Armor details clarification

[Sty0pa]

CSC p13: "...Poly carapace armour imposes DM-1 to all skill checks that require physical action. More advanced lightweight versions are also available that are less bulky, do not restrict movement, but still provides a better protection."
There are 3 listed:
Poly carapace TL10
Lightweight " " TL11
Advanced "" TL13
Does ONLY the TL10 have the -1 impairment? They all improve in armor value so there's no clear detent where the 'more flexible' bit is implemented.

Other question: Cloth Armor says it can be worn under other armor - including full suites (ala Combat armor)?

Finally, the anti-energy armors say that they can be worn over any other armor, so could one then wear (cloth)+(something)+(anti energy armor)?

Feels like the 'cloth goes under anything' is one way of backward-compatible'ing with the standard old cloth/reflec of olden times, but then the 'energy armor goes atop anything else' does that AGAIN leaving the armor layering in a rather muddle.

 

[Arkathan]

Pg 14 of the CSC 2023 update clarifies that TL11+ has no DM-1 to checks.
I think they also cut out cloth armor stacking.

 

[hopsnbaer]

Pg 14 of the CSC 2023 update clarifies that TL11+ has no DM-1 to checks.
I think they also cut out cloth armor stacking.

They cut TL12 Cloth armor completely. You could still buy it at higher TL to defeat scanners, but there is no armor stack benefit.

 

[Arkathan]

They cut TL12 Cloth armor completely. You could still buy it at higher TL to defeat scanners, but there is no armor stack benefit.

I thought I remembered that, but I was making supper when posting and figured someone else could look that up, since the alarm on the stove was demanding my attention.

 

[swordtart]

JTAS 12 in the article "Suits You" provides some alternative options for armouring normal clothes. These can offer somewhat better protection than the Protec Suit in a similarly discrete format. As these are classed as clothes your referee might allow them to be worn under armour. Personally I would consider them to be armour in the same way a Protec Suit is.

The cloth trench coat can be worn over any 1 suit of standard armour (which includes poly carapace). The disadvantage of it vs. normal cloth is it looks like armour but if you are wearing combat armour anyway, that won't be a concern.

The cloth trench coat can of course be worn over conventional cloth armour as well and if that is the TL10 version will provide more protection than light carapace alone, more cheaply, more discretely and at a lower TL.

Since the Diplo Vest can be worn under a normal shirt, I would infer that it could also be worn under any armour. If you accept this interpretation you could not triple stack with a trench coat as that can be worn over only ONE layer of standard armour. You could however triple layer Diplo Vest, Protect Suit (or another JTAS12 armoured suit of 1 KG or less) and a Cloth Jacket as the cloth jacket only specifies a weight limit of 1KG of other armour not a number of layers.