Abjurer
2007-08-21, 09:50 AM
So I was thinking, does it make sense that dexterity-born armor class is the same as that granted by actual armor? I mean, it makes sense that they both serve the same purpose: dexterity and armor both help a character to avoid harm, but a very dextrous character dodges out of the way from potentially harmful blows, and a heavily armored one simply allows them to glance off.
I realize that this is the reason Wizards of the Coast came up with touch AC, because a ray of Disintegrate isn't going to stop when it hits a thin sheet of steel. But it seems to me that a dextrous character who is also magically warded, and is wearing armor, has three different levels of protection that an incoming attack must overcome in order.
Observe:
Borun Ironhand, first-level dwarf fighter, is wearing steel scale mail and wielding a heavy wooden shield, and has a dexterity score of 12. Goblin A attacks him with a shortsword. Using my method, Borun has a touch armor class of 11 (due to his dexterity bonus), and a base armor class of 16 (+4 from the armor, +2 for the shield). The goblin rolls two attack rolls; if the first is less than 12, Borun dodges out of the way, or the goblin misses the dwarf completely, so the shield and armor never come into play. But it the first attack hits, and the second is unsuccessfull, the blade bounces off Borun's armor or shield (maybe even performing a no-AoO sunder in the process). Only if both attacks are successful does the blade cut into dwarf flesh. It also seems that the first attack should be determined by dexterity, as it's an accuracy issue, and the second by strength, as it's a matter of pushing past or cutting through the foe's defenses.
The third and outmost layer of protection (likely with the shield included) would also include magical shields and wards, deflection bonuses and other things, like divine bonuses.
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Everything here is completely brainstorm. None of this is tested, analyzed or expected to ever be used in actual gameplay. I'm simply letting out some thoughts and encouraging the rest of you to mind-stirring discussion.
So, what I've got so far is something along the lines of:
Deflective AC:
Deflection bonuses, magical shields, miscellaneous bonuses.
Anything the character doesn't actually have to think about to make function.
Perhaps shields, but my thought of this AC is that it comes into effect without any work by the character, so I'm loathe to add them at present.
Dodge/touch AC:
Dexterity bonus, dodge bonuses, insight bonuses.
When the deflective AC fails, a character has to actually make an effort to protect themselves. They dodge out of the way of a blow or parry it aside.
Shields might also go here, as they are effort-reliant. As you would parry a blow aside with a weapon (which I would call a dexterity bonus), you could also parry with a shield.
Base/core/armor AC:
Armor bonuses and their enhancement bonuses, natural armor.
This is the last armor class. If a blow actually does land on the character, there's still a chance that it's deflected or absorbed by armor, or the natural toughness of the character's skin.
Shields could, of course, also go here. But I'm thinking of this one also as a more unconscious armor. Like deflective AC, it would be present when the character is flatfooted, and wouldn't require effort on the part of the character.
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Anyways, that's what I've found so far in my head. I now hand the quill to everyone else. What do you think? Do you like it? Not so much? Would it have any merit at all in an actual game?
Personally, I'm not sure. I don't think I'll likely use it, but it makes for a good discussion.
Another thing: this set of rules makes high-leveled characters even more powerful when compared to low-level characters. When a thenth-level fighter swings a sword at a 1-HD goblin, he has a very good chance of overcoming three ACs of no more than eleven each. But when the goblin attacks the fighter, there is very little chance that it succeeds in three consecutive attacks against fairly high ACs.
So...
I realize that this is the reason Wizards of the Coast came up with touch AC, because a ray of Disintegrate isn't going to stop when it hits a thin sheet of steel. But it seems to me that a dextrous character who is also magically warded, and is wearing armor, has three different levels of protection that an incoming attack must overcome in order.
Observe:
Borun Ironhand, first-level dwarf fighter, is wearing steel scale mail and wielding a heavy wooden shield, and has a dexterity score of 12. Goblin A attacks him with a shortsword. Using my method, Borun has a touch armor class of 11 (due to his dexterity bonus), and a base armor class of 16 (+4 from the armor, +2 for the shield). The goblin rolls two attack rolls; if the first is less than 12, Borun dodges out of the way, or the goblin misses the dwarf completely, so the shield and armor never come into play. But it the first attack hits, and the second is unsuccessfull, the blade bounces off Borun's armor or shield (maybe even performing a no-AoO sunder in the process). Only if both attacks are successful does the blade cut into dwarf flesh. It also seems that the first attack should be determined by dexterity, as it's an accuracy issue, and the second by strength, as it's a matter of pushing past or cutting through the foe's defenses.
The third and outmost layer of protection (likely with the shield included) would also include magical shields and wards, deflection bonuses and other things, like divine bonuses.
----------------
Everything here is completely brainstorm. None of this is tested, analyzed or expected to ever be used in actual gameplay. I'm simply letting out some thoughts and encouraging the rest of you to mind-stirring discussion.
So, what I've got so far is something along the lines of:
Deflective AC:
Deflection bonuses, magical shields, miscellaneous bonuses.
Anything the character doesn't actually have to think about to make function.
Perhaps shields, but my thought of this AC is that it comes into effect without any work by the character, so I'm loathe to add them at present.
Dodge/touch AC:
Dexterity bonus, dodge bonuses, insight bonuses.
When the deflective AC fails, a character has to actually make an effort to protect themselves. They dodge out of the way of a blow or parry it aside.
Shields might also go here, as they are effort-reliant. As you would parry a blow aside with a weapon (which I would call a dexterity bonus), you could also parry with a shield.
Base/core/armor AC:
Armor bonuses and their enhancement bonuses, natural armor.
This is the last armor class. If a blow actually does land on the character, there's still a chance that it's deflected or absorbed by armor, or the natural toughness of the character's skin.
Shields could, of course, also go here. But I'm thinking of this one also as a more unconscious armor. Like deflective AC, it would be present when the character is flatfooted, and wouldn't require effort on the part of the character.
----------------
Anyways, that's what I've found so far in my head. I now hand the quill to everyone else. What do you think? Do you like it? Not so much? Would it have any merit at all in an actual game?
Personally, I'm not sure. I don't think I'll likely use it, but it makes for a good discussion.
Another thing: this set of rules makes high-leveled characters even more powerful when compared to low-level characters. When a thenth-level fighter swings a sword at a 1-HD goblin, he has a very good chance of overcoming three ACs of no more than eleven each. But when the goblin attacks the fighter, there is very little chance that it succeeds in three consecutive attacks against fairly high ACs.
So...