There are three types of gear in Modos RPG: equipment, special items, and inventory. Each type follows basic rules that allow PCs to quickly create their own gear, and allow GMs to create their own gear lists.

Equipment

There are two types of equipment: weapons and armor. Weapons roll for progress (or damage) and armor rolls for regress (protection).

Weapons

Weapons always have an effective range at which they use their progress die, and they often do one point of progress if the range is closer or further than the effective range. Usually, held weapons are close range weapons, while fired or thrown weapons are short range weapons. The progress die is often a reflection of the size of the weapon. For example: tiny weapons are d4, light weapons are d6, standard weapons are d8, and heavy weapons are d10.

Knife, d4 close
Sword, d8 close
Spear, d10 short, deals 1 damage at close range
Arquebus, d8 short, requires 3 actions to reload, protection doesn’t reduce its damage

Armor

Armor generally increases in size and weight as it offers more physical protection. In return for physical protection, the wearer usually sacrifices an amount of physical score, called the Physical Penalty, while wearing the armor. The reduction in physical score also reduces the wearer’s physical bonus and physical damage pool. The physical penalty is, by default, one point for each increase in physical protection: d4 protection costs 1 physical penalty, d6 costs 2 physical penalty, d8 costs 3, and so on.

Boiled leather, d4, 1pp
Mail, d8, 2pp
Suit of plate, d10, 3pp

Shields

Using a shield, in the medieval sense, gives the user a better chance to avoid damage by offering bonus points to the Parry skill. Heavier shields can impart their own physical penalties. Magical or futuristic shields can offer their physical protection or other benefits, depending on campaign theme.

Small shield, 2 bonus Parry points

Special Items

Another type of gear goes beyond offering combat progress or regress; it can affect other rules and/or character elements, and even mimic powers or hero points. These items tend to make the character’s effective level higher or lower, so they should be watched carefully by the GM and limited in use.

Staff of unwounding, removes physical damage from any character in close range, up to a total of 50 points.

Inventory

PCs can carry or own any additional items that have only in-fiction effects; they do not have a specified interaction with game rules.

Paintbrush, allows a character to paint.