Magic armor & DR... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Magic armor & DR... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Bubba333
02-25-05, 07:10 AM By the "official rules" for Armor as DR in UA, the magical enhancement bonus only applies to AC, not DR. However I use the Class Defense Bonus variant as well as AaDR. When you mix these two magic armor becomes kinda useless (at least to light armor wearers). What I was thinking of doing is scrapping the list of common base armors in UA and having everyone calculate their armors, both mundane and magical, the way it's suggested in UA when an armor isn't on that list. That way magic armor has a reason to be bought. Has anyone else had this problem and how did they address it?
srkingdavy
02-25-05, 09:42 AM hmm, I can't see how magic armor is useless. Actually, using the "armor as DR" rule, magic armor is even more useful because armor offers less AC bonus and magic has the same AC!

I might be missing something though. Explain why you think these two variants don't work together?
Bubba333
02-25-05, 09:55 AM One other thing that needs to be know is that I use the gestalt rules. That mentioned, take a look at the tables for Class Defense Bonus (page 110) and Armor as Damage Reduction (page 111). Now take a 4th level Fighter/Scout who would have a +7 CDB. Now look a table 4-4 and look up light armors (which would have to be worn to keep the Scout abilities). To even match the character's CDB you'd need a +5 enhancement bonus to the armor and it would still only have at most a DR 2/-! Looking at it this way you can see why enchanting armor (barring abilities) wouldn't make sense.
So, what I propose is that Table 4-4 not be used and instead all armor DR values are calculated using the formula in the second paragraph under "ARMOR AS DAMAGE REDUCTION VALUES". This way (unless my math is wrong) +1 studded leather would have an Armor Bonus of +2 and a DR of 2/- (not the listed 1/-).

Make more sense now?
srkingdavy
02-25-05, 10:31 AM ah, I see. hm.

how about, every "plus" on armor enhancement is -either- one point of DR or one point of AC? A +3 chainmail with 2 DR is a +5 item. This is similar to your idea but I think it could go a little smoother.
Gold Katana
02-25-05, 10:41 AM Are you allowing the CDB if any armor is worn? Don't have the book here, so working from memory.

Perhaps the solution is to only allow the better of CDB or Armor. That way, in your example, by wearing light armor would give him DR2/- while he still retained his CDB +7AC.
Bubba333
02-25-05, 03:44 PM You can have wear armor when using the CDB, but you only get the higher of the two for you AC. I just like the idea that armor is still usefull so I use the AaDR rules.

I do have another question: What does the base "10" represent on the AC?
srkingdavy
02-25-05, 04:18 PM base 10, if you like, can represent the opponent "taking 10" on his "not-get-hit" check.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bubba333 02-25-05, 07:10 AM	By the "official rules" for Armor as DR in UA, the magical enhancement bonus only applies to AC, not DR. However I use the Class Defense Bonus variant as well as AaDR. When you mix these two magic armor becomes kinda useless (at least to light armor wearers). What I was thinking of doing is scrapping the list of common base armors in UA and having everyone calculate their armors, both mundane and magical, the way it's suggested in UA when an armor isn't on that list. That way magic armor has a reason to be bought. Has anyone else had this problem and how did they address it?
srkingdavy 02-25-05, 09:42 AM	hmm, I can't see how magic armor is useless. Actually, using the "armor as DR" rule, magic armor is even more useful because armor offers less AC bonus and magic has the same AC! I might be missing something though. Explain why you think these two variants don't work together?
Bubba333 02-25-05, 09:55 AM	One other thing that needs to be know is that I use the gestalt rules. That mentioned, take a look at the tables for Class Defense Bonus (page 110) and Armor as Damage Reduction (page 111). Now take a 4th level Fighter/Scout who would have a +7 CDB. Now look a table 4-4 and look up light armors (which would have to be worn to keep the Scout abilities). To even match the character's CDB you'd need a +5 enhancement bonus to the armor and it would still only have at most a DR 2/-! Looking at it this way you can see why enchanting armor (barring abilities) wouldn't make sense. So, what I propose is that Table 4-4 not be used and instead all armor DR values are calculated using the formula in the second paragraph under "ARMOR AS DAMAGE REDUCTION VALUES". This way (unless my math is wrong) +1 studded leather would have an Armor Bonus of +2 and a DR of 2/- (not the listed 1/-). Make more sense now?
srkingdavy 02-25-05, 10:31 AM	ah, I see. hm. how about, every "plus" on armor enhancement is -either- one point of DR or one point of AC? A +3 chainmail with 2 DR is a +5 item. This is similar to your idea but I think it could go a little smoother.
Gold Katana 02-25-05, 10:41 AM	Are you allowing the CDB if any armor is worn? Don't have the book here, so working from memory. Perhaps the solution is to only allow the better of CDB or Armor. That way, in your example, by wearing light armor would give him DR2/- while he still retained his CDB +7AC.
Bubba333 02-25-05, 03:44 PM	You can have wear armor when using the CDB, but you only get the higher of the two for you AC. I just like the idea that armor is still usefull so I use the AaDR rules. I do have another question: What does the base "10" represent on the AC?
srkingdavy 02-25-05, 04:18 PM	base 10, if you like, can represent the opponent "taking 10" on his "not-get-hit" check.