SSE Better Armor Passives/Perks

[Deleted38894260User]

Currently, from what I've seen in perk overhauls and whatnot, light armor is kinda useless compared to heavy armor when it comes to later in the game. Almost all of the downsides of heavy armor are negated by perks in other trees, which means in the end, heavy armor gives you more resistance to stagger and an easier time reaching the armor cap, while the only advantage light armor has is stamina regeneration that can be easily achieved with enchanting and alchemy. In perk mods, heavy armor seems to have even more of an advantage, with more damage-related perks along with even more damage reduction, while light armor only has stamina regen and speed boosts that can actually make things harder to hit if it stacks high enough. While it's probably easy to find an example to prove some of this wrong, you still can't deny that heavy armor is too versatile in that it gives tons of advantages while still providing more protection than light armor and dealing nearly the same damage. In my opinion, heavy armor should provide you with lots of protection and health bonuses, with the downside being a lack of damage bonuses compared to light armor. On the other hand, light armor would give you damage bonuses, stamina bonuses, and mobility bonuses, with the downside being that there's not a lot of protection. Clothing should also get some changes, since heavy armor can still out-preform it in the later levels.

 

If you skipped all that, I don't blame you. Basically, heavy armor is pretty good and everything else isn't as good. That should change. Here's how it should change. This is heavily based on The Elder Scrolls Online's armor passives.

 

Heavy Armor

Heavy armor will purely focus on staying alive in long, drawn-out fights, with only a measly 15% damage bonus to allow for SOME damage to be done.

• Generic % Armor Increase: This would be the same as in base skyrim pretty much. 5 levels, increasing armor rating of heavy armor by 20/40/60/80/100%
• Extra Health: Pretty simple, increases health by a flat amount so you don't get 1-shot by ice storm. Plus 10/15/20 health per heavy armor piece equipped.
• Magic Resistance: Magic either hits like a truck or doesn't even tickle you, depending on what stones and enchantments you use. This will help reduce that damage before you're able to just totally screw it over with enchantments. Relatively early perk, increases magic resistance by 5/10/15% per heavy armor piece equipped
• Health Regen: This would help with sustained fights, as regen tends to do. Increases health regen by 5%/10% per heavy armor piece equipped
• Regen in Combat: This is the only part of heavy armor that applies to stamina and magicka. All stats regenerate at all times, except for when that stat is being drained. Must have 3 pieces of heavy armoe equipped.
• Health Dependent Damage: More damage when you're at low health, but not a lot. Damage increased by .2% for every 1% of your health missing, up to 15% extra damage at 25% health. Must have 3 pieces of heavy armor equipped.
• Block Cost Reduction: Sword and board will mix best with heavy armor to allow you to get more out of the passives. This will reduce the stamina cost of blocking by 6/12% per heavy armor piece equipped, capping at 60%
• Immunity to Stagger & Ragdoll: Final perk in the tree, increases your chance to be immune to being staggered or ragdolled by 25% per heavy armor armor piece equipped.

Light Armor

Light armor is going to focus on stamina, damage, and (useful) speed. You will be rewarded for staying away from heavy damage, but you'll really feel that damage if it hits. Shields do not count towards the passives listed below, unless you get a block perk or something.

• Damage Bonus: The appealing bread and butter of light armor. 1/2/4/6/10% extra damage per light armor piece equipped.
• Helmetless Bonus: To be fair, not having a helmet could theoretically help you in some situations. Not having a helmet counts towards wearing a light armor helmet in terms of having 4 pieces of light armor equipped, and you have a 20% chance to avoid all damage from attacks when wearing no helmet and 3 pieces of medium armor.
• Extra Stamina: A percentage increase of stamina, to make it really impactful later in the game. 15/20/40% stamina increase. Must have 4 pieces of light armor equipped.
• Stamina Regen Buff: Stamina regenerates at all times and regenerates 30/60% faster. Must have 4 pieces of light armor equipped.
• Sprint & Backpedal Speed Bonus: These are really the only two times you'd want more speed. Your sprinting speed and backpedal speed while in combat is increased by 3/6/9% per piece of light armor equipped
• Critical Damage Boost: This is often overlooked because of the low values of critical damage, but throw in these low numbers a lot and it adds up fast. Crit chance and damage increased by 10/15/20% per piece of light armor equipped.
• Sneak Bonuses: Light armor kinda loses it's purpose after you gain access to muffling. Not anymore. You sneak 30% faster and are much harder to detect when sneaking towards an NPC from behind with a weapon drawn.
• Magic Dodging: Magic sucks. You have a 5% chance to avoid all damage from magic attacks per piece of light armor equipped
• Dodge Chance: Final perk, this is the best part of light armor in my opinion and should be expanded on more. When hit by a power attack, your dodge chance is increased by 20% for 5 seconds. This effect stacks and refreshes, up to 3 times for 60% dodge chance from this perk. Must have 4 pieces of light armor equipped.

Clothing

Only mages use this. Only mages should use it. Mages should have a reason to use it. Here are some good ones. This tree would either be mixed in with alteration, or it would replace enchanting. Since mages spend lots of perks on the individual schools, not many perks here will require multiple perk points to max.

• Magic Damage: Magic doesn't do much on higher difficulties. Now it will. Spells last 4/9/14/19/24% longer or are 3/6/9/12/15% more powerful per clothing piece equipped
• Extra Magicka: Magicka is pretty limited until higher levels, so a decent early boost is useful. Magicka is increased by 10 per each clothing piece equipped.
• Magicka Regen & Steal: A reward for being accurate with spells will encourage focus and strategy as opposed to mindless spellslinging...but regen will help if you prefer the second option. Hitting an enemy with a spell restores 40% of the spells cost & increases magicka regen by 100% for 5 seconds if wearing 4 pieces of clothing. This effect refreshes whenever you hit an enemy. It also applies to summoned creatures.
• Magic Absorption: Mages should be able to duel other mages without killing each other instantly. You negate 5/10% damage from enemy spells and gain 10/20% of the spell's magicka cost as magicka per piece of clothing equipped
• Spell Criticals: Ouch. Get ready for critical ice storms. Spells have a 8/16% chance to be more powerful by 18/24% of their base cost per piece of clothing equipped. Critical Alteration and Conjuration spells will last 20/30% longer per piece of clothing equipped.
• Armor: Sometimes, Oakflesh just isn't enough. Using a channel spell (Frostbite, Wall of Fire, Lightning Storm) increases your damage resistance by 250% of it's base cost if you have 4 pieces of clothing equipped. Applies to the channel at the beginning of master level spells
• Stamina for Magicka: Mages shouldn't need to use stamina. It shouldn't be effective, either. When you run out of magicka and try to use a spell 3 times (This will hopefully prevent this being triggered on accident), stamina is converted to magicka at a ratio of 3:1 if no clothing is equipped, 2:1 if 2 pieces of clothing are equipped, and 1:1 if 4 pieces of clothing are equipped.
• Spell Penetration: You better hope you don't run into any other mages with this. When an enemy resists or absorbs your magic damage, your spells are stronger or last longer based on how much of your damage they resisted or absorbed for 5 seconds. This effect refreshes and is always based on the most magic resistant enemy you have hit in the last 5 seconds. Requires 4 pieces of clothing.

 

At this point it's so late at night, this stuff probably makes no sense in terms of balance. My main goal was to make heavy armor for those who like to rush in and fight long sustained battles, light armor for those who like high risk and high reward combat and stealth, and clothing for skilled mages who know when and how to use what magic. If you have ideas on something to change or add, I'd love to hear it. If you wanna include this stuff in a perk mod, go ham. If you wanna make a mod from scratch with this stuff, go ham. Just make sure I know you're going ham. I have a much bigger plan than this, but I'd rather save that for when I learn enough to do this stuff myself. Plus, this is already too much to ask someone to read. If you like this stuff, tell me and feel free to use the ideas. If you don't like this stuff, tell me what you don't like so I can see if I can change it. If you read this far, congrats. That's all I really have to say about these ideas.