D20 System: Defensive Rolls

THIS SYSTEM IS NOW DEPRECIATED; VISIT http://www.thehighguardmg.com/d20-start-screen FOR THE NEWEST COMBAT SYSTEM THE WINDS WILL UTILIZE DURING EVENTS AND RPs.
"BUT BAKUZAN! WHAT ABOUT WHEN THINGS HIT US?? WHAT DO WE DO TO NOT GET HIT."

You use your own AC.

"WHAT'S AN AC?? WHAT DO I DO FOR NOT BEING HIT??"

"ALL THESE NUMBERS ARE DIFFICULT TO KEEP TRACK OF. WHY THIS. WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME, TRADE BARON."

Your AC is your Armor Check. That's the number a mob needs to break to hit you.

'''EVERYONE STARTS WITH A BASE AC OF 8. THIS CAN GO UP OR DOWN DEPENDING ON YOUR STATS.'''

How Mobs Hit You (Or Don't, Preferably)
DMs will always roll for the attacks of mobs during normal events.

UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED, you don't need to roll to defend yourself; the result of the rolls by the DM as the enemies are what you're passively defending against for that round.

SCENARIO:
Bakuzan is fighting against three groups of spiders in the Outpost.

The DM would designate what target marker(s) are the enemies in question that are currently attacking for that round, then, they'd roll FOR THEM. Bakuzan's player doesn't have to roll to defend against them. Their defensive results are their static AC, and what Bakuzan's player is hoping to beat.

Let's say Bakuzan's got an AC of 11.

The DM rolls out of 20 -three times-, one for each marker, getting 8, 13 and 17. This means that Bakuzan's hit at least twice, thanks to two of those rolls being GREATER than her AC. She'll take the damage listed by the DM for failing the defensive check.

OR

If her active buffs kick in or if a tank is taking that damage for her, it goes to that tank, hitting them instead.

Modifiers & Your AC
"BUT!! BAKUZAN! WHAT. YOUR HYPOTHETICAL DM IS ROLLING OUT OF 20 AND I'VE ONLY GOT AN 8 FOR DEFENSE! THIS IS UNFAIR WHAT THE FRICKFRACK."

Your AC is modified by your Strength or Dexterity modifiers, respectively.

• ARE YOU A POWERHOUSE BULLDOZER CHARACTER THAT PUNCHES THROUGH SHIT? NEAT. YOU'RE STACKED AND YOUR STRENGTH SHOWS THAT. ADD IT TO YOUR AC.

• ARE YOU A CRAFTY, DODGY THING WITH PLENTY OF DEXTERITY? ADD THAT TO YOUR AC."KEEP IN MIND THAT ACs HAVE A HARD CAP OF 12, TANK OR NOT; UNLESS -""• If you're a Tank with Juggernaut, or""• There's a Tank in party with Unshakable Pillar that raises your base AC by +1."

HYPOTHETICALLY you could have a base AC of 12, if you've maxed out your Strength OR Dexterity. Add two more to your AC if you're a Tank and have picked the Juggernaut talent. That's nearly a 3 in 4 chance to dodge or brute-force your way through defensive rolls.

"BUT BAKUZAN MY CHARACTER IS A HEALER/SPELLCASTER AND IS GETTING HIT."

• Okay. Step behind a Tank, my friend. You don't see priests tanking oocly, do you?

'''NEAT. NEAT? NEAT.'''

DIFFERENT ACs WILL BE AFFECTED BY DIFFERENT COMBAT BUFFS. BE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR BUFF DOES // WHEN TO ACTIVATE IT, IF IT'S AN ACTIVE (REQUIRES AN ON-USE) OR A PASSIVE (DO THE MATH IN YOUR EMOTE).

FINAL NOTES
• For larger-hitting bosses OR OTHER SUCH SHENANIGANS, A DM CAN and WILL revert back to traditional perimeter rolls ( 1, 2-5, 6-10, ETC.). YOUR AC TOTAL HAS NO BEARING ON THIS, AND your MODS MIGHT NOT EITHER, DEPENDING on what effect your DM chooses to have on roll results.