Indie Game Magazine's big article on Starbound details suggested that the character sheet will have "Tech Slots", items that are found or presumably researched, and augment your character's abilities. Though many threads here discuss the various types of special weaponry that explorers will be able to use, I'm hoping that such things don't fall by the wayside. A variety of armaments is good to have, no doubt, but how about utility-based items or artifacts to be held in hand instead of a weapon, or suggestions for things to be placed in tech slots? Artifacts to heal yourself and nearby allies, or to double-jump, scale cliffs, and teleport, perhaps a projectile reflector shield? Let's hear what ideas the collective has for such things!
Some sort of hiking equipment, maybe a space tether so you can repair the space ship if you barely survive a meteor storm. If you don't have it, you have to land on a hospitable planet to repair it.
Scanners keyed for minerals, lifeforms, or concealed natural formations like caves and tunnels. A handheld harvesting device like the plant harvester we saw in earlier versions of Project Europia. A toolbelt or engineering kit that expands your crafting options in the field or allows you to "cast"/erect certain deployables.
