New Equipment

Desert Survival Suit

To protect desert travelers and explorers, the Pan-Galactic Corporation (PGC) first developed a series of desert survival gear. For marketing purposes, these outfits are also called desert adventure gear.

One of the earliest outfits created was the Desert Survival Suit – often nicknamed the “cool suit” by hikers. Designed to be worn during the daytime, the garment has an outer coating that reflects light in a diffused manner to reduce heat absorption; however, it is not so shiny that it can reflect laser fire nor reduce or enhance a person’s infrared (IR) signature.

The inner layer is designed to whisk perspiration away from the wearer’s skin – in the case of Humans, Yazarians and Dralasites (see Vrusk suit below) – to keep the wearer cool and dry. Vrusk tend to loose moisture through their breathing spicules on their abdomens, so suits designed for them come with filters to help keep dust particles out while keeping their clothing from becoming damp.

The middle layers contain a number of microfans powered by a standard 10 SEU microdisc. Effects: Wearing this suit will reduce a character’s water intake requirements by up to 1 liter per 20 hours GST due to high temperatures.

Typical civilian models come in a variety of lighter colors, some with reflective strips – to help in search and rescue efforts – while others offer a military-style desert camouflage scheme, but no real military benefits other than being able to blend into the environment.

Because of their nature, normal civilian Desert Survival Suits (DSS) are not designed to be worn with military suits – i.e. skein, albedo, maser mesh, grid, etc. – and can be made to act as an Explorer’s Vest. Yet, different grades of armor-enhanced outfits can be bought that are the equivalent of a skeinsuit or a gridsuit (other armored suit materials are incompatible with the DSS).

Since its creation by PGC, this outfit has been licensed out for manufacturer to several companies that adapt them to local conditions, while other mega corporations, such as Eversafe Industries and Streel, have made similar versions. Versions sold on Kraatar are compatible with using a breathing apparatus and have camouflage colorations to match the planet’s terrain.

Some of the various versions are listed below. All are powered by a 10 SEU microdisc and use 1 SEU every two hours.

Basic Civilian DSS

This can be bought in a variety of colors, with or without reflective strips, including the so-called desert camouflage version.

Cost: 200 Credits

Explorer DSS

This model has the capabilities of a standard Explorer’s Vest built-in (see Zebulon’s Guide, page 92) and provides a variety of patch pockets, inside zipper pockets, Velcro strips, rings and snaps for maximum item attachment. It comes with the removable plastic backpack to store breakables.

Cost: 225 Credits  

Tactical Vest DSS

This version normally comes in desert camouflage only – though since it has become a fashion statement with some explorers, it can be bought in gaudy colors. It has the same capabilities as the Tactical Vest listed in the Alpha Dawn Optional Rules, page 178. Made of tougher material, it acts like a 25-point skeinsuit.

Cost: 275 Credits

Military Skeinsuit DSS

Created for the military, it is basically a 50-point military skeinsuit with Desert Survival Suit capabilities.

Cost: 400 Credits

Civilian Skeinsuit DSS

For those who don’t want to look like they are in the military, this model resembles the Explorer DSS, but has skeinsuit capabilities (50-points).

Cost: 650 Credits

Advanced Desert Survival Suit (ADSS)^[1]

About the time of Laco’s War, the Pan-Galactic Corporation began selling Advanced Desert Survival Suit (ADSS). Militarized versions of this suit gave the PGC and Galactic Task Force an initial edge over Streel and Merco. Other companies, including several Vrusk trade houses quickly copied the design.

The ADDS is two garments in one, offering daytime and nighttime protection.

It has many of the same features as the Desert Survival Suit such as an outer coating to reduce heat absorption with the inner layer designed to whisk away perspiration. Instead of microfans, the suit’s middle layers features a circulatory heat exchange system that operates to help keep the person cool during the day and warm during the night. Miniature radiators are located along key locations on the suit’s exterior as part of the heat exchanger.

The problem for civilian models is that this makes the suit’s wearer very obvious to infrared (IR) scanners; military units have IR baffles to reduce the character’s heat signature.

Another feature of the ADSS is that the wearer’s perspiration – and urine – is trapped by micro condensers and then filtered through several chemical filters. The purified water is then stored in pouches along the front of the outfit, supplying the wearer about one liter of water for every three hours during the daytime and about 1 liter every six hours at night. The character can drink the water from a straw-like tube that is stored near the neck (the Dralasite version operates similarly, though it is set up for their unique physiology).

The suit also comes with a hood and sungoogles. An optional breathing mask is available, which traps moisture exhaled from the nose and mouth – or a Vrusk’s breathing spicules; the mask is useful on planets such as Laco that have even harsher conditions than many in the Frontier.

A character wearing such an outfit will not suffer damage from sandstorms.

The heat exchange and water purification systems are powered by a 20 SEU powerpack – though it can also be hooked up to a beltpack or a backpack battery – and uses 1 SEU per hour during the day or 1 SEU every two hours at night. The chemical filters must be changed once a month, at a cost of 50 Credits.

Basic Civilian ADSS

This can be bought in a variety of colors. It is very reflective, meaning the character would have a hard time sneaking up on anyone during the day, though that helps with search and rescue operations. It also has a high IR signature. It is also bulkier than more advanced models, reducing a character’s Initiative Modifier (IM) by -1 point and cutting Reaction Speed (RS) by 5 points.

Cost: 600 Credits

Explorer ADSS

This model has the capabilities of a standard Explorer’s Vest built-in (see Zebulon’s Guide, page 92) and provides a variety of patch pockets, inside zipper pockets, Velcro strips, rings and snaps for maximum item attachment. It comes with the removable plastic backpack to store breakables. It also suffers from being bulky, highly reflective in the daylight and has a high IR signature. Reduce the wear’s Initiative Modifier (IM) by -1 point and trim Reaction Speed (RS) by 5 points

Cost: 650 Credits 

Tactical Vest ADSS

This version normally comes in desert camouflage only – though since it has become a fashion statement with some explorers, it can be bought in gaudy colors. It has the same capabilities as the Tactical Vest listed in the Alpha Dawn Optional Rules, page 178. Made of tougher material, it acts like a 25-point skeinsuit. This outfit is also equipped with IR bafflers but also provides easier movement (no negative modifiers for a character’s IM or RS scores).

Cost: 750 Credits

Military Skeinsuit ADSS

Created for the military, it is basically a military skeinsuit with Advanced Desert Survival Suit capabilities. This outfit is also equipped with IR bafflers but also provides easier movement (no negative modifiers for a character’s IM or RS scores).

Cost: 850 Credits

Civilian Skeinsuit ADSS

A premium outfit for those who don’t want to look like they are in the military, this model resembles the Explorer DSS, but has skeinsuit capabilities. This outfit is also equipped with IR bafflers but also provides easier movement (no negative modifiers for a character’s IM or RS scores).

Cost: 950 Credits

Optional Mask for ADSS

This accessory captures the moisture that a character exhales, adding up to an additional half-a-liter of water for drinking along with providing some additional protection against sand storms. However, many people find wearing the mask restricting.

Cost: 50 Credits

Stillsuit^[2]

A marvel of technology, the distillation suit – or stillsuit – is a full body desert survival outfit. It is the ultimate suit created to preserve a character’s moisture so it can be purified and reused. It is made with micro-sandwiched layers that provide a high-efficiency water filters, salt precipitators and heater exchanger systems.

Developed after 100 FY, the stillsuit’s various layers absorb moisture from sweating, urination and even from excrement. Even the body’s salt is reclaimed for reuse.

A series of filters removes impurities from the water while the motions of the body, including the action of breathing and walking, along with osmotic action, provides the pumping force for the suit’s circulation systems. Reclaimed water is collected in catch pockets and a character can drink the water from a tube attached to the neck.

Covering the entire body up to the neck and wrists, the stillsuit also comes with gloves. If a character needs to remove the gloves for delicate work, a powder can be applied to allow him to work while reducing water loss from perspiration.

Urine and feces are process in the thigh pads (for Humans and Yazarians, the set-up is a bit different for Dralasites and Vrusk). In the open desert, it is recommended that the wearer use the optional facial mask to capture moisture from the mouth and face so it can be reclaimed. Nostril plugs are also used so the wearer needs to learn to breathe through his mouth filter and out through the nose tube. The outfit is topped off by a cap and hood.

When kept in working order and maintained properly, a stillsuit allows the wearer to survive for weeks in the open desert. It is advertised that adventurers “won't lose more than a thimbleful of moisture a day” when equipped with a stillsuit. In addition to virtually eliminating the need to carry extra water, by reclaiming salt, character’s wearing the stillsuit won’t need to take vitasalt tablets each day.

The beauty of the stillsuit is that it requires no batteries and it provides protection against the cold at night to boot. A standard stillsuit provides tactical vest capabilities – acting like a 25-point skeinsuit – plus masking the wear’s infrared signature. Those wearing this outfit will not suffer damage from a sand storm.

Standard Stillsuit

The standard stillsuit acts similar to a 25-point skeinsuit in addition to its other capabilities.

Cost: 1,000 Credits

Military Stillsuit

Created for the military, this outfit acts like an 80-point skeinsuit.

Cost: 1,200 Credits

Optional Stillsuit Mask, Cap and Hood

This accessory captures the moisture that a character exhales, adding up to an additional half-a-liter of water for drinking along with providing some additional protection against sand storms. However, many people find wearing the mask restricting.

Cost: 100 Credits