How many people use Max Dex Bonus for Armor ?

phadeout · Post by **phadeout** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 10:44 pm

I'm just wondering how many people use the Max Dex Bonus from Armor, or just ignore this 3.ish rule in favor of the older rules, where it doesn't matter what armor you wear.

I was tempted to implement Max Dex bonus, but I can't seem to decide if I should. I know it won't "break" anything, but....

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:13 pm

Don't use it, because it is not wholly accurate, and is another thing to track. The only positive thing to it is that one can make magic armors that don't do anything "special" except alter the "max dex." In fact, the way it should work would be to penalize Dexterity, as that's far more "max Dex" than not. All-around more complicated, though.

Metathiax · Post by **Metathiax** » Tue Nov 21, 2006 11:28 pm

I don't use this 3Eism but I have significantly altered the armor EVs and the effects of encumbrance.
_________________
"Abandon the search for Truth; settle for a good fantasy." author unknown
My C&C Page
My House Rules v8

moriarty777 · Post by **moriarty777** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 1:45 am

Don't use it either. If a character becomes encumbered enough, the EV penalites start to kick in which I think is a fine enough (yet not insanely strict) alternative.

That being said, most of my players try their hardest to avoid this from happening (to the point of considering lighter armor)!

Well... so far anyway...

Moriarty the Red
_________________
"You face Death itself in the form of... 1d4 Tarrasques!"

Partner to Brave Halfling Publishing
http://www.arcanacreations.com

Maliki · Post by **Maliki** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 1:53 am

This is one of the things I did like in 3E, so I did bring this over. I do not bother with encumbrance.
_________________
Never throw rocks at a man with a Vorpal Sword!

Dristram · Post by **Dristram** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 6:59 pm

I did appreciate the Max Dex thing in 3e, though in design they worried too much about balance which made things unrealistic. Like full-plate having a Max Dex of +1 where half-plate had +0. 3e is a numbers game which I didn't like.

For C&C, the Dex bonuses are so low, that IMO a Max Dex isn't really needed. So I chose not to include it for my games.

phadeout · Post by **phadeout** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:50 pm

Dristram wrote:
I did appreciate the Max Dex thing in 3e, though in design they worried too much about balance which made things unrealistic. Like full-plate having a Max Dex of +1 where half-plate had +0. 3e is a numbers game which I didn't like.

For C&C, the Dex bonuses are so low, that IMO a Max Dex isn't really needed. So I chose not to include it for my games.

I'm basically on the same page... If a warrior is going to put that 18 into Dex, why not let him have the bonus? Full plate or not... and AC in C&C doesn't go CRAZY like it does in 3.x, so if you have a +3 AC from Dex, that's most likely all you're ever going to have anyways, it's not going to be +6 by 12th level.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:47 pm

I didn't even use it when I ran 3E.

Omote · Post by **Omote** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 5:09 pm

I don't use this either in my C&C games as i find no need for it and as stated above it overly complicates the game IMO.

...........................................Omote

FPQ
_________________
> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

Jyrdan Fairblade · Post by **Jyrdan Fairblade** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 10:14 pm

I've never even had to use it. The characters in my campaign that wear heavy armor don't have much of a dex bonus.

angelius · Post by **angelius** » Mon Dec 25, 2006 4:13 pm

I don't give Dex bonus to armour or AC at all.
_________________
Big Iron Vault Your friendly neighbourhood gaming magazine. Check out our new webcomic, The Heindrich Project!

PeelSeel2 · Post by **PeelSeel2** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 12:58 am

Dont worry about it in C&C.
_________________
Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience.

-George Washington

Omote · Post by **Omote** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:34 am

angelius wrote:
I don't give Dex bonus to armour or AC at all.

Maybe I'm not understanding this statement correctly. So you don't add DEX bonus to AC in your C&C games? Why?

................................................Omote

FPQ
_________________
> Omote's Advanced C&C stuff <
Duke Omote Landwehr, Holy Order of the FPQ ~ Prince of the Castles & Crusades Society

Dragonhelm · Post by **Dragonhelm** » Tue Dec 26, 2006 4:04 pm

Max Dex bonus is a 3e rule I don't care for, personally. Seems like it causes more headaches than what it's worth. As mentioned above, too much to keep track of. Plus, you might as well not have a good Dex if you're an armor-plated knight.

I don't think it would be as bad in C&C since there aren't skills to keep track of. I personally wouldn't use the rule, but if you want to, it shouldn't break the game.
_________________
Trampas Whiteman
---DragonHelm--->
Dragonlance Nexus

rabindranath72 · Post by **rabindranath72** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:47 pm

It is interesting to note that such a problem was already dealt with by Gary in the DMG, where he says that the armor class of the different armor types ALREADY contains adjustments that take into account the possible reduced mobility due to armor, and this without explicitly considering dexterity. A quite elegant explanation and simplification that 3.x designers apparently glossed over.

Cheers,

Antonio

Traveller · Post by **Traveller** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:01 pm

rabindranath72 wrote:
...that 3.x designers apparently glossed over.

Along with everything else that makes Advanced Dungeons & Dragons the game it is.
_________________
NOTE TO ALL: If you don't like something I've said, PM me and tell me to my face, then give me a chance to set things right before you call a moderator.
My small homage to E.G.G.

Catweazle · Post by **Catweazle** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 10:26 pm

Haven't used it, haven't missed it.
_________________
History teaches us that men behave wisely once they've exhausted all other alternatives.