Chain-mail — This category covers most medium levels of metal armor, including scale and brigandine. True chain-mail is quite rare                               in the modern age, but many elders and some mortal Inquisitors keep a suit on hand.

Health levels: 2

Negative Traits: Heavy

Availability: Any. Chain-mail generally must be custom made, and it can cost upward of $500 or more.

 

 

Plate mail — Extremely expensive and hard to come by, these ornate suits of interlocking metal plates provide excellent protection                                   but sacrifice a great deal of mobility.

Health levels: 3

Negative Traits: Heavy, Clumsy

Availability: Any. Plate mail generally must be custom-ordered, and it can cost upward of $3000 or more.

 

 

Ballistic vest — This basic level of protection shields the wearer from some dangers, and it doesn’t attract the same kind of attention                                    that more complicated forms of armor are bound to bring.

Health levels: 2

Negative Traits: Heavy

Availability: Police 4, or Underworld 3

 

 

Reinforced (bulletproof) vest — The favored type of armor for military personnel and law enforcement officers expecting                                                                  dangerous situations, these vests provide excellent protection, even stopping many types of small arms fire.

Health levels: 3

Negative Traits: Heavy, Clumsy

Availability: Police 5, or Underworld 4

 

 

 

Ranged Combat

Many weapons allow a character to stand at a distance from a target and engage him in combat. If a character has surprised her opponent, even if she loses the first test, she has the option of calling for a second test. Once the second challenge is called, play continues as normal with that new challenge. The target is considered to be surprised for the first attack, and if he has no ranged weapon with which to return fire, he is considered “surprised” for as long as the aggressor can attack him without

facing resistance (that is, if he wins on a challenge, she doesn’t take damage).

If the target is aware of the attack before it happens, and he has a ranged weapon of his own, he is not considered to be surprised for the first attack. He may shoot back right away, and challenges are resolved as stated. After the first shot is fired (and the first challenge is resolved), the target may attempt to return fire (assuming he is armed). The loser of a firefight challenge loses a health level. Characters using the Athletics Ability to throw projectiles like knives or axes fall under the same rules for regular ranged combat, including cover. Questions of range should not be a problem, but if it becomes an issue use common sense, and don’t forget to make allowances for things like the Potence Discipline.

 

Cover

Fighting with ranged weapons allows combatants to stand some distance apart; participants can therefore “dive for cover.” When resolving each ranged combat challenge, each combatant can present one Trait of cover to add to his total number of Traits. These cover Traits may not be used for bidding, but they do add to a player’s total if Traits are compared. This cover can take the form of whatever obstacles are around and within reach. A Narrator might be required to describe what cover is around, unless the combatants can agree on what cover is available.  If cover is extensive, it may be worth more than one Trait. The number of Traits available for cover is left for challengers to agree on, or for a Narrator to decree. 

Hiding behind a boulder, for example, might be worth two Traits, while hiding behind a thin wood fence might only count as one. If one combatant goes completely under cover (he cannot be seen at all and is thoroughly protected), he is considered impossible to hit. The attacker must change his position to get a clear shot.