Would you use Armor as DR Why? Why use it for AC?

[Nyeshet]

I tend to use a mix of AC / DR.

DR varies dependent on the armor type and the type of damage inflicted upon it: bludgeoning, etc. The AC bonus is a deflection bonus. (I allow deflection boni to stack if from utterly different sources - shields and armor, for instance, but not padded armor and half plate.).

 

[Amalricus]

DR and defense

lose AC

Add a defense stat to all classes, based on a three tiered value much like BaB. DOnt tie it to BaB, as some classes that have average attack would naturally have good defense, (rogue for example).

Level Good Average Poor
1 1 0 0
2 2 1 1
3 3 2 1
4 4 3 2
5 5 3 2
6 6 4 3
7 7 5 3
8 8 6 4
9 9 6 4
10 10 7 5
11 11 8 5
12 12 9 6
13 13 9 6
14 14 10 7
15 15 11 7
16 16 12 8
17 17 12 8
18 18 13 9
19 19 14 9
20 20 15 10

Defense = 10 + (skill) + (dex) + shield value + shield +/- size modifier - armor penalty

Shields add to defense, not DR.

A light weapon in the main hand adds 1 to defense if the wielder is proficient and has it in hand

A medium weapon in two hands does the same thing

When flat footed, you lose everything save skill to defense.


Example: Grulle the Merciless is a 5th level ranger and a 3rd level fighter

Rangers have an average defense, fighters have a good defense

Grulles defense is:

10 + 6 (3 ranger + 3 fighter) skill + 2 (14 dex) + 2 (shield) - 4 scale mail = 16

If Grulle is flat footed, his defense drops to a 16, as he loses his shield and dex bonus, but retains skill.

We use this system, or a variation of it, in all our games. It is OGL, and uses several products as its source. It can be seen in several incarnations in the COnan RPG, Star Wars, Iron Heroes, and many more. It works great, but as for adapting CRs, it can throw a wrench into the mix. CRs are broken anyway, just wing it

*grin*

Amalric

 

[Li Shenron]

I have mixed feelings about armor as DR. I haven't used it, thought about it for a long time, discussed it on these forums, and changed my mind serveral times

Usually the reason why gamers want this variant is realism. However, the numbers they come up with are usually not more realistic than just having armor as AC.

For armors such as Leather/Hide and Natural Armor, it could make sense that they provide some DR. But an armor made of metal should provide a HUGE DR to be realistic. It would take a heroic strength to hit someone's breastplate and hurt him at all.

Monsters and PC are supposed to be heroic, but IMHO a DR 5 would be balanced game-wise, but is not realistic at all, because it means that a low-level character still hurts the guy in plate mail with many normal weapons. You could say that it is realistic on the average, but in that case why not sticking with AC?

OTOH using DR means to have the problem that certain weapons are completely unable to damage the armored opponent, even if the armor does not cover much of the target. For this reason, I'd prefer that DR would be applied to Natural Armor, which typically covers everything, but not worn armor.

But if one wants to use such a variant, at least I definitely suggest the Iron Heroes RANDOM DR, because that does not have the weapon problem at least.