Mastermind’s Manual Design Journal: Devices & Equipment
Toys, wonderful toys. Chapter 7 of the Mastermind’s Manual is all about those "wonderful toys," the various devices and equipment characters use to get the job done. The chapter looks at technology levels, vehicles and vehicle combat, chase scenes, wealth, and proficiency along with different options and variants for dealing with devices and equipment, such as:
Proficiency
The standard M&M rules assume characters know how to use their equipment within the limits of their skill ranks and bonuses. The Gamemaster may choose to include rules for proficiency to reflect characters’ knowledge of particular aspects of more complex tasks like wielding weapons or operating vehicles. Characters acquire proficiency in different tasks through specialized feats (see Chapter 4). Characters who are not proficient in a particular task suffer a –4 penalty when performing it, either a –4 to attack rolls or to skill checks made with the non-proficient item. Proficient characters suffer no penalty.
Characters who aren’t proficient with wearing armor suffer a penalty to attack and defense bonus equal to the armor’s Protection bonus, since the character isn’t used to fighting in confining armor. Proficient characters still suffer a skill check penalty from wearing armor, but no penalty to their attack or defense bonus.
Armor Penalties
Armor tends to be heavy and bulky, making it difficult to move and act freely. If the GM wishes, characters wearing armor have a penalty on all Acrobatics, Climb, Escape Artist, Stealth, and Swim checks equal to the armor’s Toughness bonus.
Additionally, characters not proficient in wearing armor suffer the same penalty to their attack and dodge bonus (since it is difficult for them to maneuver properly). Proficiency eliminates the attack and dodge penalties but not the skill check penalty. Armor devices do not impose these penalties, being as easy to move in as ordinary clothing.
Reduced Armor Penalties
If a penalty equal to the armor’s Toughness bonus seems too severe, you can reduce it to a fraction (half or one-quarter) of the bonus. You can also have proficiency either reduce the armor penalty to skill checks or eliminate it altogether.
Requisitioning Equipment
In some settings, characters may have limited access to a variety of equipment from a patron or organization. In these types of games, you may wish to use one of the following rules options for characters acquiring equipment from their organization.
The simplest option is to allow players to reassign their characters’ equipment points (from the Equipment feat) at the start of each new adventure or "mission." For example, if a character has 30 points in equipment (6 ranks of the feat), the player can choose a total of 30 points of equipment at the start of each adventure. The equipment that survives the mission is returned at the end, and the character draws new equipment at the start of the next adventure.
Another option is to use a system of "requisitioning" equipment that measures the character’s influence with the organization. The character makes a Diplomacy check (DC 10 + the equipment’s point cost) for each desired piece of equipment. If the check is successful, the agency or patron agrees to assign that equipment. If it fails, the equipment is restricted or otherwise unavailable. Since the character can take 10 on the check, equipment with a point cost equal to or less than the character’s Diplomacy bonus is automatically available.
Reputation bonus can substitute for Diplomacy if that option is in use in the game (see Reputation in Chapter 6). This bases requisitions on how well known the character is rather than how persuasive. Allow players to choose if you want both to be equally effective.
You can mix-and-match options to suit the game. For example, characters may have some equipment they always carry, some equipment points they redistribute from one adventure to another, and some restricted equipment they have to requisition (making a Diplomacy check to access it).
