mroberon1972
First Post
Here are some house rules I am designing for damage and armor. Still might need some tweaking, and I have not finished the modern armor yet, but so far they look good to me. Keep in mind, monsters do not get damage reduction in most cases, since thier "armor" is actually a part of thier body. Now if the dragon is wearing barding... Well... You get the idea...
Guns, blasters, lasers, etc. would be considered ranged touch attacks, only allowing the AR or ER to reduce damage.
Please note: These rules are meant to be used together. Otherwise they do not make as much sense...
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All basic damage rules apply, except where listed below.
DAMAGE
Hit Points (HP): These are used normally. They represent the characters cinimatic ability to avoid fatal damage during an encounter. The character usually shows this damage as bruses, minor cuts, and scrapes. Characters are not disable by HP damage.
- When reduced to 0 HP, then apply all excess damage to Life Blood and the character is knocked out.
Stun Points (SP): These represent subdual damage. When the number of SP is equal to or exceeds the character's current HP, the excess is applied as standard HP damage. The character is also knocked out.
- He may make a Fort save every minute (DC 15) to wake up and become Staggered. He remains Staggered until he regains enough HP or SP to keep SP from exceeding his current HP. When Staggered, a character may only take partial actions and has a -1 to attack, skills, and saves.
LifeBlood (LB): This score is equal to a character's Con score. It represents the character's physical ability to survive fatal trauma to his or her body. It is shown as broken bones, gut wounds, and other forms of massive damage to a character.
- For every point of LB taken, a character suffers a -1 to all rolls involving AC, attack, melee damage, skills, and saves. This is not only due to the physical damage hampering the character, but because of the pain of the wound as well.
- Every round, during his turn, the character takes another point of LB damage. The character may make a Fort save every round (DC 10, don't forget the damage penaltys for LB damage) to stablize and stop loosing LB. When the LB damage exceeds the character's LB score, the character dies.
- The character may make a Fort save every minute (DC 15, don't forget the damage penaltys for LB damage) to wake up and become Staggered. He remains Staggered until he regains enough HP or SP to keep SP from exceeding his current HP. A character does not have to be stable to be wake up.
HEALING
Hit Points (HP): Natural healing causes a character to regain HP each day as follows: Total rest (no activity) allows a character to regain 1.5 HP per level. Normal rest (moving about, but no real stress) allows the recovery of 1 HP per level. Any stressful actions during the day only allow .5 HP per level, rounded down. If the character has taken LifeBlood damage, he my not regain HP until his LifeBlood is fully healed.
- Healing spells allow recovery of HP normally.
Stun Points (SP): When resting, characters regain their level in SP every hour. If the characters are walking or undergoing light activity, they only regain half that, rounded down. Any stressful activity prevents regaining any SP for that hour.
- Healing spells reduce SP damage by 5 for every HP of healing it provides.
LifeBlood (LB): This damage heals very slowly, regardless of character level. A character heals 1 LB per month. While stressful activity does not prevent this healing, it does force a Fort save will all LB damage penalties vs a DC of 10. If this save is failed, the character takes one LB of damage and must make another Fort save (DC 5) or begin dying again. Follow the LifeBlood rules for a character to stablize under Damage, above. Characters cannot regain HP until they have healed all LB damage.
- Healing spells reduce LB damage at a rate of 1 LB for every 5 HP of healing (rounded down).
Stressful activity can be considered to be any of the following: Spellcasting, combat (even if they are not hit), lifting above a light load, hustling or running, riding a horse, anything that causes HP damage, and anything else the game master deems stressful to the character in a physical manner.
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Use all armor rules as normal, with the following changes:
ARMOR:
- All standard armors keep their stats as per the normal D20 rules.
- Armor now gains an Armor Rating (AR) score that converts some of the damage a character takes from Direct Physical Attacks into Stun damage. This represents a possibly fatal wound being reduced to bruses and shock.
- A Direct Physical Attack consists of any melee, ranged, or splash attacks; but not spells or immersion damage, such as being dipped in acid.
- Some armor may also have Energy Resistance (ER). This converts HP damage from spells and other energy based attacks into Stun damage. It also effects immersion damage. All damage so effected is changed to stun points. The type of energy does not matter: Cold, fire, acid, etc are all treated the same for this effect.
- Some armors may also be sealed or have other special features. Look to the description of the armor in question for rules and information regarding this.
ARMOR STATS:
Light armor
Padded --------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
Leather -------: AC +2, AR --, ER --
Studded leather: AC +3, AR +1, ER --
Chain shirt ---: AC +4, AR +1, ER --
Medium armor
Hide ----------: AC +3, AR +1, ER --
Scale mail ----: AC +4, AR +2, ER --
Chainmail -----: AC +5, AR +1, ER --
Breastplate ---: AC +5, AR +3, ER --
Heavy armor
Splint mail ---: AC +6, AR +3, ER --
Banded mail ---: AC +6, AR +4, ER --
Half plate ----: AC +7, AR +4, ER --
Full plate ----: AC +8, AR +5, ER --
Buckler -------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
Small shield
- Wooden ------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
- Steel -------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
Large Shield
- Wooden ------: AC +2, AR +1, ER --
- Steel -------: AC +2, AR +1, ER --
Tower Shield --: AC **, AR **, ER --
** Tower shields provide cover. You should use the rules for cover (P133). Also use the Hardness and HP (P135) of the tower shield to find out how much damage it can take before being destroyed.
Guns, blasters, lasers, etc. would be considered ranged touch attacks, only allowing the AR or ER to reduce damage.
Please note: These rules are meant to be used together. Otherwise they do not make as much sense...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
All basic damage rules apply, except where listed below.
DAMAGE
Hit Points (HP): These are used normally. They represent the characters cinimatic ability to avoid fatal damage during an encounter. The character usually shows this damage as bruses, minor cuts, and scrapes. Characters are not disable by HP damage.
- When reduced to 0 HP, then apply all excess damage to Life Blood and the character is knocked out.
Stun Points (SP): These represent subdual damage. When the number of SP is equal to or exceeds the character's current HP, the excess is applied as standard HP damage. The character is also knocked out.
- He may make a Fort save every minute (DC 15) to wake up and become Staggered. He remains Staggered until he regains enough HP or SP to keep SP from exceeding his current HP. When Staggered, a character may only take partial actions and has a -1 to attack, skills, and saves.
LifeBlood (LB): This score is equal to a character's Con score. It represents the character's physical ability to survive fatal trauma to his or her body. It is shown as broken bones, gut wounds, and other forms of massive damage to a character.
- For every point of LB taken, a character suffers a -1 to all rolls involving AC, attack, melee damage, skills, and saves. This is not only due to the physical damage hampering the character, but because of the pain of the wound as well.
- Every round, during his turn, the character takes another point of LB damage. The character may make a Fort save every round (DC 10, don't forget the damage penaltys for LB damage) to stablize and stop loosing LB. When the LB damage exceeds the character's LB score, the character dies.
- The character may make a Fort save every minute (DC 15, don't forget the damage penaltys for LB damage) to wake up and become Staggered. He remains Staggered until he regains enough HP or SP to keep SP from exceeding his current HP. A character does not have to be stable to be wake up.
HEALING
Hit Points (HP): Natural healing causes a character to regain HP each day as follows: Total rest (no activity) allows a character to regain 1.5 HP per level. Normal rest (moving about, but no real stress) allows the recovery of 1 HP per level. Any stressful actions during the day only allow .5 HP per level, rounded down. If the character has taken LifeBlood damage, he my not regain HP until his LifeBlood is fully healed.
- Healing spells allow recovery of HP normally.
Stun Points (SP): When resting, characters regain their level in SP every hour. If the characters are walking or undergoing light activity, they only regain half that, rounded down. Any stressful activity prevents regaining any SP for that hour.
- Healing spells reduce SP damage by 5 for every HP of healing it provides.
LifeBlood (LB): This damage heals very slowly, regardless of character level. A character heals 1 LB per month. While stressful activity does not prevent this healing, it does force a Fort save will all LB damage penalties vs a DC of 10. If this save is failed, the character takes one LB of damage and must make another Fort save (DC 5) or begin dying again. Follow the LifeBlood rules for a character to stablize under Damage, above. Characters cannot regain HP until they have healed all LB damage.
- Healing spells reduce LB damage at a rate of 1 LB for every 5 HP of healing (rounded down).
Stressful activity can be considered to be any of the following: Spellcasting, combat (even if they are not hit), lifting above a light load, hustling or running, riding a horse, anything that causes HP damage, and anything else the game master deems stressful to the character in a physical manner.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Use all armor rules as normal, with the following changes:
ARMOR:
- All standard armors keep their stats as per the normal D20 rules.
- Armor now gains an Armor Rating (AR) score that converts some of the damage a character takes from Direct Physical Attacks into Stun damage. This represents a possibly fatal wound being reduced to bruses and shock.
- A Direct Physical Attack consists of any melee, ranged, or splash attacks; but not spells or immersion damage, such as being dipped in acid.
- Some armor may also have Energy Resistance (ER). This converts HP damage from spells and other energy based attacks into Stun damage. It also effects immersion damage. All damage so effected is changed to stun points. The type of energy does not matter: Cold, fire, acid, etc are all treated the same for this effect.
- Some armors may also be sealed or have other special features. Look to the description of the armor in question for rules and information regarding this.
ARMOR STATS:
Light armor
Padded --------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
Leather -------: AC +2, AR --, ER --
Studded leather: AC +3, AR +1, ER --
Chain shirt ---: AC +4, AR +1, ER --
Medium armor
Hide ----------: AC +3, AR +1, ER --
Scale mail ----: AC +4, AR +2, ER --
Chainmail -----: AC +5, AR +1, ER --
Breastplate ---: AC +5, AR +3, ER --
Heavy armor
Splint mail ---: AC +6, AR +3, ER --
Banded mail ---: AC +6, AR +4, ER --
Half plate ----: AC +7, AR +4, ER --
Full plate ----: AC +8, AR +5, ER --
Buckler -------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
Small shield
- Wooden ------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
- Steel -------: AC +1, AR --, ER --
Large Shield
- Wooden ------: AC +2, AR +1, ER --
- Steel -------: AC +2, AR +1, ER --
Tower Shield --: AC **, AR **, ER --
** Tower shields provide cover. You should use the rules for cover (P133). Also use the Hardness and HP (P135) of the tower shield to find out how much damage it can take before being destroyed.
