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Message: <blockquote data-quote="eamon" data-source="post: 5131644" data-attributes="member: 51942">I think if you look at actual parties that AC 16 is definitely below average.  An 18+hide or chain+light shield are quite common - as are higher bonuses.  On the other hand, lower bonuses are rare (though certainly occur). If that's the case, then the tactics and room layout are advantageous - this is good, but it won't always be the case - and even if it's the case, it's still sometimes worth attacking the weaker target - it's just that much easier (violating marks just doesn't hurt that much unless you trigger the "nasty extra" - which I presume monsters don't know about in detail until the first time it's used - specifically I'd ignore options on the player's side as opposed to divine challenge's punishment).  In any case, you're right that this is how this should work - from the parties perspective.  However, that doesn't mean they always do work out that way. This, I don't agree with. Barring visible cues, monsters will assume AC is that of a commoner.  And in any case, just as I find it reasonable that it's visible in-game that a monster as reach and threatening reach, or that a polearm wielder is holding his weapon threateningly (has polearm gamble), I assume that much about how a person moves gives you a hint about how hard he'll be to hit.  It's not like the battle in-game is occurring between featureless black balls, after all...  Especially once combat has started and you've seen the various combatants move and attack.If a player (or monster) wishes to bluff and appear more agile or less agile than he actually is, that's fine - and if the AC-granting ability is fairly subtle that might even be an easy bluff - but I don't think its believable that normally, generally it's hard to judge an opponents "AC" (or rather it's in-game equivalent of how hard something is to hit well).  That mettle tank with a shield? Hard to hit.  That super-agile little halfling with a defensive dagger?  Hard to hit.  That wizard over there that's steps just in the right spot to avoid attack but isn't armored?  Easier, but not easy.  The tough-looking guy with a nasty rod that's walking about a bit clumsily?  Easy to hit (though he probably has a bunch of hit points).Another advantage of that approach is that it makes playing the game easier - by assuming that the various opponents have a reasonable guess of each others combat prowess you're basically accounting for a bit of out-of-game player + DM knowledge, which means it's easier to avoid metagaming.</blockquote>

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