Mechanically it functions as invisibility, but in the fiction it appears as a faint shimmer vanishing into the station’s shadows.
Energy Skin
Any listed armor may be treated with a shiny, diffusive layer that reduces damage from lasers by 4.
Increase the armor’s cost by 50%. The reflective finish imposes a -2 penalty to Stealth rolls opposed by sight.
This upgrade is common among troops expecting directed-energy opposition, but less popular with scouts and infiltrators.
Example: Astrid upgrades her battle suit with an energy skin before a mission against laser-armed security drones. It performs well under directed fire, but the reflective finish makes sneaking harder.
Sealed
Many advanced armors may be built or upgraded as sealed suits.
A sealed suit protects against toxins, radiation, and extreme heat or cold from roughly 150°F down to -50°F. If the wearer suffers a Wound without Soaking, the seal loses integrity unless repaired with an adhesive patch, unless the suit specifically states otherwise.
Example: Flynn’s sealed suit keeps him alive during a toxic refinery breach, but once he takes a Wound the suit’s seal is compromised and must be patched before he can trust it again.
Armored Suits
These suits represent common forms of worn protection across the civilized galaxy, from low-profile underlayers to military-grade field armor.
| Item | Min Dev | Armor | Tough | Min Str | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body Armor | 5 | +4* | — | d4 | 4 | $200 |
| Containment Suit | 9 | — | +2 | d4 | 5 | $5K |
| Infantry Battle Helmet | 5 | +6* | — | d6 | 2 | $100 |
| Infantry Battle Suit | 5 | +6* | — | d6 | 12 | $800 |
| Smart Sleeve | 7 | +1 | — | d4 | 2 | $900 |
| Synth-Mesh Suit | 6 | +2 | — | — | 1 | $100 |
Armored Suit Notes
Body Armor: Covers torso, arms, and legs. Light armor clothing built from layered ballistic polymers, dense weave, and rigid inserts. Common among soldiers, mercenaries, security officers, and serious frontier crews.
Containment Suit: A rare specialist suit designed for entities or beings whose bodies require unusual containment conditions. It allows energy beings or similarly unstable lifeforms to use weapons and equipment normally.
The suit is not fully airtight, and small breaches cause no immediate problem. However, every time the wearer takes Wounds, roll a d6 and add the number of Wounds caused by that attack. On a total of 7 or higher, the suit ceases to function properly.
Infantry Battle Helmet: Covers head and face. Standard military head protection with strong ballistic resistance.
Infantry Battle Suit: Covers torso, arms, and legs. A full articulated combat armor ensemble used by line troops, planetary security, and military contractors on mid- to high-development worlds.
Smart Sleeve: Covers torso, arms, and legs. A responsive underlayer that grants a free reroll of Vigor against Bleeding Out. It may be worn under other armor, using normal armor stacking rules.
Synth-Mesh Suit: Covers torso, arms, and legs. Lightweight protective clothing made from synthetic fibers and woven reinforcement. Common on advanced civilian worlds and among travelers who want protection without obvious military gear.
Example: Zayko may wear a smart sleeve beneath heavier armor during boarding actions. It does not make him a tank, but it gives him one more chance to stay alive if a fight goes bad.
Energy Armor
Projected defenses are common in high-end military, corporate, and specialist gear across Astrabound.
Unlike conventional armor, these systems do not always stop a hit through mass or rigid plating. Instead, they disperse force, bleed off incoming energy, or harden a protective field around the user.
Energy Armor Table
| Item | Min Dev | Armor | Tough | Min Str | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Force Field, Personal | 8 | — | +4 | — | 0.25 | $10K |
Energy Armor Notes
Force Field, Personal: Usually projected from a belt, wrist unit, harness node, or similar compact emitter, and designed to surround a being of Size 2 or less.
It stacks with worn armor and may be activated or deactivated as a limited free action. If the wearer takes three or more Wounds from a single hit, the battery is expended and must be recharged before the field may be used again.
This is common enough among elite Dev 8 personnel to be recognized, but still expensive and often restricted outside military, corporate, noble, or specialist circles.
Example: Astrid’s personal force field turns a lethal burst into something survivable, but a massive hit can overload the system and leave her exposed for the rest of the fight.
Spacesuits
In Astrabound, vacuum is one of the great equalizers.
It does not matter whether a character is noble, marine, smuggler, explorer, or relic hunter. Without a proper suit, the void wins.
Spacesuit Table
| Item | Min Dev | Armor | Tough | Min Str | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spacesuit | 6 | +1 | — | — | 18 | $500 |
| Spacesuit, Armored | 7 | +4* | — | d6 | 26 | $2.5K |
| Spacesuit, Combat | 8 | +4* | +2 | d6 | 20 | $5K |
Spacesuit Notes
Spacesuit: A sealed, full-body void suit that protects against vacuum and provides 12 hours of air. Standard issue for civilian EVA work, salvage, station repair, and emergency shipboard use.
Spacesuit, Armored: A sealed, full-body armored void suit that protects against vacuum and provides 24 hours of air. If the wearer suffers a Wound without Soaking, the suit loses integrity unless repaired with an adhesive patch.
Spacesuit, Combat: A sealed, full-body military or elite expeditionary void suit that protects against vacuum and provides 48 hours of air. It automatically self-seals breaches caused by Wounds and does not lose integrity that way.
Example: Flynn trusts an armored spacesuit because it is affordable and common on salvage jobs. Astrid prefers a combat suit because it keeps working after taking damage. Zayko treats any void suit as sacred equipment, because in deep space a suit failure is often the same thing as a death sentence.
Shields
Shields remain relevant across the setting.
On lower-development worlds they are wood, hide, bronze, or steel. On higher-development worlds they are polymer, composite, smart-material, or drone-projected. Even in an age of plasma bolts and disruptor fire, a shield is still useful when crossing a kill zone, holding a corridor, or surviving the first few seconds of violence.
A shield protects against half of a wielder’s attackers if attacked by multiple foes on the same Action Card.
Polymer shields have Hardness 10 and provide +4 Armor if someone attempts to shoot through them.
Shield Rules
Energy Skin
Any shield listed below may be treated with a shiny, diffusive layer that reduces damage from lasers by 4.
Increase the cost by 50%. The reflective surface imposes -2 to Stealth rolls opposed by sight.
Example: Astrid equips a polymer shield with an energy skin before storming a corridor defended by laser carbines. It gives her a better chance to cross the kill zone, but it is not subtle gear.
Shield Table
| Item | Min Dev | Parry | Cover | Min Str | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polymer Shield, Small | 5 | +1 | — | d4 | 2 | $200 |
| Polymer Shield, Medium | 5 | +2 | -2 | d4 | 4 | $300 |
| Polymer Shield, Large | 5 | +3 | -4 | d6 | 6 | $400 |
| Smart Shield Drone | 8 | +2 | -2 | — | 2 | $2K |
Shield Notes
Polymer Shield, Small / Medium / Large: Modern manufactured shields made from resilient composite material. Common among riot troops, boarding teams, militias, bodyguards, and cultures that still value shield tactics.
Smart Shield Drone: Activated as a limited free action, after which it hovers and protects the wielder as though they were personally carrying a shield.
Multiple drones may be used. Their effects do not stack, but having more than one drone protects against all attacks on a single Action Card rather than only half.
Smart shield drones are most common at Dev 8 among advanced military, police, and specialist users, though copies and downgraded variants may circulate elsewhere.
Example: Zayko activates two smart shield drones before entering a crossfire. He does not gain extra Parry or Cover, but he is protected against every incoming attacker on that Action Card instead of only half of them.
Development Level Guidance
Dev 1-2 Armor
Common protection includes:
- leather
- hide
- quilted armor
- chain
- scale
- shields
- simple plate elements
Dev 3-5 Armor
Common protection includes:
- ballistic vests
- military helmets
- infantry armor
- riot shields
- improved field plate
- industrial hazard suits
Dev 6-7 Armor
Common protection includes:
- synth-mesh
- smart underlayers
- sealed spacesuits
- armored EVA suits
- advanced battlefield protection
- modern military and expeditionary void gear
Dev 8 Armor
Common protection includes:
- compact personal force fields
- smart shield drones
- cloaking systems
- mature sealed combat suits
- advanced faction military armor
- integrated field-defense gear
This is the level where most Alliance and Stellaris field armor will sit.
Dev 9+ Armor
This tier includes:
- containment suits
- unusually advanced projection systems
- highly specialized relic-adjacent protection
- rare or strategic defensive equipment
This is the level where Drakneri and Azaranian specialist protection will often begin to stand apart from ordinary interstellar gear.
Astrabound Usage Notes
Armor in Astrabound should reveal something about where it came from.
A frontier scavenger might wear patched synth-mesh under a salvaged armored coat.
An Alliance marine may wear clean sealed combat armor backed by a wrist comm, DNA-locked service weapon, and linked tactical systems.
A Stellaris Agent may favor sealed field armor suited for ruins, relic recovery, and survival over flashy battlefield plating.
A Drakneri trooper or Azaranian elite may wear armor that is clearly more advanced than local manufacture can explain.
Older armor also remains valid in the setting. A steel breastplate, a polymer riot shield, and a personal force field can all exist in the same campaign without contradiction, because Astrabound is a galaxy of uneven development, long memory, and surviving pasts.
Weapon Notes
The following traits and rules apply to weapons found across Astrabound, from low-development frontier arsenals and Commonwealth armories to Alliance service weapons, Stellaris field gear, corporate security systems, and relic-grade devices recovered from older ages.
These notes are collected here so the chapter remains easy to reference during play.
Armor Piercing (AP)
The weapon ignores the listed number of points of a target’s Armor.
Example: Flynn fires an armor-piercing round into a security trooper’s plated vest. The shot is not stronger by itself, it simply ignores part of the target’s protection.
Beam Weapon
A raise when attacking with a beam weapon causes +2d6 damage instead of +1d6.
This usually applies to tightly focused energy weapons such as lasers, beam projectors, and similar systems.
Catastrophic
The weapon causes massive, wide-scale devastation.
It ignores Wound limits imposed by Setting Rules or abilities such as Unstoppable.
Cauterize
The weapon sears organic tissue, causing less bleeding than a conventional wound.
Anyone Incapacitated by a weapon with this trait adds +2 to Vigor rolls to avoid Bleeding Out.
Example: Astrid is dropped by a cauterizing weapon. The wound is severe, but the burned tissue gives her a slightly better chance to avoid bleeding to death.
Chain Blade
A melee weapon such as an axe or sword may be fitted with a powered cutting chain.
This increases damage to 2d6+4.
Chain blades are notoriously dangerous to wield. On a Critical Failure, the user hits themselves instead.
Damage
Damage is listed in dice.
Projectile weapons usually deal fixed damage such as 2d6.
Melee weapons usually deal Strength plus an additional die or modifier.
For Heavy Weapons, the weapon’s Class may also be listed in parentheses for use with Heavy Metal rules.
Electromagnetic (EMP)
EMP weapons are designed to disable electronics with minimal direct lethality.
Resolve damage normally. If the attack equals or exceeds the target’s Toughness, all carried, worn, or attached electronics are also knocked out.
Small devices are usually ruined or shut down permanently, at the Gamemaster’s discretion. Cyberware, vehicles, robots, power armor, and other hardened systems continue to function, but suffer -4 to linked rolls. Such systems may be reset with a Repair roll at -4 and a limited action.
Example: Flynn tags a drone handler with an EMP baton. The guard stays standing, but his visor, commlink, and smart weapon all die at once.
Energy Weapon
Some melee weapons are made of projected energy or are encased in a controlled energy edge.
Increase the weapon’s damage by one die type, increase AP by +4, and treat it as a Heavy Weapon.
Energy weapons are dangerous to use. A Critical Failure when attacking with one causes damage to the user.
Fixed
The weapon is mounted in a fixed forward-facing position rather than on a turret or pintle.
It may only fire in a 45-degree arc. This matters in Chases and Clashes, and reduces the weapon’s Mod cost by half, rounded up.
Guided Weapon
Guided weapons are fired using Electronics instead of Shooting.
They ignore 2 points of Range or Cover penalties, but otherwise use normal ranged attack rules. If they hit, aware targets may attempt Evasion. Vehicles instead make maneuvering rolls at -2.
Heavy Weapon (HW)
The weapon may affect vehicles and other targets with Heavy Armor.
Incendiary
Incendiary weapons may set individual beings on fire as normal under the Hazard rules.
For vehicles, whenever a vessel takes a Wound from an incendiary weapon, roll a d6. On a 6, or on a 5-6 for plasma weapons, a fire breaks out somewhere aboard, causing an additional Critical Hit. Vehicle fires are then handled by onboard systems or crew response as normal.
Tracers
Incendiary slugthrower ammunition is often called tracer ammo because its path is visibly marked.
When fired from a weapon with RoF 2 or higher, tracers grant +1 to Shooting.
Example: Astrid orders tracer rounds loaded into the squad support gun so her team can walk fire onto a corridor more accurately.
Linked Weapons
Weapons of the same type may be linked together and fired as one system.
- Dual-linked: +1 to hit, +2 damage
- Quad-linked: +2 to hit, +4 damage
- Treat triple-linked as dual-linked
Each additional linked weapon costs +1 Mod, even for very large weapons.
Minimum Size
Vehicle weapons list a Minimum Size for a stable firing platform.
If mounted on something smaller, the weapon gains Snapfire, and the platform is automatically Shaken if it is a character or Out of Control if it is a vehicle.
Minimum Strength
Some items require a minimum Strength to use effectively.
Armor and Worn Gear
Each die-type difference between the user’s Strength and the item’s Minimum Strength inflicts -1 to Pace (minimum 1), Agility, and Agility-linked skills.
Melee and Thrown Weapons
A melee or thrown weapon’s damage die cannot exceed the user’s Strength die.
If the user’s Strength is lower than the weapon’s Minimum Strength, they gain none of its positive qualities such as Reach or Parry bonuses, though they still suffer any penalties.
Ranged Weapons
The user suffers -1 to attacks for each die step their Strength falls short of the weapon’s Minimum Strength.
Example: Flynn can technically fire a weapon that is too heavy for him, but every missing Strength step makes the attack harder and less reliable.
Molecular Blade
Advanced construction allows a blade to be honed to an extremely fine edge.
This grants +2 damage and increases AP by half the weapon’s damage die type.
Examples:
- d4 damage die: +2 AP
- d6 damage die: +3 AP
- d8 damage die: +4 AP
- d10 damage die: +5 AP
Mounted Weapon
A personal ranged weapon weighing 20 lbs or more may be mounted on a tripod, pintle, vehicle, or similar support.
A mounted weapon effectively has unlimited Shots if connected to a sufficient energy source, and ignores Minimum Strength, Recoil, and Snapfire penalties.
If a weapon with RoF 3 or higher is mounted on a vehicle, it also gains Point Defense and Reaction Fire.
No Recoil
The weapon ignores Recoil penalties even when firing above RoF 1.
This is common on many beam weapons and highly stable advanced energy systems.
Overcharge
Some weapons may be overcharged by spending two Shots instead of one.
This adds +1d6 damage.
On a Critical Failure, the weapon explodes for its overcharge damage in a Small Blast Template centered on the user.
Parry
The weapon adds the listed bonus to the wielder’s Parry.
If a character fights with a weapon in each hand, Parry penalties stack, but Parry bonuses do not unless a special ability says otherwise.
Plasma Weapon
Plasma weapons fire or project superheated matter in a contained destructive bolt or field.
Plasma weapons are Incendiary, and a raise on the attack causes +2d6 damage instead of +1d6.
In Astrabound, this is the standard energy type for most blaster weapons, including many Alliance service arms and the weapons commonly carried by Stellaris Agents.
Point Defense
Point Defense weapons are designed to destroy incoming missiles, torpedoes, drones, or ramming craft by saturating space with fire.
Crew must be on Hold to use Point Defense manually. Automated systems fire automatically.
Either way, the weapon gets one attack at Short Range against each incoming projectile, with the following penalties:
- -6 vs missiles
- -4 vs torpedoes
- -2 vs a ramming vessel if its Top Speed is faster
Missiles and torpedoes are Hardness 12 (2).
The defending vessel may still attempt to Evade any projectiles that survive Point Defense fire.
Power
The weapon delivers an unusually violent burst of force or dramatically amplifies impact.
Add +1d6 damage, and +1d10 instead on a raise.
All power weapons are Heavy Weapons.
Range
Range is listed as Short / Medium / Long.
Extreme Range is up to 4x Long Range.
Ranges are listed in inches for tabletop use. If not using miniatures, treat 1 inch as 2 yards.
As a rough real-world estimate, multiply each range bracket by 2.5.
Rate of Fire (RoF)
Rate of Fire is the number of shots a weapon may fire with one action.
Each shot gets its own skill die, usually Shooting.
Reach
Weapons with Reach may attack targets farther away in melee.
A weapon with Reach 1 may strike a target 1 inch away.
A weapon with Reach 2 may strike a target 2 inches away.
Weapons without Reach may attack only adjacent targets.
Reaction Fire
These weapons throw out enough fire to respond immediately to close-range attackers.
In a Clash or Chase, a weapon with Reaction Fire may attack once per round at -2 when its craft is attacked from Short Range, after the enemy’s attack is resolved.
Reload
If a weapon lists Reload X, that many actions must be spent reloading before it may fire again.
Rending
The weapon tears, shreds, or mutilates living tissue on impact.
A victim Shaken or Wounded by a rending attack begins bleeding and must make a Vigor roll as a free action at the start of their next turn.
- Failure: suffer a Wound and roll again next turn
- Success: no Wound, but continue rolling next turn
- Raise: the bleeding stops
A successful Healing roll also stops the bleeding.
Repulse
The weapon uses force, shock, pressure, or gravity to hurl a target backward.
A hit that causes at least a Shaken or Wounded result knocks the target back d4 - Size inches, or d6 - Size inches with a raise.
Snapfire
If a character moves in the same round they fire a weapon with Snapfire, they suffer -2 to Shooting.
Stun
The weapon delivers a powerful nonlethal discharge that overloads the nervous system or otherwise incapacitates rather than kills.
After damage is resolved, the target must make a Vigor roll, at -2 with a raise on the attack, or become Stunned.
In Astrabound, many advanced military and law-enforcement plasma weapons are built to fire in both stun and kill modes.
Three-Round Burst
Some firearms may fire a three-round burst.
In this mode, the weapon has RoF 1, fires three bullets at once, and gains +1 to Shooting and damage.
Time
These weapons distort time around the target.
A target hit by a time weapon becomes Distracted, Vulnerable, and has its movement reduced by half until the end of its next turn.
Two Hands
A two-handed weapon may be used in one hand at -4.
The character still uses full Strength for damage, but loses all other advantages such as Reach or Parry bonuses.
Vibro
The weapon’s edge vibrates at destructive speed.
This grants +1d6 damage and +2 AP.
Vibro weapons are extremely loud while active.
Warheads
Grenades, gyrojets, rockets, missiles, torpedoes, and similar munitions often use a standard explosive payload, but many alternate warheads exist for specialized effects.
Some warheads behave differently when using Heavy Metal rules.
Warhead Table
| Item | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Armor Piercing | — | — |
| EMP | ×2 | ×5 |
| High Explosive | — | — |
| Incendiary | — | — |
| Nuclear | ×3 | ×100 |
| Plasma | ×5 | ×5 |
| Smoke | — | — |
| Stun | ×2 | ×2 |
| Time | ×2 | ×50 |
Warhead Notes
Armor Piercing: Increase the weapon’s AP by 8, but reduce its damage by one die type.
EMP: If the attack equals or exceeds the target’s Toughness, its electronics are knocked out, but any actual Wounds caused are reduced by one.
High Explosive: Increase the blast radius by one size, but reduce damage by one die type. If a vehicle takes one or more Wounds from a high-explosive warhead, it also suffers an additional Critical Hit.
Incendiary: Targets struck may catch fire.
Nuclear: Bombs, heavy missiles, or torpedoes only. Catastrophic, Heavy Weapon. Tactical nuclear weapons have a blast radius of roughly half a mile and deal 100 damage. On land, all but the hardest structures are typically flattened, and the area remains dangerously radioactive for generations. Use of nuclear weapons is treated by most civilized powers as criminal, monstrous, or both.
Plasma: Targets struck may catch fire. A raise on the attack causes +2d6 damage instead of +1d6.
Smoke: Creates a Large Blast Template of smoke that blocks vision as Dark Illumination. At twice the listed cost, the smoke includes reflective particles that impose -4 to Electronics or Shooting for guided weapons and lasers passing through it.
Stun: Has no effect on vehicles, but unprotected beings caught in the area must make a Vigor roll at -2, or -4 with a raise, or become Stunned.
Time: These munitions distort local time on impact. Targets hit or caught in the blast become automatically Distracted, Vulnerable, and have their movement halved until the end of their next turn.
Example: Astrid loads smoke warheads to cover an extraction. Flynn favors EMP when he expects drones or security systems. Zayko is deeply uneasy around time warheads and refuses to treat them like ordinary ammunition.
Melee Weapons
Even in an age of plasma rifles, disruptors, shield drones, and orbital warships, melee weapons remain common across Astrabound.
Some are practical tools of war used in boarding actions, riot control, survival, or close-quarters fighting. Some are cultural holdovers from lower-development worlds. Some are elite weapons tied to faction doctrine, training, or status. Others are simply the result of one enduring truth: when the range closes, something sharp, heavy, or violently energized is still very useful.
This section covers advanced melee weapons commonly found from Dev 5 onward, especially among military units, security forces, mercenaries, relic hunters, and specialist organizations such as Stellaris.
Availability by Development Level
As a rule of thumb:
- Dev 1-2: knives, clubs, spears, axes, swords, polearms, shields
- Dev 3-5: industrial cutters, trench blades, bayonets, riot batons, modern forged melee weapons
- Dev 6-7: vibro weapons, EMP weapons, molecular blades, powered melee systems
- Dev 8: energy blades, repulsor weapons, elite faction melee arms, high-end stun weapons
- Dev 9+: exceptional or rare specialist melee weapons using exotic field systems
The table below focuses on the more advanced end of melee equipment. Lower-development melee weapons should be covered in the primitive and common weapon lists elsewhere in the chapter.
Melee Weapon Table
| Item | Min Dev | Damage | AP | Min Str | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chain Weapons | ||||||
| Ripper Bayonet | 5 | 2d6+4 | — | d6 | 4 | $200 |
| Ripper Sword | 5 | 2d6+4 | — | d4 | 8 | $300 |
| Ripper Halberd | 5 | 2d6+4 | — | d8 | 10 | $450 |
| EMP Weapons | ||||||
| EMP Baton | 7 | Str+d4 | — | d6 | 1 | $510 |
| EMP Staff | 7 | Str+d6 | — | d6 | 4 | $510 |
| Energy Weapons | ||||||
| Starsword | 8 | Str+d6 | 4 | d4 | 2 | $900 |
| Energy Pike | 8 | Str+d10 | 4 | d8 | 18 | $1,150 |
| Molecular Weapons | ||||||
| Molecular Axe, Great | 7 | Str+d10+2 | 7 | d10 | 7 | $900 |
| Molecular Knife | 7 | Str+d4+2 | 2 | d4 | 0.5 | $550 |
| Molecular Sword | 7 | Str+d8+2 | 4 | d8 | 2 | $600 |
| Molecular Spear | 7 | Str+d6+2 | 3 | d6 | 2 | $600 |
| Molecular Whip | 7 | Str+d4+2 | 2 | d4 | 2 | $600 |
| Power Weapons | ||||||
| Power Gauntlet | 7 | Str+2d6 | — | d6 | 3 | $600 |
| Power Mace | 7 | Str+2d6 | — | d6 | 5 | $600 |
| Power Whip | 7 | Str+d4+d6 | — | d6 | 4 | $600 |
| Repulsor Weapons | ||||||
| Gravity Gauntlets | 8 | Str+2d6 | — | d4 | 3 | $1,100 |
| Gravity Hammer | 8 | Str+d10+d6 | 2 | d10 | 10 | $1,500 |
| Stun Weapons | ||||||
| Stun Baton | 6 | Str+d4 | — | d4 | 2 | $260 |
| Stun Pike | 7 | Str+d6 | — | d6 | 6 | $650 |
| Vibro Weapons | ||||||
| Vibro Blade | 7 | Str+d6+d4 | 2 | d4 | 1 | $525 |
| Vibro Sword | 7 | Str+d8+d6 | 2 | d6 | 3 | $600 |
Melee Weapon Notes
Ripper Bayonet: A powered chain blade mounted beneath or alongside a rifle. Chain Blade, Two Hands. Must be attached to a suitable longarm.
Ripper Sword: A handheld chain-edged sword used by boarding troops, shock units, and people with poor judgment. Chain Blade.
Ripper Halberd: A polearm built around a brutal powered cutting head. Chain Blade, Reach 1, Two Hands.
EMP Baton: A close-quarters anti-electronics weapon used by security teams, boarding parties, and units expecting cybernetics or drones. EMP.
EMP Staff: A longer control and suppression weapon. EMP, Reach 1, Parry +1 when used with Two Hands.
Starsword: The iconic plasma blade most associated with Stellaris Agents. It is a controlled handheld plasma weapon, elegant, dangerous, and devastating in close quarters. Cauterize, Armor Piercing 2, Parry +1.
This should be treated as Astrabound’s signature elite plasma melee weapon rather than a generic sci-fi sword.
Energy Pike: A long-shafted plasma or energy polearm used by elite troops, ceremonial guards, and specialists who expect armored opposition. Cauterize, Heavy Weapon, Reach 2.
Molecular Axe, Great: A heavy monomolecular axe capable of shearing through armor and structure. Parry -1, Two Hands.
Molecular Knife: A compact ultra-fine edged blade common among assassins, commandos, and high-end survival kits.
Molecular Sword: A refined blade weapon with a nearly impossibly sharp edge.
Molecular Spear: A light pole weapon with a molecular cutting head. Reach 1, Parry +1 if used with Two Hands.
Molecular Whip: A dangerous flexible weapon with a cutting filament edge. Reach 2, Parry -1, ignores shield bonus. On a raise, the attacker may either deal bonus damage or Entangle the target.
Power Gauntlet: A fist-mounted powered impact weapon. Heavy Weapon, Power. It does not count as a weapon for Unarmed Defender.
Power Mace: A blunt powered weapon built to crush armor, structure, and bone. Heavy Weapon, Power.
Power Whip: A powered flexible weapon that strikes with amplified force. Heavy Weapon, Reach 2, Parry -1, ignores shield bonus. On a raise, the attacker may either Entangle the target or deal +d10 bonus damage.
Gravity Gauntlets: Repulsor-assisted striking gauntlets used to launch enemies back with every hit. Heavy Weapon, Power, Repulse. They do not count as a weapon for Unarmed Defender.
Gravity Hammer: A heavy repulsor warhammer built around violent impact and forced displacement. Power, Repulse.
Stun Baton: A nonlethal close-quarters weapon used by law enforcement, ship security, bounty hunters, and riot teams. Nonlethal, Stun.
Stun Pike: A longer suppression weapon for formation control, prisoner handling, and boarding work. Nonlethal, Reach 2, Stun.
Vibro Blade: A short high-frequency blade used by military scouts, mercenaries, and close-quarters specialists. Vibro.
Vibro Sword: A longer high-frequency blade weapon favored by duelists, officers, and professional killers with expensive taste. Vibro.
Example: A Stellaris Agent may carry a starsword as both weapon and badge of office. Alliance security teams are more likely to use stun batons or EMP staffs during boarding actions. Mercenaries and raiders often favor vibro or chain weapons because they are brutal, reliable, and easy to understand.
Custom Melee Weapons
The weapons above are common refined examples, but nearly any melee weapon can be modified with advanced qualities.
Up to three qualities may be added to a weapon. Each quality after the first makes the weapon more difficult to handle, imposing -1 to Parry and Fighting for the user.
The chosen qualities must make sense together. The Gamemaster should reject combinations that are physically absurd, technologically unstable, or inappropriate to the faction or Development Level that produced them.
A legendary weapon, elite faction forge, or relic-grade workshop may create more stable versions without these drawbacks, but those should be rare exceptions.
Powered Melee Weapons
All upgrades below except Molecular Blade require an attached battery or built-in power cell.
This adds $50 to the weapon’s cost and 1 pound to its weight.
On a Critical Failure, after damage is resolved the power cell is drained and the weapon loses all powered qualities until recharged or replaced.
Custom Melee Upgrade Table
| Upgrade | Summary | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Chain Blade | Converts base damage to 2d6+4. On a Critical Failure, the user hits themselves. | $200 |
| EMP | Roll damage normally. If damage equals or exceeds Toughness, electronics are knocked out. | $500 |
| Energy | Increase damage by one die type, add AP +4, make it a Heavy Weapon, and automatically add Cauterize. | $750 |
| Incendiary | Target may catch fire. | $250 |
| Molecular Blade | +2 damage, and AP increases by half the weapon’s damage die type. | $500 |
| Plasma | Incendiary, and a raise causes +2d6 damage instead of +1d6. | $500 |
| Power | +d6 damage, and +d10 bonus damage with a raise. Makes the weapon a Heavy Weapon. | $500 |
| Rending | Shaken or Wounded targets must make a Vigor roll or suffer another Wound from bleeding or tearing trauma. | $250 |
| Repulse | Shaken or Wounded targets are knocked back d4", or d6" with a raise. | $500 |
| Stun | Target must make a Vigor roll, at -2 with a raise, or be Stunned. | $250 |
| Time | Targets hit become Distracted, Vulnerable, and move at half speed until the end of their next turn. | $750 |
| Vibro Blade | +d6 damage, AP +2. | $500 |
Development Level Guidance
Dev 1-5
Most melee weapons are still conventional:
- knives
- swords
- axes
- spears
- polearms
- clubs
- shields
- bayonets
- industrial cutters and improvised tools
Dev 6-7
This is where advanced melee weapons become more common:
- stun batons
- EMP weapons
- molecular blades
- vibro weapons
- power weapons
- chain weapons for military and boarding use
Dev 8
This is the level where elite interstellar factions field:
- starswords
- energy pikes
- gravity weapons
- compact high-reliability stun systems
- faction signature melee arms
This is also the level where Alliance and Stellaris melee doctrine becomes clearly distinct.
Dev 9+
This tier includes rare specialist or strategic melee systems:
- advanced time-based melee tech
- highly stable exotic field weapons
- relic-grade or restricted experimental designs
Astrabound Usage Notes
Melee weapons in Astrabound should say something about who carries them.
A frontier raider with a ripper sword is a different kind of threat than a Stellaris Agent with a starsword.
An Alliance boarding team may carry stun batons for prisoner work, while a mercenary kill squad may prefer vibro blades and molecular knives.
A Drakneri relic guard may field a weapon more advanced than local industry can reproduce. An Azaranian duelist may carry a polearm or saber whose materials and edge geometry mark it as clearly beyond common manufacture.
Even in a galaxy full of plasma, disruptors, and warships, close combat still matters. Corridors are narrow. Ammunition runs dry. Shields fail. Boarding actions happen. Ruins collapse. Prisoners need taking. Ceremonial weapons become real weapons the instant someone draws them.
Ranged Weapons
Ranged weapons in Astrabound vary wildly by Development Level, faction doctrine, and local manufacture.
A Dev 2 warlord may still field bows, javelins, and black-powder guns. A Dev 5 militia may rely on slugthrowers and flak weapons. A Dev 8 Alliance marine carries a DNA-locked plasma sidearm with stun and kill settings. A Stellaris Agent is likely to favor blaster weapons for field reliability and broad logistical support. A Drakneri or Azaranian cache may contain arms more advanced than the local world can reproduce.
This section focuses on the more modern and interstellar portion of the weapon spectrum. Lower-development ranged weapons such as bows, crossbows, black-powder arms, and primitive firearms should appear in the lower-tech weapons section.
Availability by Development Level
As a rule of thumb:
- Dev 1-2: bows, slings, thrown weapons, black-powder arms
- Dev 3-5: modern slugthrowers, grenades, shotguns, machine guns, launchers
- Dev 6-7: advanced slugthrowers, lasers, stun guns, flak weapons, flechette weapons
- Dev 8: blasters, Alliance plasma service weapons, mature military energy weapons, compact missile systems
- Dev 9+: highly advanced disruptor, polaron, temporal, and exotic specialist weapon systems
Energy Weapon Families in Astrabound
The major interstellar energy weapon families are distinguished less by appearance than by what they fire.
- Blasters fire charged plasma bolts and are among the most common general-purpose military and frontier energy weapons.
- Alliance service weapons are also plasma weapons, but are built around standardized military doctrine with stun and kill settings and DNA-locked authorization.
- Disruptors use antiprotons and are common among many non-Alliance powers.
- Polarons are used primarily by the Azaranians and their dependent military systems.
- Lasers remain common where precision, beam stability, and clean directed energy are preferred.
Specific energy types matter for setting flavor, faction identity, and future rules expansion, even where their immediate mechanical treatment is similar.
Ammunition and Power Sources
Common Ammunition
| Ammo | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet Box, Light (50) | 1 | $10 |
| Bullet Box, Medium (50) | 2 | $20 |
| Bullet Box, Heavy (50) | 4 | $30 |
| Bullet Box, Rifle (50) | 6 | $60 |
| Bullet Box, Support (Drum or Belt) | Varies | $100 |
| Flechette Pack | 0.5 | $30 |
| Flak Pack | 1 | $40 |
| Fuel Pod | 5 | $100 |
| Grenade | 0.5 | $50 |
| Gyrojet | 0.25 | $50 |
| Particle Pack | 0.25 | $20 |
| Power Pack | 1 | $50 |
Ammo Notes
Particle Pack: Ammunition for high-velocity particle weapons. Compact and efficient, but less common in Astrabound than plasma or slug systems.
Power Pack: A generic energy pack used by many directed-energy, plasma, disruptor, polaron, stun, and laser weapons.
Fuel Pod: Used for flame projectors and similar weapons.
Gyrojet: A self-propelled micro-rocket round, often fitted with alternate warheads.
Alliance Service Weapons
The Alliance fields standardized plasma sidearms and longarms designed for disciplined military use across ships, stations, colonies, and expeditionary units.
These weapons are notable for three features:
- stun and kill settings
- standardized military maintenance and training
- DNA-locked authorization, preventing ordinary use by anyone except the assigned wielder or authorized armorers
Alliance weapons are reliable, practical, and not especially subtle. They are made for line troops, shipboard security, marines, and professional field personnel.
Alliance Weapon Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AW-101 Alliance Pistol | 8 | 10/20/40 | 3d6 | 2 | 1 | 30 | d6 | 3 | $450 |
| AW-201 Alliance Rifle | 8 | 24/48/96 | 3d6+2 | 2 | 1 | 40 | d6 | 7 | $900 |
Alliance Weapon Notes
AW-101 Alliance Pistol: The standard Alliance sidearm, a heavy long-barreled plasma pistol often described as a particle magnum by those outside the service. It is accurate, hard-hitting, and built with stun and kill modes. Mechanically it has Cauterize, Plasma, Stun.
AW-201 Alliance Rifle: The standard Alliance longarm. Like the AW-101, it fires plasma, supports stun and kill settings, and is tied to the assigned user through a DNA lock. Mechanically it has Cauterize, Plasma, Stun.
DNA Lock: Alliance service weapons do not fire for unauthorized users except with armorer override, command access, or major tampering at the Gamemaster’s discretion.
Example: An Alliance marine can hand an AW-201 to a squadmate only if the weapon has been reassigned or its lock overridden. To everyone else, it is just an expensive club.
Blasters
In Astrabound, blasters are the most common name for general-purpose plasma bolt weapons used across the frontier, among mercenaries, smugglers, colonial forces, Stellaris personnel, and many ordinary interstellar powers.
They are robust, hard-hitting, and logistically convenient. Their bolts are slower and more visible than laser beams, but their battlefield reliability has made them a galactic standard.
All blasters use power packs.
Blaster Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blaster Pistol | 8 | 12/24/48 | 2d6+2 | 2 | 1 | 40 | d4 | 1 | $250 |
| Heavy Blaster Pistol | 8 | 10/20/40 | 3d6 | 2 | 1 | 30 | d6 | 3 | $350 |
| Blaster SMG | 8 | 12/24/48 | 2d6+2 | 2 | 3 | 45 | d4 | 4 | $400 |
| Blaster Rifle | 8 | 25/50/100 | 3d6+2 | 2 | 1 | 30 | d6 | 6 | $700 |
| Heavy Blaster Rifle | 8 | 25/50/100 | 3d6+4 (I) | 4 | 1 | 20 | d8 | 9 | $950 |
| Repeating Blaster | 8 | 25/50/100 | 3d6+2 | 4 | 4 | 80 | d8 | 20 | $1.8K |
Blaster Notes
All listed blasters are Cauterize, Plasma.
Heavy Blaster Rifle: Snapfire, Heavy Weapon.
Repeating Blaster: Snapfire unless mounted. Holds enough power cells or integrated feed to sustain suppressive fire.
Stellaris Field Use: Most Stellaris Agents who carry ranged weapons favor blaster pistols and blaster rifles, because they are dependable, common in the field, and easier to support on long routes than more exotic systems.
Disruptors
Disruptors use antiprotons as their destructive medium. They are common among many non-Alliance military forces, private armies, raiders, hardline security units, and other factions that prefer weapons with a fearsome reputation and brutal battlefield effect.
For now, antiprotons are primarily a setting identity and naming convention. Any further special rules can be layered in later.
All disruptors use power packs.
Disruptor Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disruptor Pistol | 9 | 10/20/40 | 2d6+2 | 2 | 1 | 20 | d4 | 2 | $350 |
| Disruptor SMG | 9 | 10/20/40 | 2d6+2 | 2 | 3 | 25 | d6 | 4 | $550 |
| Disruptor Rifle | 9 | 20/40/80 | 3d6 | 4 | 1 | 12 | d6 | 6 | $1K |
| Assault Disruptor Rifle | 9 | 15/30/60 | 3d6 | 4 | 3 | 30 | d6 | 8 | $1.2K |
| Disruptor Sniper Rifle | 9 | 40/80/160 | 4d6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | d6 | 6 | $1.3K |
| Repeating Disruptor | 9 | 20/40/80 | 3d6 | 4 | 3 | 50 | d8 | 12 | $2.2K |
Disruptor Notes
All listed disruptors have Overcharge.
Repeating Disruptor: Snapfire. May be mounted.
Disruptors are the most common “other powers” military energy weapon family in the setting and make a good default for forces not using Alliance or Azaranian doctrine.
Polaron Weapons
Polaron weapons are most closely associated with the Azaranians and their client or dependent military systems.
Their engineering standards, materials, and doctrinal philosophy often make them appear elegant, severe, and unnervingly precise even before they fire. All Polaron weapons have Armor Piercing capabilities due to the nature of Polarons. Polarons are a quasiparticle used in condensed matter physics with a variety of uses, from enhancing sensors to disrupting tractor beams. Prolonged exposure to polaron radiation is harmful to most cellular life and it can be focused into devastating directed-energy beams that can partially penetrate most forms of force field and hull plating.
All polaron weapons use power packs.
Polaron Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaron Sidearm | 9 | 15/30/60 | 2d6 | 2 | 1 | 50 | d4 | 2 | $350 |
| Polaron Carbine | 9 | 30/60/120 | 3d6 | 2 | 3 | 30 | d6 | 8 | $800 |
| Polaron Precision Rifle | 9 | 100/300/400 | 3d6 | 2 | 1 | 20 | d6 | 15 | $1.2K |
| Polaron Support Cannon | 9 | 50/100/200 | 3d6+4 (I) | 4 | 4 | 80 | d8 | 20 | $3K |
Polaron Notes
Polaron Sidearm: Cauterize, Overcharge. Armor Piercing 1
Polaron Carbine: Cauterize, No Recoil, Overcharge. Armor Piercing 1
Polaron Precision Rifle: Cauterize, Overcharge, Snapfire. Armor Piercing 1
Polaron Support Cannon: Cauterize, Heavy Weapon, No Recoil, Overcharge, Snapfire. Armor Piercing 1 May be mounted.
Lasers
Lasers fire focused beams of light rather than plasma bolts or particle packets. They are valued for precision, flat trajectories, and stable beam performance.
All lasers use power packs.
Laser Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laser Pistol | 7 | 15/30/60 | 2d6 | 2 | 1 | 50 | d4 | 2 | $250 |
| Laser SMG | 7 | 15/30/60 | 2d6 | 2 | 4 | 50 | d4 | 4 | $500 |
| Laser Rifle | 7 | 30/60/120 | 3d6 | 2 | 3 | 30 | d6 | 8 | $700 |
| Laser Sniper Rifle | 7 | 100/300/400 | 3d6 | 2 | 1 | 20 | d6 | 15 | $1K |
| Gatling Laser | 8 | 50/100/200 | 3d6+4 (I) | 4 | 4 | 80 | d8 | 20 | $3K |
Laser Notes
Laser Pistol: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge.
Laser SMG: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, No Recoil, Overcharge.
Laser Rifle: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, No Recoil, Overcharge.
Laser Sniper Rifle: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge, Snapfire.
Gatling Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Heavy Weapon, No Recoil, Overcharge, Snapfire. May be mounted.
Flame Weapons
Flamers project burning fuel or plasma-fire mixtures to incinerate targets. They may be Evaded.
They use fuel pods.
Flame Weapon Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand Flamer | 6 | Cone | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 20 | d4 | 5 | $500 |
| Heavy Flamer | 7 | Cone | 4d6 (I) | — | 1 | 10 | d6 | 15 | $1K |
Flame Weapon Notes
Hand Flamer: Cauterize, Heavy Weapon, Incendiary. May fire as an MBT up to 18" instead of a Cone.
Heavy Flamer: Cauterize, Heavy Weapon, Incendiary. May fire as an MBT up to 18" instead of a Cone.
Flak Weapons
Flak guns fire explosive or fragmenting bursts designed to tear apart unarmored or lightly protected targets.
They use flak packs.
Flak Weapon Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flak Gun | 6 | 12/24/48 | 3d6+2 | — | 1 | 6 | d6 | 15 | $800 |
Flak Weapon Notes
Flak Gun: LBT, Rending.
Flechette Weapons
Flechette guns fire dense sprays of tiny darts or slivers of hardened material. They are especially valued in fragile environments such as spacecraft interiors where overpenetration is a concern.
They use flechette packs.
Flechette Weapon Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flechette SMG | 6 | 12/24/48 | 2d4+1 | — | 3 | 90 | d4 | 4 | $150 |
Flechette Notes
Flechette weapons are dangerous to soft targets but poor against armor.
Grenades
Grenades are compact explosive or special-purpose thrown munitions. Thrown grenades may be Evaded unless launched from a dedicated system.
Grenade Launchers
A launcher may be carried alone or attached to another weapon of equal or greater weight.
| Launcher | Min Dev | Range | Shots | Min Str | Weight | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grenade Launcher | 6 | 24/48/96 | 6 | d6 | 5 | $300 |
As an attachment, increase the host weapon’s Minimum Strength by one step.
The launcher includes a selector allowing the user to choose the next loaded round as a limited free action.
Grenade Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frag Grenade | 5 | 5/10/20 | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 1 | d4 | 0.5 | $50 |
Grenade Notes
Frag Grenade: Heavy Weapon, MBT.
Beehive Rounds: A grenade launcher may fire a shell filled with directional fragmentation that attacks in a Cone Template.
Warheads: Grenades may be fitted with EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, or Time warheads.
Gyrojets
Gyrojet weapons fire self-propelled micro-rockets.
In dumb-fire mode, attacks use Shooting as normal. In smart-fire mode, the round becomes a Guided Weapon and uses Electronics.
Gyrojet Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyrojet Pistol | 7 | 12/24/48 | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 10 | d4 | 3 | $400 |
| Gyrojet Rifle | 7 | 24/48/96 | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 30 | d6 | 6 | $600 |
Gyrojet Notes
Both listed weapons are Heavy Weapons.
Gyrojets may be fitted with EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, or Time warheads.
Missile Launchers
Portable missile launchers let infantry threaten vehicles, walkers, fortifications, and hardened positions.
Portable Missile Launcher
| Launcher | Min Dev | Weight | Cost | Min Str | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portable Missile Launcher | 7 | 5 | $1K | d8 | Guided Weapon |
The launcher holds one missile type at a time.
Portable Missile Table
| Missile | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro Missile Pod | 7 | 25/50/100 | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | $1K |
| Light Missile Rack | 7 | 100/200/400 | 6d6 (III) | 16 | 4 | 4 | — | 8 | $4K |
| Medium Missile Rack | 7 | 150/300/600 | 7d6 (IV) | 24 | 2 | 2 | — | 8 | $10K |
| Heavy Missile Rack | 7 | 200/400/800 | 8d6 (V) | 32 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | $20K |
Missile Notes
Micro Missile Pod: Fires a pod of micro-missiles as a single swarm. Guided Weapon, Heavy Weapon, LBT, ignores Point Defense. If the attacker takes the Aim action, they may choose which targets in the template are affected.
Light Missile Rack: Guided Weapon, Heavy Weapon, No Recoil, SBT.
Medium Missile Rack: Guided Weapon, Heavy Weapon, No Recoil, MBT.
Heavy Missile Rack: Guided Weapon, Heavy Weapon, No Recoil, LBT.
Missiles may be fitted with EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Nuclear (heavy only), Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, or Time warheads.
Plasma Projectors
These are heavier dedicated plasma throwers, distinct from ordinary blasters or Alliance service weapons. They fire brutal, unstable plasma charges that disperse quickly but hit with extreme force.
They use power packs.
Plasma Projector Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plasma Projector Pistol | 8 | 5/10/20 | 2d10 (I) | — | 1 | 10 | d6 | 8 | $800 |
| Plasma Projector Rifle | 8 | 10/20/40 | 2d10 (I) | — | 1 | 10 | d8 | 12 | $1K |
| Plasma Scattergun | 8 | Cone | 2d10 (I) | — | 1 | 5 | d8 | 16 | $2K |
Plasma Projector Notes
All listed plasma projectors have Cauterize, Heavy Weapon, Plasma.
Pulse Weapons
Pulse weapons fire dense packets of energy. They are often favored by disciplined military forces that want compact, punchy energy weapons without the visual profile of full plasma bolts.
They use power packs.
Pulse Weapon Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pulse Pistol | 8 | 10/20/40 | 2d6 | 2 | 1 | 12 | d4 | 2 | $300 |
| Pulse SMG | 8 | 10/20/40 | 2d6 | 2 | 3 | 25 | d6 | 4 | $500 |
| Pulse Rifle | 8 | 20/40/80 | 3d6 | 4 | 1 | 12 | d6 | 6 | $1K |
| Assault Pulse Rifle | 8 | 15/30/60 | 3d6 | 4 | 3 | 30 | d6 | 8 | $1K |
| Precision Pulse Rifle | 8 | 40/80/160 | 4d6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | d6 | 6 | $1K |
| Repeating Pulse Cannon | 8 | 20/40/80 | 3d6 | 4 | 3 | 50 | d8 | 12 | $2K |
Pulse Notes
All listed pulse weapons have Overcharge.
Repeating Pulse Cannon: Snapfire. May be mounted.
Rocket Launchers
Rockets are simpler than missiles and cannot usually be jammed or spoofed, but they have shorter range and less precision.
Portable Rocket Launcher
| Launcher | Min Dev | Weight | Cost | Min Str | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portable Rocket Launcher | 6 | 3 | $500 | d8 | Snapfire |
The launcher holds one rocket type at a time.
Portable Rocket Table
| Rocket | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro Rocket Pod | 6 | 20/40/80 | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 1 | — | 2 | $500 |
| Light Rocket Rack | 6 | 20/40/80 | 6d6 (III) | 16 | 4 | 4 | — | 8 | $2K |
| Medium Rocket Rack | 6 | 20/40/80 | 7d6 (IV) | 24 | 2 | 2 | — | 8 | $6K |
| Heavy Rocket Rack | 6 | 20/40/80 | 8d6 (V) | 32 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | $15K |
Rocket Notes
Micro Rocket Pod: Heavy Weapon, LBT, ignores Point Defense.
Light Rocket Rack: Heavy Weapon, SBT, No Recoil.
Medium Rocket Rack: Heavy Weapon, MBT, No Recoil.
Heavy Rocket Rack: Heavy Weapon, LBT.
Rockets may be fitted with EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, or Time warheads.
Slugthrowers
Traditional firearms remain common throughout Astrabound. Even on advanced worlds, many users still trust bullets for cost, legality, maintenance, reliability, or stopping power.
The weapons below are modern descendants of familiar firearms and are often lighter, smarter, and more efficient than their earlier equivalents.
Slugthrower Ammunition Options
The following alternate ammo types may be purchased at no extra cost unless the Gamemaster says otherwise:
- Armor Piercing: Damage -2, AP +4
- Incendiary: Cauterize. Small flammable targets may catch fire. Against Size 4+ targets, bonus damage is +d8 instead of +d6. Gain +1 to Shooting at RoF 2+
- Hollowpoints: AP -2, +2 damage only if the target has no Armor at all
- Slugs: Shotguns only. Lose the normal +2 to hit, friendly fire works normally, and damage becomes 2d10 at any range
Slugthrower Pistols
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Pistol | 5 | 5/10/20 | 2d6 | 2 | 4 | 25 | d4 | 4 | $300 |
| Light Pistol | 5 | 10/20/40 | 2d6 | 1 | 2 | 10 | d4 | 1 | $200 |
| Service Pistol | 5 | 12/24/48 | 2d6+1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | d4 | 2 | $250 |
| Heavy Pistol | 5 | 12/24/48 | 2d10 | 4 | 1 | 6 | d6 | 4 | $400 |
Machine Pistol: 3RB. Ammo is 1 lb, $10 per box of 50.
Light Pistol: Ammo is 1 lb, $10 per box of 50.
Service Pistol: Ammo is 2 lbs, $20 per box of 50.
Heavy Pistol: Ammo is 4 lbs, $30 per box of 50.
Slugthrower SMGs
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMG, Medium | 5 | 12/24/48 | 2d6+1 | 2 | 3 | 30 | d6 | 6 | $500 |
| SMG, Heavy | 5 | 12/24/48 | 2d10 | 4 | 3 | 25 | d8 | 8 | $600 |
SMG, Medium: 3RB. Ammo is 2 lbs, $20 per box of 50.
SMG, Heavy: 3RB. Ammo is 4 lbs, $30 per box of 50.
Slugthrower Rifles
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbine | 5 | 20/40/80 | 2d8 | 2 | 1 | 24 | d4 | 6 | $400 |
| Hunting Rifle | 5 | 24/48/96 | 2d10 | 4 | 1 | 12 | d6 | 8 | $500 |
| Assault Rifle | 5 | 24/48/96 | 2d10 | 4 | 3 | 30 | d6 | 10 | $600 |
| Sniper Rifle | 5 | 50/100/200 | 2d12 (I) | 4 | 1 | 6 | d6 | 25 | $1K |
Carbine: Ammo is 4 lbs, $40 per box of 50.
Hunting Rifle: Ammo is 6 lbs, $60 per box of 50.
Assault Rifle: 3RB. Ammo is 6 lbs, $60 per box of 50.
Sniper Rifle: Heavy Weapon, Snapfire. Ammo is 6 lbs, $100 per box of 50.
Shotguns
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automatic Shotgun | 5 | 12/24/48 | 1-3d6 | — | 1 | 12 | d6 | 10 | $250 |
| Full-Auto Shotgun | 5 | 12/24/48 | 1-3d6 | — | 3 | 32 | d8 | 16 | $400 |
Ammo is 6 lbs, $100 per box of 50.
Machine Guns
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Machine Gun | 5 | 30/60/120 | 2d8 | 2 | 3 | 200 | d6 | 20 | $700 |
| Medium Machine Gun | 5 | 30/60/120 | 2d8+1 | 2 | 3 | 100 | d8 | 30 | $1K |
| Heavy Machine Gun | 5 | 50/100/200 | 2d10 (I) | 4 | 3 | 50 | d10 | 40 | $2K |
| Minigun | 6 | 50/100/200 | 2d8+1 | 2 | 5 | 2000 | d10 | 40 | $10K |
Light Machine Gun: Gains Point Defense and Reaction Fire when mounted. Ammo costs $100 and weighs half the weapon’s weight per 200-round drum.
Medium Machine Gun: Gains Point Defense and Reaction Fire when mounted. Ammo costs $100 and weighs half the weapon’s weight per 100-round drum.
Heavy Machine Gun: Heavy Weapon, Snapfire unless mounted. Gains Point Defense and Reaction Fire when mounted. Ammo costs $100 and weighs half the weapon’s weight per 50-round drum.
Minigun: Minimum RoF 3. Ignores Recoil and gains Point Defense and Reaction Fire when mounted. Ammo is carried in a backpack or feed bin costing $1K and weighing half the weapon’s weight.
Stun Guns
Stun guns use electricity, sonic disruption, neural overload, or related nonlethal delivery systems to incapacitate rather than kill.
They use power packs.
Stun Gun Table
| Item | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Str | Wgt | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stun Gun Attachment | 6 | 6/12/24 | — | — | 1 | 6 | — | 1 | $300 |
| Stun Gun | 6 | 12/24/48 | — | — | 1 | 12 | — | 1 | $300 |
Stun Gun Notes
Both listed weapons force the target to make a Vigor roll at -2, or -4 with a raise, or become Stunned.
Attachment: May be mounted to another weapon of equal or greater weight.
These are common law-enforcement and capture tools across developed worlds.
Faction Weapon Guidance
Alliance
The most common Alliance small arms are:
- AW-101 Alliance Pistol
- AW-201 Alliance Rifle
Alliance doctrine emphasizes:
- plasma
- stun and kill settings
- user authorization
- practical military reliability
Stellaris
Stellaris Agents most commonly carry:
- starswords
- blaster pistols
- blaster rifles
Stellaris does not rely on unique ranged weapon manufacture so much as specialized training, disciplined field use, and access to reliable interstellar arms.
Other Powers
Many other factions use:
- disruptor pistols
- disruptor rifles
- repeaters
- military heavy weapons suited to their doctrine
Azaranians
Azaranian forces are most strongly associated with:
- polaron sidearms
- polaron carbines
- polaron precision rifles
- polaron support weapons
Development Level Guidance
Dev 3-5
Common ranged weapons include:
- slugthrowers
- grenades
- grenade launchers
- shotguns
- machine guns
- rockets
Dev 6-7
Common ranged weapons include:
- advanced slugthrowers
- lasers
- stun guns
- flak weapons
- flechette weapons
- gyrojets
- missile launchers
Dev 8
This is the level where the most common interstellar service weapons appear:
- blasters
- Alliance plasma service weapons
- plasma projectors
- pulse weapons
- advanced military launchers
Dev 9+
This is where the most advanced faction military weapons tend to stand apart:
- disruptors
- polarons
- advanced temporal or exotic systems
- rare specialist warheads and weapon platforms
Astrabound Usage Notes
Weapons in Astrabound should reflect culture as much as damage values.
A frontier outlaw with a worn service pistol tells a different story than an Alliance marine with a DNA-locked AW-201.
A Stellaris Agent carrying a starsword and blaster pistol feels different from a mercenary squad with disruptor rifles.
An Azaranian officer with a polaron carbine should feel visibly distinct even before the first shot is fired.
Vehicle Weapons
Vehicle weapons are mounted systems tied into a platform’s structure, ammunition feeds, power systems, and fire-control network.
Unless noted otherwise, all vehicle weapons are Heavy Weapons.
In Astrabound, vehicle weapons vary strongly by Development Level, platform role, and faction doctrine. A Dev 5 ground force may rely on cannons and autocannons. A Dev 8 fleet fields plasma batteries, missiles, and beam systems. Dev 9 powers such as the Drakneri and Azaranians often deploy more advanced, more efficient, or more specialized weapons whose performance exceeds what most interstellar states can field at scale.
Availability by Development Level
As a rule of thumb:
- Dev 4-5: cannons, bombs, mounted slugthrowers, early rockets, mines
- Dev 6-7: advanced cannons, vehicular lasers, missiles, rockets, rail weapons, stun projectors
- Dev 8: mature interstellar plasma, beam, missile, and fleet-defense systems
- Dev 9+: heavy particle systems, tractor beams, torpedoes, elite faction weapons, strategic platforms
Vehicle weapon tables list standard performance, but faction variants may change visuals, ammunition type, energy type, or aesthetic without changing the base mechanics.
Autocannons
Autocannons fire explosive-tipped metal rounds designed to defeat light and medium vehicles, strike exposed systems, and shred small craft.
They remain common on APCs, gunships, atmospheric strike craft, light warships, and frontier defense platforms because they are reliable, logistically simple, and brutally effective.
Autocannon Notes
- A full reload of Shots costs $1K × Mod value
- A full reload takes one Mod slot
- All autocannons have a minimum RoF of 2
Autocannon Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 5 | 50/100/200 | 3d8 (I) | 4 | 4 | 100 | 2 | 1 | $10K |
| Medium | 5 | 50/100/200 | 4d8 (II) | 6 | 4 | 80 | 8 | 2 | $20K |
| Heavy | 6 | 75/150/300 | 5d8 (III) | 8 | 4 | 60 | 12 | 3 | $50K |
Light: Point Defense, Reaction Fire.
Bombs
Bombs are dropped from atmospheric craft or released from orbit. Attack rolls use the lower of Shooting or Piloting.
Weather, altitude, ECM conditions, shielding, and battlefield chaos may impose penalties at the Gamemaster’s discretion.
Bomb Notes
- Bomb Rack: Min Size 4, Mods 1, Cost $50K
- Holds one bomb type and includes space for that type’s listed Shots
- A full reload takes one Mod slot
- Reloading is automated, and switching bomb types or warheads is a limited free action
- Standard bombs may use EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Nuclear, Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, and Time warheads
Bomb Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro (Bomblets) | 6 | 25/50/100 | 3d6 (I) | 4 | 1 | 2 | — | — | $500 |
| Light | 5 | — | 6d10 (III) | 5 | 4 | 8 | — | — | $1K |
| Medium | 6 | — | 8d10 (V) | 10 | 2 | 4 | — | — | $4K |
| Heavy | 7 | — | 10d10 (VI) | 10 | 1 | 2 | — | — | $10K |
Micro: Pod of bomblets, LBT.
Light: LBT.
Medium: 10" radius.
Heavy: 25" radius.
Cannons
Cannons fire heavy anti-armor or high-explosive shells and are among the most common main weapons for tanks, assault walkers, fixed batteries, and some atmospheric gun platforms.
Cannon Notes
- A full reload of Shots costs $1K × Mod value
- A full reload takes one Mod slot
- Cannons may fire either the listed AP round or the listed HE round
- If both are loaded, the gunner chooses which to fire as a free action
Cannon Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 5 | 50/100/200 | 3d10 (II) | 5 | 1 | 80 | 1 | 1 | $15K |
| Medium | 5 | 75/150/300 | 4d10 (III) | 10 | 1 | 60 | 2 | 3 | $30K |
| Heavy | 6 | 100/200/400 | 5d10 (IV) | 20 | 1 | 40 | 4 | 5 | $60K |
| Super | 7 | 150/300/600 | 6d10 (VI) | 30 | 1 | 20 | 10 | 6 | $100K |
| Super Heavy | 8 | 150/300/600 | 8d10 (VII) | 40 | 1 | 10 | 16 | 8 | $500K |
Light: Reaction Fire, SBT. HE round is 3d8 (I), LBT, AP 0.
Medium: SBT. HE round is 4d8 (II), LBT, AP 5.
Heavy: SBT. HE round is 5d8 (III), LBT, AP 10.
Super: MBT. HE round is 6d8 (IV), LBT, AP 15.
Super Heavy: MBT. HE round is 8d8 (V), LBT, AP 20.
Vehicular Lasers
Large-scale lasers are efficient, terrifyingly precise, and attractive to any force with enough onboard power generation to sustain them.
They are common on advanced military vehicles, defense stations, and warships, especially where ammunition logistics are a concern.
Vehicular Laser Notes
Vehicular lasers are usually hard-wired into a craft’s power systems and need no conventional ammunition. If disconnected from a main power system, they may instead draw from large battery units weighing 100 lbs × Mod value and costing $1,000 × Mod value.
Vehicular Laser Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gatling Laser | 7 | 50/100/200 | 3d6+4 (I) | 4 | 4 | 80 | 1 | 1 | $3K |
| Light Laser | 7 | 150/300/600 | 2d10 (II) | 10 | 3 | 80 | 2 | 1 | $20K |
| Medium Laser | 8 | 150/300/600 | 3d10 (III) | 20 | 2 | 60 | 4 | 3 | $50K |
| Heavy Laser | 8 | 150/300/600 | 4d10 (V) | 30 | 1 | 40 | 8 | 5 | $200K |
| Super Laser | 9 | 150/300/600 | 5d10 (V) | 30 | 1 | 20 | 12 | 8 | $300K |
| Super Heavy Laser | 9 | 150/300/600 | 6d10 (VII) | 40 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 12 | $1M |
| Mega Laser | 10 | 150/300/600 | 8d10 (VII) | 40 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 16 | $2M |
Gatling Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge, Point Defense, Reaction Fire.
Light Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge, Reaction Fire.
Medium Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge.
Heavy Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge.
Super Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge.
Super Heavy Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize, Overcharge.
Mega Laser: Beam Weapon, Cauterize. It may not be Linked or Overcharged and takes one minute to recharge after firing.
Mass Drivers
Mass drivers, often called railguns, use magnetic acceleration to launch projectiles at terrifying speed.
They are valued for long-range kinetic impact, low explosive risk, and the fact that suitable ammunition can often be fabricated or mined rather than refined to military standards.
Mass Driver Notes
Most suitable ammunition can be mined from asteroids or planetary bodies. As a rough rule, most asteroids yield 1d10 × 10 Shots per hour, divided by the number of d12s rolled for the weapon’s damage.
Mass Driver Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 7 | 100/200/400 | 2d12+2 (I) | 5 | 3 | 100 | 2 | 2 | $10K |
| Medium | 7 | 100/200/400 | 3d12+3 (II) | 5 | 2 | 80 | 4 | 3 | $20K |
| Heavy | 8 | 100/200/400 | 4d12+4 (III) | 5 | 1 | 60 | 8 | 4 | $40K |
| Super | 8 | 100/200/400 | 6d12+6 (IV) | 5 | 1 | 40 | 12 | 8 | $80K |
| Super Heavy | 9 | 100/200/400 | 8d12+8 (VI) | 5 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 12 | $400K |
| Mega | 10 | 100/200/400 | 10d12+10 (VII) | 5 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 16 | $1M |
Light: Point Defense, Reaction Fire, SBT.
Medium: MBT.
Heavy: LBT.
Super: 10" radius.
Super Heavy: 25" radius.
Mega: 50" radius.
Mines
Vehicle mines may be buried, floated, magnetically anchored, or hidden behind simple AI-trigger protocols.
They may also be launched using grenade-launcher statistics at half listed Range.
Mine Notes
- Ammo: Individual mines weigh 5 lbs and cost $1,000
- Standard mines may use Armor Piercing, EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, and Time warheads
Mine Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mine | 5 | LBT | 4d6 (II) | 10 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1/10 | $1K |
Vehicular Missiles
Missiles let even relatively small vehicles threaten heavier targets.
They are more precise than rockets, easier to scale into advanced guidance systems, and often form the backbone of anti-armor or anti-ship strike doctrine.
Vehicular Missile Notes
- Launcher Rack: Min Size 2, Mods 1, Cost $1K
- Guided Weapon
- Reloading is automated, and switching missile types or warheads is a limited free action
- Standard missiles may use EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Nuclear (heavy only), Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, and Time warheads
Vehicular Missile Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro | 7 | 25/50/100 | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | $1K |
| Light | 7 | 100/200/400 | 6d6 (III) | 16 | 4 | 8 | — | — | $4K |
| Medium | 8 | 150/300/600 | 7d6 (IV) | 24 | 2 | 4 | — | — | $10K |
| Heavy | 8 | 200/400/800 | 8d6 (V) | 32 | 1 | 2 | — | — | $20K |
Micro: Swarm pod, Guided Weapon, LBT, ignores Point Defense.
Light: Guided Weapon, SBT.
Medium: Guided Weapon, MBT.
Heavy: Guided Weapon, LBT.
Particle Beams
Particle beams fire sustained streams of charged particles. They require enormous power throughput but very little conventional ammunition.
They are favored by high-development military platforms and powers capable of supporting the associated energy infrastructure.
Particle Beam Notes
If not wired directly into a vehicle’s power core, they may use large batteries weighing 100 lbs × Mod value and costing $1,000 × Mod value.
Particle Beam Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 8 | 75/150/300 | 5d8 (IV) | 24 | 2 | 40 | 4 | 3 | $150K |
| Medium | 9 | 75/150/300 | 7d8 (VI) | 32 | 2 | 20 | 8 | 4 | $750K |
| Heavy | 10 | 75/150/300 | 9d8 (VII) | 40 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 5 | $3M |
Light: Beam Weapon, Reaction Fire.
Medium: Beam Weapon.
Heavy: Beam Weapon.
Particle Cannons
Particle cannons accelerate tiny amounts of matter into dense high-energy bolts and hurl them at extreme speed.
They sit somewhere between plasma and kinetic doctrine and are often associated with advanced military or elite faction designs.
Particle Cannon Notes
If not tied into vehicle power, they may use large batteries weighing 100 lbs × Mod value and costing $1,000 × Mod value.
Particle Cannon Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 7 | 100/200/400 | 4d6+4 (II) | 5 | 3 | 90 | 2 | 2 | $25K |
| Medium | 8 | 100/200/400 | 6d6+6 (III) | 10 | 3 | 60 | 8 | 4 | $50K |
| Heavy | 9 | 100/200/400 | 8d6+8 (V) | 20 | 3 | 30 | 12 | 6 | $250K |
Light: Point Defense, Reaction Fire.
Vehicular Rocket Launchers
Rockets are simpler and generally cheaper than missiles. They cannot usually be spoofed as easily, though Point Defense can still shoot them down.
Vehicular Rocket Notes
- Launcher Rack: Min Size 2, Mods 1, Cost $1K
- Reloading is automated, and switching rocket types or warheads is a limited free action
- Standard rockets may use EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, and Time warheads
Vehicular Rocket Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micro | 6 | 20/40/80 | 3d6 (I) | — | 1 | 2 | — | — | $500 |
| Light | 6 | 20/40/80 | 6d6 (III) | 16 | 4 | 8 | — | — | $2K |
| Medium | 7 | 20/40/80 | 7d6 (IV) | 24 | 2 | 4 | — | — | $6K |
| Heavy | 7 | 20/40/80 | 8d6 (V) | 32 | 1 | 2 | — | — | $15K |
Micro: Swarm pod, LBT, ignores Point Defense.
Light: SBT, No Recoil.
Medium: MBT, No Recoil.
Heavy: LBT, No Recoil.
Vehicular Slugthrowers
Mounted slugthrowers are still useful for anti-infantry suppression, point defense, convoy defense, and light target engagement.
When mounted, they gain Point Defense and Reaction Fire.
Vehicular Slugthrower Ammo Options
- Armor Piercing: Damage -2, AP +4
- Incendiary: Cauterize, may ignite small flammable targets, grants +1 to Shooting at RoF 2+, and gives Size 4+ targets +d8 bonus damage instead of +d6
- Hollowpoints: AP -2, +2 damage only if the target has no Armor
Vehicular Slugthrower Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 5 | 30/60/120 | 2d8 | 2 | 3 | 200 | 1 | 1 | $700 |
| Medium | 5 | 30/60/120 | 2d8+1 | 2 | 3 | 100 | 2 | 1 | $1K |
| Heavy | 5 | 50/100/200 | 2d10 (I) | 4 | 3 | 50 | 3 | 1 | $2K |
| Minigun | 6 | 50/100/200 | 2d8+1 (I) | 2 | 5 | 2000 | 3 | 1 | $10K |
Light: Point Defense, Reaction Fire, not a Heavy Weapon. Ammo is $100 per 200-round drum.
Medium: Point Defense, Reaction Fire, not a Heavy Weapon. Ammo is $100 per 100-round drum.
Heavy: Point Defense, Reaction Fire. Ammo is $100 per 50-round drum.
Minigun: Minimum RoF 3. Point Defense, Reaction Fire. Ammo is $1K per 2000-round bin.
Vehicular Stun Weapons
Vehicular stun systems use sound, microwave, neural-overload, or similar disruptive effects to disperse crowds or drive off dangerous biological targets with minimal lethality.
They have no effect on vehicles, robots, or creatures without nervous systems.
Vehicular Stun Notes
These systems are usually linked directly to a power center. If not, they may use large batteries weighing 100 lbs × Mod value and costing $1,000 × Mod value.
A successful hit forces the target to make a Vigor roll at -4, or -6 with a raise, or become Stunned.
Vehicular Stun Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ray | 7 | 50/100/200 | — | — | 1 | 60 | 1 | 1 | $5K |
| Projector | 7 | 25/50/100 | — | — | 1 | 30 | 2 | 1 | $10K |
Projector: Cone Template.
Torpedoes
Torpedoes are massive guided warheads built to kill ships, crack stations, and threaten targets too hardened or too valuable for ordinary missiles.
They may only be fired in space or liquid environments.
Torpedo Notes
- Launcher Rack: Min Size 12, Mods 2, Cost $500K
- Guided Weapon
- Reloading is automated, and switching torpedo types or warheads is a limited free action
- Standard torpedoes may use EMP, High Explosive, Incendiary, Nuclear (heavy only), Phase, Plasma, Smoke, Stun, and Time warheads
Torpedo Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 8 | 300/600/1200 | 6d10 (V) | 20 | 2 | 2 | — | — | $200K |
| Medium | 9 | 300/600/1200 | 7d10 (VI) | 30 | 1 | 1 | — | — | $300K |
| Heavy | 9 | 300/600/1200 | 8d12 (VII) | 40 | 1 | 1 | — | — | $400K |
All listed torpedoes are Guided, LBT.
Example: Astrid thinks of torpedoes as strategic assets. Flynn thinks of them as things he wants very far away from his ship. Zayko thinks any captain willing to use them casually is not someone to trust.
Tractor Beams
Tractor beams lock onto a target and prevent it from escaping, drawing attacker and target together for capture, boarding, or controlled collision.
The beam ignores shields and sloped armor. If it hits, the target may no longer move farther away from the attacker. Either craft may reduce the distance between them, making boarding or ramming possible once the range closes to zero.
If the captive vessel is larger, any locked ships automatically move with it.
The captive may attempt to break free with an action and a maneuvering roll at -4 on its captain’s turn.
Tractor Beam Notes
These systems are usually linked directly to major power centers. If not, they may use large batteries weighing 100 lbs × Mod value and costing $1,000 × Mod value.
Tractor Beam Table
| Type | Min Dev | Range | Damage | AP | RoF | Shots | Min Size | Mods | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light | 8 | 50/100/200 | — | — | 1 | 20 | 10 | 2 | $100K |
| Medium | 9 | 100/200/400 | — | — | 1 | 10 | 20 | 4 | $300K |
| Heavy | 9 | 100/200/400 | — | — | 1 | 1 | 30 | 8 | $500K |
Light: May affect up to Size 11 vehicles.
Medium: May affect up to Size 28 vehicles.
Heavy: May affect up to Size 44 vehicles.
Example: Astrid uses a tractor beam to pin a smuggler ship in place for boarding. Flynn calls that “a terrible day.” Zayko calls it “the moment negotiations become very honest.”
Development Level Guidance
Dev 4-5
Common vehicle weapons include:
- cannons
- autocannons
- bombs
- mounted slugthrowers
- mines
- rockets
Dev 6-7
Common vehicle weapons include:
- improved cannons
- lasers
- missiles
- mass drivers
- stun systems
- rocket racks
- particle cannons
- miniguns and heavier suppression systems
Dev 8
This is the level of mature interstellar warship and military vehicle armament:
- plasma batteries
- advanced lasers
- torpedoes
- tractor beams
- mature missile systems
- compact heavy point-defense platforms
Alliance and Stellaris-adjacent vehicle doctrine will usually live here, even when using different exact weapon families.
Dev 9+
This is where the great powers begin to diverge:
- heavy particle beams
- advanced tractor systems
- elite torpedo doctrine
- faction-specific capital weapons
- Azaranian and Drakneri systems that exceed common interstellar norms
Astrabound Usage Notes
Vehicle weapons should reinforce the identity of the faction fielding them.
A frontier militia truck with a mounted slugthrower tells a very different story than an Alliance corvette with plasma batteries and guided missiles.
A salvaged raider hull with mismatched autocannons and rocket pods feels different from a polished Azaranian escort carrying refined high-output beam or polaron systems.
A Drakneri relic-escort platform should feel advanced, deliberate, and expensive even before the dice hit the table.
Astrabound works best when weapon choices suggest history, doctrine, and access. The gun mounted on the hull should tell the players something about who built the ship, who supplied it, and what kind of war they expect to fight.