Armour

In my previous post I discussed weapons and how unarmed attacks could work in Dragon In Ninth Heaven. This post will discuss armour. Many of the same issues with weapons apply to armour in the D&D game:

• AC changes based on class role
  • Light +2AC
  • Medium +4AC
  • Heavy +6 to +8
• The AC of armour increases by 2-5 points in each armour type in the paragon and epic tiers
• Armour enchantments are expected
• Characters are expected to have magical armour as they progress, this is built into encounter design and the way attack powers scale

In the Dragon Tiger Gate comics (and other related sources like Heaven Sword, Dragon Sabre, The Four Constables, Hero, Storm Riders, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, etc.) armour is very rare on characters, and usually cosmetic. In fact, when a character does wear armour, it is usually destroyed mid battle.

So how should this be handed in the game?

Weapons

In the last post I mentioned that I wanted to discuss weapons. Moving into a game that has a focus on unarmed combat has significant problems integrating with the D&D model. Some of the problems that need addressing are:

• Different classes and roles have access to weapons with varying damage dice. This ranges from 1d4 to 2d6 in the Player’s Handbook.
• Magical weapons are a fundamental part of the D&D game. Treasure acquisition and equipment upgrades are part of player motivation and enjoyment.
• Weapons have varying proficiency bonuses (+2 or +3 in most cases) and also provide valuable weapon properties like high critical strike damage and reach.
• Changing weapons requires a minor action – is this of any significance?
• Weapons cost money to acquire, and can be disarmed.

All of these issues need to be discussed and a resolution provided. More after the break.