All armors are ineffective against following damage types unless otherwise specified: psionic, radiation, sonic.

Heavy armor enforces a -4 DEFENSE penalty.  Medium armor enforces a -2 DEFENSE penalty.  Powered armor counts as one category lighter.

Skills. Note that armor, like all equipment, is limited in quality by the wearer's skill level in the armor type (see dice pools).  Armor skills include light, medium, heavy, and powered armor.

Archaic Armor

Banded mail Horizontal strips of metal fashioned into circular bands (referred to as “girth hoops”) and attached to leather straps. The metal bands encircle the body horizontally, overlapping downwards, while the shoulders are protected by separate shoulder guards.

Brigandine This is cloth armor, often a doublet, with with small steel plates riveted onto it. The plates are sometimes riveted between two layers of sturdy cloth, and sometimes onto the outside, and often larger plates cover the central chest. Brigandine is flexible, and commonly used by archers and men-at-arms.

Chainmail Chainmail (often simply called “mail”) is made of thousands of small metal rings linked together in a mesh pattern. Typically, the armor consists of leggings, a coif, and a hauberk. Chainmail is weak against stabbing attacks, especially arrows and crossbow bolts.

Cloth The most basic form of armor, this is merely multiple layers of cloth or fabric sewn together to create very rudimentary protection.

Full plate armor Full plate armor is a metal suit which completely encases the wearer. Lighter suits, known as platemail, have fewer plates and use chainmail in the gaps. The plates of plate armor are carefully articulated, allowing for surprising flexibility. Higher quality plate armor is often fitted to the wearer, although largely restricted to the wealthy and jousters. Plate armor sometimes incorporates “pieces of exchange” - parts which can be switched out for different purposes.

Hide armor Animal hide is a primitive form of armor fashioned from the hides of animals. The hides are tanned and preserved.

Leather armor Hard-boiled leather, fashionably sewn or bonded together, leather armor is designed for both fashion and utility. Studded leather is reinforced with metal studs.

Padded armor Padded armor is a very basic tunic or vest filled with quilted cloth designed to protect the wearer.

Ringmail Ringmail is a leather or cloth tunic with metal rings sewn directly onto it. Unlike chainmail, the rings do not interlock. This type of armor is sometimes referred to as an “eyelet doublet”. Some knights and armorers prefer this name, because “mail” is technically a term referring to interlinked meshes.

Splintmail Splint armor is made of hundreds of vertical metal strips riveted or sewn to a leather backing.

Scalemail Scale armor uses many small plates in an overlapping pattern , attached to a leather backing. The scales are typically made of bronze or iron, although other materials are sometimes seen. The plate arrangement resembles the scales of a fish or reptile. A variation, lamellar armor, uses perforated scales which are lashed together and not attached to backing, making the rsult slightly lighter.

Future Armor

Battlesuit Battlesuits are specifically designed for soldiers, and provide both protection and integrated communications and scanning equipment. The naval version is a little bulkier and more protective than the basic version. Battlesuits have military scanners built in, as well as targeting HUDs which grant a +1d6 bonus to ranged attack rolls.

Environmental suit Environmental suits protect the wearer from extremes of temperature, toxic environments, radiation, and more. The suit regulates the wearer's temperature to a comfortable level and provides breathable atmospheric support. The suit is suitable for hazardous planetary environments, underwater, and deep space. The environmental suit's SOAK is effective against radiation damage.

Kevlar, vest or long coat Kevlar is a fibrous, high strength fabric originally designed to withstand ballistic damage. The vest covers the upper torso, while the long coat is a distinctive kevlar-lined trench-coat.

Leather armor Hard-boiled leather, fashionably sewn or bonded together, leather armor is designed more as a fashion statement than it is for utility.

Mesh lining This is a jacket or other garment lined with a thin, flexible mesh layer of hardened plastic.

Riot armor This armor is the type typically worn by uniformed police, designed to allow movement while offering maximum protection. Riot armor includes padding, blast vest, kevlar pads on the arms, legs, and knees, and, typically, a helmet.

Synthetic weave A very thin, subtle layer of armor worn under clothing. The same thickness as an undershirt, it doesn't provide great protection, but it can mean the difference beween a killing shot and a wound.

Padded armor Padded armor is a very basic tunic or vest filled with special foam designed to protect the wearer. Padded armor is the equivalent of the quilted cloth of medieval times, although modern versions are designed to last years.

Powered combat armor This heavy armor boosts the wearer's physical capabilities, augmenting both STRENGTH and AGILITY. Extremely expensive, this armor is not common.

Shields

Small shields provide a +1 DEFENSE bonus, medium shields provide a +2 bonus, and large shields provide +3. Note that you can only benefit from one shield bonus, and you cannot benefit from a shield bonus while in cover.

Aspis. An aspis shield is similar to a tower shield, but additionally offers protection to comrades on the left and right of the wearer.

Buckler. A buckler (see “swashbuckler”) is a small one-handed shield designed for melee protection against light weapons. It provides no defense against ranged weapons.

Tower. A tower shield is 6' in height and designed to provide full-body protection. It provides very effective defense against ranged weapons.

Throwing. A throwing shield has metal reinforced edges and is designed to be thrown at an enemy for 2d6 blunt damage. The shield has a range increment of 15'.

Metal shields. Metal shields cannot be sundered, but inflict Vulnerability (1d6) electricity on the wearer.

Wooden shields. Wooden shields are sundered if an attack roll with a weapon equal to or greater than the shield's size category successfully attacks the wearer and rolls 3 or more 6s for damage.

Attacking with a shield. Shields can be used as a melee weapon (as a primary weapon or as an off-hand weapon). They cause blunt damage as follows (bucklers cannot be used in this way). A shield used as a weapon does not grant its DEFENSE bonus until the beginning of the wielder's next turn. Shield spikes change the damage type from blunt to piercing and cost the same as the base shield.

Duranium shield A small shield is about two-feet across, a medium shield is about three-feet across, a large shield is three-feet across and four-feet in height, while a tower shield is five or more feet in height. Shields are typically made of duranium, although other materials are possible.

Energy shield An energy shield is a wristband which projects a circular shield of weightless energy upon command. It is wielded just like a medium shield.

Eastern Armor