Gear

Yay stuff! Lots of stuff! Okay, not really.

Honestly the show is all over the place on Things A Pony Can Hold/Manipulate With Their Hooves/Mouth/Tail, so whatever your GM allows goes. (seriously are their hooves magnetic marshmallows how do they even) The show is also all over the place on the technology level, so again, whatever your GM allows goes - depending on your technology level, you can also use gear (and more!) described in the Savage Worlds Companions as well: Super Powers, Science-Fiction, Horror, or Fantasy.

Currency

For simplicity, stuff is measured in Bits. Gold Bits = $1, Silver bits = $5. As is standard in Savage Worlds, characters begin with $500. This means you can just use the default cost in the core Savage Worlds rulebooks. Whatever you can buy in the real human world can also be easily converted for pony use ;D

Encumbrance

For simplicity, MLP:SA recommends using the "significant item" method of calculating encumbrance:

    • Significant Item = an object that is roughly 5-15lbs
      • Some objects may count as two or more Significant Items due to how bulky/heavy they are (like full-blown plate armor)
    • For an amusing example, a newborn human baby weighs 5-8lbs, and in six months doubles their weight. A baby is, of course, a Significant Item. The infamous example is also a 10lb bag of flour. Try carrying that for several hours.
    • A pony can carry (Strength/2) number of Significant Items, plus any number of smaller "insignificant" items:
      • A pony with d4 Strength can carry (4/2) = 2 Significant Items
    • A pony with d12 Strength can carry (12/2) = 6 Significant Items
    • A pony with d12+1 Strength can carry (13/2) = 6.5 Significant Items
    • A saddlebag/backpack/packs in general can be stuffed with any number of random little insignificant items as would conceivably fit in a day backpack (no, we're not talking mountain backpacks or your little brother's oversized five-textbook backpack), and the pack as a whole counts as 1 significant item (2 if you stuffed it to absurd capacity)
      • However, getting stuff out of the pack in the heat of battle would require an action, just like readying a weapon

Armor

Also for simplicity, treat the armor values/locations in core Savage Worlds for humans the same as for ponies. Ie:

    • Leather armor: covers torso and all four legs, +1 Armor, weighs 15 (1 Significant Item), costs $50
    • Plate Corselet: covers torso, +3 Armor, weighs 25 (2 significant items), costs $400
    • Plate Arms (vambrace): covers forelegs of pony, +3 Armor, weighs 10 (1 Significant Item), costs $200
    • Plate Leggings (greaves): covers backlegs of pony, +3 Armor, weighs 15 (1 Significant Item), costs $300

Armor takes time to don and take off. Leather/Light armor takes 1d6 minutes to don; Chain/Medium armor takes 2d6; and Plate/Heavy takes 2d6 x 5 minutes to attach (half that with assistance). Discarding armor takes a number of rounds equal to twice the armor's bonus (ie, plate mail takes 6 full rounds).

An armor's bonus is also subtracted from all swimming Athletic rolls, which is in addition to any penalties from the armor's weight. Leather/cloth armor in particular doubles its weight when wet.

Holding Stuff

Despite it being super-awkward in real life, there is no penalty for ponies to hold and keep things in their mouths. Because the show doesn't, so neither shall we!

Crafting

Let's face it: crafting rules in tabletop games are either as complicated as grappling rules, extremely exploitable, or so underutilized in the actual game you wonder why you bother.

As such, there are no formal crafting rules in MLP:SA. (Gasp!) Whether crafting is going to be a significant factor in the game and how it will be incorporated will be up to your GM, so ask them first.

In general, if the item is going to have a mechanical benefit, the task should probably involve dice, statistically be harder to achieve, and take longer. If it's mostly narrative then less or no dice-rolling is necessary. Potential options range from using a Dramatic Task method (5 rolls with potential Complications to achieve Item Success or blow out) or the Mass Combat method (must acquire a certain # of tokens to achieve Item Success, potentially over a set period of time or blow out). Relevant dice rolls range from Repair, specific Knowledge skill, the lower of either Repair/Knowledge, or specific Knowledge providing a bonus to a Repair roll.

Select Gear Notes

Required Tools

Armor kits, Tool kits, and Lockpicks are required for their respective Knowledge (armorsmithing) [for fitting armor], Repair, and Lockpicking rolls. Without them, the user has a -2 penalty. Likewise, if a user attempts Healing without basic supplies as per Core Rules, the healer has an additional -2 penalty.

Basic Equipment

You'll find basic adventuring gear in the core Savage Worlds book. What follows are some select items that, depending on the technology level and game atmosphere your GM wants, you can also use on your quests. ;D

* assuming you're using the regular SW rules instead of the modified encumbrance rules; also here as a reference for said modified encumbrance rules

Auto Grappler

A common video-game item, this is a climbing device that shoots out a grappling hook (which can be magnetic) automatically attached to a fine nylon line (80 yards long, or 40" in tabletop), strong enough to support 400lbs of weight. Fancier models allow the user to activate the winch action and zoom off towards the grapnel's hold - hang on for the ride!

The auto-grappler has a range of 10/20/40, weighs 5lb/1 sig item, and costs $500. The advanced model that allows the wielder to be pulled along at a rate of 10" per round adds in an additional $100.

Binoculars

Sometimes you need something a bit more high-tech than a simple spyglass. In this case, high-end binoculars provide magnification up to 500x. Fancier, even more expensive ones can even provide a digital readout of distance and compass direction, or even see with low light or infravision with a press of a button (eliminating Illumination penalties; add +$250 to cost). Binoculars can give +2 to vision-based rolls to see things at a distance.

Compass, Professional

These high-end compasses work when held at any angle or while moving quickly – far better than a magnetized iron needle or when you don't have any lines of sight! It adds +2 to Survival rolls to navigate (this doesn't stack with the bonus from a survival knife).

First-Aid Kit

This contains basic bandages, tape, Band-Aids, antibacterial spray, and aspirin. This adds +1 to Healing rolls for four uses, but may not completely negate the Healing penalty for inadequate supplies.

Depending on the severity of the injury (ex: bad burns, broken legs), you may need a more compete healing kit. These cost $50, weigh 5lbs (1 significant item), and completely negate the penalty for lack of supplies.

Rebreather

Another common video-game item and pulp-adventure gizmo, this is a face mask with a small oxygen tank that provides two hours of breathable air. It also adds +2 to Vigor rolls to resist airborne or gaseous toxins.

Weapons

Weapons that have armor-piercing or in general pokey qualities are considered to be "lethal" weapons, and thus have a -1 penalty to cause non-lethal damage.

(Unless it clearly makes no sense and will always cause lethal damage, like a spiked maul. Why are you using a spiked maul in a pony-game anyway?)

If you wish to use unique weapons that aren't listed in the core Savage Worlds book, its Companions (Super Powers, Science-Fiction, Horror, or Fantasy), or any of its setting books, try the Savage Armoury.

* assuming you're using the regular SW rules instead of the modified encumbrance rules; also here as a reference for said modified encumbrance rules

Chakram / Boomerang

On one hoof, you have Daring Do. On the other, you have Xena, Warrior Princess a long-ago earth pony warrior maiden who fought in the great wars before Equestria was founded shut up i think this is hilarious.

A chakram is a small circular metal hoop with a sharp edge. It is mainly used as a throwing weapon like a Frisbee, but it can also be used in melee. However, it requires a skilled Fighter to fully take advantage of this weapon's potential.

A fighter with at least a d8+ in Shooting can ignore up to 2 points of Cover modifier, as the disk is thrown with an arced trajectory and hits from an unusual angle. With an additional d8+ in Smarts, the chakram can be thrown in such a way that the disk returns to its user (provided it isn't purposely embedded in something).

For those that like angles instead of circles, a boomerang uses the same basic stats as a chakram.

Foodstuff

Foodstuff can be considered as a legit weapon (Apples in Dragonshy, pies in Over A Barrel, cakes in Secret of my Excess) and thus do not suffer a -1 Fighting / Parry penalty under the Improvised Weapons rule.

    • Small Foodstuffs (ex: apples, cupcakes) : Range 3/6/12, Damage Str+d4, RoF 1, Min Str d4
    • Larger Foodstuffs (ex: pies, cakes) : Range 2/4/8, Damage Str+d6, RoF 1, Min Str d6

Stats can and should be tweaked based on food characteristics, like cheese fondue doing something like Str+d6+2 damage (that stuff goes up to 200F / 93C that's hot, man), or a jar of strawberry jam bursting and making everything slippery and sticky, for 2d6 grenade damage in a Small Burst Template >D

Guns

Okay, let's face it: guns are cool. That said, we've yet to see them in the show and they certainly don't fit the Friendship is Magic theme. Therefore, by default in MLP:SA, guns do not exist.

If you include them as is in your game (by whatever method you choose to explain how hooves/mouths work with triggers), guns are inherently lethal except by way of a default Called Shot penalty to limbs (-2 modifier).

On the other hoof, we have seen party cannons in the show, so gunpowder in and of itself exists in pony-verse. There also is another option: air guns (which include BB guns and pellet guns; things that are spring-piston, pneumatic, or CO2 powered).

Gun aficionados can debate over airgun stats and how they can be converted to tabletop use. For ease of conversion at the moment, take a standard Savage Worlds gun, reduce the range brackets in half and remove half of its damage dice; all other stats remain the same. Therefore, an "airgun" version of a 1911 is 6/12/24, 1d6+1 damage.

Horseshoes

Horseshoes are treated like Brass Knuckles (a set of 4 Horseshoes costs just as much as 1 Brass Knuckles in Savage Worlds, aka $20) and therefore cause non-lethal damage.

However, as appropriate you may have a penalty to Stealth rolls on the ground and to hide your tracks, and rolls for manipulating fine objects, as applicable. Horseshoes give no bonus to avoiding Bumps&Bruises. They count as Insignificant Items.

Lasso/Lariat

YEE-HAW! With a lasso in mouth, you can perform an Agility Trick using the wielder's Fighting skill. Success means the opponent has -2 Parry until their next action; a Raise means the opponent falls Prone, has -2 Parry, and is Shaken to boot.

If need be, a rope can be turned into an impromptu lasso via an action.

Whips

What's Daring Do without her whip (or her hat)? If the wielder scores a raise on her attack roll, instead of the standard +1d6 damage, the victim has -2 to his Parry until his next action.

Explosives

It ain't pulp action if something doesn't explode! These are notes ripped from Deadlands about explosives. If you're playing a more modern game, you can change the names (ex: Dynamite to your standard explosive level, such as TNT and Nitro to your standard "omg if you breathe on this u will die" reagent).

* assuming you're using the regular SW rules instead of the modified encumbrance rules; also here as a reference for said modified encumbrance rules

Dynamite

You can throw up to eight sticks of dynamite as a single, throwable weapon. For increments not listed in the gear stats, add +1 to the base damage per additional stick. Eight or more sticks exploding at once is considered a Heavy Weapon.

For example, 3 sticks of dynamite inflict 3d6+1 damage, and 6 sticks inflict 4d6+2 damage.

The more fun part though is that exploding dynamite triggers any other dynamite (or other explosive material) in the blast radius. Center the explosion on the original target (assuming you hit your target >D), and any secondary on the locations of the triggered secondary dynamite.

For example, the Cutie Mark Crusaders are hoping for a cutie mark in pyrotechnics (MLP comic, issues #9-10). While setting up their fireworks catapult contraption for the the fair's craft show, Sweetie Belle mishears the trigger word, so she accidentally sets off the pack of 10 canisters (sticks) of fireworks already attached to the catapult. Unfortunately Apple Bloom tosses 8 sticks of fireworks over to Scootaloo nearby, which means there's going to be two explosions - one damage roll for 10 sticks doing 5d6+2 in a Large Burst Template, and another one for five sticks at 4d6+1 in a Medium Burst Template. Quick, launch those fireworks somewhere before your cute little hindquarters get toasted! It won't hit anything explosive...right? Just a gazebo, maybe...

And that's right - the secondary explosion can trigger more dynamite in the expanded area and cause a cascading effect. Do try to keep the evil cackling to a minimum...unless you're playing a mad scientist.

Treat throwing dynamite like throwing a grenade, which includes the Area of Effect rules (core Savage Worlds, Situational Rules), allows it to be thrown back or covered (core Savage Worlds, Selected Gear Notes), and does require an action to ready and light the fuse before actually tossing it.

Grenades

Wee! More fun projectile explosives - and these are designed to be thrown!

While you can continue to use the grenade stats from the core Savage Worlds rulebook, those will inflict traditional lethal damage. However, there are also some non-lethal grenade options as well, such as the "flashbang" / stun grenade, smoke grenades, EMP grenades (if you're running a sci-fi game), or even pepper spray. (Note: Molotov cocktails would best fall under the following Oil rules). The following stat descriptions are for some common non-lethal grenades, but since grenades covers anything that's basically "throwable explosive," it's up to your creativity and your GM! (Beware the cake frosting grenade launcher)

  • Flashbang: anypony caught in the blast template (typically MBT) must make an Agility roll or be effectively Blind (-6 penalty for physical tasks; -2 penalty for social task) for 1d6 rounds
  • Pepper Spray: if you don't have Fluttershy's skill in wrestling, you can also carry around a can of Mace! These micro-aerosol cans shoot out very strong eye-irritant spray. On a successful Shooting roll, the target must make a Vigor roll at -2 (-4 with a Raise). Failure means the target is Shaken for 1d4 rounds before they can recover as well as taking a level of Fatigue. This Fatigue can Incapacitate but not lead to Death; it is recovered every 10 minutes or every minute if the target can flush out their eyes with lots of clean water.
  • Stun: anypony caught in the blast template (typically MBT) must make a Vigor roll or else they fall Prone and are Shaken. They can't attempt to recover from being Shaken for 1d6 rounds.
  • Smoke: creates an area of smoke in the blast template (typically a LBT) that obscures vision (-4 penalty to physical tasks in the template)
  • Cake Frosting (you thought I was joking?): anypony caught in the blast template (typically SBT) must make an Agility roll versus the Shooting roll to launch it or be caught in a morass of sticky, fast-hardening cake frosting. The cake frosting is more-or-less permanent until eaten (it doesn't taste very good; hey it wasn't made for its edibility), water is applied, or it suffers one wound (Toughness 10; blunt/cutting attacks only).
    • and let's not talk about the honey grenade

Nitro

Be careful there filly, you're toting the twitchy stuff. If your character rolls snake eyes on any Agility roll while carrying nitro, the bottle explodes and inflicts damage.

Oil

Okay, oil isn't technically a true explosive, but it can be used as one, and that's what we're talking about! Besides being used in lanterns, oil can be used as a weapon by putting oil in a breakable container (such as a ceramic flask) with a lit fuse. The flask is then thrown at the target where it breaks and the fuse sets the oil alight.

Lighting a fuse requires 1d6 rounds with flint and steel (1 round with open flame), so it's best to light fuses before a fight begins (a fuse stays alight for 10 minutes). The flask's range is typically 3/6/12, as a thrown object. Anything it hits is set alight on a d6 roll of 5-6, causing 1d10 damage per round, and the fire has a chance of growing each turn as described in core Savage Worlds.