🛡️ Using Armor

Armor protects you by increasing your Serious and Critical Thresholds — the amount of damage needed to cause serious injury. It doesn’t block damage directly, but makes it harder for attacks to deal 2 or 3 HP.

Your Damage Thresholds are calculated as:

Some Features may modify this calculation.

• Fortitude is the attribute modifier for physical toughness
• Armor is a numeric value from your worn armor
• Shield provides an additional +1 if equipped

Armor value may be modified by materials, craftsmanship, or magic.

Heavier armor offers better protection — but usually has drawbacks:

• 🥷 Disadvantage on stealth-related checks
• 🐢 Reduced mobility or no sprinting
• 💪 Minimum Fortitude to wear effectively

Check the armor’s equipment card for exact requirements and penalties.

Some armor may offer additional effects:

• Resistance to specific damage types
• Bonus Evasion or Stress reduction
• Passive effects (e.g., glow, elemental aura)

Some species or monsters have built-in armor:

• Provides an Armor Value like worn armor
• May include unique traits, such as resisting certain damage types
• If worn armor is also present, use the higher of the two Armor Values

With GM permission, players may bypass armor with clever tactics:

• Target weak points (eyes, joints, gaps)
• Strike grappled or unaware targets

These attempts often require costs like:

• Higher Action Cost
• Target to make a Resistance Check
• Other penalty

Some features (like Magic Missile) bypass thresholds or deal direct HP damage.

• Armor Value is added to your Serious Threshold
• Critical Threshold = Serious × 2
• Armor raises the bar for serious or critical wounds, but doesn’t block damage directly
• Heavy armor often trades protection for mobility
• Monsters follow the same rules unless simplified by the GM

• 💥 Applying Damage — How wounds are determined
• 🧱 Stress — Managing risk and resilience
• 🧭 Unarmed Combat — Fighting without weapons or armor