"Wait, that didn't work right" - the Dysfunctional Rules Collection

[Thespianus]

So a knife should have the same penetration as a sword?

I think AC is better understood as "The protection you have against being hurt during a round of combat against a certain opponent" rather than "The protection you have against being injured by one discrete cut with a sword".

"one attack roll"+"one damage roll" should be understood as "the amount of damage you deal during a round of combat" rather than "the damage one chop of the weapon inflicts".

Seeing both the attacks and the defence mechanisms as abstractions like this helps to make you not lose your mind. :)