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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Sonofapreacherman" data-source="post: 1304163" data-attributes="member: 2315">My brain works the same way.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />I understand what you are saying, but I don't agree. Enchanted armor doesn't work the same way as version 3.0 anymore. A +1 weapon can sunder a +2 weapon now, but the +2 weapon has a higher Hardness rating and more hit points. Meaning, enchantment bonuses are not invulnerable anymore. As such, halving the +12 AC of +4 full plate mail is already benefiting from the magical enchantment (by the fact that halving it comes to +6 instead of the regular +4 for mundane plate mail).This was first tenant of the variant combat system (back on page 1 in my original post). Dexterity modifies all attacks now; ranged and melee.Indeed, that was the idea. Glad you noticed it.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f60e.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":cool:" title="Cool    :cool:"  data-smilie="6"data-shortname=":cool:" />Unfortunately, this is a possibility, however remote. A kind dungeon master, who is intent on using the variant combat system, should let their player's change any combat oriented feats that are directly affected.Believe you me, the nuts and bolts of the variant combat system are addressed on my web site (soon to go public).I would say that all heavily armored warrior-types don't rely on Dexterity *right now*, and usually keep their Dexterity low and their Strength and Constitution high. So to answer your question, there is more reason to wear heavy armor now, because any additional damage reduction you can get is always going to be a good thing. Sure there are high damage "inflicting" characters out there, but they will not be everyday opponents, and moreover, there *should* be characters that make heavily armored opponents a little scared.Okay, I see what you are saying here now. But I disagree with everything except sneak attack. Power Attack, favored enemy, and critical hits "should" contribute to overcoming armor as damage reduction. Those are largely the only options available to players trying to do so.As for Sneak Attack, I see your point here most of all. It seems logical to me because sneak attack is already considered "extra" damage. Meaning it is not subject to multipliers. For that reason alone, I would leave sneak attack out of Step 1, as you put it (along with any other types of "extra damage", which includes flaming effects). Basically, any type of damage that cannot be multiplied cannot therefore overcome damage reduction.Or ... just add it in normally. Because, after all, sneak attack is meant to be devastating. It is devastating in the current system and should be devastating in the variant combat system. Again, I am trying to keep the variant combat system simple, while also adding in some small degree of complexity.Except, as I will point out again, opponents A, B, and C all get to make parry attempts if they choose to do so. Parrying is no small addition to the game. Your math should take that into account as well.Not to harp on this point, but critical or no, sneak attack or no, a parry can still negate it. Yes, it is easier to strike these characters, but if they are equal opponent warriors, you can count on at least one-half those attacks being deflected aside.By breaking up damage into different *components* of damage (before damage reduction) smacks of way too much math during combat. And math during combat is the death of combat. Moreover, I am not convinced it is even needed. As I said earlier, I am not trying to reconfigure the whole kit and caboodle here. With a shield, EC is only a little less than the printed version for AC, but you get armor as damage reduction to boot (which characters never had before).To me, that sounds like I am offering more protection to the characters than they ever had, while also giving them more combat options. That said, your point about "extra" sneak attack damage is still resonating with me. Let me think on it some more ...<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /></blockquote>

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