Hey dumpshock, I was wondering if anyone has ever had armor degrade over time/damage ? The reason I ask is I recently started running a game (my first time running a SR game). I have some playing experience so I am fairly familiar with the system, however, I've noticed in running it that damage resistance seems to be alittle awkward. Not to mention Armor is god. I seem to remember reading somewhere about armor taking damage to simulate real damage done to it, however, this might have been a houserule and can't remember it.

The rules suggest that if you glitch when resisting damage, the rating of the armor is lowered one to prevent structural damage. Seeing as this might happen now and again it's an okay solution - armor in 2072 could reasonably be expected to stand up to wear and tear a lot better than the stuff we have now, even if the weapons are bigger as well.

I think it should be up to the GM. If you soak up a heavy cloud of AP or take a direct hit from an assault cannon, your armor is likely to suffer, and the rules should not get in the way of portraying exciting, gritty combat.

There's also a suggested rule that if the person in question takes any amount of physical damage, then the rating of his armor is reduced by one point. I personally like this rule.

I play 3E rules but I guess this can be used with 4E as well.

I use both random hit locations (using the old 6x6 Battletech grid system) and armour degredation. If you take a shot to the chest, the armour there degrades one point. Burst fire hits the same location, autofire...up to you, we don't use full auto.

In the 3E games that I played, we looked at that rule, but decided that it was more bookkeeping that we didn't want for something that really wouldn't make the game any more fun. As far as I know, the optional rule was first introduced in 2E with Fields of Fire, and was redone for 3E in the Cannon Companion. I don't know if it's been printed as an optional rule for 4E, but if it has, I suspect it's in Arsenal.

Thanks for all the help guys

I think I may end up using both optional rules for armor for the time being, see if thats up to par.

Once again, thanks

Good Luck...

Keep the Faith

Acid damage is also something that potentially could degrade armor very quickly.

We play it essentially that if you take a deadly wound (after resistance rolls have been made), a roll is made for your armour and, depending on what caused said deadly wound, possibly other equipment carried.

Regular armour is often destroyed in such an attack. Hardened tends to last much longer or is repairable.

What these rolls are however is up to you. I just go with our GM's rolls & decisions. It makes it slightly more realistic without having to do it every time you get hit in combat.

Just from memory the rule that was referred above can be found in Arsenal in the first paragraph or 2 of the Armor section. States anytime your armor allows you to take Physical damage it is degraded by 1

Somewhere around there, and I think near that area is the same rule also mentioned above about glitching on a resistance test and taking another hit to armor. Both of these rules together would be very... interesting.