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<blockquote data-quote="Koren" data-source="post: 6873013" data-attributes="member: 6802236"><p>One of my pet peeves with Sage Advice is the inconsistencies in systems and wording used. From the 1.06 SA compendium on calculated ACs:</p><p></p><p>"How do you calculate a creature’s Armor Class (AC)?</p><p>Chapter 1 of the Player’s Handbook (p. 14) describes how to determine AC, yet AC calculations generate questions frequently. That fact isn’t too surprising, given the number of ways the game gives you to change your AC!</p><p></p><p>Here are some ways to calculate your base AC:</p><p></p><p>Unarmored: 10 + your Dexterity modifier.</p><p>Armored: Use the AC entry for the armor you’re wearing (see PH, 145). For example, in leather armor, you calculate your AC as 11 + your Dexterity modifier, and in chainmail, your AC is simply 16.</p><p>Unarmored Defense (Barbarian): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier.</p><p>Unarmored Defense (Monk): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier.</p><p>Draconic Resilience (Sorcerer): 13 + your Dexterity modifier.</p><p><strong>Natural Armor: </strong>10 + your Dexterity modifier <strong>+ your natural armor bonus.</strong> This is a calculation method typically used only by monsters and NPCs, although it is also relevant to a druid or another character who assumes a form that has natural armor."</p><p></p><p>The only one of these that talks about a "bonus" is Natural Armor. Considering they've gone out of their way with all other types of "base" armor class so it straight sets a value 10 or higher, and thus they do not stack with each other, it's strange that natural armor gets referred to as a "bonus" especially since natural armor doesn't "stack" with regular armor. This "bonus" value isn't visible in the stat block other than doing the math to subtract the Dex mod (and then 10) from the listed AC. It just adds more confusion/inconsistency to the issue and could have been solved by:</p><p></p><p> "Your natural Armor Class (a value between 10 and n) + your Dexterity modifier." </p><p></p><p>And then to determine which AC to apply when there are more than one option:</p><p>"If you have multiple legal ways to calculate your AC (barkskin, natural armor, armor, mage armor), your AC becomes the highest value of the results of these formulae."</p><p></p><p>Problem and ambiguities solved, instead of introducing more technical terms that can cause even more confusion and room for misinterpretation.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Koren, post: 6873013, member: 6802236"] One of my pet peeves with Sage Advice is the inconsistencies in systems and wording used. From the 1.06 SA compendium on calculated ACs: "How do you calculate a creature’s Armor Class (AC)? Chapter 1 of the Player’s Handbook (p. 14) describes how to determine AC, yet AC calculations generate questions frequently. That fact isn’t too surprising, given the number of ways the game gives you to change your AC! Here are some ways to calculate your base AC: Unarmored: 10 + your Dexterity modifier. Armored: Use the AC entry for the armor you’re wearing (see PH, 145). For example, in leather armor, you calculate your AC as 11 + your Dexterity modifier, and in chainmail, your AC is simply 16. Unarmored Defense (Barbarian): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Constitution modifier. Unarmored Defense (Monk): 10 + your Dexterity modifier + your Wisdom modifier. Draconic Resilience (Sorcerer): 13 + your Dexterity modifier. [B]Natural Armor: [/B]10 + your Dexterity modifier [B]+ your natural armor bonus.[/B] This is a calculation method typically used only by monsters and NPCs, although it is also relevant to a druid or another character who assumes a form that has natural armor." The only one of these that talks about a "bonus" is Natural Armor. Considering they've gone out of their way with all other types of "base" armor class so it straight sets a value 10 or higher, and thus they do not stack with each other, it's strange that natural armor gets referred to as a "bonus" especially since natural armor doesn't "stack" with regular armor. This "bonus" value isn't visible in the stat block other than doing the math to subtract the Dex mod (and then 10) from the listed AC. It just adds more confusion/inconsistency to the issue and could have been solved by: "Your natural Armor Class (a value between 10 and n) + your Dexterity modifier." And then to determine which AC to apply when there are more than one option: "If you have multiple legal ways to calculate your AC (barkskin, natural armor, armor, mage armor), your AC becomes the highest value of the results of these formulae." Problem and ambiguities solved, instead of introducing more technical terms that can cause even more confusion and room for misinterpretation. [/QUOTE]
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