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--- houserules [2016/02/16 00:17]
wizardofaus [Armor as Damage Conversion]
+++ houserules [2016/12/12 01:15] (current)
@@ Line 16: / Line 16: @@
 | 3rd | +3 | +4 | +5 | +7 |
+Note that this doesn't help the NPC classes, commoners, and similarly zero-PC-level characters at all... which is one of several reasons they vastly prefer armor.
 ==== Armor as Damage Conversion ====
-So why wear armor? Simple: armor lets you reduce damage from attacks. A heavy suit of platemail might encumber you, but it also makes it harder for the dragon to kill you with a bite. The first X points of damage from an attack (excepting attacks that ignore armor) are converted to nonlethal, where X equals the armor bonus of the armor in question. See [[http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/damageConversion.htm|Armor as Damage Conversion on d20srd]] for more information. These two rules combine - so a character with a high defense bonus may still wear leather armor to get the damage conversion even though the armor bonus doesn't matter.
+So why wear armor? Simple: armor lets you reduce damage from attacks. A heavy suit of platemail might encumber you, but it also makes it much harder for the dragon to kill you with a bite.
+The first X points of damage from an attack (excepting attacks that ignore armor) are converted to nonlethal, where X equals the armor bonus of the armor in question. See [[http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/damageConversion.htm|Armor as Damage Conversion on d20srd]] for more information. These two rules combine - so a character with a high defense bonus may still wear leather armor to get the damage conversion even though the armor bonus doesn't matter. Bonus damage added to an attack, such as from critical hits, sneak attacks, electrical shocks, etc, ignores this damage conversion.
 Some quick numbers:
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   * Nonlethal damage is not deducted from hit points; instead, it accumulates. When nonlethal damage equals your current (not maximum) hit points, you are Staggered; when it exceeds your maximum hit points, you are knocked Unconscious. As a note, you can deliberately inflict nonlethal damage with a weapon that normally does lethal damage, or vice versa, by taking a -4 to your effective to-hit.
   * When Staggered, you can only take a move action or a standard action, but not both; you also cannot take full-round actions.
-  * When Unconscious, you are unconscious and thus helpless. When helpless, you have an effective Dexterity of 0 (-5 to your AC), and melee combatants get a +4 to hit you as a prone target (ranged attackers do not get this benefit, but the -5 AC for being a still target is vastly helpful). Rogues can sneak attack helpless victims. As a full round option, anyone can make a melee attack (or ranged attack if adjacent to the target) to deliver a coup de grace. They automatically hit and score a critical hit, and if a rogue they also gain their sneak attack damage bonus. If the target survives that damage, they still have to make a Fortitude save vs DC 10 + (damage dealt) or die immediately. Delivering the coup de grace does trigger attacks of opportunity where relevant, and has no bonus effect on creatures that are immune to critical hits.
+  * When Unconscious, you are prone and helpless. When helpless, you have an effective Dexterity of 0 (-5 to your AC), and melee combatants get a +4 to hit you as a prone target (ranged attackers do not get this benefit, but the -5 AC for being a still target is vastly helpful). Rogues can sneak attack helpless victims. As a full round option, anyone can make a melee attack (or ranged attack if adjacent to the target) to deliver a coup de grace. They automatically hit and score a critical hit, and if a rogue they also gain their sneak attack damage bonus. If the target survives that damage, they still have to make a Fortitude save vs DC 10 + (damage dealt) or die immediately. Delivering the coup de grace does trigger attacks of opportunity where relevant, and has no bonus effect on creatures that are immune to critical hits.
+This means that a non-adventurer warrior might benefit from leather armor for the AC boost as well as the damage resistance provided, but a 1st level fighter would gain no bonus from leather armor in terms of avoiding attacks; their +6 defense bonus is higher. With that said, a 1st level fighter would still find taking non-lethal damage more appealing; if facing a 1d4 dagger, leather armor would make the pain non-lethal most of the time. Meanwhile, a warrior in a breastplate would not take lethal damage from a man armed with a dagger... at least, until they have collapsed from repeated beatings and thus given their enemy time to take them captive or finish them off.
+Note that this means that adventurers will have to make sure they have brought a legitimate end to an enemy, especially enemies who are tough enough to take a beating. However, negotiations are an option in many cases; most intelligent enemies would rather survive to live another day; and most unintelligent enemies don't tend to wear armor.
-This means that a non-adventurer warrior might benefit from leather armor for the AC boost as well as the damage resistance provided, but a 1st level fighter would gain no bonus from leather armor in terms of avoiding attacks; their +6 defense bonus is higher. With that said, a 1st level fighter would still find taking non-lethal damage more appealing; if facing a 1d4 dagger, leather armor would make the pain non-lethal most of the time. Meanwhile, a warrior in a breastplate would not take lethal damage from a man armed with a dagger... at least, until they have collapsed from repeated beatings and thus given their enemy time to slit their throat.
 ==== Reserve Points ====
-Heroes (and those destined to become heroes) have a reserve quantity of hit points equal to their base level. These reserve hit points automatically convert to regular hit points at the rate of 1 per minute of nonstrenuous activity, effectively providing a personal pool of healing. Whenever a normal hit point is recovered via reserve points, a point of nonlethal damage is also recovered, dramatically extending the survival rates of heavily armored types. Any healing (normal or magical) a hero receives replenishes normal HP first, then the reserve pool. This doesn't extend a hero's ability to withstand a single encounter, but does give them the ability to get up after a single savage beating, or survive longer than they otherwise might. See [[http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/reservePoints.htm|Reserve Points on d20srd]] for more information.
+Heroes (and those destined to become heroes) have a reserve quantity of hit points equal to their base number. These reserve hit points automatically convert to regular hit points at the rate of 1 per minute of nonstrenuous activity, effectively providing a personal pool of healing. Whenever a normal hit point is recovered via reserve points, a point of nonlethal damage is also recovered, dramatically extending the survival rates of heavily armored types. Any healing (normal or magical) a hero receives replenishes normal HP first, then the reserve pool. This doesn't extend a hero's ability to withstand a single encounter, but does give them the ability to get up after a single savage beating, or survive longer than they otherwise might. See [[http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/adventuring/reservePoints.htm|Reserve Points on d20srd]] for more information.
+==== Commonplace Guns ====
+As noted, the Empire of Astor has started developing black powder weaponry in earnest, as opposed to being merely the invention of the occasional mad gnome. While not everyone has them or knows how to use them, those who have a thorough training in the Astorian Army are certain to know how to handle them. See [[http://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment---final/weapons/firearms|Pathfinder Firearms]] for more information. Advanced firearms are still rare, but the early firearms are available for anyone who wants to spend the money. Notably, in other kingdoms, these weapons are still few and far between. Guns have the tendency to ignore armor bonuses and thus armor damage conversion at closer ranges, making them quite deadly for anyone unfortunate enough to confront a gunslinger.
 ==== Luck Statistic ====

Glories and Fortune

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