AC questions

[gurgleflep]

Okay, since I've started playing D&D back about 6 years ago I've never once used flat-footed or touch AC (both in playing and DMing), and I'm wanting to incorporate it now and would like to know some things about it...

First off: how does touch work? All I really got out of it was "ignore shield and armor bonus, plus any natural armor." When does touch apply?

Secondly: flat-footed, if I understood it correctly, is only used in the beginning of battles when you haven't done jack-diddley... is there any other time that this is used?

Thirdly: how can I break it to the players that we're going to be using it?

Any additional advice on how to use them would be much appreciated.

[iDesu]

First thing to take into account is that your character, with full AC, is assumed to be dodging, ducking, and weaving through-out the fight, and not leaving themselves open.


First off: how does touch work? All I really got out of it was "ignore shield and armor bonus, plus any natural armor." When does touch apply?
Touch AC is when you just have to touch the person, even just grazing them or their armor. A normal attack with a weapon might just bounce off their armor due to a bad angle, while shocking grasp would still damage the person, since it doesn't rely on the strength of the blow, just that there was a connection at all.


Touch Attacks
Some attacks disregard armor, including shields and natural armor. In these cases, the attacker makes a touch attack roll (either ranged or melee). When you are the target of a touch attack, your AC doesn’t include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. All other modifiers, such as your size modifier, Dexterity modifier, and deflection bonus (if any) apply normally.


Secondly: flat-footed, if I understood it correctly, is only used in the beginning of battles when you haven't done jack-diddley... is there any other time that this is used?
Flat-footed means that the person was caught by surprise, and are unable to react. The only defense they have, in this case, would be their armor. Certain items or spell affects can cause someone to be flat-footed.

Grease is a common way to make people flat-footed in combat, as it requires a balance check for those targeted. If you don't have 5 ranks in balance you're flat-footed.


Thirdly: how can I break it to the players that we're going to be using it?
Just tell them that people are at times going to be easier to hit, not harder.

[TuggyNE]

First off: how does touch work? All I really got out of it was "ignore shield and armor bonus, plus any natural armor." When does touch apply?

Mostly to spells; it's for situations where you don't actually need to deliver a solid blow, just make contact with their body in some way. Trip attacks and grapples also make use of it for that reason. There are a few exceptions where a melee or ranged weapon can use touch attacks to deal normal damage, but those aren't common.

So inflict critical wounds, enervation, and scorching ray are all examples of touch attacks.


Secondly: flat-footed, if I understood it correctly, is only used in the beginning of battles when you haven't done jack-diddley... is there any other time that this is used?

Pretty much.

If you're making a balance check with less than 5 ranks, you're flat-footed. There's also a skill trick I think that can do it, and successfully hiding from someone makes them flat-footed to you I believe as well.


Thirdly: how can I break it to the players that we're going to be using it?

Well, start with explaining the concepts to them. Justifying the change mostly depends on why you didn't do it earlier, I guess.

[Katana1515]

I think points one and points two have been well covered but in respect to number three you could point out how much better certain spells would be now. scorching ray/orb spells/enervation and the whole range of inflict spells will be getting a real bump in effectiveness so if any of your players like to play clerics/wizards (or any spell caster really) then they should be all for it :) . Reassure any fighter types that there high regular AC will still be good against 90% of attacks and remind them that things like grappling (that if I remember rightly needs a touch attack) are a way for them to benefit from the change. (hope this helps)

[gurgleflep]

All three of you have helped me quite a bit, thank you all :smallsmile:
I just hope they don't flip a biscuit when I tell them, they don't like change :smalleek:

[Chronos]

"Flat-footed AC" doesn't only apply when you're flat-footed, either. Really, what it means is "AC when you're denied your Dex bonus and any Dodge bonuses". Being flat-footed is one of the more common causes of this happening, but it also happens whenever the target isn't aware of their attacker (target is blind, or attacker is hiding or invisible), or when the target is unable to move effectively (paralyzed, or tied up, or grappling).