could someone explain no armour and the Barbarian class?

[Sminky]

When it comes to the Barbarian character that can join you as i understood it there are AC penaltys for wearing armour, yet none seem to be in place when looking at the stats. Could someone explain?

Thanks.

[AzureTheGamerKobold]

Barbarians get there Con bonus to AC in addition to Dex if they are not wearing armor. You want a high Con but they can wear medium armor i believe so they can choose either or. Personally wear armor on my Barb in pen and paper, because in order to have a good AC as a Barb it would require high dex and con which you probably wont have.

FYI just wear armor.

[Sminky]

Originally posted by AzureTheGamerKobold:

Barbarians get there Con bonus to AC in addition to Dex if they are not wearing armor. You want a high Con but they can wear medium armor i believe so they can choose either or. Personally wear armor on my Barb in pen and paper, because in order to have a good AC as a Barb it would require high dex and con which you probably wont have.

FYI just wear armor.

thanks for clearing that up.

[Sentient_Toaster]

If you aren't wearing any armor, you basically have the choice of the standard armor class calculation (base 10, plus dexterity modifier, +2 if you're using a shield); or the barbarian's unarmored defense (base 10, plus dexterity modifier, plus constitution modifier, plus +2 if using a shield). Unless you are crazy enough to create a barbarian with a constitution of less than 10, or your constitution has somehow been drained that low, unarmored defense is at least as good as the base calculation.

If you *are* wearing armor, then unamored defense is not available. You use the armor's base AC, dexterity modifier up to the armor's maximum; and again, +2 if using a shield.

So, for an example of where wearing certain armor would actually be worse for your AC:
* dexterity 12, constitution 14 -> +1 from dex, +2 from con => AC 13

If such a barbarian put on leather armor, that's AC 11 with no limit on dexterity modifier -- but armor means no CON modifier, so he'd be looking at 11 + 1 -> 12.

However, if the same barbarian found a suit of half plate, that would yield AC 16 (base 15, plus dexterity modifier of +1 as the cap is 2).