FAQ: Armor
From SSDC, Inc.
The armor option Auto-laser takes up so much space only a creature of size class six or larger may mount one.
Can a smaller character mount one if nothing else is mounted in that section?
(It says “no other units may be housed in that section of the armor.” Is the space and size class ignored?)
A: Space and size is NOT ignored. If you do not have enough space then you are not big enough to carry it.
Can you teleport inside a flux shield? Are flux shields open 1/2 spheres with OPEN to the ground below?
A: No, you cannot teleport inside a flux shield. A flux shield is a few mm away from the person, and extends all around them. The ground is covered with the flux shield as well. It is form-fitting.
In the armor options section of the rules under Flux Shield, does the protection include damage from missiles?
If so, does this include HP missiles, or only up to a certain class or missiles?
A: This does include missiles. It will absorb up to the shield capacity, taking into account that 1 HP = 100 BPs.
Does Mazian armor have the same integrity as a standard Size Class (SC) 4 suit, or is it divided by 4 because they are all SC 1, or what?
How fast does mechanized Mazian armor move?
A: Integrity is as size class 1. Speed: 30kph or standard suit speed; whichever is faster. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information on Mazian Armor.
When is a Heavy Armor's hydrolics considered damaged?
A: After the armor has failed an EMP or ELE SMR. Backup systems are available in the Armor Options section of Lock-N-Load: Armor, Equipment, & Cybernetics.
If a Disrupter or a Disintegrator does excess damage to armor, thus destroying it, is that damage passed on to the occupant?
If so, is the damage doubled?
A: The damage from that shot only is first applied to the absorption then to the occupant. No, for that shot only. Disruptors are just low power disinitegrators and are simply refered to a disintegrators in the newer books.
Are optically guided missiles affected by ECM?
A: No. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information.
How fast could someone run using the "jump pads" armor option?
A: 10m/sec
How high/far could someone jump using guisarme propulsion?
A: About 3m/30m (the vertical jumping is not what it is designed for).
Are EMP pulses stopped by flux shields?
A: Flux shield protected characters receive a +20 to all EMP SMRs.
Can a person mount multiple flux shields?
A: A person can carry multiple flux shields, but only one can operate at a time.
Can a person with multiple flux shields use them at the same time?
A: See above.
Can you also specify weapons, and damage types that a flux shield affords immunity from?
A: All archaic powder weapons in Lock-n-Load, but it doesn’t afford immunity to those bullets which can affect heavy armor. See Lock-N-Load: Weapons & Tactics appendix for a complete list of weapons vs. flux shield effects.
With mechanized Mazian armor, do you need a helmet (since it is a tank anyway)?
A: No. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information on Mazian Armor.
How does an HIC detect targets?
A: Motion and sonic detectors, as well as infrared.
Does ECM affect other friendlies (Does my ECM interfere with Fred’s radar lock on the enemy)?
A: No. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information
Does ECM just protect the target?
A: Yes. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information
Is ECM a cumulative effect? (e.g. I have 50%, and Fred has 20%, does this mean we both have 70%)?
A: No. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information
Can you displace below a flux shield (say into sewers), and then up into the nearby local of flux generator (but inside of shield) for personal flux shields?
Is there a bottom to personal flux shields?
A: No, there IS a bottom to personal flux shields.
In addition, personal shields are not spheres, but more like a from-fitting, second skin, see below.
If there is a bottom to a flux shield, how can you walk?
A: The flux shied acts like a form-fitting, second skin that moves with you and extends only a few millimeters out from your body.
Does EMP insulation totally negate EMP attacks?
A: No, it gives an SMR of 100.
Once EMP insulation is breached does the armor then have to make a SS/SMR vs EMP?
A: EMP weapons cannot breach EMP insulation. In fact, EMP insulation surrounds all electronics, etc. It cannot be breached without destroying the protected areas. So basically it can’t be breached at all.
Is EMP insulation reduced by EMP attacks? Is this reduction permanent?
A: No.
How large an area does a flux shield protect?
A: The flux shield extends only a few mm’s from your body. Everything inside this is what it protects. Typically weapons and equipment carried and worn are protected by the flux
Can flux shields be set to conform to a confined space?
A: Not a personal flux shield.
Can you mount more than one auto-doc?
A: Yes.
Can visible light and radio waves pass into and out of a flux shield?
If not can you see past your flux shield? If yes, why are visible light lasers hindered by flux shields?
A: The flux shield surpasses current electro-magnetic knowledge. Therefore it is capable of stopping light above a given intensity. So visible lasers, being very intense, are stopped, while less intense light is not.
How does a flux shield work (in pseudo-game physics terms)?
A: The flux shield it is linked to a highly intelligent computer which allows things to pass out for a tiny fraction of a second through a small area, to allow for attacks passing out.
As far as how the force is generated, any incoming matter or electro-magnetic field is repelled by the anomalous electron densities created by the Omega principle.
If there is enough room inside a flux can you displace inside it, or is teleporting inside a flux shield impossible?
A: Teleporting or displacing into a flux shield is impossible.
A personal flux shield is only a few mm from a persons exterior.
Other flux shields generally block any displacement, teleportation, etc. through them.
If missile racks take up no space (only their weight and the weight of the missiles) how many racks can you mount, and where can you mount them?
A: You can’t mount more than one shoulder mount rack; you may mount 2 mycroline leg racks.
Exception: Humpty Dumpty armor, see individual descriptions. If you aren’t wearing it, you cant mount any heavy missile racks.
Do initiative modifiers to humptys (mind web) add to initiative modifiers for high agility?
A: No, the mind web modifier is in place of the agility modifier. In the newer books Humpties have fixed initiative modifiers based on model. See Engines of War for more information
What are the guidelines for repairing armor absorption and integrity?
Are these actually written down anywhere in any of the books?
A: The rules for this are under the armor section of the main rule book, and other notes about it are mentioned under the skills section for the repair skill.
The guidelines basically go like this, the cost to repair absorption is equal to the cost to buy extra absorption (look under armor options), and for AI look under Armor Options/QSU.
The time factors are listed under the Repair skill in the skills section.
How is the armor divided up for the Ashanti’s arms. (Space, Integrity, Absorption).
A: Each arm is normally 10%. Treat each Ashanti arm as being 5%.
The armor cost for the Ashanti is double.
Does this include modifications for size class, or is size class ignored (i.e.. simply double the price)?
A: Double the base cost of the armor, then modify the price for size class.
How does an electromagnetic converter work?
Does it convert laser fire into harmless kinetic energy?
Does it cover the whole suit of armor? How much energy will it absorb?
A: It does not make the kinetic harmless!!! It translates laser damage into transitional concussive damage, and is capable of affecting 100 points per second.
Does heavy armor and MBA armor increase SMR’s by +20?
A: Against attacks which are designed to hit the person inside, yes; examples are BIO, CHM, ACD, RAD.
Note that they are also environmentally contained and they don’t work against mental or sonic attacks either.
NOTE TO PLAYERS: What we learned at Gencon ‘95. You may fire all of your arm rockets off at once!
Reflex and heavy missiles require a rack with ripple capability to fire more than once per second.
Are shoulder mounted missile racks on the arm or chest (in terms of armor placement).
A: Chest.
What is the cost to repair armor absorption.?
A: Cost to repair lost absorption: 100cr/point as per rule book for standard absorption.
Can you purchase size class 1 armor?
A: You sure can. Size class 1 would be 1/4 = .25 or 25% of the listed price. There are advantages to being small.
What is the deal with Mazian armor? They get 20% off. Now is this just for the “baggie” version, or is this for any kind?
Also, is that after size class adjustments or no?
Example: My Mazian (who is abnormally huge) likes to pretend to be a size class 5 human all the time.
So, do we increase the armor and then deduct the cost?
A: Take the standard size class 4 cost and reduce it by 20%.
All stats are as listed except the AI and AR are one-piece units. Same for mechanized armor. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information
What kind of temperature ranges are we looking at for armor SMR’s?
A: Depends, probably below -200 F. Presumably the PCs will have environmental containment which, while their armor is unpunctured, protects it from the cold; it’s when armor starts to get ripped up that it gets fun.
What exactly happens to a suit when it fails the SMR?
A: Parts of the absorption become solid; even when thawed they simply flake apart and are useless as protection.
The mobility of the suit is reduced; see the rule book for exact effects.
I would impose a -30 to -60 penalty for unsealed armors out in the open; A sealed armor dropped into liquid methane would sustain a -60 penalty, while unsealed armor would need an 01 to survive such treatment, let alone the PCs.
How much do O2 tanks weigh?
A: Big ones have ENC 30-60.
Do anti-missile systems only track targets which are “locked on”
(AKA. Made their to hit role and are going to hit for sure), or do they track all incoming targets?
A: All incoming missiles headed your way that are within the proximity range are tracked.
Will anti-missile systems shoot down indirect fire weapons and direct fire weapons
(like grenades, mortar shells, anti-tank weapons, mag rounds, etc.)
Obviously anti-missile systems work on missiles and arm rockets without penalty. Right?
A: It depends. LAMS will typically only target missiles (arm rockets, reflex missiles, Anti-tank missiles, rocket launchers, PMS missiles, PMS2 Missiles, and even AMMs, though they can also target incoming mortar and arty shells. However, AMMs are capable of targeting thrown grenades in addition to all the weapons a LAMS is capable of targeting.
Radar systems can be hooked into Missile and Antimissile systems, correct?
A: Yes. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information
Some RADAR systems state that they have a certain percentage to track size class 4 targets.
If a RADAR system is hooked into a anti-missile system what penalty does it take for tracking arm rockets, reflex missiles, and heavy missiles.
A: +/- 5% per size class. Missile accuracy is given for some systems; for other systems -40 penalty.
Can the Phase Nullification Unit (armor option) prevent the Jezdarean Slayer from phasing though armor and flux shields?
A: Yes.
Does a magnetic disrupter (armor option) halve damage done by Omegaton Grenades?
A: No, Omegaton damage is concussive.
Can any weapon be hooked up to the Gyro Stabilizer and the Quick Draw Unit?
A: No. Chain Guns can not be hooked to a Gyro Stabilizer.
Phentari armor. Are the 4 tentacles as well armored (Threshold, AR and AI) as the 2 arms in another race’s equivalent suit of armor? (i.e. does 1 tentacle = 1 arm?)
A: 2 tentacles = 1 arm. Split the AI and AR. Threshold remains the same.
How does one “knock out” Heavy Armor hydraulics (Battlelords rule book)?
A: An EMP or Electical-based attack, like from a thunderbolt generator.
Why did you guys get rid of all the anti-missile systems? (But you still left the AMM armor option!)
A: Because they caused too many questions...
Why are the TIE’s gone? We loved the TIE’s!
A: Most people didn’t use them.
How many weapons can be mounted on quickdraw units at the same time, on the same suit of armor?
A: BMs discretion... depends on weapon size, usually limit is 4.
The magnetic disruptor armor option says it 1/2’s damage for Omega, Pulse, and Particle weapons.
However, in the description of particle weapons it states that magnetic disruptors completely negate all damage.
Which is correct? What about magnetic deflection generators?
A: Damage is halved; magnetic deflection generators only affect metal projectiles.
Note that only one field generating device can be active at once.
How exactly does the whistler missile work?
It states in LNL that the when the missile detects LAM lock on, it switches to camera guidance.
Can the LAM, or AMM still engage this missile? If so do they incur a penalty?
A: The LAM or AMM system can only engage it if the LAM/AMM is hooked to a radar system, in which case it can fire at a -40.
Do auto-lasers (being “auto” and all) take up the characters attack, or incur multiple weapon penalties if fired with other weapons?
I thought these were self-engaging, with the character only designating a target.
A: The character designates a target and the auto-laser takes over.
The character may then perform actions as normal.
Lock-N-Load: Armor, Equipment, and Cybernetics describes the picture entitled “Open Says Me”. It says the guy in the picture has feet claws.
One of my old players wanted some, are we to assume these are just the armor option: talons mounted on the feet?
A: These are normal on most heavy armors. They are used for stability.
Is Heavy armor still considered resistant to lasers (1/2 damage) when it’s threshold is reduced below 7?
A: No.
IFF transmitters. These little puppies are immensely helpful, yet there is no information on them anywhere.
You'd think they would be in equipment or an armor option.
Many RADAR systems, and the HIC mention IFF capabilities.
Don’t you have to have a friendly frequency transmitter to designate yourself as a friendly?
If so can you jam an opponents IFF, or change yours to match his?
A: Yes; Yes; No (encrypted level 20)
Why isn’t there an armor option for flash suppression (Blinder grenades, UV & IR strobes, etc.)?
A: Because by the time the flash hits your eyes it is too late for the visor to darken...
You can get visors which darken in continuous bright light for an extra 1% of helmet cost. Resonance Helms use camera systems to protect against blinding.
Will an HIC detect in UV for flux shields, a-grav, lasers and all that other good UV emitting stuff?
A: I believe that an HIC is normally IR/vis only. You could modify one for UV usage.
How effective is a UV scrambler. It says it blinds anyone seeing UV within 250m.
Is their a percentage chance or is it 100%?
Are Cizeracks and Eridani at penalty like the UV strobe mag round.
How long does the blindness last. Does it effect cybernetic eyes?
A: It only blinds your UV spectrum vision. If you remove your UV device you are no longer blind.
If you have intrinsic UV vision, you are limited to seeing in the IR or visible spectra (or whatever).
It is 100% effective while on ... think of it basically as a bright UV searchlight effect.
It does affect cybernetic eyes. However, the UV blindness will fade 1-3 secs after the scrambler is off.
Basically this items only effect is to negate ultravision and night vision devices, but not to actually blind people.
Do LAMS affect heavy missiles, ship missiles, and other very large rocket propelled projectiles?
A: Yes; No; No - anything bigger than a heavy missile will likely be unaffected by a LAMS
Do speed modifiers affect a LAM’s or AMM’s chance to hit another missile?
A: No
Do LAM’s work on missiles from compact artillery?
A: Yes
Why are reflex missiles direct fire weapons? Does this mean they are immune from LAM’s and other missile defense?
Reflex missiles can be hooked into a RADAR system, and use RADAR right?
A: They can be fired in either mode. If using radar you don’t get a skill bonus to hit. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information
Will LAMS’ affect direct fire weapons which obviously use radar like SAMS?
A: Generally yes.
If you are using a RADAR system to guide a missile to the target, if a LAM looks for targeting radar won’t it fire at the radar emitter?
A: No, due to advanced computer technology it locates the missile and fires at it.
If a whistler or farsight combat array optically guides a missile to a target, will a LAM shoot the missile down since it’s not receiving a radar signal.
If it does NOT your 5 million dollar LAM becomes useless when confronted with a 5 million dollar RADAR system, and you become DUST!
A: The LAM will target the incoming missile using it's active sensors built-into the Radar System to tract it.
What good are Body Flares (not much at 15%). I have yet to find a heat-seeking missile or weapon!
A: Yeah but Arachnids use them and reflex missiles can switch to heat-seeking mode if it's more likely to score a hit. See Lock-N-Load: Reloaded for more information
Question on the Gorilla Suit body armor. In the book, it states that the armor “provides optimal defenses against all non-plasma weapons”.
Does this mean that the absorption polymers (a controversial new type called Sponge) will stop laser damage as ablative liners, or no?
A: No. That statement is merely hype.
Does the available space for various items that can be put in armor double when you use mechanized armor (two times the available space over standard armor)?
A: No.
Do you, when figuring the encumbrance, subtract the anti-grav belt then divide by 4 the total weight of mechanized armor suits?
A: Yes.
How many anti-gravity type (either type) can a person put in their suits?
A: One. There is an Xtra Heavy Belt for 250,000cr which reduces Enc. by -125. It takes the same space as Heavy Belt.
Regarding Street Clothes armor (Lock-n-Load) the distribution of absorption for shirts is listed as 20% per arm and 40% in the chest and abdominal sections.
By my account, no matter how you slice it, that adds up to 120% or 80%. What gives?
A: Well, that should read 10% per arm, 40% in each of chest and abdomen.
Do optically guided missiles suffer penalties like a sighting check?
(Speed, darkness, cover, concealment, camouflage units, etc.?)
If so can optical systems like the farsight combat array and the whistler missile be equipped with IR sensors, IR discriminators, UV, camouflage detectors and other “optical sensors?”
So how do you avoid getting hit by a reflex missile?
A: Yes; and most reflex missles are radar guided. If someone fires a Whistler and it has all those sensors (note, they are at full cost or higher) then well I guess you better get behind cover!
How does the Sky Jack (Lock-n-Load) identify friendlies?
A: IFF beacons that you have to mount on your equipment or you can put a person at the firing controls.
There is a manual override.
Do arm rockets, grenade concussion, reflex missiles, anti-tank weapons, and the like affect a single body section or are they divided up over the entire body?
If the concussion is divided up, how is integrity damage figured?
A: Arm rockets, reflex missiles (non-HP): 1 section
Antitank weapons (non-HP): 1 section
Anti-tank weapons (HP damage): divide among sections, divide integrity by section.
10% head, 30% chest, 20% abdomen, 10% each arm, 10% each leg.
Grenade concussion: divide as above; concussion does 0 integrity damage.
Smoke screens will only activate after you have taken that one initial laser hit, right?
Can they be activated manually?
Speaking of manual operation can the Life Shield Generator (cybertronic) be manually activated?
A: Yes; Yes; Yes.
How much does it cost to repair armor and armor options? What is the cost per point of AI repaired?
Can a reduced THR be repaired, and if so, what’s the cost?
What about repairing damaged Flex Points to regain lost Agility?
Can armor options be repaired, or must they be completely replaced?
A: The cost to repair integrity is (# of points lost)/(total points in suit) times the cost of the suit!
Each point of reduced THR counts as 3 points of AI (per section reduced).
Repairing Flex points costs 5% of armor cost.
Most armor options must be replaced; it depends on the damage but if repairable typical cost would be 50-75% of the option cost.
Is the 350 max. lift encumbrance (ENC) for the armor option hover system for each leg or total?
A: Total.
Do armor options such as a magnetic disruptor work through flux shields?
In essence, can they reduce damage which does not penetrate the shield?
A: Magnetic disruptor cannot be on at the same time as a flux shield.
Neither can an Anti-plas generator. You can mount both but they can’t be active at same time.
Our full conversion Furble (Battle chassis STR 200) wearing mechanized battle armor is toting a very heavy 1100 enc. implosion torpedo!
Is this possible (physics wise?) I mean picture something the size of 50 lb. trash can with arms carrying a weapon that is probably 6’ long and weighs half a ton! (By the way it also favors the devastator omega weapon too!)
A: It is possible with the wonders of anti-grav technology.
Can you physically push someone wearing a flux shield (by physical force or hurricane force winds)?
If so does that person get knocked back every time they are hit by a missile or concussive blast?
A: Yes; Yes.
If you grab a gun with your flux shield up does the flux shield envelope the weapon?
What if you grab a large weapon (PAWS) and then put your flux shield up, does your flux shield envelope the weapon and protect it too?
A: The flux shield can only extend up to 1ft. from your person; 2ft. for force shields or Life shield generator.
Can you engage in physical hand to hand attacks while wearing a flux shield?
Can you grab people or objects to grapple with then while wearing a flux shield?
A: Yes; Yes.
Can you mega glue things to flux shields?
A: No.
Flux shields block kinetic attacks. Does that also include the concussion from explosions, or is that treated like damage from an Omega weapon?
A: All concussion is treated the same, so it will do full to a flux shield.
In addition kinetic based attacks from chainguns do half damage and attacks such as anti-tank weapons, missiles, tank shells, rockets, or gauss/carousel weapons do full damage.
What is the integrity reduction when using the armor option Talons?
A: 1 per hit.
You can fire out of a flux shield with energy weapons without affecting it, but cannot fire into it.
How does this work?
A: It has to be linked to the weapons so it drops for a split second during discharge over the part covering the weapon barrel.
Does Direct Fire skill add to the accuracy of arm rockets and reflex missiles that have flat to-hit percentages at all ranges?
A: Yes, if the target is in line of sight only.
Will an Auto-Doc administer a BRI to a wounded patient if that patient has been previously injected with a BRI within the last 24 hours?
(If so, the patient risks BRI addiction ... ?)
A: The Auto-Doc will administer as programmed. It will definitely inject for life threatening injuries; other parameters can be set as people wish.
Are arm rockets/reflex missiles negated by flux shields, or do they inflict their normal damage to the shield?
A: They inflict full damage.
Can you use a PDS with armor? If so, does the armor take damage first then the shield, or vice-versa?
A: Yes; Shield takes damage before armor just as with a flux shield.
Note that you cannot use a PDS with any armor option that generates a field (anti-plas, flux shield, anti-mag) unless the armor option is inactive.
Rebreathers! Why do characters have to buy all these O2 (or methane) tanks with a mere 8 hours of air?
Modern rebreathers can recycle the air contained in one tank for days!
You’d think that by the Twenty-Third century that this would have been further improved or even replaced with a more efficient system!
A: Better systems are available for a higher cost!
There is no mention of crawlers or walkers in any of the Battlelords books. What are they?
Do the initials “HD” next to them in GU mean Humpty-Dumpty? And if so what are Humpty-Dumpties?
Please don’t say that they’re crawlers and walkers.
A: Humpty-Dumpties are large ultra armors which will appear in the vehicles book.
They formerly appeared in Lock-N-Load. They are roughly comparable to personal tanks.
There are 2 types, crawlers and walkers. We determined that it would be better to move them to a vehicles book.
One of the players in our group, the one who never seems to be either “gravitationally inconvenienced” or “gravitationally challenged”, not to mention being “bulk independent” would like to know if they can wear more than one Grav-Belt, and if not, can you put a Grav-Belt on various pieces of equipment (like big, big guns).
It should be noted that this (admittedly strong) female Orion, got caught carrying:
- 1 XM-214
- 1 Barret M82
- 1 Nitro Express
- 1 Night Stalker
- 6 arm rockets, plus 24 in backpack
- 1 BS-2
- Savage-B
- 1 Hussein Laser Shotgun
- 1 Core Static Pistol
A: No, their effects override each other and you have the same net effect as one Grav-Belt.
You may purchase special A-Grav generators to fit to specific weapons.
Also, note that a person carrying all of that will triple the required time to draw a weapon. (GU2)
Does a PDS work exactly like a flux shield, i.e. APW’s do no damage?
A: Yes.
There is a lot of discussion about flux shields. I thought that all kinetic weapon attacks were negated. Is this correct?
For example, a Browning .50 cal machine gun, would this have no effect?
A: All kinetic attacks which are from pistols, rifles, or such are negated.
All hand to hand attacks and archaic hand attacks which do less than 12 points of damage are negated.
However, bullets from vehicle-class weapons (machine guns, chainguns) do full damage, as do any hand attacks inflicting at least 12 points. So a Browning .50 cal would do full damage to a flux shield, as would a berserk Ram.
If the Ashanti’s armor costs double, does this means the AR and AI are divided between the arms like for the Phentari?
A: Yes they are still divided.
Is the cost for helmets affected by the size class?
A: Yes.
If I use an open face helmet, how do I know if the bullet hits the helmet first?
A: Roll location before applying damage. If the location is 91-96 it hits the face. 97-00 are against the helmet.
When is a helmet considered heavy armor(half damage from lasers...)?
A: THR 7.
Can a mazian use some sort of infiltrator armor?
A: Sure.
Does it cost something to maintain your armor?
A: If it takes damage, yes. Otherwise it is negligible.
When a Mazian is in mechanized body armor, which are little tanks, do you mean....
a. they have “mechanized armor” like MBA or
b. their armor has been mechanized (taken a suit similar to combat 2, and thrown it on a go-cart like frame?
A: a. Actually it refers to all heavy armors, which in this case are all mechanized for mazians.
b. No, see a.
