Alternate Proposal - Tie AC to bonus DR

[xoccox]

I read the thread about tying AC to damage reduction, and while I agree with the intent of making higher levels of armor class more useful/viable, I find the idea of tying it to fortification problematic, for reasons other people have already discussed cogently.

I would like to suggest an alternative to changing around the entire fortification system.

Tying higher levels of AC to "bonus" Damage reduction.

For example base AC is 10. So at say AC 15, add 1 bonus DR (for physical damage), and 1 additional bonus DR for every 5 points of AC above that, such that 2 DR at AC20 up to say 8 bonus DR at AC 50.

While it might seem rather underpowered at first glance, this is bonus DR, so it would stack with other forms of DR. It gives classes who naturally stack AC into the mid ranges (like Clerics for example) a reason not to just go cloth. And it provides a bonus to Sword and board fighters and AC style fighters that would be useful without being completely game changing.

Of course, like any idea, the actual numbers would have to be tested and tweaked...

[kernal42]

Please no.

While AC could use some encouragement, this is not the way to do it.

-Kernal

[xoccox]

Your objection seems... nebulous.

[grodon9999]

I've suggested this months ago and I'm going to link it every time a thread like this comes up.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php...ghlight=simple

Greatly expands the useful range of AC while keeping things D20. This is the "fix" you are looking for (along with lowering the absurd mob to-hits in epics).

[xoccox]

Armor class on a curve... It sounds interesting, but implementation does not sound simple at all.
Would it make destruction and other spells/effects that lower AC more or less desirable? It would all depend on if they are applied pre or post curve. Sunder would suddenly become a must have or completely useless, depending on when it was applied.

I would hope that any system they implement would be applicable to mobs and players, (Which is probbaly just an esthetic choice) and I don't know how AC on a curve would work at all for mobs...



But bonus DR for higher AC mobs could easily be tied into the current mob DR system without having to completely change how hits are calculated.

Interesting yes, but I can't agree that it is simple.

[TheKaige]

Ideally, armor/natural armor would become damage reduction, and then AC would become defense, made up of your dexterity ,dodge, deflection etc. Problem is, they would have to completely revamp and destroy the 3.5 system to do that; better end product, but a complete overhaul of the entire system probably isn't gonna happen.

Soo..../not signed. Mixing up DR and AC is not the answer; keep the current system, and fix the game so the system works, or revamp the entire system, and do the above.

[DustTheWind]

I kinda like the idea. Ill vote for it.