There are many things a character might want to conceal: guns, equipment, papers, microfilm. Generally, hiding objects in a room is taken care of with the Concealment skill. However, there is a special case of concealment which needs somewhat more attention: hiding objects on and about your body and luggage.
Each piece of equipment and weaponry listed has a Size rating, and a person's clothing and bags will have a Size rating as a hiding place. If the equipment Size is less than or equal to the Size of the hiding place, then the equipment is hidden from view. If the equipment Size is larger than the Size of the hiding place, then the equipment might be spotted.
If the object is hidden, a viewer may still notice that something's hidden under the clothing if he or she is looking hard. If a player asks specifically, "Is he carrying something under his jacket?" the character can make a Visual Perception roll to check. The character will take a -1 to his or her roll for each Size point the object is smaller than its hiding place.
Example: Zhenia Elizaveta Gorkova is hiding a Glock 22 pistol under her jacket. The Glock has a Size of 3 and the suit has a hiding Size of 4. The gun will not be noticed by casual observers, and anyone specifically looking for it will take a -1 on his or her Visual Perception roll to notice it.
If the object's Size is greater than the Size of the hiding place, the object can be noticed by anyone making a Perception roll, whether they ask to make one or not.
If a hiding place is 4 or more points smaller than the object you're trying to hide, the object is not considered hidden. Don't even try hiding a Size 13 machine gun under your hat.
The following table lists some common and popular concealment spots for guns and gadgets.
| Hiding Place | Size |
|---|---|
| suit jacket, buttoned | 4 |
| suit jacket, loose | 6 |
| windbreaker, fastened | 6 |
| windbreaker, loose | 8 |
| heavy long coat, fastened | 8 |
| heavy long coat, loose | 10 |
| trench or overcoat, fastened | 10 |
| trench or overcoat, loose | 12 |
| shirt or blouse | 1 |
| under trouser leg | 3 |
| in army or cowboy boot | 2 |
| large belt buckle | 0 |
| skirt or dress | 3 |
| men's hat | 2 |
| small handbag | 3 |
| camera case, fanny pack | 4 |
| large handbag | 5 |
| briefcase | 8 |
"Loose" clothing has a chance of revealing concealed items: 1 in 6 while walking, 2 in 6 while running.
If a character has clothing specifically tailored for a piece of equipment or weapon of a specific Size, the hiding Size of the clothing goes up by one.
Items of less than Size 0 may be hidden on your person with Concealment skill. Such objects can't be found visually, but only with a strip search and a Concealment versus Perception or Concealment roll. Such items are considered so small that they can fit behind belt buckles, in shoe heels, or inside specially created pockets.
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Document last modified Monday, April 15, 2002