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Ottriman
Guest
Original poster
One world building part that doesn't seem to get much attention in world building threads (to my knowledge) is the topic of armor. And let me tell you, I love armor, in all its forms.
What this thread is about, is me making a system for building a characters suit of armor in a fairly quick fashion and get stats from the process that tells you three important metrics: How Protective it is, How heavy it is and how expensive it is (as an abstract unit).
This system is made with humans and human-like humanoids in mind, it may require a bit of tinkering to work with more exotic beings.
Protection Rating: Armors protectiveness in simple units, armor protectiveness 1 is roughly equivalent to 1/7th of an inch of RHA (Rolled homogeneous armour - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). In non technical terms its about right for a historically accurate heavy plate armor suit.
Weight: Weight is expressed in kilograms for the five weight classes of armor, this assumes head to toe coverage, less coverage should be assessed as a multiplier less then 1 for both cost and expense. a simple way would be to assess coverage in units of 1/6. Below would be some examples of how much coverage is in each.
1/6 Coverage: Torso armor (front only)
2/6 Coverage: Full Torso armor
3/6 Coverage: Full Torso armor + Gloves and Helmet
4/6 Coverage: Full body armor minus legs and feet
5/6 Coverage: Head to toe armor, minus gloves and helmet
6/6 coverage: Head to toe armor, covers everything
Weight Classes of armor are
Fine: Armor that is basically clothing made form sturdier material. Divide protection, weight and expense by 4.
Light: Divide protection, weight and expense by 2.
Medium: 20 kg for full body armor, the "default" weight class.
Heavy: Some of the heaviest armor ever used in battle, though more often its used for protective suits like jousting armor or bomb suits. Double protection, weight and expense.
Massive: Quadruple protection, weight and expense. Highly impractical unless power armor.
Expense: How expensive the suit of armor is relative to the most basic and commonly assumed suit of armor for the settings tech level. This is not really relevant for all RPs so the GM may well just ignore this if his players are not on a budget.
Materials and Tech Level: What the armor is made out of is one of the most vital things about it, each valid material has a protectiveness multiplier and a cost multiplier. The cost multiplier is for buying the armor at its native Tech Level, you can buy armor of a lower or higher tech level with GMs permission. Divide cost multiplier by 8 per Tech Level below the games native Tech Level, but multiply the cost by 8 per Tech level above native games Tech Level.
Four tech levels are
1. Low Tech: Classic fantasy Tech level that covers anything from roman times to 16th century Europe, armor of this Tech Level provides roughly historically accurate protection. You can simulate heroes having access to special magic or super metal armor by letting players have access to higher tech armor.
2. High Tech: Roughly 1730-modern times, feel free to restrict armor other then high tech steel if game happens before 20th century.
3. Conservative Ultra tech: Near to mid future, mostly hard science and reasonable extrapolations of modern armor design in this TL.
4. Radical Ultra Tech: Absurdly strong materials and force screens, not limited to reasonable extrapolations of modern technology.
Low Tech Materials (First protectiveness then cost)
Rigid
Low-end iron armor: 0.25, 0,25
Mid-end iron armor: 0.5, 1
High-end iron armor: 0.75, 2
Steel armor: 1, 4
Flexible
Straw, Cloth: 0.25, 0.25
Gambesson or Hide Armor: 0.5, 1
High Tech Materials
Rigid
Advanced Steel armor: 1.5, 1
Advanced Alloy armor: 2, 2
Composite Armor: 3, 4
Flexible
Kevlar: 0.6/1.8*, 1
Conservative Ultra Tech Materials
Rigid
Advanced Composite Armor: 5, 1
Nano-Composite Armor: 7, 2
Maximum Composite Armor: 10, 4
Flexible
Low-End Anti-Laser Fabric: 1/3**, 0,25
Mid-End Anti-Laser Fabric: 1.5/4.5**, 0,5
High-End Anti-Laser Fabric: 2/6** , 1
Reflex Fabric: 1/3*, 0,25
Nano-weave Fabric: 1.5/4.5*, 0,5
Maximum Ballistic Fabric: 2/6* , 1
Radical Ultra Tech Materials (all of these could just as easily represent force screen generators instead of regular armor, depends on desired fluff.)
Rigid
Exotically Reinforced Nano-composite: 15, 1
Exotic Plating: 20, 2
High end Exotic Plating: 30, 4
Flexible
Exotically Reinforced Fabric: 7, 0,25
Exotic Fabric: 10, 0,5
High End Exotic Fabric: 15, 1
* Use higher protectiveness against bullets and cutting attacks, lower against other attacks
** Use higher protectiveness against beam attacks, lower against other attacks
What can my armor stop? Examples
This may seem somewhat daunting to use at first, but I hope this helps you assess how heavy and how effective your armor is and what it could feasibly stop.
Thank you for your time.
Ottriman.
What this thread is about, is me making a system for building a characters suit of armor in a fairly quick fashion and get stats from the process that tells you three important metrics: How Protective it is, How heavy it is and how expensive it is (as an abstract unit).
This system is made with humans and human-like humanoids in mind, it may require a bit of tinkering to work with more exotic beings.
Protection Rating: Armors protectiveness in simple units, armor protectiveness 1 is roughly equivalent to 1/7th of an inch of RHA (Rolled homogeneous armour - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). In non technical terms its about right for a historically accurate heavy plate armor suit.
Weight: Weight is expressed in kilograms for the five weight classes of armor, this assumes head to toe coverage, less coverage should be assessed as a multiplier less then 1 for both cost and expense. a simple way would be to assess coverage in units of 1/6. Below would be some examples of how much coverage is in each.
1/6 Coverage: Torso armor (front only)
2/6 Coverage: Full Torso armor
3/6 Coverage: Full Torso armor + Gloves and Helmet
4/6 Coverage: Full body armor minus legs and feet
5/6 Coverage: Head to toe armor, minus gloves and helmet
6/6 coverage: Head to toe armor, covers everything
Weight Classes of armor are
Fine: Armor that is basically clothing made form sturdier material. Divide protection, weight and expense by 4.
Light: Divide protection, weight and expense by 2.
Medium: 20 kg for full body armor, the "default" weight class.
Heavy: Some of the heaviest armor ever used in battle, though more often its used for protective suits like jousting armor or bomb suits. Double protection, weight and expense.
Massive: Quadruple protection, weight and expense. Highly impractical unless power armor.
Expense: How expensive the suit of armor is relative to the most basic and commonly assumed suit of armor for the settings tech level. This is not really relevant for all RPs so the GM may well just ignore this if his players are not on a budget.
Materials and Tech Level: What the armor is made out of is one of the most vital things about it, each valid material has a protectiveness multiplier and a cost multiplier. The cost multiplier is for buying the armor at its native Tech Level, you can buy armor of a lower or higher tech level with GMs permission. Divide cost multiplier by 8 per Tech Level below the games native Tech Level, but multiply the cost by 8 per Tech level above native games Tech Level.
Four tech levels are
1. Low Tech: Classic fantasy Tech level that covers anything from roman times to 16th century Europe, armor of this Tech Level provides roughly historically accurate protection. You can simulate heroes having access to special magic or super metal armor by letting players have access to higher tech armor.
2. High Tech: Roughly 1730-modern times, feel free to restrict armor other then high tech steel if game happens before 20th century.
3. Conservative Ultra tech: Near to mid future, mostly hard science and reasonable extrapolations of modern armor design in this TL.
4. Radical Ultra Tech: Absurdly strong materials and force screens, not limited to reasonable extrapolations of modern technology.
Low Tech Materials (First protectiveness then cost)
Rigid
Low-end iron armor: 0.25, 0,25
Mid-end iron armor: 0.5, 1
High-end iron armor: 0.75, 2
Steel armor: 1, 4
Flexible
Straw, Cloth: 0.25, 0.25
Gambesson or Hide Armor: 0.5, 1
High Tech Materials
Rigid
Advanced Steel armor: 1.5, 1
Advanced Alloy armor: 2, 2
Composite Armor: 3, 4
Flexible
Kevlar: 0.6/1.8*, 1
Conservative Ultra Tech Materials
Rigid
Advanced Composite Armor: 5, 1
Nano-Composite Armor: 7, 2
Maximum Composite Armor: 10, 4
Flexible
Low-End Anti-Laser Fabric: 1/3**, 0,25
Mid-End Anti-Laser Fabric: 1.5/4.5**, 0,5
High-End Anti-Laser Fabric: 2/6** , 1
Reflex Fabric: 1/3*, 0,25
Nano-weave Fabric: 1.5/4.5*, 0,5
Maximum Ballistic Fabric: 2/6* , 1
Radical Ultra Tech Materials (all of these could just as easily represent force screen generators instead of regular armor, depends on desired fluff.)
Rigid
Exotically Reinforced Nano-composite: 15, 1
Exotic Plating: 20, 2
High end Exotic Plating: 30, 4
Flexible
Exotically Reinforced Fabric: 7, 0,25
Exotic Fabric: 10, 0,5
High End Exotic Fabric: 15, 1
* Use higher protectiveness against bullets and cutting attacks, lower against other attacks
** Use higher protectiveness against beam attacks, lower against other attacks
What can my armor stop? Examples
| Protectiveness | Greatest Attack Stopped |
| 0,5 | Average person mace bash, Strong person punch |
| 1 | Strong person mace bash, average handgun shot |
| 1,5 | Strong person sledge hammer bash, Grenade fragments, Average Musket shot, Heavy handgun shot |
| 2 | Average rifle shot, Average handgun shot (AP ammo), Heavy Musket shot |
| 3 | Sniper rifle shot, Heavy handgun shot (AP ammo), Tiny black powder cannon shot |
| 5 | Anti-Material rifle shot, Average rifle shot (AP ammo), Point blank grenade, Small Black Powder Cannon Shot |
| 7 | Sniper rifle shot (AP ammo), 20mm auto cannon, Medium Black Powder Cannon Shot |
| 10 | 30mm auto cannon, Anti Material Rifle Shot (AP Ammo), Large Black Powder Cannon Shot |
| 15 | 20mm auto cannon (AP ammo), 40mm auto cannon, Huge Black Powder Cannon Shot |
| Protectiveness | Greatest Attack Stopped |
| 20 | 30mm Auto cannon shot (AP ammo), 60mm Cannon shot |
| 30 | 40mm Auto cannon shot (AP ammo), 75mm Cannon shot |
| 50 | 60mm cannon shot (AP ammo), 100mm cannon shot, WW2 Bazooka |
| 70 | 75mm cannon shot (AP ammo), 120mm cannon shot, RPG-7 |
| 100 | 100mm cannon shot (AP Ammo), Modern medium ATGM, 155 mm cannon shot |
| 150 | 120mm Cannon shot (AP Ammo), Modern heavy ATGM, 8-inch WW2 ship guns |
Thank you for your time.
Ottriman.
