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Uncertain on how to handle armor

   
I know that (and it's not unique to GURPS, by the way).

What i'm looking for are suggestions on a compromise between totally useful and absolutely useless.

I'm not quite sure what'd figures would work against TL6-TL8 weaponry (9mm, 5.56mm, 4.6mm, 7.62mm, etc) in this regard. Come to think of it, I don't want melee weapons to be completely ineffective either.

You've basically got a limited number of choices:
  • Change the armor
    Maybe it isn't full-on TL 9 military dress, because the Evil Overlords know that TL 6-8 weaponry is comparatively pitiful, and don't want to spend the money on full-military kit for a war against barbarians. So maybe you use the "Armor Tailoring" rules in Ultra-Tech to create high-tech armor whose virtue is that it's light and cheap, and which has a protective value that sometimes but not always protects against the PCs' weapons.

    The PCs will still want to get hold of the stuff: it's good for disguises, and it protects just as well as their own gear while being a fraction of the weight. But it also provides both a realistic and a practical equalization of protection between the PCs and their opponents. Bureaucratic penny-pinching is a great excuse for neutering an opposing army.....
  • Offer the PCs additional options
    Instead of going through the armor, maybe they can go around it. Others have made good comments about guerilla warfare and tactics. Or perhaps the PCs have weapons, like sonic stunners or tasers, which work via Afflictions or something similar. Armor might somewhat protect against such non-conventional threats, but not as much. Of course, once the PCs start using these tactics, the enemy will adapt (earplugs, conductive vests, whatever)... but perhaps the PCs have enough of a window of opportunity to score their own sets of armor first.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oryzarius View Post
You've basically got a limited number of choices:


Maybe it isn't full-on TL 9 military dress, because the Evil Overlords know that TL 6-8 weaponry is comparatively pitiful, and don't want to spend the money on full-military kit for a war against barbarians. So maybe you use the "Armor Tailoring" rules in Ultra-Tech to create high-tech armor whose virtue is that it's light and cheap, and which has a protective value that sometimes but not always protects against the PCs' weapons.

The PCs will still want to get hold of the stuff: it's good for disguises, and it protects just as well as their own gear while being a fraction of the weight. But it also provides both a realistic and a practical equalization of protection between the PCs and their opponents. Bureaucratic penny-pinching is a great excuse for neutering an opposing army.....
Good idea. I already plan to have the "light armor" (smallest amount of ballistic padding) be integrated into the enemy troop's LBVs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oryzarius View Post
Instead of going through the armor, maybe they can go around it.

...

Or perhaps the PCs have weapons, like sonic stunners or tasers, which work via Afflictions or something similar. Armor might somewhat protect against such non-conventional threats, but not as much. Of course, once the PCs start using these tactics, the enemy will adapt (earplugs, conductive vests, whatever)... but perhaps the PCs have enough of a window of opportunity to score their own sets of armor first.
The problem with this is that the PCs will still largely be limited to their "realistic" Earth weaponry.

---

One idea i've thought about is making armor basically bestow the Injury Tolerance (Damage Reduction) Advantage on the enemy. For instance: a light vest would divide damage by 2, a medium/assault vest would divide damage by 3, and a full body suit would divide damage by 5.

An average 7.62 NATO round (24.5 pi, rounded down to 24) would do 12 damage, 8 damage, and 4 damage, respectively.

An average 9x19 Parabellum round (9 pi) would do 4 damage, 3 damage, and 1 damage respectively.

The problem with this is figuring out how Armor Divisors (such as with Armor Piercing Hard Core ammunition, or Hollow Point ammunition) would interact.

If that's the route you're going you have very limited options.

You could create a "secret weakness" for the invaders, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.

The high-tech gear could be too high tech, allowing only weaker, slower things through...
The slow blade penetrates the shield?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sithobi1 View Post
The slow blade penetrates the shield?
Heh.

Probably best if you don't have it go off like a nuke if they use a laser on it though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sithobi1 View Post
The high-tech gear could be too high tech, allowing only weaker, slower things through...
The slow blade penetrates the shield?
Funnily enough, Impaling damage is listed as being able to slip through ultra-tech armor.

There is always the 'mook' route. If this enemy is super high tech, there is a good change most of the people don't know how to use it, take care of it, or even be decent with it. With ascension comes hubris.
You could just say that they believe the tech is SO GOOD, it doesn't matter who they put in it, even a military draft of the poor. And not being skilled with certain tech brings its own penalties, which the PCs can use with lightning attacks to swiftly overcome those weaknesses. You should adjust the skill of the enemy including the army alongside the PCs, so it evens out better.
This also points out morale. The best armor in the world can't help a green soldier who buckles and runs under a surprise attack. Use these things to your PCs advantage, maybe even alongside a tweaked Stormtrooper Armor idea.
Remember, the game is about the players, so make any changes you need to help them enjoy the game.

Edit: On the poor idea, a culture so steeped in tech and superscience will most likely shun those who are weak, dumb, old, young, etc.. Racial extremes for them that aren't intelligent or strong would likely be the first stuffed into the armor and sent out.

Rocks thrown by alien Teddy Bears defeat the Space Reich's armor.

There's always dropping them from a height. After a recent interaction with the falling rules, I learned that all armor counts as flexible for falling damage, letting through 1 point for every 5 rolled.




 

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