Armor up!

[Steve Plambeck]

Sorry David, I overlooked this post of yours from last year. I can relate to so much of this!

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

I actually haven't run a full-fledged campaign under LEGACY rules yet...

Me neither and I really don't intend to. I dislike too many of the changes. Plus I began writing my own rules-set from scratch decades ago while continuing to play in what's now a defunct but long-running CLASSIC campaign. I've no desire to resume play until I've finished my own rules after all these years, rules that deviate too far from TFT to even call it that anymore. Although some of the differences were play-tested between 1980 and 1998 within the CLASSIC campaign I was in, a nearly identical period as your own variant tests.

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

* 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.

This is the part I've hemmed and hawed over the most for decades. It was only this year I finally ripped up my other approaches to settle on skill points determined by the formula (IQx2) - 6, which only differs from yours by 1 point. Dang, that's close. The same formula will apply when IQ increases, meaning 2 more skill points for each 1 point IQ increase. My XP costs to do that are more gentle than TFT. And no purchasing skills, languages, or spells with XP, that being perhaps the least favorite of the LEGACY changes I wish to avoid.

Originally Posted by David L Pulver

* 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...)

Wending back at least slightly towards the subject of this thread, an active defense roll was almost the first house rule my group added to our campaign around 1980. The defender simply rolled 3 vs adjDX to parry/block the entire incoming attack from their front hexes, using up their action for the turn to do so. This was entirely satisfactory for 20 years of heavy play time. I've dabbled with more "sophisticated" ways of doing it for a couple years, but anything else uncomfortably adds too many rules and extra dice rolls. After long deliberation I've decided to revert my system to this old, well-tested house rule and just keep play fast and simple in this regard. I have expert and master skills that allow for partially bypassing armour, without any resort to aimed shots.