Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Man in the Funny Hat" data-source="post: 4738791" data-attributes="member: 32740">No, a dex penalty is listed AS BEING a dex penalty.  The penalty to AC for being prone is UNNAMED.  Strictly speaking all that means in game terms is that it stacks with other unnamed penalties. AC is not limited to representing the hardness and body coverage that the armor provides, but neither is it solely representative of an ability to avoid being hit.  It really is an amalgamation of various factors into one number - which is then modified by other, typically more specific factors such as how special materials used in the armor increase the bonus, dexterity adjustment, magic, etc. The penalty for being prone does have a lot to do with being less able to dodge blows, but also it's because you are in a physical position where armor simply will not provide the same protection as it would if you and your opponent were both standing.  The blows will come from directions that the armor is not designed to protect against.  The dodging advantages granted by a dexterity bonus are NOT affected, but you ARE at a physical disadvantage. I'd suggest that attempting to squeeze out an advantage by reinterpretation of rules is likely to just lead to butting heads with the DM. If you get an opponent prone you not only then get to attack with him at a -4 to his AC, but if/when he tries to stand up he draws an AOO.  Trying to declare that this actually is INTENDED to equate to loss of dex bonus, being flatfooted, or otherwise enabling sneak attack is DEEP into house rules territory.  Argue it if you like - but the ONLY person qualified to declare your argument valid is YOUR DM.  And I wouldn't expect your DM to agree.  Their likely to insist that the defined advantages of having your opponent prone are sufficient.  You would do better to scour sourcebooks for feats that DO deny an opponent their dex bonus.  I seem to recall that there IS a feat somewhere that can render an opponent flatfooted.</blockquote>

Verification