Here's an armor alternative using Damage Reduction, which I personally think works better. Just for those who don't know, DR is Damage Reduction. Basically, if I get hit and an enemy does 5 damage, if my DR is 4, they only do 1 damage. With this system, AC would be solely based on Dex bonus +10. So Dex 16 is +3, AC is 13 or higher. Shields still add to AC.
Light Armor
Hide Armor = 1 DR, No Dex Max, No Dis at all
Leather = 2 DR, No Dex Max, Dis on Stealth
Studded = 3 DR, No Dex Max, Dis on Stealth
Padded = 3 DR, Dex Max +3, Dis on Acrobatics
Medium Armor
Chain Shirt - 4 DR, Dex Max +3, Dis on Stealth
Cuirass - 4 DR, Dex Max +2, Dis on Acrobatics
Half Plate - 5 DR, Dex Max +1, Dis on Acrobatics and Stealth
Scale Armor - 6 DR, Dex Max +1. Dis on Acrobatics and Stealth
Heavy Armor
Ring Mail - 7 DR, Dex Max 0, Dis on Acrobatics and Athletics (except Shove), requires Str 13
Chain Mail - 8 DR, Dex Max 0, Dis on Stealth, requires Str 14
Splint Armor - 9 DR, Dex Max 0, Dis on Acrobatics and Athletics (except Shove), requires Str 14
Plate Armor - 10 DR, Dex Max 0, Dis on Acrobatics, Stealth, Perception and Athletics (except Shove), requires Str 15
Small Shield - +1 to AC
Medium Shield - +2 to AC
Large Shield - +3 to AC
Now, this might seem undoable. After all, a 1d4 damage weapon would never deal any damage to a DR 10 plate armor enemy even if they had Dex+4 and rolled a 4 doing max damage of 8. Only with a CRIT would they deal any damage, maybe. True.
So add Armor HP. Basically, you wear the armor down every time you hit. Plate starts at 10 HP. You do 8 damage. It has 2 HP left. Second hit does 4 damage. HP reduced to 0 with 2 remaining. Plate DR reduced by 1 to 9 DR and 9 HP. The 2 remaining come off the 9 HP, leaving 7 HP left.
Now add to this that blunt weapons do double damage to armor and suddenly hammers and maces become WAY more valuable in combat. A 1d4 Hammer hits and does 3 damage, soaked by DR, so it does 6 off the armor.
Hit and actually take HP off a target? Let's say you do 8 damage against armor with 3 DR. You deal 3 damage to the armor HP and 5 to the target. Was it blunt? 6 off armor and 5 off target. Was it sharp or piercing? 3 off armor and 10 off target because sharp or piercing do extra damage to flesh.
Well, anyway. It's just an idea I had a long time ago.
