One of the things that I like of d20 Modern was the class bonus to Defense. I've never enjoyed the inherent weakness of AC of lightly armored characters, because Dexterity never really threatens to make the difference with armor and shield.
Is it too radical to introduce a new bonus to Armor Class? It effectively would translate into a standard bonus to AC equal to the character's base Reflex save. Therefore, bards, rangers and rogues can have an equivalent AC to heavily armored clerics, fighters and paladins.
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One of the things that I like of d20 Modern was the class bonus to Defense. I've never enjoyed the inherent weakness of AC of lightly armored characters, because Dexterity never really threatens to make the difference with armor and shield.
Is it too radical to introduce a new bonus to Armor Class? It effectively would translate into a standard bonus to AC equal to the character's base Reflex save. Therefore, bards, rangers and rogues can have an equivalent AC to heavily armored clerics, fighters and paladins.
Actually, in my campaigns, I've worked to build the bridge between D&D and d20 Modern. The easiest way to do this - take the d20 Modern core character class that is the equivalent of the favored ability for the chosen class and use that core class's defense (and reputation) bonus.
Str = Bbn, Ftr
Dex = Rog
Con =
Int = Wiz
Wis = Clr, Drd, Mnk, Rgr
Cha = Brd, Sor
It's not perfect, but it works.
And for Prestige Class's, I simply said to take the Character's favored (or best) ability and apply the Defense and Reputation for that. (I suppose that I could do this for basic classes, too.)
One of the things that I like of d20 Modern was the class bonus to Defense. I've never enjoyed the inherent weakness of AC of lightly armored characters, because Dexterity never really threatens to make the difference with armor and shield.
Is it too radical to introduce a new bonus to Armor Class? It effectively would translate into a standard bonus to AC equal to the character's base Reflex save. Therefore, bards, rangers and rogues can have an equivalent AC to heavily armored clerics, fighters and paladins.
Decipher's Lord of the Rings RPG has a very yoinkable "feat" called Grace of Heroes (or somesuch) that increases the character's "AC" when he's not wearing armor. I think it wouldn't be hard to include "level-based" AC bonuses this way.
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Therefore, bards, rangers and rogues can have an equivalent AC to heavily armored clerics, fighters and paladins.
The whole point is that Bards, Rangers, and Rogues aren't supposed to wade into combat like fighters, paladins, and clerics. Give them equal AC and you might as well get rid of the Fighter class. So why be a fighter anymore if Bards, Rangers, and Rogues have way more options... literally.
Not a fan. The reason systems like this or even Star Wars gave a defense bonus to AC is that the genre didn't really support the heroes wearing heavy armor and carrying shields.
The high fantasy genre does support characters that run around in heavy armor and carrying shields, and as Sir Urza says, giving away the bonus so that all classes end up with the same AC blurs why you would play one class over another, at least from my point of view.
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Why not give characters a bonus to AC equal to one-half their BAB? Everyone benefits that way.
because ACs will become too high for anyone to hit except fighters.
there is a defence value system in the SRD (not sure if it mimics the d20 modern version but its intent was to provide ac for campaigns which don't use heavy armors.
I actually like the idea of defense values and armors working together which Ive discussed on another thread but my system converts half the AC from armor to DR. It keeps the numbers even to that of 3.5 rules.
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If the numbers are too high, then just give the bonus to PCs.
so that level 12 NPC rogue from the assassins guild has no hope in hell of sneak attacking a PC? kind of makes the CR system collapse for level based NPCs.
changes should be global otherwise it becomes hard to adjudicate when monsters/classes/PCs/NPCs blur into one.
We introduced d20M's defense into one of our campaigns - but it was done as a replacement for magic, since we did away with magic items.