Armor

**Armor Vests**

Silk Vest

A vest made of tightly woven silk and thick padding, which "catches" slow-moving pistol rounds and reduces their impact against the body. Silk vests are inconspicuous and can save a life in an emergency, but are very expensive relative to their lack of protection. A 6-pound steel plate can be inserted into the front for an extra $400, which adds 5F to DR.

Location: Torso

DR: 4/2\*

Cost: $800

Weight: 6

Composite Body Armor

A cuirass and groin protector made from layers of resin-impregnated silk, linen, and cotton. Commercial examples include the Chemico Body Shield and Dayfield Body Shield. They were mostly abandoned after World War I for more advanced models, but are cheap on the surplus market and lightweight. The Chemico models include ammunition pockets on the front.

Location: Torso, Groin

DR: 4

Cost: $150

Weight: 6

Sentry Armor

Sentry armor is a heavy steel breastplate. They were mostly issued to Imperial German machine gunners and sentries in World War I, but the Soviets manufactured the Sn-42 during World War II. They're very heavy and can't reliably protect against anything larger than a submachine gun or a rifle at extremely long range, so they're generally only worn by soldiers in a static position.

Location: Torso, Groin

DR: 14F

Cost: $300

Weight: 20

Homemade Armored Suit

A suit of plate armor made from whatever metal is available, such as steel plows. They're generally not issued by any military force and are homemade by mercenaries and criminals for protection.

Location: Head, Torso, Groin

DR: 25

Cost: $500

Weight: 90

Bulletproof Vest

A modern bulletproof vest made from overlapping steel plates riveted between layers of cloth, allowing it to resemble normal clothing (albeit bulky). Manufactures include the Armored Police Vest Company and Dunrite Manufacturing Company. Japanese soldiers in World War II were issued similar vests.

Location: Torso

DR: 6

Cost: $750

Weight: $8

M1 Flak Jacket

A nylon vest with manganese steel plates riveted inside. The M1 was designed to protect aircrew against bursting anti-aircraft shells and is thus very bulky and provides poor protection against anything else.

Location: Torso

DR: 7

Cost: $500

Weight: 20

M12 Flak Jacket

A fragmentation vest for infantry used during the last years of World War II, made from aluminum plates in a nylon vest. It's only intended to stop fragmentation from grenades and artillery, not bullets.

Location: Torso, Groin

DR: 6

Cost: $200

Weight: 13.5

M1952 Flak Jacket

The latest model of flak jacket, produced in Mojave. Made from ballistic nylon, the basic jacket is lighter than older vests but has only minimal protection against fragments. However, the vest can accept 7.5-pound ceramic/fiberglass plates in the front and back for $1800 each, which adds DR 18.

Location: Torso

DR: 4/2\*

Cost: $400

Weight: 8

**Helmets**

Skullcap

A thin steel cap worn as a liner under a hat to provide some protection. They were issued by the French military until 1915 and saw civilian sales through the inter-war period for self-defense.

Location: Skull

DR: 3

Cost: $50

Weight: 1

Hardhat

An aluminum helmet with a brim to protect construction and factory workers from falling debris.

Location: Skull

DR: 4/2

Cost: $50

Weight: 2

Firefighter Helmet

An aluminum helmet worn by firefighters to protect from falling debris. They have a high crown with a shield bearing the fire company markings and a long brim at the back to prevent flaming debris and water from falling down a coat.

Location: Skull

DR: 4/2

Cost: $60

Weight: 2

Motorcycle Helmet

An aluminum or plastic helmet with padding that protects the head from falls. Some models have a flip-up visor for an extra $25 that weighs 1.5 pounds and provides an extra DR 1 to the eyes and face from the front.

Location: Head

DR: 6/3

Cost: $200

Weight: 3

Aviator Helmet

A leather helmet with earflaps, as was often worn by pilots in the pioneering days of aviation. Similar helmets are worn by vehicle crews and sports players for basic protection.

Location: Skull

DR: 2

Cost: $20

Weight: 1

M1916 Stahlhelm

A heavy steel helmet used by Germany in World War I and often copied. Some were painted in camouflage patterns. For an extra $10, a 2-pound strap-on brow plate can be attached that provides an extra DR 15 from the front only.

Location: Skull

DR: 6

Cost: $70

Weight: 5

M1917 Brodie Helmet

A wide-brimmed steel helmet worn by US soldiers in World War I and British soldiers through World War II. The thin steel is light and the brim protects against falling debris, but it has poor protection against anything else.

Location: Skull

DR: 3

Cost: $40

Weight: 2

M1 Helmet

The standard issue helmet of the United States during World War II and still the most common helmet in post-breakup America. The removable cotton duck liner can be worn on its own, which provides DR 1 and weighs 1 pound.

Location: Skull

DR: 4

Cost: $100

Weight: 3

**Limb Armor**

Chaps

A pair of leather coverings that strap over the legs, used by cowboys and other horse-riding professions to protect their legs from thorns and branches. They're sometimes worn by motorcycle riders to provide some abrasion resistance in a fall.

Location: Legs

DR: 1\*

Cost: $40

Weight: 2

Greaves

Metal shin guards, as were used by some soldiers in the Civil War. They protect only the lower legs from the front.

Location: Lower Legs

DR: 4F

Cost: $50

Weight: 1.5

Hockey Pads

Hard pads made of rigid leather and/or plastic worn by hockey players on their shins and lower arms to protect against impact. They also provide +1 to damage from shin or arm strikes with the pads.

Location: Lower Legs, Lower Arms

DR: 3

Cost: $30

Weight: 5

**Footwear**

Riding Boots

Either Wellington boots or the more American cowboy boots. These are tall leather boots with leather soles, usually without laces, and a tall heel that won't slip through the saddle. They provide DR up to the lower leg.

Location: Feet, Lower Legs

DR: 2\*

Cost: $100

Weight: 6

*+1 to kicking damage*

Work Boots

Common leather boots with leather or rubber soles worn by tradesmen in every corner of America. Because of their durability and expense, most workers wear the same pair for a decade or more and only replace them when absolutely necessary. Some military boots are identical or nearly identical. Steel-toed boots have a DR of 6 only on the toes.

Location: Feet

DR: 2\*

Cost: $80

Weight: 3

*+1 to kicking damage*

Combat Boots

Tall lace-up leather boots worn by soldiers, sometimes with a rubber sole for better traction.

Location: Feet

DR: 2\*

Cost: $80

Weight: 4

*+1 to kicking damage*

Desert Boots

Originating from Boer *veldskoens*, these are simple ankle boots made of suede with crepe rubber soles. They're heavily produced around Africa (especially in Egypt) and were adopted by British, South African, and Australian soldiers during World War II for their lighter weight and traction in the desert.

Location: Feet

DR: 1\*

Cost: $50

Weight: 2

Moccasins

Moccasins are handmade slippers made of soft leather (traditionally deer or bison skin) developed by Native Americans. They were adopted by mountain men, trappers, and others in the colonial and frontier periods for their light weight and soft step they provide.

Location: Feet

DR: 1\*

Cost: $40

Weight: 1

*+1 to Stealth*

Cleats

Tough leather shoes with spikes on the bottom to give better grip. Cleats are commonly worn by soccer, football, and baseball players to prevent them from slipping on wet or muddy grass and by golfers to ensure a solid stance.

Location: Feet

DR: 1\*

Cost: $50

Weight: 2

*+1 to kicking damage*

*Terrain Adaptation: Mud & Dirt*

*-1 to Stealth on hard surfaces*

Sneakers

Athletic shoes made by a variety of companies, including Converse, PF Flyer, and Keds. The canvas duck upper and rubber sole are waterproof up to the top of the sole, comfortable, and flexible.

Location: Feet

DR: 1\*

Cost: $40

Weight: 2

*+1 to Stealth*

Leather Shoes

Common lace-up leather shoes with a leather sole. These are the standard Western men's shoe and are worn by civilians and off-duty soldiers in almost all situations. The most common colors are brown and black. Because of leather shortages in many parts of the former United States, new shoes are rarely bought and shoes from the 1940s and even the 1930s are repaired and worn.

Location: Feet

DR: 1\*

Cost: $70

Weight: 2

Canvas Shoes

Due to leather shortages beginning in World War II, it's common for American men to wear simple fabric shoes with leather soles that resemble the shape of leather ones. While cheaper and more easily available, canvas shoes are much less durable and men prize their leather pairs.

Location: Feet

DR: 1\*

Cost: $40

Weight: 2

Sandals

Simple sandals, which can be easily made even by an unskilled person with scavenged materials. They provide only basic protection to feet.

Location: Feet

DR: 0

Cost: $25

Weight: 0.5

*+1 to Stealth*

**Gloves**

Leather Gloves

Simple leather gloves, which may or may not have a fleece lining for warmth. These are commonly worn in many civilian and military professions.

Location: Hands

DR: 2\*

Cost: $30

**Eyewear**

Goggles

A pair of glass and leather or rubber goggles, commonly worn by aviators in open-air cockpits.

Location: Eyes

DR: 1

Cost: $30

Weight: 0.1

*Gives Nicitating Membrane 1*