The Weight of Iron and Bone: Armor in Afterglow
Steel doesn’t stop death — it just slows it down. Out here, nothing makes you invincible. A blade can slide between plates, a bullet can punch through old kevlar, and a lucky swing can find the soft of your neck no matter what you’re wearing. Armor in Afterglow doesn’t turn you into a tank. It buys you a few more heartbeats. Sometimes that’s all you need.
When someone lands a hit on you, you take damage. That’s non-negotiable. The blood price is always paid. But the scraps and relics you wear can shave the edge off, turning a killing blow into a nasty bruise.
How It Works
Your defense begins with your own body: agility, instinct, and cover. Duck behind a rusted truck or dive into a ditch, and you might not get hit at all. But when the strike lands, armor is the only thing between you and a grave.
Armor in Afterglow soaks damage, piece by piece. Every bit of plating, every stitched hide or bent riot plate gives you Damage Reduction (DR). That number is what you shave off the top of an incoming hit.
- Light gear — leather jackets, padded cloth, bone shin wraps. DR 1–2.
- Medium gear — kevlar vests, riot helmets, reinforced scrap. DR 2–3. Slows you by a step or two each round.
- Heavy gear — bolted car doors, fragments of power armor, welded plate. DR 4–5. You’ll lumber like a refrigerator, but you’ll live.
You can wear three kinds of protection at once:
- Head — helmets, masks, visors.
- Torso — vests, cuirasses, scavenged chest rigs.
- Legs — greaves, scrap plating, armored trousers.
Add them together. That’s your DR. A juggernaut, fully plated head to toe, can reach DR 15, but they move slow enough to get outpaced by children.
Shields are different. They don’t absorb damage — they stop it from ever landing. A scrap door, riot shield, or bullet-proof relic adds to your chance of avoiding a hit, not to your DR.
The Iron Rule
No matter what you strap to your body, a hit is a hit. Damage never drops below 1. The world finds a way in. Maybe the blade rattles your teeth through the helm, maybe the bullet glances off and cracks your ribs anyway. The dice of fate demand blood, even if it’s only a trickle.
Living With It
Armor changes how you move, how you fight, how you’re seen.
- Light armor marks you as quick and desperate. You’re counting on your legs more than your plates.
- Medium armor is the balance — a kevlar vest or riot gear keeps you alive without turning you into a statue.
- Heavy armor makes you a walking target. Everyone hears you coming. Everyone aims for your joints. But when the bullets start flying, your enemies whisper prayers that they’re not standing in front of you.
Judges: remember that armor isn’t just numbers. A player in a full scrap suit isn’t sneaking anywhere. A cult leader in a pristine exo-helm isn’t just hard to kill — they look like a god to those who’ve never seen tech that pure.
Head Armor
| Item | Type | DR | Move Penalty | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloth Hood / Bandana | Light | 1 | 0 | 2 | Dust, sun, minor padding |
| Welding Goggles & Cap | Light | 1 | 0 | 4 | Eye protection, light impact only |
| Scrap Helmet | Light | 2 | 0 | 6 | Pot-metal, makeshift |
| Kevlar Helmet | Medium | 2 | -2’ | 20 | Old ballistic helmet |
| Riot Helmet (visor) | Medium | 3 | -2’ | 25 | Face shield, chin guard |
| Motorcycle Helmet | Medium | 2 | -2’ | 18 | Bulky but protective |
| Miner’s Hardhat | Medium | 2 | -2’ | 15 | Headlamp often missing |
| Scrap Plate Helm | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 35 | Loud, clunky, salvaged |
| Powered Exo Helm | Heavy | 5 | -5’ | 60 | Rare relic tech, sealed |
| Hazmat Hood (reinforced) | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 40 | Rare sealed environment gear |
Torso Armor
| Item | Type | DR | Move Penalty | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leather Jacket / Duster | Light | 1 | 0 | 5 | Common scavver wear |
| Padded Vest | Light | 2 | 0 | 8 | Cloth, hide, stuffed padding |
| Spiked Raider Vest | Light | 2 | 0 | 10 | Scrap metal studs |
| Kevlar Vest | Medium | 2 | -2’ | 25 | Old ballistic vest |
| Flak Jacket | Medium | 3 | -2’ | 28 | Military surplus |
| Riot Gear Vest | Medium | 3 | -2’ | 30 | Reinforced plates |
| Scrap Plate Cuirass | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 40 | Salvaged, crude |
| Car Door Harness | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 35 | Bolted car doors |
| Powered Chest Harness | Heavy | 5 | -5’ | 70 | Rare tech, sealed |
| Hazmat Torso Suit (rein.) | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 50 | Rare, fragile seals |
Leg Armor
| Item | Type | DR | Move Penalty | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canvas Pants | Light | 1 | 0 | 4 | Minimal protection |
| Reinforced Work Pants | Light | 2 | 0 | 6 | With leather padding |
| Raider’s Bone Shin Wraps | Light | 2 | 0 | 8 | Decorative but functional |
| Kevlar Leggings | Medium | 2 | -2’ | 20 | Rare finds |
| Riot Greaves | Medium | 3 | -2’ | 25 | Shinguards, knee plates |
| Sports Pads (repurposed) | Medium | 2 | -2’ | 15 | Hockey/football gear |
| Scrap Plate Leggings | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 35 | Loud, crude |
| Chain-Wrapped Greaves | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 30 | Chains strapped to legs |
| Powered Exo Greaves | Heavy | 5 | -5’ | 60 | Rare tech |
| Hazmat Leggings (rein.) | Heavy | 4 | -5’ | 45 | Sealed, bulky |
Shields (Add AC, not DR)
| Item | AC Bonus | Move Penalty | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wooden Board / Scrap | +1 | 0 | 5 | Breakable |
| Metal Trashcan Lid | +1 | 0 | 6 | Noisy, dented |
| Wicker Shield | +1 | 0 | 4 | Lightweight, flammable |
| Metal Riot Shield | +2 | 0 | 20 | Durable |
| Scrap Door Shield | +2 | 0 | 15 | Car door or appliance |
| Satellite Dish Shield | +2 | 0 | 18 | Oddly effective |
| Ballistic Shield | +3 | 0 | 40 | Rare, bullet-resistant |
| Transparent Plasteel | +3 | 0 | 45 | Rare tech, light |
| Scrap Tower Shield | +3 | 0 | 30 | Huge, cumbersome |
| Ritual Shield (painted) | +1 | 0 | 10 | Ceremonial, intimidating |