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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Li Shenron" data-source="post: 7142735" data-attributes="member: 1465">This is easy. If your players like rolling dice a lot, they'll like this variant.If you think it slows down the game too much, you can have the monsters not roll for attack but instead assume a roll of 10. Normal AC includes a combination of Dex bonus (representing dodging and parrying) and armor bonus (including shield), so it kind of assumes you do a bit of everything to avoid getting hit.That said, I wouldn't start using different AC even with your variant system of choosing what kind of defense to use, because then you'll have two different levels of control at the same time. It might get overly complicated, and open up some tricks to powerplayers. Personally I am not even missing the difference with "touch AC" and "flatfooted" condition of 3e!So in brief, I'd keep the AC the same, whether you choose to dodge or parry.This is also easy to implement, but you need to consider the consequences.If the target can choose which ability score to use, they'll always use their best. So at the very least, make this option spell-dependent so that it's always up to the DM to allow using a different ability score, nothing is granted in advance.So for example, you can decide to allow Con ST against Fireball, or Str ST against paralysis effects, or Int ST against illusions. Just don't allow anything against everything <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Overall this will help against spellcasters, but let's keep in mind that spellcasters already have the advantage of choosing the spell, and hence they can typically choose targets which presumably are more vulnerable. And of course also keep in mind that the monsters should use this option too <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Yes, this is consistent with the basic attack vs AC rule.Unless you vary the AC based on the option chosen, you have to introduce some difference in the outcome, otherwise there will be only a difference in description.But the difference can't just be in complications. There should be a reason why a PC may want to choose dodge over parry one time, and the other another time. Or at least different PCs choose different tactics.</blockquote>

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