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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Roadkill101" data-source="post: 3889106" data-attributes="member: 30952">I’m in favor of a major revamp in the way armor works.  I’m not a big fan of way the Armor = AC setup functions within the D&D game.  Especially the way 3.x handled the Dex modifiers to AC, based on a suit of armor being classified as light, medium and heavy.Ideally (for me) Armor would function primarily as DR and to a lesser extent modify the AC value.  It would be broken down into three factors, piecemeal location, type and category.   Piecemeal locations would be;•    Breastplates are additional pieces of armor used to further protect the chest cavity and heart from the front.•    Greaves are additional pieces of armor used to protect the feet and legs.  They are light, medium or heavy in nature.o    Light greaves are typically little more than soft leather with minimal reinforcement.o    Medium greaves are typically constructed of leather with further reinforcement by hardened leather and or metallic bands and strips.o    Heavy greaves are typically a hardened metallic shell overtop a leather lining.•    Helms are protection for the head.  There are four types of helm.o    Skullcaps only protect the top of the head.o    Helms protect the top sides and back of the head, leaving the face open.o    Full helms include a gorget to provide protection for the throat but otherwise still leave the face unprotected.o    Great helms encase the entire head and neck; they include a gorget and a face visor.•    Shields are additional pieces of armor worn on the arm to help provide additional protection.  There are five types of shield.o    Bucklers are very small shields used for the purpose of warding off blows from melee weapons.  They are practically useless against missiles.o    Small shields are good for use against melee weapons.  Their small size prevents them from being good missile catchers.o    Medium shields are good all purpose shields for use against melee weapons and missile fire.o    Large shields are best for use against missile fire but are also decent for use against melee weapons.o    Wall shields are great against missile fire but poor against melee weapons due to bulkiness of size (unless one is using a “shield bearer” charged with the employ of a wall shield).•    Torso is the primary body covering and is used to determine the armor type.•    Vambraces are additional pieces of armor used to protect the hands and arms.  As greaves they are light, medium or heavy in nature.   Armor types are concerned with the construction of the armor and materials of which constructed from.  The types of armor would be as follows;•    Light Leather armor is armor constructed of several layers of soft flexible leather sewn together.  It also includes various padded or quilted armors of cloth used in a like manner.•    Heavy Leather armor is armor constructed of leather that has been hardened in some manner.  Or it may include thick animal hides with fur.•    Lamellar armor is armor in which a hardened material has been attached to a base material such as leather or cloth.  It encompasses such armors as ring, scale, splint and brigandine armors.•    Chain armor is the traditional mail of medieval Europe.  It is constructed of a series of interlocking rings.•    Plate armor is any metallic armor that presents a solid or near solid surface area of metal.Note:  As presented the metallic materials would be some form of low grade steel as the norm, softer metals or materials would reduce DR while exotic or harder materials would increase DR, based upon location and type.  Magical enhancements would likewise affect DR.   Armor categories would function as feats or class skills providing any modifiers to AC (including any magical enhancements) and would be of the following types;•    Light Armor consists of any combination of breastplate, helm, greaves and vambraces, or light leather armor.•    Med. Lt. Armor consists of heavy leather armor.•    Medium Armor consists of lamellar armor.•    Med. Hvy. Armor consists of chain armor.•    Heavy Armor consists of plate armor.•    Extra heavy Armor consists of any armor combination where the category of the armor skill has been increased through additional armors, see the Note below.•    Shields allow a creature to effectively use all manner of shields for defensive and offensive purposes.  This skill is easily able to be divided into more specific skills based upon the type of shield(s) to be used.Note:  Adding a breastplate to any other armor type will increase the armor to the next higher armor category.  Likewise the addition of heavy greaves and vambraces, both, to any armor type will increase the armor to the next higher armor category.  I'd throw out the effect armor has on speed and base it (speed) upon size.I'd make AC primarily a function of "Defense Points" which would be based upon Class Level, where the Class Role was an included factor.</blockquote>

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