Level Up (A5E) Adding narrative satisfaction to armor

[Steampunkette]

Had a thought for a quickie homebrew after listening to someone else's much more complex Armor Homebrew. Wanted to share it.

1) All melee and ranged weapon attacks add Proficiency Bonus to damage.
2) All armor provides a Damage Reduction value equal to it's AC basis.

So leather armor reduces all weapon damage taken by 1, but a level 1 goblin deals 2 more points of damage. Meanwhile someone wearing Scale Armor at level 1 takes 4 points less damage from the goblin's attack, negating the Proficiency Bonus and reducing the damage taken by a further 2 points.

Now you've got a secondary armor function that makes heavy armor feel very strong, gives lightly armored characters a reason to duck behind the heavily armored types, and gives you something to play with that doesn't make your players harder to hit. Wanna give your players better armor? Have Dragonhide or Adamantine increase the damage reduction, but not AC value. Cursed Armor that still provides a decent AC Bonus but leaves you open to take more damage by being paper-thin.

Etc, etc, etc.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Had a thought for a quickie homebrew after listening to someone else's much more complex Armor Homebrew. Wanted to share it.

1) All melee and ranged weapon attacks add Proficiency Bonus to damage.
2) All armor provides a Damage Reduction value equal to it's AC basis.

So leather armor reduces all weapon damage taken by 1, but a level 1 goblin deals 2 more points of damage. Meanwhile someone wearing Scale Armor at level 1 takes 4 points less damage from the goblin's attack, negating the Proficiency Bonus and reducing the damage taken by a further 2 points.

Now you've got a secondary armor function that makes heavy armor feel very strong, gives lightly armored characters a reason to duck behind the heavily armored types, and gives you something to play with that doesn't make your players harder to hit. Wanna give your players better armor? Have Dragonhide or Adamantine increase the damage reduction, but not AC value. Cursed Armor that still provides a decent AC Bonus but leaves you open to take more damage by being paper-thin.

Etc, etc, etc.

Not sure why this is in the level up forum, but I think is suffers from the same issue as most armor as DR solutions: to much math.

 

[dave2008]

Had a thought for a quickie homebrew after listening to someone else's much more complex Armor Homebrew. Wanted to share it.

1) All melee and ranged weapon attacks add Proficiency Bonus to damage.
2) All armor provides a Damage Reduction value equal to it's AC basis.

So leather armor reduces all weapon damage taken by 1, but a level 1 goblin deals 2 more points of damage. Meanwhile someone wearing Scale Armor at level 1 takes 4 points less damage from the goblin's attack, negating the Proficiency Bonus and reducing the damage taken by a further 2 points.

Now you've got a secondary armor function that makes heavy armor feel very strong, gives lightly armored characters a reason to duck behind the heavily armored types, and gives you something to play with that doesn't make your players harder to hit. Wanna give your players better armor? Have Dragonhide or Adamantine increase the damage reduction, but not AC value. Cursed Armor that still provides a decent AC Bonus but leaves you open to take more damage by being paper-thin.

Etc, etc, etc.

I generally like the idea, but I agree with @Uni-the-Unicorn! that the issue people seem to have with armor as DR is the constant need to subtract if from incoming damage. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it really seems to turn some people off.

However, we came up with a solution that works for us. In our games, you only ever use an armor's DR when there is a "real" hit. For us, that is a critical hit or when your hit points are 0 (we have a very small pool of vitality points that come into play after you have 0 HP). So you only need to do the math when there is a critical hit or when your at 0 HP. This makes it more manageable for us.

PS We calculate DR the same way you suggest (AC-10) and it works well for us. It does make heavy armor more valuable and feel like heavy armor IMO.

 

[Faolyn]

I generally like the idea, but I agree with @Uni-the-Unicorn! that the issue people seem to have with armor as DR is the constant need to subtract if from incoming damage. It doesn't seem like a big deal, but it really seems to turn some people off.

As someone whose played a lot of GURPS, I find few things as frustrating as getting a solid hit in and having none of it get through the armor.

 

[aco175]

I could see where something like this may work. You can add some additional things like armor specialty adding to the DR and give fighters more DR and/or more proficiency damage as a class feature.

I always thought attacking was more a few flurries of blows back and forth with one being rolled to do damage. I figures that during the round there is clanging of weapons and blocks by shields and slides off armors. There is one that has a chance to get through and deal the actual damage and that is the roll. Also, if I roll and hit a AC15, that is hitting the leather armored foe and not the plate armored foe, that is the armor doing its job.

We had a barbarian in the party with a 2-handed axe and complained about getting hit 'all the time'. He was convinced to get a shield and was amazed how much less he was hit and thought the less damage was a great cost-benefit.

 

[Steampunkette]

Not sure why this is in the level up forum, but I think is suffers from the same issue as most armor as DR solutions: to much math.

'Cause LevelUp players are looking for (and getting) increased complexity later this year. Seems as good a reason as any other to put something that strictly adds more complexity and levers here, rather than in 5e where people prefer the more streamlined version.

 

[dave2008]

'Cause LevelUp players are looking for (and getting) increased complexity later this year. Seems as good a reason as any other to put something that strictly adds more complexity and levers here, rather than in 5e where people prefer the more streamlined version.

According to Morrus, LevelUp gives more "depth," not "complexity."

 

[Steampunkette]

According to Morrus, LevelUp gives more "depth," not "complexity."

That's definitely the tagline, yup!

 

[dave2008]

That's definitely the tagline, yup!

Agreed!

 

[MattW]

It seems like a good idea to have armour absorb some damage. But, I think that - sometimes - it would be even more realistic to say that flexible armour (like leather or chain) doesn't NEGATE all damage. For example, that sword isn't slashing into your body BUT you do have a nasty bruise. However, this introduces another complexity and you'll have to keep track of 2 types of damage (call them something like LETHAL and STUN).