ExploderWizard
Hero
Armor as DR works better in systems that don't have scaling HP the way D&D does. The abstraction of D&D means that your HP ARE your armor as levels go up.
AC in D&D represents more than just damage protection. Part of AC is armor, part is quickness, and part is just general defensive badassery at it's finest. All of these factors were considered when assigning an AC in older editions,at least for monsters.
For some reason though, adventurers had to rely on armor alone, along with DEX and magic. Why not let PCs get armor class adjustments for class like they do for hit rolls and hit points? Martially trained characters should be better at defending themselves in any armor or without it.
Lets give each class a base AC to represent training and let armor and DEX add to that.
Fighter AC 13
Cleric AC 12
Thief AC 11
Wizard AC 10
Armor can add 1-4 points based on type; light, medium, heavy, or very heavy. Shields can add another 1 or 2 for med/large.
Give strict penalties for thief abilities and spellcasting in heavy armor and let everyone wear what they want or can afford. The wizard in chain will still only have AC 12, and risk spell failure while the fighter in chain will have AC 15. The ACs would not scale with level so the flatter math would remain. It would also make lighter armored swashbuckling type fighters more viable without relying on magic items to accomplish it.
AC in D&D represents more than just damage protection. Part of AC is armor, part is quickness, and part is just general defensive badassery at it's finest. All of these factors were considered when assigning an AC in older editions,at least for monsters.
For some reason though, adventurers had to rely on armor alone, along with DEX and magic. Why not let PCs get armor class adjustments for class like they do for hit rolls and hit points? Martially trained characters should be better at defending themselves in any armor or without it.
Lets give each class a base AC to represent training and let armor and DEX add to that.
Fighter AC 13
Cleric AC 12
Thief AC 11
Wizard AC 10
Armor can add 1-4 points based on type; light, medium, heavy, or very heavy. Shields can add another 1 or 2 for med/large.
Give strict penalties for thief abilities and spellcasting in heavy armor and let everyone wear what they want or can afford. The wizard in chain will still only have AC 12, and risk spell failure while the fighter in chain will have AC 15. The ACs would not scale with level so the flatter math would remain. It would also make lighter armored swashbuckling type fighters more viable without relying on magic items to accomplish it.