Campaign economy

Gear

Use this searchable table when familiar fifth edition equipment needs Stellar Dawn flavor at the table.

5e Item	Stellar Dawn Flavor	Damage / Use	Cost / Weight	Notes
Crossbow, light	Compact rail-launcher or mag-bow	1d8 piercing, ammunition, loading, two-handed	25 gp / 5 lb	Good baseline for a low-noise kinetic weapon that still uses ordinary crossbow rules.
Crossbow, hand	Holdout bolt pistol or wrist launcher	1d6 piercing, light, loading, range 30/120	75 gp / 3 lb	Useful for concealed sidearms, boarding actions, and compact personal defense.
Longbow	Smartline caster or recoil-damped needle rifle	1d8 piercing, heavy, two-handed, range 150/600	50 gp / 2 lb	Keep the martial weapon mechanics; change the fiction to precision kinetic fire.
Dagger	Ceramic knife, mono-edge tool, or boot spike	1d4 piercing, finesse, light, thrown 20/60	2 gp / 1 lb	Still the standard small blade for backup weapons and close work.
Shortsword	Vibroblade, boarding saber, or hardlight cutter	1d6 piercing, finesse, light	10 gp / 2 lb	Use for compact melee weapons that feel military, industrial, or alien.
Shield	Bracer shield, projected buckler, or collapsible riot plate	+2 AC while wielded	10 gp / 6 lb	The protection is mechanical; the appearance can be physical, projected, or hybrid tech.
Leather armor	Padded vac-jacket or reinforced flight leathers	AC 11 + Dex modifier	10 gp / 10 lb	Good default for lightly armored travelers, pilots, scouts, and station workers.
Chain shirt	Flexweave under-armor or segmented pressure mesh	AC 13 + Dex modifier, max 2	50 gp / 20 lb	Medium armor can look like layered fabric, smart plates, or pressure-rated gear.
Plate	Powered assault shell or sealed hazard plate	AC 18, Strength 15, disadvantage on Stealth	1,500 gp / 65 lb	Use for bulky elite armor, exo-frames, or sealed breach suits.
Alchemist's fire	Thermite gel, plasma flask, or volatile sealant charge	Improvised ranged attack; ongoing 1d4 fire	50 gp / 1 lb	Good for emergency sabotage, clearing growth, or making a dangerous problem worse on purpose.
Healer's kit	Medpatch bundle or trauma foam kit	10 uses; stabilize a creature without a Wisdom check	5 gp / 3 lb	Keep this visible because it answers a common table question fast.
Thieves' tools	Intrusion tools, bypass picks, and signal spoofers	Used for locks, alarms, panels, credentials, and security systems	25 gp / 1 lb	Rogues and technicians will reach for this constantly in Stellar Dawn scenes.