Grail Quest
First Post
Looking for constructive comments on my Armor as DR, Shield as Cover, and Encumbrance ruleset.
Armour
Armour has three basic components: Type, Material, and Coverage. Type and Material give the effective DR, which is good against almost all types of damage. Coverage determines whether a hit will be intercepted by armour. Encumbrance is determined by all three factors.
Type
DR
5 large plates
4 small overlapping plates
3 overlapping mail
2 layered material
1 tough material
Material
DR
-1 soft material (e.g., padded, soft leather)
+0 tough material (e.g., hard leather, hide)
+1 metal
+1 Heavy (thicker plates, etc…)
Coverage
AC
0 Piece (quarter): head, shoulders, and one arm; or upper torso only
1 Half: helmet, upper torso, and shoulders or lower torso; usually vest or shirt
2 Partial (three-quarter): head, body, and upper arms plus groin/thighs or shoulders plus lower legs
3 Full (9/10th): all major parts covered, light or no armour at other parts
4 Total: essentially equal coverage all over with armoured dress or overlapping armour
- A high hit roll can ignore armour (but not Total Cover armour). Treat coverage as Degree of Cover, and use the AC bonus for Cover (e.g., “full cover” armour is the equivalent of 9/10th cover, and thus a hit roll at +10 beyond what is necessary to hit the target will ignore the armour DR).
- A helpless character attacked in melee does not receive any benefits of less than full-cover. A coup de grace ignores all armour. A coup de grace with a special weapon, such as a misericorde, a dagger narrow enough to slip through the eye slits of a full-face helm, can ignore even total cover.
- A Critical Hit ignores armour of less than Partial cover.
- A Sneak Attack ignores armour of less than Total cover.
- If basic weapon damage is stopped by armour, but strength damage is not, then damage inflicted is Crushing regardless of the attack type.
- Very large attacks can ignore armour because it does not adequately shield the character:
- Piece armour: +2 size categories (e.g., Huge attacker against Medium target)
- Half armour: +3 size categories
- Partial armour: +4 size categories
Shields
Shields provide Cover, and increase the overall Encumbrance on a character. Because they are mobile, melee from behind shields does not incur penalties for Cover. The basic level of cover is One-Quarter for a Small Shield, in the primary arc, which covers the immediate front and the side/flank on the shield arm side. The immediate front is determined by an attacker or facing the defender designates to be the “front”. Cover adjustments are:
-1 Buckler
+0 Small Shield
+1 Medium Shield
+2 Large Shield
+3 Huge Shield
+1 level for fighting defensively (and character takes hit roll penalty equal to Cover AC bonus)
-2 level for other flank
-3 levels for rear
+1 level to offset other flank or rear penalty if character has Defensive Maneuver
Minimum Cover AC bonus is +1 AC, no Reflex save bonus. Maximum is Nine-Tenths, or Total Cover when crouching behind a Tower Shield (but the defender cannot attack).
Encumbrance
Encumbrance measures how much Armour and Shields hinder a character.
Basic Encumbrance
Armour Encumbrance
Piece (Type + Material) × 0.25
Half (Type + Material) × 0.5
Partial (Type + Material) × 1
Full (Type + Material) × 1.5
Total (Type + Material) × 2
Shields Encumbrance
Buckler 0.5
Small 1
Medium 2
Large 3
Huge 4
Proficiency and Mastery with Armour and Shields halves Encumbrance (see Feats).
Ability Score and Skill Checks
Ability Score and Skill checks related to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution may have a penalty equal to Encumbrance (rounded down). In certain cases, the Encumbrance penalty may not apply (e.g., a Strength check to break an object).
Dexterity Bonuses
Dexterity bonuses to Initiative, AC, and Reflex Saves are reduced by Encumbrance (rounded down), but cannot be reduced below –5 (the equivalent of 0 Dexterity).
Movement
When Encumbered, a character must make a Dexterity check (at DC equal to Encumbrance, rounded down) to get up, mount up, or otherwise initiate almost any physical action other than walking. This is the Encumbered Movement Check. If he has an appropriate skill, he may use that skill instead.
Speed
Speed is decreased by (final Encumbrance × 2), rounded to the nearest 5 ft. increment.
If Speed is reduced to 0 ft. or less, the creature is considered virtually immobile and has a virtually null Dexterity. Movement is possible but extremely slow, and may be subject to Encumbered Movement Checks for even simple motions such as walking.
*
For my full set of house rules, visit www.freewebs.com/d20elements!
Armour
Armour has three basic components: Type, Material, and Coverage. Type and Material give the effective DR, which is good against almost all types of damage. Coverage determines whether a hit will be intercepted by armour. Encumbrance is determined by all three factors.
Type
DR
5 large plates
4 small overlapping plates
3 overlapping mail
2 layered material
1 tough material
Material
DR
-1 soft material (e.g., padded, soft leather)
+0 tough material (e.g., hard leather, hide)
+1 metal
+1 Heavy (thicker plates, etc…)
Coverage
AC
0 Piece (quarter): head, shoulders, and one arm; or upper torso only
1 Half: helmet, upper torso, and shoulders or lower torso; usually vest or shirt
2 Partial (three-quarter): head, body, and upper arms plus groin/thighs or shoulders plus lower legs
3 Full (9/10th): all major parts covered, light or no armour at other parts
4 Total: essentially equal coverage all over with armoured dress or overlapping armour
- A high hit roll can ignore armour (but not Total Cover armour). Treat coverage as Degree of Cover, and use the AC bonus for Cover (e.g., “full cover” armour is the equivalent of 9/10th cover, and thus a hit roll at +10 beyond what is necessary to hit the target will ignore the armour DR).
- A helpless character attacked in melee does not receive any benefits of less than full-cover. A coup de grace ignores all armour. A coup de grace with a special weapon, such as a misericorde, a dagger narrow enough to slip through the eye slits of a full-face helm, can ignore even total cover.
- A Critical Hit ignores armour of less than Partial cover.
- A Sneak Attack ignores armour of less than Total cover.
- If basic weapon damage is stopped by armour, but strength damage is not, then damage inflicted is Crushing regardless of the attack type.
- Very large attacks can ignore armour because it does not adequately shield the character:
- Piece armour: +2 size categories (e.g., Huge attacker against Medium target)
- Half armour: +3 size categories
- Partial armour: +4 size categories
Shields
Shields provide Cover, and increase the overall Encumbrance on a character. Because they are mobile, melee from behind shields does not incur penalties for Cover. The basic level of cover is One-Quarter for a Small Shield, in the primary arc, which covers the immediate front and the side/flank on the shield arm side. The immediate front is determined by an attacker or facing the defender designates to be the “front”. Cover adjustments are:
-1 Buckler
+0 Small Shield
+1 Medium Shield
+2 Large Shield
+3 Huge Shield
+1 level for fighting defensively (and character takes hit roll penalty equal to Cover AC bonus)
-2 level for other flank
-3 levels for rear
+1 level to offset other flank or rear penalty if character has Defensive Maneuver
Minimum Cover AC bonus is +1 AC, no Reflex save bonus. Maximum is Nine-Tenths, or Total Cover when crouching behind a Tower Shield (but the defender cannot attack).
Encumbrance
Encumbrance measures how much Armour and Shields hinder a character.
Basic Encumbrance
Armour Encumbrance
Piece (Type + Material) × 0.25
Half (Type + Material) × 0.5
Partial (Type + Material) × 1
Full (Type + Material) × 1.5
Total (Type + Material) × 2
Shields Encumbrance
Buckler 0.5
Small 1
Medium 2
Large 3
Huge 4
Proficiency and Mastery with Armour and Shields halves Encumbrance (see Feats).
Ability Score and Skill Checks
Ability Score and Skill checks related to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution may have a penalty equal to Encumbrance (rounded down). In certain cases, the Encumbrance penalty may not apply (e.g., a Strength check to break an object).
Dexterity Bonuses
Dexterity bonuses to Initiative, AC, and Reflex Saves are reduced by Encumbrance (rounded down), but cannot be reduced below –5 (the equivalent of 0 Dexterity).
Movement
When Encumbered, a character must make a Dexterity check (at DC equal to Encumbrance, rounded down) to get up, mount up, or otherwise initiate almost any physical action other than walking. This is the Encumbered Movement Check. If he has an appropriate skill, he may use that skill instead.
Speed
Speed is decreased by (final Encumbrance × 2), rounded to the nearest 5 ft. increment.
If Speed is reduced to 0 ft. or less, the creature is considered virtually immobile and has a virtually null Dexterity. Movement is possible but extremely slow, and may be subject to Encumbered Movement Checks for even simple motions such as walking.
*
For my full set of house rules, visit www.freewebs.com/d20elements!
