Armor Class (AC) is a key statistic that represents how difficult it is for attackers to land a damaging blow on a character. Armor Class serves as the target number that an attacker must meet or exceed when making an attack roll in order to hit the character and deal damage.

The calculation for Armor Class can vary depending on several factors:

• Unarmored: The default base AC is calculated as 10 + the character's Dexterity modifier. This means that if a character is not wearing armor and has a Dexterity modifier of +3, their AC would be 13 (10 + 3). Some classes have special features that provide alternative ways to calculate AC when unarmored.
• Base Armor: Whether you're wearing light, medium, or heavy armor, or no armor at all, you'll have a base AC. For instance, leather armor provides a base AC of 11, while plate armor provides a base AC of 18.
• Dexterity Modifier: Light and medium armors allow you to add your Dexterity modifier to your base AC. Heavy armor does not factor in Dexterity.
  • Light Armor: Adds full Dexterity modifier to base AC.
  • Medium Armor: Adds up to +2 from your Dexterity modifier to base AC.
  • Heavy Armor: Does not add Dexterity modifier to base AC.
• Shields: Holding a shield increases your AC by 2.
• Class Features, Spells, and Items: Various class features (like a Monk's Unarmored Defense), spells (like "Mage Armor" or "Shield"), and magical items (like a Ring of Protection) can also affect AC.