The mountains can be cold and dangerous to live in, but some folk always find a way. The Ka-Teni are one such people.

Bowl of Sky. The Ka-Teni disagree between themselves on their true origin, with as many versions as there are households. The common detail is that the sky is clearly a great, upended bowl, with the ground below being the spilled meal of some unimaginatively huge worldeater. This upset is said variously to be caused by the whim of the gods, a clashing of titans, or the collapsing table of cosmic scale. The place of mortals is atop these spilled remnants, with other planes being different ingredients. The exact culinary nature of the Material Plane is the subject of spirited debate, but has lead to the belief that each day should be seized vigorously, because “tomorrow we might be swept away or eaten.”

Making Hay While the Sun Shines. The Ka-Teni pursue a mixed strategy of herding and agriculture in order to survive, as their preference is for a meat-heavy diet. In spring they drive their long-haired cattle down to the freshly-thawed pastures and set up temporary shelters there. In the meantime, druids use plant growth and fertilize field to boost the growth of their crops. For a few glorious months, they make preparations for the long, hungry winter, harvesting crops, smoking meats, drying livestock feed, and collecting plants for colorful dyes. Those Ka-Teni that leave their mountain homes usually do so and return during this scant four-month window.

Behind High Walls. The winter shelters of the Ka-Teni consist of round houses up to 50 feet high and about 30 feet across, with reinforced rammed earth and stone walls about six feet thick. Each has several murder holes, four to five floors, and one very solid door. Multiple generations of a family live in each, and as families grow sufficiently large, they build a connected house, often with a central courtyard or covered path. This leads to Ka-Teni towns resembling a single, huge structure, allowing its citizens to move relatively freely despite the snow. The Ka-Teni typically keep their herds within their homes or courtyards, both for extra heat and as a renewable source of fuel for the fire.
Established Ka-Teni settlements have installed beacon stones—flat rocks with the direction and distance of the nearest settlement embossed on their surface—in large, concentric circles around them to help guide hunters and travelers in bad weather.

Bright Colors for Dark Months. It gets very dreary in the long, dreary months, so the Ka-Teni favor vibrant colors and fascinating patterns in their clothing, the making of which is a common task in winter. Some take this further, shaving similar patterns in their hair or fur or coloring it with the gentlest of their dyes. The drinking of various tisanes and teas and the telling of stories and singing of songs is very important to keeping the darkness from overwhelming them.

The Ka-Teni are a seasonally migrating people that spend eight months of the year in their fortified mountain homes, and the rest making the most of a short growing season in the thawed valleys below with their herds of long-haired cattle. They value community and the passing on of knowledge above all else, as they would otherwise not survive their harsh lifestyle, but also laud the storytellers and artisans that make the dreary winters bearable. Many of the Ka-Teni are the specially adapted Snow-Spotted pantherans, but dwarves, birdfolk, and garoul are well-represented among them, along with a smattering of other heritages.

Apprenticeship. As a child you were taught the basics of a trade, though your profession may have later deviated from it. If you are already proficient with a skill or piece of equipment granted by this culture, you instead gain an expertise die. Choose one of the following:

Crafter: You are proficient with woodcarver’s tools, jeweler’s tools, and tinker’s tools.
Farmer: You are proficient in Athletics and with leatherworker’s tools.
Healer: You are proficient in Medicine and with the herbalism kit.
Herder: You are proficient in Animal Handling and with land vehicles.
Storyteller: You are proficient in Performance and with either the disguise kit or an instrument of your choice.

Beacon Finder. To help guide hunters and travelers to safety, Ka-Teni settlements install beacon stones, which are made uniformly enough to be located with the locate object spell. You can cast locate object once per long rest. Your spellcasting ability for this spell is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma (whichever is highest).

Catnap. When you take a short rest, instead of spending hit dice to recover hit points, you can recover a number of hit dice equal to half your proficiency bonus by spending the time taking a nap instead.

Skilled Brewer. You are well-versed in brewing soothing tisanes. Once per long rest, you may spend ten minutes and a use of a healer’s satchel to make one dose of a hot drink. A creature that consumes it reduces its strife by one level, but it can only benefit in this way once per week. In addition, if you brew fortifying tea (see Table: Ka-Teni Equipment), it allows creatures to ignore 2 levels of fatigue instead of one.

Languages. You can speak, read, write, and sign in Common, Dwarvish, and two others.

The ways across nations are long and dark, and as the light of civilization fades into the distance it is only the Rhode Wardens that provide a glimmer of hope in the wild lands that lie between. The Rhode Wardens are guards and hunters, carrying the torch of civilization down the darkest roads and hunting down whatever stalks weary travelers.

Rhode Wardens

Beholden to no government but hired by many, the Rhode Wardens establish stations along the long roads and winding paths and patrol the routes in between. With a bit of coin, nobles and settlement leaders can ensure their routes are secure, without committing forces beyond their walls. Though they are few in number, a single warden can cover great tracts of land, providing valuable intelligence and advance warning.

Structure: Council of lodge leaders, led by an elected head council member.

Symbol: The silhouette of a diving hawk.

Base of Operations: Decentralized. Reedside Station (Grade 5 training hall) serves as a center of operations, while most stations are Grade 2 or 3 encampments or training halls.

Beliefs: The cities and the wilds both deserve respect; the hunt should be undertaken quickly and honorably, regardless of the quarry.

Goals: Protect travelers and settlements; protect both nature and civilization from each other.

Tireless Hunters. The Rhode Wardens work to keep beasts and monsters that endanger remote settlements and the roads that connect them in check. Whole monster populations often decline sharply before the rest learn not to threaten well-traveled paths. Whether on principle or as a paid job, wardens often find humanoids in their sights as well—bandits rarely prosper on their roads, and when caught are treated as less than beasts, left to bleed out unceremoniously in the dirt. For those with a price on their heads, escaping the reach of the town guards often means running right into the waiting arms of the Wardens. Few bounty hunters or thief catchers chase their prey past national borders, but these hunters know no such limitations once they have chosen their quarry.

Old Hunters’ Holds. According to their own lore, the Rhode Warden stations started as simple hunting lodges along the roads— places where a tired trapper or a wounded hunter could rest and recuperate before making the long trek home with their catches. The tricks of the old hunters were passed to the new, and with many watchful eyes and full quivers their humble hunting trails became safer than well-traveled roads. The modern warden stations still reflect their humble origins, and the innocuous thatch longhouses mask the lethal accuracy waiting within.

Eyes of the Hawk. Young hunters must prove their worth by bringing in the fresh head and pelt of some monster that haunts the local area. If successful, the head is stuffed and mounted on the wall beside each other wardens’ prize, and the pelt is ceremoniously cut into their coat. With training in the ways of the Unerring Hawk, these young hunters are molded into proper Rhode Wardens. No hunters can hope to rival their aim, and no creature walks their path unnoticed.

Whether they are synthetic gems, symbols imbued with psionic power, or carefully knotted cords that encourage mindful concentration, psionic foci are items that allow creatures with psionic abilities to concentrate on two powers. Their rarity and cost can vary greatly from planet to planet. Cyberware that serves as a psionic focus can be found under Enhancement Implants.

A psionic focus allows a creature to concentrate on more than one psionic power simultaneously as long as the sum of the powers’ levels is less than or equal to their power rating. If the manifester’s concentration is disrupted, such as if they are pushed or take damage, they roll for both powers individually. Both powers’ effects still end early if the manifester is killed or incapacitated.

Psychic Crystals

Crystals, gems, and precious stones have long been used as shiny adornments, for healing rituals, and as valued treasures. But there are some naturally occurring crystals that resonate at a frequency with which psionic minds can interact, allowing them to work as psionic foci. The Narrator determines the rarity and availability of such crystals within your campaign setting, but they are likely coveted treasures.

The musical arts grow and innovate as artists gain access to new technologies and new potential sounds. Musical instruments are a type of tool, and the following instruments have been added to the list of instruments found in Adventurer’s Guide.

In addition to the less-technological tools in Adventurer’s Guide, these toolkits allow you to perform specialized tasks such as repairs on the specific type of equipment or vehicle or the collection and interpretation of detailed scientific data. If you lack the proper toolkit, tasks that would use it may be impossible, or at best, all checks will be made with disadvantage. You must be proficient with specialist’s tools to use them.

^A This is an advanced item.

Computer Technician Kit. This kit includes specialized opening tools, a multimeter, spare parts, thermal compound, and an assortment of cables and adapters. It is used for setting up and performing basic repairs on computer systems or mechanical creatures from an ICD up to a battle droid. 
With 10 minutes work and a DC 10 computer technician kit check, you can repair a construct or synthetic lifeform (such as an android) or device. The creature or device regains 1d4 hit points, plus an additional 1d4 hit points if the check’s result is 15 or higher. The Narrator might set a higher DC for specialized repairs or decide that such repairs require more time or additional equipment. Fixing a sentinel droid’s malfunctioning gyroscopic systems, for example, might require a DC 20 check. 

Cybernetics Kit. Contains a mixture of spare parts, anti-rejection drugs, specialized instruments, and basic first aid supplies. This allows you to perform field maintenance and repairs on a creature’s cybernetic implants. It can also be used once as a first-aid kit, but then 2 credits must be spent to replenish the expended supplies before the kit is useful again.

Disguise Kit. This pouch of props, costuming, and cosmetics lets you change your physical appearance. A creature observing you after you make a disguise kit check must make a Perception check (DC equal to the result of your disguise kit check) in order to see through your disguise.

Engineer's Toolbox. This kit contains wrenches, bolt drivers, instruments, and so on to work on the drive, braking, navigation, and suspension systems. With 10 minutes work and a DC 10 tools check, you can repair a machine, vehicle, or starfighter. The machine, vehicle or starfighter regains 1d4 hit points, plus an additional 1d4 hit points if the check’s result is 15 or higher. The Narrator might set a higher DC for specialized repairs or decide that such repairs require more time or additional equipment. Fixing a wrecked starfighter engine for example, might require a DC 20 check.
The toolbox also contains a standard-issue military field maintenance kit for modifying and repairing high-tech weapons and armor. It includes the small drivers, hardening sprays, and cleaning supplies needed to keep a soldier’s combat gear working.

Field Laboratory.  A semi-portable lab with various scientific instruments, sample containers, and reagents allows a creature proficient with the Science skill to perform various types of testing such as identifying substances or organisms, measuring environmental effects such as barometric pressure and seismic activity, and other similar tasks. Some tasks may only be possible with a Field Laboratory, but ones that do not require it (Narrator’s discretion) are made with advantage instead.

Hacking Tools. Hacking tools resemble common datapads containing potent hacking programs, but they can also be more custom-rigged device amalgams that better reflect their less-than-legal purpose. If you are proficient with hacking tools, you can use an action to begin a hack by making a hacking tools check against a DC determined by the security of the device being hacked. If successful you begin hacking that device, while hacking a device your hacking tools cannot be used to hack another device until the previous hack attempt ends.

Medical Pouch (Crash Kit). Often referred to as ‘crash kit’, the professional version of a first-aid kit, crash kits are most useful to those with formal medical training. Any creature can expend one use to stabilize a dying creature without the need for a Medicine check, even if they are not proficient. 
However, creatures with proficiency in Medicine can spend a use of the kit to greater effect. When a creature proficient in Medicine makes a Medicine check with the kit to stabilize a creature, the creature recovers 1d6 hit points for every 5 points the DC of the check is exceeded by (1d6 on a result of 15, 2d6 on a result of 20, etc.) The kit can be used 5 times before being depleted. Replacement supplies cost 25 credits per use. 
A medical pouch can also be used to remove a condition from an adjacent creature, as long as the condition is a temporary condition and originally required a saving throw to avoid or resist and is on the following list: blinded, charmed, deafened, paralyzed, poisoned, slowed, stunned. Use an action to make a Medicine check with a DC equal to the saving throw DC originally required to resist or avoid the condition. On a success, the condition is removed. At the Narrator’s discretion, certain conditions may not be removable in this manner, and a creature can only benefit from this feature once per long rest.

Multi-Scanner. This handheld device can analyze the chemical makeup of a substance, diagnose illnesses or injuries, determine the levels of any known type of radiation, measure temperature, wind direction, and barometric pressure, carbon-date a sample of organic material, scan the genetics of a creature, detect life forms, and so on. Any sort of reading that could be supplied by a specific scientific or medical instrument can be quickly and accurately supplied by the multi-scanner. 
Getting a scan of a target within 10 feet requires one action, and uses either the Science or Medicine skill depending on the nature of the scan. Using a multi-scanner gives you advantage on Science and Medicine checks, and an expertise die on Engineering or Investigation checks where precise scientific data would be useful. This is an advanced item.

Thieves' Tools.  This set of technical instruments are used to open mechanical locks. You can use an action to open a lock by making a thieves’ tools check against a DC determined by the quality of the lock being picked.

The universe is a big place, and those who wish to see unexplored parts of it would do well to pack accordingly. As technology advances, so too do the means to traverse and survive in hostile environments.

Blanket. A basic foil blanket that provides warmth in cold environments.

Digital Scale. An improvement on the merchant’s scale, this version is precise to .01 oz.

Distress Beacon. A personal-sized version of a standard piece of starship hardware, this device transmits a distress signal and a message of no more than 10 seconds using a powerful transmitter. Typical range is about 20 miles, though atmospheric conditions may adjust this. They are popular with exploration teams.

Entrenching Tool. A lighter version of the shovel, capable of folding for easy transportation.

Flashlight. The default source of portable light from the discovery of electricity onward. Provides bright light in a 20-foot cone and dim light in a 30-foot one. Alternate versions based on head bands or gloves provide light in more specific areas or hands-free, but only to half the range.

Floodlight. A scaled-up version of a flashlight, a floodlight can light up a much larger area. They are typically either mounted on vehicles or on a tripod. They provide bright light in a 300-foot cone and dim light in a 600-foot cone.

Gas Mask. A full-face mask that protects the wearer from airborne poisons and other dangerous particles. While wearing a gas mask, you automatically succeed on saving throws against inhaled hazards, but the mask narrows your field of view, imposing a -1d4 penalty on sight-based Perception checks while wearing it.

Grapple Gun. This device is roughly the same size as a heavy pistol. It fires a sturdy line (AC 15, 30 hp, capable of supporting 1000 lbs.) which is attached to a grappling hook up to 60/120 feet. The grapple needs some sort of protrusion to latch onto; common ones are architectural features like railings, ornamental statuary, pipes, and so on. The line can then be retracted, reeling the user toward the hook, granting an effective climb speed of 60 feet. Improved versions (which cost double the cost) have a nanomachine-paste anchor instead which can bond to any surface able to support the weight on the line. This version does not need to “catch” on anything and can adhere to even sheer surfaces and is considered an advanced item.

Lighter. This small fire-starting device can be used to light anything with abundant, exposed fuel or highly-flammable objects such as paper as an action. You may also expend a use to cause the lighter to shed dim light in a 5-foot radius for one round.

Map. When using a map, you may travel at a fast pace without taking a penalty to your passive Perception while within the area it depicts. 
Additionally, you gain an expertise die on checks made to avoid becoming lost.

Local: This map depicts a well known area. In most settings digital maps of any explored area are available, often for free.

Planetary: This map depicts the entirety of a single planet. On well-explored or long-inhabited planets this usually includes populated areas, delineations between countries, provinces, and states, and names of natural formations, such as mountain ranges or forests, if they’ve been given them. Many also include topography, elevation, terrain, and even live weather. Planets that have only been seen remotely or have not been properly surveyed may only show major geographical features, known settlements, and established routes (if any).

System: This map shows the entirety of a single star system, including planets, meteor belts, moons, and significant planetoids.

Galactic: This map is a series of navigation charts to allow ships to make their way from one galaxy to the next. Depending on the amount of data the map maker had, it may be more or less detailed or accurate.

Matches.  An improvement on the tinderbox. Using it to light a torch—or anything else with abundant, exposed fuel—takes an action. Lighting any other fire takes 1 minute.

Mirror (Plastic). Made of synthetic products, this mirror is lighter and cheaper than its steel counterpart.

Paper. With the advancement of technology, paper is significantly cheaper.

Rope, Synthetic. This synthetic rope is lighter than previous versions while still being able to hold the same weight.

Sleeping Bag. An improvement on the bedroll, this light sleeping bag is essential to sleeping outdoors.

Tent. Made of light, synthetic materials, tents provide protection from the elements so long as there is a flat surface to set them up on.

One-Person: Suitable for a Medium-sized creature.
Occupies a 5-foot by 10-foot space when set up.

Two-Person: Suitable for up to 2 Medium- sized creatures. 
Occupies a 10-foot by10-foot space when set up.

Communal: Suitable for up to 6 Medium-sized creatures. 
Occupies a 15-foot by 15-foot space when set up.

Umbrella. Designed to keep the rain off of pedestrians, these small folding shelters are also sometimes used by protestors to block thrown weapons. When equipped with an open umbrella, you may make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw to bounce a grenade targeting your space to a space 10 feet away from you in the direction the attack originated from. Umbrellas fold up when not in use, but are a bulky item when open. Folding or unfolding an umbrella costs an action.

Heroes are not always made so because of their ability to fight; scientists have long been revered by sapient societies who admire those who push the frontiers of knowledge past their current boundaries. Like any task, doing so is easier with the right tool.

Chemical Detector. This handheld device measures various fume levels in the air and provides information about their concentration levels. It is often used by security personnel to look for drugs or explosives. While using a chemical detector, you gain an expertise die on Investigate checks to find hidden drugs, chemicals, or explosives.

Cryospray. An aerosol flash-freezing agent, cryospray is normally used to preserve specimens collected during scientific expeditions, but enterprising users have learned a blast of the spray can make metal brittle (a use of the spray reduces an unattended metal object’s AC by 2) or as an improvised weapon (the spray can only be used on targets within 5 feet, and does 2d6 cold damage). A single canister contains enough for 10 uses.

Geiger Counter. This device measures ambient radiation, emitting an audible warning in the presence of dangerous radiation levels.

Police, soldiers, spies, and similar professions are frequently thought of mostly in terms of weapons and armor, but there is a lot of other specialized equipment in the arsenal of these types of professionals.

^A This is an advanced item.

Binoculars. A good pair of binoculars comes in handy in a variety of situations. They can give the user a clear view of targets up to a quarter-mile away in bright or dim light. An additional 100 credits adds a night vision mode, which allows the user to see at the same range in darkness. The user has advantage on sight-based Perception checks dealing with faraway targets (up to half a mile). 

Bug.Tiny clandestine surveillance devices are often referred to as “bugs.” They are about the size of a grain of rice (DC 22 Investigate check to locate) and can pick up ambient conversation in an area up to 20 feet from their location and transmit it over an encrypted datastream up to a mile.
Video-capable versions cost twice as much.

Bug Detector. A small handheld device for locating bugs. Using a bug detector automatically detects the presence (but not location) of transmitting bugs within 20 feet of you, and grants advantage on Investigation checks to find them.

Chemical Light Stick. A heatless chemical flare activated by cracking an internal seal, which mixes two chemicals together causing a luminescent chemical reaction. Can be activated as an action, after which it provides bright light in a 5-foot radius and dim light in a 10-foot one. Once activated, the light stays lit for 12 hours.

Gateway Projection Device. This apparatus fits over the forearm and hand of the user. It has the ability to fire matched portals onto flat surfaces within long range. The weapon has two triggers, one fires blue-rimmed portals and the other orange-rimmed ones. The portals are roughly 6 feet tall and oval-shaped, large enough for a medium-sized creature to pass through comfortably. Entering one portal causes a creature, object, or effect to immediately exit the other. If one portal of each color does not exist, the portal is not enterable, appearing merely as a lighting effect. If the user creates a portal while one of the same color is already in existence, the old portal is immediately replaced with the new one. The device can “fire” a portal up to 120 feet, which takes an action. An active portal can be dismissed as a bonus action. Portals cannot be dismissed if a creature or object is currently traversing them.
This is an advanced item.

Handcuffs. The prisoner restraints of choice in most sci-fi worlds, these metal restraints (AC 16, 20 hit points) can restrain a Small or Medium creature. You can restrain an unwilling creature which requires an action, and for the creature to be either restrained, or both grappled and prone. Escaping the manacles requires a DC 22 Dexterity check, and breaking them requires a DC 22 Strength check. Each set of handcuffs comes with one key. Without the key, a DC 15 thieves’ tools check can pick this lock.

Long-Range Microphone. The audio equivalent of binoculars, long-range microphones allow normal conversation to be heard at a range of up to 300 feet.

Night-Vision/Multi-Spectrum Goggles. These battery-powered goggles grant the user darkvision with a range of 300 feet. The multi-spectrum version (costing 1000 credits or more) also allows the wearer to see through clouds of smoke, mist, or other non-solid obstructions and pick out heat signatures from the surrounding environment, granting an expertise die to spot hidden creatures with exothermic metabolisms or other objects notably warmer or colder than the surrounding environment, regardless of other visual concealments.

Night-Vision/Multi-Spectrum Contacts. These special contact lenses work the same as the goggles above.
This is an advanced item.

Portable X-Ray Scanner. A handheld scanning device used in security searches, a portable x-ray scanner can penetrate even into a subject’s body, revealing surgical hardware, dental fillings, and most importantly, cybernetic implants. It is virtually impossible to hide carried, implanted, or swallowed contraband from this device, which grants the user a passive DC 30 Investigate check to find such things on a one-minute scan.

Proximity Alarm. This device monitors a 20-foot diameter area for up to 8 hours. It has a passive Perception score of 14 and makes a loud noise if it detects movement within that area.

Range Earmuffs. These over-ear headphones provide the same protection as earplugs (Chapter 3) without the drawback by amplifying ambient sound and cutting off at a certain decibel level.

Tracer. This button-sized device can be planted on a person or vehicle and sends out a signal allowing its location to be tracked, typically via a program on the user’s ICD. While the tracer is active and within 10 miles, you know the direction of it, and combining a tracer with a mapping program (an upgrade that costs an additional 100 cr) can show you the precise location of it on a map. The tracer stays active for 24 hours, but they are easy to find with bug detectors (automatic success, no roll required). They are typically used on targets that will not suspect their presence.

Zip Cuffs. These super lightweight and portable version of handcuffs are used by riot police and in other situations where mass arrests are likely. They have an AC of only 13 and 15 hp, and the Strength check to break them is DC 16. Unlike most restraints, they are single-use, with the cuffs being cut to release a prisoner rather than unlocked with a key.