Defense

Whenever a hostile action targets you, the attacker must make a check to see if the action affects you. The DC for this action is called a **defense**, and is based on one of your skills or abilities.

## Reflex

Your Reflex **defense** is equal to 10 + your Dexterity base, and determines your ability to dodge out of the way of attacks. Many magical attacks target your Reflex.

## Fortitude

Your Fortitude **defense** is equal to 10 + your Constitution base, and determines your ability to withstand heavy blows, poisons, diseases, and magics that directly affect your life-force. While fewer attacks target your Fortitude than your Reflex, those that do can be much more dire.

## Will

Your Will **defense** is equal to 10 + the higher of your Wisdom, Charisma or Intelligence base, and determines your ability to withstand mental control, magical illusions, and psychic and morale attacks. Attacks that target Will tend to manipulate your behavior and perception, causing you to do things that you may not otherwise wish to do or forcing you to make choices that place you in great peril.

* Reflex: 10 + Higher of Dexterity or Intelligence modifier
* Fortitude: 10 + Higher of Constitution or Strength modifier
* Will: 10 + Higher of Wisdom or Charisma modifier

* Reflex: 8 + Acrobatics skill modifier.
* Fortitude: 8 + Endurance skill modifier.
* Will: 8 + higher of Insight or Intimidate skill modifier.

## Armor

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Armor is one of the most basic ways for your character to defend themselves from harm. There are two kinds of armor - light armor, which is flexible and doesn't encumber movement, and heavy armor, which offers better protection but at the cost of mobility.

Your Armor **defense** is equal to armor's base defense + your Proficiency with that armor type. Your light armor proficiency is based on your Dexterity, while your heavy armor proficiency is based on your Constitution. Most physical attacks, including basic melee and ranged attacks, target your Armor.

## Armor Check Penalty

Most types of armor have an armor check penalty, which is a penalty that is applied to certain skills when you wear armor. Armor incurs a penalty to your Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Stealth and Thievery skills. This penalty is reduced by 2 if you are Proficient in that armor or shield type, and further by 1 if you have Expertise with that armor type, to a minimum penalty of 0.

## Unarmored

Cloth armor offers no protection, but also causes no penalties, and does not require proficiency to wear. If you are not wearing any other form of armor, you are treated as if you were wearing cloth. There is no Proficiency requirement for cloth.

 Armor **Defense**:
## Light Armor

All light armor offers protection based on your Dexterity ability base . Light armor does not offer resistance to any damage type, but also does not slow you down, and has a much lower armor check penalty than heavy armor.

Leather armor offers some protection against weapon attacks, but requires proficiency to gain any real defensive advantage from wearing it.

 Armor **Defense**

 Check Penalty
 Encumberance:

Hide armor offers slightly better protection than leather, but is somewhat heavy, imparting a slight penalty to certain skill checks. If you do not have proficiency in light armor, you grant advantage while wearing Hide, and cannot gain advantage.

 Armor **Defense**

 Check Penalty
 Speed Penalty:

Heavy furs are a modification of hide armor used in colder climates to protect against frostbite and chill. The addition of heavy gloves and bundles of fur-lined cloth grant resistance to cold, at the loss of manual dexterity and vulnerability to heat. If you do not have proficiency in light armor, you grant advantage while wearing furs, and cannot gain advantage.

 Armor **Defense**

 Check Penalty
 Speed Penalty:

## Heavy Armor

Heavy armor offers protection based on your Constitution ability base . When wearing heavy armor, you gain resistance to slashing attacks; rigid plate armor also imparts resistance to bashing attacks. All heavy armor is encumbering, reducing your character's speed and reflex by 1 each.

Chainmail is made out of an interlocking weave of metal rings, providing good protection while somewhat encumbering the wearer.

 Armor **Defense**

 Check Penalty
 Encumberance:

Scalemail is made out of an interlocking weave of small metal scales, providing good protection while somewhat encumbering the wearer. If you do not have proficiency in heavy armor, you grant advantage while wearing Scalemail, and may not gain advantage.

 Armor **Defense**

 Check Penalty
 Encumberance:

Half plate is a rigid metal breastplate, girdle, shoulder guards, vambraces, gauntlets, and boots, providing excellent protection at the cost of fine dexterity and speed. If you do not have proficiency in heavy armor, you grant advantage while wearing half plate, and may not gain advantage.

 Armor **Defense**

 Check Penalty
 Encumberance:

Fullplate is a rigid carapace of metal, providing excellent protection at the cost of fine dexterity and speed. If you do not have expertise in heavy armor, you grant advantage while wearing it, and may not gain advantage.

 Armor **Defense**

 Check Penalty
 Encumberance:

## Shields

Shields may be worn with armor to further defend against attacks, adding a cover bonus to your Armor, Reflex, and Fortitude defenses.

A shield's **Defense** is based on your Strength. If your Shield's Proficiency is higher than your armor's, you may use your Shield's Proficiency check instead of your armor's.

### Cover Bonus

Shields add their cover bonus to your Fortitude and Reflex defenses as well as your Armor defense.

### Shield Check Penalty

Shields incur a shield check penalty to your Reflex defense and your Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Stealth and Thievery skills. This penalty is reduced by 3 if you are Proficient in shields, and further by your Expertise bonus if you have Expertise with shields. Proficiency and Expertise may never reduce your shield check penalty below 0; apply any further reduction to your shield's encumberance penalty instead.

### Light Shields

Light Shields leave your off-hand free for non-weapon tasks, and grant a +1 cover bonus while incurring a penalty to relevant skill checks.

 Armor **Defense**
 Cover Bonus:

 Check Penalty
 Encumberance:

### Heavy Shields

Heavy Shields require the use of the shield hand to support and direct the shield, but grant a +2 cover bonus to Armor, Fortitude and Reflex while incurring a significant penalty to your Acrobatics, Athletics, Endurance, Stealth and Thievery skills. This penalty is reduced by 2 if you are Proficient in shields, and further by 1 if you have Expertise with shields.

 Armor **Defense**
 Armor **Defense**
* Leather: -1
* Hides: -2
* Chainmail: -3
* Scalemail: -4
* Half-plate: -5
* Full-plate: -6

## Spot and Sense

You have two additional “defenses” based on skills, which are used to determine whether you can see past attempts at stealth, illusion or deceit. Your Spot **defense** is equal to 10 + your Perception skill check modifier, and your Sense **defense** is equal to 10 + your Insight skill check modifier. Many skill effects, such as Stealth and Bluff, target your Spot or Sense defense, and these defenses determine how likely you are to notice particular features of any area that you are in.

## Full Defense

You automatically end this stance at the beginning of your next turn unless you perform another standard action to sustain it; you may shift one pace as part of this standard action. If you make any attack, you automatically end this stance before making your attack roll.