Armor up!

[David L Pulver]

I've considered armor talents and other modifications, but generally tend to minimize house rules that affect the talent list or equipment.

However, one thing I've considered is:

"Partial Armor. You may suits of armor that leave a significant portion uncovered. Partial armor is half weight, cost, and DX penalty. It protects fully, but an attacker can opt to ignore it by so stating and taking a -2 to DX.

It doesn't protect against Fire hexes or Blast and protects only half as well (round down) against gunpowder explosives (figuring this is a mix of frag and blast) It provides its full armor protection).

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

"Partial Armor. You may suits of armor that leave a significant portion uncovered. Partial armor is half weight, cost, and DX penalty. It protects fully, but an attacker can opt to ignore it by so stating and taking a -2 to DX.

Whataboutism making the to-hit roll by four points more than needed or such?

[David L Pulver]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Whataboutism making the to-hit roll by four points more than needed or such?

Sure, that can work as well -- although that adds a mechanic not really done that often in the core Legacy rules, even if it is hinted at a few times. The point of this change is something that is fairly minimal.

I actually haven't run a full-fledged campaign under LEGACY rules yet, just individual adventures or short sessions. If I were to run a long campaign, I would change the TFT rules a lot more radically to suit my personal tastes, including adopting some of your own variant suggestions. I would also:

* Halve all MA to fix both "run off the map" issues (and improve realism, but that's secondary).
* Add a defense roll at (DX/2)+3 (penalized if attacked from side, rear, or prone). (I started doing this in my GURPS fantasy games in 1987 and eventually - around 2003 -- got it built into the GURPS 4e core rules...)
* Add over a dozen spells I've devised for my own campaign.
* Replace the LEGACY xp system, also removing the ability to buy talents/skills/etc. separately with XP, but granting IQ-based talents/spells/languages equal to (IQ-5) x 2, with extras gained at that ratio when IQ is improved.
All were things I successfully used in games run between 1983 and 1995 when I was ran a bunch of variant TFT, and still have lots of material for.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

Add over a dozen spells I've devised for my own campaign.

We'd love to see some of those. Feel free to post under this other thread...

Show me the magic!
https://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=161151

[TippetsTX]

Adding a post from another thread...

Another rule that I have introduced in my game that uses the expanded armor list and framework from my intro post is called 'Finding the Soft Spot'. A figure may make a targeted attack against an armored opponent w/ the goal of hitting them someplace where the armor provides less protection. This vulnerability is harder to find or access in heavier armors so the penalty is specific to each category of armor... -3 DX when attempting this kind of strike against foes in LIGHT armor, -6 DX vs. MEDIUM armor and -9 vs. HEAVY armor. A successful strike will bypass half (rounded down) of the armor's protection. I also have talents which improve these odds.

[EKB]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

Adding a post from another thread...

Another rule that I have introduced in my game that uses the expanded armor list and framework from my intro post is called 'Finding the Soft Spot'. A figure may make a targeted attack against an armored opponent w/ the goal of hitting them someplace where the armor provides less protection. This vulnerability is harder to find or access in heavier armors so the penalty is specific to each category of armor... -3 DX when attempting this kind of strike against foes in LIGHT armor, -6 DX vs. MEDIUM armor and -9 vs. HEAVY armor. A successful strike will bypass half (rounded down) of the armor's protection. I also have talents which improve these odds.

I have a somewhat similar "Called shot to a chink in the armor" house rule, where the attacker can take a -1 Dx penalty for each point of armor bypassed, with a requirement that the called shot also be to a location, so that that penalty applies too. Thus a "called shot to the eyeslits" to bypass the 6 pt armor of a helm is a net -12 Dx: -6 Dx for the called shot to the head, plus -6 Dx to bypass the armor. (But if the attacker does hit, the attack does double damage and the targets armor doesn't stop any of that.)

My minimum called-shot-to-a-location penalty is -2 Dx for a called shot to the torso. So a called shot that bypasses chainmail or the equivalent has a net -5 Dx penalty minimum, with a successful hit bypassing the 3 points of armor but not having any special damage-doubling or limb-crippling effect.

I don't have any talents to specifically reduce called-shot penalties, but I do allow stacking of talents to increase adjDx with a given weapon to what others might call ridiculous levels. They work for me and my players however, so I've taken a few levels in a "don't care what others think" talent. ;)

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by EKB

I don't have any talents to specifically reduce called-shot penalties, but I do allow stacking of talents to increase adjDx with a given weapon to what others might call ridiculous levels. They work for me and my players however, so I've taken a few levels in a "don't care what others think" talent. ;)

I have one called DEADEYE... it reduces Aimed Shot penalties by half (rounded down).

[David Bofinger]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

-3 DX when attempting this kind of strike against foes in LIGHT armor, -6 DX vs. MEDIUM armor and -9 vs. HEAVY armor.

Rather than this light medium heavy business, have you considered just -2 DX per point of protection?

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by David Bofinger

Rather than this light medium heavy business, have you considered just -2 DX per point of protection?

No because I cap modifiers at +/-10 and your formula would put my 'Find the Soft Spot' roll at -18 vs full plate (see my original post). I suppose I could lower it to -1 DX per point, but that runs into a different issue IMO, namely that I don't believe even lesser armors should be trivial to bypass. -3 DX is the lowest penalty that feels appropriate for something like this and even then, it's not something an untrained fighter can attempt.

Plus the groupings are already baked into my framework so it just seemed reasonable to hang this on them too.

[David Bofinger]

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

*Halve all MA to fix both "run off the map" issues

You have a problem with people running away too much? In my experience fights lock in place and nobody gets to run. If they do run off the map, and get chased, then we have out of combat movement to handle it.

and improve realism, but that's secondary

Bit surprised at this. MA 10 is eight feet per second, how slow does realism require?