Starfinder: Upgradeable Power Armor

Welcome back folks for another posting. Now this time around I’m going to expand on the Power Armor options in the Starfinder. Power armor first becomes an option for players once they hit level 4 (in or around) with the use of the cargo lifter. Now for some games you may want to let your players start with access to power armor at a much earlier point in the game...like level 1.

With the video game “Anthem” gaining some traction I wanted to come up with a particular type of power armor that players can take up and essentially “level up” as they play the game. Now in Anthem the power armors are called Javelins…so that name is off limits for my purposes here.

This new type of power armor is called the Aegis Frame.

The Aegis frame is an upgradeable frame, that the player can improve over time, upping its level at the cost of time and resources. These frames come in 3 different initial variations.

(It's tough to find power armor frames, so this is a stand in.)

Aegis Power Armor Frame
The Aegis is a modular specialization power armor. Created to be a versatile suit of power armor that is well suited for exploratory use by colonies and/or adventurers of a certain temperament.

The Aegis frame comes in 3 different variations that are noted as the mark 1, 2 or 3 variation. The armors are designed to be upgradeable, and anyone with the appropriate skills, tools, and materials can enhance and modify the armor to improve it’s over all functionality.

Appearance wise, the armor's customizability allows its appearance to vary based upon the interests and needs of the user.



STATS___________________MRK 1________MRK 2________MRK 3
EAC Bonus________________+2____________+3____________+4
KAC Bonus:_______________+4____________+3____________+2
Max DEX Bonus____________+1____________+2____________+2
Armor Check Penalty________-6_____________-5____________-4
Speed_____________________20ft___________30ft___________35ft
Strength___________________20 (+5)________18 (+4)________18 (+4)
Damage___________________1d8 B_________1d6 B__________1d6 B
Size______________________Medium---------------------------------->
Capacity___________________20---------------------------------------->
Usage_____________________1/hr--------------------------------------->
Weapon Slots_______________1------------------------------------------>
Upgrade Slots_______________2------------------------------------------>
Bulk______________________34____________20-------------------->

COST: 620 (regardless of armor mark)

Level: Each mark of power armor starts at level 1. To upgrade an armor to a new level requires an amount of materials equal to its base value (620), times the new level. The process for upgrading requires an Engineering skill roll, as if you were repairing the suit, but applying the suits attempted new level for figuring out the DC. You can attempt to make the roll with less materials but for every 50 value you are short you must increase the DC by 1.

When an armor is upgraded to a new level you need to decide what aspect of the armor is improved on, though there are some limits here as well. You can only upgrade the armor with 1 aspect enhancement per level.

• EAC/KAC: These may be increased once per 3 levels. You may apply a +2 to both stats, or a +4 to one stat.
• Max DEX: This may be increased by 1 every 2 levels but is limited to a maximum allowance of +6 possible. Note there are special conditions regarding Max DEX & Strength that are explained below.
• Armor Check Penalty: This may be lowered by 1, but only once every 5 levels.
• Speed: This can be increased by 5ft every 4 levels.
• Strength: This can only be increased by 2 every 4 levels. Note there are special conditions regarding Max DEX & Strength that are explained below. Additionally, increases in STR also impact the Bulk that the suit can handle.
• Damage: The damage for the power armor remains as is, but if the suit’s STR bonus is increased to +6 then you can increase the damage to 1d12 or 2d6 with an upgrade.
• Size: Size of the suit can be increased from medium to large at level 10, and one more time to huge size at level 15. Note that the size increase grants a 10ft reach to melee attacks made with the suit, however the increase in size also confers applicable penalties for said size increase.
• Capacity/Usage: This is one aspect of the suit that is not upgradeable. As part of the leveling up process the refinement of its energy draw is meant to be apart of that process so that there is no over draw of energy to run the suit. This does not mean that a higher capacity battery still can’t be plugged in, but this does not make it a level enhancement for the suit.
• Weapon/Upgrade Slots: You can add 1 new weapon & Upgrade slot for the suit every 5 levels.

Note that where it says you can add something at a certain level this means that if your armor will upgrade to be at that level or is over that level you can apply 1 upgrade of that type. Thus if you were to upgrade your armor to level 4, at that level you could apply 1 upgrade from any option that meets the level requirements.

--Max DEX Bonus vs. STR Bonus--
The Max DEX Bonus can be increased up to be equal to the base +4 of the Strength Mod, so long as the mod does not increase. The bonus can be increased beyond +4 up to a +6 for the Max DEX, but in doing so the armor’s STR Bonus cannot exceed a +4. If the STR Bonus is greater than +4 then the Max DEX Bonus is limited to +3.