Every adventurer knows that gear makes the man, often believing that more makes better...
What most adventurer's forget after a time is that it doesn't matter what gear you have, it's whether or not you can use it effectively. Lot's of dead heroes have the best equipment available, for all the good it did their dead asses when a group who knew their inferior equipment in and out nailed them to the wall!
 Most players never look twice at equipment, just caring about the numbers that the gear gives them.  Give them a choice between a man-pack Boom-Gun and a slick little pistol that does 5d6, fits in the palm of the hand, and generates it's own energy when squeezed through piezoelectric crystal generators, and most of them will take the Boom-Gun, not even asking if it needs specail ammuntion or energy needs.
  This document is good for merc's and soldiers of fortune who care about their gear.  If you don't, go check out the graveyard, and get to know the people who will be your neighbors.

We'll start out with something most 'bots, 'borgs and vehicles carry, a radio...
RADIO'S
Now, black market radio's seldom have the same options as military specification equipment, and even then, most PC's have no idea how to use the gear they have bought. So many times PC's use radio's to co-ordinate thier efforts and then act surprised when the professional group that they are facing turns and let's them have it like they could read thier minds.  They couldn't appreciate the comment "Of course they could read your mind, you didn't have a single thought you didn't speak."
Here are some radio options I add into the game and how they are used.....
SLURP-An anacronym for some type of encryption process. It can take up to TWO minutes worth the conversation, compress it into a split second burst, encrypt the burst, then fragment across several channels. The recieving radio picks it up across the channels, reassembles it, decrypts it, uncompresses it, and then plays it as if the speaker was talking normally. Try to find and crack that! The Mechaniods, CS, Triax and the Megaversal Legion will all be familiar with this technology and use it, knowing it takes a coordinated, high tech foe to capture, disassemble and crack this system. For those of you who doubt that the Megaversal Legion or the CS would own such tech, the U.S. Army uses it regualarly now.
SCAN-Simply what it says, flip a switch and all channels are scanned for radio traffic. If the radio detects a signal it can record the transmission on a CD-EPROM (a CD-W)for later decryption and examination.
TRIANGULATE-Yes, Virginia, even if your running scrambled, using a SLURP capable radio, constant commo will result in the enemy the broadcaster's position in moments, and if an army like the CS know where you are, you can bet your about to catch some indirect fire if someone thinks you may be a big enough nuisance.
MULTIPLE CHANNEL OPEN-Having multiple channels open can be a big help during a battle. Telling your officers what you want on the command channel, monitoring normal troop chatter on another, and listening to your Forward Scouts single-click information on the long range channel will all tie together in what is important... the battle at hand.
LIVE MIKE SYNDROME-Also known as Hot Mike(-ing)  Live mike sydrome is when the mike stays keyed, either through damage or through operator negligence. Live mike syndrome allows anyone with a radio on the same Freak as you (ahh, read frequency) to listen in on the conversation, triangulate your position and feed you some 8" HE rounds, or just laugh as you mess up your own commo. (a use for this is to take a disposable radio, hot-wire the mike, and plant it in the enemies vehicles, allowing you to listen in and track them all the way. CS Rangers and SF love this stunt!)
LASER COMMO-Beuatiful thing, laser commo. The laser runs the equivalent of a line of sight radio wave that cannot be tapped into (vairances that make the message are too slight to be measured unless you are the target or intercept the beam). In a tight spot, CS Rangers and SF have been known to use their survival kit commo unit attatched to the cycling circutry in a laser rifle to send a message out! Just simply drop the power, wire in the commo unit, aim, and presto, jury rigged commo unit. (Some CS rifles may have this feature build in, at the GM's option, radio's in my campaign have the 'c' designator at the end)
SUB-SONIC COMMO-A simple, yet effective, near unjammable commo source, even if it is a bit slow. primarily used by CS and Triax Navy, simply the thudding boom of depth charges or the repeating actuation of a glitter-boy suppression pylon, the sub-sonic option is simply transmitted shock waves, usually morse code, that are picked up by the CS monitering stations. This is a last ditch or VERY sneaky commo method. (See CS tactics for the Monitering Stations) Although slow, it can be usefull.
IFF-TRANSPONDER-Identify Friend/Foe transponders are built into many craft, escpecially the vehicles the CS plans to use in upcoming Unity Campaign (What my group keeps calling it...)  IFF Transponders can be turned off and on, and are used to help pilots and missiles distinquish between friends and foes.  Many IFF's turn to Emergency Beacons in case of downed or overly damaged vehicles.  Since the Mechaniod War of 102 PA, many militaries have started using an emergency beacon that only becomes active if a friendly IFF transponder is detected (Too many pilots/crews were homed in on by the advanced Mechaniods, pulled from thier vehicles and slaughtered) or the pilot switches it on.
  Probably also sees use in ground forces up to and including infantry, expecially given the friendly fire incidents of the history of warfare.  Some IFF may be designed only to act if it is queried.  They'll do a burst broadcast when they are painted by a friendly fire contol system (radar, laser, sonar, ect) or a system, with a smart enough computer, may be passive and be able to cecognize vehicle type or optical clues.  Of course, if the firer doesn't paint the target (Such as a tanker or infantry grunt firing without fire control compensation) then they better be up on vehicle recognition training)

FREQUENCY AGILE-  Previously forgotten in this listing, the ability of a radio system to broadcast a message while switching frequencies hundreds or thousands of times a second.  Of course if the receiver doesn't have the current algoritym, or their radio's internal clock is off, then they are out of the radio net.  Usually used in conjunction with encryption in the unlikely event that the other side can intercept and figure what the algorithim is (thoguh perhaps not so impossible, given the ability of of Pre-Rifts computer technology)  Also, even if you are hopping frequencies, if the other side has listening centers with broadband search, then tey can eventually backtrack you, even if they don't understand what you are saying.  It may take longer to do so, since with a broadband search they will be picking up other transient signals, but eventually, they should be able to lock down, decrypt and recontruct your radio messages.

WEAPONS
All weapons are alike except for damage and cosmetics, right?  If they both use long E-clips, have 30 shots a clip, do 1d6x10, and have a range of 2000 ft, then who cares, take the cooler looking one.  (Says the unthinking)
Wrongo boyo, keep thinking that right until a CS sniper puts a bolt in your ear.
CS, Triax and Megaversal legion all put something in their weapon that you don't get when you buy the weapon off the Black Market or from a civilian store/pawn shop. After all why give away all those nifty things you can take off and out of the weapon before you sell it to that gang of ruffian's coming down the aisle (read-PC's)
BUTT-KIT-Despite the funney name, the Butt Kit is an important part of the weapon. For laser weapons it contains an extra focusing crystal; and all weapons contain: a small handfull of spare parts; tools; cleaning utensils; small, cheapo Swiss Army knife; mini-survival kit; and a thumbnail explosive charge complete with 100ft of microwire and a detonator.
AUTO-DESTRUCT-A handy little "die DB scum" option that takes a second or two to implement, but causes the rifle to explode after a random (1d10 oughta do it) number of shots for 1d6x(remaining number of shots). It can be undone in a second or two if someone knows what they are looking for, and it has the CS anti-telemechanics hooked into it.
ANTI-TELEMECHANICS-With the invention of psionic dampeners, based on pre-Rifts designes, an obvious spinoff technology came about.  Installed into the electronics of a weapon system of vehicle, it was a failure as far as an anti-psionic defense, but was a rousing success to prevent regular and advanced telemechanics from being used on a vehicle.  The CS and Triax shared data and developed a rather nasty kickback in addition to the vehicle or weapon appearing as static to telemechanic users.  Anyone using a form of telemechanics gets hit with 2d6 M.D.C./H.P. damage directly to the brain.  Even War of the 4 Horsemen found the anti-telemechanics to pack a slight sting.
  GM's may wish to work out a difficulty modifier to work around this defense if a psi knows that it is in palce, a kind of psychic lockpicking attempt.
STABALIZING EQUIPMENT-This covers bipods, tripods, gyrostabalizing harnesses, body harnesses, slings, and 'pressor gear.
  BIPODS-Bipods are an inverted v-shaped stands that attatch to the end of the weapon to give it firing stabalization.  They fold up by springs, and need the barrel of the weapon between the ends to keeps from closing.
  TRIPODS-Tripods are 3 legged stands the support the weapon forward of the trigger mechanism (The automatic grenade launcher in Rifts Mercenaries is tripod mounted) and allow the weapon to be locked into place or swivel between two locked down points.  On a tripod is a bar, where the two wheels will lock down the swivel range, and they have clicks for measurements that allow firing directions to be relayed between gunners.
  GYRO-HARNESS-Gyro-harnesses are body harnesses used for rail guns, miniguns and other heavy kick weaponry.  The gyro negates autofire penalties by 1 per rating.  The downside of them is that they reduce parry and dodge by the rating, since the gyro wants to cancel all new movement.
  BODY-HARNESS-Body harness is simply a series of straps designed to spread the weight of the weapon across the gunners shoulders.  A good example of a body harness is what Vasquez and Drake wear in Aliens.
  SLING-Slings are a simple strap, attatched to the forward handguard and the back of the stock, the sling is loose enough to allow the weapon to be hung from one shoulder, or diagonally across the body, held against the back.  Some people loosen it enough that the strap rests on one shoulder, crosses the body and the weapon can be brought into play.  It's called body-slung, and many strak units frown upon it, since it lets the weapon get tangled up pretty easy.  In this I also include handgrips in this area, since they can be an added on feature, belted or screwed onto the weapon, at any angle.  Many cyborg troopers add an additional hand grip to a weapon for better stabilization.
   Another term for it is patrol sling, for a weapon slung across the body for immediate use, and does require some amount of jury rigging.
  'PRESSOR GEAR-Revolutionary technology taken from the Nuerani has created a prototype weapons harness that is still in the field testing mode.  Small tractor beams/force fields, built into a web belt harness, carry the weight and assist in stabalization of the weaponry.  The tractor beams are able to assist 'borgs, juicers, crazies and power armor pilots in using some heavy weaponry, and resist the kick on magnetic accelleration weapon (read: rail guns).
  The CS is currently attempting to field this as a motive system for panzers, aircraft and SAMAS, but so far, the energy requirements are too immense for something massing more than 125 kg.
VEHICLE ACESSORIES
POWER SOURCE
  COLD FUSION With the use of the rules for cold start of reactors, this was next to a godsend for the PC's.  Cold fusion is a self sustaining nuclear reaction that generates power with no heat.  Don't ask me how it works, but it supposedly does.  The advantage of it is:  If the nukepack is breached, only fluid pours out, with little or no residual radiation, and if the magnetic bottle is breached, no explosion, just a shutdown.

  HOT FUSION Fusing enriched helium in a magnetic bottle, hot fusion puts out tremendous amounts of power, but runs the risk of exploding if coldstarted to quickly.  Thankfully, it needs only hydrogen or helium to run, and a breach of the magnetic bottle will result in merely a 4d6x1000 to a 2500 foot area explosion if the reactor didn't shut down properly.
  NUCLEAR FISSION  Nuclear Fission is splitting atoms and using the energy released by the reaction.  The big problem with it, is doing a cold start has a tendency to pop the reactor.  It requires plutonium or enriched uranium.
  SOLAR CELL  Solar Cell technology is good, but undependable.  At best, backup batteries can be charged while the vehicle uses the excess to perform, but battlefield damage can destroy the solar cells.
  ENERGY CELL-Fuel Cells are electrical power plants that generate chemically, using oxygen and hydrogen.  The byproduct is water, usually released as vapor.  Normally the fueld is hydrogen with oxygen extracted from the atmosphere.  The water vapor byproduct can also be captured for reuse, as in many CS vehicles this type of energy source.  The CS also used a hydrogen/helium artificial compound to reduce the risk of explosion.
  LIQUID FUEL  Gasoline, either a synthetic or a fossil fuel.  The CS uses an enriched form of diesel fuel that needs to be compressed before it explodes, to aviod the goold old exploding gastank problems, or a nicked fuel line resulting in an a vapor that ignites from a bouncing fragment of spark./
ENGINES
  BLACK HOLE SOUND SUPPRESSION Taken from old U.S. Army Apache AH-64 Attack Helicopters, the BHSS is the reason why the choppers sounded like a loud whisper when the stealth system was engaged.  Experimentation has adapted it to SAMAS, notably the Striker series, making it so the engines no longer roar.  It also utilizes a counter-soundwave 180 degrees out of sync with the noise to be countered.  The two sounds hit and cancel each other out, singnifigantly dampening engine noise, but requiring it's own frequency generator and computer controll.
  ICEBERG IR MASKING Mixes exhaust it super-cooled air (Forced air passed over superconductor coils that are kept at approximately -100 C) to drastically reduce the Infrared signature of the vehicle.  There are also baffles and cooling vanes inside the turbines
BODY
 C.A.R.C. COATING Camoflauge, Anti-Radar Covering.  A thick, bumpy paint that scatters radar, including Longbow radar.  Often used on bots and armored vehicles.  The CS uses it infrequently, despite the fact that it is tried and proven, preferring to stick with the sleek, black look.  Covert Ops soldiers like it, since it gives them a lower radar signature.
 ABLATIVE ARMOR  Ablative armor is standard armor.  It protects the vehicle by shattering away or melting, rather than caving in and mangling the cargo.
 REACTIVE ARMOR Reactive armor is shaped explosive charges bolted to the hull of a vehicle.  Often used by rear vehicles and some rear armor, when a anti-armor round comes within range, the armor detonates, leaving the armor unharmed, and hopefully destroying the incoming round.  As stupid as it sounds, it actually works, as proven in modern day combat.  As a matter of fact, the armor bricks themselves can be picked up and reattatched, once the explosive charges are replaced.
  Other Types of reactive armor detonates when struck, to disrupt the forming of a shape charges piercing metal stream.  Heavier versions exist that cause the outer plate to shift with enough mass to break or at least turn kinetic energy rounds, though this version is heavier and not quite as effective on shape charges as the lighter version (The shaped charge has a bit more time to form it's penetrating stream due to the thicker outer metal block)  Attempts to counter reactive warheads include:  Tandem warheads, small explosives on a stand off probe, rapid fire to scrub-off a reactive layer, top-attack and Explosiberly Forged Penetrators.  Of course explosively detonating armor is not too wild with nearby infantry, escpecially on active version which may go off prematurely or versus a weapon that wouldn't have hurt the vehicle or the nearby grunts.
TIRES
  RUNFLAT Runflat tires are designed to keep on going even when shredded.  The entire tire has to be eliminated to cripple it, although there will be loss of handling and speed.
  REINFLATING Compressors installed in the vehicle reinflate damaged tires that have self sealing tires.  (Really exist on modern U.S. military 5-ton vehicles as of 1993!)  Works for nails, bullet holes, but not large chunks taken out of the tires.
  SPUN CARBON-Instead of a rubber bag holding air, you have a wheel made of a spun latticework of carbon fibre.  Shock absorbant, and no flats, just ablativeness.  Adds roughly 50% MDC to the tire.n Carbon
ENVIROMENTAL
  N.B.C. SEAL comes standard in every suit of armor, power armor, or Robot power armor.  The important thing about this stuff is that it protects the wearer from chemical weapons, biological weapons, and nuclear side effects (radiation, the flash, and fallout)
  FAKE MAGE The discovery of LNT-17, a PPE active bacteria, allowed the CS to install this bacteria in the lining of a suit of dead boy or RPA to make it seem to magical or psionic senses that a mage was inside.  Even psi-stalkers will think that the inhabitant of the armor is a mage.  Since the bacteria feeds on sweat and dead skin cells, each suit developes it's own signature, and the bacteria serves a purpose.  Only commandos, SF, LuRPS, or Rangers have been issued this armor, and even then it is stripped of most mil-spec gear to make them seem like a merc.
STEALTH
  FALSE MAGE-See Fake Mage
  FALSE TRAIL-Musk glands or sweat glands from other creatures are kept alive in a chemical bath, and stimulated to release phereomones commonly associated with other animals.  This trick is often used to fool canine troops into thinking a different race was in the area than actually was.  It reduces actual ID of an intruder by scent by 75%
  SLEEK COATING-Designed by the Anchient Amerikan Empire Air Force, Sleek coating provides a non-reflective, radar absorband, laser designator defeating surface.  It is extremely brittle, designed for sleath applications, not combat (750 SDC, for each 10 SDC suffered, subract one percent from the stealth deduction)  Gives a -75% to being detected by mechanical means.
SENSORS
  M.A.D. SCAN Stands for Magnetic Anomoly Detector.  The computer targeting system will have armor types magnetic images on file, and will compare it to magnetic scans.  Any magnetic anomoly, or magnetic image profile, will show up.  The range is actually short, usually only 1000m and will show up on some scanners.
  THERMOGRAPHIC Pretty easy, heat sources put out certain colors in the thermal spectrum.  Thermographic imaging displays everything by it's ambient heat, giving you a image that at first is confusing, but soon gets easy to read.  You can tell a borg from a normal human by the high heat level,
  INFRARED Not everything in red, but it uses passive infrared to achieve night vision.  Many times an IR spotlight is used in conjuction to give a brighter, clearer picture.
  ULTRAVIOLET Uses the ultraviolet spectrum for vision, often couple with a UV spotlight, and definately usefull on cloudy, overcast days, since the clouds do not hinder UV.  The only problem, is without computer enhancement, the sight picture looks very strange to anyone unused to it.
  IR & UV When used with a light (UV or IR) then anyone with optics able to pick up that radiation will see the light a lot further than those using the light can see (just as you see a flashlight beam further away than the flashlight reveals)  Advanced thermographics installed in Rifts Mil-Spec vehicles can produce an image almost as good as visual light.  Many images show a lot of fine detail as instead of just picking up just picking up heat, the optic sensor is using reflected IR or UV light emitted by the environment the same way we use reflected visible light with our own eyes.  <For those of you that think that this would not allow you to read numbers, dials, guages, books, your wrong.  Vehicle drivers during Desert Storm were able to read maps, guages and spedometers, complete with the numbers with their Night Vision Goggles>
  RADAR Standard to the Rifts Books
  LONGBOW MILLIMETER-WAVE RADAR OK, used in the Apache helicopter, millimeter wave radar is rumored to be able to detect rivets in a tank hull at 5 miles.  It is not hampered by weather, provides excellent terrain mapping, but is very expensive.  Despite advances in minuteration, most armors smaller that a UAR-1 won't pack longbow.  notable exceptions are the Striker SAMAS, Triax Glitterboy and Ulti-Max, and Scorpian Skull Walker.
  Also very difficult to detect it's use unless your detector is set for that millimeter wave.  The CS uses a phase shifting array to prevent detection (-40% on sensor systems)  This system also works in a passive mode as most object emit mellimetric wave radiation just as they do heat, just in this case the metal and mass of the object the more it emits.  In a way it is to MAD what Thermographic sensors are to IR.  Visual Light-like image can be achieved by the system by using active scanning (Yes, Victoria, this means that you can get unit designations off of the armor or vehicle using active scanning.  There is a slight bit of blurriness though)
  NIGHT VISION Mk VII Normal, green screen night vision as seen on TV.  Anything over 250 meters begins to loss clarity, and it extends only to 1500 meters.
 NIGHT VISION Mk VIII Full, normal spectrum color nightvision, but the range is only 1000 meters, with clarity dropping after 100 meters.
  This advanced system incorperate a computer generated image with a color palette as opposed to monochrome green.  This makes visual identification easier, and comes closer to a type of VR, taking input from all the sensors to make a composite image that is much easier to interpit.
  LASER ENHANCING Laser enhancing uses low powered lasers to make sure the targets are actually there, clears out smoke and mist.
  All so known as LADAR (LAser Detecting And Ranging) or LIDAR (Laser Imaging, Detecting And Ranging)  Harder to detect and confuse by conventional (ie: radio based) means, but it can be degraded by smoke, mist, rain or fog, and blocked by exotic anti-laser methods like Prism (laser reflective crystals) or BlackOut (Prism plus hot smoke/IR defeating features)  Certain laser frequencies overcome environmental effects
  ACTIVE STEALTH-Sends out an exacting opposing radar wave to cancel an incoming radar beam, it relies on subtle trickery instead of brute force jamming.  The CS phase radar array overcomes this sytem, although the Specter IX phase Stealth Array mounted on vehicle designed specifically for it seems to at least marginally provide some radar supression.
  IR JAMMER-Uses a 'heated brick' or IR beam bouncing 'disco ball' and randomized pulses of IR radiation to confuse IR guided weapons
  LASER JAMMER/BLINDER-  A jumped up LADAR, or downgraded laser weapons detects or is handed off targetting info an incoming missile and then pulses a laser beam at it to confuse/blind/burn out optical type (laser guided, optical recognition, IR homing) tracker.  Can disrupt wire guided missiles by confusing the gunners sight or damaging the optics.  ROBOTS TAKE NOTE!!!  A called shot with a variable setting laser rifle programmed to run across the gambit several hundred times in a single shot may disrupt your optics!  (40% chance)
  TARGET LOCK Locks the target, providing the pilot with a +1 to strike at the target.  It will track it even if they drop out of Line Of Sight.
  ELECTRONIC COUNTER MEASURES (ECM) ECM's try to 'spoof' targeting systems, by shifting the electronic signature of the vehicle, or burning out the targeting system with directed electronic pulses or electromagnetic pulses.
  ELECTRONIC COUNTER COUNTER MEASURES (ECCM) are designed to fry ECM's and keep the targeting lock.
  CHAFF RADAR TARGETING COUNTER MEASURES Chaff is merely thin, mylar strips, radar reflective, nearly microscopic, that creates a large, impenetrable cloud on radar.  It is often used to defeat missles.  It reduces the chance of a smart missile or target system to hit by 3.
  FLARE TARGETING COUNTERMEASURES Flares are white phosphorus flares that burn at an extreme temperature, and hopefully fool IR homing missiles into hitting the flare instead of the vehicle.  It reduces IR guided missiles chances to hit by 3.
  FLARE COMPENSATION Locks onto the thermal signature of the vehicle, and ignores any sudden changes.  It has a 75% chance of ingnoring flares.
  COMPUTER ASSISTED FIRE CONTROL Enables a pilot to designate units displayed on the HUD to be fired upon by designated weaponry.  Each weapon only gets one attack per rating of the computer (maximum of 5) per round.  Handy, and definately usefull.
  IDENTIFY FRIEND OR FOE SYSTEMS (IFF SYSTEMS) IFF systems are one of the reasons CS Troops are able to aviod friendly causalties in a massive, smell the bad breath and sweat, knock down, drag out fights.  Friendly units, through transponder or operater designation with computer tracking, are highlighted in blue if in vision, or marked blue on the radar display, enemy units, designated like friendlies, are highlighted in red and marked in red on the radar display.  Unknowns are marked in green.
  AUTODESTRUCT CHARGES:  Autodestruct charges make sure that the advanced technology inside the sensor systems does NOT fall into enemy hands.  With the technological edge that the CS and Triax have gained over their foes, they now have decided that if the gear falls into the wrong hands, blow it.  Any time the armor/vehicle pilot dies, the high tech (not the standard, basic) sensors blow out, destroying themselves completely.  This is why the Black Market is having such a hard time getting ahold of these systems.  Most systems the Black Market has is retrofitted or scavenged U.S. military gear.

Real Quick Note:  Many people have written nasty letters to me, saying that this puts an unfair emphasis on technology vs magic, and these thing would never exist or be used.  WRONGO!  Many of these exist now, and are in use.  Hey, bayonets are anchient, and sometimes still come in use on modern day battlefields.  And as for the unfair emphasis on tech, hey, crack open Federation of Magic.  I mean, come on!  So what if a hot shot Ace Pilot can assign target numbers to targets highlighted in his HUD with his interactive IFF, and then assigns his computer to fire on them until destroyed with his CAFC.  I hear: "That means a CS soldier in a Stiker SAMAS could assign his left side missile launchers to one target, his right side missile launchers to another, and engage a third with his rifle, and every round, get 3 attacks instead of his one!  That's not fair!  Hey, TS.  My players know it works both ways.....
  Another addition.  With the Campaign of Unity finished in this campaign, and World War IV having begun, it was proven that all of the above enhancements did not give tech an unfair advantage, since mostly mil-spec equipment had the options people worried about.  It made the military machines more threatening, but enless PC's engaged military troops, they had little to worry about.

  Last addition:  Thanks to PsyWraith, whose comments appear as the lighter colors.

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