FUSION AGE ARMOR

The following armors are available at PL 6 and later.

Light Combat Armor

Light combat armor provides less protection than later, heavier types, but also allows increased mobility. Most light combat armors consist of a reinforced blast vest, shoulder and upper arm pads, thigh and abdomen pads, and kneepads. Some light combat armors also include helmets and visors, though not all incorporate this aspect of the armor.

Scout Armor

Scout armor is similar in many ways to light combat armor, but with a few notable exceptions. Scout armor is painted with camouflage patterns: woodland, desert, winter (primarily white), urban (gray patterned), and black are available. When worn in an appropriate setting, the armor grants a +2 bonus on Hide checks.

Additionally, scout armor lacks the kneepads and legwear of the light combat armor, increasing mobility but decreasing protection to the lower body. Scout armor more often incorporates survival gadgets as fits the terrain for which it is designed.

Survival Suit

The survival suit is the natural evolution of wilderness survival gear popularized in the Information Age. Thanks to the continued miniaturization of technology along with advancements in chemical engineering, the survival suit allows its wearer to function for days or even weeks on end without a source of water or rations. The basic premise of the survival suit is that in order to continue living in harsh environments the human body must conserve and recycle resources. As a result, the survival suit, which looks much like a modern-day wetsuit covered with matte-black pads, is able to control the intake and waste of the human body in an efficient manner.

Water is stored in small pouches all over the survival suit and can be drawn through a small tube that protrudes from the collar; the suit recycles sweat and urine (which it chemically purifies) and then refills those pouches as needed. The outside of the survival suit bears a number of partially reflective black pads, which absorb solar energy and heat and store that energy in tiny heat cells throughout the suit. If the temperature begins to drop, these heat cells can release energy and sustain a comfortable temperature for the human body for up to 8 hours without needing to recharge. If these cells are empty, the suit also has chemical pouches that can be activated one time for another 8 hours of heat. A tiny intravenous feeding system provides nourishment when rations and food run out for up to six days. Tiny fans and vents built into the suit cool the body in temperatures of extreme heat without losing any body moisture.