Maybe I am being really dumb, but pg 240 of the Core Rule Book states that EAC and KAC are calculated as 10 + relevant armor bonus + Dex modifier.
The Space Pirate Crew Member on pg 15 of First Contact is listed with second skin armor and a Dex modifier of +4 - so by my calculation its EAC should be 15 (10 plus 1 for second skin and 4 for Dex) and KAC should be 16 (10 plus 2 for second skin and 4 for Dex).
However, the stat block lists the EAC as 11 and KAC as 13 - why?
The same question arises with many of the NPCs in Incident at Absalom Station. Just trying to work out how these NPC armor classes are being calculated.
Anyone out there able to help me - I'm sure I'm just being really obtuse.
All NPCs in Starfinder are built with a completely separate set of rules to PCs. The rules themselves aren't currently available and won't become so until Alien Archive launches in October, but it's said to be similar to Pathfinder's unchained monster creation rules.
All NPCs in Starfinder are built with a completely separate set of rules to PCs. The rules themselves aren't currently available and won't become so until Alien Archive launches in October, but it's said to be similar to Pathfinder's unchained monster creation rules.
Thanks so much for that explanation - it now makes sense (sort of) and I guess everything will be crystal clear when the Alien Archive arrives
Cheers (at least I wasn't just being dumb!!)
I noticed that creatures and NPCs have AC equal to a 10 Dex PC of equal.
So a CR 1 creature's AC is usually the same AC as a level 1 suit of armor, while a CR 13 creature's AC is the same AC as a level 13 suit of armor.
Some examples:
A space pirate (CR 1 combatant, 11 EAC, 13 KAC) has the same AC as Ceremonial Troop Plate (Level 1 Heavy Armor, +1 EAC, +3 KAC).
A space pirate captain (CR 4 combatant, 16 EAC, 18 KAC) has the same AC as Ceremonial Officer Plate (Level 4 Heavy Armor, +6 EAC, + 8 KAC).
And a Necrovite (CR 13 caster, 26 EAC, 27 KAC) has the same AC as a D-Suit IV (Level 13 Light Armor, +16 EAC,+17 KAC).
I think you could easily create variety between creatures of equal CR by basing their ACs on different suits of armor.
I also think that because of the high to-hit and low AC philosophy of Starfinder monsters, giving them dex to AC would probably be really bad for balance.
There are exceptions to this "rule", though, as Ellicoths, a CR 9 combatant creature, has the AC of a level 10 light armor, Freebooter armor III, putting their AC at a lower value than other CR 9 combatants should theoretically have.
First Contact, pg. 4: "These monsters were created using the Starfinder rules available at the time of writing, which may change in the final version of the game".