Armor:
According to the Light Helmet entry in the ACKS Companion, wearing armor without a helmet reduces the AC by 1 (I’m curious how that rule interacts with hide and fur armor…). Since wearing a helmet seems to be the exception rather than the rule among road warrior types (and among my vain players) I want to flip this around and make wearing a helmet an opt-in rather than opt-out choice. So here’s my optional armor table:
Example - AC - Enc - Cost - Minimum Class Armor Selection Required
Clothing - 0 - n/a - n/a - Forbidden
Leather - 1 - 1 st - 10gp - Narrow
Scale - 2 - 2 st - 20gp - Broad
Chain - 3 - 3 st - 30gp - Broad
Lamellar - 4 - 4 st - 40gp - Unrestricted
Plate - 5 - 5 st - 50gp - Unrestricted
Light Helmet - +1 - 1 st - 10gp - Restricted
Heavy Helmet - +1 - 1 st - 20gp - Restricted
Shield - +1 - 1 st - 10gp - Restricted + Weapon & Shield Fighting Style
Post-apocalyptic soldiers in the armies of highly civilized realms wear various historical styles of armor (such as the ones listed in ACKS) that have been either consciously copied from the Ancients’ records of their own history or convergently reinvented by post-apocalyptic armorers.
Bandits, raiders, mutants, poor mercenaries and adventurers, and other unsavory sorts wear armor more reminiscent of Fallout or The Road Warrior, which is generally known as wastelander armor.
Wastelander Armor: Cost, encumberance, and required armor selection is the same as for historical armor with the same AC.
~ AC1: Leathers (often black), thick hides and furs, a motley patchwork outfit stitched together from the remnants of a dozen or more ruined armored jumpsuits, or a leather duster lined with the remains of several ruined armored jumpsuits.
~ AC2: As AC1, but augmented with rigid pieces that protect one or more arms, legs, or shoulders. These rigid pieces could be mail or plate scavenged from suits of historical armor, ancient pieces scavenged from ruined suits of ancient battle armor or powered armor, or crude pieces fashioned from scrap metal or the bones, shells, or exoskeletons of heavily armored mutant monsters.
~ AC3: As AC2, but with but with rigid protection for the chest and back as well. This could be a breastplate or mail vest.
~ AC4: As AC3, with rigid protection for the chest and back, both arms, both legs, and both shoulders.
There is no AC5 wastelander armor.
Relic Armor: All peices must be tuned up every year like other ancient relics.
Armored Jumpsuit: AC2, Enc 0, Narrow armor selection. Can be worn consealed beneath normal clothing.
Ancient Battle Armor: AC4, Enc 2, Broad armor selection. A heavier armored jumpsuit augmented with a rigid breastplate composed of advanced materials and matching arm, leg, and shoulder protection. And pockets.
Powered Armor: AC6, Enc 2, Unrestricted armor selection. A full suit (sans helmet) of rigid armor composed of advanced materials and augmented with internal motors to reduce its effective encumberance. The wearer’s effective STR is increased by 2, and he does not have to rest every 6th turn while exploring.
Powered Assault Armor: AC8, Enc 3, Unrestricted armor selection. A full suit (sans helmet) of rigid armor composed of advanced materials and augmented with internal motors to reduce its effective encumberance. The wearer’s effective STR is increased by 2, and he does not have to rest every 6th turn while exploring.
Ancient Helmet: +1 AC, ENC 1, Restricted armor selection. A relatively open helmet with a trasparent visor, this device provides 60’ infravision and also serves as a set of display goggles (see Relic Communications Equipment).
Powered Helmet: +1 AC, ENC 1, Restricted armor selection. A heavy helmet that fully encloses the head, this device provides a +2 bonus on d20 rolls made on the mortal wounds table and 60’ infravision, and also serves as a set of display goggles (see Relic Communications Equipment). When worn with a suit of power armor, it also provides the wearer with breathable air (uncontaminated by poison, radiation, or pathogens) at a comforatble temperature and pressure.
Shield Glove: +2 AC, ENC 0, Restricted armor selection plus weapon and shield fighting style. This device projects a hardened force field in the shape of a shield (usually but not always round). It’s predictive AI activates the shield when the wearer rolls initiative.