Enhancement bonus on armor and touch attacks

[the Jester]

If I'm human with a +3 chain shirt on and a dex of 14, is my AC vs. touch 12 (for dex) or 15 (dex + enhancement)?

 

[Mahali]

12

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Yes, 12. The enhancement bonus of the armor gives you a +7 armor bonus, not a +4 armor bonus and a +3 enhancement bonus. It enhances your armor bonus.

 

[the Jester]

Hrmm... is this stated explicitly somewhere? Have I been missing this all this time?

 

[dcollins]

See DMG p. 177, Table 8-1: "Bonus Type: Enhancement... Improves: Armor's bonus"... not AC, as per other entries.

 

[Spatula]

The rules do state that only deflection and dodge bonuses (IIRC) count towards your touch AC (in addition to built-in AC mods like dex and size). I would include insight bonuses as well, but they aren't listed. So that's why you wouldn't get the +3 vs touch attacks.

 

[Artoomis]

The actual touch attack rule is:

A character's opponent's AC against a touch attack does not include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus.