Armor class

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In games like 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 very powerful creature usually had an armor class lower than 0.

In third edition D&D, the armor class system has been effectively reversed. An unarmored human still has an armor class of 10, but wearing additional armor now increases armor class. Thus, a creature with an armor class of 0 in second edition would have an equivalent armor class of 20 in third edition. Also, a wider range of factors can now affect armor class, giving the system a precise method for assigning armor classes and armor modifications, whereas in earlier editions this was somewhat ad hoc.

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