Threat Protection
High DR doesn’t provide much defense against chemical
weapons, great heat, microbes, and so on. These dangers
demand specialized protection that corresponds to particu-
lar advantages. Below are several common classes of
"threat protection" used in descriptions of protective gear:
Climate Control
The equipment provides protection against climatic extremes equivalent to the Temperature Tolerance advantage. Climate control systems remove waste heat as well as providing insulation and air conditioning. They extend the wearer's comfort zone to the range noted. If the suit is not sealed, treat as if it were merely air conditioned and insulated. If the wearer's own comfort zone is greater, the equipment may fail before its user does!
Air Supply
The equipment provides air for the wearer. The air supply times listed are an approximation (different people use air at different rates), and assume an external pressure of one atmosphere or less. For game purposes, assume that most adults use about the same amount of air per hour, and that children under 12 use half as much. It takes 10 seconds to hook up a tank and two seconds to jettison it. Air refills are $5 per hour, but most vehicles with life support systems incorporate air compressors that can top them up for free.
Glare-Resistant
The equipment screens out bright light. It is equivalent to Protected Vision, and works against the deleterious effects of "dazzle," "flash," and "strobe" weapons.
Hearing Protection
The equipment screens out noise, and is equivalent to Protected Hearing.
Radiation PF
The equipment has a radiation Protection Factor. Divide radiation by the PF before applying its effects, as if the user had Radiation Tolerance.
Pressurized
The equipment is resistant to pressures greater than one atmosphere. Pressurized comes in three levels, each equivalent in effect to a level of Pressure Support. This protects against crushing ocean depths and superdense atmospheres like those of Venus and Jupiter.
Sealed
Impervious to penetration by liquids and gases. This corresponds to the Sealed advantage. It prevents all harm from noncorrosive bioweapons, chemicals, and nano, as well as ordinary rust and waterlogging.
Vacuum Support
Protects the wearer or occupants from the deleterious effects associated with vacuum and decompression (other than lack of air). This corresponds with the Vacuum Support advantage.