Equipment Tags

Contents

Overview
Era Abbreviations
Tag Principles
Weapon Tags
Armor and Protection Tags
Technology Tags
Magical and Resonance Tags
Using Tags in Combat
Era Examples
Future Use

Overview

Equipment tags describe what gear can do in the fiction and how it changes combat exchanges.

The same tag structure should work across the focus eras defined in System Design Principles: ME, IN, MO, PM, ES, and FF. A spear, shotgun, warded cloak, powered shield, combat drone, ritual blade, and plasma lance can all matter without needing separate item math at this stage.

Because magic exists in the setting, equipment can be mundane, technological, magical, or hybrid. Tags should describe the relevant influence directly instead of assuming technology and magic are separate equipment categories.

Tags usually affect permission, position, pressure, distance, wound severity, or consequence choice. They should not become a long bonus list.

Era Abbreviations

Use these abbreviations when tagging equipment examples, threat templates, campaign frames, and era-specific rules.

Abbrev. Era Equipment Baseline

Abbrev.	Era	Equipment Baseline
`ME`	Medieval Ages	Hand weapons, shields, armor, fortifications, beasts of burden, siege engines, common ritual or warded objects.
`IN`	Industrialization Age	Revolvers, rifles, rail, steam, factories, mass print, telegraph, industrial tools, polluted or sanctified machinery.
`MO`	Modern Age	Automatic weapons, radio, aviation, vehicles, modern medicine, electronics, mass surveillance, state-scale logistics.
`PM`	Post-Modern Age	Cyberpunk-like networks, smart weapons, drones, cybernetics, corporate security, augmented reality, hybrid magic-tech gear.
`ES`	Early Spacefaring	Vacuum suits, orbital tools, breaching charges, shipboard systems, habitats, near-system vehicles, sealed or warded infrastructure.
`FF`	Far Future	Powered armor, plasma weapons, adaptive shields, exotic materials, mature vessels, autonomous swarms, resonance-engineered systems.

ME

Medieval Ages

Hand weapons, shields, armor, fortifications, beasts of burden, siege engines, common ritual or warded objects.

IN

Industrialization Age

Revolvers, rifles, rail, steam, factories, mass print, telegraph, industrial tools, polluted or sanctified machinery.

MO

Modern Age

Automatic weapons, radio, aviation, vehicles, modern medicine, electronics, mass surveillance, state-scale logistics.

PM

Post-Modern Age

Cyberpunk-like networks, smart weapons, drones, cybernetics, corporate security, augmented reality, hybrid magic-tech gear.

ES

Early Spacefaring

Vacuum suits, orbital tools, breaching charges, shipboard systems, habitats, near-system vehicles, sealed or warded infrastructure.

FF

Far Future

Powered armor, plasma weapons, adaptive shields, exotic materials, mature vessels, autonomous swarms, resonance-engineered systems.

The abbreviations describe baseline assumptions, not hard limits. A region may preserve older equipment, recover lost far-future tools, or combine magic with any era’s technology.

Tag Principles

Use these principles when assigning tags.

Tags describe tactical identity, not full item statistics.
Most ordinary combat items should have 1-3 tags.
Exceptional, advanced, or legendary gear may have more tags, but should also carry limits, costs, scarcity, or maintenance requirements.
Tags matter only when the fiction makes them relevant.
If two tags point in opposite directions, use the current position and declared intent to decide which one applies.

Weapon Tags

Weapon tags describe how an attack threatens space, armor, bodies, machines, or attention.

Tag Meaning

Tag	Meaning
`Fast`	Useful for quick openings, close quarters, and recovering after a miss.
`Reach`	Controls distance before shorter weapons can answer cleanly.
`Heavy`	Hits hard, breaks guard, and can worsen wounds, but is harder to recover from when position is bad.
`Piercing`	Better against armor, hide, plating, or cover that would stop a lighter strike.
`Crushing`	Damages through shields, helmets, rigid armor, bone, machinery, or structural protection.
`Cutting`	Excels at open flesh, exposed limbs, ropes, fabric, light armor, and quick disabling wounds.
`Guarding`	Protects a line, blocks approach, or supports defensive exchanges.
`Hooking`	Pulls, trips, binds, disarms, or opens a target’s guard.
`Restraining`	Captures, pins, entangles, nets, shocks, or locks movement.
`Silent`	Can be used without immediately revealing position under suitable conditions; often helps preserve `Concealed` or `Hidden` after acting.
`Concealable`	Can be hidden, smuggled, or drawn in restricted spaces.
`Area`	Threatens several targets, a zone, or an approach rather than only one foe.
`Reload`	Creates pressure or vulnerability after use unless position, training, technology, or magic solves it; often changes resource state to `Spent`.
`Limited`	Ammunition, charge, heat, fuel, ritual load, or another resource can run out; often changes resource state to `Low` or `Empty`.
`Precise`	Rewards aim, weak points, careful timing, or controlled shots.
`Brutal`	Can escalate a clean hit into harsher injury when the target lacks the right protection.
`Stun`	Disorients, incapacitates, overloads, or suppresses without necessarily causing lethal wounds.
`Breach`	Effective against doors, barriers, vehicles, fortifications, shields, or sealed armor.
`Smart`	Can track, correct, guide, identify, or coordinate with sensors or targeting systems; often helps create or exploit a `Locked` targeting state.
`Volatile`	Dangerous to use near allies, cover, flammables, unstable magic, fragile systems, or confined spaces; can become `Overheated or Unstable`.

Fast

Useful for quick openings, close quarters, and recovering after a miss.

Reach

Controls distance before shorter weapons can answer cleanly.

Heavy

Hits hard, breaks guard, and can worsen wounds, but is harder to recover from when position is bad.

Piercing

Better against armor, hide, plating, or cover that would stop a lighter strike.

Crushing

Damages through shields, helmets, rigid armor, bone, machinery, or structural protection.

Cutting

Excels at open flesh, exposed limbs, ropes, fabric, light armor, and quick disabling wounds.

Guarding

Protects a line, blocks approach, or supports defensive exchanges.

Hooking

Pulls, trips, binds, disarms, or opens a target’s guard.

Restraining

Captures, pins, entangles, nets, shocks, or locks movement.

Silent

Can be used without immediately revealing position under suitable conditions; often helps preserve Concealed or Hidden after acting.

Concealable

Can be hidden, smuggled, or drawn in restricted spaces.

Area

Threatens several targets, a zone, or an approach rather than only one foe.

Reload

Creates pressure or vulnerability after use unless position, training, technology, or magic solves it; often changes resource state to Spent.

Limited

Ammunition, charge, heat, fuel, ritual load, or another resource can run out; often changes resource state to Low or Empty.

Precise

Rewards aim, weak points, careful timing, or controlled shots.

Brutal

Can escalate a clean hit into harsher injury when the target lacks the right protection.

Stun

Disorients, incapacitates, overloads, or suppresses without necessarily causing lethal wounds.

Breach

Effective against doors, barriers, vehicles, fortifications, shields, or sealed armor.

Smart

Can track, correct, guide, identify, or coordinate with sensors or targeting systems; often helps create or exploit a Locked targeting state.

Volatile

Dangerous to use near allies, cover, flammables, unstable magic, fragile systems, or confined spaces; can become Overheated or Unstable.

Armor and Protection Tags

Armor tags describe what kind of harm the protection answers and what tradeoffs it creates.

Tag Meaning

Tag	Meaning
`Light Armor`	Reduces minor harm without heavily limiting movement, stealth, or endurance.
`Heavy Armor`	Strong protection, but creates pressure in heat, water, tight spaces, exhaustion, stealth, or mobility contests.
`Shield`	Blocks angles, covers allies, cancels pressure, or helps seize space when used actively.
`Sealed`	Protects against gas, vacuum, disease, toxins, pressure, or hostile atmosphere while intact.
`Insulated`	Resists fire, cold, electricity, radiation, resonance bleed, or other environmental harm.
`Hardened`	Resists bullets, shrapnel, piercing weapons, claws, teeth, or high-velocity impacts.
`Ablative`	Strong once or for a short time, then loses protection, breaks, burns away, or must be replaced.
`Reactive`	Answers a major hit with counterforce, flare, deflection, shock, or automated defense.
`Powered`	Enhances strength, load, stability, or movement, but depends on power, maintenance, and control.
`Stealth`	Reduces detection by sight, sound, heat, sensors, magic, or another specific method; often worsens the observer’s targeting state.
`Bulky`	Creates pressure in climbing, swimming, crawling, hiding, crowds, delicate work, or long pursuits.
`Fragile`	Works well until cracked, pierced, hacked, overloaded, dispelled, or otherwise compromised.
`Adaptive`	Can tune itself to a known threat after time, data, or exposure.

Light Armor

Reduces minor harm without heavily limiting movement, stealth, or endurance.

Heavy Armor

Strong protection, but creates pressure in heat, water, tight spaces, exhaustion, stealth, or mobility contests.

Shield

Blocks angles, covers allies, cancels pressure, or helps seize space when used actively.

Sealed

Protects against gas, vacuum, disease, toxins, pressure, or hostile atmosphere while intact.

Insulated

Resists fire, cold, electricity, radiation, resonance bleed, or other environmental harm.

Hardened

Resists bullets, shrapnel, piercing weapons, claws, teeth, or high-velocity impacts.

Ablative

Strong once or for a short time, then loses protection, breaks, burns away, or must be replaced.

Reactive

Answers a major hit with counterforce, flare, deflection, shock, or automated defense.

Powered

Enhances strength, load, stability, or movement, but depends on power, maintenance, and control.

Stealth

Reduces detection by sight, sound, heat, sensors, magic, or another specific method; often worsens the observer’s targeting state.

Bulky

Creates pressure in climbing, swimming, crawling, hiding, crowds, delicate work, or long pursuits.

Fragile

Works well until cracked, pierced, hacked, overloaded, dispelled, or otherwise compromised.

Adaptive

Can tune itself to a known threat after time, data, or exposure.

Technology Tags

Technology tags can be added to weapons, armor, tools, vehicles, drones, and integrated systems. They can also be combined with magical and resonance tags when a device is techno-magical, sanctified, haunted, resonance-powered, or ritually controlled.

Tag Meaning

Tag	Meaning
`Mechanical`	Works without electronics, but may jam, break, or need manual operation.
`Industrial`	Loud, forceful, rugged, heavy, smoky, or maintenance-intensive.
`Electronic`	Uses circuits, sensors, signals, or batteries; vulnerable to hacking, water, shock, or electromagnetic disruption where relevant.
`Networked`	Shares data, targeting, warnings, authorization, or control with other systems; can share `Locked` targeting if the network remains intact.
`Autonomous`	Can act with limited independence, creating help, hazards, or complications without constant control.
`Cybernetic`	Integrated with body, nerves, senses, identity, or medical systems.
`Orbital`	Depends on satellites, ships, relays, drops, vacuum access, or orbital infrastructure.
`Exotic`	Uses rare physics, alien science, advanced resonance engineering, or principles most people cannot repair.

Mechanical

Works without electronics, but may jam, break, or need manual operation.

Industrial

Loud, forceful, rugged, heavy, smoky, or maintenance-intensive.

Electronic

Uses circuits, sensors, signals, or batteries; vulnerable to hacking, water, shock, or electromagnetic disruption where relevant.

Networked

Shares data, targeting, warnings, authorization, or control with other systems; can share Locked targeting if the network remains intact.

Autonomous

Can act with limited independence, creating help, hazards, or complications without constant control.

Cybernetic

Integrated with body, nerves, senses, identity, or medical systems.

Orbital

Depends on satellites, ships, relays, drops, vacuum access, or orbital infrastructure.

Exotic

Uses rare physics, alien science, advanced resonance engineering, or principles most people cannot repair.

Magical and Resonance Tags

Magical and resonance tags can be added to weapons, armor, tools, vehicles, relics, implants, ritual gear, sanctified objects, and far-future systems that interact with non-mundane forces.

Tag Meaning

Tag	Meaning
`Warded`	Resists magic, resonance, spirits, curses, hostile rites, or metaphysical intrusion.
`Ritual`	Requires preparation, words, signs, timing, offering, authority, or formal procedure before full use.
`Attuned`	Works best for a specific person, lineage, oath, place, school, species, or resonance pattern.
`Channeling`	Carries, focuses, stores, or redirects magical force through the wielder or environment.
`Sanctified`	Recognized by a shrine, vow, divine order, lawful rite, or sacred tradition.
`Cursed`	Grants power with a harmful condition, compulsion, debt, corruption, or future claim.
`Bound`	Contains or is linked to a spirit, entity, memory, oath, place, ancestor, or imprisoned force.
`Living`	Grows, heals, hungers, adapts, reacts emotionally, or must be tended like an organism.
`Resonant`	Interacts strongly with resonance fields, anchors, zones, rituals, or metaphysical pressure.
`Veiled`	Conceals presence, intent, identity, aura, heat, sound, signal, trace, or magical signature; can create a `Spoofed or Veiled` targeting state.
`Revealing`	Exposes hidden traces, lies, spirits, enchantments, weaknesses, routes, or resonance patterns; can improve or confirm a targeting state.
`Unstable`	Can flare, backlash, miscast, overload, attract attention, or create dangerous side effects.
`Draining`	Consumes lifeforce, heat, memory, charge, blood, attention, standing, or another meaningful resource.
`Nullifying`	Suppresses, disrupts, grounds, dispels, jams, silences, or cuts off an active force.
`Anomalous`	Does not follow known magical, technological, or physical expectations.

Warded

Resists magic, resonance, spirits, curses, hostile rites, or metaphysical intrusion.

Ritual

Requires preparation, words, signs, timing, offering, authority, or formal procedure before full use.

Attuned

Works best for a specific person, lineage, oath, place, school, species, or resonance pattern.

Channeling

Carries, focuses, stores, or redirects magical force through the wielder or environment.

Sanctified

Recognized by a shrine, vow, divine order, lawful rite, or sacred tradition.

Cursed

Grants power with a harmful condition, compulsion, debt, corruption, or future claim.

Bound

Contains or is linked to a spirit, entity, memory, oath, place, ancestor, or imprisoned force.

Living

Grows, heals, hungers, adapts, reacts emotionally, or must be tended like an organism.

Resonant

Interacts strongly with resonance fields, anchors, zones, rituals, or metaphysical pressure.

Veiled

Conceals presence, intent, identity, aura, heat, sound, signal, trace, or magical signature; can create a Spoofed or Veiled targeting state.

Revealing

Exposes hidden traces, lies, spirits, enchantments, weaknesses, routes, or resonance patterns; can improve or confirm a targeting state.

Unstable

Can flare, backlash, miscast, overload, attract attention, or create dangerous side effects.

Draining

Consumes lifeforce, heat, memory, charge, blood, attention, standing, or another meaningful resource.

Nullifying

Suppresses, disrupts, grounds, dispels, jams, silences, or cuts off an active force.

Anomalous

Does not follow known magical, technological, or physical expectations.

Use specific setting vocabulary when it matters. A Warded patrol shield, Sanctified oath-chain, Resonant sensor array, and Cursed smart blade may all use the same tag structure while expressing very different fictional truths.

Using Tags in Combat

Use equipment tags during combat exchanges in these ways.

Use Effect

Use	Effect
Permission	The tag allows an action that would otherwise be impossible or implausible.
Position	The tag changes who controls distance, cover, approach, visibility, or angles.
Distance	The tag changes which distance bands and weapon range profiles are plausible or pressured.
Targeting	The tag changes whether a target is in `Clear Line`, `Obscured`, `Concealed`, `Hidden`, `Locked`, or `Spoofed or Veiled`.
Resource	The tag changes whether equipment is `Ready`, `Spent`, `Low`, `Empty`, or `Overheated or Unstable`.
Pressure	The tag creates, cancels, or changes combat pressure.
Wound severity	The tag may soften or worsen a wound when protection and threat clearly interact.
Consequence choice	The tag suggests what goes wrong on a Costly Success, Unstable Result, or Trouble.

Permission

The tag allows an action that would otherwise be impossible or implausible.

Position

The tag changes who controls distance, cover, approach, visibility, or angles.

Distance

The tag changes which distance bands and weapon range profiles are plausible or pressured.

Targeting

The tag changes whether a target is in Clear Line, Obscured, Concealed, Hidden, Locked, or Spoofed or Veiled.

Resource

The tag changes whether equipment is Ready, Spent, Low, Empty, or Overheated or Unstable.

Pressure

The tag creates, cancels, or changes combat pressure.

Wound severity

The tag may soften or worsen a wound when protection and threat clearly interact.

Consequence choice

The tag suggests what goes wrong on a Costly Success, Unstable Result, or Trouble.

Avoid stacking many tag effects on one roll. Choose the most important tag interaction in the current exchange.

Era Examples

These examples show how the same tag vocabulary can cover different focus eras.

Era Example Gear Tags

Era	Example Gear	Tags
`ME`	Arming sword	`Fast`, `Cutting`, `Guarding`
`ME`	Spear	`Reach`, `Piercing`, `Guarding`
`ME`	Mace	`Heavy`, `Crushing`
`ME`	Mail and shield	`Light Armor`, `Shield`
`ME`	Warded pilgrim cloak	`Warded`, `Ritual`, `Fragile`
`IN`	Revolver	`Precise`, `Limited`, `Reload`
`IN`	Bayonet rifle	`Reach`, `Piercing`, `Reload`
`IN`	Sanctified survey lantern	`Revealing`, `Sanctified`, `Limited`
`MO`	Assault rifle	`Precise`, `Area`, `Limited`
`MO`	Ballistic vest	`Light Armor`, `Hardened`, `Bulky`
`MO`	Resonance detector	`Revealing`, `Electronic`, `Resonant`, `Fragile`
`PM`	Smart pistol	`Precise`, `Smart`, `Limited`, `Electronic`
`PM`	Tactical cloak	`Stealth`, `Fragile`, `Electronic`
`PM`	Cursed smart blade	`Fast`, `Smart`, `Cursed`, `Draining`
`ES`	Vacuum suit	`Sealed`, `Insulated`, `Bulky`, `Fragile`
`ES`	Breaching charge	`Breach`, `Volatile`, `Limited`
`ES`	Warded habitat seal	`Sealed`, `Warded`, `Ablative`, `Ritual`
`FF`	Powered armor	`Heavy Armor`, `Powered`, `Sealed`, `Electronic`
`FF`	Plasma lance	`Reach`, `Piercing`, `Brutal`, `Volatile`, `Limited`
`FF`	Adaptive shield	`Reactive`, `Adaptive`, `Fragile`, `Exotic`
`FF`	Resonant drone swarm	`Autonomous`, `Networked`, `Resonant`, `Area`, `Unstable`

ME

Arming sword

Fast, Cutting, Guarding

ME

Spear

Reach, Piercing, Guarding

ME

Mace

Heavy, Crushing

ME

Mail and shield

Light Armor, Shield

ME

Warded pilgrim cloak

Warded, Ritual, Fragile

IN

Revolver

Precise, Limited, Reload

IN

Bayonet rifle

Reach, Piercing, Reload

IN

Sanctified survey lantern

Revealing, Sanctified, Limited

MO

Assault rifle

Precise, Area, Limited

MO

Ballistic vest

Light Armor, Hardened, Bulky

MO

Resonance detector

Revealing, Electronic, Resonant, Fragile

PM

Smart pistol

Precise, Smart, Limited, Electronic

PM

Tactical cloak

Stealth, Fragile, Electronic

PM

Cursed smart blade

Fast, Smart, Cursed, Draining

ES

Vacuum suit

Sealed, Insulated, Bulky, Fragile

ES

Breaching charge

Breach, Volatile, Limited

ES

Warded habitat seal

Sealed, Warded, Ablative, Ritual

FF

Powered armor

Heavy Armor, Powered, Sealed, Electronic

FF

Plasma lance

Reach, Piercing, Brutal, Volatile, Limited

FF

Adaptive shield

Reactive, Adaptive, Fragile, Exotic

FF

Resonant drone swarm

Autonomous, Networked, Resonant, Area, Unstable

Future Use

Later equipment work should define item examples, costs, scarcity, maintenance, legality, cybernetic integration, ritual ownership, vehicle-scale weapons, starship weapons, and how mundane, magical, and hybrid equipment interact in specific eras.

The current tag list is a shared vocabulary, not a full inventory.