Zocalo, The

Welcome to The Zocalo, the equipment book for the Babylon 5 Roleplaying Game. Within, you will find a plethora of gadgets and gizmos, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. Some of this equipment appeared in other Babylon 5 books. Most debut here, although a careful viewer will recognize them, or at least their implied presence, from the show. This book will also lay out the cost for various services, ranging from the fees for maintaining a potted plant in your room to renting a starcruiser or putting on a fireworks display.

In addition, The Zocalo examines the technical achievements and gewgaws of over two dozen alien races, from the Abbai to the Vree. Each of these races, for good or ill, takes part in the galactic trade that feeds the economy of a thousand worlds. Of course, all races have things they simply do not trade. This 'secret' technology typically forms the core of a race's military or mercantile might.

Secrets and lies surround another of the Zocalo's stock in trade: ancient artifacts stolen from long abandoned worlds. In order to lift the veil this book presents a complete system for creating unusual or unique artifacts, some of organic technology, others simply built using theories technology radically different from anything currently in operation. In many cases these items do not represent upgrades to the basic tools of living and war, but rather completely new approaches to what a living being might need. Merchants may sell something to a junkie for a handful of credits capable of changing the course of human history if it fell in the right hands.

There is more to the markets and merchants than just amassing the credits to buy the next upgraded bit of technology. In addition to presenting long lists of kit this book also delves into the world of galactic trade. It starts this exploration in the Zocalo. This marketplace on Babylon 5 presents the complexity of galactic trade in microcosm. The struggles take place among the brightly colored stalls as merchants and pirates seek to build a business mirror those engaged in daily by the great corporations in Red Sector. Legitimate and illicit deals on every scale take place daily.

The Zocalo also explores the black markets on Babylon 5. A knowledgeable shopper can find anything from fake identification cards to enough guns to supply an army. Finding the merchandise only begins the process. The shopper must gain the vendor's trust, pay off all the right people, and negotiate a labyrinth of conflicting racial and local gangs. Simple purchases, things like a personal weapon or a bit of Dust, take almost no time at all. More expansive deals may require a dozen tricky negotiations, each one fraught with peril.