Revised Chance to Hit/Armor Class (5e Variant Rule)
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Revised Armor Class[edit]
This revision is specifically for players and tables that feel that the current apprehensive nature of 5th Edition when it comes to Armor Class and character 'tanking' is a little over-the-top. This revision attempts to bring a little more variety into armor decisions based on recalculating Armor Classes and revising how the chance to hit is ultimately determined. Hopefully, this revision will provide more benefits than unintended downsides or those created as byproducts of such changes. Ultimately, this system primarily targets player characters, as enemies usually have a natural armor type of effect on them.
The System[edit]
To start things off, player characters retain their base Armor Class value of 10 and continues to apply Dexterity modifiers when wearing no armor (unless an Unarmored Defense feature says otherwise). Below is the table containing Armor Class values and what type of modifier to add to a character's AC - as well as any required Strength scores to wear and if stealth disadvantages are applied while wearing said armor.
Additionally, characters receive a bonus to their Armor Class determined by armor type, depending on whether or not they have proficiency in either Acrobatics or Athletics.
Having proficiency in the listed skill grants players a +1 bonus to their Armor Class while wearing that armor representing a character's actual skill in tumbling/rolling/flipping away from damage or shrugging it off/parrying/deflecting attacks. Having expertise in this skill grants players a +2 bonus instead. This change rewards players choosing proficiency in these skills and gives them a little more general use, while also allowing players to have a little more mechanical representation of their character's personal means of avoiding attacks.
Additionally, some Heavy Armor has had its armor classes adjusted, because it never made a logical sense that characters would be paying roughly 1,300 gold pieces for a +1 bonus to AC with Plate armor over Splint armor (in base rules/costs). While this does make Plate armor's exorbitant cost more reasonable, it does mean that as a side effect, any character using Chain Mail or Splint armor, that does not have proficiency in Athletics, will see their AC reduced by 1 in comparison to the original system; equivalent AC if they do; and will see themselves with an additional point of AC if they manage expertise through some feature or multi-class combination (ex. Chain Mail's old AC was 16, under the new system its AC is now 15; 16 with Athletics proficiency; 17 with Expertise).
Shields have been adjusted to provide slightly less benefit in compensation for a potential additional modifier being added to a character's AC total.
- Ex 1. A 1st-level Rogue with expertise in Acrobatics, Dexterity 16, and wearing Leather armor, calculates their Armor Class as 11 (Leather Armor's base AC) + 3 Dexterity modifier + 2 (bonus for expertise in Acrobatics) for a total of 16.
- Ex 2. A 3rd-level Ranger with proficiency in Acrobatics, Dexterity 16 and wearing a Breastplate, calculates their Armor Class as 14 + (Dexterity Modifier (+3), but can only apply a maximum of +2) + 1 (proficiency in Acrobatics) for a total of 17.
- Ex 2. A 5th-level Fighter with proficiency in Athletics and wearing Plate armor, calculates their Armor class as 18 + 1 (proficiency in Athletics) for a total of 19.
| Armor Type | Base Armor Class | Modifier Used | Acrobatics/Athletics Bonus | Required STR to Use | Disadvantage (Stealth)? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Padded Armor | 10 | DEX | Acrobatics | -- | Yes |
| Leather Armor | 11 | DEX | Acrobatics | -- | -- |
| Studded Leather | 12 | DEX | Acrobatics | -- | -- |
| Hide Armor | 12 | DEX(Max. 2) | Acrobatics | -- | -- |
| Chain Shirt | 13 | DEX(Max. 2) | Acrobatics | -- | -- |
| Scale Mail | 14 | DEX(Max. 2) | Athletics | -- | Yes |
| Spiked Armor | 14 | DEX(Max. 2) | Athletics | -- | Yes |
| Breastplate | 14 | DEX(Max. 2) | Acrobatics | -- | -- |
| Halfplate | 15 | DEX(Max. 2) | Athletics | -- | Yes |
| Ring Mail | 14 | -- | Athletics | -- | Yes |
| Chain Mail | 15 | -- | Athletics | Str 13 | Yes |
| Splint | 16 | -- | Athletics | Str 15 | Yes |
| Plate | 18 | -- | Athletics | Str 15 | Yes |
| Shields | +1 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
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