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Post by doctorrules on Nov 22, 2013 19:46:08 GMT
Has anyone developed a list of random items that could be pulled out of resourceful pockets? If not, would anyone like to help me make one?
I'd do it on a d12 or a d20 to avoid probability traps and having some appear much more than others
1 - tea cup, bag and saucer 2 - cricket ball 3 - universal remote control 4 - aerosol dusting can (the kind that blows dust out of a keyboard) 5 - 3x3 inch aluminum foil sheet 6 - chess pieces 7 - one classical literature book (war and peace, hamlet, etc) 8 - nail polish remover 9 - paper clips 10 - a banana (a little nod to the girl in the fireplace) 11 - can of silly string 12 - small mirror
Please add (if we can get to 20, great) take away, or change!
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Post by Stormcrow on Nov 22, 2013 22:15:10 GMT
You can have flat probability curves with six-sided dice by rolling on a spread of 11 to 66 and reading two dice as tens and ones.
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Post by Curufea on Nov 23, 2013 20:10:04 GMT
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Apr 11, 2014 12:49:37 GMT
When I was on a binge of re-reading the BBC and Virgin novels I started extending that to include them also. I must dig it out and see if I can finish it. As for the random contents of pockets I also fiddled around with that some time ago, I'll see it it's finish-able.
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Post by Polar Bear on Apr 11, 2014 20:56:08 GMT
I put one on Facebook a while ago; here it is.
The Resourceful Pockets of Today
Inspired by Mark Anthony Quested’s “Objects from the Doctor’s Very Own Transcendental Pockets!” in issue #21, this article features a list of objects one might expect to find in the pockets (or hanging from the belt) of a PC from 2010s or late 20-oughts Earth when they have the trait Resourceful Pockets. One might use this chart by allowing the PC to find five random things in his/her pockets, rolling 2D10 (1D10 for the 10s column & 1D10 for the 1s column) five times, with no repetition, but no expenditure of story points. Then, as Questad remarks, “The GM can decide to award story points for ingenuity, fast-talk, etc.”
Items #97-100 are currently sex-specific to the PC; if the GM is uncomfortable with that rule, treat these items as single die roll items instead of the usual double.
1-2 Keys on a key ring
3-4 Folded up flier for a concert
5-6 Personal medicine (ibuprofen, inhaler, lozenge, etc.)
7-8 Pocket first aid kit
9-10 A handful of tissues
11-12 Black pen
13-14 Pencil
15-16 Other writing implement (specific to PC—highlighter, red pen, crayon, etc.)
17-18 Screwdriver, flat head
19-20 Screwdriver, Phillips head
21-22 Cash
23-24 Coins
25-26 ID
27-28 Wallet (w/cash, ID, credit cards, gift cards)
29-30 Cell phone
31-32 Flashlight
33-34 Lip balm
35-36 Unused, individually-wrapped tea bag
37-38 Gift card for a coffee house
39-40 Thin gloves
41-42 Thin hat
43-44 Old, balled up receipts
45-46 Hand sanitizer
47-48 Hand lotion
49-50 Candy bar
51-52 Chewing gum
53-54 A packet of taco sauce
55-56 A packet of ketchup
57-58 Breath mints
59-60 iPod Touch
61-62 Ear buds
63-64 Laser pointer
65-66 USB thumb drive
67-68 Stylus for a tablet
69-70 Pedometer
71-72 Folded up “to do” list from several weeks ago
73-74 Eyeglass lens cleaning cloth
75-76 Rosary
77-78 Misc. business cards
79-80 Measuring tape
81-82 Mirrored sunglasses
83-84 Cigarette lighter (or magnesium fire-starter)
85-86 Comb or hairbrush
87-88 Safety scissors
89-90 Swiss Army knife
91-92 TARDIS key
93-94 Pocket lint
95-96 A hole
97-100 See below
Male PCs only: 97-98 Leatherman (folding multi-tool; includes needle-nose pliers, saw, screwdrivers, etc.)
99-100 Hunting knife (+2 to all damage as a weapon)
Female PCs only: 97-98 TASER (1/1/2, but after first hit, an opponent must roll against Strength + Resolve v. Difficulty 15 not to run away after one shock.)
99-100 Mace (1/1/2, but opponent must roll Awareness + Resolve v. Difficulty 18 or be stunned for 1d6 rounds. Single-use item.)
OR, include these last four items as #97, 98, 99, and 100, respectively.
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Post by skudge001 on Apr 12, 2014 0:46:14 GMT
I put one on Facebook a while ago; here it is. The Resourceful Pockets of Today ... Items #97-100 are currently sex-specific to the PC; if the GM is uncomfortable with that rule, treat these items as single die roll items instead of the usual double. ... Male PCs only:
97-98 Leatherman (folding multi-tool; includes needle-nose pliers, saw, screwdrivers, etc.) 99-100 Hunting knife (+2 to all damage as a weapon) Female PCs only:97-98 TASER (1/1/2, but after first hit, an opponent must roll against Strength + Resolve v. Difficulty 15 not to run away after one shock.) 99-100 Mace (1/1/2, but opponent must roll Awareness + Resolve v. Difficulty 18 or be stunned for 1d6 rounds. Single-use item.) OR, include these last four items as #97, 98, 99, and 100, respectively. Seriously, you went with that option? Especially when there are established companions such as Leela, Ace, and River Song who could easily be carrying any of these items. Plus there are plenty of male companions who might use a TASER or mace. Regardless, in my opinion resourceful pockets aren't just random stuff that materializes in the pocket (although a player may define it as such), it should really reflect the idiosyncrasies of the character and the odd bits that they may pick up in their travels. Skudge001
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Post by Polar Bear on Apr 12, 2014 1:50:45 GMT
Then don't use it.
Dude asked for random contents of pockets; I'd made one; I posted it.
At my school, at a meeting one evening, and on my Facebook page, I asked what people had in their pockets. Not one female had a leatherman; two men did. No woman had a hunting knife; one man did. No men had mace; one woman did. The Taser was just to round it out. Sorry if the fact that the chart actually reflected my real-life interviews offends you.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on May 6, 2014 19:21:00 GMT
I was thinking about the whole "What's he got in his pockets" thing while I was travelling and this is the result, hopefully someone will find it useful. It's intended more for random strangers/passers by/corpses than explorers or travellers. Firstly Primitive/Medieval/Renaissance period, or its equivalent on other planets. Amusements | Dice, deck of cards, other gaming implements or tokens. Flask or bottle of alcohol or some comparable social intoxicant like Jekkarta weed.
| Fire | Tinderbox, flint and steel. Possibly a pouch of tobacco or similar weed on other worlds. The firestarter might be completely different in technology on other worlds; a natural piezoelectric crystal to generate sparks or a piston to ignite tinder for example. | Grooming | Hand mirror, usually a shiny piece of metal like brass. Pomander. Comb.
| Keys
| Compared to today these will be larger and less complex in design.
| Light
| Candle stub or small lantern, or bioluminescent moss or piezoluminescent crystal that sheds light when squeezed.
| Money
| Money In less advanced societies like these will generally be something intrinsically valuable, such as the traditional metal discs. Could be a tradeable object such as a small item of jewelry.
| Nibbles
| Nuts, dried fruit, maybe toffees or other sweets. Bread, cheese, sausage or preserved foodstuffs.
| Ritual
| Religious objects, crucifix or beads for Earth. Totem or fetish or perhaps a 'lucky' pebble.
| Sensors and scientific
| Abacus, astrolabe, telescope, portable microscope, compass, thermometer, barometer, chronometer. All pretty rare and highly unlikley to be found on random passersby so probably a sign of a profession or interest.
| Tools
| Eating knife and/or spoon. Forks were a later development. Carrying a knife of some sort is nearly universal. String, thread, maybe a needle or needle case.
| Weapon
| Knife, perhaps a sword or stick. Compact handguns are a Renaissance development though chemical fire sprays, compressed air guns or spring dart launchers may be common alternatives on other planets.
| Writing implements
| Scraps of parchment or vellum, or other writing material (papyrus, rice paper et cetera). Quill pen, bottle of ink or inkstone and water, pen knife, pumice stone. Possibly a waxed board and stylus. A professional scribe or scrivener will usually have a portable desk with storage for materials and a shoulder strap.
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Now for the "modern" day, mid nineteenth century to today, or perhaps very near future. Amusements
| Dice, deck of cards, other gaming implements or tokens. Flask or bottle of alcohol or some comparable social intoxicant. Lottery or other tickets. Portable gaming device or board (e.g. magnetic chess set).
| Comms
| Cellular or satellite phone, pager.
| Computer
| Pocket calculator, PDA, voice recorder, camera, slate, gaming device, organiser. Possibly accessories such as charger/power supply, battery, storage media (thumbdrives, memory cards) et cetera.
| Cordage
| String, paracord, tape (insulating or duct), zip ties. | Fire
| Matches or lighter (gas, oil, electric). May be found with cigarettes, cigars or tobacco or similar mild narcotic.
| Grooming
| Nail clippers/file, mirror, comb. Handkerchief, tissues, wet wipes. Deodorant, condoms. Generally women have more cosmetics (lipstick, powder, eyeshadow) than men, though this is a cultural thing. Tampons or pads.
| Illegalities
| Illicit drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin et cetera). Large quantities may indicate the person was selling the drugs. Large amounts of currency. Intrusion tools (lockpicks, alarm bypass equipment). Stolen property. Illegal weapon.
| Keys
| Car keys, house or apartment keys, office keys, keys to lockers and safe-deposit boxes. And of course those keys that the owner has forgotten the origin of. Can be metal, key cards, key fobs or other devices.
| Knife
| Most likely a small pocket knife, a pen knife, a Swiss army knife, or similar. Concealed fighting knives may be illegal.
| Light
| Torch, glowsticks or maybe a small tritium illuminator. | Medical
| Pillbox or other container, aspirin, paracetamol, other off-the-shelf or prescription drugs; the latter may give a clue to the person's medical condition (e.g. Epinephrine injector, insulin kit, heavy analgesics). Possibly a small first aid kit.
| Money
| Coins, notes or cards depending on time period. Usually a specific carrying case (wallet, purse, card holder). As bureaucracy multiplies the wallet/holder may also contain various forms of identification and licenses/permits (vehicle operation, weapons possession, banking operations, library card, store/hotel/airline cards), and so on. Business or visiting cards carried may be a useful source of information, i.e. multiple copies of a business card are probably the owners'.
| Nibbles
| Mints, chewing gum, chocolate pebbles, biscuits. Perhaps water, fruit juice or a sugar/water/flavouring cocktail.
| Oddities
| Shiny stones, koosh ball, and/or other stress-relieving toys and gadgets. Souvenir or promotional items from dining/entertainment/sporting event or location. Collection of wooden drink stirrers, paper napkins and sweetner packs.
| Protective
| Gloves, for warmth or avoiding contamination. May be a clue to occupation (e.g. few people other than medical or LE carry multiple pairs of surgical gloves).
| Sensors and Scientific
| Calculator/slide rule/mathematical tables, protractor/compass/ruler, pocket telescope, microscope or monocular; thermometer or other devices (may be integrated into phone or other device). Environmental sensor (e.g. radiation film badge) may be a clue to occupation.
| Tools
| Multi-tool of some form. Perhaps more than one. Possibly electrical, such as a backup battery for gadgets. Odd bits or wire, spare batteries, adhesive, cleaning materials. Sewing kit. Laser pointer.
| Weapon
| Small handgun, projectile or energy. May be carried legally, with license or illegally. May be an insight into the person and/or society. Chemical spray (Mace, OC, Blur, Safeguard) of some form, contact device (baton, electric stun-gun).
| Writing implements
| Pens of various types, colors, and varieties; pencils and rubbers, sharpeners and the like. Often profession dependent; a teacher will usually have chalk or whiteboard marker, and usually a red pen or second fountain pen filled with red ink in older times (Holmes was wrong). Possibly also drawing pins, clips, paperclips tags and other office minutea. Often carried in a dedicated small case or pouch.
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And for children specifically. Comms | Cell phone, GPS locator/pager (used by affluent or paranoid parents to track mislaid offspring [or pets]).
| Computer
| Usually a gaming device, may include camera/recorder.
| Grooming
| Handkerchief, tissues, wet wipes.
| Keys
| House key
| Money | Usually not that much, coins/notes
| Nibbles | Sweets or heavily salted snacks. Possibly 'healthier' treats. Pocket fluff optional. May be surprisingly flammable. Liquids such as water or sugar/flavouring combo
| Toys | Small cars and trucks, dolls, stuffed animals, building bricks, digital (or live) animals……
| Writing implements | Pencils, crayons, felt pens, ball points, paper.
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More futuristic settings. Amusements
| Do people still play cards? Chess? Go? Some legal socially acceptable intoxicant, which could be anything. Drunk, swallowed, injected, inhaled or sprayed.
| Comms
| The successor to the cellphone; probably incorporates more computing power than Seymour Cray dreamed of, video/still/holographic cameras, 2D or 3D projector, various sensors (including environmental for hazards of space travel, medical, automatic police alert if stolen). It may be a utilitarian or as decorative as the user desires, and can pay for. | Computer
| Pocket computer. A slate descendant that can acts as diary, calculator, notebook, personal assistant, games controller, medic player, library, and stress reliever all in one handy package. Display may be a 2D screen, projected 2D or 3D, relayed to glasses or plumbed into nervous system. Peripherals such as a pocket 'print bug' printer, storage media et cetera.
| Grooming
| Personal grooming kit. Comb, perfume, make-up, et cetera. May use sonics or nanotech. Could be capable of changing style/colour of hair or fur, or chitin patterns.
| Identification
| Probably not a simple plastic card anymore; integrates more electronics. Depending on society it could carry medical, legal and other information along with biometric data and access permissions. In form it could be anything from the traditional ID0, a lenticular pendant, a ring or more. Possibly implanted.
| Illegalities
| Illicit drugs (Dryad, Skoob, Vrax, sugar, Bliss, caffeine). Large amounts of untraceable currency or credit chits. Intrusion or forgery tools. Stolen property. Illegal weapons (anything from a knife to a tailored bioweapon). Nanotech. Prohibited technology (mind control or coercion device). Pirated media files.
| Keys
| Probably electronic, possibly integrated into the IDent. But separate tokens may be necessary. Might be rendered obsolete by ubiquitous computers and sensors (your house/aircar/starship lets you in because it can recognise you).
| Light
| The comm can probably act as a light source but a separate torch may be carried. Or a device using chemical reaction, nuclear decay or stabilised anti-matter.
| Medical
| The pocket medic of sci-fi. A doctor in a box, able to check vital signs and administer medication as needed. Might be able to perform simple surgery, connect to a more capable remote system, deploy small drones or nanobots or at least stabilise a patent until help arrives.
| Money | Credit access may be integrated in the IDent or comm, but cash money probably still exists in some form, plastic chits, elaborate coins of no longer precious metals, small bioengineered organisms, encrypted data wafers…..
| Nibbles
| Sweets, gum, fruit et cetera. Probably sugarless and actually good for you. Flavours may be exotic (geneered, synthesised or extraterrestrial). Water or other liquid. Sachets of catalyst crystals that turn water into a hot or cold beverage, complete with flavour and nutrition. May have narcotic, allergenic or explosive ([Neo-nitro] effects for the unwary
| Sensors and scientific
| f space travel is common a warning device for environmental hazards (air pressure/composition, radiation et cetera) may be commonplace, perhaps integrated into the comm. Tricorder or more realistic multi-sensor pack (integrating sonics, thermal, T-rays and more).
| Tools
| Anything from a simple knife (maybe with a hyperdense, mono-molecular edge that could carve a twentieth century tank), through a sonic screwdriver, Ion bonder or Laseron probe, to an ultra-tech utilitool that fixes most anything you could imagine. May be constructed of morphic (shapeshifting) material, incorporate a branching nanotech surface and a controlling AI. A pen laser than can (depending on intensity, frequency and diffusion) cut and weld, illuminate, ignite a fire (or a cigarette if they've made a return), heat a rock for cooking, illuminate like a torch, transmit data, determine range, eavesdrop, stun an attacker (with a wireless taser like electrostatic discharge) or burn flash. [ETA] Tools have a a safety preventing them being used to injure or for other illegal purposes. Probably a couple of spare power cells for all the gadgets.
| Weapons
| Very dependent on local law and culture. Perhaps a small stun weapon linked to metropolitan communications network, so use is automatically flagged and investigated. Perhaps a pen sized laser, holdout blaster or hand phaser. Or an exotic close combat weapon (plasma knife or mono-whip). May have a security system limiting who can use it, allowing it to be tracked or preventing it being used against certain groups.
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Post by skudge001 on May 9, 2014 3:15:51 GMT
I was thinking about the whole "What's he got in his pockets" thing while I was travelling and this is the result, hopefully someone will find it useful. It's intended more for random strangers/passers by/corpses than explorers or travellers. Catsmate, I like your list breakdown by category and how it might be reflected in different time periods/Tech Levels. Any thoughts on how Resourceful Pockets might be applied to alien species? I am trying to think of an alien character, other than the Doctor, that has this trait but not coming up with any good examples.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on May 9, 2014 17:49:20 GMT
I was thinking about the whole "What's he got in his pockets" thing while I was travelling and this is the result, hopefully someone will find it useful. It's intended more for random strangers/passers by/corpses than explorers or travellers. Catsmate, I like your list breakdown by category and how it might be reflected in different time periods/Tech Levels. Any thoughts on how Resourceful Pockets might be applied to alien species? I am trying to think of an alien character, other than the Doctor, that has this trait but not coming up with any good examples. Interesting...... I admit I hadn't considered non-humans when I was preparing the list. Offhand I'd stick with the categories and adapting the concept to the alien's biology/culture. For example, take the ever popular SF trope of the catperson. They'd have tools and other devices adapted for use with claws, food suitable for their metabolism and taste and probably specialised grooming items for fur, tails et cetera. Though what they're carrying would depend on species and personality; a spacer like Pyanfar Chanur for example, would have equipment similar to human spacers, and in game terms the same but with Hani specific adaptions that might make use by humans awkward. Plus lots of jewelry. Vargr can use human equipment, an vice-versa, but have a fondness for what could politely be described as vibrant colours. Audio alerts might be pitched too high for a human to hear, display colours different to human norms (this appeared as a plot point in Star Trek novel IIRC), controls intended for claws aren't suited to a human finger. Lots of potential to plague players. Very alien species might have technology with a completely different basis, e.g. a race than can sense and generate magnetic fields biologically might have equipment that used this and appear as sealed units to humans, no obvious controls at all. The Mi-Go from Lovecraft use biotechnology, are prone to surgically modify themselves, communicate by changing colours of their body and have weapons that interface to their bodies. A race that relied on biotech might have gear that a human could use but not fix or maintain; an organic sonic, laser or electrical discharge weapon that needs to be fed (or feeds on the firer; how suited is human blood?), a dart projector that's been hybridised from various animals (snake for structure, bombardier beetle for launch, poison glands that coat the darts et cetera) and is loaded with darts that grow on a specialised bush. Instead of a air/filter mask they've an unintelligent creature that affixes itself to the face (with tentacles!) over the nose/mouth (or equivalent) and supplies air through it's body, via a tube that inserts itself into the mouth. A warming cloak is again a living creature that curls around the wearer and needs to be fed occasionally (something like this appeared in one of Lois McMaster Bujold's novels and nearly suffocated Miles). The Yilanè (from West of Eden) and the Pentapods (from Travelller 2300) are example of such races. Alien food might be inedible, toxic or just different to humans; nibbles might be live worms (Klingons) or small rodents, contain unhealthy amounts of heavy metals or cyanides or dextro proteins. Or be mineral based. Reptilian races (Aans and Silurians for example) might need skin treatments to cope with dry condition, probably have very different food. Furnishings are another area that'd be different; how would a tailed person cope with human chairs? Even a seemingly baseline human might need different conditions, IIRC Isaac Asimov had a short story about such a visitor to Earth who needed a device to provide the hydrogen cyanide his metabolism required. My advice would be look at what the person would be doing, equip a similar human and then change the details of the alien's equipment to reflect their biology, psychology and culture. It's an interesting question, if I have any more ideas I'll post them.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on May 9, 2014 20:30:33 GMT
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on May 16, 2014 13:34:04 GMT
After much input from my gaming group and some research here's my updated random pockets table. As before it's not intended for travellers as such, just random passers by (alive or dead). There's no randomisation included, that's left to anyone who uses it. Part one is intended for pre-modern environments, basically everything from when metal working went mainstream to the nineteenth century or equivalent (mass production, steam et cetera). The categories are a little arbitrary I admit but I started with them so I stuck to that format. The dates (CE) for some items are approximate and based on history as we know it, with a European bias. I've included a few options for alternate planets. Amusements | Dice/knucklebones (the d20 was actually developed in the 2nd century but uncommon) Deck of cards (mid 14th century in Europe, easrlier in Asia, uncommon until printed) Gaming implements or tokens; board or tile games (backgammon, go, chess; dominos, mah jong) Flask or bottle of alcohol or some comparable social intoxicant like Jekkarta weed. Musical instrument; music: horn, harp, drum, flute/fife, bagpipe Bat and/or ball, discus or sporting equipment.
| Clothing | Hat, gloves, cape/cloak/coat/parka, apron Skis, snoe shoes, ice skates Riding boots (with spurs), crop. | Fire | Tinderbox; igniter (flint & steel, fire bow, burning glass); portable brazier (for carrying coals); matches (~1680) Possibly a pipe and pouch of tobacco or similar weed on other worlds. The firestarter might be completely different in technology on other worlds; a natural piezoelectric crystal to generate sparks, a piston to ignite tinder (used in Asia), a small fire breathing creature (in a box) for example. | Grooming | Hand mirror, usually a shiny piece of metal like brass but may be silvered glass (historically common from the 16th century) or the shell of the Mirror Turtle or other animal. Comb, brush, razor, strigil, tweezers. Cosmetics (often toxic), perfume, oil, soap. Pomander. Historically washing wasn't that common so perfumes were used to cover the odour. | Illegalities | Stolen property. Burglary tools. Prohibited materials, icons, pagan or cult objects, the bible (or the wrong bible) or literature. Forbidden weapons (e.g. crossbow). Counterfeit or shaved coins. Poisons. Luxury goods (due to sumptary laws). | Keys | Compared to today these will usually be larger and less complex in design. Someone with multiple keys probably has a position that requires them. | Light | Oil lamp (open) or lantern (enclosed), torch (may be coated in pitch), candle; Could be a different concept; bioluminescent moss or animal, piezoluminescent crystal that sheds light when squeezed or chemiluminescent mixture in a glass vial. | Medical | Primitive medical/surgical tools knives, saws, cautery, needles, pliers, forceps, lancet, spoon, tourniquet, urine flask, bandages, splinting materials... Vial of 'physick' (herbal infusion or ointment), package of dried herbs Spectacles (~1285, rare), ear trumpet Astrological charts. | Money | In less advanced societies this will usually be something intrinsically valuable, such as the traditional metal discs (though the metal may vary: iron, lead [Thesauria], aluminium... Could be a tradeable object such as an item of jewelry or plate. Possibly banknotes or a letter of credit. | Oddities | Hand bell. Flowers. Skytale, cipher wheel, code book or other cryptographic material. Clockwork toy. Fan. A lump of magnetic material. Miniature, locket or similar keepsake picture. | Nibbles | Bread, cheese, sausage, nuts, fruit (possibly dried), boiled egg or other preserved foodstuffs. Pottery bottle of weak ale ('small beer') or other liquid like wine (historically not water). Pie, cake or pastry. Toffees or other sweets Spices: black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, salt, ginger, saffron, nutmeg, vanilla (after 1520 in Europe). Historically all very expensive except salt (moderately expensive) and saffron (extremely expensive). Possible bulk food, bread, flour, beans for a traveller or someone shopping. | Protection | Armour; leather/hide, metal or other materials. Helmet. Shield. Dampened, mudded or leaf coated cloth as a protection against fire. | Reading and Writing | Clay or wax tablet (and stylus); bark, papyrus, bamboo, parchment, vellum, paper; palimpest (reused and cleaned parchment used for notes); scraps and offcuts for notes Seal for signing documents by impression: cylinder, lens or signet ring; wax to be impressed Implements and tools: brush (Asia) or pen, could be reed, quill or nib (early nineteenth century); pumice, sand shaker, small knife; Ink: liquid or ink-stick with stone and water; usually black or brown (red, blue or violet are more expensive and far less common); Pencil (late sixteenth century), charcoal stick, chalk Written material; scroll or book (codex), map, chartbook or navigational guide (periplus/rutter). Before printing was common (~mid fifteenth century books were uncommon. other record keeping (tally stick, knotted cord) Letters, possibly a letter of introduction or authorisation for a traveller A professional scribe or scrivener will usually have a portable desk with clips for paper, ruler and square and storage for pen, inks, paper and other material; carried on a shoulder strap. | Ritual | Religious objects; crucifix or rosary or prayer beads or equivilent Totem or fetish or perhaps a 'lucky' pebble. Possibly a bible, book of Hours or similar though these would be rare before the Renaissance. Pilgrim badge. | Sensors and scientific | Most are rare and highly unlikely to be found on random passersby so probably a sign of a profession or interest and money. Thermometer, barometer, (both mid seventeenth century) Microscope, telescope (both early C17); magnifying lens small balance; measuring tape, rule or ruler (metal or wood); measuring jug or bottle other measuring tools such as a cross-staff, level, quadrant; Time: portable sundial (uncommon though ring and bracelet models did exist), graduated candle, pocket watch (mid sixteenth century, inaccurate, until late seventeenth century, rare until mid nineteenth), sandglass, chronometer, nocturnal (nightime version of sundial using stars) Calculating aid: abacus, Napier’s Bones (1617), slide rule (~1625), logarithmic tables (~1625) or similar Navigation: astrolabe, compass, sextant/octant. | Tools | Knife; Carrying a knife of some sort is nearly universal (except for those, like slaves, who were forbidden) Eating knife and/or spoon. Forks were uncomming before the Renaissance in the West. String, thread, maybe a needle or needle case Mallet, hammer, saw, pry-bar, pliers/pincers Whetstone For anyone travelling any distance a walking staff or stick would be common. | Weapons | Knife, perhaps a sword, stick or agricultural tool. Compact handguns are a Renaissance development On different planets chemical fire sprays, compressed air guns, spring dart launchers or crossbred web throwers may be common alternatives. |
Any comments, contributions or ideas are welcome. Parts two (Victorian to near future) and three (spacefaring and beyond) to follow.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on May 17, 2014 11:30:39 GMT
Part two, nineteenth century to near future. Again comments and suggestions are welcome. Amusements | Dice, deck of cards, other gaming implements or tokens. Flask or bottle of alcohol or some comparable social intoxicant (laudanum?). Lottery or other similar tickets, drawn or not. Portable gaming device or board (chess set, game console). Personal media player (Walkman to video slate), portable radio ('tranny') or pocket TV Small musical instrument; mouth organ, flute... Wargame, boardgame or RPG paraphenalia. A wind-up or battery toy, animal, vehicle or similar. A small flying toy, from a thrown paper/plastic aeroplane or flying disc to a battery powered, remotely controlled, hovering drone complete with camera. Audio/video media: CD, DVD, cassette, magnetic wire, wax disc/cylinder... | Clothing | Hat, gloves, rain coat/poncho, sunglasses, scarf, umbrella or parasol. Perhaps a change of clothes, partial or full, due to workplace dress code or uniform, or sportswear; this usually requires a bag. Bags: cloth, paper, string, plastic. A walking stick would be common accessory for gentlemen from the 18th to mid-20th century. It may be weighted for use as a weapon, contain a blade, firearm, flask, compass, simple tools, money holder, torch, small telescope, whistle, storage compartment or other gadgets. Shooting stick or walking staff in the country. Umbrellas and parasols sometimes has similar features, though a short blade was the most common such gadget. | Comms | Letter(s) (remember them?) received or to be sent, or stamps. Cylinder for a pneumatic system. Telegrams (received, to be sent, blank forms or a pocket 'telegraph code' book). A telegraph key and wire. Whistle, rattle or attack alarm to attract attention in emergencies. Perhaps a cab whistle. Personal radio, cellular or satellite phone, pager; emergency beacon (PRIB). | Computer and Electronics | Pocket calculator, PDA, voice recorder (cassette or digital), slate, gaming device, organiser. Accessories such as charger/power supply, battery, document scanner, cables, headset/earbuds Data storage (analog or digital): cassettes, disks, discs, thumbdrives, memory cards, crystals Possibly something older, punched cards, paper tape, mag tape... As powered devices become common a power supply of some type (battery, solar, muscle engine, fuel cell) becomes more plausible to charge their integral batteries. | Cordage | String, paracord, tape (insulating, packaging, duct), fishing line, thread, wire, zip ties, wire. | Fire | Matches or lighter (gas, oil, electric). Early matches ('Lucfers', ~1820) are quite dangerous and prone to ignition. May be found with cigarettes, cigars or similar mild narcotic. May be carried in a dedicated case. Possible non-traditional system like e-cigs. Pipe, tobacco pouch or tin and accessories ('smoker's friend' multi-tool, pipe cleaners, chalk filters...). Cigarette/cigar cases and tobacco tins often had other gadgets; built-in lighter or burning glass in lid, storage for matches and tools.
| Grooming | Nail clippers/file, mirror (glass, metal plastic), comb, hairbursh. Handkerchief, tissues, wet wipes. Deodorant, soap, condoms, sanitiser gel. Shoe brush/polish. Shaving kit (straight/safety razor or electric, soap, brush). Tooth brush, paste, powder. Mouthwash. Dental floss. Toothpicks. Generally women have more cosmetics (lipstick, powder, eyeshadow) than men, though this is cultural. Tampons or pads. Insect repellent, sunscreen. Lip balm. Shampoo, soap or similar if planning to shower. A different species would have tools suited their biology, e.g. 'furries' with different brushes and combs, perhaps a mini-vacuum. | Identification | As bureaucracy multiplies in addition to money the wallet/holder will also contain various forms of identification and licenses/permits; vehicle operation, weapons possession, banking, library card, store/hotel/airline cards, workplace/school IDand so on. And probably receipts, bits of paper, small tools and other detritis Business or visiting cards carried may be a useful source of information, i.e. multiple copies of a business card are probably the owners'. Cards may include data/media storage (optical or SSD), audio playback, video surface as technology progresses. | Illegalities | Illicit drugs (marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, heroin.....); for personal use or sale (larger quantities). Large amounts of currency. Intrusion tools (lockpicks, alarm bypass equipment, jemmy). Stolen property. Illegal weapon. Pornography (written, visual or digital). Subversive, defamatory or other prohibited literature (broadsheets, pamphlets, books) or media. Explosives (for what purpose?). | Keys | Car keys, house or apartment keys, office keys, keys to lockers, drawers, filing cabinets, safes and safe-deposit boxes. And of course those keys that the owner has forgotten the origin of. Can be metal, key cards, key fobs or forms other than the usual shaped metal. Often carried on a keyring or similar device, which may be festooned with other odd and ends, small tools or containers, a light, data storage device et cetera. | Knife | Most likely a small pocket knife, a pen knife, a Swiss army knife, or similar. Concealed fighting knives may be illegal. Or carrying an obvious knife may be a cultural mandate. | Light
| Electric torch (~1895, common ~1915), usually battery powered, possibly muscle powered. Lamp (oil, candle, carbide). Glowsticks or maybe a small tritium illuminator. Elsewhere it may be a chemical mixture, container of luminescent organism, a floating bioluminescent balloon on a string, et cetera. Of course if the user isn't human the 'light' may not be suited to human eyes, e.g. a race that sees a bluer spectrum rich in UV that burns human skin.
| Medical | Pillbox or other container; aspirin, paracetamol, other off-the-shelf or prescription drugs; the latter may give a clue to the person's medical condition (e.g. inhaler, Epinephrine injector, insulin kit, heavy analgesics). Disinfectant: liquid, wipes, gel; could be alcohol, phenol, peroxide, carbolic, iodine... Vitamin pills or other dietry supplement Patent medicine (usually alcohol with herbs). Laudanum. Charcoal pills. Castor oil. Kit for minor prosthesis (contact lenses, prescription glasses, dentures). Possibly a small first aid kit. Significant medical paraphenalia requires a bag and usually indicates a professional but small items (e.g stethoscope, thermometer, percussor, otoscope, reflector, ether mask and bottle, smelling salts, scalpel) are pocketable. Medical sensor, e.g. blood sugar. Snakebite kit. | Money | Coins, notes or cards depending on time period. Usually a specific carrying case (wallet, purse, card holder). Traveller's cheques or letter of credit. Vouchers, gift cards, book token. Perhaps currency from multiple countries. | Nibbles | Mints, chewing gum, chocolate pebbles, fruit, biscuits. Perhaps a bottle of water, fruit juice or a sugar/water/flavouring cocktail. Sachets of tea/coffee/milk/sugar. Possibly something more substantial, a packed lunch or pastries. Carrying container for a hot beverage. | Oddities | Shiny stones, koosh ball, and/or other stress-relieving toys (e.g. Thinking Putty) and gadgets (e.g. Gripmaster). Souvenir or promotional items from dining/entertainment/sporting event or location. Random assortment of wooden drink stirrers, paper napkins and sweetner packs; purchase receipts and bits of paper; a couple of wrapped biscotti reduced to powder; a ziplock bag containing bread crumbs. A set of Zener (psi testing) cards; a blob of putty like adhesive; a wire coathanger bent into a coil; seven small, powerful spherical magnets; a safety pin with smaller pins on it Something the person is required to have, mandatory identification, a locked locating device, a symbol of status (apprentice, slave, felon, stimatised group), a treatment or behavioural modification device ('it shocks me when I think of girls'). Or a covertly placed monitoring device. Privacy device (cellphone/radio jammer, camera disrupter, bug detector). Sex toy(s). Towel, traditional cloth or microfibre. A small fossil. A selection of coloured bracelets made from some rubbery plastic. Guitar picks. | Protective | Gloves; for warmth, hazard protection or avoiding contamination. May be a clue to occupation (e.g. few people other than medical or LE carry multiple pairs of surgical gloves). Electrical or chemical heat source. Lab coat, often with odds in the pockets (glasses, test tubes, stethoscope, scalpel, dropper...) Protective clothing such as rubber gloves, safety glasses, hard hat, boots. More substantial gear needs a bag. Water purifier, filter, tablets, MIOX/UV pen Survival kit (belt/tin): button compass, water bag, fishing gear, matches, LED light, small knife, notebook, pencil, wire saw, plastic mirror, whistle, water purification tablets, small amount of wire, tape, cord and string Groundsheet, yoga mat or kneeling pad. Body armour or other protection (e.g. the 'anti-garrotte collar' fad). | Reading and Writing | Pens of various types (quill, nib, fountain, ballpoint), colors, and varieties; pencils and rubbers, sharpeners and the like. Ink bottle or cartridges. Ink or pencil refills. Notebook(s) and loose paper, size and type variable, e.g. police or reporter's notebook, sketch pad. Often profession dependent; a teacher will usually have chalk or whiteboard marker, and usually a red pen (a second fountain pen with red ink in older times). [Holmes was wrong] Possibly also drawing pins, clips, paperclips, rubber stamps, ink pad, carbon paper, tags, Post-It notes and other office supplies. Often carried in a dedicated small case or pouch. More or larger supplies would generally need a bag. Spray paint. Artist's materials; pencils, chalk, charcoal, paints, brushes, pad Books or other reading material (comics, novels, leaflets) possibliy a digital book reader; entertainment, factual, reference. Maps. Could be a guide book for a traveller; from simple paper with map or electronic with integrated camera, audio commentary and navigation. Other printed material; leaflets, flyers, sheet music, photos. | Ritual | Religious objects (crucifix, Star of David, Wheel of Dharma pendant, Ankh….) Rosary or prayer beads (possibly not what they appear), crystals, amulets. Pocket bible/Quran/Torah or other devotional book. Could be a philosophical work (Analects, Dialogues, Devotions) or poltical (Red Book). Instead of a religious symbol it could be political, social or cultural. | Sensors and Scientific | Calculator (mechanical or electronic), slide rule (general purpose or specialised), mathematical tables. Protractor, compass, rule or ruler, plumb line, spirit level, tape measure. Pocket telescope, microscope or monocular; stethoscope (pneumatic or electronic), percussor, otoscope. Thermometer, chronometer, stopwatch (may be integrated into phone or other device). Environmental sensor (e.g. radiation film badge). May be a clue to occupation. Someone carrying a radiation detector probably has a reason (serious or not). EMF meter, metal detector, water test pen, pocket weather station, remote thermometer... Laser or sonic measurement device. Voltmeter, multi-meter or similar. Magnifying glass, various sizes and material Camera (plate/film/digital/movie/video); accessories (lenses, flash, media). Counterfeit detection pen/light. | Tools | Multi-tool of some form. Perhaps more than one. Soldering iron or gas torch. Small tools, screwdriver, saw (small, wire or folding), pliers or similar. Food tools; eating knife, spork, Hobo tool, barbecue fork, collapsable cup, can opener Wire: coils, small length or just odds; various purposes and capacities Spare batteries, battery charger; bulbs, odds of electrical gear Adhesive (pot/tube of liquid, putty), fasteners (nails, screws, clips). Cleaning materials, solvents. Sewing kit; thread, needles Laser pointer. Geology hammer. Gardening tools: small trowel or rake, secauters... Dissection kit (scissors, forceps, scalpels, pins, probes...) Professional tools: chef (knives, steel, peeler, shears...) archaeologist (brushes, probes, tweezers, trowels, plumb line, pegs, string, tape, magnifier, calipers) et cetera Climbing: rope/cord, pitons, carabiners, harness, pocket grapnel A timepiece would be plausible from the eighteenth century onwards, and common from the mid-nineteenth; these would be 'fobs' carried in a pocket and secured by a chain (often with various gadgets such as match or pill case, compass, magnifier... attached) from the late nineteenth century. Wristwatches appeared ~1880 and were common by 1920. Of course they also developed ancillary gadgets; multiple displays, compass, altimeter, barometer, calculator, slide rule, cell phone, film/digital camera, sextant, data storage, dosimeter, GPS, chemical spray, thermometer, wire saw, handcuff key, TV/ radio receiver.... | Weapons | Small handgun. Chemical spray (Mace, OC, Blur, Safeguard) Contact device (baton, electric stun-gun, blackjack, 'life preserver') May be carried legally, licensed or illegally. Perhaps a harmless version of a weapon; inert replica, water pistol, Airsoft et cetera. The weapon may be concealed as another device, knife/gun/gas spray in pen, pistol in cellphone... Or a weapon using a different principle, peroxide or carbide firearms or magnetic accelerator; a selectively bred organism that adheres to the hand and can deliver an electric shock. |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on May 22, 2014 10:50:27 GMT
Part 2.5: children. Intended for the "modern" (nineteenth century to near future). Comms | Letters (from schoolfriends, relatives, pen-pals). Cell phone, GPS locator/pager (used by affluent or paranoid parents to track mislaid offspring [or pets]).
| Computer and Electronics | A gaming device or media player, may include camera/recorder. Possibly some components scavenged or bought, for the hobbyist.
| Grooming | Handkerchief, tissues, wet wipes, comb, hairbrush. | Keys | House key. Possibly others, known or unknown. | Medical | Possibly a small first aid kit. Bandages, inhaler, personal medication. | Money | Usually not that much, coins/notes, vouchers, gift cards, book token, postal order. Possibly foreign coins.
| Oddities
| Shiny pebbles, leaves, fish-hooks, string, pine-cones (or similar), berries (edible or not), corks, beetles (in matchbox), rubber bands, clothes pegs, drawing/safety/straight pins, odd buttons/coins/screws/batteries,
| Nibbles | Sweets or heavily salted snacks (crips, jelly babies, sherbet dab, liquorice root….) . Possibly 'healthier' treats (apple, banana). Pocket fluff optional. May be surprisingly flammable. Liquids such as water or sugar/flavouring combo (lemonade, cola, ginger beer) | Pets | Probably not in an actual pocket. Cat, dog, frog, mouse, spider, lizard, silkworms, goldfish, snake. Maybe a digital animal or small robot. | Reading and Writing | Pencils, crayons, felt pens, ball points, markers, chalk, paper. Fountain pen. Books (educational or not), comics...
| Sensors and Scientific | Magnifying glass, pocket telescope, toy microscope, small dissecting kit, watch, compass... | Tools | Penknife or pocket knife perhaps (pretty common for boys from 1875-1975ish) | Toys | Small cars and trucks, dolls, stuffed animals, building bricks, slingshot/catapult, toy weapon (water pistol, spring dart, airgun, cap pistol). Collection of something (stamps, butterflies, coins….). "Musical" instrument (rattle, bagpipes, drum, mouth organ, drums). Playing cards, clockwork car, teddy bear, fireworks, dice, matches, string, tennis/cricker/rounders/hockey/baseball implement and ball. |
Part 3. Futuristic. Amusements | Do people still play cards? Chess? Go? Maybe a holographic 3D chess set or a retro 2D with actual pieces moved by hand. Some legal, socially acceptable intoxicant, which could be anything. Drunk, swallowed, injected, inhaled, patched or sprayed. Perhaps old fashioned ethanol, in conventional form, powdered or a dispenser with a reserve of pure alcohol and various essences, just add water. A yoga mat that increases or decreases ambient gravity. Pleasure centre stimulator. Media receiver/player functions have probably merged with other devices, with video output routed to glasses, pupil-scanner or optic nerve implant A geneered/robotic/cybernetic animal; fuzz-worm, six armed alien cat, living silicate rock, robot dog, miniature dragon (poison and psi optional), floating contragrav ball on a lead, geneered lap elephant. Pet care paraphenalia (harness/lead, whistle, bowl, food, medication, grooming or hygiene tools...). Possibly a robot to care for the pet. Small musical instrument, gaming paraphenalia, small robotic toy Flying disc, incorporating lighter-than-air solid and a small lift propellor. Or a drone that's operated remotely to give a animal's eye view. A yo-yo.
| Clothing | Probably similar in concept to today but different in form and fashion. Material may be able to change colour, shape and texture, repel water or dirt or generate electricity to charge gadgets. Boots that adapt to the surface underfoot. Or perhaps 'clothes' have changed radically. A worn holographic projector or textured force field, a shapeshifting mass of smart nano-material or a swarm of tiny flying robots. Fashions may change hourly with clothes altering automatically. Or maybe clothing is out of fashion and nudity is in.
| Comms | The 'comm', successor to the cellphone; probably incorporates more computing power than Seymour Cray dreamed of, video/still/holographic cameras, 2D or 3D projector, various sensors (including environmental hazards of space travel, medical, automatic police alert if stolen). If it still uses radio it may incorporate a satellite backup, or use some form of FTL comms with interstellar range. It may be as utilitarian or as decorative as the user desires, and can pay for. | Computer and Electronics
| Pocket computer. A slate descendant that can acts as diary, calculator, notebook, personal assistant, games controller, medic player, library, and stress reliever all in one handy package. Display may be a 2D screen, projected 2D or 3D, relayed to glasses or plumbed into the optic nerve. Peripherals such as a pocket 'print bug' printer, storage media, flexible 'datacloth' display/interface, pocket 3D scanner (2D scanning is handled by the camera). The 'wristwatch', if it survives, could incorporate communications, location (inertial or satellite), a projected display, a medical monitor, environmental sensors and other gadgets. Or be purely mechanical and a status symbol. A companion robot, part pet, part PDA, part medic, part bodyguard. Give ubiquitous surveillance a privacy device; bug detector, RF jammer, sonic nullifier... (possibly illegal).
| Cordage | The string/cord may be made from synthetic spidersilk, nanotubes or flexible diamondoid and have a safe load of tonnes. It may need a special tool to cut. Likewise the tape may use artifical Gecko hairs rather than chemical adhesive. 'Smart' rope that can flex and change it's surface to climb, go rigid and knot/unknot itself on command. | Grooming | Personal grooming kits may include old style comb, perfume, make-up, et cetera. Or they may use sonics or nanotech or a cluster of tiny robots that crawl/fly. Could be capable of changing style/colour of hair or fur, or chitin patterns. A dispenser for foamed tissue material (fluffs in seconds). A can of spray on underwear, depilitory cream, smartsoap or water free cleaning gel. A perfume synthesiser that that produce scents as easily as mixing colours. A sleep inducer headet, efficiently manages organic downtime and reduces need for sleep. May also incorporate 'sleep teachng' facility. | Identification | Probably not a simple plastic card anymore; integrates more electronics. Depending on society it could carry medical, legal and other information along with biometric data and access permissions and possibly link constantly to a central monitoring system. In form it could be anything from the traditional ID0 card, a lenticular pendant, a ring or more. Possibly implanted. | Illegalities | Illicit drugs (Dryad, Skoob, Vrax, sugar, Bliss, caffeine...) Large amounts of untraceable currency or credit chits. Intrusion or forgery tools. Stolen property. Pirated media files. Illegal weapons (anything from an overlong knife to a tailored bioweapon). Nanotech. Prohibited technology (mind control, surveillance equipment or coercion device).
| Keys | Probably electronic, possibly integrated into the IDent. But separate tokens may be necessary. Might be rendered obsolete by ubiquitous computers and sensors (your house/aircar/starship lets you in because it can recognise you). Possibly your TARDIS too. A car key fob might not just open it, but also summon it; the autopilot homes in on you (no more parking problems!). Assuming worn contragravity belts aren't de rigeur. Or perhaps a remote for a transmat system. | Light | The comm can probably act as a light source but a separate torch may be carried. Or a device using chemical reaction, nuclear decay or stabilised anti-matter. Of course a sturdy torch is a useful (and discrete) club. A really advanced light might use contragrav to hover, vary the illumination on command and operate for decades; it may be a cloud of insect sized organisms (bioengineered or robotic). | Medical | Possibly high tech first aid gear (flesh foam, protoplaser, surgiseal, plasti-skin). The pocket medic or smart bandage of sci-fi; a medic in a box, able to check vital signs, perform simple procedures and administer medication as needed. Plus it keeps dangerous medical paraphenalia out of the hands of amateurs. Might be able to perform simple surgery, can probably connect to a more capable remote system, may deploy small drones or nanobots or at least stabilise a patent until help arrives. Possibly medication for travelling, space sickness, contamination, change pigmentation, suppress allergies... | Money | Credit access may be integrated in the IDent or comm, or completely contralised and validated biometrically, but cash money probably still exists in some form; plastic chits, elaborate coins of no longer precious metals, small bioengineered organisms, encrypted data wafers….. Depending on communications lag a digital 'letter of credit' might exist, heavily secured. | Nibbles | Sweets, gum, fruit et cetera. Probably sugarless and actually good for you. Flavours may be exotic (geneered, synthesised or extraterrestrial). May have narcotic, allergenic or explosive [Neo-nitro] effects for the unwary. Sachets of crystals that turn water into a hot or cold beverage, complete with flavour and nutrition. Food bars with a shelf life of decades that supply a full meal's nutrients and taste good. Self heating/chilling multi-course mealpack. Or tasteless food paste tubes. Ice-cream bars that stay frozen in the pocket. The water bottle is now a flexible, size changing bladder with better insulation than a vacuum flask, coated with PV material to charge the battery, incorporates a chiller/warmer adjustable to personal taste, kills micro-organisms and has an option to boil small amounts of water for hot beverages. | Oddities | A spray can of 'solar paint', photovoltaic material that can be sprayed in surfaces to generate power. A braclet set with small pieces of stone (souvenirs of planets visited).
| Protective | Depends on the hazards; a breather mask incorporating filters, compressor, air supply, comm; clothes and glasses to protect against excess UV. A light-duty personal energy shield as an alternate to a pressure suit. Or clothing ing that's functionally a vacuum suit. Paranoid or inexperienced space travellers may carry a rescue bubble, basically a large self-inflating plastic bag, in case of atmosphere loss. There'll probably be a whole line of gear for such. A force field unbrella, either a stick held up manually, a floating drone or a worn device. A sonic pest-repellant field generator. A cloud of protective micro-bots, used to drive off insect pests. | Reading and Writing | People may still write in the future, though the 'paper' may not be made from wood pulp. It may be a smart paper, that's as flexible and think as paper but able to connect to a computer. Maybe a true 'space pen' that writes in luminescent ink on any surface, vacuum, high pressure, underwater et cetra. | Ritual | Religious objects. Possibly still printed works (religions especially tend to be traditional). A timepiece that shows the times for prayers or other devotional rituals. A WWED bracelet. | Sensors and Scientific
| If space travel is common a warning device for environmental hazards (air pressure/composition, radiation et cetera) may be commonplace, perhaps integrated into the comm or watch. Possibly a tricorder or multi-scanner, or a more realistic multi-sensor pack (integrating sonics, thermal, T-rays and more). A handheld laser spectrometer. 'Binoculars' that fold to the size of a credit card, millimetres thick, and use image synthesis rather than physical optics. A small drone or drones, suitable for everything from poking around in confined spaces to taking tourist pics.
| Tools | Anything from a simple knife (through maybe with a hyperdense, mono-molecular edge that could carve a twentieth century tank), through a sonic screwdriver, Ion bonder or Laseron probe, to an ultra-tech utilitool that fixes most anything you could imagine. May be constructed of morphic (shapeshifting) material, incorporate a branching nanotech surface and a controlling AI. Less advanced: a pocket power tool the size of a marker than uses diamond coated ceramic bits to drill, cut, grind and more. A basic future multi-tool probably has; a blade, tools for operating common fasteners, a light, tools to aid manipulation of small objects and adaptors for usual data connections (wire, RF, fibre, IR, induction). A pen laser than can (depending on intensity, frequency and diffusion) cut and weld, illuminate, ignite a fire (or a cigarette if they've made a return), heat a rock for cooking, illuminate like a torch, transmit data, determine range, eavesdrop, stun an attacker (with a wireless taser like electrostatic discharge) or burn flesh. A pen laser than can (depending on intensity, frequency and diffusion) cut and weld, illuminate, ignite a fire (or a cigarette if they've made a return), heat a rock for cooking, illuminate like a torch, transmit data, determine range, eavesdrop, stun an attacker (with a wireless taser like electrostatic discharge) or burn flesh. Tools may have a a safety preventing them being used to injure or for other illegal purposes. Probably a couple of spare power cells for all the gadgets. Perhaps capable of exploding...
| Toys | The action figures/dolls may be able to walk and talk, interact with and teach the child. Or just fight. The building blocks may be high strength polymer that adhere using Gecko tech and use 3D goggles or projected holographics to replace instructions. A toy microscope might used nanoengineered optics or oil lenses and be more capable than today's professional models. Stuf: nanomachine impregnated gel encased in a tough polymer; control allows the user to vary shape, colour, texture and rigidity. Illegal on planets that restrict nanotech. Slinkies! That climp up stairs. Vacuum filled rigid ballon covered with colour changing material.
| Weapons | Very dependent on local law and culture. Perhaps a stun weapon linked to metropolitan communications network, so use is automatically flagged and investigated. May have a security system limiting who can use it, allowing it to be tracked, or preventing it being used against certain groups. Or stunner duelling may be common and overt weapon carriage the norm Other low lethality weapon; tangle net launcher, sticky gel spray, sonics, gas (spray or pellet), microwave pain... A personal security robot, ranging from a large obviously robotic animal, a humaniform or a tiny hovering drone. Perhaps that pen sized laser or a small projectile pistol, holdout blaster or hand phaser. Or an exotic close combat weapon (plasma knife or monowire whip).
More than anything else what weapons are carried, in what manner, and by whom says a lot about a culture. |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Aug 28, 2014 19:18:36 GMT
Military issue.Related to this, the Daily Telegraph website has an article on a pictorial study by photographer Thom Atkinson on military kit through the ages, 1066 to 2014, which might be useful and is certainly interesting. SlideshowInventory and descriptions.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Feb 15, 2015 19:21:26 GMT
I've updated and converted the lists I created. The file can be found here. 242kb PDF, 12 pages.
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jay042
3rd Incarnation
Working on some art.
Posts: 264
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Post by jay042 on Apr 2, 2015 1:17:56 GMT
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
Posts: 3,730
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Twelve, Nine, One, Eleven..
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on May 3, 2015 22:17:19 GMT
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drwhofanmtl
2nd Incarnation
Posts: 65
Favourite Doctors: 4th
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Post by drwhofanmtl on Oct 20, 2015 11:40:45 GMT
Has anyone developed a list of random items that could be pulled out of resourceful pockets? If not, would anyone like to help me make one? I'd do it on a d12 or a d20 to avoid probability traps and having some appear much more than others 1 - tea cup, bag and saucer 2 - cricket ball 3 - universal remote control 4 - aerosol dusting can (the kind that blows dust out of a keyboard) 5 - 3x3 inch aluminum foil sheet 6 - chess pieces 7 - one classical literature book (war and peace, hamlet, etc) 8 - nail polish remover 9 - paper clips 10 - a banana (a little nod to the girl in the fireplace) 11 - can of silly string 12 - small mirror Please add (if we can get to 20, great) take away, or change! hello.. how are these...? 13 - Jelly Babies 14 - Flute (Recorder) 15 - Yo-Yo 16 - Psychic Paper 17- cell Phone(Smart Phone) 18 - lighter 19 - Monocular ( pirate telescope ..https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocular) 20 - monocle - ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocle )
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