ARMA's Armaments

Being a group that frequently gets itself into combat, the agents of ARMA have a wide array of equipment both mundane and enchanted to help them stand against the tides of darkness - and other, still dangerous but less ominous-sounding things.

PROTECTION

While ARMA's duties sometimes require its teams to go into harms way, unlike other groups they rarely go in looking like military or SWAT teams. Generally ARMA personnel are plainclothes, excepting uniformed guards at the base, but this does not mean that they go unprotected. Their defenses are simply not of the mundane variety. A few of these are also used by the Order, however as many originated with Alistair or Tock, they were mostly only used by the New York branch even before.

ST (Silver-Thread) ATTIRE

Standard issue not only for magi but for the non-powered personnel of the group, ST clothes are named for the enchanted silver thread that is woven amongst the fabric. The fabric itself is generally treated, flame resistant cotton or a military fabric called M5 that has excellent ballistic and thermal capabilities (anyone dealing often with magic expects to deal with fire often). These are patterned off a design of Alistair's, and range from the base quality (the rough equivalent of light military body armor) to the more heavily enchanted versions worn by full combat mages (able to stop heavy caliber rounds, if only a few times). Because of the difficulty in making these clothes, the enchantments are normally laid on an outer garment such as a coat, though shirts and pants are also done but these are rare. The heavier the garment, the more protective it can be made.

PORTABLE WARDS

Normally carried by the non mages (including less versatile empowered humans), these wards come in the form of a small canister surrounding an enchanted crystal, P.W.s are small, single-use defensive spells to help get non-mages out of a magic jam. They require a skilled Tower magus to create however, as such they are not as plentiful as grenades - personnel generally carry one of each. To engage the spell, one twists the cap to break the crystal, releasing the energy, then throws it to the required area. PWs come in three basic types:

Repulsion - A RPW projects a hemispheric shield approximately five meters in diameter that is impermeable to mana and spiritual energy - spells, spirits, and heavily magical entities such as demons are unable to pass. Physical objects however, such as gunfire, can. A RPW can also be used to contain a supernatural entity. The barrier lasts approximately five minutes. It also, as a side effect, knocks out things like wireless communications in a radius about ten times the actual barrier range. This was originally considered a downside, but later embraced as a feature.

Dispelling - DPWs are among the most popular, and their purpose is straightforward. Deploying a DPW scrambles and cancels out any active magical effects within a ten meter radius. Excellent for disrupting an enemy spellcaster if used at the right moment, or breaching defenses. The effect is transient however - an active barrier spell can simply be re-cast, and most permanent barrier spells such as the ones used to protect the ARMA HQ will regenerate in seconds.

Obscuring - OPWs serve a purpose much like a military smoke grenade, however with a few advantages. First, they do not generate heat, making them substantially safer. Second, they function against not only sight, but smell and hearing as well, dampening all sound that travels through the cloud they produce. Third, the fog's effects also negate magical scrying and mana senses in the area. The cloud spreads out about a fifteen to twenty meter radius from the point of impact, and lasts about five minutes.

OFFENSIVE EQUIPMENT

PRIMITIVE WEAPONS

Nearly every group that has done battle since the Event has dealt with the reality that, from zombies to vampires to demons, many of the modern threats in the world care little for humanity's now-established doctrine of shooting at one another from a distance. Because of this, close combat has become very 'back in style', especially for groups such as ARMA that specialize in new and unconventional tactics in the first place. Add in the fact that their spells often play merry hell with technologically advanced gear, and there is substantial demand even among non-powered individuals for weapons such as bows and even swords and other bladed weapons. Because they do not contain machinery, nearly all of ARMA's blades and many of the arrows used have enchantments scribed into them. The effects vary according to the piece, and each is crafted by a blacksmith in the Tower division. Most of the enchantments are for durability (especially against spells) and to keep a sharp edge, though each carries enhancements to allow ARMA blades to cut supernatural threats that might otherwise be immune. As such, their blades are among their most prized weapons.

FIREARMS

Naturally, ARMA personnel have nothing against firearms, and most (even the mages) will carry a projectile weapon of one sort or another. Because of their natural magical interference, however, mages generally only carry a sidearm. For their reliability and simplicity, mages prefer revolvers or old, all-steel automatic pistols such as the Colt Python or the M1911, commonly known as the 1911 Colt (though it has been manufactured by dozens of companies since its introduction). Mage weapons are generally heavy, as the heavier and simpler components are less vulnerable to the chaos produced by their magic.

Nonmages can range out into more complex weapons, though because of their enchanted gear they still prefer to keep to much older style weaponry. They often carry pistols similar to the mages, though the Sig Sauer P220 or P226 are more popular as they are more modern and a bit lighter. The most common rifles are patterned either on the venerable AK-47 or some of the modern updates to the American M-14. For heavy firepower, ARMA has also acquired a number of AA-12 shotguns, which while adopted more recently by the military are based on large components and are highly reliable even under magic combat conditions. The biggest problem with all these is ammunition. The world still is not mass producing the bullets to fill the guns that linger.

These are just examples - ARMA allows a great deal of personal freedom in weapon choice for its personnel, though wise operatives learn quickly that the simpler a weapon is - and often the older - the more reliable it will be for them. Individuals without powers often keep to the simplicity rule, since being in combat alongside those with powers is a good way to get their weapons jammed anyway - for those beyond the city, manning the defenses on the shore, however, this can be less of a serious concern.

ENCHANTED MUNITIONS

Perhaps one of the most envied of ARMA's gifts to its people is that of ME (Magically Enhanced) ammunition for their projectile weapons. While there are a few ME round types that add elemental effects, these are rare and considered almost a novelty. Most EM rounds carry a magical charge for the purpose of increased penetration and damage that goes a long way to mitigating the weaknesses of ARMA's otherwise primitive weapons.  ARMA does have a contract to supply small quantities of these rounds to the NYPD and the EAA military, and it is one of their few money-making activities, albeit a lucrative one because the rounds are difficult to make and thus rare. 

ME rounds can be recognized in combat by the distinctive blue-white muzzle flash they produce, and a corresponding flash on impact. It should be noted that while they allow a 'normal' human to damage even dangerous creatures, the damage done is relatively minimal, albeit highly painful. They are commonly used to drive a spirit away or hold it off until the mages can arrive on scene. Personnel carrying these rounds will normally only carry about half their loadout in ME, and the rest in mundane rounds - they are far less plentiful even among ARMA personnel than normal rounds and are not to be wasted.