I am working on a subsystem for my game that makes equipment (including weapons and armor) susceptible to damage. Like most of the rest of my system, I am trying to make it relatively streamlined and uncumbersome (i.e., I don't want people to have to manage a ton of accounting in this subsystem). I've hit a snag in a particular element, though, and would like some feedback.

All equipment has the potential to either become damaged or broken. Damaged means a reduce in effectiveness; whereas, broken means it can no longer be used until it's repaired. I have a basic mechanic that allows for such repairs -- both of damaged and broken items -- to happen without a lot of fuss. What I am coming up on, though, is that I'd like there to be a quality that allows items to resist being damaged.

There is the obvious option of having items that simply cannot be damaged and/or broken, and I'll likely add that in for some items (they'll be relatively rare or expensive, though, because that's pretty powerful). I am trying to think of a way, though, that items can resist a certain number or even just once instance in which that item would become damaged or broken. I don't believe that a once-per-day type mechanic fits with the style of the game, but it would be in a similar vein, I think.

In the end, I think my query is this: is there a way to allow a character to negate an item becoming damaged or broken on an irregular basis?