Gear Every Runner Should Have, Something everyone should have regardless. Options

[St Guardian]

Before everyone starts bashing me with specifics and whatnot, I'll explain in my first paragraph I did before I posted this. Okay, first thing I did was search for a forum that contained gear and equipment. over 1000+ pages to search through, so I tried to take off a little edge and went through 12 on each search before I decided not to pull my hair out anymore. If there is a post already, show me please.

Pretty much this is for the items that EVERY shadowrunner should have. This is regardless of build, type, profession, etc. So for the sake of time and arguing, rate is utterly worthless for this topic. I'll try to break everything down for easy reading so this might actually help create a list that everyone has found out about gear that they found useful. Also, it's kind of a cheat-sheet for newbies that are just joining in. This is also a list you can use yourself to create a list of gear for a new character also.

For the sake of my sanity, I won't alphabetize this list either.

What I have thus far.

Gear:
Fake License
Fake Sin
Subvocal mic
Holo-projector
Tag eraser
Data Chip
Medical Kit
Restraints of all kinds (kinky (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif) )
Biomonitor
Chisel
Wire Cutters
Tools

Armor is kind of given at this point. Suggestion would be a Chemically sealed full suit because it makes things easier if you become something you didn't plan on. (Loupe-Gurou)

Weapons:
Defiance Ex Shocker
Survival knife
Tomahawk
Illegal weapons of your choosing

Ammo:
Ex-ex
Stick and shock

Weapon Mods:
Easy Breakdown (manual)

Comm Programs:
Analyze
Browse
Firewall
Encrypt (especially if your gm is picky and loves to use the matrix against you)
Armor
ECCM
Medic
Track
Agent (unrestricted)
Mapsoft of Seattle or wherever your going to live (for the best escape routes and not eat up a knowledge points)

That's all I have now, please add if you think of something I forgot to add.

Love and peace,
SG

[toolbox]

Gloves.

[Ancient History]

Screwdriver
Duct tape
Crowbar

[Wasabi]

Narcojet+DMSO capsule rounds loaded into a ceramic holdout pistol. [or Ringu...]

[Method]

If there is a post already, show me please.

HERE is a fairly good one from not to long ago.
ANOTHER thread you might find useful. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Maelstrome]

night vision goggles or a FLASHLIGHT!!!! most overlooked piece of equipment.

[Bob Lord of Evil]

Just walking around the plex, I like to have the following...

Reversible jacket/coat

Funky hat w/ wig
[Johnny Mnemonic, not a very good movie but the bit where Keanu Reeves needs to get out of the building was cool.]

Zapper Certified Credstick w/ remote radio trigger
[Let me explain. This looks like a regular certified credstick however it has been gutted and a taser dart/capacitor placed inside with radio receiver, the outer case has been coated with a clear metalicized plastic. The readout displays a couple thousand (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) . Get mugged hand off the stick and then trigger it, just have the trigger run through your commlink/head radio/etc..]

Little Black Book
[From Blackjack, this is simply a little note book using a bs code filled with fake contacts and assorted bits to lead off Mr. Star or anyone else on a host of red herrings. Might buy a person enough time to get themselves of the drek.]

Sap Gloves & Mini-mag flashlight
[I actually got laidout in RL by a guy sporting this combo. The lead filled gloves gives the punch plenty of weight and the mini-mag acts like a roll of quarters. Talk to your GM...in my games it adds +2 Strength.]

Multi-Tool
[Pliers, knife, wire clippers, bottle opener, screw drivers, file, etc..]

Cigarette Case
[Again Blackjack but with a twist, two of the cigarettes have been modified. One is filled with plastic explosive the other with a micro detonator. Enough C-12 to blow a lock or make a gas tank go boom.]

Bus Terminal Locker Key
[Another time buyer.]

Browning Ultra Power Pistola [2 spare clips of ammo]
[Concealable pistol with a decent punch.]

[Stingray]

Radio Signal Scanner (use it with Tag Eraser)
White Noise Generator
Silencer for your sidearm

[Mirilion]

Screwdriver
Duct tape
Crowbar

This. Only this.

[Machiavelli]

Screwdrivers? Are there screws anymore in 2070?^^

[Mirilion]

Screwdrivers? Are there screws anymore in 2070?^^

Not sure, but there are LOTS in my campaigns from now on.
You can do almost everything with a screwdriver, a crowbar and duct tape (more so if you're a troll)

[Summerstorm]

Maglock Passkey and a Autopicker (or normal Lockpicks if you know what you are doing).

Also a grenade. Great for intimidations, standoffs or just blowing away whatever stands in your way.

[crizh]

Alkahest in a splash grenade.

[BIG BAD BEESTE]

Mirrorshades, Form-Fitting Body Amrour, a Secure Longcoat and a heavy pistol of your choice with all the snackies. That'll make you look like a real shadowrunner y'know. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I'd also advocate getting a Flashpak and the hoped-never-to-be-used Trauma Patch. Oh, and don't forget the lighter come bottle-opener either.

[paws2sky]

Rather than a traditional crowbar, I recommend either a flat pry bar or a fubar.

Zip ties! So many uses: Construction work. Impromptu restraints. String a couple together for a nasty garrote. Repair hanging car bumpers. And so on.

Also, plastic sheeting. You can collect dew with it to drink, suffocate someone with it, keep blood from getting on the carpet, and more. Maybe not a hundred and one uses, but still handy and very portable.

-paws

[Meatbag]

Some form of low-light/thermo vision and flare compensation.

Build it into eyewear, get it in your cybereyes, buy it as an adept power, grab it naturally from your Metatype, just get it. You must be able to trust your optics under most conditions, and sometimes the flashlight isn't enough.

Pack the flashlight as well, of course, but prepare for the worst.

And, seeing as this is a list for newbies, this may need to be stated explicitly..


A commlink, get one. Yes, even if you're a technomancer, even if you're a neo-luddite, even if you spent the last thirty years possessed by an Insect Spirit - there is no excuse for not having a commlink.

Speaking of commlinks, disposable ones are available and cheap. Use these for any less-than-legal conversations with shady sorts, and promptly chuck them somewhere improbable when you're done.

[Captain Aardvark]

Rope. You never know when you will need to use some.

[FlashbackJon]

I'd also advocate getting a Flashpak...

...or better yet, a Lone Star iBall with Gecko Tips!

[Screaming Eagle]

A catalist stick for Stealth grapple line. Even and perhaps especially if you don't have a stealth grapple line.

It's only come up once but few things have ever made me laugh harder and they are very cheap.

Slightly more seriously: at least one set of clothes you can wear to a good resturant. Not nessasarily Black Tie Affair but a decent off the rack buisness suit at least.
On the same note for the other end of the social specturm: if you life style doesn't cover it - a case of decent beer.

[Stingray]

A catalist stick for Stealth grapple line. Even and perhaps especially if you don't have a stealth grapple line.

It's only come up once but few things have ever made me laugh harder and they are very cheap.

Slightly more seriously: at least one set of clothes you can wear to a good resturant. Not nessasarily Black Tie Affair but a decent off the rack buisness suit at least.
On the same note for the other end of the social specturm: if you life style doesn't cover it - a case of decent beer.

Actioneer Business Suit(tres chic-suit,favored by fixers,and Excutives)

[Kerenshara]

Screwdriver
Duct tape
Crowbar

OK, now THAT's kinky. *grin*

What do I favor, day to day?

Well, I have a built-in comlink, but I carry an extra one apropriate to the persona/Fake SiN I'm broadcasting. If you have a built-in comlink, remember SkinLink and a SimModule; The SimModule takes care of the image link and audio link without extra 'ware, besides the role-playing benefits. If it's not built in and you don't have a data jack: 'trodes.

Glasses with whatever options work best for you - if you don't have an image link internally, consider it for your glasses so you can use your Comlink for active AR on the 'run. As was mentioned earlier: lowlight, thermal, image magnification and flare compensation come in serious handy.

Earbuds if you don't have cyberears or other enhancements - sound dampening is a key feature. Think about select sound filters and audio enhancement. A spatial recognizer tied into your comlink running the right program can act as a shot spotter - know exactly where that first round came from.

Another advantage of a cyber comlink is no need to subvocalize, but the subvocal mic is crucial for covert communications if you don't have one built in.

Gloves with chemical protection.

Some kind of unobtrusive armor with chemical protection. This could be anything from armored clothing to SecondSkin^TM to a Bewick Line^TM longcoat. If the outfit will allow it, and your BOD will let you get away with it without encumbrance, shirt or half-body Form Fitting Body Armor.

Unless I'm on a run I try to stick to legal weapons, but consider investing in concealable holsters (preferably as built-in accessories on the armor for the extra die against their perceptionpool). My favorites are a ceramic knife (cheap, disposable and non-magnetic) and an Ares Light Fire 70 light pistol with the custom silencer (which shares the weapon's "3R" availabilty code, as opposed to a normal silencer's "8F" rating) which gives an extra die against their listening perception test. If you can afford it (and make use of it) a SmartLink and SkinLink are both excellent choices to add to the pistol because they're legal and subtle. Make sure whatever ammunition you're carrying you is either legal or you have a (good fake) license for it: DMSO/Narcojet requires a license.

That's my around-town gear. I tailor my 'running gear for the precise 'run I'm on.

A couple spare clips of ammo with alternate loads works. If you have a silencer, invest in subsonic ammunition. The cops like seeing the top/chambered round being Gel - you're not displaying immediate lethal intent.

In my purse I have a few items no matter where I go: Food. It's trivial to carry a day's worth of calories in a compact (edible, if not tasty) format. A packet of clean water (they sell them these days for emergency use) - call it 8 fl oz / 235 ml as a minimum. A multitool (think high-end Leatherman^TM). A stylus (pen) capable of all-angle/all-weather writing (www.spacepen.com), a pencil, and a notebook of all-weather paper (www.riteintherain.com). A mylarized "space blanket", takes up less space than a pack of cards. A certified credstick with a small amount of funds. A blank data chip. Unmentionables and RP-stuff (Even with the Makeover spell, there are occasions where stopping to re-apply lipstick is just keeping in-character). Fire (read: lighter). Nasal filter plugs. If I have space in the purse, a titanium spork and collapsible chopsticks (inside joke). Paper versions of whatever ID and Licenses I have (the paper ones are useless without the electronic trail, but they work just fine for a quick glance) for that persona. A small but powerful flashlight (or if you have a visible meta-type that is known for low-light vision, a small low-light flashlight) and spare batteries. A small handfull of foil-wrapped patches: Long Haul, Antidote-Alcohol, Stim. (I was just re-skimming the chemistry section of Arsenal; Anybody take note of "Slab"? I finally get my Hiberzine!!!) Condoms (another inside joke).

[DuctShuiTengu]

MedicBot 9000© (1 per team): Evo Orderly w/ Valkyrie Module and Medicine and First Aid autosofts (consider raising Pilot as well). Strap dying individuals in to automatically stabilize, and it can then use first aid and medicine to assist in their recovery (even with just the standard pilot and rating 3 autosofts, it's still managing 12 dice for either roll). Replacing the Valkyrie Module with an Enhanced Rigger Cocoon helps protect the person strapped to the drone, but it then takes longer to strap them in - possibly more time than you can afford if the situation is still hot and one of your team is bleeding out.

[Inncubi]

I was going to make a huge post with ratings for software and programs and varied stuff. Decided against it, and went for the simple, and even obvious. My list is as follows:

1) Vehicle, bike or car. Preferably car, a Jackrabbit works wonders, usualy rented.
2) Swiss army knife -high end leatherman from Kerenshara's post works as well-
3) Certified cred, or cash if your world has it- with (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 300. In case you get mugged you give them this money and don't start a fight. Avoid violence whenever possible means you live healthy another day.
4) A legal taser that doesn't need any license. This is the main weapon. Deffinitely. Legal and no license needed.
5) Commlinks, basically just as Kerenshara described. If awakened and unwilling to get an internal, a second model. Get the best firewall, two agents with programs to analyze, spoof and fight any hackers in your system if that happens. The "hackeable" model has normal files,magazine subscriptions and lots of useless" data in lots of folders and subfolders. Useless, but fluff-wise its supposed to keep hackers busy searching spam files and keeps them eaway form your real link. This also handles your music -who doesn't have at least 180 gigapulses of music these days?-, movies and stuff, you know to spend your time during those recon missions. Also datachips with huge libraries, again reading is good for you. Mapsofts, and linguasofts and knowsofts: You always demand at least one soft of these from Johnsons: only need a SimModule to use and add a lot of useable information to your character.
6) Micro-Transeiver, this handles on-mission communications and is linked to your PAN. Because Micro-transeiver is usually oversighted to being hacked and if it is it offers less chances than you commlink controling all of your PAN.
7)Sub-vocal mic: phone calls, business calls.
8)Pistol. Not a machine pistol. A Pistol, preferably a light one. This raises less eyebrows from police officers. And two clips, one regular one gel, you have the gel clip on.
9) SIN and licenses for restricted gear.
10) Sensors: According to your tastes, but certainly some sensor suites separate from your perception skill and linked to software that analyses independently from you data. Its task is to have a seocnd pair of eyes and ears around.
11) Stylish and nice clothes, if female makeup and stuff. These are used for partying, going out and having style over substance, or else you wouldn't be cyberpunk.
12) Actioneer business clothes: Good clothes, wita bit of armour for meeting Mr. Johnson. Formal attire, generic and basically no distinctive style for you.
13) Runner gear according to the mission.
14) NO GRENADES OR WEAPONS OF A HIGHER CALIBER THAN A LIGHT PISTOL, AND CERTAINLY NO AUTOMATIC WEAPONS. /MAYBE/ A HEAVY PISTOL. *

*Use of caps is not to scream but to really, really emphasize the importance of avoiding troubles with the law. This reduces ammount of SIN and license verification, thus less rolls to get you in jail because of forged documents.
**Edit: Oh, and a crowbar, a tire iron, duct tape and some rope.

[BlackJaw]

Speaking of Commlinks:

A non-hacker/rigger/technomancer's commlink should be designed to be protected againts the average white-hat hacker or building spider.

Get a base 2 commlink and upgrade it to a Response 4. Get System 4 and Firewall 6. Get the following Programs:
1) Encrypt 6 (Optimize 2, Ergonomic)
2) Databomb 6 (Optimize 2, Ergonomic, Pavlov)
3) Agent 4 loaded with: Analyze 6 (Ergonomic, Optimize 2) & Agent Autosoft [Home Ground] 4.

Congratulations, you're Commlink now has effectively 2 open slots to run what ever software you want (such as Sensor Soft [empathy] 4 if you're the party Face, or Tacnet 4, etc).

It's also got Firewall 6, it's Encrypted at 6, and has a Databomb at 6 (remains even if set-off), protecting it's node. If someone does get in without setting off an alert, there is an IC throwing 14 dice on Analyze waiting in there.

Just because it's in hidden mode and slaved to the team hacker doesn't mean it won't be spotted. It's only takes 4 hits to find a comm in hidden mode unless it has the Non-standard wireless adapters, but that's only helpful if everyone has one.

NOTE: Edited for a BIG mistake about Stealth programs.

[crizh]

Nice 'link.

Why didn't you put Optimized on the Analyse?