Ballistic Armor

Ballistic Armor (TL9-11)

This armor uses flexible materials to resist high velocity projectile attacks as well as cutting blows. It's the ultra-tech successor to modern bulletproof vests. On a practical level, TL9+ ballistic armor's major advance is that it can provide full protection for areas other than the torso without sacrificing mobility.

Since bullets are among the most effective ways to deal damage at TL9-10, ballistic armor is widespread at these tech levels. At TL11+ it often declines in popularity, superseded by armor optimized against beam weapons.

Ballistic armor is flexible with a split DR: it provides full protection against piercing and cutting attacks, and uses its reduced DR against all other types of damage.

As material technology advances, ballistic armor continually improves. Examples of progressively-better ballistic armor types are reflex, nanoweave, and monocrys armor.

Reflex (TL9)

This ballistic armor is a fabric woven from para-aramid fibers (such as Kevlar), polyethylene, or synthetics inspired by the molecular structure of spider silk. It is soaked in a "shear thickening fluid" of hard ceramic nanoparticles suspended in liquid. During normal handling, the armor is very flexible, but when a bullet or fragment strikes it, it becomes a rigid material.

Nanoweave (TL10)

This armor is similar to reflex armor, but is reinforced for extra strength by woven carbon nanotubes. Nanoweave armor can be fitted with various accessories, using "smart" properties that can be engineered into it.

Monocrys (TL11)

This is a single-crystal weave of syn- thetic diamondoid fibers, also called "nanocrystal." It is very light, but diamondoid materials melt at high temperatures, which means that monocrys is not particularly useful against beam weapons.

For heavier, non-concealable versions of reflex, nanoweave, and monocrys, see the descriptions of tactical vests and tactical suits.

Concealable Ballistic Armor Table

TL	Armor	Location	DR	Cost	Weight	LC
9	Reflex Bodysuit	body, limbs	12/4*	$900	6	3
9	Reflex Gloves	hands	6/2*	$30	neg.	4
9	Reflex Jacket	arms, torso	12/4*	$450	3	3
9	Reflex Suit	all	12/4*	$1,200	8	3
9	Reflex Trousers	groin, legs	12/4*	$280	2.8	3
9	Reflex Vest	torso	12/4*	$300	2	3
10	Nanoweave Bodysuit	body, limbs	18/6*	$900	6	3
10	Nanoweave Gloves	hands	9/3*	$30	neg.	4
10	Nanoweave Jacket	arms, torso	18/6*	$450	3	3
10	Nanoweave Suit	all	18/6*	$1,200	8	3
10	Nanoweave Trousers	groin, legs	18/6*	$280	2.8	3
10	Nanoweave Vest	torso	18/6*	$300	2	3
11	Monocrys Bodysuit	body, limbs	24/8*	$900	6	3
11	Monocrys Gloves	hands	12/4*	$30	neg.	4
11	Monocrys Jacket	arms, torso	24/8*	$450	3	3
11	Monocrys Suit	all	24/8*	$1,200	8	4
11	Monocrys Trousers	groin, legs	24/8*	$280	2.8	3
11	Monocrys Vest	torso	24/8*	$300	2	3

*Flexible.