A List of Passive Defences?
I'm just wondering how many different types of defence there are in D&D 3.5. Defences being defined as 'stuff that protects a character from status conditions (especially being ded)'.
Um...what can I think of off the top of my head?
Armor Class: Gives a chance to avoid many types of attacks. Armor/shield/natural-armor bonuses can be countered by touch attacks, dexterity/dodge bonuses can be countered by invisible attackers.
Fortitude, Reflex and Will saving throws: Give a chance to avoid or mitigate the effects of many spells and supernatural abilities. Bypass with spells that use touch attacks (rays, for instance).
Strength and BaB: Used to defend against a lot of special attacks; bull-rush, disarm, grapple, feint...
Hit points: A second layer of defence after Armor Class. Bypass with paralysing, petrifying, instant-death, etc, spells.
Concealment: Gives miss chance to targeted attacks and can prevent targeting; countered by Faerie Fire, See Invisibility, darkvision, true seeing...lots of things, depending on the source of concealment.
Cover: Improves AC and Reflex saves and can sometimes prevent targeting. Comes from obstacles, tower shields, other creatures...
Damage Reduction: Reduces hit point damage from conventional weapons. Doesn't block any kind of energy damage or damage from spells/supernatural abilities.
Incorporeality: Very hard for PCs to get, but gives immunity to all non-magical attack. Countered by magical attacks, duh...
Fast Healing & Regeneration: One makes hit points return faster, the other converts HP damage to nonlethal damage AND heals it faster. Weaknesses vary.
Energy Resistance/Immunity: Reduces or negates hit point damage from a specific type of damage, like fire, lightning, cold...
Spell Resistance/Immunity: Gives a chance to resist (or, outright block) some spells and spell-like abilities, but not supernatural abilities.
Control Winds: Hard-counters ranged attacks and gases, and stops smaller creatures approaching. Countered by Dispel Magic.
Fly: Lets you stay out of melee reach of non-flying creatures. Countered by flight.
Protection From Evil: Hard-counters dominate spells, ghostly possession, and can potentially prevent summoned creatures from attacking.
Death Ward: Hard-counters death effects, energy drain, and negative energy effects.
Freedom of Movement: Hard-counters paralysis, grapples, and other movement impediments.
Delay Poison: Hard-counter (well, almost) to poison.
Antimagic Field: Hard-counters spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural effects, magic items, summoned creatures, and incorporeal undead. Though it also suppresses your own magic and magic items. Difficult to counter.
Ring of Counterspells: Counters a targeted Dispel Magic or Greater Dispel Magic, once, as long as you put the right spell into it. But you can't counterspell spell-like abilities...
Ring of Spell Turning: Expensive, but it can block up to 9 levels of spells or spell-like abilities, 3 times a day.
Hmm...what am I missing?
Um...what can I think of off the top of my head?
Armor Class: Gives a chance to avoid many types of attacks. Armor/shield/natural-armor bonuses can be countered by touch attacks, dexterity/dodge bonuses can be countered by invisible attackers.
Fortitude, Reflex and Will saving throws: Give a chance to avoid or mitigate the effects of many spells and supernatural abilities. Bypass with spells that use touch attacks (rays, for instance).
Strength and BaB: Used to defend against a lot of special attacks; bull-rush, disarm, grapple, feint...
Hit points: A second layer of defence after Armor Class. Bypass with paralysing, petrifying, instant-death, etc, spells.
Concealment: Gives miss chance to targeted attacks and can prevent targeting; countered by Faerie Fire, See Invisibility, darkvision, true seeing...lots of things, depending on the source of concealment.
Cover: Improves AC and Reflex saves and can sometimes prevent targeting. Comes from obstacles, tower shields, other creatures...
Damage Reduction: Reduces hit point damage from conventional weapons. Doesn't block any kind of energy damage or damage from spells/supernatural abilities.
Incorporeality: Very hard for PCs to get, but gives immunity to all non-magical attack. Countered by magical attacks, duh...
Fast Healing & Regeneration: One makes hit points return faster, the other converts HP damage to nonlethal damage AND heals it faster. Weaknesses vary.
Energy Resistance/Immunity: Reduces or negates hit point damage from a specific type of damage, like fire, lightning, cold...
Spell Resistance/Immunity: Gives a chance to resist (or, outright block) some spells and spell-like abilities, but not supernatural abilities.
Control Winds: Hard-counters ranged attacks and gases, and stops smaller creatures approaching. Countered by Dispel Magic.
Fly: Lets you stay out of melee reach of non-flying creatures. Countered by flight.
Protection From Evil: Hard-counters dominate spells, ghostly possession, and can potentially prevent summoned creatures from attacking.
Death Ward: Hard-counters death effects, energy drain, and negative energy effects.
Freedom of Movement: Hard-counters paralysis, grapples, and other movement impediments.
Delay Poison: Hard-counter (well, almost) to poison.
Antimagic Field: Hard-counters spells, spell-like abilities, supernatural effects, magic items, summoned creatures, and incorporeal undead. Though it also suppresses your own magic and magic items. Difficult to counter.
Ring of Counterspells: Counters a targeted Dispel Magic or Greater Dispel Magic, once, as long as you put the right spell into it. But you can't counterspell spell-like abilities...
Ring of Spell Turning: Expensive, but it can block up to 9 levels of spells or spell-like abilities, 3 times a day.
Hmm...what am I missing?