Hello, I was wondering if someone would explain to me how to weigh my Touch AC. I need to know what stats affect it, and why. :D
Thanks.
|
Armor, Shield, and Natural Armor bonuses do not contribute to Touch AC. The idea is that a touch attack just needs to touch you, and it has its full effect if it hits your armor, shield, or carapace.
Dexterity, dodge, and deflection modifiers do contribute to touch AC. If you dodge something, or deflect it, then it does not touch you.
Hello, I was wondering if someone would explain to me how to weigh my Touch AC. I need to know what stats affect it, and why. :D
Thanks.
Touch AC is affected by Dexterity, but your armor limits how much of your dexterity you can use. Deflection bonuses apply.
To make it simple shield, armor, and natural armor bonuses are the only ones that don't apply to touch attacks.Deflection bonus is normally created by magical force. Dexterity is quickness. Dodge bonuses are similar to dex bonuses, but they stack with themselves unlike other bonuses. Profane and Sacred bonus are kind of like divine insight. Luck bonuses are just that, luck. It is similar to how the movie hero manages to not get shot when 10 guys with automatic rifles are trying to hit him.
Alright... let me give you my stats, and then I will ask a specific question.
I have 16 AC, and 15 Tch AC.
If I have Wand of Mage Armor cast upon me, My AC is 20. Does my Tch AC get any bonus from that? or?
No. But if you fight incorporeal creatures (which normally attack touch AC), your mage armor is effective against them. This is only a fringe case, but it is a useful function of mage armor.
Question, not sure if this is just a crazy idea, or.. what.
But.
Look here, "Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can't bypass it the way they do normal armor."
Does this mean that I can, quite literally, trap a ghost inside of a mage armor spell?
Because.. it says that he cannot bypass it, as it's made of force.
What does that mean?
|
|
"Made of force" means "affects incorporeal creatures without diminished effect" in this game. A ghost's hand can't move right through the mage armor, like it would move through normal armor.
Trapping a ghost with mage armor would be a very liberal interpretation of the spell. It is unlikely that any DM would allow it. I wouldn't. Mage armor is supposed to move with whomever you cast it on. A ghost could wear the mage armor just fine because it affects incorporeal creatures.
So if you cast mage armor on a ghost, he will thank you kindly for the +4 armor bonus you just gave him and he'll proceed to attack you and your fellow party members.
I alway thought Mage Armor was effective vs Touch Attacks since it created a field of force that prevented body contact.
"Made of force" means "affects incorporeal creatures without diminished effect" in this game. A ghost's hand can't move right through the mage armor, like it would move through normal armor.
Trapping a ghost with mage armor would be a very liberal interpretation of the spell. It is unlikely that any DM would allow it. I wouldn't. Mage armor is supposed to move with whomever you cast it on. A ghost could wear the mage armor just fine because it affects incorporeal creatures.
So if you cast mage armor on a ghost, he will thank you kindly for the +4 armor bonus you just gave him and he'll proceed to attack you and your fellow party members.
Now trapping a ghost in a telekinetic sphere would be another matter, I think.
I alway thought Mage Armor was effective vs Touch Attacks since it created a field of force that prevented body contact.
Ah, but note the description of touch attacks above. They are effective if you touch a person's armor (i.e. mage armor, the field of force protecting them from body contact). A shocking grasp spell doesn't care if you grab the guy in mage armor by slapping your hand against that field; it still zaps the guy. You are thinking of it more as a deflection bonus, I believe.
No. But if you fight incorporeal creatures (which normally attack touch AC), your mage armor is effective against them. This is only a fringe case, but it is a useful function of mage armor.Question, not sure if this is just a crazy idea, or.. what.
But.
Look here, "Since mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can't bypass it the way they do normal armor."
Does this mean that I can, quite literally, trap a ghost inside of a mage armor spell?
Because.. it says that he cannot bypass it, as it's made of force.
What does that mean?
The ghost can't ignore it like other armour (they can just touch you through your armour, but not through mage armour, so they have to touch you on areas not protected by it, just like someone who hits you with a shovel and thus needs to hit you on a part of your body not protected by armour), but you can't trap a ghost in mage armour. It could just fly out of it.
I alway thought Mage Armor was effective vs Touch Attacks since it created a field of force that prevented body contact.Ah, but note the description of touch attacks above. They are effective if you touch a person's armor (i.e. mage armor, the field of force protecting them from body contact). A shocking grasp spell doesn't care if you grab the guy in mage armor by slapping your hand against that field; it still zaps the guy. You are thinking of it more as a deflection bonus, I believe.
The mage armour and incorporeal touch exception thing is one of the holdovers from before, and might cause more trouble than it's worth, since it confuses people. Mage armour is somewhere between armour and deflection.
If you think it's too complicated, just ignore the part about ghosts.
Hmm, okay. Thanks everyone... I was pretty sure I found a trick there, but it obviously won't work. :D
|
|
The mage armour and incorporeal touch exception thing is one of the holdovers from before, and might cause more trouble than it's worth, since it confuses people. Mage armour is somewhere between armour and deflection.
If you think it's too complicated, just ignore the part about ghosts.
I think of it as a Ghost Touch chain shirt. Obviously, it doesn't have the property "Ghost Touch", but it functions nearly the same as armor that does.
Ok after some digging in D&D 3.5 Magic Item Compendium...
on page 234 table 6-11: Adding/Improving common item effects. For creating magic items.
I see Shield of Faith = Deflection bonus
I see Mage Armor = Armor bonus.(*)
I see Barkskin = enchantment bonus to Natural armor
(*)= Cannot be added to any item that already provides a (nonmagical)armor or shield bonus to AC.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Mage armor = Armor enchantment bonus = Bracers of Armor,
After reading this i would retract my earlier post ((must have been thinking of 2nd ed D&D)), since mage armor when applied to magic items still does not stack non-magic armor AC.
So Mage Armor & Barkskin does not count toward Touch Attack. Shield of Faith does count toward touch attacks.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PS = Would prefer in future PF phb = Touch Attack/Range Touch Attack have a big bold header on p 185 and example of this two spells (mage armor & Barkskin) listed as not having an effect; and in the back of the book on page 575.. under T's a Touch Attack entry and page number listed, for easyer reference.
Well, what if you cast mage armor on a ghost- does he lose his ability to walk through a wall?
Yes. And you wouldn't even have the 50% miss chance as it's a force effect.
Thanks for the idea! My characters (the ones with arcane casting or UMD anyway) will always have a scroll of Mage Armour from now on lol!