Passive Armour

Layered Armour

Layered armour adds progressively less and less DEF. The toughest layer gets full value for its DEF, the next toughest layer gets ½ its DEF, the third gets ¼ DEF, and so on.

NOTE: Ablat is exempt from this limitation

For example, if a character is wearing a kevlar jumpsuit (DEF 5) and a fibreglass chest protector (DEF 5), a hit in the chest will be reduced by 5 + (5 ÷ 2) = 7.5, which rounds out to DEF 8.

If s/he then put a polyhyde poncho on over the top, the DEF for a chest-hit would be calculated as fibreglass + ½ polyhyde + ¼ kevlar (5 + 2 + 1) = 8 DEF. A hit to the shoulder, which is covered only by kevlar and polyhyde, would provide 5 + 2 = 7 DEF, while a hit in the shins, covered only by kevlar, would be at DEF 5.

The encumbrance of all the various layers of armour, however, adds as usual.

The cost of a piece of armour to cover a hit location is roughly its DEF x 5; thus, a fibreglass helmet (DEF 5) will cost 5 x 5 = 25svu.

For the purposes of hit locations, hit-loc 3 (face) is considered separately from the rest of the head. therefore, adding a crysteel faceplate (DEF 22 and double calculated price) to the fibreglass helmet above will add 5 x 22 x 2 = 220svu to the price, bringing the total cost for the helmet to 340svu.

Each type of armour can be expanded to include a "light" version and a "heavy" version.

The light style is -1 DEF, and is correspondingly lighter and cheaper. The heavy style is +1 DEF, and is appropriately heavier and more expensive. For example, Heavy Ceramic is DEF 9 and a full suit masses 14 kg.

Armour Descriptions

Light Plastic (rPD 2 rED 2)

A transparent lightweight polymer that is the lightest form of armour. It can be painted, or coloured when manufactured, as can most transparent polymers.

Acrylic Plastic (rPD 4 rED 4)

A stronger lightweight polymer, also transparent.

Polyhyde (rPD 4 rED 4)

A lightweight synthetic material that resembles leather. As well as armour, it is also extensively used in upholstery.

Woven Kevlar (rPD 5 rED 5)

A synthetic fiber material that is very flexible and is visually indistinguishable from ordinary fabrics. The fibres have enormous tensile strength, but can be cut quite easily; against cutting attacks it is worth only � value (� vs. AP) (-� Limitation).

ReFlec (rPD 3 rED 9)

A mirror-like reflective material, ReFlec is available in flexible sheet form, often prefabricated as a coverall, or as a coating deposited over other armour types. It is designed as a rPD rEDense against lasers and similar weapons; ReFlec is Hardened vs. Energy weapons such as lasers and beam swords (+�). ReFlec is Ablative when hit by Physical attacks (-� Limitation) in the location hit as the coating is chipped away or scuffed.

Fibreglass (rPD 5 rED 5)

A spun glass fibre that is useful for cheap, easily manufactured armour, among other things.

Kevlar Epoxy Laminate (rPD 7 rED 7)

This is Kevlar that has been resin bonded. It improves on the effectiveness of the woven kevlar by adding a degree of impact resistance, and by reducing the vulnerability of the kevlar fabric to cutting attacks.

Ablat (rPD +6 rED +6)

This foam armour comes in an applicator and has the Ablative Limitation (-1). When an attack lands on a Hit Location, the armour ablates in that location, which is no longer protected. That is, if a character is hit in location 9 and then is hit in location 9 again, the armour no longer protects him there. (For ease of play, we won't distinguish between left and right or front and back of the body for this purpose). Ablat foam may be used over other armours. A single Ablat dispenser contains enough foam to completely cover all hit locations for one person, and costs only 10svu. The major disadvantage of the foam (apart from its bulk once applied) is that it releases a toxic gas when burned (when it is vaporized by a laser or blaster hit, for example). It's best use is thus over a closed environment suit of some kind.

Steel (rPD 8 rED 8)

This is a mediumweight iron alloy. Steel is cheap; when damaged beyond repair, it can always be reforged; and stainless steel does not rust. These advantages somewhat outweigh the jokes users hear about medieval suits of armour.

Ceramic (rPD 8 rED 8)

This armour is reasonably light and effective but rather bulky. It is usually used as plates inserted into pockets in a light mesh coverall.

Heavy ReFlec (rPD 5 rED 9)

Heavy ReFlec is sturdier than the light armour detailed above, but the mirror coating is still rather fragile and is easily compromised by physical attacks.

Ceramic/Kevlar Laminate (rPD 9 rED 9)

Graphite ceramic plates bonded to kevlar.

Polysteel (rPD 10 rED 10)

This is a mediumweight polymer armour with a tensile strength higher than steel.

Glassteel (rPD 10 rED 10)

This is a very hard transparent crystaline alloy. It is extensively used in faceplates, windows etc. It's single drawback as armour is its brittle nature; if the crystalline structure of the piece is compromised, it shatters like glass (Ablative, -1). When produced for use as armour, it is therefore usually formed in interlinked cells, rather than as a single piece, so that if one cell is shattered the entire hit location is not left totally rPD rEDenseless.

NOTE: Use of this type of armour will require close attention from the GM and player, since each individual hit location will have its own Activation Roll when its rPD rED has been penetrated.

Duralloy (rPD 14 rED 14)

A transparent memory polymer-and-crystal compound. Components are pretensioned to resist changes in shape, hence "memory".

Crysteel (rPD 22 rED 22)

This is a single transparent crystalline molecule matrix grown in the shape of piece of armour (or windshield, container, etc). The way it is created makes it one of the toughest materials known. It cannot be coloured during manufacture, and its extremely smooth finish will not hold paint very well afterwards. It's high price means that it is normally confined to use as a faceplate, but if the expense can be borne it makes exceptionally good armour elsewhere.