Variable Armor Class

[Palatallama]

Yet another of my groups house rules... ish.

Variable AC.

the "base 10" that is given for your AC on your character sheet is thrown out the window and you use the other mods added together plus the roll of a D20 (i.e. Armor Bonus, Shield Bonus, Magic bonus, dex bonus etc.) You roll for your AC at the same time of your initiative. AC is also rolled for suprise rounds (flat footed) This adds a level of realism based on how ready you are for combat, a high initiative doesn't nesecarily mean you're ready to defend yourself, it just means your ready to attack.

Another variant rule to this house rule is that you can re-roll your AC after the first round of combat, but you must take the re-roll. This is based on the idea that you weren't completely ready at first and now you're ready to kick ass and come out as un-scarred as possible.

Palatallama

[Sunfist]

There is a similar alternate rule in the DM's Guide. I never really cared for it, myself. It just seemed like a bit of unnecessary rolling.

[Xaelra]

There is a similar alternate rule in the DM's Guide. I never really cared for it, myself. It just seemed like a bit of unnecessary rolling.
[/b]

My thoughts entirely.

[Palatallama]

I dunno, it just adds a hint of realism, and it only takes seconds to roll it along with iniative and then do the math.

[Sunfist]

Well, as for my comment, I never really complained about it taking up too much time or anything, I just felt like it was unnecessary. I don't personally agree that it adds any realism, but that's not a "right/wrong" kind of argument. You (and your group) think it does, and that's totally fine for you guys.

[shin]

If you play a non-magic, middel-age campaine it's the way to go if initiative is used as base AC.

[King Kobold]

No. Lvl 1 Warforged fighter with 12 Dex and Adamantine Laced Body rolls a 20.... 29 AC.... ::Shudders:: :orc:

[MindForge]

Variable AC does slow down combat... In a low magic system though I have used a version of it... But I found that we kept looking back to my notes for AC on different type of atttacks and abandoned it altogether.

[Nearly Infinite Productions]

This is the same sort of alternate "the base 10 is now a random 1-20" thing that WotC used for 3.0 Psionics (the power check = saving throw), but I believe they then proceeded to drop it with 3.5 Psionics. I used it once. Didn't seem to make a big difference, except once in awhile you got a generally hard-to-hit guy having a lousy combat, and vice versa. If you're going for realism and don't mind a few extra calculations, you could always come up with a larger list of circumstancial modifiers to attack rolls and leave it at that.

Doesn't hurt anything to use this rolled-AC method though. The year-long campaign that did use it was very "dice heavy," so I'm going to have to say it does extend combat resolution a tad, but not any more than the variable amount of socializing already does anyway.