Armour for damage reduction [Archive] - Wizards Community

Armour for damage reduction [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
gamerd0rk
09-16-06, 11:02 PM I've gotten my ol' Dnd group back together for the first time in months, and we thought we'd like to have armour give damage reduction instead of Ac bonus like it does in other d20 modern games. Its just Im not sure if that would be fair for all the classes, and I'm not sure what amount of damage reduction each type of armour and shield would have. I'm sure this question has been askwed before, and Im sure that someone out there must have figured it out. So, what do you guys think?
Waterhammer
09-16-06, 11:05 PM It's changing all those monsters over to DR that gives me the headache.
runestar
09-16-06, 11:13 PM I think the Arcanum PC game uses the armour = dr concept. Not sure how readily it can be adapted to the dnd game though.:P
Seerow
09-16-06, 11:19 PM Doing this generally makes low level Fighters untouchable, and high level fighters even weaker than they are already.
Tequila_Sunrise
09-16-06, 11:21 PM The simplest way to do it is DR = AC bonus. Keep in mind that using a DR system makes Power Attack absolutely imperetive above low levels, even more so than it already is in d&d.
MorandirNailo
09-20-06, 08:30 PM The "Armor as DR" rules from Unearthed Arcana can be found here (http://d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/armorAsDamageReduction.htm). You may want to consider using the Defense Bonus rules as well (which can also be found on the site), to help even things out a bit.

Mor

Edit: didn't realize the UA rules kept part of the armor's AC bonus...been playing Star Wars too much. Might not need the Defense Bonus rules after all.
Killer_DM
09-20-06, 11:48 PM The "Unearthed Arcana" book has information on this I belive.
Rochlar
09-21-06, 01:49 AM i use a kind of armor-as-dr rule in my games: actual armor bonuses (including mage armor) "translate" an amount of lethal damage from each hit to nonleathal. also, all healing spells/potions take 2 rounds to finish working (ie- .5 on the round cast/drunk, .5 on the next round). i find this gives me the kind of "we rest up before the next fight" feeling without having to translate most monsters or seriously changing the balance of the combat system.
The_Geek
09-21-06, 01:48 PM Armour - in the RW - has both DR & AC effects. But often very quirky - Medieval full plate is great at deflecting melee weapons, but pretty lousy with bullets. Similarly, it's pretty good at reducing the effect of a flat mace, but picks go through with no real resistance.

In game, it's all about balance. AC alone does a reasonable, but not brilliant job ... a whip will hit an armoured target as easily as an un-armoured, but simply isn't going to do any damage to someone in plate. I favour a combination of the two (AC & DR), but it requires some fore-thought. DR from armour doesn't help against falling, for example. AC doesn't apply vs some weapons (e.g. Sasumata, Crossbow).

Have fun balancing this can of worms!
Jerks
09-21-06, 04:39 PM Iron Heroes uses an armor as dr system. Check it out. Instead of a static DR you get a die to roll. In essence the AC value becomes the die you roll. Normal AC benefit = 4, your DR is a 1d4.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
gamerd0rk 09-16-06, 11:02 PM	I've gotten my ol' Dnd group back together for the first time in months, and we thought we'd like to have armour give damage reduction instead of Ac bonus like it does in other d20 modern games. Its just Im not sure if that would be fair for all the classes, and I'm not sure what amount of damage reduction each type of armour and shield would have. I'm sure this question has been askwed before, and Im sure that someone out there must have figured it out. So, what do you guys think?
Waterhammer 09-16-06, 11:05 PM	It's changing all those monsters over to DR that gives me the headache.
runestar 09-16-06, 11:13 PM	I think the Arcanum PC game uses the armour = dr concept. Not sure how readily it can be adapted to the dnd game though.:P
Seerow 09-16-06, 11:19 PM	Doing this generally makes low level Fighters untouchable, and high level fighters even weaker than they are already.
Tequila_Sunrise 09-16-06, 11:21 PM	The simplest way to do it is DR = AC bonus. Keep in mind that using a DR system makes Power Attack absolutely imperetive above low levels, even more so than it already is in d&d.
MorandirNailo 09-20-06, 08:30 PM	The "Armor as DR" rules from Unearthed Arcana can be found here (http://d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/armorAsDamageReduction.htm). You may want to consider using the Defense Bonus rules as well (which can also be found on the site), to help even things out a bit. Mor Edit: didn't realize the UA rules kept part of the armor's AC bonus...been playing Star Wars too much. Might not need the Defense Bonus rules after all.
Killer_DM 09-20-06, 11:48 PM	The "Unearthed Arcana" book has information on this I belive.
Rochlar 09-21-06, 01:49 AM	i use a kind of armor-as-dr rule in my games: actual armor bonuses (including mage armor) "translate" an amount of lethal damage from each hit to nonleathal. also, all healing spells/potions take 2 rounds to finish working (ie- .5 on the round cast/drunk, .5 on the next round). i find this gives me the kind of "we rest up before the next fight" feeling without having to translate most monsters or seriously changing the balance of the combat system.
The_Geek 09-21-06, 01:48 PM	Armour - in the RW - has both DR & AC effects. But often very quirky - Medieval full plate is great at deflecting melee weapons, but pretty lousy with bullets. Similarly, it's pretty good at reducing the effect of a flat mace, but picks go through with no real resistance. In game, it's all about balance. AC alone does a reasonable, but not brilliant job ... a whip will hit an armoured target as easily as an un-armoured, but simply isn't going to do any damage to someone in plate. I favour a combination of the two (AC & DR), but it requires some fore-thought. DR from armour doesn't help against falling, for example. AC doesn't apply vs some weapons (e.g. Sasumata, Crossbow). Have fun balancing this can of worms!
Jerks 09-21-06, 04:39 PM	Iron Heroes uses an armor as dr system. Check it out. Instead of a static DR you get a die to roll. In essence the AC value becomes the die you roll. Normal AC benefit = 4, your DR is a 1d4.