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<blockquote data-quote="DND_Reborn" data-source="post: 8135888" data-attributes="member: 6987520">I agree with a lot of this, but not everything about AC.Remember, AC is not just wearing the armor and standing there, it is using the armor as well, so turning with an attack so it can deflect off of the armor's surface instead of just biting into it. Also, DEX adds to AC which is dodging, and using a shield encompasses &quot;wielding&quot; the shield, not just holding it. So, the AC bonus from shield is a lot of using it to block blows, not just having it hang from your arm/held in your hand.As a DM, many times I describe attacks that miss as the PCs deflecting the blow with their shield, turning in their armor to the blade tip scraps along the breastplate, using the haft of their battleaxe to catch and push an enemy's attack aside. This is all included in the passiveness of AC for me, anyway.FWIW, many times I also describe an attack that &quot;hits&quot; as the PC expending enormous effort to avoid a lethal attack. That expenditure is represented by a decrease in HP--which is most likely &quot;not-meat&quot; narrative plot armor which allows a creature to keep fighting. As attacks &quot;hit&quot; or as I prefer to think of it, succeed, that plot armor (i.e. HP) is worn away until it is gone and the next hit take the PC down and strikes them solidly--they can't avoid it or shrug it off or whatever--and they drop to 0 HP and go unconscious.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="DND_Reborn, post: 8135888, member: 6987520"] I agree with a lot of this, but not everything about AC. Remember, AC is not just wearing the armor and standing there, it is [I]using[/I] the armor as well, so turning with an attack so it [I]can[/I] deflect off of the armor's surface instead of just biting into it. Also, DEX adds to AC which [I]is[/I] dodging, and using a shield encompasses "wielding" the shield, not just holding it. So, the AC bonus from shield is a lot of using it to block blows, not just having it hang from your arm/held in your hand. As a DM, many times I describe attacks that miss as the PCs deflecting the blow with their shield, turning in their armor to the blade tip scraps along the breastplate, using the haft of their battleaxe to catch and push an enemy's attack aside. This is all included in the passiveness of AC for me, anyway. FWIW, many times I also describe an attack that "hits" as the PC expending enormous effort to avoid a lethal attack. That expenditure is represented by a decrease in HP--which is most likely "not-meat" narrative plot armor which allows a creature to keep fighting. As attacks "hit" or as I prefer to think of it, [I]succeed[/I], that plot armor (i.e. HP) is worn away until it is gone and the next hit take the PC down and strikes them solidly--they can't avoid it or shrug it off or whatever--and they drop to 0 HP and go unconscious. [/QUOTE]

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