By Martin Xavier (martinx@cosmos2.phy.tufts.edu)
The helmet design is similar to virtual reality gear on the inside but has been armored on the outside. It also includes a 360 degree visor with plenty of sensors. The virtual helmet contains a small computer which simulates the tactical situation and interprets the wearer reactions. The result is a complicated conjunctional Correspondence 1, Mind 1, Time 3 coincidental effect which needs three successes to be activated correctly. For this reason, this level 3 Talisman has an increased Arete of 6 and usually requires some preparation to activate (to lower the difficulty).
System: Mind 1 and Time 3 are used to create 4 processes with two actions each.
The first process is dedicated to analysing the tactical situation and making a simulation of the fight showing (if relevant) the line of fire of your weapons. As a result there is an extra 3 dice for Alertness rolls concerning the fight (including initiative) and firearm rolls (you just have to push the trigger when your target crosses the line of fire of your weapon. Note that since it is a simulation created through Landscape in the mind, the wearer can watch all directions at will whatever direction his head is facing and he is immune to powers requiring eye contact (such as Domination). However, because the simulation concentrates on the fight and shunts out other distracting elements, other Alertness rolls are at -3.
The second process is for using the dominant hand. It allows two full firearm actions, or one melee action with 3 extra dice which can only be used if splitting the dice pool and which can not increase any action pool beyond its unmodified limit. Example: with 7 dice in the melee dice pool you can do 1 attack of 7 dice or 2 with 5/5 dice but not with 8/2 dice.
The third process is used for fighting with the off hand. The first half is for translating the skill from the dominant hand to the off hand through a mirror symetry (using Correspondence 1 and Mind 1), giving no penalty to off-hand firearms and only a +2 off-hand penalty for melee (lowered to +1 if you make 4 successes on the Arete roll). The second action of this process is for performing the physical action itself.
The last process is dedicated to dodging. It gives one full die pool and 3 extra dice for multiple dodges only (same system as for the dominant hand melee attack in the second process).