Max Dex bonus restricts Dex to attack rolls.

[wuyanei]

I am considering adding a new house rule, to restrict the maximum dexterity bonus you can use on your attack rolls to the max dex bonus of the armor. This is a 'flavor' change, mostly because I really don't think you can launch arrows or toss javalins all that well when wearing full metal gauntlets and carrying more than your weight's worth of gear.

To most fighter or cleric types, this should matter little, as they usually don't have more than +1 dex bonus anyways. However, this does force archer types to chose lighter armor (which they, with their dex bonus, likely will do anywise).

Is there anything I missed? Any unexpected complications? Please post. I would love to hear your comments and opinions.

Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to AC and to attack rolls that this type of armor allows. Heavier armors limit mobility, reducing the wearer’s ability to dodge blows or use weapons that rely on agility and hand-eye coordination. This restriction doesn’t affect any other Dexterity-related abilities.

Even if a character’s Dexterity bonus to AC drops to 0 because of armor, this situation does not count as losing a Dexterity bonus to AC.

Your character’s encumbrance (the amount of gear he or she carries) may also restrict the maximum Dexterity bonus that can be applied to his or her Armor Class or attack bonus.

 

[Aus_Snow]

As it's written there, it would seem to apply also to the use of Weapon Finesse. Is that intentional?

If so, I can understand why, incidentally.

 

[wuyanei]

It is.

Actually, as my group is now construed, this house rule will not have any effect at all -- they are all either 13 or lower dex with fullplate, or high dex with mithril shirt. However, I was wondering if there might be any secondary effects I did not think of.

Thanks for replying, Aus_Snow! C'ya later!

 

[Bront]

Max Dex is supposed to effect attack rolls I believe, even if it sucks for an archer. Also, it effects Initiative and any dex based skills beyond the ACP.

 

[Li Shenron]

What about a crossbow? Is it more difficult than a spiked chain if you wear armor?

Anyway, you could use this HR but it's going to hurt only a few characters probably. IMXP a PC usually doesn't take an armor which has max Dex lower than his real Dex, because he ends up having the same total AC bonus for a higher price.

 

[wuyanei]

Bront: It does? I don't see it in the SRD... there is a line in the ACP section, where ACP applies to attack rolls (all actions that require movement, actually) if you are unproficient with the armor, but nothing on MaxDex limiting Dex bonus to attack rolls (for ranged attacks or with WpnFin).

Li Shenron: Well, you could argue that the hard armor restricts your movement, so it is harder to follow and compensate for an opponent's small movements. Or, you could say that the armor's bulk prevents you from nesting the stock of crossbow in that *perfect* position to shoot, so you can only optimize your shot to a certain degree... surely these things will have an effect on a character's accuracy.

As for your second point, you are right. I don't really expect it to affect many characters. It is just something that I believe *should* exist, but somehow doesn't exist in the RAW. Personally, I just think it makes more sense this way.


Thanks for sharing your opinions!

 

[morez]

In my opinion:

You always only can use your max Dex bonus of your armor. in any case!

But you arent conidered as loosing your dex bonus (for sneak attacks for example)

well i am not sure at skills cause there is this additional penalty score.. but i would say max Dex of the armor in any case

 

[the Jester]

I've considered doing something like this in the past.

 

[Kisanji Arael]

While this is certainly true for melee weapons, I do wonder if it affects ranged weapons quite so much. I think that wearing a full-plate helmet (for vision) would hurt their attack more than wearing the full-plate itself.

 

[domino]

Wait, so under RAW, someone with a 20 dex in full plate and a BAB of +5 would still roll a d20+10 for ranged attacks?

I thought max dex affected EVERYTHING dex related.