HouseRule - Armor layering

[Phantom5582 5]

I was making a character for EotE when I was looking the armor; pondering if I can get the GM to let me add the stats of Heavy Clothing to a spacesuit I wanted the character to have. That is when I realized that the game really has no rules on armor stacking nor anything against it other then common sense and hopefully a GM willing to say "You can't do that" to players.

Rules as written says that armor, when worn, has it's Encumbrance rating reduced by 3. A crafty player can use this as a loop hole and pile on layer after layer of Armored Clothing to have a Defense and Soak higher then any other set of armor as well as any humanoid or beast. Edit: It turns out I missed a rule in the next chapter stating that you can't wear a dozen suits of armor and have the armor stack. How ever you could wear two different armors and have the better soak and better defense of the two.

My idea is that you can still layer armor, but before you apply the Encumbrance reduction, you add up the total Encumbrance of all of the armor together. Reasoning: There is so much armor you can wear before it just drags you down.

Also, we can assume that items like spacesuits would also count as armor for the RAW and have reduced Encumbrance when worn. So going back up to the train of thought that started this idea, combining a Spacesuit with Heavy Clothing would cost 150 credits, have a total encumbrance of 5, but that gets reduced to 2 when worn.

One would think why not layer other armor over a space suit, and the reason is that it greatly increases the total encumbrance and will weigh down even the strongest of characters. It also makes the "Vacuum Seal" armor mod still useful as, how I see it anyway, it is adding the abilities of a spacesuit into heavy armor without increasing the armor's encumbrance. The trade off is clear between the two options.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Phantom5582

[2P51 33,416]

RAW you can't. Per the rules you're only allowed soak per each source. A piece of armor represents a single source therefore two pieces of armor cannot be stacked with one another. If your GM wants to allow it that's fine it's a house rule, per the rules it's not allowed.

[Phantom5582 5]

Hum, I might have missed that. Would you mind telling me where that is at?

[2P51 33,416]

It's in the section that explains soak and defense. Which I believe is in the combat section I'm not near my book right at the moment so I can't give you a page number but when I get there I will.

 

p.207 EoE. Under "Soak" Right column, second to last paragraph.

Edited August 18, 2014 by 2P51

[Phantom5582 5]

I found it. Page 207, 221 if you are using the Age of Rebellion book. So most of my idea is out the airlock because I missed a part ; Well thanks for the help on that.

Edited August 18, 2014 by Phantom5582

[2P51 33,416]

It's not out the airlock, have a conversation with your GM.  It's your guys table and your game.  If he wants to allow common sense exceptions like a vest on a flight suit or something that's hardly world ending I think.  

 

You're also welcome, good gaming.

[Phantom5582 5]

Well most of the houserule was based on if armor can stack. Sure a personal deflector shield worn with laminate makes sense as one has defense while the other has soak. Defense is even more limited in how it can stack as you can only use the highest rating. Be it the general rating or the ranged/melee rating.

[2P51 33,416]

Defense is odd and you need to pay attention to when you read sources.  If it says +1 to Defense, it stacks with existing.  If it tells you it provides X Defense it does not.

[Phantom5582 5]

Changed the main post. If you were to wear two different armors you can still have the better of the soak and defense of the two armors. The other point about the space suit still stands.

[KJDavid 194]

You could wear any armor with a space suit, since, technically, I think the space suit does not count as armor. Or you could just buy an armored space suit or pressurized armor.

[r2trooper 1,247]

I let one of my characters wear a modified Nomad Greatcoat over his Laminate armor combining the Soak. For the most part though, I would not allow different types of armor to stack.  Like Heavy Clothing and Laminate. I do own a set of Stormtrooper armor, well 2 sets actually, and I could not imagine wearing that stuff over normal blue jeans and a flannel shirt!! And my armor is plastic, not some super metal/fiberglass/ceramic/weird hybrid alloy thing heavier than PVC/ABS plastic. But really it is up to your GM to decide what he will allow or won't. I try to run my game very close to RAW/RAI, but I can see wearing a special trench coat/poncho over armor giving you a small bonus. (I love some of the concept art/early Fett where he is wearing a poncho/wrap around cloak over his armor.) The first Triumph against him will burn a huge hole in that coat! But he said he is cool with that risk. It will also increase the difficulty to resist high temps. (Anyone ever had the pleasure of wearing the JLIST chemical protective gear? How about with a bullet proof vest too?) 

[segara82 359]

I try to use a certain amount of rationalism when it comes to armour. So very few can be worn at the same time. The only real house-rule that i have is that a shield-generator can be worn on your belt and adds up with the RD of your armour.