Shadowrun Visual Sensors & Imaging Devices
Visual Sensors & Imaging Devices
From hip sunglasses to protective goggles to chic monocles, basic vision enhancers come in several common forms. All such devices have wireless capability, though they may also be directly wired via fiberoptic cable (except contacts). The ratings of vision sensors and imaging devices equals the number of vision enhancements that can be applied to the device.
- Binoculars: Typically handheld, these come with built-in vision magnification. Available in optical and electronic versions.
- Camera: The most common sensor, cameras can capture still photos, video, or trideo (including sound). Cameras may also be upgraded with vision enhancements. Micro versions are available at Rating 1 (Capacity 1) only.
- Contact lenses: The most recent generation display devices are worn directly on the eyes. They are nearly undetectable but offer little space for enhancements.
- Goggles: Relatively large and robust devices, googles cover the eyes and are strapped to the head so they are hard to dislodge.
- Glasses: Usually lightweight frames worn on the bridge of the nose, numerous styles are available.
- Monocles: These are worn on a headband or helmet with a flipdown arm, or on a chain.
- Imaging scopes: These vision enhancers and display devices are usually mounted on weapons (Though they are detachable).
Optical Devices
These optical aids have many uses, one of which is enabling a magician to obtain optical (non-electronic) line of sight for spellcasting from cover. Spellcasting targeted through optics this way suffers a –2D dice pool modifier. These devices cannot take vision enhancements.
- Endoscope: This is a 1-meter fiberoptic cable, of which the first 20 centimeters are made up of myomeric rope and an optical lens on each side. Allows the user to look around corners, through door slits, or into narrow spaces.
- Mage Sight Goggles: These heavy goggles are connected to a myomeric rope wrapped around a fiberoptic cable that ends in an optical lens. The rope is available in lengths of 10, 20, or 30 meters.
- Periscope: An L-shaped tube with two mirrors, the periscope allows the user to look (or shoot) around corners.
| Vision Sensors and Imaging Devices
|
Capacity | Availability | Cost |
| Binoculars (Rating 1–3) | 1–3 | - | Rating x 50 |
| Binoculars, Optical | - | - | 50 |
| Camera (trideo) (Rating 1–6) | 1–6 / [1] | - | Rating x 100 |
| Contact Lenses (Rating 1–3) | 1–3 | 2 | Rating x 50 |
| Glasses (Rating 1–4) | 1–4 | - | Rating x 25 |
| Goggles (Rating 1–6) | 1–6 | - | Rating x 50 |
| Monocle (Rating 1–4) | 1–4 | 1 | Rating x 25 |
| Endoscope | - | 3 | 250 |
| Periscope | [1] | 1 | 50 |
| Mage Sight Goggles | [1] | 4R | 2,000 |
Vision Enhancements
A number of options are available for installation in visual sensors and imaging devices.
- Flare Compensation: This protects the user from blinding flashes of light as well as simple glare. Flare compensation also protects users with thermographic vision from heat flashes and glare from infrared lighting. It eliminates the vision modifiers for glare.
- Image Link: The image link either displays visual information (text, pictures, movies) in the field of vision or projects it onto the user’s retina with a laser. Visual data is typically AR data received by the user’s PAN, but other input is also accepted.
- Low-Light Vision: This accessory allows the user to see normally in light levels as low as starlight. Total darkness still renders the user as blind as an unmodified person.
- Smartlink: This accessory interacts with a smartgun system (See Firearm Accessories) to project the weapon’s angle of fire into the user’s vision, centering red crosshairs where the user is pointing and highlighting perceived targets. The smartgun’s laser rangefinder also calculates and displays the distance to the target. Additional data from the weapon, such as the ammunition level, heat buildup, and stress can also be displayed. Requires an image link.
- Thermographic Vision: This enhancement enables vision in the infrared portion of the spectrum, enabling the user to see heat patterns. Thermographic vision is a very practical way to spot living beings in areas of total darkness (even though it is difficult to fully determine their type and appearance), to check if a motor or machine has been running lately, and to track heat footprints.
- Ultrasound: The ultrasound accessory consists of an emitter that sends out continuous ultrasonic pulses and a receiver that picks up the echoes of these pulses to create a topographic ultrasound “map” that is laid over (or replaces) the user’s normal visual sensory input. While ultrasound vision is perfect to “see” textures, calculate exact distances, and pick up things otherwise invisible to the naked eye (like people cloaked by an Invisibility spell), it is less adept at other tasks like perceiving colors and brightness. It cannot penetrate materials like glass that would be transparent to optical sensors. The ultrasound sensor can be set to a passive mode, in which it does not emit ultrasonic pulses but still picks up ultrasound from outside sources (such as motion sensors or someone else’s ultrasound sensors on active mode)
- Vision Enhancement: Vision enhancement gives the character sharper vision. It adds its rating x 0D+2 as a positive dice pool modifier to the user’s visual Perception: Search Tests.
- Vision Magnification: This zoom function magnifies vision by up to 50 times, allowing distant targets to be seen clearly. It is available as both an optical (ideal for spellcasting at distant targets) or electronic (with real-time image correction) enhancement.
| Vision Enhancements
|
Availability | Cost |
| Low Light | +1 | +100 |
| Flare Compensation | +1 | +50 |
| Image Link | - | +25 |
| Smartlink | +1R | +500 |
| Thermographic | +2 | +100 |
| Ultrasound | +3 | +1,000 |
| Vision Enhancement (Rating 1–3) | +1 | +(Rating x 100) |
| Vision Magnification | +1 | +100 |