[LT] [LTIA] Quick Question: Cheap Before or After Padding?

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Stripe

Okay, I hear you, but the DR is unchanged regardless if cheap is applied before or after padding is added, right?

A non-cheap helmet has DR 6 ($500). Add padding is 7 ($510). A non-cheap padded helmet has DR 7 ($510).

A cheap helmet has DR 5 ($300). Add padding is 6 ($310). A cheap padded helmet has DR 6 ($306).

Same DR, less money.

However, if you're saying historically, padding was usually always separate, like a little sock hat or whatever, and that Low-Tech was designed to add padding as an absolute value, then okay, I can get on board with that. In fact, it will make my job easier.

Otherwise, I can see a cheap helmet having cheap padding and a fine helmet having fine padding attached to the helmet in both cases.

I'm saying that LTIA padding was modeled as an entirely separate piece of armor, covering the desired hit locations and providing DR 1. Thus, you need (in my opinion) to apply cheap to it separately, which makes it cost 60% less, but it's now DR 0.

I can't speak to the historicity of it. But I can (as Lead Playtester of LTIA) tell you how we modeled it.