Defense Bonuses by Class?

[blackshirt5]

Has anybody made up some Defense Bonus by class progressions, for systems where Armor grants DR, instead of increased AC? Or, if you've got the Arsenal book from Perpetrated Press, how is the Defense Bonus in that book, good or bad?

 

[Crothian]

I don't like the idea of AC class bonus in D&D. I think you'd have to have more types of AC bonuses give DR then just armor. There are just too many different ways to increase one AC.

 

[Apok]

The Arsenal book does have a comprehensive set of rules dealing with Armor as DR, Class Defense Bonuses, and how to handle different types of AC bonuses (do they add to AC or DR?). Unfortunately, I don't have the book handy.

I did like the system they presented though Crothian has a very valid point; in D&D, there are numerous bonuses that can affect one's AC which can make adjucating such rules difficult. However, if the Arsenal book addresses that issue (can't remember if it did or not, since I only perused it briefly) then I may try and use that system as the default.

 

[Dagredhel]

Hi there.

I was interested about DEF bonuses too, having flipped through WoT. Some very helpful folks answered my questions on this thread. I made up a table summarizing the info, which I've attached. Hope this stuff helps. (Its just about DEF, nothing about armor providing DR.)

 

[jonrog1]

ARSENAL's a fine, fine piece of work. I'm using the Defense bonuses in my Scarred Lands campaign, not even converting all the way over to DR -- I'm trying to encourage the light, fast characters to stay armorless, more swashbuckler-y.

I'd reproduce the table here, but I don't want to take bread from other writer's mouthes. Just generally -- slow progression for spellcasters, good progression for fighters, darn good (but not insanely so) progression for rogues, bards, monks. One thing -- the DR's take into account firearms,so they do tend to suck up a heckuva lot of damage. A tweak downward may be necessary.

Have fun.

 

[kenjib]

Just generally -- slow progression for spellcasters, good progression for fighters, darn good (but not insanely so) progression for rogues, bards, monks.

Wheel of Time has a kind of similar breakdown. Monks are fine, but why do rogues and bards have better defense than fighters? I don't like that, as fighters are trained far better in the art of warfare, which integrally includes defense.

Sure, rogues and bards are supposed to be slippery and evasive, but that's what the dex bonus to AC is there for.

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

Wheel of Time has a kind of similar breakdown. Monks are fine, but why do rogues and bards have better defense than fighters? I don't like that, as fighters are trained far better in the art of warfare, which integrally includes defense.

Because armsmen are trained in how to use armor. They normally have a higher AC with armor than the other classes have without.

Remember that an armsman's Def bonus stacks with armor, whereas every other classes' Def Bonus doesn't.
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Also, WoT has very few magic items. Deflection, NA, luck, insight and all enhancement bonuses are nonexistent. So are magic items that grant an armor bonus.