Armor as DR, your experiences
- Thread starter Voadam
- Start date
JackGiantkiller
First Post
In most wp/hp systems crits aren't multiplied, they go straight to wounds.
broghammerj
Explorer
We use a great system with DR and WP/VP much like what Takyris described:
We added a cobbled form of the combat rules from Twilight 2000. There is a to hit location for each successful attack.
d10 Roll Location Struck
1 Head
2 Right Arm
3 Left Arm
4-6 Chest
7, 8 Right Leg
9, 10 Left Leg
There are no cover rules. Cover does not add to defense. Instead it forces an automatic miss. For example your character wearing a concealed vest and is standing behind a car. He is struck with 4 bullets. The locations rolled are right arm, chest, head, and left leg. The right arm is not protected by armor so it does normal VP damage. The chest is covered by the armor and results in damage reduction to any wound point damage (but not vitality as mentioned above per Star Wars armor rules). The head takes automatic wound points as the head is such a vital organ. The left leg is not struck as the bullet harmlessly hits the car.
This makes tactical movements very important and promotes smart PCs. It also makes up for little to no armor since most people in D20 modern don't walk down the street in powered body armor.
We added a cobbled form of the combat rules from Twilight 2000. There is a to hit location for each successful attack.
d10 Roll Location Struck
1 Head
2 Right Arm
3 Left Arm
4-6 Chest
7, 8 Right Leg
9, 10 Left Leg
There are no cover rules. Cover does not add to defense. Instead it forces an automatic miss. For example your character wearing a concealed vest and is standing behind a car. He is struck with 4 bullets. The locations rolled are right arm, chest, head, and left leg. The right arm is not protected by armor so it does normal VP damage. The chest is covered by the armor and results in damage reduction to any wound point damage (but not vitality as mentioned above per Star Wars armor rules). The head takes automatic wound points as the head is such a vital organ. The left leg is not struck as the bullet harmlessly hits the car.
This makes tactical movements very important and promotes smart PCs. It also makes up for little to no armor since most people in D20 modern don't walk down the street in powered body armor.
reanjr
First Post
I've used several methods over the years, but the one I really like I have implemented in to my own system. Unfortunately, the system wouldn't directly work in standard D&D due to the high damage potential characters have. A reasonable approximation that might work well in D&D would be the following:
* Armor grants DR equal to the armor's standard armor bonus, but does not grant an AC bonus.
* 1/2 the armor penalty minus 2 is applied to AC (it's harder to dodge and parry in heavy armor)
* Natural armor bonuses only grant half their natural armor bonus in DR.
* Shields still grant AC bonus.
* If a character takes damage equal to or exceeding twice their Constitution score (after applying DR), they must roll a Fortitude save (DC 10+number of points exceeded) or die.
* Improved Dodge feat grants +4 dodge bonus to AC. Can be taken multiple times. Might want to slap that on Fighter bonus feat list, but then, maybe not.
* Crit multipliers are reduced by one, but ignore DR from armor.
HP are healed at a rate of one per level per hour of rest.
The game definitely felt more realistic and made for people thinking more tactically, rather than just attack, damage, attack, damage... lots of fighting defensively and doing wacky things to fight effectively.
Slightly more lethal system overall, but the group can withstand multiple encounters better (due to the accelerated healing).
[edit] Almost forgot:
* Heavy armors (other than full plate) make crits less likely. They must be confirmed with another natural 20.
* Full plate grants crit immunity.
* Crit threats ignore armor DR as well as crit hits.
* Armor grants DR equal to the armor's standard armor bonus, but does not grant an AC bonus.
* 1/2 the armor penalty minus 2 is applied to AC (it's harder to dodge and parry in heavy armor)
* Natural armor bonuses only grant half their natural armor bonus in DR.
* Shields still grant AC bonus.
* If a character takes damage equal to or exceeding twice their Constitution score (after applying DR), they must roll a Fortitude save (DC 10+number of points exceeded) or die.
* Improved Dodge feat grants +4 dodge bonus to AC. Can be taken multiple times. Might want to slap that on Fighter bonus feat list, but then, maybe not.
* Crit multipliers are reduced by one, but ignore DR from armor.
HP are healed at a rate of one per level per hour of rest.
The game definitely felt more realistic and made for people thinking more tactically, rather than just attack, damage, attack, damage... lots of fighting defensively and doing wacky things to fight effectively.
Slightly more lethal system overall, but the group can withstand multiple encounters better (due to the accelerated healing).
[edit] Almost forgot:
* Heavy armors (other than full plate) make crits less likely. They must be confirmed with another natural 20.
* Full plate grants crit immunity.
* Crit threats ignore armor DR as well as crit hits.
Last edited:
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