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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Charlaquin" data-source="post: 7510812" data-attributes="member: 6779196">There aren’t really any codified abilities that call for such a roll, so this would fall under the rules for improvising an action.So, it’s up to the DM how to resolve it. Making an attack roll against an AC calculated in a non-standard way is one way you might resolve that. But, as the rules for improvised actions state that you normally make an ability check for improvised actions and that most can be resolved as simple contests, I would be more inclined to call for a Dexterity vs. Dexterity contest.The target’s AC.Yes, that is all accurate.This is where we’re disagreeing. I’m saying that when you attack a creature, you roll against a number that represents how difficult it is to hit that creature in a vulnerable spot. By default, this number is 10+Dex, representing the creatire’s ability to dodge your attacks. Armor and some abilities change this calculation, usually representing the decreased surface area of the creature that is vulnerable to attack, and potentially the increased difficulty of dodging attacks while armored. Shields and cover increase this number, representing an obstacle preventing the attacker’s blows from reaching the target.When you attack an object, you roll against a number that represents how hard you have to hit it to do damage. This number is fixed, and does not need to be calculated.Yes, but since the attacks represent different things in the fiction depending on whether the target is a creature or an object, the narration should reflect that difference.Most such abilities actually force the target to make a saving throw. There are no codified abilities that target a lower AC value than the target’s AC.Yes, which is why Barkskin shouldn’t need to explain what the minimum AC of 16 represents in the fiction. It’s a mechanical effect that sets a floor for the difficulty of the d20 roll you make to see if you can roll your weapon’s damage die. But since people seem to be struggling to come up with a satisfactory explanation of what that represents in the fiction, I am offering one. Armor makes you harder to do damage to because you can an unarmored person can be damaged by a hit anywhere on their body, while an armored person is mostly safe unless you get in the crack of their visor or under the armpit or something. Barkskin does not do what armor does. It does what bark does, which is make trees hard to damage because you gotta hit it real hard to get through. Mechanically, the latter is represented by a fixed AC value that is not affected by things like shields or cover.</blockquote>

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