Armor check penalty?

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What is it?

 

It's the penalty that'll be applied to some of your skills depending on your class. Mainly non fighting skills. Like pick pocket, lockpicking, disarm traps, some monk skills... don't have the D&D3rd books so can't check exactly, but consider that it will affect, and therefore generally lower, the dexterity related skills.

 

also effects your + to attack ratings for some classes (like ranger duel wield is effected by armor.)

 

So if i'm a ranger(which I am) and wear studed leather(armor cheack penalty -1), I get a penalty?

[This message has been edited by ywpark89 (edited June 29, 2002).]

 

Hmm let me be more specific here. Think of an armor check penalty as the way wearing armor will inhibit you doing certain things. For example, wearing armor affects how well you can swim, jump (ok those skills aren't in the game, but you get my point with em), as well as others. Lookinga at the manual, the actual skills included in the game that are affected by this are Hide in Shadows and Move Silently. If I'm wrong about this, let me know please. Anyway, all an armor check penalty is another skills modifier, in this case on that lowers these skills. The bulkier the armor, the more these skills are lowered.

Now, certain classes are affected in different ways by armor. The rangers inability to dual wield in heavy armor isn't an armor check penalty, it's more a class restriction. Armor checks aply only to skills. Likewise, the arcane magic users spell failure rate or the way armor affects the monks abilities isn't based on armor check, just on spell failure or class restrictions.

After looking at the manual, it doesn't seem it really explains some of the 3rd edition rules very well. There are alot of changes from the second edition games, so I'd read it very thoroughly, and if certain things still aren't clear, I'd pop for the Players Handbook for find a friend that will let you borrow it (or find it in PDF format).

 

actuelly is it the armor check penility similer to the dex restriction on armor.
easiest way is to just test it
take your armor off look at your attacks on your char sheet then put your armor back on and see if it's different

 

Armour check penalty and Max Dex bonus are not the same thing, although they sometimes seem to be. As stated above, the Armour check penalty applies to *specific* skills that might be impeded by wearing the armour (balance, climb, escape artist, hide, jump, move silently, pick pockets, swim and tumble - although all of these skills might not be in NWN). The Max Dex bonus is just that: the maximum bonus you can have while wearing that armour. In short, Armour Check imposes a penalty, while Max Dex is a limitation on a larger variety of things (including attacks and defensive ability).

[This message has been edited by Gnolyn Lochbreaker (edited June 29, 2002).]