Face mask

The face mask is a piece of apparel added by the Biotech DLC.

Acquisition

Face masks can be crafted at a Hand tailor bench or Electric tailor bench once the Complex clothing research project has been completed. They require 10 Stuff (Fabric) and 800 ticks (13.33 secs) of work.

Summary

Face masks increase Toxic Environment Resistance by +50%, halving the severity gain from tox gas, toxic fallout, rot stink, and pollution. It does not protect from diseases, which are not contagious between pawns in RimWorld, nor does it prevent toxic buildup from attacks such as the cobra's bite. Quality does not impact this resistance.

Does not count as clothing for nudity. Wearable by both children and adults.

Analysis

Face masks are relatively niche, but are very cheap to craft. As they only cover the jaw, they can be worn with a simple helmet or flak helmet. Unless full face headgear, like a gas mask or marine helmet is desired, there is little reason not to include face masks as a part of a default outfit.

Due to the AP of most threats a colony faces, face masks offer essentially no protection from attacks unless made from high end materials, namely devilstrand and hyperweave. Even then, the face mask only covers the jaw, a small non-vital body part that can be replaced by a denture if destroyed. Usually, these high-end materials are better used for dusters and other protective apparel. Even when you have a surplus, face masks contribute towards wealth, increasing the size of raids. Therefore, the cheapest materials should be used.

Other than its use against toxic fallout or pollution, toxic resistance is useful for fighting manhunter packs and waster pirates. Scaria will cause manhunter corpses to instantly rot, which can infect colonists with lung rot, even during the battle. Meanwhile, wasters have a tendency to use tox gas weaponry against your colonists.

Comparisons

The gas mask offers 80% Toxic Environmental Resistance, which equates to ×2.5 less toxins than the face mask. But as the face mask does not block helmets, it is much better for casual use. A face mask alone is usually enough to protect against rot stink, toxic fallout, and outdoors tox gas. For heavy-duty purposes, such as in an extended toxic fallout or when using tox grenades, the gas mask may be preferred. In terms of armor, the gas mask itself offers virtually 0 physical protection, even at legendary quality.

The Partial Antitoxic Lungs gene offers the same +50% Toxic Environmental Resistance at the cost of −1 metabolic efficiency. Both gene and face mask can be combined for 100% protection. Total Antitoxic Lungs gene offers full immunity to toxic gas, at the cost of −3 metabolic efficiency. Both genes allow you to have toxic protection whilst wearing power armor helmets. Overall, the metabolic cost for these genes are small, but the real challenge is finding or extracting a genepack with either gene.

In the late game, you'll have access detoxifier kidneys or detoxifier lungs. These are expensive, and generally less important to install than other bionic parts. But, once you can afford them, 2 detoxifier lungs can offer full resistance against any environmental effect, whilst allowing pawns to wear power armor helmets. Other than cost, there is no downside to either implant.

Material table

Material	Sharp	Blunt	Heat	Item HP	Insulation - Cold	Insulation - Heat	Market Value
Alpaca wool Face mask	7.2%	0%	22%	40	-0.6 °C (-1.1 °F)	+0.32 °C (0.6 °F)	41
Bison wool Face mask	7.2%	0%	22%	40	-0.52 °C (-0.9 °F)	+0.24 °C (0.4 °F)	30
Cloth Face mask	7.2%	0%	3.6%	40	-0.36 °C (-0.6 °F)	+0.36 °C (0.6 °F)	18
Devilstrand Face mask	28%	7.2%	60%	52	-0.4 °C (-0.7 °F)	+0.48 °C (0.9 °F)	58
Hyperweave Face mask	40%	10.8%	57.6%	96	-0.52 °C (-0.9 °F)	+0.52 °C (0.9 °F)	93
Megasloth wool Face mask	16%	0%	22%	40	-0.68 °C (-1.2 °F)	+0.24 °C (0.4 °F)	30
Muffalo wool Face mask	7.2%	0%	22%	40	-0.56 °C (-1 °F)	+0.24 °C (0.4 °F)	30
Sheep wool Face mask	7.2%	0%	22%	40	-0.52 °C (-0.9 °F)	+0.2 °C (0.4 °F)	30
Synthread Face mask	18.8%	5.2%	18%	52	-0.44 °C (-0.8 °F)	+0.44 °C (0.8 °F)	43

^{Assuming Normal quality, for the effect of other qualities, see Quality.}

Version history

Biotech DLC Release - Added.

Apparel

Torso | Clothing: Button-down shirt • T-shirt (Kid ) • Tribalwear (Kid )
: Corset • Eltex shirt • Eltex vest • Formal vest • Formal shirt
: Slave collar
: Sash • Kid romper
Armor: Flak vest
Legs | Clothing: Pants (Kid )
Armor: Flak pants
Shell | Clothing: Duster • Jacket • Parka (Kid )
: Cape • Eltex robe • Prestige robe
: Burka • Robe • Slave body strap
: Heavy bandolier
Armor: Flak jacket • Marine armor (Prestige , Grenadier ) • Plate armor • Recon armor (Prestige , Locust , Mechlord ) • Cataphract armor (Prestige , Phoenix )
Head | Clothing: Bowler hat • Cowboy hat • Hood • Psychic foil helmet • Tuque • Tribal headdress • Veil • War mask
: Beret • Coronet • Crown • Eltex helmet • Eltex skullcap • Ladies hat • Stellic crown • Top hat
: Authority cap • Blindfold • Broadwrap • Flophat • Headwrap • Shadecone • Slicecap • Tailcap • Torture crown • Visage mask
: Airwire headset • Array headset • Gas mask • Face mask
: Ceremonial hood
Armor: Flak helmet • Marine helmet (Prestige/Samurai helmet ) • Recon helmet (Prestige , Mechlord ) • Simple helmet (Kid ) • Cataphract helmet (Prestige ) • Gunlink • Integrator headset • Mechcommander helmet