Speeds and armor

[Blindhamsterman]

There are enemies with ACs high enough that a +1 AB difference can be huge, the difference between only hitting on a 20 and being unable to cause a critical compared to hitting on a 19 and being able to critical can be important.

It's a simple solution that gives an (admittedly minor) drawback to heavy and medium armour wearers without making either useless. It'd be quick and relatively easy to enforce, so all in all... I think it's the best suggestion so far.

[Veilan]

There are enemies with ACs high enough that a +1 AB difference can be huge

And you'd leave your full plate at home against those?

If you say yes, then even if you can assume that that mob will not be your only encounter, but, much more likely, the big boss at the end?

I agree it is the best suggestion so far, but I do not think it offers the "juicy" fruit: Making armour choice a tactical option. I guess we need more fights on ships, bridges or near other bodies of water .

Of course, we may not be able to get there.

Cheers,

[Blindhamsterman]

only other suggestion I have is to give everyone the dash feat for free, but have it be disabled on equipping heavy armour

[t-ice]

Disabling barbarian fast movement and ability to rage in heavy armor would also be a small step in the right direction.

[Blindhamsterman]

I was under the impression, that was already implemented. as its core rules...

[mogonk]

I agree it is the best suggestion so far, but I do not think it offers the "juicy" fruit: Making armour choice a tactical option. I guess we need more fights on ships, bridges or near other bodies of water .

As someone who recently took off a chain shirt before getting on a boat rather than take the chance of a -2 check penalty causing him to drown if he had to jump off, I can say that tactical choice in armor is alive and well...in DM sessions.

I actually believe losing a point of AB has little to no effect in behaviour, nor do I think separating between ranged and melee AB is a good thing to do.

I am very interested to know why you think that the ranged/melee split is a bad idea. The reason I like the idea of splitting the two is that it allows a sort of compromise between the hardline -2 AB and the ineffective -2 AB. I take it you would prefer the flat -2 AB for heavy armor?

I would support either, honestly.

only other suggestion I have is to give everyone the dash feat for free, but have it be disabled on equipping heavy armour

Any argument against doing both? A small AB penalty for one, a very small speed increase for the other. That seems to me a well-rounded solution, and might appease those who think that the AB penalty doesn't go far enough.

[Regalis]

I am not a fan of the attack bonus penalty on the grounds that it's something we're making up on the spot. That would be OK, except ALFA doesn't document things properly and keep that information up-to-date and accessible.

One year from now, will newbies be able to make sense of their attack bonus scores? Maybe they'll find someone to ask about it, who will say, "Oh yeah, I think heavy armor gives you AB penalties." The newbie will ask where it's listed. "Oh, I don't know, buried somewhere in the brainstorming thread, I think."

That's how things operate around here.

If you go with something based on PnP, at least people have a prayer of figuring out what's going on and why.

If you don't want to do implement the speed aspects of armor, consider the other aspects that canonically differentiate armor:

1) Remove getting fatigued for resting in light armor. It's only supposed to apply in medium and heavy armor.

2) Make armor take half or a quarter of the time it's supposed to to don and remove. (Even though people don't have to put it on often, it would be obnoxious to require the full time.) Implement the penalties for 'hastily donning' armor if you interrupt the process after enough time has elapsed or if you put on heavy armor without a nearby idle faction member. (-1 armor and armor check penalties.) If you get interrupted before reaching the hastily donned threshold, the armor is simply left in your inventory.

There you go. Light armored people can stay in their armor at camp. Those in heavier armor will have periods of vulnerability. At times, they might even need to opt for taking the fatigue hit rather than risking being caught with their pants down.

Since there is a progression bar that can be used and it's based upon the actual rules, people will be able to figure out what's going on.

[mogonk]

I am not a fan of the attack bonus penalty on the grounds that it's something we're making up on the spot. That would be OK, except ALFA doesn't document things properly and keep that information up-to-date and accessible.

Sure, but there are other ways to address that rather than scrapping good ideas. While I agree that poor documentation can be a problem, that's simply an argument for better documentation. There are tons of ALFA specific house rules in the status quo that are not immediately obvious. It's difficult to demonstrate a unique harm from this specific change.

Put a warning about it in the player manual on this page: http://www.alandfaraway.org/node/1121 which details ALFA specific rules on equipment. Put a note about it in one of the pages that displays while the server loads. Put a note in the ALFA hints that pop up during in the IG loading screens. Do all three, and it's hard to argue that people would be horribly confused about why their AB is lower than expected.

Ya know?

[Galadorn]

Please do not mess with ABs.

If you must do anything make it fatigue somehow or run speed/overall-speed, or something.

Or ...just...leave... it... alone.

*rolls over the pillow to the 'cold side' and re-enters lucid dream*

[mogonk]

Please do not mess with ABs.

If you must do anything make it fatigue somehow or run speed/overall-speed, or something.

Fatigue isn't really feasible and lower run speed will wind up being a much more significant penalty than a small knock to AB. There was a lot of talk about both of those earlier in the thread. It doesn't seem like they work for our purposes.

[JaydeMoon]

Are we still talking about this?

[Greasemang]

Talking about how we shouldn't be talking about this, mostly.

[Swift]

Please do not mess with ABs.

If you must do anything make it fatigue somehow or run speed/overall-speed, or something.

Fatigue isn't really feasible and lower run speed will wind up being a much more significant penalty than a small knock to AB. There was a lot of talk about both of those earlier in the thread. It doesn't seem like they work for our purposes.

Woo! It only took 17 pages for people to realize this!

[psycho_leo]

Can we talk about weapon breakage now? Pretty please?

[Swift]

No!

Back in the box leo.

*points to the box*