Armor

# **Defense**

In this system, a creature’s armor class is also known as it’s Defense score.

**Armor Class = 10 + shield bonus + Dexterity modifier + other modifiers (including armor’s Mastercraft bonus)+ Natural armor**

Armor class represents how easy or difficult it is to hit a creature. The shield bonus is added because a creature is considered to be actively blocking attacks with its shield whenever it can, which is whenever it would gain its Dexterity bonus to AC and not be flat-footed.

**Losing Dexterity Bonus to Defense**: If an effect would catch you unaware, you lose both your shield and dexterity bonus from your armor class. This applies to situations such as getting caught flat-footed.

**Defense and Using a Shield without Proficiency**: When a creature uses a shield it is not proficient with, it takes that shield’s armor check penalty as a penalty to the shield bonus, along with the other penalties for using a shield without proficiency. Furthermore, it also takes this penalty to its Flat-Footed Defense, as the shield actually gets in the way instead of defending against incoming attacks.

**Armor As Damage Reduction**

Armor in this system does not always grant bonuses to armor class, however it does provide damage reduction/Armor. Damage reduction lowers the amount of physical damage you take based on the amount listed for the armor. The damage reduction increases by +1 at 5th level and by another +1 at every 5th level afterward.

**Using Armor without Proficiency**: Creatures using armor they are not proficient with do not gain the bonus per level or Hit Dice to the DR, on top of any of the other normal penalties for using armor without proficiency.

**DR/Armor**: This type of DR blocks the damage of all attacks that would normally be affected by DR, based on the composition of the armor (see **Table: Armor Composition and DR**). Unlike most forms of damage reduction, DR/armor stacks with other types of DR, and DR/Armor is applied before applying the other form of DR. For instances, when fighting a Tough Hero with DR 5/bludgeoning and DR 4/armor, the Tough hero’s DR/armor reduces 9 points of damage from non-bludgeoning attacks, and 4 damage from bludgeoning weapon attacks. Mastercraft weapons Of a bonus +2 or more higher than your own, and attacks from creatures of 2 size categories larger than you or more bypass the DR 4/armor, but not the DR 5/bludgeoning.

The bonus to mastercraft always applies to the damage reduction and armor class for armor.

All damage reduction is reduced by ½ against swarms.

# **ARMOR**

Body armor comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, providing varying degrees of coverage and varying heaviness of materials.

Three feats cover proficiency in the use of armor: Armor Proficiency (light), Armor Proficiency (medium), and Armor Proficiency (heavy).

**Armor Table**

Armor is described by a number of statistics, as shown on Table: Armor.

**Type**: Armor comes in four types: archaic, impromptu, concealable, and tactical.

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.

**Size:**

Light armor is always counted as a medium item, Medium armor as large item, and Heavy armor as a huge item for storage purposes.

**hield Special Qualities:**

**Defender:** Defender shields grant DR 1/Armor. The bonus on this armor does not increase with level unlike with other armor.

**Shield Bash:** You can bash an opponent with a Shield bash ability. The damage dealt is 1d6 when Used this way, and is considered a simple bludgeoning weapon. For the purpose of penalties on attack rolls, treat the shield as a one-handed weapon. If you use your shield as a weapon, you lose its Armor Class and DR bonus until your next turn. A Mastercraft bonus on a shield does not improve the effectiveness of a shield bash made with it, but the shield can be made into a mastercraft weapon through augments.

**Cover:** In most situations, a cover shield provides the indicated shield bonus to your Armor Class. As a standard action, however, you can use a cover shield to grant you total cover until the beginning of your next turn. When using a cover shield in this way, you must choose one edge of your space. That edge is treated as a solid wall for attacks targeting you only. You gain total cover for attacks that pass through this edge and no cover for attacks that do not pass through this edge (see Combat). 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 use your shield hand for anything else with a cover shield.

When employing a cover shield in combat, you take a –2 penalty on attack rolls because of the shield’s encumbrance.

**Charging:** This shield can be utilized in a bull rush maneuver. When using it to bull rush you gain a +1 bonus to your cmb check and you always possess a +1 bonus to CMD vs. bull rush.

**Damage Reduction Bonus**: The protective value of the armor. This amount is subtracted from damage dealt to the hero.

**Nonproficient Bonus**: The maximum amount of the armor’s equipment bonus that can be applied to the wearer’s Defense if the wearer is using armor with which he or she isn’t proficient (doesn’t have the appropriate feat).

**Maximum Dex Bonus**: This is the maximum bonus from a high dexterity modifier that a character can receive when being hindered by their armor. 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 all Dexterity and Strength based skill checks.

**Speed (30 ft.)**: 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.

**Price**: This is the Price for purchasing an item. 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.

**Table: Armor**

**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 Perception checks to notice the armor.

**Bunker Gear:** Turnout trousers, A coat, Overalls, and Boots to help protect from fires. Usually used by Firemen, they occasionally find their way to civilians. The Bunker Gear may be slightly less protective of physical attacks, however it provides Energy resistance 5 to Fire and Acid damage

**Hazmat Suit:** Protective gear that allows for the proper use and handling of hazardous materials. While wearing a Hazmat suit, the creature becomes immune to airborne diseases and toxins, as well as other various inhaled or gaseous harmful materials. The Hazmat suit also grants fire resistance 5, and lessens ability damage taken by radiation by 2. When in contact with radiation, the Hazmat suit grants a +2 bonus to the saving throw. If the Hazmat suit takes over 20 damage from piercing or bludgeoning damage, the suit loses the immunity to diseases and toxins, and the radiation resistance are lost.

**Helmet:** A classic piece of armor. Helmets can be applied to any suit of light or medium armor and it increases the suit’s DR/Armor by 1. Heavy armor is always treated as having a helmet with it to gain it’s full bonus. Helmets also provide this DR/Armor of 1 to fall damage.

**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 perception checks to notice the armor.

**Chainmail Shirt**: 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.

**Plate Mail**: 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.

**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.

**Arm and Shin-guards:**

Armored pads for your arms, elbows, knees, and shins that aid in protecting you from various attacks. The DR granted by this item applies to fall damage, unlike with normal DR/Armor or Damage reduction in general.

**Heavy Shield:**

Large wooden shields. These aren’t used anymore, however some still know how to utilize them in combat. You can increase the cost by +2 and the weight by 6 lbs. to get a Heavy Steel Shield.

**Riot Shield:**

Large reinforced plastic shields used by the riot police to protect themselves during large scale operations.

**Tower Shield:**

Archaic shields utilized by soldiers in phalanx formations in ancient times, they have become used again in modern day in the form of some kinds of riot shield. You can add the Shield bash ability to this shield by increasing the cost by +2. The damage dealt when used by this is 1d8.