Defense Bonus - Variant Adventuring Rule

[Noremak]

I am running a dnd 3.5 campaign that has been an ongoing high seas pirate adventure. I've been searching for ways to make adventurers more mobile in combat, looking for a very Pirates of the Caribbean cinamatic feal, and I came across this varaint rule on the SRD called Defense Bonus. The rules can be found here. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/defenseBonus.htm)

The gist of it is as you level you receive an AC bonus based on your class type that does not stack with regular armor. This encourages players to forgo armor in favor of the generally better defense bonus, and also tend to remove armor checks from the game.

Has anyone played with this variant before? How was it? Did it encourage players to be more mobile? Did/does it upset the balance of the game by giving to much ac? Anyone have any thoughts on the matter?

[Godskook]

1.D&D as a whole does not encourage much mobility outside teleportation spells. You're going to have to make hefty changes before that changes, and you're probably not going to like the process.

2.The variant doesn't increase max AC at *ALL*, so you're not going to see any major imbalances, although expect to either decrease WBL or see your players having more item-power.

[raxies94]

I've never played it before, but it looks pretty neat. I can see it not making a huge difference to fighters and such, but wizards and sorcerers really seem to benefit. Also, using this, even if you had your armor taken away, you could still have some defense. Fairly interesting I guess, and probably wouldn't change gameplay a lot.

[Cyphrus]

If you are looking at mobility increasing purposes, that is a good start, another change for the fighting-guy types is to turn full attacks into a standard action, or maybe give them the vital strike feat line for free from pathfinder.

If you do go use the defense bonus variant, I do suggest adding the armor as DR variant as well, it gives some usage to armor.

[Noremak]

If you are looking at mobility increasing purposes, that is a good start, another change for the fighting-guy types is to turn full attacks into a standard action, or maybe give them the vital strike feat line for free from pathfinder.

I was thinking about working in something along the lines of everyone getting the mobility feat for free. So you every 4 levels you would receive a +1 to AC vs AoO, every 5 levels you would receive a +1d6 skirmish dice (like the scout class).

I could also see letting the "attack" standard action be equal to a full attack, but I'm thinking that I might say the attacks are made at a -2. That way there is a little bit of a trade off between moving and full attacking, vs moving and taking one good swing.

EDIT: I might instead base the free mobility/skirmish dice of BAB, so they are a bigger boon to fighter types.

[Runeclaw]

I've played with it. It works okay, but I personally don't recommend it. The impact on the game can be more significant than is at first obvious.

Arcane casters and monks and the like benefit the most, because even though they get a smaller Defense bonus than heavy armor types, it is a bonus over what otherwise would have been nothing at all (at least at low levels).

Bracers of Armor are made worthless. Armor is also made worthless. My DM could never quite realize how completely worthless even heavily enchanted armor became. Armor's only use is as a base to misc enchantments, and that's only if you don't let them put these onto clothing. If not, a suit of +1 leather becomes useful to but other enchantments on.

[Calimehter]

If you do go use the defense bonus variant, I do suggest adding the armor as DR variant as well, it gives some usage to armor.

If I remember right, the 'armour as DR' variant also featured smaller AC bonuses for each armour.

If combined, I wonder if it would be a good idea to then allow the defense bonus to stack with armour AC. The numbers would not get out of hand, but it would help get higher ACs at higher levels w/o having to spend such vast quantities of WBL on it. I might have to dig out my copy of UA and start crunching numbers . . .

[Pink]

If I remember right, the 'armour as DR' variant also featured smaller AC bonuses for each armour.

If combined, I wonder if it would be a good idea to then allow the defense bonus to stack with armour AC. The numbers would not get out of hand, but it would help get higher ACs at higher levels w/o having to spend such vast quantities of WBL on it. I might have to dig out my copy of UA and start crunching numbers . . .

Please post the results of this number crunching. I've also thought of using both variants.

On the note of wbl, if you're taking the rule into account for enemies as well, wouldn't the lack of armor loot make up for it?