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Message: <blockquote data-quote="howandwhy99" data-source="post: 5877516" data-attributes="member: 3192">As I understand it AC is a measure of hardness for solid matter. As a piecemeal variation on cover it affects "to hit" odds, but it doesn't need to be the only factor upon a 'to hit' roll. (For example, AC doesn't alter the target number's odds against gases or liquids in quite the same way, sort of like touch AC and bee attacks) Dexterity could affect the target number (which isn't the same thing as the AC). Magical armor modifiers can affect an opponent's 'to hit' roll. The opponent's magical weapon modifiers thus affecting the target number or possibly the AC, I think that's largely a house rule on how magic works by campaign.  Armor proficiency affects the target number too in regards to the user knowing how to make the armor work in his or her favor when defending.AC can represent hardness of skin, leather, wood, ceramics, stone, metal or other solids. Woven substances, like chain or splint, change the configuration of a suit of armor altering its easiness to learn, its pliability for movement, durability, and AC rating for example. Also a lot of variation exists within single types of materials, like the hardness of lead compared to steel even though both are metals and collapsed within a single AC number for ease of use. Because the numbers represent a hardness scale negative and zero AC didn't make sense and weren't used Chainmail IIRC. Negatives could still be understood as magical modifiers upon an attacker's roll, but an attacker could never "hit zero" just as hardness could never reach an infinite state either. (Think of how a natural 20 didn't always equal a hit) The standard 2-9 range covers the -8 maximum.Attack type (usually meaning mundane weapon Bludgeoning/Piercing/Slashing) vs. AC type is based upon the AC's particular substance and its ability to protect from another substance's collision. The shapes of both were factored in. So we have the shape of the weapon like a dagger point affecting the shape of an armor like chainmail differently than that of plate mail even though all three are probably entirely steel. So you can see, a whole bunch of factors can be included into a rating with the numbers still being relatively small and easy to remember. It's when the unusual cases occur that the DM needs to remember when to modify the roll or target number ultimately. But I find those little nuances can really make the game too.</blockquote>

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