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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatzimaus" data-source="post: 1022937" data-attributes="member: 3051">It's not a bad idea, but it suffers from the same problem all Armor-as-DR systems have: the very weapons most often used in Real Life to defeat heavy armor are the ones most hurt by a DR system.You also run into the problem that DR d8/- just isn't that much.  It's useful at low levels, sure, but against a 20th-level Power Attacking guy with a greatsword, it's not even a speedbump.A 3.5E Power Attacker trades 1 point of attack bonus for 1-2 damage (2 for 2-handed weapons).  By replacing the +8 AC for full plate with d8/- DR, I allow the enemy to Power Attack for 8 more than he would have, doing 16 extra damage.  So, unless my DR stops 16 points of damage per attack, it won't break even against those enemies.Even if you stay with the 1:1 ratio of 3E, you'd still need it to give DR 8/- just like the usual suggestions.  Or, give DR 2d8/-.  Better yet, you could do it half-and-half, like this:Padded: +0 AC, 1d2 DRLeather: +1 AC, 1d2 DRStudded: +1 AC, 1d4 DRChain Shirt: +1 AC, 1d6 DRHide: +2 AC, 1d4 DRScale: +2 AC, 1d6 DRChain: +3 AC, 1d6 DRBreastplate: +2 AC, 1d8 DRSplint: +3 AC, 1d8 DRBanded: +2 AC, 1d10 DRHalf-Plate: +3 AC, 1d10 DRFull Plate: +4 AC, 1d10 DRThe logic here was, a mix-and-match armor like BP or Chain Shirt would have the AC of the lower type and the DR randomness of the higher type.  I also stuck to using standard dice sizes (except d2, of course, but flipping a coin isn't too tough).  It also makes Max DEX bonus a bit more complex.What we did IMC instead was make a hybrid AC/DR system based on exotic materials:1> Armors still add the full amount to AC, as normal.2> Heavier armors also give a Material-based DR, based on the Hardness of the material used to make them.  Medium armors and Large shields give DR (Hardness/10)/-, Heavy armors give DR (Hardness/5)/-.  Note that steel has Hardness 10, so that'd be DR 1/- for a breastplate or 2/- for full plate.3> The material used in the weapon can help offset this a bit; for most materials they penetrate (Hardness/10) of material DR automatically.  Certain types of weapons penetrate (Hardness/5), including longbows, heavy crossbows, lances while mounted, or certain exotic weapons (including a couple exotic daggers we added).This also helps a bit with animals; if you know the hardness of Dragonhide, you can have dragons trade some of that Natural Armor for a material-based DR.</blockquote>

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