What does uncanny dodge actually protect against? Stuff that makes attack rolls (when you're flat-footed, that is). In fact, it protects against all stuff that makes attack rolls, but it does so in a way that we can't reliably reproduce in another format (because of types of protection, stacking, and the bothersome fact that a dodge bonus would also not work while flat-footed). Causes all sorts of problems, except for with this guy:
Code: Select all
// Create a Concealment effect.
// - nPercentage: 1-100 inclusive
// - nMissChanceType: MISS_CHANCE_TYPE_*
// * Returns an effect of type EFFECT_TYPE_INVALIDEFFECT if nPercentage < 1 or
// nPercentage > 100.
effect EffectConcealment(int nPercentage, int nMissType=MISS_CHANCE_TYPE_NORMAL);
But it's not as simple as the reflex would say: Take a rogue with 18 dex -- damn halflings -- and you'd be inclined to say "Well, 18 dex. That's +4 AC. That should be 20% concealment, right?" -- maybe! This dirty little hin has a chain shirt +1, a ring of protection +1, an amulet of natural armor +1, and he's a class-dipping ninny. Took a level in fighter so he could use a shield... +1. AC 21 while flat-footed with no uncanny dodge (10 + 1 size, 5 armor, 1 natural, 1 deflection, 3 shield). 25 with. If this ninny gets jumped by a goblin with a morning star (ab +1), what difference does uncanny dodge make? None! If this ninny gets jumped by an ogre with a greatclub (ab +8), what difference does uncanny dodge make? Difference between the ogre needing a 13 and a 17. (40% / 20% -- this poor ninny takes twice as much damage without uncanny dodge)-- that strikes me as some pretty serious business. We should probably do something about that.
But here's the trouble: we can't get the attack bonus of things that are just about to hit you. We can get the attack bonus of things that have already hit you (which would present problems -- what if it's a goblin and an ogre, tag-teaming a rogue to death?) and we can easily figure out what the attack bonus of a fighter who's the same level as your rogue would be.
So, my suggestion: we set up a pseudoheartbeat. We invade another line of the VFX table -- not to make a visual. I can use them to track effects. It's very nifty. We take the AC of the person with uncanny dodge (I know I keep pointing at rogues, but that's because they really get the fuzzy end of the lolipop out of this deal, but barbarians/ assassins/ dwarven defenders would profit too) and we calculate how much of a difference it would make if they were attacked by a fighter of the same level, equipped per the DMG's generic fighter specs -- by the routes above. What would this hypothetical fighter need to roll with and without uncanny dodge, compared and expressed as a percentage (as concealment is calculated outside the attack roll, in a very similar manner). And then this heartbeat tracks the person with uncanny dodge. If they're not flat footed, concealment goes away. If their AC chances, recalculate concealment. If concealment went away but now they're flat-footed again, concealment comes back.
But! There are flaws in this plan--
1. There would be a little bit more server load; only recalculating when a rogue's AC changes or such would make things better. But it would be most active around fights, which are already a source of server load.
2. The value of uncanny dodge is on a curve. Rogues would be better protected than normal against things that are vastly more powerful than they are (level 4 rogue jumped by a frost giant? He spends a round being way better off. And then dies. But maybe those six seconds make a difference) and they'd be better protected against things that they're way more powerful than (cave full of level 1 goblin warriors? somewhat more farmable now).
3. Because this would be on a timer, there would be gaps when things are a little off while the system tries to adjust. A rogue who gets jumped by five goblins will cease to be flat footed before the scripts identify that he's not flat footed and remove the concealment, granting him a few seconds of better protection, and would then have the opposite effect after he finishes the nearby goblins off -- time while he's flat-footed and before the script puts concealment back on (during which a second wave of goblins may catch him with his pants down).
And the win is that rogues become more playable. Still broken. Just not as broken.
I demand the opinions of others.