Protection in Starfield comes in various forms: spacesuits, helmets, and boost packs for environmental hazards and combat, and apparel for cosmetic purposes.
Armor Components:
- Spacesuits: Provide overall damage resistance (Physical, Energy, EM) and environmental protection (Thermal, Corrosive, Airborne, Radiation).
- Helmets: Essential for breathing in hazardous environments and provide additional damage resistance.
- Boost Packs: Allow for boosted jumps and provide some damage resistance. Different types (Basic, Balanced, Power, Skip) offer varying jump capabilities.
Armor Rarities & Modifiers:
Similar to weapons, armor also comes in different rarities (Common, Calibrated, Refined, Advanced, Legendary) with increasing stats and unique modifiers (e.g., 'Chameleon,' 'Sentinel,' 'Mechanized'). These modifiers can provide stealth bonuses, damage reduction, or increased carrying capacity.
Environmental Protection:
Each armor piece has ratings for Thermal, Corrosive, Airborne, and Radiation resistance. When landing on a planet with environmental hazards, your suit will protect you up to a certain threshold. If the hazard level exceeds your protection, you'll start accumulating status effects.
Armor Modding:
At an Armor Workbench, you can apply various mods to your spacesuits, helmets, and boost packs. These mods can improve environmental resistance, add utility features (e.g., extra storage), or enhance combat performance. Researching 'Spacesuit Design' skills unlocks more advanced mods.
Apparel:
Apparel (clothing) is purely cosmetic and offers no defensive benefits. It's worn underneath your spacesuit in safe zones and can be used to customize your character's look.