Revision 802004 of "Armor_class" on enwiki

In the [[tabletop role-playing game]] ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'', '''armor class''' (abbreviated '''AC''') is a number assigned to every character or creature, which indicates how difficult it is to hit that creature with an attack.

In early versions of D&D, a lower armor class indicated that a creature was more difficult to hit (see [[THAC0]]).  An unarmored human had an armor class of 10, and armor lowered a character's armor class.  A more powerful creature usually had an armor class lower than 10.

In third edition D&D, the armor class system was changed.  An unarmored human still has an armor class of 10, but now armor increases armor class.  In addition, a wider range of factors can affect armor class.  Finally, in this system, there is a precise system for assigning armor classes, whereas in earlier editions this was somewhat ad hoc.

Numerous ''Dungeons & Dragons''-derived games use the Armor Class system or a variation thereof.  Many games with unrelated systems (such as ''[[Fallout (computer game)|Fallout]]'') use the term to represent a character's ability to avoid damage.

[[Category:Role-playing game terminology]]