Lists of armor
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All armor provides DR, and reduces damage from physical attacks. Some armor, like power armor, also protects against blast, fire, and other energy types. In addition to this DR, armor also modifies the Defense of a proficient wearer.
Armor is negated by a critical hit unless the worn with a proper helmet. Armor that doesn't cover the arms or legs can be bypassed by taking a –4 aim penalty on attack rolls. Doing so negates the possibility of a critical hit.
Armor Table
Armor is described by a number of statistics, as shown on the table below.
| Armor | Type | TL | Def. | DR | Max Dex | Pen. | Spd | Weight | Cost | Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Armor | ||||||||||
| Padded | Archaic | 1 | +1 | +0 | +8 | 0 | 30 | 10 lb. | 10 | |
| Leather armor | Archaic | 1 | +1 | +1/ballistic | +6 | 0 | 30 | 15 lb. | 12 | |
| Studded leather | Archaic | 1 | +1 | +2/ballistic | +5 | -1 | 30 | 20 lb. | 14 | |
| Chain shirt | Archaic | 2 | +1 | +3/ballistic | +4 | -2 | 30 | 25 lb. | 16 | |
| Leather jacket | Impromptu | 1 | +1 | +0/ballistic | +8 | 0 | 30 | 4 lb. | 10 | |
| Light undercover shirt | Concealable | 7 | +1 | +1/piercing | +7 | 0 | 30 | 2 lb. | 13 | Lic (+1) |
| Pull-up pouch vest | Concealable | 7 | +1 | +1/piercing | +6 | -1 | 30 | 2 lb. | 13 | Lic (+1) |
| Undercover vest | Concealable | 7 | +1 | +2/piercing | +5 | -2 | 30 | 3 lb. | 14 | Lic (+1) |
| Medium Armor | ||||||||||
| Hide | Archaic | 0 | +2 | +1/ballistic | +4 | -3 | 20 | 25 lb. | 13 | |
| Scale mail | Archaic | 1 | +2 | +2/ballistic | +3 | -4 | 20 | 30 lb. | 15 | |
| Chain hauberk | Archaic | 2 | +2 | +3/ballistic | +2 | -5 | 20 | 40 lb. | 18 | |
| Breastplate | Archaic | 3 | +2 | +3/ballistic | +3 | -4 | 20 | 30 lb. | 19 | |
| Concealable vest | Concealable | 7 | +2 | +2/piercing | +4 | -3 | 25 | 4 lb. | 15 | Lic (+1) |
| Light-duty vest | Tactical | 7 | +2 | +3 | +3 | -4 | 25 | 8 lb. | 16 | Lic (+1) |
| Tactical vest | Tactical | 7 | +2 | +4 | +2 | -5 | 25 | 10 lb. | 17 | Lic (+1) |
| Heavy Armor | ||||||||||
| Splint mail | Archaic | 2 | +3 | +3/ballistic | +0 | -7 | 20 | 45 lb. | 19 | |
| Banded mail | Archaic | 2 | +3 | +3/ballistic | +1 | -6 | 20 | 35 lb. | 20 | |
| Half-plate | Archaic | 3 | +3 | +4/ballistic | +0 | -7 | 20 | 50 lb. | 21 | |
| Full plate | Archaic | 4 | +3 | +5/ballistic | +1 | -6 | 20 | 50 lb. | 23 | |
| Special response vest | Tactical | 7 | +3 | +4 | +1 | -6 | 20 | 15 lb. | 18 | Lic (+1) |
| Forced entry unit | Tactical | 7 | +3 | +6 | +0 | -8 | 20 | 20 lb. | 19 | Lic (+1) |
| Shields | ||||||||||
| Buckler | Archaic | 1 | +1 | +0 | — | -1 | — | 5 lb. | 11 | |
| Shield, light | Archaic | 1 | +1 | +0 | — | -1 | — | 5 lb. | 5 | |
| Shield, heavy | Archaic | 1 | +2 | +0 | — | -2 | — | 10 lb. | 8 | |
| Shield, tower | Archaic | 1 | +4 | +0 | +2 | -10 | — | 45 lb. | 14 | |
Type: Armor comes in five types: archaic, impromptu, concealable, tactical, and powered.
Archaic armor is old-fashioned armor, such as medieval chainmail and plate mail.
Impromptu armor includes items that provide protection even though they weren't designed for that purpose, such as leather biker's jackets and football pads.
Concealable armor is modern body armor designed to fit underneath regular clothing. It can be worn for extended periods of time without fatiguing the wearer.
Tactical armor is modern body armor that fits over clothing and can't be easily concealed. Its weight and bulk make it impractical to wear all the time, and it s generally only donned when a specific dangerous confrontation is likely. Because it's worn over clothing in tactical situations, tactical armor often has pockets, clips, and velcro attachment points for carrying weapons, grenades, ammunition, flashlights, first aid kits, and other items.
Powered armor is high-tech armor with servo assist to help the wearer carry heavier loads, including the armor itself.
TL: The Tech Level.
Defense: The ability of the armor to deflect attacks. This bonus adds to the Defense of a proficient wearer.
Damage Resistance: The protective value of the armor. This value subtracts from physical damage that the wearer takes. Armor DR is negated on a critical hit, unless the wearer also has an appropriate helmet.
Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to Defense that this type of armor allows. Heavier armor limits mobility, reducing a character's ability to avoid attacks. Even if a character's Dexterity bonus drops to +0 because of armor, the character are not considered to have lost his or her Dexterity bonus.
Armor Penalty: The heavier or bulkier the armor, the more it affects certain skills. This penalty applies to checks involving the following skills: Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, and Tumble.
Speed: Medium and heavy armor slows a character down. The number in this column is the character's speed while in armor, assuming his or her base speed is 30 feet (the normal speed for most human beings).
Weight: This column gives the armor's weight. Weight figures are for armor sized to fit Medium characters. Armor fitted for Small characters weighs half as much, and armor fitted for Large characters weighs twice as much.
Cost: This is the purchase DC for a Wealth check to acquire the armor. This number reflects the base price and doesn't include any modifier for purchasing the armor on the black market.
Restriction: The restriction rating for the armor, if any, and the appropriate black market purchase DC modifier. Remember to apply this modifier to the purchase DC when making a Wealth check to acquire the armor on the black market.
Light Armor
For the character who doesn't want to be bogged down by more cumbersome armor types, a leather garment or some sort of concealable armor is just the ticket.
Leather Jacket: This armor is represented by a heavy leather biker's jacket. A number of other impromptu armors, such as a football pads and a baseball catcher's pads, offer similar protection and game statistics.
Leather Armor: This archaic armor consists of a breastplate made of thick, lacquered leather, along with softer leather coverings for other parts of the body.
Light Undercover Shirt: Designed for deep undercover work in which it's critical that the wearer not appear to be armed or armored, this garment consists of a T-shirt with a band of light protective material sewn in around the lower torso.
Pull-Up Pouch Vest: This garment, consisting of a torso apron of light protective material held up by a loop around the neck, can be stored in an innocuous fanny pack. Deploying the apron is a move action. This garment provides no equipment bonus (and has no armor penalty or maximum Dexterity bonus) when undeployed.
Undercover Vest: Covering a larger area of the torso, this vest provides better protection than the light undercover shirt but it's also more easily noticed. It's best used when the armor should remain unseen but the wearer doesn't expect to face much scrutiny, granting a +2 bonus on Spot checks to notice the armor.
Medium Armor
Most medium armor (except for the archaic chainmail shirt) is not terribly heavy, but nonetheless provides a significant amount of protection at the expense of some speed.
Concealable Vest: Standard issue in many police forces, this vest provides maximum protection in a garment that can be worn all day long under regular clothing. While it may go unnoticed by a quick glance, it is usually visible to anyone looking closely for it, granting a +4 bonus on Spot checks to notice the armor.
Chain Hauberk: This medieval-era armor is a long shirt made of interlocking metal rings, with a layer of padding underneath. It's heavy, making it uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Light-Duty Vest: A lightweight tactical vest designed for extended use by riot police and forces on alert for potential attack, this armor sacrifices a degree of protection for a modicum of comfort at least compared to other tactical body armors.
Tactical Vest: The standard body armor for police tactical units, this vest provides full-torso protection in the toughest flexible protective materials available.
Heavy Armor
For the best protection money can buy, go with heavy armor, but watch out for the armor penalty. When running in heavy armor, you move only triple your speed, not quadruple.
Full Plate: This medieval-era armor consists of metal plates that cover the entire body. It's heavy and cumbersome compared to most modern armor, but it does provide a great deal of protection. Full plate includes a helmet.
Special Response Vest: Built like the tactical vest, but incorporating groin and neck protection as well as a ceramic plate over the chest, this armor provides additional protection in battles against heavily armed opponents.
Forced Entry Unit: The most powerful protection available is built into this suit, which consists of a heavy torso jacket with ceramic plates over the chest and back, neck and groin guards, arm protection, and a helmet. Heavy and cumbersome, this armor is generally only donned by tactical officers heading into a dangerous assault.
Helmets
If you don't wear an appropriate helmet, you loose your armor DR on a critical hit.
Shields
Shields were quite popular in the old sword-swinging days, but have fallen out of favor. Shields provide no Defense against modern (ballistic) firearms.
Buckler: This small metal shield is worn strapped to your forearm. You can use a bow or crossbow without penalty while carrying it. You can also use your shield arm to wield a weapon (whether you are using an off-hand weapon or using your off hand to help wield a two-handed weapon), but you take a -1 penalty on attack rolls while doing so. This penalty stacks with those that may apply for fighting with your off hand and for fighting with two weapons. In any case, if you use a weapon in your off hand, you don't get the buckler's Defense bonus for the rest of the round. You can't bash someone with a buckler.
Shield, Heavy, Wooden or Steel: You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A heavy shield is so heavy that you can't use your shield hand for anything else.
Wooden or Steel: Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to special attacks.
Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a heavy shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a heavy shield is an archaic bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a heavy shield as a one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Defense bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Shield, Light, Wooden or Steel: You strap a shield to your forearm and grip it with your hand. A light shield's weight lets you carry other items in that hand, although you cannot use weapons with it.
Wooden or Steel: Wooden and steel shields offer the same basic protection, though they respond differently to special attacks.
Shield Bash Attacks: You can bash an opponent with a light shield, using it as an off-hand weapon. See Table: Weapons for the damage dealt by a shield bash. Used this way, a light shield is a martial bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat a light shield as a light weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Defense bonus until your next action (usually until the next round). An enhancement bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a magic weapon in its own right.
Shield, Tower: This massive wooden shield is nearly as tall as you are. In most situations, it provides the indicated shield bonus to your Defense. However, you can instead use it as total cover, though you must give up your attacks to do so. The shield does not, however, provide cover against targeted spells; a spellcaster can cast a spell on you by targeting the shield you are holding. You cannot bash with a tower shield, nor can you use your shield hand for anything else. When employing a tower shield in combat, you take a -2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield's encumbrance.
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