Does Shielding Skin have, like, a point?

[DMurnett]

Characters, without exception, want some form of armor, which have improvements at the same levels (and actually, as currently written, earlier) that give you an equal item bonus to AC. Casters don't want to run around unarmored when they have Light Armor proficiency now. Plated Vesks at least aren't wearing tech armor, but they do get access to Resiliency runes as normal so they get the same item bonus too. Not to mention, having literally anything, even a Flight Suit, is preferable to dying in the icy cold vacuum of space in the event that the air locks crap out or something.

I can't think of a single scenario in this system where a character would actually rather wear nothing than have armor. Not least of all because there's no augment to get a similar item bonus to AC or basic environmental protections. If there were I could almost envision some absolute madman of a Solarian or Operative going for it as a meme build but no such luck. I'm surprised we're getting stuff that's more pointless than the pre-remaster Bracers of Armor were.

[DMurnett]

Cardiac Accelerator too! Does Paizo just not realize that as-written, certain things don't grant you a better benefit than armor of the same level?

[DMurnett]

You know what? As the creator of this thread I hereby dedicate it to general augmentation discussion, not just this specific topic. Now then, Moodskin shouldn't count against your augment limit. Prosthetics don't, and neither does the equally utilitarian but not mechanically enhancing Autorecognition Lens. I almost wanna say the fact that this one does is a misprint.

[DMurnett]

Translocation Brace loses functionality going from Commercial to Tactical. At least, the general precedent is that higher level gear has to specify that it's capable of doing what an earlier version can.

[Nezuyo]

DMurnett wrote:

I can't think of a single scenario in this system where a character would actually rather wear nothing than have armor.

This might be my old cyberpunk brain talking but I really thing that in most social situations, it would be considered a faux pas to be fully armed and armoured, especially in "civilized" space, so to speak.

Good luck getting through security scanners wearing that Defiance series armor.

[Xenocrat]

There's plenty of spells, magic items, and armor upgrades to disguise armor, plus special kinds of armor that look like business attire.

Heavy can be more easily restricted, but then you're just punishing some builds more than others. And you're publishing augmentation gear suitable only for weird bespoke campaigns or infiltation missions.

[25speedforseaweedleshy]

it was very weird since there are no permanent item bonus ac among the augment

so there is no replacing armor with augment

there are also so many untyped source of speed in playtest even when
they should obviously be item or status

[Nezuyo]

Xenocrat wrote:

Heavy can be more easily restricted, but then you're just punishing some builds more than others.

TBQH I think that's fine. I think that sometimes, in order for certain options to shine, others have to be made less favourable. Not an always thing, but certainly a sometimes thing, especially in modern/sci-fi settings.

Like your comment of special armoured business clothing. Why have that when the carbon skin or the Estrex suit is basically better. Sometimes, situational things are fine.

Anyways, back to topic at hand: Yes, I do think it's strange there's no AC augment. Would like one/combined one for it.