Rules: Armor

Armor Degradation

If you get shot or stabbed, and the power of the attack is greater than your armor rating, the armor rating is reduced by one.  If you’re wearing layered armor, only the outer most layer is reduced.

Armor Repair

The cost of armor repair depends on the amount of damage done.  Add the armor ratings together.  Then add together the total times the armor was degraded, and apply it in this formula:  Repair cost = (total degradation/total armor rating)*armor base cost

For example, suppose Havok is wearing a lined coat (6/4, 700 ¥) when he gets shot twice and stabbed once, reducing the armor to (4/3.)  Later on, if he wants to repair it, it will cost 210¥.  Total combined armor of the original coat is 6ballistc+4impact = 10.  Total degradation is 2ballistic+1impact = 3.  Original cost was 700¥.  700¥ * (3/10) = 210¥.

Hardened Armor

The SR4 rules for hardened armor are terribly vague.  The following clarification is based on versions of the rules from previous editions.  If a creature is protected by hardened armor, reduce the armor's rating for any armor piercing capabilities of the attack.  Then compare the hardened armor rating to the base damage value of the attack (ignoring increases for burst fire, successes on the attack roll, or any other positive modifier.)  ifteh hardened armor is higher than the base damage value of the attack, no damage is inflicted.  The attack is simply ineffective.

A collection of armor rules for easy reference:

1. If a character’s ballistic or impact armor exceeds his Body x 2, he is penalized with a –1 modifier to Agility and Reaction for every 2 points (or fraction thereof) that his Body x 2 is exceeded.
2. Any armor gained by racial trait, Quality, spell, power, or augmentation does not count towards rule 1.
3. Any armor gained by helmet, shield, or PPPS does not count towards rule 1.
4. Form-fitting body armor adds only half of its rating when factoring for rule 1
5. Form fitting body armor may be stacked with any other type of armor except full suits or military grade armor.
6. PPPS may be stacked with any armor except military grade armor.
7. Some lines of clothing may be stacked, depending on their description in Arsenal.
8. In all other cases, if armor is stacked, only the highest rating of any one armor applies.
9. If a character has armor custom fitted, he may wear up to his Body x 3 in armor.  If the armor is layered, all layers must be custom-fitted (Form fitting body armor and military armors are already customized and cannot benefit further from this rule.) This means a character  must have at least a Body of 6 to wear heavy military armor.
10. Custom fitted armor costs twice the listed price and increases the availability by 4. (This rule does not apply to military or form-fitting body armor)