Rolling for Defense

[SlamEvil]

I'd like to run a very martially oriented game in the near future. It'll be low-magic, low-wealth, fast leveling, with a lot of role-playing to balance out the combat.
I'm wondering about making AC and Combat Maneuver Defense more like saving throws, where you actually roll. I feel like it would really crank up the intensity of combat.
I'm aware there is some precedent for this kind of thing, but I'm not sure where. First and foremost, a link please.

Also, what do people about this idea in general?
Will it bog down combat way too much?
Would it succeed in making combat feel more intense?

I'm aware of the Dodge/Block/Parry thread, and was partially inspired by it, but I didn't want to derail it with this other question.

[Cheapy]

AC and CMD are basically taking 10 on a check.

Personally, I'd rather always take 10 on those checks!

[SlamEvil]

Cheapy wrote:

AC and CMD are basically taking 10 on a check.

Personally, I'd rather always take 10 on those checks!

I always thought of the base 10 AC system as being, okay, you're standing perfectly still and perfectly naked and a guy takes a swing at you. He's either gonna hit, or he's gonna miss. It's 50/50

I'm also using the Vitality/Wound point system, so taking Vitality Damage (as from your average hit from a monster or NPC class foe) isn't as big a deal as taking regular hit-point damage in other forms of the game.

[Tim4488]

But it's not just base 10, it's 10 + Dex mod + armor + shield, etc. Armor I guess would work all the time, but your Dex mod represents actively dodging and moving around, and shields don't protect you very well if you're not moving your arm to use them. So yeah, you could just convert an AC of 18 to d20+8, or whatever, and it should work fine. Unearthed Arcana had that rule, but honestly that's all there was to it. Alternatively, take a look at the Parry/Block/Dodge thread for ideas.

[Fangdelicious]

I used to do this back when I played 2nd edition. I think I read about it in a Dragon Magazine article way back when, but have no idea where to find that info unfortunately.

Essentially what it amounts to is the player's are rolling the monsters attack rolls for the DM. The player 'rolls a d20 for defense', the DM adds the monsters attack roll to the result and if declares whether it's a hit.

I'm sure there's a way to do it where the player adds or subtracts his AC from the target number, but I am not 100% sure how to work that out.
It worked with THAC0 and negative ACs, but we're way beyond that monstrosity now and I have forgotten the specifics.

My players really liked it because it felt like they had more control over what happened to their characters. If they rolled the poorly it was their fault they failed to dodge, instead of being the DM's fault.