Baldur's Gate 3 is by no means an easy game to understand at first, particularly for those without any Dungeons & Dragons experience. There are many stats and rules to learn, and there aren't many explanations in-game.
Baldur's Gate 3: Best Weapons In Act 1 & How To Get Them
Rise above the competition in Baldur's Gate 3 by acquiring some of the best weapons early in Act 1.
One concept, which is fairly important but unexplained, is Armor Class, often shortened to AC. Every character has AC, and the armor they wear provides more, but players may be left wondering how Armor Class works and how it can be improved.
What Is Armor Class In Baldur's Gate 3?
Armor Class is the number that enemies must roll in order to hit their target. For example, if a character has an AC of 16, then the attacker must roll a 16 or higher to hit. If it is lower, the attack misses, and no damage will be taken at all.
- The higher your AC, the harder you are to hit. But it will not reduce damage taken.
As AC can often exceed 20, and attackers only roll a d20, players may wonder how these super-high AC targets can ever be hit. The first way is thanks to rolling a natural 20, which counts as a critical strike, guaranteeing a hit.
Some items can also lower the threshold for critical hits to 19, for example.
The other way is with modifiers that are added to the Attack Roll. Thus, a character with 25 AC could be hit with a natural 20, or with 18 + 2 + 2 + 4, which adds up to 26.
Ways Attack Rolls Are Buffed To Overcome AC
There are a number of bonuses to Attack Rolls to help attackers overcome high ACs. For example, many weapons have +1, +2, or even +3 Weapon Enchantments, which, on top of dealing extra damage, increase the Attack Roll, making attacks more likely to hit.
Other bonuses to Attack Roles include:
- Proficiency bonus: Every character has this bonus, which starts at +2, then rises to +3 at level 5, and then becomes +4 at level 9. As long as a character is proficient with their weapon, they will add this bonus to their Attack Roll.
- Ability Modifier: Weapons have Strength or Dexterity modifiers, which use the wielder's stat. A character with 20 Strength would add +5 to their Attack Roll.
How To Improve Armor Class In Baldur's Gate 3
Every character has AC, even if they aren't wearing armor. A character's Dexterity Modifier is also added to their AC, unless they're wearing Light Armor. Think of this as Dexterity helping them dodge attacks.
|
No Armor/Clothes |
10 + Dexterity Modifier |
|
Light Armor |
Armor's AC + Dexterity Modifier |
|
Medium Armor |
Armor's AC + Dexterity Modifier (Max +2) |
|
Heavy Armor |
Armor's AC |
The best Heavy Armor in Baldur's Gate 3 provides a whopping 21 AC by itself.
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Other Ways To Increase AC
- Shields: Most Shields in BG3 grant +2 AC, but a few of the best give +3.
- Class Features: Some classes, such as Barbarians, gain AC in other ways or receive small bonuses.
- Spells: Haste and Shield buff AC temporarily, for example.
-
Items: Some items, such as
Helm of Balduran
or
Ring of Twilight
grant small amounts of AC.
Baldur's Gate 3
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 96 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Engine
- Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full cross-platform play.
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
