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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Al" data-source="post: 812501" data-attributes="member: 2486">Personally, I can think of several reasons why this is a very bad idea.1. Heavy Armour just got a whole lot better.Heavy Armour is already very good, particularly for frontliners with a poor Dexterity.  By implementing DR, you take what is already a powerful combination, and make it even more powerful.2. Breasplates.Breastplates I have a big problem with.  The point that Sean Reynolds made is quite simply- a breastplate is simply the 'breast' bit of full plate.  The 'breast' bit accounts for +5AC, not the full +8AC, for the specific reason that it does not cover the full body.  From a logical pov, therefore, your model falls down.From a game-balance pov, it is also weak.  Breastplate are listed as +5AC, but *everyone* willl simply call a shot at the legs, as this is easier- and why +4?  +4 indicates diminutive- and personally, my legs are longer than 1'.3. Medium Armour is weakened.Let's be realistic.  The only medium armour worthwhile at the mid-high levels is the Breastplate (and usually the mithril variety).  By weakening the Breasplate (to effectively +4AC) the entire Medium Armour category is degraded even more (as if it weren't overlooked enough).4. HelmetsFirst of all, the chain coif is worthless. Secondly, the helmet is included in the effective AC of the armour!  Arguably, you could say that not having a helmet for heavy armour is a -1 AC, but having separate helmets gets confusing.  Thirdly, why does a called shot to the head not do any more damage?  If someone stabs me in the head, I am a whole lot more in trouble than if they stab me in the leg.  Fourthly, why does it only bypass DR and not AC?  All in all, a poor idea.5. Archers are empowered.What is the only weapon type to bypass all armour DRs?  Heavy Piercing.  What is the only HP weapon regularly used at high levels (ignoring a few mad deathcult clerics with scythes)? Composite bows.  Conclusion: see a lot more bows.6. Finesse fighters out, tanks in.Finesse fighters and two-weapon fighters are disempowered- lots of DR kicking around effectively means that each attack they land is more detrimentally affected (in % of damage absorbed) than by 2h weapon wielders, for example.  e.g. Two-shortswords man does average 5hps per hit.  -3 for DR and he only gets 2 damage x2 = 4 hps damage per round if all attacks hit.  Greatsword man does average 10hps per hit.  -3 for DR and he gets 7hps per hit.  At the moment, they do the same damage/round if all attacks hit (i.e. 10pts).  Under the new system, greatsword wielder does nearly double....and the fundamental problemAC is abstract, and an abstraction built from the notion that it is an aggregate of the armour covering of the whole body.  If called shots are used, then the whole abstraction idea just collapses.  Moreover, it is an abstraction of stopping the ability to be hit- if DR is introduced for standard armours, surely it also tends this abstraction?  Yes, full plate stops more damage, but why does it both stop more damage AND make you harder to hit?  Either one or the other- the former as a realistic simulation and the latter as an abstraction.I don't always agree with Sean Reynolds (notably his rant on the effigy) but on this one he was spot on.  Called shots, armour DR and weapon types v. armour are all very bad ideas for DnD.</blockquote>

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