Which of these two methods would you choose for implementing armor DR rules... ?

[S'mon]

I tried the first DR option, taken from the Dawn of the Emperors box set, in my old AD&D campaigns - it worked well at high (deity) level, combined with vicious critical hit rules (18 max damage, 19 max damage & ignore armour, 20 x2 max damage & ignore armour), but at low level I don't think it works - and DR 8 for full plate is just too much, anyway. In the homegrown rules system I used for PBEM play I had armour reducing damage, but it was leather 1 pt, chain 2 pts, plate 3 pts, with weapons doing damage similar to in D&D. These figures were a bit low, but 8 is too much.

I'd suggest giving armour DR but retaining Deflection as well, maybe split between the two. So full plate currently +8 AC could be DR 4 & +4AC. Padded would be DR 1 +0AC. Traveller d20 does something similar, though further complicated by its Stamina & Lifeblood rules.

 

[Angcuru]

Too...many...conflicting...factors......head...imploding...

If I'm ever going to use a DR for armor system, I'm going to either

A - NOT use D&D.

B - Wait for 4th edition and hope the implement DR for armor.

 

[Piratecat]

This is also being somewhat discussed here. Kind of. If you squint.

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49776

 

[Technik4]

This is also being discussed here, even if you don't squint

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=49897

Technik

 

[Greybar]

You'll want to pull in Seasong's wisdom, since he's been using such a system (along with other variants) in his Theralis game and Story Hour for a while...
John

 

[Relic]

Damage Conversion

One change in armor that I use in my games is that instead of armor granting Damage Reduction it converts some damage into Subdual damage. For example, Full Plate in my game grants Damage Convertion of 3. If a person wearing Full Plate takes 7 points of damage from a great axe, 3 points of that is Subdual damage and 4 points of it is normal damage.

My players really like this system and I find it very easy to implement and track.