Armor

>>53247091
>Damage reduction vs hit chance
Damage reduction in all non d20 systems is best. Haven't really played that many d20 systems, but of the few I did, I think its for the best if it reduces the chances of hitting the meaty parts beneath the armor.

>Function vs form
Form. Cool looking armor is cool.

>Platemail vs bikinimail
Platemail, because it's actually badass. Bikinimail is just silly, even if you don't think too much about its value as armor.

Penetration reduction

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>>53247176
?

>>53247192
Weapon have damage and penetration values and unlike gurps arent the same stat (but can be)
Armor have dr
Body parts have penetration multiplier


If weapon penetration - armor DR <= 0:
blunt trauma damage rules

If weapon penetration - armor dr <=0:
(weapon penetration - armor dr) * body penetration multiplier * damage


If you want more detail (but with more complexity) you make body parts have damage multiplier
If you want even more detail you make some weapons have a pen and damage value to stabbing and slashing damage

If you want to simplify stuff you make each race (instead of each body part of each race) have the same penetration multiplier (and same damage multiplier if you are using those rules).

If you want more detail each body part (or race) have a max penetration value the final penetration will be always less than or equal to the max penetration

damn the hilarious forms of armor in this thread

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>Damage reduction vs hit chance
Neither. I like rules-light where armor is either part of "general combat capability" or just equipement in general is skipped and characters are assumed
But out of those two I guess general defence bonus is
>Function vs form
Why not have both? I find armor that has at least illusion of function (like pic rel) vastly aesthetically superior over overdone fantasy armor, which i hate not just because it's stupid and "unrealistic" but foremost because it's kitchy and lame.
>Platemail vs bikinimail
Neither, it's dark ages, hauberks and lammelar vests for everyone.

>>53247426
>characters are assumed to have proper equipement for their trade with no mechanical impact
>defence bonus is simpler so it wins

fuck why I always jump between the lines and then forget to finish them

>>53247304
The skimpy armor doesn't bug me so much as the fact that her ears are poking through her hood

>>53247091
The only flaw in D&D armor is that is doesn't add to the player's HP total.

If you have armor as damage reduction it works much better in very lethal games where reduction makes the difference between life and death.

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>>53247474

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>>53247486

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>>53247509

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>>53247527

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>>53247543

>>53247091
>Damage reduction vs hit chance
Both. Light armour makes you harder to hit but most of the hits you take will be critical hits. Heavy armour makes you easier to hit but many more of them will be glancing strikes that do reduced damage. Medium armour is balanced between evasion and protection.

>Function vs form
Form. As long as it's reasonable you can decide whether your armour is light, medium, or heavy. My party includes a warrior with steel gauntlets, boots, and greaves but no chestplate and it counts as heavy.

>Platemail vs bikinimail
Both. Platemail is probably heavy, possibly medium if it's field plate. Bikinimail is probably light, maybe medium if it's more than a few triangles around the chest and groin.

>>53247091
Hit chance if we are doing a generally abstracted system.
In my chainmail/platemail inspired game all normal armour gives+1AC, heavy armour grants +2 but doesn't stack with a shield, a weapon in the mainhand grants +1AC and shield grants +1 AC an offhand weapon can as well but only in duels and skirmishes, never in mass combat. Base AC is 3. Attacks are all rolled on d6s, daggers have -Atk, swords and the like grant +0 and heavy weapons grant +1. Characters can roll a number of d6s equal to their fighter level. These can be rolled as attacks or as additional defences.

Special types of armour or weapons will alter their weights, durability or cost. The LotFP encumbrance table is used and shields take up one whole slot. So while a case of rapiers may not be optimal for a soldier it can be vary useful for an adventurer who needs to travel light.

>>53247091
Damage reduction and crit prevention.

Crits actually deny armor so a crit focused built is a really good armor breaker.

Crit prevention doesn't stack but damage reduction does.

Bikinimail exists but as undergarments. Think armored codepieces. Function over form.