AC or DR

[Merlion]

[I don't like DR]



And they all are annoying. DR should go away; damage arithmatic is tedious enough without it.

So we should go back to the "cant be hit by less than a XXX weapon" system for creatures like demons, vampires etc? So that they are totally invulnerable to non spellcasters without the right weapon?


"damage arithmetic" is really not that hard...and DR doesnt really add much at all to it. I used the Armor as DR system from UA...its quite simply. subtract 2 or 3 or 4 from the damage. No biggy

 

[jsewell]

There should also be a class-based Defense bonus that does make you harder to hit

Unearthed Arcana p. 110 table 4-1.

 

[Roadkill101]

Armor=DR (damage type irrelevant). I use my own point buy system as a GM, and I set it up where Armor reduces damage with it's own set of hit points to make players spend some of that money on armor upkeep and repair (I don't allow characters to buy much more than minor magical items, so they need somewhere to spend that loot they carry around).
I like the concept of armor type vs. damage type, but my combat system is is slow enough as I have it now.

 

[argo]

Armor = DR (damage type irrelevant)

I am a big fan of the Conan RPG's treatment of armor: armor = DR, class/level based defense bonus, weapons have an Armor Penetration rating that reduces the effects of armor and using finesse for your attack is an option built into the combat system (instead of a feat) which allows you to bypass DR. Its the full package IMNSHO.

Later.

 

[DragonLancer]

Staright and simple, I like the AC as it currently stands.

 

[tristan_tewksbury]

There should also be a class-based Defense bonus that does make you harder to hit

I would actually prefer a system much like fighting defensively... you can give up part of your BAB as AC. If you really want to hit someone you go all out and suffer with a lower AC. If you are worried about someone who dishes out a lot of damage, you take a penalty to hit in order to increase the chance of not getting hit.

 

[drothgery]

So we should go back to the "cant be hit by less than a XXX weapon" system for creatures like demons, vampires etc? So that they are totally invulnerable to non spellcasters without the right weapon?

No. I'd do things like "any weapon can hit a werewolf; silver weapons have a +4 to hit them" or come up with something creative that doesn't involve devising another mechanic for avoiding damage.

"damage arithmetic" is really not that hard...and DR doesnt really add much at all to it. I used the Armor as DR system from UA...its quite simply. subtract 2 or 3 or 4 from the damage. No biggy

Note that I said tedious, not hard; there's nothing complicated about a lot of adding and subtracting, as long as you don't forget a step in there somewhere. But it's one more thing to add and substract.

 

[Talmun]

Well, strictly speaking, I'm of the opinion that armor should reduce damage taken...Unless I'm playing D&D. D&D's abstract combat and armor-as-defense just make a good couple. Changing that, especially switching completely to armor as DR would have detrimental effects on the game, IMO.

 

[Victim]

I don't care as long as the system is designed to support whichever mechanic it uses. For example, without alot of changes, armor as DR doesn't work with d20. Power attack turn the drop in AC into extra damage that then blows through the DR. It works even better with 2 handed weapons. Without proper implementation, all you do is hose certain character concepts. Doing armor as DR requires alot of thought in setting up damage and DR ranges, attacks versus defense, # of attacks, etc.

And armor does reduce damage. If you're playing your fighter, keep track of all the stuff that would "hit" you without your armor and roll the damage. That's how much damage your armor stopped.

 

[wingsandsword]

Having seen it in play in Star Wars, Iron Heroes, and using is as a variant in a D&D campaign, I'll definitely say I like Armor as DR. Armor shouldn't make you harder to hit, it should make you harder to hurt.

DR other than /- is possible, ideally I'd like to see it as
Nonmagical Armor: /Magic or Adamant
Nonmagical Adamant Armor: /Magic and Adamant
Magic Armor: /Epic
Magical Adamant Armor: /Epic and Adamant
Epic Armor: /-

One of the few things I don't like about IH is the roll-a-die DR, since it adds more dice rolling to combat, which I don't care for, I'd rather it be a fixed number just for ease of use. I can see why they implemented it, but I wouldn't have done it in their place.