Post/Author/DateTime	Post
j3st3r 04-18-07, 06:18 PM	I've allways hated the fact that there's no possibility to damage worn armor with normal attacks or even with sunder attacks. I'd like to add a rule to my game that makes armors vulnerable to all physical attacks. Is there allready a rule variant that makes this possible or has someone done such a rule? The rule should be quite simple, e.g. every damage types does the same amount of damage against all armors (or has anyone got a good approach to this?). There should be some kind of dc to determine if the attack actually hits the armor or a gap/unarmored spot of an armor (the heavier the armor, more likely the attack hitting the armor). This because I'm allowing sunder to be used against worn armors. So, what do you think would be a good rule for this (other than just allowing sunder attack against worn armors)?
antsterr 04-18-07, 07:30 PM	In the Palladium Fantasy RPG the system takes this in to account. It works like this: When you make an attack you roll an opposed attack roll vs. your opponents parry or dodge roll (most people can auto parry if they are armed, a dodge uses up their next attack). If your roll beats his roll then you hit him. His armour will have an armour rating ranging from 5 for cloth to 17 for full plate. Say you rolled 16 and beet your full plated opponents parry roll. You now hit his armour instead. Full plate armour has 160 SDC (structural damage capacity, equal in value to hit points). You roll damage and he takes it off his armour's SDC. This system could be adapted for D&D, you'd just need to give HP and hardness values to your armour and keep in mind that any hit that beats your touch AC but not your full AC would do potential damage to your armour.
Tim4488 04-18-07, 07:49 PM	I've thought about this too. Seems like a good idea, logically, but I'm afraid it would make armor TOO vulnerable. So, so many attacks beat touch AC but not full AC, especially for a Fighter, Barbarian, or Paladin, that people would need to repair their armor constantly. Especially when you get to the levels where a dragon is dishing out dozens of damage, and armor only gains 10 hp/+1 bonus... Again. I'd love to see it implemented, I'm just afraid that it would be too damaging to PC's, who have multiple encounters a day, as opposed to NPC's who only come up once.
j3st3r 04-18-07, 08:24 PM	So far good ideas, thanks! keep in mind that any hit that beats your touch AC but not your full AC would do potential damage to your armour. Good point, but because the attack might just grace the armor or the armor might direct the attack harmlessly away I'll make only direct hits harm the armor (this way I don't have to worry about making armors too vulnerable and sunder is more appealing option). I've come up with a solution to the dc for hitting the armor and not the gaps/unarmored parts of the body: dc 10+armor bonus to hit the body directly. This way to hit a leather armor, you have to throw under 12 with d20 while hitting full plate requires under 18 with d20. This rule could also apply to the Damage Conversion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/damageConversion.htm) variant which I'm thinking of using (meaning that all the damage is lethal damage if you hit the gap/unarmored spot).
WhiteHarness 04-19-07, 06:45 PM	You're going to make it not worth the trouble to wear armour since it sounds like you want it to be easy to hit/break. Shame on you.
Spikes01k 04-19-07, 06:51 PM	Armor's balancing point with weapons is the very fact they can not be broken as easily.