Post/Author/DateTime	Post
M-bark 04-18-08, 10:31 AM	I'm slightly puzzled on what I need to add to the base AC of 10 to get a character's touch AC. I know Dexterity applies and armour and natural armour bonuses do not, but what if you are wearing magical armour, or bracers of protection? If you are Medium, have no NA and have a Dex of 10 and are wearing no more than a +4 chain shirt (and clothes), is your touch AC 18, 14, or 10?
foxtail 04-18-08, 11:11 AM	From the SRD: When you are the target of a touch attack, your AC doesn’t include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. Your "armor bonus" isn't just derived from what armor you're physically wearing; spells such as mage armor and equipment like bracers of armor don't apply either, nor do any enhancement bonuses to the armor you're wearing. The character you mentioned in the example would have a touch AC of 10, because a touch attack would completely disregard the +4 chain shirt.
Slimgauge 04-18-08, 11:16 AM	OK, let's go to the Online SRD. Touch Attacks Some attacks disregard armor, including shields and natural armor. In these cases, the attacker makes a touch attack roll (either ranged or melee). When you are the target of a touch attack, your AC doesn’t include any armor bonus, shield bonus, or natural armor bonus. All other modifiers, such as your size modifier, Dexterity modifier, and deflection bonus (if any) apply normally. So, in general, you get everything EXCEPT the shield, armor, and natural armor. Specifically, there are exceptions. I don't know of any exception for natural armor ever applying to a touch attack, so we'll skip that one. If your shield has an enhancement bonus, that bonus is an enhancement to the shield bonus to AC, and as such doesn't apply against touch attacks. There are feats (Shield Ward ?) that allow the shield bonus to apply against touch attacks. Armor bonuses can be trickier. Again, if your armor has a magical enhancement bonus, that bonus enhances your armor bonus to AC, not the AC directly. Enhancement Bonus An enhancement bonus represents an increase in the sturdiness and/or effectiveness of armor or natural armor, or the effectiveness of a weapon, or a general bonus to an ability score. Multiple enhancement bonuses on the same object (in the case of armor and weapons), creature (in the case of natural armor), or ability score do not stack. Only the highest enhancement bonus applies. Since enhancement bonuses to armor or natural armor effectively increase the armor or natural armor's bonus to AC, they don't apply against touch attacks. However, if you have a deflection bonus (rather than an enhancement bonus) deflection bonuses apply directly to AC and ARE effective against touch attacks. Deflection Bonus A deflection bonus affects Armor Class and is granted by a spell or magic effect that makes attacks veer off harmlessly. Deflection bonuses stack with all other bonuses to AC except other deflection bonuses. A deflection bonus applies against touch attacks. A confusion often results when either armor or shield bonus comes from a force effect. These bonuses still don't apply to regular touch attacks, but DO apply to INCORPOREAL touch attacks. Armor Bonus An armor bonus applies to Armor Class and is granted by armor or by a spell or magical effect that mimics armor. Armor bonuses stack with all other bonuses to Armor Class (even with natural armor bonuses) except other armor bonuses. An armor bonus doesn't apply against touch attacks, except for armor bonuses granted by force effects (such as the mage armor spell) which apply against incorporeal touch attacks, such as that of a shadow. Now, to directly answer your question Your AC is equal to the following: 10 + armor bonus + shield bonus + Dexterity modifier + size modifier but against a touch attack you don't get your armor or shield bonus (barring exceptions noted above). A dex of 10 gives no dex modifier, and medium gives no size modifier. AC = 10
Merestil Haye 04-18-08, 11:51 AM	List all the bonuses to your AC, and include what type they are. Touch AC includes everything except Armor bonus, Shield bonus and Natural Armor bonus. A +4 chain shirt gives you a +8 Armor bonus to AC; the basic +4 bonus from the armour, and the +4 enhancement bonus, which increases the armour's armor bonus to AC. Thus your touch AC is 10.
M-bark 04-18-08, 12:16 PM	Alright. Thanks for the help, guys. :) So, based off of what you said, bracers of protection would apply to touch AC, right? Considering it's not magic armour or shield.
narack 04-18-08, 12:53 PM	Bracer of armor you mean, it give AC enhancement bonus so it does not apply. what apply is : 10 + Dex + (Dodge/Deflection/insight/profane/luck/divine ACs) + Size modifier + Dodge Feat + Position(higher/lower ground/prone..)
foxtail 04-18-08, 01:49 PM	So, based off of what you said, bracers of protection would apply to touch AC, right? Considering it's not magic armour or shield. I'm not aware of any item called bracers of protection. Assuming you're not mistaking them for bracers of armor, read the item description; it'll tell you which kind of bonus they give you. If it's an "armor", "shield", or "natural armor" bonus, it won't apply to your touch AC; otherwise, it will.
groveborn 04-18-08, 02:37 PM	I'm not aware of any item called bracers of protection. Assuming you're not mistaking them for bracers of armor, read the item description; it'll tell you which kind of bonus they give you. If it's an "armor", "shield", or "natural armor" bonus, it won't apply to your touch AC; otherwise, it will. The poster may well have been talking about a reworked Ring of Protection, as bracers. If this is the case, then yes, it would apply to touch. If not, ignore.