Borrowed Technology

A society can be familiar with tech-
nology that it does not itself possess.
This is frequently the case for low-tech
societies with high-tech neighbors,
and for colonies. A village with Iron
Age technology (TL2) might be quite
familiar with the TL3 steel weapons
carried by travelers, and richer vil-
lagers might have a few, but local
smiths could not duplicate or repair
them. Express this as “TL2/3.” PCs
from such societies have a personal
TL equal to the lower TL, but may
learn the skills needed to use (but not
repair or design) equipment of the
higher TL.