Attributes for Power Armor

Power armor is called power armor because it has features that standard armor does not. These attributes are identified here.

Armor: First and foremost of all the attributes is an armor rating. Armor rating vary from suit to suit and can be built in a variety of strengths. They can also be built to defend against Ballistic or Impact damages. Some suits are built strictly to defend against ballistic damage, while others are built to defend against impact damage. Most suits, however, are built to defend against both to a degree in order to provide the most protection for the wearer. On the chart of attributes you will see two numbers separated with a "/". The first number is the total number of points that can be allotted for armor. Example: Level 1 Rating is marked 30/20. The "30" indicates how many points can be utilized for armor ratings. With that 30 a designer can split the points into 20 Ballistic and 10 Impact, or 15 Ballistic/15 Impact, and so forth. The second number, "20", indicates the additional weight that is placed upon the structure of the suit. Obviously a level 10 rating is going to weight more than a level 1. Choosing Level 1 armor would immediately make the suit a Light Suit of Powered Armor, assuming you didn't add anything else to the suit.

Body: Unlike regular suits of armor, powered armor provides the wearer with additional dermal plating and protective exoskeleton. This funtions to give the wearer a higher body rating when resisting damage. Level 1-2 armor is built to provide minimum body ratings. A character wearing level 1 armor that has a normal body index of 2 would be raised to having a body of 4. That same character in a level 4 suit would have a body of 8, as 6 becomes the body of the suit. Metahuman characters with high bodies, such as Trolls, would just use the "+" amount added to their body rating, however, a troll wearing Level 1-3 would receive no benefits towards body.

Strength: All powered armor is equipped to move the weight of the suit to the degree of the wearer not being effected by it's weight. All suits have the strength of the person wearing the suit. Some suits are modified to increase the wearer's strength. Levels 1-4 are designed to proide minimum strength rates for underdeveloped people. A character that has a Strength of 6 and no desire to enhance strength would not need to purchase level 3 Strength, however, if the character were to lose (even temporarily) a point or two of strength due to fatigue, the suit would also lose that point if Level 3 Strength wasn't on the suit. So, in fact, a suit can keep a character going when the character doesn't want to keep going.

Quickness: Quickness built into suits works the same way as Strength. It enhances the characters natural Quickness abilities while wearing the suit, thus changing the characters Reaction while in the suit. Levels 1-5 work the same way as strength modifiers.

Utilities: These are the power armor systems. Anything that is added to the suit will deduct system points, much like cyberware does to essence. A suit is only limited by the number of Utility slots it has. A level 1 Utility is listed as "0" slots available. The suit is not built to add new features or additional hardware. It comes standard with a comlink, built in power source (minimal, usually 4 or 8 hour) and a diagnostic computer to analyze problems with the suit. (NOTE: This diagnostic computer cannot be accessed from within the suit. It is something that must be plugged into a diagnostic system computer). Utilities can include, but are not limited to, Communications Gear, Weapons, Life Support Systems, Computer Systems, and Flight Systems.

Suit Beginning

Before we get into choosing the select types of attributes, we have to have a foundation to build on. This would be the frame of the suit. This is the sophisticated guts of the suit. It contains all of the hardwiring and space to attach all of the toys to. The frame provides all the basic necessities of enabling the wearer to utilize the heavy armor with ease. Various types of frames weigh differant amounts and cost is always a factor. You can bypass this section if you like, and go pick your attributes....tally your weight and then come back and by the appropriate frame, or you can pick your frame and limit yourself to it's load weight. Either way, the choice is yours

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Now that you've chosen an appropriate frame, continue down to the next chart and pick out your attributes for the suit, remembering that there will be a cost (which is located at the bottom of this page.)

Let's build a suit of armor. First we decide that we'd like to have a suit of powered armor that falls into the Medium Weight Category (15-20). Our primary concern for this armor is to give the character extra Body, as his body is only a 2. Our priorities are picked this way:

Armor Rating.............Level 3..............4/3 (B/I split from 7 allotted points)............Weight 4
Body Rating...............Level 4.............Body becomes 8........................................Weight 10
Strength Rating...........None................Default to Character Strength.....................No Weight
Quickness Rating.......None.................Default to Character Quickness.................No Weight
Utilities Rating............Level 6..............6 Utility Slots.............................................Weight 6
Frame........................Medium.............31-45 Capacity.........................................25

Total Weight of this suit is 45. This suit qualifies as a Medium Power Armor suit with six available Utility slots. It is still possible for the owner of the suit to improve the Strength and Quickness, utilizing Utility Slots for Wired Reflexes or Augmented Strength.

A character choosing to have level 10 in every aspect would have a suit that weighed in at 78 (even before adding the frame weight to it), making it Extreme. Before you ask, yes a character can elect to choose Level 10 in everything, however, one thing now stands in his way......COST!

Cost of Armor Attributes

Armor Cost: (Not Required) A suit of armor does not require armor plating to be functional as Powered Armor. Some people opt for having a Powered Utility suit so they don't have to integrate cyberware into their bodies (a fave amongst magic users). A standard suit frame has a set B/I rate prior to armor being added. These frames are not always sealable suits and look a bit odd, but they are workable. A frame is not considered to be hardened armor.

Depending on how you break down your available armor points, you will pay accordingly. First you pay for the total level of your Armor at a price of 1,500 per level. Now you pay for the breakdown of your armor allocations. Ballistic Rating points cost 1,000¥ per point, and Impact points cost 500¥ per point. NOTE: You do not have to pay for the natural armor rating of the frame, although you may add to it.

Body Cost: (Not required) A suit of armor does not require a body rating to be functional either. It is a benefit of having extra dice and the dermal enhancements. Body costs 5,000¥ per level.

Strength: (Not Required) This strength rating is for additional power to the armors strength systems and is not required. Strength boosters are expensive at 15,000¥ per level.

Quickness: (Not Required) Another very costly amenity to your power suit is quickness boosters. They cost 25,000¥ per level.

Utilities: (Required) All power suits must have at least a level 10 utility. That utility is its basic wiring structure, diagnotic center, and basic power system. Utilities are 10,000¥ per level, and then an additional 2,500¥ per used slot. NOTE: If a slot is present, but not being used...you do not have to pay for it.