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<blockquote data-quote="SlyFlourish" data-source="post: 9560944" data-attributes="member: 54840">Not that my opinion matters but I agree that AC has a meaning in the game's world in a way that hit points and attack bonuses and other stats dont. An AC 10 has some meaning (basically, an unarmored average dex commoner type) as does AC 20 (a plate-armored humanoid with a shield).In Forge of Foes, we include both an incremental AC based on challenge rating but we describe that you can better apply AC by asking yourself how hard this creature is to hit, either with its physical plating or its speed (or both). I think the measure of &quot;normal humanoid with no armor&quot; to &quot;humanoid in full plate with a shield&quot; is a useful way to look at it.I don't think I need every stat block to tell me why an AC is the way it is. If I can figure it out by looking at the art or reading the monster's description, thats enough for me.But I do think AC isn't as arbitrary as hit points (or hit dice, which is super-arbitrary – ask any 5e monster designer how much time they spend worrying about hit dice. All of us have some excel sheet that just figures it out for us so we don't waste our time on it).I'm a big fan of how Tales of the Valiant handles monsters. Static hit points without hit dice (you can always change it if you want). Just flat abiltiy bonuses with proficiency already worked in. Nice and straight forward.I'm sure I'll learn to live with the eighteen boxes for six numbers excel spreadsheet in the 2025 Monster Manual stat blocks, but I think it's way too nitpicky for what I need for my own game.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="SlyFlourish, post: 9560944, member: 54840"] Not that my opinion matters but I agree that AC has a meaning in the game's world in a way that hit points and attack bonuses and other stats dont. An AC 10 has some meaning (basically, an unarmored average dex commoner type) as does AC 20 (a plate-armored humanoid with a shield). In Forge of Foes, we include both an incremental AC based on challenge rating but we describe that you can better apply AC by asking yourself how hard this creature is to hit, either with its physical plating or its speed (or both). I think the measure of "normal humanoid with no armor" to "humanoid in full plate with a shield" is a useful way to look at it. I don't think I need every stat block to tell me why an AC is the way it is. If I can figure it out by looking at the art or reading the monster's description, thats enough for me. But I do think AC isn't as arbitrary as hit points (or hit dice, which is super-arbitrary – ask any 5e monster designer how much time they spend worrying about hit dice. All of us have some excel sheet that just figures it out for us so we don't waste our time on it). I'm a big fan of how Tales of the Valiant handles monsters. Static hit points without hit dice (you can always change it if you want). Just flat abiltiy bonuses with proficiency already worked in. Nice and straight forward. I'm sure I'll learn to live with the eighteen boxes for six numbers excel spreadsheet in the 2025 Monster Manual stat blocks, but I think it's way too nitpicky for what I need for my own game. [/QUOTE]

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