Abysium Armor for Starfinder First Edition (Patreon)

Starfinder First Edition specifically assumes that special materials like adamantine are already used in armor construction to the greatest degree possible in each suit, so there's no need for special adamantine rules such as exist in the feudal fantasy version of the game. But some people adore having options, including fantasy terms having game mechanical effects in science-fantasy games. And, I admit, I am one of those people.

So, I'm doing special armor materials for Starfinder First Edition. Links to all my Starfinder special materials for armor articles can be found, along with links to many other Starfinder entries, at the Paying-Patreon Exclusive Starfinder First Edition Index.

Special Armor Materials

Armor made of special materials can only be made of ONE special material. You can't have your armor benefit from being made of both adamantine and mithral, though legends claim there was once a special material that acted as both, called dragonsteel...

Special Armor Material: Abysium

Abysium armor replaces most of the materials normally used in the armor's construction with the energy-radiating, biology-disrupting metal known as abysium, and those expanded environmental seals needed to prevent that abysium from sicking the wearer and anyone he touches.

Price is increased by +25%

Abysium sickens creatures exposed to it without the proper protections. If the wearer of a suit of abysium armor has taken wounds (not just stamina), and their armor has any hp of damage on it, the wearer is sickened until the wearer no longer has wounds of damage, or the armor no long has hp damage on it.

If a suit of anysium has hp damage on it, and it is in a grapple with a creature of its size or smaller, that creature is sickened while in the grapple. This effect is negated for targets using the standard environmental seals common to armor.

Abysium armor's radiant, bright, energy-generating composition means no property or upgrade of the armor can grant bonuses to Stealth or any form of energy resistance. If such an upgrade is added, it ceases working while installed in the abysium armor.

Light abysium armor generates one charge per round, and heavy abysium armor generates two. Because of the unstable nature of these charges, they cannot be used to recharge standard removeable batteries. However, they can be used to pay the charge cost for equipment built into the armor, or attuned the armor and wielded by it (attunement takes 10 minutes and a successful Engineering check, DC 10 + armor level).

(Some stellar militaries have abysium-armored troops specifically to create units able to fight for long, long periods without resupply. These are often called Colbalt Killers, or Siege Soldiers. Art by likozor.)