i just ran across something that gave me pause... Page 195, Table 8-6.
Armor Class Modifiers... Has a a couple of footnotes on it.
#1 Defender loses and Dexterity bonus to AC....
#3 The defender is Flatfooted and Cannot add his Dex bonus to his armor class...
What's the difference here? The only real difference with being Flatfooted... is that you can't add your Dex and Dodge to AC...
What's the point of calling out the #1 condition, since if you lose your dex, you lose your Dodge bonus too...
Does 'Flatfooted' have some other significance... that just saying 'you lose your Dex' doesn't cover??
There is a difference between just losing your Dex bonus and being Flatfooted. You cannot make attacks of opportunity when Flatfooted.
PRD:
Flat-Footed: A character who has not yet acted during a combat is flat-footed, unable to react normally to the situation. A flat-footed character loses his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) and cannot make attacks of opportunity.
Plus there are a few abilities scattered around that function only against flat-footed opponents (as opposed to against anyone that loses Dex to AC).
So essentially being flat-footed is being caught unaware? Dex bonuses can't be initiated because your guard was down but the next round you include Dex unless the character is otherwise prevented from doing so?
So essentially being flat-footed is being caught unaware? Dex bonuses can't be initiated because your guard was down but the next round you include Dex unless the character is otherwise prevented from doing so?
Pretty much, yep. Though you are no longer flat-footed as soon as you have the opportunity to participate in the combat. You don't have to wait the full round.
It's actually conceivable that you could be flat-footed for two attacks from an opponent this way - 1. Surprise round; 2. If they go before you in the initiative order. Without including special ways to make/keep you flat-footed, of course.