I’ve been putting this off for some time due to having lost my first draft.  I hate re-doing work, but I finally got around to re-writing this last night.  This is my concept of an alternative to the Armor Class (A.C.) system used in Dungeons and Dragons 3. 5 and 5th Edition (this alternative works as is in both editions).

It’s quite a bit more complex, and requires more bookkeeping.  I know that this is not a fact that most gamers like; many RPG’s are already too complex.  However, I simply don’t like the A.C. system, never have, and feel it’s time for an alternative.  I’ve got it all figured out as close as I can think (except for the portion on how to repair armor), and I’d like your opinion.  No, really… I want to hear what you think.  Constructive criticism, please!

So here it is:

O.R.C.

Opposed Roll Combat

Alternate Armor and Combat Rules for Dungeons and Dragons

As an alternative to armor class ratings, O.R.C. is based on opposed roll combat, which is to say that every attack roll faces a defensive roll by the defender.

When attacked, a defender now has three options: Parry, Block, or Dodge

Every attack roll is now treated as a DC for a defense roll.  If an attacker rolls a grand total with all bonuses equal to a 17, the defender must match or exceed that number to avoid being hit.

PARRY: A defender can PARRY a number of attacks equal to the number of attacks the defender has each round, i.e. a first level character usually has only one attack per round, so can only parry one attack without losing their own attack.  The defender may, if she has not already attacked, sacrifice her attack to PARRY an additional attack.

To PARRY, the defender rolls a d20 plus all attack bonuses, just as if she were attacking, and attempts to match or beat the attackers roll.  If successful, the attack does no damage.  If not successful, the defenders armor (if any) absorbs some amount of the damage (covered later in this document).

BLOCK: A defender can BLOCK an attack if she has a shield.  The defender can BLOCK a number of attacks equal to her DEX modifier, minimum of once.  The defender can NOT sacrifice her attack for any additional BLOCKS.  To BLOCK an attack, the defender rolls d20 plus STR modifier, plus the armor class bonus of the shield (usually +1).  If the STR modifier is a negative number, it is applied as a negative to the defender’s roll.

DODGE: A defender’s last resort is to DODGE.  A defender can dodge any number of attacks.  To DODGE, a defender rolls d20 plus DEX modifier.

Critical attacks (natural 20) can only be defended against with a natural d20.  In this case, the attack and defense are compared for highest total.  If the attacker does roll higher, the amount of damage is increased just as before.

ARMOR DAMAGE RESISTANCE

Upon a successful attack that bypasses the defender’s attempts, the attacker rolls damage.  The defender now rolls the armor’s Armor Rating (AR) and subtracts that amount from the damage.  Any remaining damage is subtracted from the defender’s Hit Points.  Every individual suit of armor also has a maximum amount of damage it can absorb before being too damaged to be useful.  This is represented by its Durability Rating (DR).   Any damage that is absorbed by the armor is subtracted from its DR.  The armor cannot absorb more damage than it has remaining DR, so if it gets too beat up it will have to be replaced.

ARMOR TABLE

ARMOR                     TYPE              OLD A.C.       A.R.                D.R.

Padded                      Light             +1                    1d6(2)              24

Leather                      Light             +2                    2d6(4)              48

Studded Leather      Light             +3                    3d6(6)                72

Chain Shirt                Light             +4                    4d6(8)                96

Hide                            Medium        +3                    3d8(6)              96

Scale Mail                   Medium       +4                    4d8(8)              128

Chain Mail                  Medium       +5                    5d8(10)            160

Breastplate                  Medium       +5                    5d8(10)           160

Splint Mail                  Heavy            +6                    6d10(12)        240

Banded Mail               Heavy             +6                    6d10(12)       240

Half Plate                    Heavy             +7                    7d10(14)       280

Full Plate                     Heavy             +8                    8d10(16)       320

Magical Armor increases the number of dice rolled as A.R. by the magical bonus, and increases the D.R. by a multiple of its bonus.  For example, a suit of +3 Full Plate would roll 11d10 as A.R. and be able to absorb a total of 960 points!

This is already a more complex system of combat, so for simplicities sake, Shields have no limit on use.  They’ll just last a long time.  Unrealistic, but no more so than the existing system of everything lasts forever.

Each type of armor does have a minimum amount of damage that it will absorb at no cost equal to the minimum amount of A.R that can be rolled, doubled (in parenthesis after each A.R rating in the table above).  For example a suit of Padded armor can absorb an attack of only two points without losing any D.R.  Any attack of three points or more are treated regularly.  A suit of Full Plate can absorb any attack of 16 points or less at no loss to it’s D.R.  The magical +3 Full Plate can take any attack of 22 points or less.

REPAIRING D.R

(To Be Continued Next Post)