Modifiers To Dexterity Armor Class Adjustment: Neither penalty nor
bonus due to dexterity (the Defensive Adjustment) is considered when
the character is subjected to the following attack forms:
Attacks from the rear flank, rear, or strikes from behind (where the
character is virtually unable to see the attack coming).
Large missiles such as those hurled by a giant or some form of engine
(where the trajectory and speed and size of the missile negate dexterity
considerations).
Magical attacks by spell, device, breath weapon, gaze, etc. (note that
Defensive Adjustments do apply to saving throws for these attack forms).
I honestly don't think I've ever used that rule (or seen it used by anyone else, for that matter -- including EGG).
The Mystical Trash Heap - blog about D&D and other 80s pop-culture The Heroic Legendarium - my book of 1E-compatible rules expansions and modifications, now available for sale at DriveThruRPG
We have definitely been using it for a good few years, at least a decade. Not sure if we were using it back in the nineties, though.
[i]It is a joyful thing indeed to hold intimate converse with a man after one’s own heart, chatting without reserve about things of interest or the fleeting topics of the world; but such, alas, are few and far between.[/i]
– Yoshida Kenko (1283-1350), [i]Tsurezure-Gusa[/i] (1340)
francisca wrote:Am I the only one who habitually forgets this?
I used to use it way back when, primarily, because there's a reference to it on the old TSR AD&D character record sheets (the goldenrod ones) -- at least I think there is. If not, then it was because the older guys I knew were quite adamant about using it. Either way, it's not something I'm all that keen on, since it's another thing that feeds the high ability score arms race I'd rather avoid.
Hrm. I gotta re-read this. What ability scores modify saves?
Last edited by Juju EyeBall on Tue Nov 01, 2011 1:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE City of Brass cover is good and bad at the same time. While its very representational of a high level adventure, it sends a clear message to the dumb: Satan is going to cornhole Miss USA with a big red member and theres nothing science or the military can do about it. - Gene Weigel
Philotomy Jurament wrote:
TRP wrote:I miss the old ways and worshiping the old gods.
I seldom bother; they don't listen, they just sit there, strong and dumb, on their mountain.
Gygax Games Gail Gary JRT
>>>>>>>
I made some tables for record-keeping and other things. You can find them here
DungeonDork wrote:Huh? It negates high scores. The bonuses don't apply versus those types of attacks.
Don't mind me; I'm thinking of something else entirely.
The whole thing has me confused now.
If I'm reading this correctly:
The Defensive adjustment does not apply in regard to the attackers to-hit roll
The Defensive adjustment DOES apply in regards to the targets saving throw
I can't recall ability scores modifying saving throws, though. I though they were set by class/level?
Gonna have to re-read some stuff.
The DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE City of Brass cover is good and bad at the same time. While its very representational of a high level adventure, it sends a clear message to the dumb: Satan is going to cornhole Miss USA with a big red member and theres nothing science or the military can do about it. - Gene Weigel
Philotomy Jurament wrote:
TRP wrote:I miss the old ways and worshiping the old gods.
I seldom bother; they don't listen, they just sit there, strong and dumb, on their mountain.
Gygax Games Gail Gary JRT
>>>>>>>
I made some tables for record-keeping and other things. You can find them here
DungeonDork wrote:I can't recall ability scores modifying saving throws, though. I though they were set by class/level?
Dexterity bonuses apply to saves vs. spells like fireballs and lightning bolts and other similar effects that could be reasonably dodged. That's from the PHB and what I was thinking about when I read the OP.
DungeonDork wrote:I can't recall ability scores modifying saving throws, though. I though they were set by class/level?
Dexterity bonuses apply to saves vs. spells like fireballs and lightning bolts and other similar effects that could be reasonably dodged. That's from the PHB and what I was thinking about when I read the OP.
Is that the only one?
Surprised CON doesn't effect poison, for instance.
The DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE City of Brass cover is good and bad at the same time. While its very representational of a high level adventure, it sends a clear message to the dumb: Satan is going to cornhole Miss USA with a big red member and theres nothing science or the military can do about it. - Gene Weigel
Philotomy Jurament wrote:
TRP wrote:I miss the old ways and worshiping the old gods.
I seldom bother; they don't listen, they just sit there, strong and dumb, on their mountain.
Gygax Games Gail Gary JRT
>>>>>>>
I made some tables for record-keeping and other things. You can find them here
DungeonDork wrote:Surprised CON doesn't effect poison, for instance.
It does if you've got a 19+
The Mystical Trash Heap - blog about D&D and other 80s pop-culture The Heroic Legendarium - my book of 1E-compatible rules expansions and modifications, now available for sale at DriveThruRPG
Ah. Man I hate threads like this that make me second guess what I think I remember.
The DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE City of Brass cover is good and bad at the same time. While its very representational of a high level adventure, it sends a clear message to the dumb: Satan is going to cornhole Miss USA with a big red member and theres nothing science or the military can do about it. - Gene Weigel
Philotomy Jurament wrote:
TRP wrote:I miss the old ways and worshiping the old gods.
I seldom bother; they don't listen, they just sit there, strong and dumb, on their mountain.
Gygax Games Gail Gary JRT
>>>>>>>
I made some tables for record-keeping and other things. You can find them here
FWIW even though I've never used this rule before I intend to going forward. I wonder how noticeable an effect it will have...
The Mystical Trash Heap - blog about D&D and other 80s pop-culture The Heroic Legendarium - my book of 1E-compatible rules expansions and modifications, now available for sale at DriveThruRPG
James Maliszewski wrote:
Dexterity bonuses apply to saves vs. spells like fireballs and lightning bolts and other similar effects that could be reasonably dodged. That's from the PHB and what I was thinking about when I read the OP.
Right. I do rule that if you're at a dead end in a 10' wide x 10' tall dungeon corridor, and an evil magic-user drops a fireball right on top of you, you get no save, as it fills the entire area and creates a backblast, and you soak up full damage.
T. Foster wrote:FWIW even though I've never used this rule before I intend to going forward. I wonder how noticeable an effect it will have...
Same here.
BTW, this topic (and probably some others in the near future) came up because I'm in the midst of updating my "Clarifications and Houserules" document, as I intend on kicking off a new campaign in January.
