Protection may be the primary purpose of armor, but it’s the extra tools, toys, and tricks that can really give most pieces of armor their personal appeal. I, and my suppliers, offer a full range of features and modifications for everything we sell.
Any piece of worn armor can be upgraded with a range of modifications. The Capacity of a piece of armor is equal to its Armor Rating. Armor modifications have variable Capacity costs. Each modification also has a rating between 1 and 6, except as noted.
Chemical Protection
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
Rating
|
6
|
250¥ xRating
|
Core
|
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Water-resistant, non-porous, impermeable materials, and a coating of neutralizing agents protect the wearer against contact-vector chemical attacks (Toxins, Drugs and BTLs, p. 408). Add the rating of the Chemical Protection modification to tests made to resist contact-vector toxin attacks.
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Chemical Seal
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
6
|
12R
|
3,000¥
|
Core
|
|
- Activate Seal
- Complex Action
- Air Supply
- 1 Hour
- Wireless
- Activating the chemical seal is a Free Action.
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Available only to full body armor that includes a helmet, the chemical seal is an airtight environmental control that takes a Complex Action to activate (if you’re already wearing the armor, natch). It provides complete protection against contact and inhalation vector chemicals, but can only be used for a total of an hour (the limit of the air supply) at a time.
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Fire Resistance
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
Rating
|
6
|
250¥ xRating
|
Core
|
|
|
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Fire-retardant, nonflammable materials protect the wearer against Fire damage. Add the full rating of the Fire Resistance modification to the Armor value when resisting Fire attacks or checking if the armor catches fire.
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Insulation
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
Rating
|
6
|
250¥ xRating
|
Core
|
|
|
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Thermal fibers and heat-retentive materials protect the wearer against Cold damage. Add the full rating of the Insulation modification to the Armor value when resisting Cold attacks.
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Nonconductivity
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
Rating
|
6
|
250¥ xRating
|
Core
|
|
|
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Electrical insulation and non-conductive materials protect the wearer against Electricity damage. Add the full rating of this modification to the Armor value when resisting Electricity attacks.
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Shock Frills
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
2
|
6R
|
250¥
|
Core
|
|
- Unarmed Combat
- Attack with Frills
- Activate Frills
- Complex Action
- Charges
- 10 Charges
- Recharge Rate
- One Charge Per 10 Seconds
- Wireless
- The shock frills can be activated or deactivated as a Free Action. They can also recharge by induction, recharging one charge per hour.
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These strips of “fur” are electrically charged when activated, standing on end and inflicting Electricity damage to anyone that touches you. Use Unarmed Combat to attack with the frills. The frills hold 10 charges; when attached to a power point, they recharge one charge per 10 seconds.
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Thermal Damping
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
Rating
|
10R
|
500¥ xRating
|
Core
|
|
- Wireless
- The suit uses the extra information about your surroundings and also gives you its rating as a dice pool bonus to Sneaking tests against heat-based detection.
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Designed to reduce your thermal signature, these inner layers capture or bleed heat, so the outer layers maintain a surface temperature equal to the surrounding air. Add the rating to your limit on any Sneaking test against thermographic vision or thermal sensors.
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Auto-Injector
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[2]
|
4
|
1,500¥ + chemical costs
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- If one or more pre-programmed conditions are met (set by the character with a Simple Logic + Computer [Mental] (1) Test), or an instruction is received from the wearer, either manually or through the user’s PAN, the auto-injector dispenses a medication, drug, or chemical directly into the wearer’s bloodstream. Each auto-injector carries five doses that can hold one or more substances in any combination. Refilling the injector takes 1 minute per dose.
- Wireless Bonus
- Activating a drug injection is a Free Action.
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- Guy I knew, T-Rack, had one dose of his injector loaded with arsenic. Paranoid gangbanger thought it might open an escape option in a capture. T-Rack got snagged by a corporate black-bag team while taking a dip in the AZT Boston Harbor CleanPool. His brother got a runner team together to do an extraction, and he wanted to go along for the ride. Story runs as you’d expect. He grabbed his brother’s jacket—and never made it out the door.
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An auto-injector is a small medical injection unit built into the armor and usually linked to the user’s biomonitor.
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Fresnel Fabric
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[2]
|
14R
|
Rating x 1,000¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- Reduce the Noise penalty by the rating of the Fabric. The Noise reduction is directional and the wearer needs to align their body in the direction of the device they are trying to connect with.
- Wireless Bonus
- Reduce the Noise penalty by 1 more.
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I’m not a big tech head, so I don’t know exactly how this stuff works, but it’s a neat addition for anyone looking to maintain lines of communication in difficult areas. According to my tech specialist, this material can focus and concentrate light or radio waves like the lens on a lighthouse, boosting the directional power of a signal.
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Pulse Weave
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[3]
|
+8R
|
3,000¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- Anyone facing the pulse weave suit receives a –4 dice pool modifier on tests to make direct physical attacks on the wearer (flare compensation reduces this modifier to –2). The pulse weave offers a number of charges equal to its rating; it needs fifteen minutes to recharge.
- Wireless Bonus
- Increase the Attack Test penalties by 1.
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Talk about a flashy suit! This stuff transforms a suit into one large flashpak. Like a nightclub in motion.
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Shock Weave
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[3]
|
8
|
1,000¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- Anyone entering a Grapple or Clinch with someone wearing active Shock Weave armor must resist 8S(e) damage. The wearer can also choose to take a Block Action when attacked and intentionally block with an active Shock Weave plate on their armor. This test needs to generate at least 2 hits (not 2 net hits) for the Shock Weave to be effective. A glitch means the character accidentally zaps themselves. This armor modification cannot be used offensively.
- Wireless Bonus
- The Block Test only needs to generate 1 hit.
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- And how do wearers not shock themselves?
- The weave is added to only certain spots. The user just needs to avoid contacting those locations. It’s relatively easy once you’re used to it. Watching people when they first get it is rather humorous, though, as they tend to walk around with their arms out away from them, kind of like a toddler.
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This is great at keeping gropey guys off you at Dante’s or giving a nasty surprise to the sec guard trying to take you down. Shock weave delivers a moderate shock to anyone making contact with the protected area.
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Universal Mirror Material (per square meter)
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[3]
|
8F
|
Rating x 250¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
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- Special Rules
- This material provides a Noise penalty against anything inside the material equal to twice the material’s rating.
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This is some strange stuff. I originally refused to carry it since it was intended to jam up technomancers. Since then some creative individuals have used it as a defensive technique. Depending on which way you direct the fabric, this stuff jams wireless signals.
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YNT Softweave Armor
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
—
|
+4
|
x2¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- Armor made with this material has its available Capacity increased by half.
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SoftWeave was developed by Yamatetsu Naval Technologies for sapients and the less common metavarients ecause it’s easier to mold and work into alternative designs than standard armor technologies. It works for the everyday Joe, and it also makes for lighter gear with more flexibility for modifications.
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Ruthenium Polymer Coating (Rating 1-4)
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[4]
|
16F
|
Rating x 5,000¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- This modification can be added to any armor or clothing, but it only gains its full benefits when applied to pieces that cover the wearer’s whole body, like full body armors or cloaks. The ruthenium polymers are controlled by a sensor suite incorporated into the armor or clothing that scans the surroundings and replicates images of the area at the proper perspectives, helping the wearer blend in. The effectiveness is based on the Rating of the sensor suite and the extent of the suit’s coverage. The base modifier to a Perception Test to spot the wearer is –(Rating), adjusted by the extent of the suit; full +2, almost full +1, half +0.
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- The low-grade software/sensor package for this stuff is virtually useless unless you are standing completely still and wearing a full suit. On the other hand the high-end packages can make your armor jacket seem invisible at a full sprint. It’s all a matter of body coverage and sensor/software efficiency.
- Don’t get caught with this stuff. In ‘74 a kid got tossed into a ruthenium bag during a snatch and grab. The ork hauling the kid took a bullet to the brainpan and went down on the street outside the Seattle AZT Pyramid. Knight-Errant cordoned the scene and figured one of the other runners snagged the kid. An hour later they opened the scene to traffic again, and GridGuide rolled a bus over the kid who was still out cold in the street, lying in the bag. Whole thing led to a huge legal ruckus, and this stuff if purely mil-spec now. No civilian usage.
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I’ll admit I loved Manhunt, that remake of the old flatvid with the alien hunting a bunch of mercenaries in the jungle. This stuff makes me think of that trid every time I activate our display. It’s high-tech camouflage at its finest. Add this to your favorite outfit and be ready to blend in anywhere.
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Radiation Shielding
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[Rating]
|
Rating x 2
|
Rating x 200¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- Each point of Radiation shielding provides 1 extra die for resisting Radiation damage (see p. 152).
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Do I need to express what this is for and who needs it? I think not. If you’re working in an area that’s pumping out the rads, you’ll need this worked into your gear.
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Gel Packs
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
—
|
6
|
1,500¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- Installed externally, gel packs require no Capacity and increase the Armor Rating of whatever they are added to by 2. Since gel packs solidify for a brief instant, they increase the possibility that the wearer will be knocked down by an attack. When comparing the Physical Limit of a character using armor with gel packs to the DV of an attack to determine knockdown (see Knockdown, p. 194, SR5), lower the character’s Physical Limit by 2.
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- Careful with the dust after a puncture. Some manufacturers add an isotope that can be identified and tracked for up to 48 hours. Intended as a way to locate wounded in the field, it has become a tool for the police services to track suspects after an altercation.
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This stuff looks silly but can save your life. Gel packs look like a bunch of take-out soy sauce packets layered all over your clothes or armor. They come in a variety of colors and can even be custom ordered with different colors in each packet to make a pattern or just add a little flare. The gel hardens for an instant to absorb some of the force of impact but then gets all squishy again if it isn’t punctured. If the gel makes contact with air it turns dusty and brittle immediately.
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Response Interface Gear (RIG)
ARMOR |
CAPACITY |
AVAIL |
COST |
SOURCE
|
-
|
[2] + [1]
|
8
|
2,500¥
|
SR5:R&G
|
|
- Special Rules
- It acts as a combination trode net, sim module, and sim rig that connects to the wearer’s PAN. It allows records of each soldier’s actions and situations to be passed up the chain of command, as well as accessing the user’s natural senses for use as sensor channels. This system takes up 2 Capacity slots in the armor and 1 Capacity slot in the helmet; a RIG must be installed in both armor and helmet to work, and it only operates while all the armor is worn.
- Wireless Bonus
- +1 Mental Limit on Perception Tests.
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- The new line of pieces for the Miracle Shooter line are fitted into all sorts of regular clothing pieces. The hottest seller so far has been a black baseball cap with the distinctive MS logo along with black fatigues and a black MS turtleneck. They come in armored variations too.
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This stuff is kind of fun, especially for those logged in to access live broadcasts during Desert Wars engagements, urban brawl games, or combat biker matches. It’s a full sim-suite and monitoring system. As of July 1, it also carries the official Miracle Shooter line, which comes with the feedback software to give soft simulations of hits during Miracle Shooter matches.
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