Equipment and Armor

[sir_pudding]

Most body armor doesn't have any penalties other than encumbrance and layering.

[Polydamas]

Catalogues are also a good resource. Check out a high-end camping store, or the website of a company selling modern body armour, or one of those shady electronics stores, or one of the endless websites dissecting every handgun for sale in the USA.

Also worth saying: to afficionados, some of the modern armour in High Tech feels a bit optimistic in its protection. The authors chose to round up protection to a full Hit Location rather than either give a chance of attacks striking the unarmoured area or choosing a real-world version which protects a full Hit Location in GURPS. That is one reasonable choice, but its the opposite of the choice which the authors of Low Tech made.

[Tomsdad]

Originally Posted by Drakyrias

Encumbrance is more about weight limits. I'm looking more about mobility penalties. The armored overcoat detailed in classic High tech reduces movement by 1 as well as acrobatics. The EOD suit in the back of the basic book penalizes DX by -3. I'm just trying to find out if there is any comprehensive list of armor (or armor constructing toolkit) for when penalties should apply, and what levels.

While I can GM fiat my players and to say when a particular armor gets a penalty or not, I (and they) prefer a system that we all understand, and I just seem to be missing it.

Encumbrance penalties include movement penalties.

Specific penalties to DX and skill use tend to get detailed either as specific to the item (e.g the EOD suit you mention) or by be referencing general rules that apply to particular items.

E.g. layering penalties giving DX pens, thick gloves, mittens or gauntlets giving levels of 'ham fisted', enclosing helmets giving no peripheral or even tunnel vision, and/or hard of hearing etc, etc.

Of course at higher TL's some of these effects are mitigated and/or don't appear for some items.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Drakyrias

I'm just trying to find out if there is any comprehensive list of armor (or armor constructing toolkit) for when penalties should apply, and what levels.

Outside of the usual for gauntlets and helmets, the list is:
* EOD gets -3 DX.

Notably, EOD armor is not "armor" the way a flak vest is armor, it's "protective equipment" like a lead bib for protecting you from an X-Ray machine. IE, you don't wear that into combat, you wear that while veeeery carefully trying to disarm something. Both could be worn in combat for some benefit, but they're really quite bad in those circumstances.

[Drakyrias]

Originally Posted by Tomsdad

Encumbrance penalties include movement penalties.

Specific penalties to DX and skill use tend to get detailed either as specific to the item (e.g the EOD suit you mention) or by be referencing general rules that apply to particular items.

E.g. layering penalties giving DX pens, thick gloves, mittens or gauntlets giving levels of 'ham fisted', enclosing helmets giving no peripheral or even tunnel vision, and/or hard of hearing etc, etc.

Of course at higher TL's some of these effects are mitigated and/or don't appear for some items.

Except encumbrance is focused on weight, and I'm worried about bulk. Basic specifically mentions that wearing armor doesn't make it harder to move if you know how to wear it, but the armored overcoat from high tech also specifically counters that statement.

I'm just trying to figure out if there is a any kind of comprehensive system based on tech level and protection value that I can use as a gauge for when and how much penalty to apply for bulk from such things. I'm getting the general sense that weight and encumbrance is it though.

[Flyndaran]

I think armored boots will have an effect of Stealth and movement aside from hypothetical layering issues. Just to add to Bruno's gloves and helmets as what wouldn't be included in Pudding's "most body armor" comment.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I think armored boots will have an effect of Stealth and movement aside from hypothetical layering issues. Just to add to Bruno's gloves and helmets as what wouldn't be included in Pudding's "most body armor" comment.

Modern combat boots aren't armored beyond the DR1 for stepping on things all boots get in GURPS. I don't have any idea why you would think they should inflict Stealth penalties; I've seen people be plenty sneaky in them in real life.

[Flyndaran]

Feet are sensitive, and Gurps has a "bonus" when barefoot or in thin moccasins. That makes regular shoes less stealthy by comparison.

And as you suggest, armored shoes are rarely really armored as DR 1 isn't much in context here.
Gloves that don't actually cover the front of the hand wouldn't impact things much either, but no one's bringing that up.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Feet are sensitive, and Gurps has a "bonus" when barefoot or in thin moccasins. That makes regular shoes less stealthy by comparison.

And as you suggest, armored shoes are rarely really armored as DR 1 isn't much in context here.
Gloves that don't actually cover the front of the hand wouldn't impact things much either, but no one's bringing that up.

What are you talking about then? I don't think that anybody wears sollerets anymore. If they did you can probably use the rule from Low-Tech for Stealth penalties.

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

What are you talking about then? I don't think that anybody wears sollerets anymore. If they did you can probably use the rule from Low-Tech for Stealth penalties.

They tried boots with armored bottoms in Vietnam to combat the pungi traps, but instead of puncturing the foot soldiers tended to severely sprain their ankles, which didn't help much. So that's a thing.

I more think of saftey boots - steel toes, armored shanks, and puncture protection from beneath. Those are not really subtle.

Or specialized sports equipment - downhill ski boots are probably good for DR 2, but they have additional problems :P