"Armor in 2300", © 1987, 1998-2005 by
Lester Smith,
originally appeared in _Challenge_ #31 (page 36).
Text-entry & HTML by:
Steve C.
It has come to our attention that the armor rules for 2300 are flawed. Lester Smith has been kind enough to rework them and submit this official errata to clarify the problems.
The rules for personal armor use in the basic game are unclear, and the armor values listed are incorrect. The following rules cover both armor and close range damage, and they should be used in place of those which are listed in the Player's Manual. These listings will be corrected in a future edition of the Player's Manual.
There are three types of personal armor: nonrigid, rigid, and inertial. Nonrigid is made of flexible materials which is extremely tough and resists puncture by a bullet or energy beam. It does not inhibit movement to the extent that rigid armor does. Rigid armor is made up of solid plates. Inertial armor is flexible like nonrigid armor but becomes very rigid when struck by a fast-moving projectile (such as a bullet or a piece of shrapnel). The difference between nonrigid, rigid, and inertial armor is only important when resolving blunt trauma injuries. For normal damage, the armor value of the armor is subtracted from the DP value of the round, and the difference determines the seriousness of the wound.
A kinetic energy round with a DP value less than the armor will not penetrate; instead it will cause blunt trauma or stun damage. If the round hits rigid or inertial armor, it inflicts stun damage; if it hits nonrigid armor, it inflicts blunt trauma damage. Half the armor value is subtracted from the round's DP value, and the seriousness of the wound is reduced one level.
All fire combat weapons double their DP values when firing at targets which are within close range.
The armor values listed below supersede those found in the Player's
Manual:
Helmet: 1
High-Threat Combat Helmet: 2
Steel Helmet: 0.2
Chainmail Vest: 0.1
Rigid Breastplate: 1
Nonrigid Vest: 0.6
Inertial Armor Vest: 0.8
Full-body Nonrigid Armor: 0.3
Full-body Inertial Armor: 0.4
Full-body Combat Armor: 1
BH-21 Combat Walker: 8
Kz-7 Combat Walker: 10