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and Open Game Content

All contents of this article is Open Game Content unless noted otherwise.

Armor as Damage Reduction

This article is to address a notion in the core rules that has been troublesome to me.  I find it counter-intuitive that heavy metal armor would make one harder to hit rather than harder to hurt.  The following revisions to the Standard Reference Document in my attempt to address this issue are below.  Also resented in this article are some changes critical threats/hits, effects of damage to a character reducing him/her to 0 or fewer hit points and the “staggered” condition.

All of the following text is Open Game Content unless highlighted in gray.  Gray items are reprinted portions of the SRD.

Armor: 

Armors have Damage Reduction versus specific types of weapons (blunt, piercing, or slashing).  In terms of paperwork, a characters Armor Class is now a function of ability scores (dexterity and sometimes wisdom), actions, and conditions.  Only shields provide an Armor Bonus and only when wielded, not slung.  A combatant caught flat-footed will not receive any armor bonus for a shield.

A new category needs to be added to you character sheet below the Armor Class listing as follows:  Blunt:  Pierce:  Slash:

You may also need to record the type (blunt, piercing, or slashing) of the characters and encounters.  Blunt weapons are easy to identify but sometime you may need a reminder for slashing or piercing weapons.

Critical Threats:

A Critical Threats automatically causes Critical Damage.  (No reroll to hit).  Damage reduction according to the armor and the weapon is taken out before the multiplier is applied to the critical damage.

Massive Damage:

Any single hit causing more damage than 4/level (or hit die) of the character/creature (before the damage reduction) requires a Fortitude Test of DC: 10 + damage to avoid being stunned from the force of the blow. 

Stunned:  The character loses her Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and can take no actions. Foes gain a +2 bonus to hit stunned characters.

A character reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by subdual damage does not become unconscious but rather becomes staggered.  A character reduced to –10 or more hit points is dead. 

Staggered:  A character is so badly weakened or roughed up that he can only take a partial action when he would normally be able to take a standard action.

Types of Armor and Damage Reduction Values:

Rigid armors have good damage reduction qualities versus all types of weapons but excel at deflecting or absorbing impact blows and forces.  Rigid armors with lots or joints or overlapping plates may be less effective versus slashing weapons and even less effective versus piercing weapons.  Examples of rigid armors would be breastplate, full plate, half plate mail, scale mail, banded mail, splint mail as well as iron and wood shields.

Flexible armors excel at absorbing and deflecting concentrated piercing forces.  Blunt forces are slightly absorbed but the wearer will endure the majority of the impact force.  Studded Leather, Leather, Chainmail are typical Flexible armors.

                                                Armor  Max     Check              ---- Speed ----                        Damage Reduction vs.

Armor                          Cost     Bonus   Dex      Penalty             (30ft)    (20ft)    Weight             Blunt    Pierce   Slash   

-----                             ----      -----     ---        -------              ------   ------   ------

Light armor

Padded                        5 gp     0          +8        0                      30 ft.    20 ft.    10 lb.               1          1          2                     

Leather                         10 gp   0          +6        0                      30 ft.    20 ft.    15 lb.               1          2          2         

Studded leather            25 gp   0          +5        -1                     30 ft.    20 ft.    20 lb.               2          2          3

Chain shirt                    100gp  0          +4        -2                     30 ft.    20 ft.    25 lb.               2          3          3

Medium armor

Hide                             15 gp   0          +4        -3                     20 ft.    15 ft.    25 lb.               2          2          3

Scale mail                     50 gp   0          +3        -4                     20 ft.    15 ft.    30 lb.               3          2          3

Chainmail                     150gp  0          +2        -5                     20 ft.    15 ft.    40 lb.               2          3          4

Breastplate                   200gp  0          +3        -4                     20 ft.    15 ft.    30 lb.               4          3          4

Heavy armor

Splint mail                     200gp  0          +0        -7                     20 ft.*  15 ft.*  45 lb.               4          4          4

Banded mail                 250gp  0          +1        -6                     20 ft.*  15 ft.*  35 lb.               4          4          4

Half-plate                     600gp  0          +0        -7                     20 ft.*  15 ft.*  50 lb.               5          4          4

Full plate                      1,500   0          +1        -6                     20 ft.*  15 ft.*  50 lb.               5          5          5

Notes: 

1. Magical armor, adds its bonus to the Damage Reduction.  Chainmail +1 will have an effective damage reduction of 3 (2+1) against a blunt weapon attack.
2. This table deals primarily with fantasy medieval campaign settings.  For hybrid or campaigns with modern components treat “Ballistic” weapon types as “Piercing” weapons but half the armors damage reduction. 
3. Energy attacks (magical or technological) and breath weapon attacks vary greatly but in general, the armor types indicated above do little to counteract the effects of these attacks.  Apply the armor’s magical bonus however as Damage Reduction.  The DM may revise this for certain types of attacks on an individual basis.

Shields

                                                Armor  Max     Check              ---- Speed ---     

Armor                          Cost     Bonus   Dex      Penalty             (30ft)    (20ft)    Weight

-----                             ----      -----     ---        -------              ------   ------   ------

Buckler                        15 gp   +1        -           -1                     -           -           5 lb.

Shield, small, wooden   3 gp     +1        -           -1                     -           -           5 lb.

Shield, small, steel         9 gp     +1        -           -1                     -           -           6 lb.

Shield, large, wooden   7 gp     +2        -           -2                     -           -           10 lb.

Shield, large, steel         20 gp   +2        -           -2                     -           -           15 lb.

Shield, tower                30 gp   **        -           -10                   -           -           45 lb.

Whatta ‘bout monsters?

Creatures with tough hides should also be easier to hit but harder to damage.  Addressing this is beyond the scope of this brief article but if you look, the SRD and Core Book III break out the toughness of the creature’s hide as the “natural” portion of the total armor class.  Use the “natural” modifier as the creatures Damage Reduction.  Do not forget to reduce the creatures Armor Class when flipping the “natural” armor to Damage Reduction.