Passive Defense and 4e

[Plane]

Originally Posted by smurf

Even if they were mooks all out attacking on 14 (it may have been less), the shield PD bonus was hard.

If the character is using active defences, then isn't the "Defense Bonus" effectively the same as the "Passive Defence" in 3e?

The primary difference seems to be that DB is of no help if you don't make a defense while PD allowed a defense roll even if you did not defend (like if it was a surprise attack, or you were using AOA)

Originally Posted by smurf

The mook would only hit the character if the skill roll was less that -x of the PD of the shield, otherwise the mook would hit the shield.

Isn't that how the cover penalty currently works in 4e?

I thought PD in 3e meant you didn't modify the attacker's roll and instead treated it like a free block or a free parry, but if you didn't actually make an active defence then the PD alone was rolled against instead of PD+skill/2

Originally Posted by smurf

But also the mooks could hide behind the character's shield and there would be a penalty for the character to hit the mook, usually -x PD of the shield.

I hadn't thought of that... wouldn't a mook normally have to disarm you, pick up the shield and then ready the shield to benefit from either its PD (3e) or DB (4e) ?

I'm curious where I can find the rule of it being harder to hit a mook by them trying to use your shield's cover against you. It sounds pretty cool.