Weapon/Armor System

While the armor system before you has not been tried or tested, some roleplayers may yet have a sense that makes it feel slightly off. That is to say, if a suit of armor is actually protecting the wearer from attacks that strike but simply fail to cause the wearer harm, why then do we say that armor reduces the chance of a hit? The abstraction has been clarified in basic roleplay etiquette and rules by defining what it means to be "hit" in combat as actually being "hit in such a way as to effectively cause harm" - but this explanation may still not be enough for roleplayers.

The following is an alternative system that allows armor to absorb the damage of attacks, rather than a system that provides an abstract way of determining when a hit does actual harm or may very well kill a wearer. Like all the rules presented to a roleplayer during fights, this is merely a variant to the base system gathered from multiple unique perspectives of Tabletop RPG's and Forum RPG's as a whole (IE. Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, Warhammer. This is a way for GM's (Game Masters, or, Administrators, in this case), who want armor to reduce damage effectively, which accordingly replaces the normal rules for armor. In such given case, as an example, someone wearing steel or iron armor in real life may be inclined to be more protected from damage by weapons such as a knife, longsword or claymore - even an arrow on a realistic level, though, someone wearing leather may be inclined to be more protected through instances like ease of movement for purposes of evasion utilizing agility.

In this system, a person no longer has the worry of being struck hard enough to feel the damage, whereas, the armor takes the brunt of the force and has a chance of being destroyed (considering the armor covers the entirety of their body, headwear included) before actual harm is done to the wearer. Instead, the armor will have a Defense score, whether it be classified as Physical Defense, or Magic Defense, which a foe's attack roll must meet or exceed to hit the wearer, and a damage roll which must meet or exceed the possibility of hitting the wearer with a force strong enough to deal damage to the armor or the wearer of said armor. Then any damage is reduced by damage reduction based on the defensive properties given by the armor worn as well as any natural armor bonus the wearer may have. For example, a Peacekeeper is a sub-human draconic being, which promptly allows for them to have scales as hard as steel. In this case, they, also, may be classified under armor and have their own protection rating.


In this alternative system, I have gathered information from a plethora of Tabletop RPG's and Forum RPG's alike, formally compressing them into a comprehensive and effective Roleplay-based armor system.

Defense Rating: Defense Rating represents how easily or difficult it is to pierce armor. Overall, a weapon will have a classification known as "Weapon Rating", which effectively represents how much power the weapon has hidden behind its attack. Concurrently, this is affected by the size and weight of a weapon. For example, a Level 1 Dagger cannot possess the same Weapon Rating as a Level 1 Warhammer, thus, the Warhammer may do more damage to an armor with a low armor rating, crushing or cracking the armor, whereas the Level 1 Dagger may only be capable of scratching or piercing the armor, depending on how effective the attack roll had been.

For example: The armor I am using are called "Iron Breastplate". In addition to the basic template given to you upon creation, another section is added to the template to compensate for Defense Rating.

Name: Iron Breastplate
Weight: 50 Lbs.
Materials: Iron
Defense Rating: 20.

The weapon my opponent is using is called "Iron Shortsword". In addition to the basic template given to you upon creation, another section is added to the template to compensate for Weapon Rating.

Name: Iron Shortsword
Weight: 13 Lbs.
Weapon Damage: 8
Materials: Iron
Weapon Rating: 16.

An example minifight would be portrayed as this, with the outcome according to Defense Rating and Weapon Rating. Lets pretend the hit roll was successful, and the attack from my opponent very will hit me as he was aiming for my chest in a straightforward piercing lunge attack, which is, as shown above, covered by a Breastplate. Damage calculation would be as follows.

Defense Rating: 20
Weapon Rating: 16

Accordingly, the Weapon Rating is effectively lower than the Defense Rating, this would mean that the weapon did not do damage to my Health Points, but it did do damage to my armor. Armor, in addition to a Defense Rating, will also have a Resilience Rating, which determines how much damage the armor itself can take before it breaks, is cut open, or shatters completely. This Resilience Rating would also apply to shields - as shields can break, even though they are built to withstand damage at high levels. Naturally, they will have more Resilience than any basic armor, though Resilience Rating will be covered soon enough. Continuing on with the damage calculation. Being as though Armor is built to take damage and prevent damage from harming the wearer, the equation would be 20 - 16 = 4. This means that the armor effectively absorbed 16 damage, and took 4 damage to its Resilience Rating. This could mean the armor was scratched by the longsword but effectively protected the wearer, which resulted in no PLAYERHealth Point damage.

Now, let us pretend the hit roll was successful, though the attack from my opponent is launched in the same manner, it was empowered by an outside source effect, spell or skill. For example, I will use the Iron Shortsword with a skill I'll call Berserk. Berserk effectively raises the attacking power of my weapon and effectively influences Weapon Rating. Weapon Rating will also be explained soon enough.

Defense Rating: 20
Weapon Rating: 24

Accordingly, the Weapon Rating in this scenario is effectively higher than the Defense Rating provided by my breastplate. This would mean that the weapon did in fact do damage to my Health Points, and the Breastplate was effectively pierced, thus, breaking the armor and requiring me to visit a Blacksmith to get it repaired. If I survive the fight. This is where Defense Rating becomes especially handy, whereas, the equation for this would be as followed. 20 - 24 = -4. The weapon directly pierced the armor and effectively hit me, though the armor absorbed the brunt of the damage, taking 20 of the 24 damage. However, this 4 damage is added into the weapon damage granted by the weapon itself. Which would mean it would do 8 Damage in addition to the 4 damage it caused by breaking the armor. 8 + 4 = 12. 12 damage has been done to me, and this may be accompanied by heaving bleeding and lacerations, due to the fact that I was pierced by a blade. This calculation applies with Spell Rating as well, which will also be explained.

Any damage done to an uncovered bodypart would do the same damage expected of it in real life. Via, if you arm gets stabbed by a dagger, it may pierce the skin and deal minor damage, slicing and causing internal/external bleeding. Whereas, if a claymore was swung and hit your forearm in the right position, chances are - you are now armless.


Resilience Rating: Resilience Rating normally is defined as the physical property of a material that can return to its original shape or position after deformation that does not exceed its elasticity. This applies to armor in this case, due to the fact that armor can and will be broken. Once the Resilience Rating has been overcome, the armor or weapon, as weapons also share a Resilience Rating, is effectively broken, shattered or cracked, requiring a Blacksmith and materials necessary to refit and repair the item. Light Armor will always have less Resilience Rating than Heavy Armor. This Resilience Rating can be increased by Enchanting, Embroidering or Refining through Smithing.

Light Armor may consist of Cloth, Leather, Scaled, Dragonscale and Magic Embroidered Light Armor.
Heavy Armor may consist of Copper, Bronze, Iron, Steel, Adamantite, Dragonbone and Magic Embroidered Heavy Armor.

For example, each Light Armor has a Resilience Rating level...

Light Armor Materials and their Resilience Rating]

• Cloth: 1-11 Resilience Rating
  
• Leather: 12-21 Resilience Rating
  
• Scaled: 22-31 Resilience Rating
  
• Dragonscale: 32-41 Resilience Rating
  
• Magic Embroidered Light Armor: 42-51 Resilience Rating
  
• Etc...

Heavy Armor/Weapon Materials and their Resilience Rating

• Copper: 1-19 Resilience Rating
  
• Bronze: 20-29 Resilience Rating
  
• Iron: 30-39 Resilience Rating
  
• Steel: 40-49 Resilience Rating
  
• Adamantite: 50-59 Resilience Rating
  
• Dragonbone: 60-69
  
• Magic Embroidered Heavy Armor: 70-80
  
• Etc....

Weapon Rating: Weapon Rating is used simply for the calculations provided to fight against the Defense Rating of an armor. The equation to determine Weapon Rating is as follows: Weapon Damage x2. Again, lets use the Iron Shortsword as an example. 8x2 = 16. The Weapon Rating for the Iron Shortsword is 16 because its damage is 8. Skills, spells or abilities can increase Weapon Rating, though this boost is not shared by Weapon Damage, and is not to be confused with it as such. As said, Weapon Rating is purely for the usage to fight against the Defense Rating of an armor. This Weapon Rating can be increased by Enchanting, Embroidering or Refining through Smithing.



Spell Rating: Spell Rating is used in terms of Defense Rating as well, similar to Weapon Rating. Spell Rating is determined the same way, however, which is Spell Damage x2 = Spell Rating. Bonus Damage applies to Spell Damage/Rating. For example:

Shadow Bolt has 9 Damage. Its Spell Rating would be 18 Damage. Since it is Dark Magic, if it was used against someone with the Light Element, its bonus damage would be 4. Accordingly, its damage would jump to 13. Its Spell Rating would then jump to 26. This still applies when 'other damage' is a factor, and is added to the Spell Rating accordingly. When used against armor which has Magic Defense, Spell Rating also applies to Magic Defense exactly how Weapon Rating applies to Defense Rating.


Magic Defense: Magic Defense applies to Defense Rating, though is only calculated if Magic effects are used against a piece of armor with Magic Defense. Accordingly, since most Heavy Armor is usually worn by people who require physical defense moreso than Magical Defense, Heavy Armor naturally has less Magic Defense than something like Cloth or Leather would, if worn by a spellcaster like a Mage, though at high levels, it is notable and renowned that Cloth and Light Armor as a whole has a drastically significant Magic Defense level over Heavy Armor. Magic Defense can be increased through Enchantment, Embroidery or Tailoring.

i have read allot of this over. i say it would be a great system but i think if we did implement this the weapons of the site would need to get class rate that effect how much damage is delt to certent armors.

like cloth armor while its normally naturally weak to all melee attacks but it would have a better def against blunt over piecing or cut/slash damage. but would have the highest magic defense, and be rather light.

but then there is heavy armor was going to be weakest to blunt damage then piece could damage the armor, and cut damage would be almost null and void. depending on the style of heavy armor, like there being scale heavy armor more able to move in then plate heavy but be weaker to pierce then cut then blunt being the least effective as its mostly scales then solid plate armor... granted both heavy armors would have a weakness to magics.

granted i am probably making this more complicated then it should be. but i am just trying to make there be alot of versatility to armors so people don't just think heavy armor is just plate armor, but also chainmaile.


i would like to see a template that we would have to use to incorporate some of these new ratings and stuff. but also some weapons are made of more then one material, and some weapons can be upgraded with monster pieces to give them added damage, or a new damage type.