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Dynamic Defense in Shadowdark

Dynamic Defense in Shadowdark replaces static AC with a Defense Bonus (DB) calculated from standard AC. During combat, defenders roll a d20 plus their DB to determine if they successfully defend against attacks, with high rolls allowing for more narrative flexibility. The system introduces exciting mechanics such as Epic Blunders and Epic Defenses, enhancing player engagement and storytelling in combat scenarios.

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56 views

Dynamic Defense in Shadowdark

Dynamic Defense in Shadowdark replaces static AC with a Defense Bonus (DB) calculated from standard AC. During combat, defenders roll a d20 plus their DB to determine if they successfully defend against attacks, with high rolls allowing for more narrative flexibility. The system introduces exciting mechanics such as Epic Blunders and Epic Defenses, enhancing player engagement and storytelling in combat scenarios.

Uploaded by

thereverend330mega
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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‭Dynamic Defense in Shadowdark‬

‭ ith‬ ‭Dynamic‬ ‭Defense,‬ ‭no‬ ‭creature,‬ ‭NPC‬ ‭or‬ ‭player‬ ‭character‬ ‭uses‬ ‭a‬ ‭static‬ ‭AC.‬
W
‭Instead,‬ ‭everyone‬ ‭has‬ ‭a‬ ‭Defense‬ ‭Bonus‬ ‭(DB)‬ ‭equal‬ ‭to‬ ‭their‬ ‭standard‬ ‭AC‬ ‭-‬ ‭10.‬
‭Example: a standard AC of 12 is a DB of 2. An AC of 20 is a DB of 10, etc.‬

‭ asic Mechanics‬
B
‭When‬ ‭attacked,‬ ‭the‬ ‭defender‬ ‭rolls‬ ‭a‬ ‭1d20‬ ‭and‬ ‭adds‬‭their‬‭Defense‬‭Bonus‬‭to‬‭the‬‭roll.‬
‭This‬ ‭is‬ ‭called‬ ‭a‬ ‭Defense‬ ‭roll‬ ‭and‬ ‭simulates‬ ‭that‬ ‭in‬ ‭highly‬ ‭fluid‬ ‭combat‬ ‭situations,‬
‭sometimes‬ ‭a‬ ‭target‬‭is‬‭able‬‭to‬‭defend‬‭themselves‬‭exceptionally‬‭well‬‭(a‬‭high‬‭Defense‬
‭roll)‬ ‭and‬ ‭sometimes‬ ‭very‬‭poorly‬‭(a‬‭low‬‭Defense‬‭roll)‬‭from‬‭moment‬‭to‬‭moment.‬ ‭The‬
‭Defense‬ ‭roll‬ ‭(1d20+DB)‬ ‭is‬ ‭compared‬ ‭against‬ ‭that‬ ‭specific‬ ‭attacker's‬‭Attack‬‭roll(s)‬‭for‬
‭that round. The higher modified roll total succeeds and any ties go to the attacker.‬

‭ xample of combat‬
E
‭Fandel‬ ‭the‬ ‭Fighter‬ ‭has‬ ‭an‬ ‭AC‬ ‭of‬ ‭16‬ ‭(including‬ ‭shield‬ ‭and‬ ‭Dex‬ ‭bonuses),‬ ‭so‬ ‭their‬
‭Defense‬ ‭Bonus‬ ‭(DB)‬ ‭is‬‭6.‬ ‭An‬‭Orc‬‭attacks‬‭them‬‭(DM‬‭rolls‬‭a‬‭1d20)‬‭and‬‭gets‬‭a‬‭14‬‭total‬
‭(including‬ ‭its‬ ‭+2‬ ‭Attack‬ ‭bonus).‬ ‭To‬ ‭defend‬ ‭himself,‬ ‭Fandel‬ ‭makes‬ ‭a‬ ‭Defense‬ ‭roll‬
‭(1d20+6)‬‭and‬‭gets‬‭a‬‭total‬‭of‬‭17.‬ ‭The‬‭attack‬‭misses.‬ ‭Had‬‭Fandel‬‭rolled‬‭a‬‭14‬‭or‬‭less‬‭on‬
‭his Defense roll, the attack would have hit, resulting in him taking damage.‬

‭ Tool to Help GMs with Combat Storytelling immersion‬


A
‭Dynamic‬ ‭Defense‬ ‭helps‬ ‭GMs‬ ‭to‬ ‭weave‬ ‭exciting‬ ‭combat‬ ‭narratives‬ ‭with‬ ‭the‬ ‭help‬ ‭of‬
‭dice‬‭rolls.‬ ‭A‬‭low‬‭Defense‬‭roll‬‭might‬‭prompt‬‭the‬‭GM‬‭to‬‭say‬‭“blood‬‭and‬‭sweat‬‭fly‬‭into‬
‭your‬ ‭eyes‬ ‭making‬ ‭it‬ ‭too‬ ‭hard‬ ‭to‬ ‭see‬ ‭the‬ ‭incoming‬ ‭assault!”‬ ‭A‬ ‭Nat‬ ‭20‬ ‭Defense‬ ‭roll‬
‭could‬ ‭be‬ ‭“You‬ ‭expertly‬ ‭block‬ ‭the‬ ‭strike‬ ‭with‬ ‭your‬‭blade,‬‭simultaneously‬‭creating‬‭an‬
‭opening for a quick Counter Strike!” Roll to Attack! (‬‭See additional rules below‬‭)‬

‭ ynamic Defense rules by Todd Michael Putnam‬


D
‭Founder & Admin of‬‭https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativeadventuretables‬
‭Designer & Executive Producer‬‭www.torchlighttimer.com‬
‭Executive Producer‬‭https://www.youtube.com/@thedicedecide‬
‭ ultiple Attackers against a single target‬
M
‭If‬ ‭more‬ ‭than‬ ‭one‬ ‭attacker‬ ‭targets‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬ ‭character‬ ‭or‬ ‭creature‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬
‭combat‬‭round,‬‭a‬‭new‬‭Defense‬‭roll‬‭is‬‭made‬‭for‬‭each‬‭new‬‭attacker.‬ ‭Example:‬‭If‬‭Fandel‬
‭was‬ ‭attacked‬ ‭by‬ ‭a‬ ‭goblin,‬ ‭an‬ ‭orc‬ ‭and‬ ‭a‬ ‭skeleton‬‭all‬‭in‬‭one‬‭combat‬‭round,‬‭he‬‭would‬
‭make a new Defense roll against each of the 3 Attack rolls as they happened.‬

‭ ultiple Attacks by a single attacker‬


M
‭In‬ ‭a‬ ‭single‬ ‭combat‬ ‭round,‬‭the‬‭same‬‭Defense‬‭roll‬‭is‬‭compared‬‭to‬‭all‬‭standard‬‭Attack‬
‭rolls‬‭made‬‭by‬‭the‬‭same‬‭attacker‬‭for‬‭that‬‭round‬‭only.‬ ‭Exception:‬‭A‬‭new‬‭Defense‬‭roll‬
‭against‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬ ‭attacker‬ ‭is‬ ‭made‬‭only‬‭if‬‭the‬‭Defender‬‭rolled‬‭a‬‭Nat‬‭1‬‭on‬‭their‬‭first‬
‭Defense‬ ‭roll‬ ‭and‬ ‭now‬ ‭the‬ ‭defender‬ ‭suffers‬ ‭an‬ ‭extra‬ ‭attack‬ ‭because‬ ‭they‬ ‭left‬
‭themselves wide open. See Nat 1’s rule below.‬

‭ at 1’s Epic Blunder‬


N
‭If‬‭the‬‭Defender‬‭rolls‬‭a‬‭Nat‬‭1‬‭(an‬‭Epic‬‭Blunder),‬‭they‬‭may‬‭or‬‭may‬‭not‬‭still‬‭get‬‭hit‬‭by‬‭the‬
‭attacker‬ ‭depending‬ ‭on‬ ‭their‬ ‭compared‬ ‭modified‬ ‭roll‬ ‭totals,‬ ‭however‬ ‭the‬ ‭Defender‬
‭has‬ ‭made‬ ‭an‬ ‭Epic‬ ‭Blunder,‬ ‭leaving‬ ‭an‬ ‭opening‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭attacker‬ ‭to‬ ‭make‬ ‭an‬
‭immediate‬ ‭Attack‬ ‭of‬ ‭Opportunity‬ ‭against‬ ‭the‬ ‭defender!‬ ‭This‬ ‭is‬ ‭the‬ ‭only‬ ‭time‬ ‭a‬
‭Defender‬ ‭would‬ ‭make‬ ‭a‬ ‭new‬ ‭Defense‬ ‭roll‬ ‭against‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬ ‭attacker‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭same‬
‭round.‬ ‭The‬ ‭Attack‬ ‭of‬ ‭Opportunity‬ ‭may‬ ‭be‬ ‭ranged,‬ ‭melee‬ ‭or‬ ‭spell‬ ‭but‬ ‭must‬ ‭only‬
‭target‬ ‭and‬ ‭impact‬ ‭the‬ ‭defender.‬ ‭They‬‭cannot,‬‭for‬‭instance,‬‭Attack‬‭with‬‭Fireball‬‭or‬
‭Cloudkill,‬ ‭but‬‭they‬‭could‬‭with‬‭Magic‬‭Missile,‬‭Acid‬‭Arrow,‬‭melee‬‭or‬‭a‬‭ranged‬‭weapon.‬
‭Opportunity Attacks require a successful Attack or Spell Cast roll to land or they miss.‬

‭ at 20’s Epic Defense‬


N
‭If‬‭a‬‭defender‬‭rolls‬‭a‬‭Nat‬‭20‬‭(an‬‭Epic‬‭Defense),‬‭they‬‭may‬‭or‬‭may‬‭not‬‭still‬‭get‬‭hit‬‭by‬‭the‬
‭attacker‬ ‭depending‬ ‭on‬ ‭the‬ ‭compared‬ ‭modified‬ ‭Attack‬ ‭and‬ ‭Defense‬ ‭roll‬ ‭totals,‬
‭however‬ ‭the‬ ‭defender‬ ‭has‬ ‭made‬ ‭an‬ ‭epic‬ ‭defense‬ ‭move‬ ‭and‬ ‭now‬‭gets‬‭a‬‭free‬‭single‬
‭Counter Attack. Counter Attacks have the same limitations as Opportunity Attacks.‬

‭ flurry of fortune changing events‬


A
‭It‬ ‭is‬ ‭possible‬ ‭(and‬ ‭I‬ ‭have‬ ‭had‬ ‭it‬ ‭happen‬ ‭in‬ ‭my‬ ‭own‬ ‭campaign‬ ‭adventures)‬ ‭where‬ ‭a‬
‭series‬ ‭of‬ ‭Nat‬ ‭1s‬ ‭and‬ ‭Nat‬ ‭20’s‬ ‭played‬ ‭out‬ ‭in‬ ‭a‬ ‭single‬ ‭Combat‬‭Round‬‭that‬‭completely‬
‭turned‬‭the‬‭tide‬‭of‬‭battle‬‭from‬‭favoring‬‭one‬‭side‬‭to‬‭favoring‬‭the‬‭other.‬ ‭Sometimes‬‭in‬
‭the players favor and sometimes in the monsters or NPCs favor! Combat gets scary!‬

‭ easons your group may enjoy using Dynamic Defense in Shadowdark‬


R
‭Most players love rolling to defend themselves more than passively waiting to get hit.‬
‭Statistically the same as AC, but with variance to make things interesting.‬
‭Sounds slow but plays fast! Players stay more focused even when it's not their turn.‬
‭Nat 1 and Nat 20 rolls make for unexpected and exciting turns of events in combat.‬
‭Defense roll numbers give the GMs additional direction for great combat narratives.‬

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