Damage Threshold

Damage Threshold is a combat statistic in Fallout, Fallout 2, and Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel. It was removed in Fallout 3, leaving Damage Resistance as the only armor statistic. However, it was restored in Fallout: New Vegas.

Any damage taken is reduced by this amount. Damage threshold can be increased by wearing armor.

Note, however, the difference from armor class, which helps dodge the attack, and damage resistance, which reduces damage by a certain percentage after the damage threshold.

Fallout: New Vegas
In Fallout: New Vegas, a red shield appears next to a target's health meter when you hit it for damage that is equal to or less than the target's damage threshold. A HUD-colored shield appears next to the player's health meter when the player is hit for damage equal to or less than the player's damage threshold.