Touch AC, Flat-footed AC, and Shields

[Yora]

Somehow it seems that it's all wrong.

Shields are added to Flat-footed AC, but not to touch AC.

Why is that? If a character is flat-footed, he does not get his Dex modifier to dodge the attack, so he would also be unable to raise his shield to deflect it.
On the other hand, bringing up your shield to block a ray or frost or a scorching ray should protect you from injury, but according to the rules it does not.

Is there any reason not to switch it arround and add Shield-bonuses to touch AC and remove them from flat-footed AC?

[Darrin]

Somehow it seems that it's all wrong.

Shields are added to Flat-footed AC, but not to touch AC.


If someone is holding a shield in front of themselves, it's considerably easier to touch the shield than to touch an exposed portion of their body.

Flat-footed is a "passive defense", and the shield bonus counts because that represents a chance that the attack will strike the shield and bounce harmlessly away.

A touch attack is generally against an actively defensive opponent, but touching their armor/shield still counts as touching the owner, and presumably your opponent will be deliberately putting his shield in between you and him to discourage you from touching his more vulnerable bits.



Why is that? If a character is flat-footed, he does not get his Dex modifier to dodge the attack, so he would also be unable to raise his shield to deflect it.
On the other hand, bringing up your shield to block a ray or frost or a scorching ray should protect you from injury, but according to the rules it does not.


Even if the shield isn't being actively directed against an attack, there's still a chance that an attack will strike the shield and bounce off.



Is there any reason not to switch it arround and add Shield-bonuses to touch AC and remove them from flat-footed AC?

Arbitrarily abandoning the degree of abstraction in the combat rules may inadvertently lead to bogging things down with obscure minutiae.

If you want your shield to add to your touch AC, consider picking up the Shield Ward feat (PHBII), or make it out of riverine (half of the shield bonus becomes a deflection bonus).

[Andezzar]

Not really.

Touch AC means you only have to find a place to touch the "target". Just as armor is enough for that (you are not actually touching the target just its armor) a shield works the same way. The spell or other ability can "bounce" from the item to the creature.

While a flat-footed opponent cannot put the shield in the optimal position, it still is a big piece of wood/metal between the attacker and the squishy bits of the target. Normal attacks (whether the target can defend himself or not) still have to reach a spot on the creature where they can do damage to it. Hitting a shield will not accomplish that.

[hymer]

I agree with you, Yora, it seems counterintuitive to me too. Not so much the touch AC part (mostly because most of that whole thing seems so backwards to me, that particular bit doesn't make it any worse), but I agree it's strange you get just as good advantage from your shield when you don't use it actively.

Anyway, I just play by the rules with it. It's easier, at least.

[genericwit]

A lot of touch spells transmit a "current" almost like electricity that passes on an effect, or elemental damage. It would make sense to have a shield that was resistant or not conductive of magical currents that would be added to touch vs. magical effects or rays or something like that, but otherwise I think it makes sense. I mean, AC is pretty illogical as it is, anyways.