Armor check penalty

[mark scully]

another newbie question from me:)

1# if u are wearing armor u are proficient with say a breastplate and a light steel sheild , u get an ac bonus total of +7 and a ac check penalty of -5.

u have a total ac of +7+10 (+ a dex bonus of 3 max)=17 (20 if u have the dex) right?

2# now the ac check penalty of -5 applies to all SKILL checks made with dex/str.

but does the -5 penalty also apply to say a +3 str mod to damage rolls and to the attack rolls ( or is the attack roll penalty only apply to non proficient armor?)

all the best

[Bart Vervaet]

No

The armar chack penalty only applies to a number of skills (not even sure if it is all str/dex skills), not to any other roll or check, at least not if you are proficient with the armor/shield

[Nawtyit]

It is all Str and Dex based skills only.

CRB wrote:

Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to AC that this type of armor allows. Dexterity bonuses in excess of this number are reduced to this number for the purposes of determining the wearer's AC. Heavier armors limit mobility, reducing the wearer's ability to dodge blows. This restriction doesn't affect any other Dexterity-related abilities.

Even if a character's Dexterity bonus to AC drops to 0 because of armor, this situation does not count as losing his Dexterity bonus to AC.

A character's encumbrance (the amount of gear carried, including armor) may also restrict the maximum Dexterity bonus that can be applied to his Armor Class.

Shields: Shields do not affect a character's maximum Dexterity bonus, except for tower shields.

Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dexterity- and Strength-based skills. An armor check penalty applies to all Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks. A character's encumbrance may also incur an armor check penalty.

Shields: If a character is wearing armor and using a shield, both armor check penalties apply.

Nonproficient with Armor Worn: A character who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he is not proficient takes the armor's (and/or shield's) armor check penalty on attack rolls as well as on all Dexterity- and Strength-based ability and skill checks. The penalty for nonproficiency with armor stacks with the penalty for shields.

[mark scully]

cheers:)