I'm having a problem with the MGT armor rules. The thing is that most armor types presented on the p.87 table are quite weak in comparison to weapons, especially with Effect added to their damage.
Look at this that way: most pistols do 3D6-3 damage. On average, a D6 result is 3.5; 3D6 on average is 10-11 (let's say 11), and thus 3D6-3 is around 8 points of damage on average before applying Effect. Cloth armor, which is the equivalent of an RL Kevlar vest, stops only 3 points of damage - hardly stopping a pistol bullet even with Effect 0 and an average roll. A dagger does 1D6+2, which is on average 5-6 points of damage even with Effect 0 - and Jack Armor, which is supposed to be helpful against melee attacks, has only Armor 1, which is hardly effective against it.
Therefore I suggest the following armor values to replace the ones in the p.87 table:
Jack (TL1): 3
Mesh (TL6): 6
Flak Jacket (TL7): 8
Flak Jacket (TL8): 10
Cloth (TL7): 10
Cloth (TL10): 12
Vacc Suit (TL8): 10
Vacc Suit (TL12): 13
Vacc Suit (TL14): 15
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL8): 12
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL9): 13
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL12): 15
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL13): 16
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL14): 17
Ablat (TL9): 5 (18 against lasers)
Reflec (TL10): 0 (24 against lasers)
Combat Armor (TL11): 15
Combat Armor (TL12): 18
Combat Armor (TL14): 20
Battle Dress (TL13): 18
Battle Dress (TL14): 20
Rationale:
- Jack should stop the average damage of an unarmed attack (1d6) with Effect 0, that is 3.5 points of damage on average. It has very minor effect on more powerful weapons, especially slug-throwers. It could block a bullet if you roll minimal damage (3) and have an effect of 0 - representing a bullet passing near you and scratching you. An average rifle shot with Effect 0 - 10.5 damage - would still reduce an average character's Endurance (7) to zero even if he was wearing Jack. The same goes to heavier melee weapons as well.
- Mesh should stop a club's or a dagger's average damage (Effect 0) more or less completely. A club does 2d6 (average 7), a dagger does 1d6+2 (average 5.5). So armor 6 works; and it also provides some protection against bullets, especially pistol ones.
- Flack Jacket is a watered-down version of Cloth. It should stop completely a pistol round with Effect 0 (3d6-3, average damage 7.5), and thus is pretty effective against melee weapons (many of which do 2d6 damage, average 7). At TL8 it could stop a rifle round with average damage and Effect 0 (3d6, average 10.5) or a pistol round with Effect 2 and average damage.
- Cloth should stop a rifle round (3d6, average 10.5) with Effect 0. It should also be very effective against most melee weapons and quite effective against pistols. At TL10 it could stop a rifle round with average damage and Effect 2.
- Vacc Suit at TL8 is similar to Cloth at TL7. At TL12, a Vacc Suit is a bit better than Cloth at TL10, but not by much. At TL14, it gives quite good protection.
- Hostile Environment Vacc Suit is a bit better than Vacc Suit or Cloth of similar TL, but is still less effective than Combat armor/BD.
- Ablat should be slightly less effective than Mesh against non-laser damage, and slightly less effective than Reflec against lasers (but still better than TL11 Combat Armor/BD). It should block the maximum damage of a laser pistol (3d6, max damage 18) with effect 0
- Reflec offers the best anti-laser defense around. Period. Never, ever attempt to shoot a laser at it - you'll rarely cause any damage. It should block the maximum damage of a laser carbine (4d6, max 24) at Effect 0.
- Combat Armor (TL11) should stop maximum pistol damage with Effect 0 (3d6-3, max 15). At TL12 it should stop a rifle round with maximum damage and Effect 0 (3d6, max 18). At TL14 it should stop a rifle shot with Effect 2 (20). Battle Dress has the same armor levels of Combat Armor at the same TL but is also powered.
Animal Armor
Animal armor as given on p.71 should be increased accordingly to the personal armor changes in order to keep everything on the same scale. Armor Rating 1 for animals is the equivalent of Jack and thus should now be 3; Armor 2 is the equivalent of Mesh and should now be 6; Armor 3 is the equivalent of Cloth (but should be the equivalent of a Flack Jacket) and should now be 8; Armor 4 is the equivalent of Flack Jacket (but should be the equivalent of Cloth) and should now be 10; and Armor 5 is the equivalent of high-TL Flack Jacket or Cloth and should now be rated at 12.
Look at this that way: most pistols do 3D6-3 damage. On average, a D6 result is 3.5; 3D6 on average is 10-11 (let's say 11), and thus 3D6-3 is around 8 points of damage on average before applying Effect. Cloth armor, which is the equivalent of an RL Kevlar vest, stops only 3 points of damage - hardly stopping a pistol bullet even with Effect 0 and an average roll. A dagger does 1D6+2, which is on average 5-6 points of damage even with Effect 0 - and Jack Armor, which is supposed to be helpful against melee attacks, has only Armor 1, which is hardly effective against it.
Therefore I suggest the following armor values to replace the ones in the p.87 table:
Jack (TL1): 3
Mesh (TL6): 6
Flak Jacket (TL7): 8
Flak Jacket (TL8): 10
Cloth (TL7): 10
Cloth (TL10): 12
Vacc Suit (TL8): 10
Vacc Suit (TL12): 13
Vacc Suit (TL14): 15
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL8): 12
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL9): 13
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL12): 15
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL13): 16
Hostile Environment Vacc Suit (TL14): 17
Ablat (TL9): 5 (18 against lasers)
Reflec (TL10): 0 (24 against lasers)
Combat Armor (TL11): 15
Combat Armor (TL12): 18
Combat Armor (TL14): 20
Battle Dress (TL13): 18
Battle Dress (TL14): 20
Rationale:
- Jack should stop the average damage of an unarmed attack (1d6) with Effect 0, that is 3.5 points of damage on average. It has very minor effect on more powerful weapons, especially slug-throwers. It could block a bullet if you roll minimal damage (3) and have an effect of 0 - representing a bullet passing near you and scratching you. An average rifle shot with Effect 0 - 10.5 damage - would still reduce an average character's Endurance (7) to zero even if he was wearing Jack. The same goes to heavier melee weapons as well.
- Mesh should stop a club's or a dagger's average damage (Effect 0) more or less completely. A club does 2d6 (average 7), a dagger does 1d6+2 (average 5.5). So armor 6 works; and it also provides some protection against bullets, especially pistol ones.
- Flack Jacket is a watered-down version of Cloth. It should stop completely a pistol round with Effect 0 (3d6-3, average damage 7.5), and thus is pretty effective against melee weapons (many of which do 2d6 damage, average 7). At TL8 it could stop a rifle round with average damage and Effect 0 (3d6, average 10.5) or a pistol round with Effect 2 and average damage.
- Cloth should stop a rifle round (3d6, average 10.5) with Effect 0. It should also be very effective against most melee weapons and quite effective against pistols. At TL10 it could stop a rifle round with average damage and Effect 2.
- Vacc Suit at TL8 is similar to Cloth at TL7. At TL12, a Vacc Suit is a bit better than Cloth at TL10, but not by much. At TL14, it gives quite good protection.
- Hostile Environment Vacc Suit is a bit better than Vacc Suit or Cloth of similar TL, but is still less effective than Combat armor/BD.
- Ablat should be slightly less effective than Mesh against non-laser damage, and slightly less effective than Reflec against lasers (but still better than TL11 Combat Armor/BD). It should block the maximum damage of a laser pistol (3d6, max damage 18) with effect 0
- Reflec offers the best anti-laser defense around. Period. Never, ever attempt to shoot a laser at it - you'll rarely cause any damage. It should block the maximum damage of a laser carbine (4d6, max 24) at Effect 0.
- Combat Armor (TL11) should stop maximum pistol damage with Effect 0 (3d6-3, max 15). At TL12 it should stop a rifle round with maximum damage and Effect 0 (3d6, max 18). At TL14 it should stop a rifle shot with Effect 2 (20). Battle Dress has the same armor levels of Combat Armor at the same TL but is also powered.
Animal Armor
Animal armor as given on p.71 should be increased accordingly to the personal armor changes in order to keep everything on the same scale. Armor Rating 1 for animals is the equivalent of Jack and thus should now be 3; Armor 2 is the equivalent of Mesh and should now be 6; Armor 3 is the equivalent of Cloth (but should be the equivalent of a Flack Jacket) and should now be 8; Armor 4 is the equivalent of Flack Jacket (but should be the equivalent of Cloth) and should now be 10; and Armor 5 is the equivalent of high-TL Flack Jacket or Cloth and should now be rated at 12.
