Assumed Equipment

[Supplement Four]

Here's a question for you GMs out there. I don't think this has really been addressed in the rules anywhere.

What type of equipment do you think is readily available on a typical adventure class starship?

Engineering should have a large assortment of tools (that players can snatch to take on adventures if needed)?

Are there Vacc Suit Locks all over the ship? Or does each crew member only have one Vacc Suit since they're so expensive?

What about for passengers? Just Rescue Balls?

Each airlock has what type of equipment? O2 jack? Safety lines?

Fire equipment?

Ship's umbilical (that airline-like flexible housing that expands out to another ship or docking port, seals itself, and provides for breathable atmosphere). Does the ship have one?

How about outside? Are there hand-holds for scampering about on the skin of the ship?

What about exterior access ports for hatches?



I'm just curious how easy you make things for players during a game. Somebody has to go outside to fix a whatever and then is attacked by an unknown in a space suit from the other docked ship. Is there a handhold for the guy to use? How do you handle these little questions?



Recharging stations for laser weapons?

Plugs for powered equipment?

Oh, here's a good one. What about cameras? Cameras are so small, even today, that they could easily be implanted (probably the size of a ballpoint pin head at TL A+) in the walls. So, every conceivable section of the ship can be viewed from the bridge?

 

[aramis]

IMTU, and based upon published sources:

Each stateroom is equipped with 1 rescue ball. There are tank lockers in various places, but not suit lockers, and the tanks are not included. (Scout ships will usually have a spare soft-bubble helmet and spare oversized gloves for emergencies left in place.)

There are standard power sockets as part of attachment point clusters, using magnetic induction. There are such sockets inside as well. Normal attach points fail-closed, and can be released either by powered unlock from central computer or by manual or wired unlocks from the ops point.

Ships do not have an umbilical unless they buy one. but they do have rig points for one. Lock-to-lock mating uses pressurized cuffs, and uses a standard mating system, which has extensible male and female couplers on both locks. Ships with scoops also have fueling hoses.

Exterior hand-holds are present on USL and PSL; SL and AF have openable handholds, which are flush closed, and recessed when open. Generally, the closure isn't strong enough to cut vacc-suits, but it is strong enough to break fingers and rip forcibly removed. Generally, these are 20x20x5cm , with a 15x15cm open area in the center; one or two caribeaner hooks are under the lip, as is a standard induction hookup and a LP O2/return air hookup or 2. A 'beaner in place will prevent closure. Usually also has an optical data connect. the lip being 5cm deep isn't a great hold, but it also can serve as an external mount point for more equipment.

Hatch controls are always in a handhold or separate closable box. Separate boxes usually have a small push-to-open. The mechanical override is usually in a similar box; milspec lacks the standard override, instead using a power induction connector and data feed (Power the lock, proove to it you have the codes, and then normal cycle the lock....).

Engineering lacks tools. It has some hoists, and lockers for tools, but your engineer had better buy some tools... Generally, most ships will have a toolkit for the engineering section, but each engineer has their own personal toolkit as well.

 

[far-trader]

My take, going down the list (notes around here somewhere but this is quicker... ):

Ship's locker(s):

• 1 Standard Vacc Suit per crew member.
• 1 Hardened Vacc Suit Overall per Engineer.

Each Vacc Suit includes a small MMU and Reentry Kit.

• 1 Survival Carbine/Shotgun and ammo per crew member
• 1 Auto Pistol and ammo per crew member
• 1 Survival Blade per crew member

• 1 combo respirator/filter mask per crew member
• 1 cold weather suit per crew member
• 2 long range commo/emergency beacon units
• 1 medium range personal commo unit per crew member
• 2 inertial locators
• 1 radiation badge per crew member (always worn)
• 2 binoculars
• 1 flashlight per crew member
• 2 large fire extinguishers

• 1 metal work tool set per Engineer
• 1 mechanical tool set per Engineer
• 1 medical kit per Doctor (typically just 1)
• 1 electronic tool set per Engineer
• 1 underwater dive kit per Engineer

Staterooms:

• 2 survival bubbles
• 2 flashlights
• 2 combo respirator/filter mask
• 1 small fire extinguisher
• 1 first aid kit

There might have been more but that's the basics. Military ships have more and better of course. This is the typical civilian ship gear, pretty much the legally required minimums.

Safety lines are part of the Vacc Suit. Any airlock or ship's locker can recharge O2 and power supplies.

Small ships don't generally have connecting tubes in MTU, those are either part of the starport service or on large ships at some airlocks.

Handholds/line clips throughout the ship inside and out.

What about exterior access ports for hatches? You mean like for entry? Sure, biometric and tie into the ship's anti-hijack suite if available. Ditto cameras and a host of other sensors, everywhere, all tied into the anti-hijack suite if available.

Airlocks also double as decon showers or course.

 

[Icosahedron]

As a GM, I avoid specifying equipment as far as possible, so I don't paint myself into a corner. I tend to decide things in a typically CT seat-of-the-pants manner. A lot depends on whether I actually want the player to succeed, and in general, least said, soonest mended.
Don't you just hate it when a player says, "well, back in post #23, January 1986, you said..."

Having said that, I look at what is reasonable. Is it reasonable for a crew that has been in space for a week, or a month, suddenly to realise there are no tools in Engineering? I think not. Whether you have the tool you need is a different question and depends on the job at hand. :devil:

IMTU (non-canon) there would be regulations regarding safety equipment and minimum supplies. Not every captain would adhere to the regs, but you get an impression of that when you sign on.

Regulations would be different for private or commercial ships, for ships of various sizes and for ships with differing primary purposes (if you take passage in a spare crew berth on a tanker, you dont get all the attention to detail and safety that you'd expect on a cruise liner).

Umbilical access tubes and decon units are optional extras, though line attachment points are standard on airlocks. Airlocks generally include a WC, though generally not a full fresher. This can be a boon on small craft, where it may be the only such facility.
Ships without a cost-cutting captain will probably have decon units on the main airlock and the Engineering airlock.

Generally, vacc suits will be available for all crew by regulation, though they may not be fully EVA rated, possibly more like a hazchem suit, and will not have re-entry packs as standard. They will be located in the ship's locker (Bridge) and Engineering. Elsewhere, rescue balls will be available. Cabins contain rescue balls and there are extras available in all common areas. Many crew will prefer to use their own (skinny) vacc suit, a practice which reinforces the minimal regulatory provision.

Fire fighting equipment will be typical for a public building, with a built-in system as the primary measure and local decompression available as a backup:
"Now hear this. Fire in C-section. All personnel enter rescue balls. Decompression in 30 seconds."

Ships may have handholds in strategic locations, pretty much as Aramis described, but for 'scampering across the surface', portable equipment is used - magnetic, suction, or sticky-sole technology.

Weapons (and recharging facilities) are restricted to the locker (and possibly Engineering, depending on the ship) Power points are ubiquitous.

Cameras are generally restricted to communal spaces.

Actually, you raise a good point there - there should be a physical limit to how small cameras and microphones can get. At some point, the aperture size will create diffraction and you'll need a computer to recreate the image from the diffraction pattern. Smaller still, and you may not be able to capture a full image due to wavelength issues. I imagine stiffness and resonance in microphone diaphragms will cause problems for very small devices too. Anyone any ideas/links about these size limits?

 

[aramis]

Small enough to be hard to spot. A flying wind-up toy can carry the top end VGA micro camera chip with lens currently. well under 1cc. Including battery.

One can put an electret condenser mic in plain sight in a planter and have it be missed due to lack of size. A PZM can be mounted on the back of the mirror; it's about 10cc's (20x20x0.25cm)... but it won't be seen, and works better when the mirror acts as its membrane. Laser mics can be down to a couple cc's. laser and sensor integrated unit, using the wall as the membrane.