I'm looking to start up a low-level Pathfinder game (E6, to be exact), but I'm finding the standard expectations about armor aren't thematically appropriate for the game I'm trying to run. I'd like armor to be useful, whether it's light or heavy, but I'd like characters to be capable (even encouraged) to wear relatively little or no armor without being handicapped.
All I've been able to think of is something like the level-scaling Defense Bonus seen in some other D20 games like Star Wars, perhaps with a hybrid system where armor uses half its bonus as a Defense/AC bonus and half as damage reduction (Example: a chain shirt is normally +4 to AC, in this system it would be +2 Defense and DR 2/armor). The bonus to Defense/AC from armor would replace the person's class bonus to Defense/AC rather than adding to it, though I would likely add a feat tree that enhanced a character's ability to wear armor (similar to a talent tree of the Soldier in SW Saga Edition).
Anyone have any additional thoughts or ideas on the topic of low-armor campaigns?
I would imagine that DR 2 doesn't count for much when you end up getting hit once or twice more during combat, and the hits are 5-15 points of damage.
There was a method in 3.5's Unearthed Arcana that granted character's a free ac bonus based on level and proficiencies, that did not stack with armor The one time I used this there was a lot of multi-classing going on so I made the bonus equal 1/2 BAB. What I found is that it was a huge boon to the monk and wild-shaping druid, but practically disregarded by the traditionally armored characters, whose bonus never got high enough to become greater than that of the armor. It helped everyone with touch AC though.
I ended up not repeating the effort with subsequent campaigns as the amount of work I had to do was not as great as the results. Since I gave the bonus to enemies as well, some ended up with very high AC, and it was more book=keeping for me.
I am running a low armor campaign right now (City of Sharn, Eberron using Pathfinder rules). Medium and Heavy armor is reserved for the military and the city watch. While it is not illegal to wear heavier armors, it is frowned upon and creates quite a stir (including attracting the attention of said city watch). Heavy weapons (beyond single-handed swords) are prohibited. Swords will typically draw attention as well, but not panic.
The flip side of prohibiting or discouraging the PCs from wearing this stuff is that their enemies typically do not have it either. If they do, you can make a "boss" out of a lower CR dude simply by having him show up in armor and heavy weapons.
Combats are shorter and more lethal. As the DM you have to take this into account and be prepared to adjust on the fly when it apparent you may have "over done" the encounter.
All in all though, it is proving to be a fun game. One of the guys commented the other night about how I've really made an impression upon them about the legality and importance of avoiding attention when no one in the group wants to take the Elven Chainmail!
I recently ran a medium firearms campaign. I strongly implied that guns would be common and hyped up the Quilted Cloth armor. Our magus went with quilted cloth instead of a chain shirt and our sorcerer spend feats to get armour proficiency for it. Also, having squads of low-level musketmen show up now and then makes fullplate less exiting.
Though I needed to make a new npc class that gets the gunslinger's battered gun at level 1 :)
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Rather than try an alternate AC mechanic maybe emphasize light armor character classes. Duelist, magus, druid, monk, barbarian, wizard, etc. There are lots of options. Play by the same rules but make the players be inventive and maybe try a few classes they have previously avoided. Pathfinder works just fine with light armor...if you are playing the right classes. It would definitely make for a different king of campaign.
Rather than try an alternate AC mechanic maybe emphasize light armor character classes. Duelist, magus, druid, monk, barbarian, wizard, etc. There are lots of options. Play by the same rules but make the players be inventive and maybe try a few classes they have previously avoided. Pathfinder works just fine with light armor...if you are playing the right classes. It would definitely make for a different king of campaign.
I totally agree. There are plenty of options and we are having a blast with little or no armor. It definitely makes the players think twice before jumping head-long into combat.
There are "Armor as DR" alternate rules on the PFSRD that, imho, makes armor act a lot more like real armor.
It means your less armored characters will be harder to hit due to high Dex and stuff, while your heavy armored characters will pretty much get hit every time someone swings at them, but the hit will be reduced in power.
This variant does really affect monster balance though.
A dragon now becomes extremely easy to hit, but extremely hard to actually damage with those hits.
Anything with high AC from armor now becomes a hard to kill punching bag.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/variant-rules#TOC-Armor-As-Damage-Red uction
Characters get a DC (Defense Class) that determines how hard they are to hit as the AC now now a Damage Reduction thing.
DR 1 or 2 is pretty meaningless even at low levels. When characters can do 15 damage a hit (heavy hitting monsters and power attacking 2handers) low drs are pretty meaningless.
One recomendation I have is there is a 3rd party feat, web of steel by supergenius games (its in their feats of battle products). It gives characters who are currently weilding a weapon they have weapon focus with an armor bonus equal to 2+1/2 level. This could just be something you could give every character without having to take the feat. Something like:
When Armed with a weapon you are proficient with, you gain an armor bonus equal to 2. When you are armed with a weapon you have weapon focus with, you gain an armor bonus equal to 2+1/2 level. This does 2 things, first it makes it useful for light armor wearing types to just not wear armor. It also means that it isnt a death sentance for characters to go without armor for certain circumstances. There are lots of situations where you might not want to wear armor rationally for roleplay reasons, but rules wise that puts certain characters at a huge disadvantage and does nothing to others. This ought to offset some of that disadvantage.