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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Orich Starkhart" data-source="post: 6465225" data-attributes="member: 6762059">Good point about the wall. The question is, where's the line separating an attack that is to be resolved through melee combat rules from one using saving throws or other mechanics? Maybe melee is for attacks from opponents no more than one size class larger (and evens smaller?)? Does the DM set a specific DC, or use an opposed check: the attack total is the DC the defender has to beat to reduce or avoid damage?Regarding my ruminations about weapon parry modifiers or setting Parry to 6: I was trying to work out what the relationship should be between the unmodified Armor Class system and your replacement Parry system, not figure out how to factor Parry bonuses into the AC system - though I think that's a totally reasonable thing to do too. The question is whether an AC10 human medium size target is unarmed as well as unarmored. Your answers show that you think of the weapon bonus as additive to defense that is in the unmodified game: that the game just fails to consider that being armed matters for melee defense. So, if a characters "Parry" score encompasses defensive ability, it's equal to 8 + Proficiency + ability and other modifiers, and a weapon adds to that when appropriate  - particularly, when in melee against foes armed with melee weapons.I agree it seems to make sense to have more than one value for Defense/Parry. But leave it to the player. Characters will have a Defense value that applies generally, and then, recorded with each weapon, either a bonus to that defense (comprised of parry, size and any other modifiers associated with that weapon or use of that type of weapon) or the total of Defense and the bonus, to be used only against attacks to which it applies (perhaps melee attacks from weapons and creatures up to one size category larger or smaller).I suppose DR could operate as Damage Threshold, but then you could still have the issue of higher damage attacks usually defeating DR that's been held to levels that allow attacks from medium opponents and weapons to possibly get through. My previous example Frost Giant does minimum 9 points each time he connects with his axe, and averages 25.5. Fewer than 5% of the giant's attacks will connect for less than 16 points of damage. Half the time he'll do more than 25 points, whereas a greatsword attack from a 20 Strength human fighter does 2d6+5  (7-17, average 12); if DR is above 16, that fighter does no damage except on a critical hit, unless called shot/armor bypass is introduced, or he can use a weapon especially effective against that armor. But maybe that's appropriate. Similarly, perhaps it's appropriate that a hit from the Frost Giant's huge axe effectively ignores the protection of ordinary plate armor, deeply denting or slicing through it on most any hit.</blockquote>

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