Minimum Armor Class


Rules Questions


Hello to everyone:

I have a question about armor class in pathfinder. After reading rules I am not sure about the minimum AC a character can have. I think all the modificators, positive and negative, stack together with the "10" base, but I think the minimum armor class a character can have is 10.

Some times, for example a high level barbarian with "reckless abandon" rage power in theory could have armor classe 5 or like that, but having in mind the basics of the game (for example, minimum skill ranks per level is 1) I think 10 is the minimum for AC

Is there anything official about this or could anyone from Paizo answer me?

Thank you very much


To my knowledge, there's no rule stating a minimum AC. I've never heard of an AC in the negatives, but it'd be pretty amusing to see such a build, if it is possible.


Build with negative AC (while raging it's at -1).

There is no negative cap.


An AC below 10 is possible, see this example in Paizo's NPC Codex:

Pig farmer

Paizo usually describes minimum (and maximum) values carefully. So if it's not written, it doesn't exist. Armor class section in Core rulebook page 179 doesn't describe any minimum, so the barbarian has to deal with his low AC...


Counter example:

Giant Maggot.

There are a lot of modifiers that can push your AC below 10. Low Dex, size, being paralyzed, etc.

Dark Archive

Many oozes and the like have ACs around 5.

No, there is no minimum AC

Grand Lodge

Silbeg wrote:

Many oozes and the like have ACs around 5.

No, there is no minimum AC

Got ya trumped: Gelatinous Cube, our old iconic monster, has an AC of 4.

As a corollary, it is also possible to have fairly large Initiative penalties, like a Cleric wearing full plate and using a tower shield, both without proficiency:
Full plate: -6 ACP
Tower Shield: -10 ACP
Dex 7: -2 Dex mod
Gives an Init mod of -18, so last, dead last, or probably last, with no better than a 2 (20-18) as your initiative count...
Of course, that leaves your flatfooted AC equal to your normal AC, both at 21 before magical enhancements, or other AC items, and touch as a lovely 8...

As an add-on, there is a cracked or flawed Ioun stone that gives a +2 Perception bonus, at the cost of a (minor) -1 penalty to Initiative.


Quote:
Got ya trumped: Gelatinous Cube, our old iconic monster, has an AC of 4.

Carnivorous blob, AC 2. Great wyrm red dragons have a touch AC of 0, while an aspidochelone has a touch AC of -1.


Hm.

Start with a DEX of 7 (-2 AC), take a -2 racial penalty (-1 AC), take 20 levels in Bloodrager (Primalist) (Abyssal Bloodline) to get Bloodrage (-2 AC), Enlarge Person (-2 AC), Abyssal Bloodrager (-2 AC), and Reckless Abandon Rage Power (-6 AC) for a net total of -5 AC while raging. If you're feeling lucky, you could blind yourself/avert your eyes for another -2 AC.

As for initiative penalties, consider:
Splint Mail or Gold Chainmail: -7 ACP
(Hastily donned armor): -1 ACP
Tower Shield: -10 ACP
DEX 7-2(Racial)-2(Enlarge Person): -4 DEX mod
Splintered Mind: -2 initiative
Aforementioned cracked/falwed Ioun stone: -1 initiative
Deaf (Oracle curse or regular curse): -4 initiative

For extra skill check penalties, let's say your splint mail and tower shield are broken, which means:
Splint Mail: -14 ACP
Tower Shield: -20 ACP

Dark Archive

Of course, the bloodrager with a total AC of -5 NEEDS a lot of hit points and even more healing to survive, because he's getting hit on a 2+ by nearly everything. So while there's no minimum AC, you probably shouldn't work to get one as low as you possibly can.

On the other hand, there's no maximum AC either. The only real soft cap on AC is that there's only so many items you can acquire to boost it. With idealized gear I threw together some AC comparisons for one character I play as comparisons to see what worked better for self sufficient AC. You know, cause I was experimenting.

Lev 20 hydrokinetic
+5 mithral chain shirt 9ac
+5 ring of protection 5ac
Amulet of Natural Armor +5 5ac
Improved Natural Armor x3 4ac
Shroud of Water (shield) +3 burn 9ac
Dodge 1ac
Dex 16 3ac
Base 10 ac
Total Armor Class 46

Shroud of Water (armor) +3 burn 12 AC
ring of shielding 2ac
Total Armor Class 42

Level 10 Hydrokinetic/Level 10 Monk
As Above -chain shirt
Shroud of Water (armor) +3 burn 9ac
Ring of Force Shield 2ac
Monk 2ac
Wisdom 18 4ac
Dex 16 3ac
Total Armor Class 45 (49 with Ki)

Water Shround (shield) +2 burn 6ac
Bracers of Armor +8
Total AC 48 (52 with ki)

So as you can see, while there's no cap on AC your total can vary depending on what gear you acquire and what abilities you're relying on.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Battles Case Subscriber; Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

Or you could have a level 12 Druid/level 8 Half Orc Monk Ancient Guardian w/ Defense Subdomain

Starting Dex of 18, Wis of 16

Diminutive Bat Form

Base 10
Bracers of Armor +8 (Put on after Wild Shape)
Ring of Protection +5
Barkskin +5
Jingasa +1
Dusty Rose Ioun Stone +1
Fates Favored +1
Dodge +1
Dex 40 (18 base, +5 level, +5 Book, +6 Enhancement, +6 Bat form) +15
Wis 26 (16 base, +4 Book, +6 Enhancement) +8
Size +4
Natural Armor +5 (+1 Base, +4 Half Orc favored Class Bonus)
Monk Lvl +3 (Monk's Robes)

For a 67 +
Fight Defensive +4
Combat Expertise +5
Cast Shield +4

For a total of AC 80 (84 w/Ki)

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