TRPG General Chat

Ravn

17:15

Hi, I'm confused. Could someone explain to me how AC is calculated?
For example, I have a level 23 warden with a heavy shield and a +3 hide armor.
He gets 10 +11(half level) +3 (armor bonus) +2(shield) +3(enhancement) +2(an armor feat) = 31. Yet his character sheet says an AC of 39 (and an armor/ability bonus of 13 rather than 5)
Where does he get the last 8 from?

wax eagle

@Ravn masterwork bonus

Ravn

What is that?

wax eagle

@Ravn it's a static bonus added onto the armor's bonus to keep it in line with level requirements

let me find the table and I'll link it

> Magic appears at higher item levels, and grants higher armor bonuses than its mundane counterparts. Hide armor grants +4 AC at levels 16-25, and +5 AC at levels 26-30.
AC Bonus: +3

which stat is he using for AC matters too, as he's a warden

the build determines which stat gets used (Con, Wis etc)

Wardens are awesome like that

Ravn

Shouldn't that table be included in PH1? It seems kinda important?

wax eagle

@Ravn IIRC it was added with Essentials

it's something the builder implements silently

Ravn

17:20

Okay, I see that the final 8 are from his con. I forgot hide was light armor.

So if the armor is level 23, it gives another +5, in addition to enhancement bonus, armor bonus, etc.?

+4 I mean

Alright, I get that part now. Then there's the case that prompted all this. Another player just rolled a blackguard/sorcerer, and the builder gives him some odd AC results. With no armor at all, it gives him an AC of 30. With unenchanted Full Plate it gives him 29? With a +4 Black Iron Full Plate armor he gets 36, but that's just 1 more than he gets with a +3 Shadowdance Leather Armor?

wax eagle

@Ravn what's his Dex/Int?

or does a sorcy get to use CHA for armor?

Ravn

both 1

13/12 - modifier is 1

ah, hybrid sorc gives him str bonus while not wearing heavy

wax eagle

@Ravn there you go

basically the masterwork bonuses are there to account for stat increases that light armor users get

and to keep the math up to par with monster to-hit bonuses

(monster to-hit/Defenses increase at a rate of +1/level, whereas PC to-hit/defenses increase +1/2 levels)

that's why feat taxes/masterwork bonuses/magic items are such a big deal

Ravn

alright, 30 unarmed makes sense now. 21 for half level and 9 from modifier.
With Full Plate it's 21 + 8 for armor bonus so that makes sense too

But if it's enchanted, it should be another +4 from enhancement and anoter +4 from masterwork since a +4 black iron armor is level 19, right? I makes that out to 37, and the builder says 36?

oh wait, that was only from hide

alright, for Full Plate, in Mordenkainen's, it says +11 for a level 19 armor

wax eagle

@Ravn right, each armor type has it's own progression

Ravn

17:34

so... 44?

wax eagle

@Ravn no, you don't add them, I think it's +11

Ravn

but the builder says 36?

wax eagle

11+21+4 = 36

Ravn

ah, I see!

thanks again, man :P I knew I could count on you!

wax eagle

@Ravn always, this stuff is a PITA and the CB obscures the math pretty heavily

and to get the right information from the compendium you have to know where to look

Ravn

17:36

Indeed, it's a bit of a maze

wax eagle

specially when you're dealing with atypical stat bonuses to AC

Ravn

yeah :J oh man, my player is pretty disappointed that the character he imagined as an armored beast is slightly more viable with a leather armor :P

wax eagle

@Ravn quite amusing :)

rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/8444/plate-armor-question (this is how I know about the masterwork thingy)

Ravn

nice

it IS a bit odd, though. Going for heavy armor seems a bit pointless

wax eagle

@Ravn only when you can use your primary or a very strong secondary for AC

Ravn

17:46

any ideas to what he can do to don the Full Armor and not feel like he's wasting feats?

wax eagle

@Ravn probably not. hide and second skin are probably better than burning a feat on full plate

that said, if he wants to reflavor it as a plate, I don't see a problem with that :)

Ravn

I don't think he meets the prerequisites

you have to be a primal class

I think he's gonna go with the Full Plate anyway. He likes the flavor :J my kinda player

dinner's ready, I'm off again. Thanks a lot for the advice!

wax eagle

20:24

for your close vote consideration: rpg.stackexchange.com/q/33976/1084

Aaron

20:42

.......

0

Q: When it was on fire but the water didn't do enough of things?

For the time when I used the water but dungeon master made it roll twice and then it didn't! Why not?

dnd-3.5e

wax eagle

@Aaron see above

Aaron

@waxeagle I think this user is attempting to cast confusion. Roll a DC 20 will save!

wax eagle

d20

Dice Service

14

Aaron

@waxeagle Also how do I vote to close?

wax eagle

20:44

I save

@Aaron step 1: get 3000 reputation

(alternatively, flag -> unclear/vlq)

Aaron

@waxeagle I do not have that much rep yet.

wax eagle

@Aaron that's why it's step 1 :)

there are close vote equivalent flags that you can use though. Also downvote that sucker

that gets it off the front page

Zachiel

@Aaron From his surname I guess he could be a french speaker using google translate to ask. Are you willing to investigate and help him?

wax eagle

translate is blocked here...grrrrrrrreat!

Zachiel

@waxeagle What do you mean?

wax eagle

20:51

@Zachiel our new webfilter is...zealous

Zachiel

oh, it's blocked there.

I got it it was blocked on SE

Sorry

wax eagle

ah no, generally there's little SE blacklists...except on SO, several things are blocked on SO due to the order of magnitude difference and perceptions of smugness (lmgtfy being the most infamous)

that..isn't any clearer

Ravn

21:07

Hello again! I once saw a chart that listed the 10 damage types in 4e by how common they were, and I've been trying to find it again. Does this ring a bell with anyone?

wax eagle

@Ravn yes, let me see what I can dig up

there's an image here I can't see: community.wizards.com/content/forum-topic/2584951

that might be it

Ravn

grr broken images

wax eagle

they broke so much when their forums switched

useful: enworld.org/forum/…

Ravn

I think that was probably it, though. I found it when I was looking through guides

wax eagle

well, darn

we have the filename though, we can use that maybe

ok, I've struck out

workplace just dingged

Ravn

21:24

np :J

Lord_Gareth

22:13

@GamerJosh The thing is, sometimes - maybe even often - "You're playing the wrong game for what you want," is the most helpful advice you could possibly give. I don't do it to be an ass, I do it because trying to force, say, D&D to be realistic is like attempting to cook a gourmet meal using only a car battery, cables, and a flat rock to manipulate the ingredients on.

If you want nuanced, tactical combat in FATE then of course the best response is, "Maybe go play a system that actually does this."

You can't fix a car engine with a chainsaw, y'know?

BESW

23:04

@Lord_Gareth I think D&D is based on the deliciously mad-science notion that all the chainsaw needs as an engine-repair attachment.

LitheOhm

Got a 4e PHB and DMG coming in next week :)
On a related note: no takers for people buying that 4e MM from last xmas.

LessPop_MoreFizz

23:55

Whatever you do, don't be like the idiot I played with once who insisted that the proper way to roll a d100 was to roll 2d10 and multiply the result. — LessPop_MoreFizz 1 hour ago

True Story.

BESW

Oh, my.

Alex P

@LessPop_MoreFizz Cyborg Commando?

Cyborg Commando

Cyborg Commando is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) published by New Infinities Productions, Inc in 1987 and designed by Kim Mohan and Frank Mentzer based on an outline by Gary Gygax, the creator of the original Dungeons & Dragons system. The game is set in 2035 at a time when the earth is invaded by aliens called Xenoborgs intent on subduing humanity and taking control of the planet. Luckily humanity has developed a new kind of soldier: the Cyborg Commando, a mechanical/electronical man-like structure that can be implanted with a willing human's brain. Innovative in some ways,...

LessPop_MoreFizz

Hm? No, this was playing D&D. He was just a moron.

Alex P

I know.

I'm saying, that is Cyborg Commando. Also, even when you're supposed to multiply the dice together, the results is still terrible.

Transcript for