My D&D Armor project

[ONINOTAKI18]

Ever since I was a young lad gazing with wide eyes at all the different types of polearms in the 2nd edition arms and equipment guide I have been unhappy with how D&D does armor. Now as 4th edition roles around I have decided to finally try my hand at designing a set of armor rules that is as all inclusive in styles/types as possible, and trys to make an enjoyable yet smooth detailed armor as DR system. Basically something that wont drive you mad if you are not an armor nut My primary source was From Stone to Steel (my favorite 3rd party product ever)

BAB: Your base attack bonues is renamed to Base Combat Bonus(BCB) and in addition to determing your attack bonus it is also added to 10 to get your base ac, this bonus can never be taken away, although negative levels do apply to it.
If you have mutliple attacks granted from having a BCB of 6 or higher and are attacked by multiple attacks from an opponent during their action, then your BCB to ac drops by five after each attack made against you, stopping at your lowest BCB


Armor:
Light Armor Cost Bludgeoning Piercing Slashing ACP Max Dex Bonus ASF Weight
Padded 5/chart 1/chart 1/chart -1 6 10% 5lbs
Hide 1/chart 5/chart 1/chart -1 6 10% 15lbs
Leather 1/chart 1/chart 5/chart -1 6 10% 10lbs
Ring 3/chart 3/chart 1/chart -2 5 15% 25lbs
Splint 1/chart 3/chart 3/chart -2 5 15% 30lbs
Studded 3/chart 1/chart 3/chart -2 5 15% 20lbs
Young Dragon Scale 3/chart 3/chart 3/chart -3 4 20% 12lbs
Medium Armor Cost Bludgeoning Piercing Slashing ACP Max Dex Bonus ASF Weight
Laminated Wood 6/chart 2/chart 2/chart -3 4 20% 25lbs
Brigandine 2/chart 6/chart 2/chart -3 4 20% 35lbs
Breastplate 2/chart 2/chart 6/chart -3 4 20% 30lbs
Lamellar 4/chart 4/chart 2/chart -4 3 25% 40lbs
Mail 2/chart 4/chart 4/chart -4 3 25% 45lbs
Scale 4/chart 2/chart 4/chart -4 3 25% 35lbs
Mature Dragon Scale 4/chart 4/chart 4/chart -5 2 30% 21lbs
Heavy Armor Cost Bludgeoning Piercing Slashing ACP Max Dex Bonus ASF Weight
Banded 7/chart 3/chart 3/chart -5 2 30% 35lbs
Scale & Plate 3/chart 7/chart 3/chart -5 2 30% 40lbs
Plated Mail 3/chart 3/chart 7/chart -5 2 30% 45lbs
Great Armor 5/chart 5/chart 3/chart -6 1 35% 50lbs
Light Plate 3/chart 5/chart 5/chart -6 1 35% 55lbs
Full Plate 5/chart 3/chart 5/chart -6 1 35% 45lbs
Ancient Dragon Scale 5/chart 5/chart 5/chart -7 0 40% 30lbs

Shields Cost AC Bonus Special Quality ACP Max Dex Bonus ASF Weight
Buckler 1 -1 attack rolls when using 2hw -1 8 5% 2lbs
Small Shield 2 -1 7 10% 5lbs
Medium Shield 3 -2 6 15% 10lbs
Large Shield 4 -3 5 20% 15lbs
Tower Shield 5 or cover -2 on all attack rolls -10 2 50% 45lbs

Padded: Heavy and often stuffed clothing made from cotton, wool, cloth, paper or silk that maybe quilted or corded.
Hide: Made from the untreated skins of animals with naturally thick hides, depending on the animal skin used the fur maybe left on. Example hides include Bear(furry), Rhino, Hippo, Gator, Elephant, Shark, Wooly Mammoth(furry), and Buffalo.
Leather: The skins of animals(often domesticated, but not always) treated by boiling, tanning, or lacquering.
Ring: Non-Interlocking rings of bone, metal, wood, or horn, sewn or laced to a backing of leather or cloth.
Splint: Non-Overlapping splints or plates of thin bone, wood, horn, or metal sewn or laced to a backing of leather or cloth.
Studded: Small studs of bone, wood, stone, horn, or metal used to reinforce a backing of leather or cloth.
Laminated Wood: Bands, plates, or splints of shaped and laminated wood placed over a backing of leather or cloth.
Brigandine: hundreds of small overlapping metal plates sandwitched between a backing and covering of leather, cloth, silk, or swede.
Breastplate: A solid plate or cuirass that covers the entire torso made from metal or the large shells of creatures that are often though not always fantastical.
Lamellar: Thin square or rectangular plates of metal or horn that overlap on one vertical side, often backed with cloth or leather.
Mail: Interlocking rings of metal worn over a thick garment to prevent chaffing and provide cushining against blows.
Scale: Small overlapping metal scales, coins, shark teeth, or fantastical monster scales over a backing of cloth or leather.
Banded: Horizontally overlapping metal bands often placed over a backing of mail or leather.

Scale & Plate: Scale with plate reinforcing vital parts like the torso, & head or covering the inflexibale parts of the body like the forearm & shin.
Plated Mail: Mail that is reinforced with thin strips of metal woven between the rings, or by covering the vital areas with plate, scale, or lamellar.
Great Armor: Complex suits of armor that incorperate the best of mail,scale, lamellar with a banded cuirass or solid metal breastplate. Think Chinese Mountain Scale, and Japanese Samurai Armor
Light Plate: Includes Platemail, Half Plate, Three Quarters Plate, & Light Plate armors that cover a large portion of the body in solid metal plates, with the gaps usually covered by mail.

Full Plate: Armor that covers the entire body in complex interlocking plates of solid metal.

Magic Armor adds its enchantment bonus to your AC as an armor bonus
What you need to bypass the damage reduction of armor chart
Armor Quality Weapon Quality
Normal Masterwork
Masterwork (+1) enchantment bonus
(+1) enchantment bonus (+2) enchantment bonus
(+2) enchantment bonus (+3) enchantment bonus
(+3) enchantment bonus (+4) enchantment bonus
(+4) enchantment bonus (+5) enchantment bonus
(+5) enchantment bonus (+6) Epic enchantment bonus
follow the pattern follow the pattern

Adamantine: Adds adamantine to the weapon qualifier to bypass the armor's DR. It also adds +1 to the Armors DR.

Bracers of Armor provide damage reduction as follows:
2/magic
2/magic & cold iron
4/magic
4/magic & cold iron
6/magic
6/magic & cold iron

Because I love darksun here are some Fluffy alternative names for the armor.
Light Armor
Ring /Woven Giant Hair
Splint/ Inix Scale Leather
Studded/Beaded Leather
Young Dragon Scale/Partial Drake Scale
Medium Armor
Laminated Wood/Agafari Wood
Brigandine/ Inix Shell Leather
Breastplate/ Kank Breastplate
Lamellar/Scrab Chiten
Mail/Rasclinn Hide
Scale/Ssurran Scale
Mature Dragon Scale/Lesser Drake Scale
Heavy Armor
Banded/Plated Klar Fur
Scale & Plate/So-ut Scale
Plated Mail/Land Shark Plate
Great Armor/Cloud Ray Hide
Light Plate/Megapede Chiten
Full Plate/Braxat Plate
Ancient Dragon Scale/Drake Scale

I need some help figuring out cost for each armor, bracers of armor, and how much to increase the cost of making armor masterwork since it is now more useful. Comments and criticisms welcome, and yes I am aware that this may slow down game play Oh and last but not least I have no idea how to post things in table format so I tried to make this all as clear as I could.

 

[Derro]

Basically something that wont drive you mad if you are not an armor nut

April fool's, right?

That's a lot of crunch you got into a smooth system my friend. I have a late meeting but I'll get back to this later today. I like DR, too but I think you've barreled headlong into a few of the Armor as DR pitfalls.

 

[Goobermunch]

What does 1/chart mean?

--G

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Light Armor 		Bludgeoning   Piercing     Slashing   ACP   Dex Bonus   ASF   Weight
Padded 			5/chart       1/chart 	   1/chart     -1       6       10%   5  lbs
Hide 			1/chart       5/chart 	   1/chart     -1       6 	10%   15 lbs
Leather			1/chart       1/chart      5/chart     -1       6       10%   10 lbs
Ring                    3/chart       3/chart      1/chart     -2       5       15%   25 lbs
Splint                  1/chart       3/chart      3/chart     -2       5       15%   30 lbs
Studded                 3/chart       1/chart      3/chart     -2       5       15%   20 lbs
Young Dragon Scale      3/chart       3/chart      3/chart     -3       4       20%   12 lbs
                        
                        
Medium Armor            Bludgeoning   Piercing     Slashing   ACP   Dex Bonus   ASF   Weight
Laminated Wood          6/chart       2/chart      2/chart     -3       4       20%   25 lbs
Brigandine              2/chart       6/chart      2/chart     -3       4       20%   35 lbs
Breastplate             2/chart       2/chart      6/chart     -3       4       20%   30 lbs
Lamellar                4/chart       4/chart      2/chart     -4       3       25%   40 lbs
Mail                    2/chart       4/chart      4/chart     -4       3       25%   45 lbs
Scale                   4/chart       2/chart      4/chart     -4       3       25%   35 lbs
Mature Dragon Scale     4/chart       4/chart      4/chart     -5       2       30%   21 lbs


Heavy Armor             Bludgeoning   Piercing     Slashing   ACP   Dex Bonus   ASF   Weight
Banded                  7/chart       3/chart      3/chart     -5       2       30%   35 lbs
Scale & Plate           3/chart       7/chart      3/chart     -5       2       30%   40 lbs
Plated Mail             3/chart       3/chart      7/chart     -5       2       30%   45 lbs
Great Armor             5/chart       5/chart      3/chart     -6       1       35%   50 lbs
Light Plate             3/chart       5/chart      5/chart     -6       1       35%   55 lbs
Full Plate              5/chart       3/chart      5/chart     -6       1       35%   45 lbs
Ancient Dragon Scale    5/chart       5/chart      5/chart     -7       0       40%   30 lbs


Shields                 AC Bonus      Special Quality                    ACP   Dex Bonus   ASF   Weight
Buckler                    1          -1 attack rolls when using 2hw      -1       8        5%   2  lbs
Small Shield               2                                              -1       7       10%   5  lbs
Medium Shield              3                                              -2       6       15%   10 lbs
Large Shield               4                                              -3       5       20%   15 lbs
Tower Shield            5 or cover    -2 on all attack rolls             -10       2       50%   45 lbs

Is that how your chart is supposed to look if properly formatted ONINOTAKI18?

 

[ONINOTAKI18]

@Reveille Thank so much, that is exactly how it is supposed to look!

 

[ONINOTAKI18]

What does 1/chart mean?

--G

the #/chart means that you have DR=# and you look at the chart to see if the attack that hits you gets past the DR, here is the chart

What you need to bypass the damage reduction of armor chart
Armor Quality------------- Weapon Quality
Normal-------------------- Masterwork
Masterwork--------------- (+1) enchantment bonus
(+1) enchantment bonus --(+2) enchantment bonus
(+2) enchantment bonus --(+3) enchantment bonus
(+3) enchantment bonus --(+4) enchantment bonus
(+4) enchantment bonus --(+5) enchantment bonus
(+5) enchantment bonus --(+6) Epic enchantment bonus
follow the pattern ---------follow the pattern

 

[ONINOTAKI18]

April fool's, right?

That's a lot of crunch you got into a smooth system my friend. I have a late meeting but I'll get back to this later today. I like DR, too but I think you've barreled headlong into a few of the Armor as DR pitfalls.

Oh I am pretty sure I have too lol, this seems like it would work best if everyone only had one attack a round (4th edition I am now eyeballing you lol) Initially I was looking at this as an alternative system for low magic, low to mid level campaigns, but I thought I should make it clear how it would work all the way through to highest possible epic level(that being infinity lol)

Basically this would require everyone that wears armor to have a space for slashing, piercing, and bludgeoning DR, and when someone attacks they would call out a line like this "16 to hit, 8 dam, Piercing masterwork" and the person that was attacked would check to see if that hit them, and if it got past their DR or not.

 

[Scurvy_Platypus]

Hmmm. I gotta say this system doesn't look like it'd be "enjoyable" and "smooth" for me. While folks may not like the default Armor as DR system that is out there in the SRD, I'd much rather take that approach than this one.

But hey, if you enjoy getting your design groove on, more power to you. I'm sure there's someone out there (besides yourself ) that would groove on this.

 

[Derro]

Although not bona fide necromancy could I have stabilized this thread?

Anyway...

I was thinking about this the other day after our bi-weekly Conan game. In that system Armor as AC has been given the boot and turned into DR. It's good enough but I did notice at lower levels things tend to drag quite a bit. The nickels and dimes turn into pennies and ha' pennies.

The basic system is standard d20 but DR ranges from 3 (padded jerkin) to 10(?) (plate-mail) plus another or if you're sporting a helmet. DR can be surmounted by the Armor Piercing value of an attack. AP is calculated as the base value of the weapon (range 1-7) plus the Strength modifier of the wielder. If AP is higher than DR for an attack the effective DR is halved against that attack. AP usually weighs in at 3-7 depending on weapon and wielder. The mighty warhammer (AP7) is armor destroying goodness in the hands of someone particularly muscly.

Their are a few other permutations to the system but they are simple. Armor can be destroyed, you get less DR if non-proficient, etc.

Something that I have begun to see is that the scale of DR doesn't really equate very well with damage dealt on a per level basis. With armor as AC there is more of a progressive scale to the effect of staying alive. There are many complaints of course that AC doesn't scale with to hit bonuses and what not but the scale inequality is even more pronounced with DR.

Now I'm sure there are statisticians out there that want to tell me what the actual effects of AC vs. DR in a very thorough and crunchy manner. But I'm not a big believer in "statistics" or "science". I do know what I've seen though. The results of DR gear combat differently than AC.

I'm not done here but I've got an errand to run.

I shall return!

 

[ONINOTAKI18]

Actually the more I find out about 4e the more I cannot wait to see if I can translate this to it in a much simpler system. With the more abstract nature of 4e HP and the greatly reduced amounts of damage that can be done, I think I will abandon the damage reduction aspect of the armor. Instead I think I will have 3 types of AC, slashing, piercing, & blunt to go along with the save related defenses of Fort, Reflex, and Will. At the moment I imagine keeping all the armors listed and have them give a bonus to AC that follows the same pattern in the chart above, but with adjusted numbers.