Armor Class (AC) (Player’s Handbook)
Armor Class (AC)
is the protective rating of a type of armor. In some circumstances, AC is
modified by the amount of protection gained or lost because of the character’s
situation. For instance, crouching behind a boulder improves a character’s Armor
Class, while being attacked from behind worsens his AC.
Armor provides protection by reducing the chance that a character is attacked
successfully (and suffers damage). Armor does not absorb damage, it prevents
it. A fighter in full plate mail may be a slow-moving target, but penetrating his
armor to cause any damage is no small task.
Armor Class is measured on a scale from 10, the worst (no armor), to -10, the
best (very powerful magical armors). The lower the number, the more effective the armor. Shields can also improve the AC of a character (see “Shields” in Chapter 6: Money and Equipment).
Abilities and situations can also affect a character’s Armor Class. High
Dexterity gives a bonus to Armor Class, for example. But even a character with a
Dexterity bonus can have this bonus negated if he is attacked from the rear.
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