Help me make AC better!

[AE020704]

Please do. All ideas welcome

 

[GreatLemur]

Personally, I like the idea of giving armor a DR rating that can bypassed by a high attack roll, but I'm thinking about handling it a little differently.

First, I'd replace the existing armor types by dividing them up into DR levels (representing material types) and coverage ratings (representing how much of the wearer is actually covered by that material), which would be the amount by which an attack would have to exceed the wearer's touch AC in order to ignore DR. So a breastplate would have a high DR, but a low coverage rating, while a full suit of leather would have a low DR, but a high coverage rating. I've been thinking about having DR range from 1 (leather) to 5 (plate), and three coverage ratings: 5 (chest only), 10 (partial body), and 15 (full body), but I really don't know about the balance implications of these numbers.

 

[AE020704]

...but I really don't know about the balance implications of these numbers.

I think, for balance reasons, as long as you stick to a rough guideline based on the existing AC of the various armours you shouldn't really have too much of a balance issue. Any houseruling regarding beating Touch AC is really going to favour the skill-monkies with their high DEX, though.

 

[GreatLemur]

I think, for balance reasons, as long as you stick to a rough guideline based on the existing AC of the various armours you shouldn't really have too much of a balance issue. Any houseruling regarding beating Touch AC is really going to favour the skill-monkies with their high DEX, though.

Good point. I should have mentioned that this would probably have to be paired with some kind of class-based dodge bonus progression, such as the scheme presented in Unearthed Arcana. (I'm not totally comfortable with that system, though. Making the most heavily-armored classes the best at dodging doesn't sit well with me. Really, it ought to be the Dex monkeys who avoid blows all together, while the tanks get clanged. But Fighters, Paladins, Clerics, and other heavy-armor wearers should still be able to take the most heat.)

 

[DungeonMaester]

I like the idea with one simple change.

Hitting inbetween ff and the Ac causes half of the weapon damage (only) as non leahtal damage.

---Rusty