Every piece of equipment worth owning has a number stamped on it that determines whether the Quartermaster will actually hand it over. That number is its Security Level; the corporate world's favorite way of reminding you that access is a privilege, not a right.
Every item has a Sec Level from 0 to 5. Your Techglomerate rank determines your Standard Security Level (Std Sec Level); the highest Sec Level of gear you can purchase through legitimate channels.
Clearance climbs at one Sec Level per two ranks. Your Std Sec Level is simply ⌈Rank ÷ 2⌉; the highest Sec Level you can requisition through legitimate channels.
| Sec Level | Ranks | Access |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Any | Unrestricted; basic supplies, civilian gear |
| 1 | Ranks 1–2 | Standard issue; sidearms, basic scanners, field consumables |
| 2 | Ranks 3–4 | Tactical; combat gear, advanced medical, specialist tools |
| 3 | Ranks 5–6 | Restricted; military-grade sensors, high-tier pharma, heavy ordnance |
| 4 | Ranks 7–8 | Classified; advanced prototypes, experimental tech |
| 5 | Ranks 9–10 | Black Level; flagship systems, top-secret armaments |
Individual Techglomerates may gate a specific item a rank early or late as a perk, but the 1 Sec Level per 2 ranks ladder is the baseline; check your organization's rank table for exceptions.
Every item's Sec Level also fixes its Grade; the coarse three-band label that lines up with the campaign's three Tiers of play. Six Sec Levels split evenly into three Grades, two levels apiece:
| Tier of Play | Grade | Sec Levels | Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | Personal | 0–1 | Any – Rank 2 |
| Tier 2 | Restricted | 2–3 | Ranks 3–6 |
| Tier 3 | Military | 4–5 | Ranks 7–10 |
So one ladder runs the whole way through: Rank → Sec Level → Grade → Tier of play. Sec 0 gear is open-market (Personal, any rank).
Hacking a lock instead of buying the item works off the node's Sec Level directly, and the Access Tokens that force it share the same tier bands: a Basic token opens Sec 1 (Tier 1) nodes, an Advanced token Sec 2–3 (Tier 2), and a Skeleton Key Sec 4–5 (Tier 3), with a Zero-Day Exploit bypassing the lot. Sec 0 is unrestricted; no token needed.
No corporate affiliation means no corporate rank, which means Sec Level 0 only through legitimate channels. Everything above that has to come from somewhere less... official:
Beyond the Sec 5 table sits equipment that doesn't appear in any standard catalog. Classified equipment requires active Techglomerate affiliation and special requisition approval; forms in triplicate, a supervisor's biometric signature, and a reason that satisfies the bureaucracy. See Techglomerates for details on affiliation benefits.
Item Quality often tracks with Sec Level, Quality 1 gear tends to sit at Sec 0, Quality 5 at Sec 4, but it's not a hard rule. Some low-quality items carry high Sec Levels because they're dangerous (explosives don't need to be well-made to be restricted). And some high-quality items are completely unrestricted because luxury goods move more units without a purchase gate.
The general guideline: Quality - 1 ≈ Sec Level, with exceptions where it makes sense.
GM Guidance: Sec Level restricts purchasing, not possession. Looted gear, gifts, salvage, and battlefield pickups are all fair game; the Quartermaster doesn't ask where you got it, and most corps don't care as long as you're not reselling.