View source for Armor check penalty

Some [[skill]]s become difficult when wearing bulky [[armor]] or [[shield]]s, so such armor and shields give characters an '''armor check penalty'''. When characters attempt to use affected skills, the game adds the penalty, which is either zero or a negative number, to their roll.

The penalties from armor and a shield combine. As such, wearing a [[tower shield]] and [[splint mail]] or [[half-plate]] would give an armor check penalty of -17, the worst achievable and one that would make [[parry]]ing attacks nearly impossible.

Armor made of [[mithral]] has an absolute armor check penalty three points less than other armor of the same type (with a minimum of 0). No other item properties affect the armor check penalty.

The skill bonuses listed in the [[character sheet]] take the armor check penalty into account.

==Affected skills==
The armor check penalty affects the following skills:
*[[Hide]]
*[[Move silently]]
*[[Tumble]]
*[[Parry]]
*[[Set trap]]
*[[Sleight of hand]]
These skills all depend on dexterity. In fact, the only dexterity-based skill that ignores armor check penalty is [[open lock]].

==Armors and shields==
Here is a table of the armor check penalty of all equipment:
{| border="1" style="text-align:center" class="sortable" cellpadding=3
|- bgcolor=pink
! Equipment !! Armor<br>Bonus !! [[Dexterity|Max<br>DEX]] !! TYPE !! Armor<br>Check<br>penalty
|-
| [[Cloth]] ||0||0||Light|| 0
|-
| [[Padded armor]] ||+1||+8||Light|| 0
|-
| [[Leather armor]] ||+2||+6||Light|| 0
|-
| [[Studded leather armor]] ||+3||+5||Light|| -1
|-
| [[Chain shirt]] ||+4||+4||Light|| -2
|-
| [[Hide armor]] ||+3||+4||Medium|| -3
|-
| [[Scale mail]] ||+4||+3||Medium|| -4
|-
| [[Breastplate]] ||+5||+3||Medium|| -4
|-
| [[Chainmail]] ||+5||+2||Medium|| -5
|-
| [[Banded mail]] ||+6||+1||Heavy|| -6
|-
| [[Full plate]] ||+8||+1||Heavy|| -6
|-
| [[Splint mail]] ||+6||0||Heavy|| -7
|-
| [[Half-plate]] ||+7||0||Heavy|| -7
|-
| [[Light shield]] ||+1||N/A||Shield|| -1
|-
| [[Heavy shield]] ||+2||N/A||Shield|| -2
|-
| [[Tower shield]] ||+4||+2||Shield|| -10
|}

==DnD 3.5 Comparison==
*Some [[excluded skills]] are also affected by the armor check penalty.
*Armor without a check penalty can be worn without the appropriate proficiency with no penalty in PnP, equipping armor without proficiency is not possible in NWN2, even if it has no ACP.

==See also==
*[[Maximum dexterity bonus]]
[[Category:Armor]]
[[Category:Skills| ]]
[[Category:Character attributes]]
[[Category:Game rules]]