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Message: <blockquote data-quote="The Crimson Binome" data-source="post: 7492800" data-attributes="member: 6775031">They have a natural AC of 12, in 5E, which is the equivalent of wearing leather armor (just like regular wolves, who instead have AC 13 because they have higher Dex).Why can't that equate to the Unarmored Defense mechanic? Because it doesn't. That's not the process by which the game rules convert narrative into mechanics. The correct and consistent translation would be that they have the equivalent of leather armor. If you claim that the given narrative equates to whatever mechanic you want, then you are cheating the system, by changing the way it converts narrative into mechanics.A game system isn't just a set of pre-defined classes that have pre-defined mechanics tied to their pre-defined narrative existences. A game system is the whole language by which a narrative is converted into mechanics. The type of hide which a wolf has is translated into a specific mechanical bonus, and if you alter that translation without altering the underlying narrative, then you aren't even playing that game anymore.Just because those mechanics could be tied to that new fluff, if you really wanted them to be, that doesn't mean they should be. If I'm being honest with myself, then there is probably a better (more accurate and consistent) set of mechanics which would better represent that new fluff.If I'm going out of my way to add weird new stuff to my game world, then I owe it to everyone involved to do the work and get it right. If I re-fluff a giant spider to use the stats of an adult white dragon (for example), then no matter how I try to re-fluff its actions, the outcome of the fight will forever be tainted by the fact that its stats weren't a true reflection of what a giant spider should be.In that case, I highly recommend that you either not home-brew stuff, or that you not care about the integrity and consistency of the system. Probably the latter, if everyone at your table is okay with it. But please don't hold your preference against others who do have the time, and are willing to invest the energy in going through the whole process.</blockquote>

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