Whats the lowest AC possible in 1E btb (magic lim. to DMG)

[AxeMental]

I can't remember off the top of my head how magic stacks (magic plate, magic ring of protection, etc.). If you limit this to say a 19 dex (possible for an elf) and listed magic in the DMG whats the lowest you can make it)?

[Wheggi]

I don't have any hard numbers, and I'd need to research it, but for some reason -10 sticks out in my mind as the ceiling, er, basement for AC. Is it because it's the lowest AC I've seen? Maybe. It's just the number I have lodged in my dome.

- Wheggi

[TRP]

If there were only some very simple way to research the answer to this question.

[Kellri]

Can we at least all agree Chainmail has no bearing on this question? Anyways, IMO certain monster ACs could go lower with spells/items. What's the lowest PC armor class... good question!

[James Maliszewski]

Well, Dexterity 19 gives a -4 defensive adjustment, just like 18, I believe. Both plate mail +5 and a shield +5 exist. In combination, these give AC -12. Most other AC-enhancing items, like rings of protection, cloaks of protection, and bracers of defense don't work in conjunction with (most) armor. So, barring the effects of artifacts/relics or reality-warping magic like wishes, I think -12 is about the lowest AC possible, though there may be a couple obscure and/or situational items that can lower it further.

[Benoist]

Well, Dexterity 19 gives a -4 defensive adjustment, just like 18, I believe. Both plate mail +5 and a shield +5 exist. In combination, these give AC -12. Most other AC-enhancing items, like rings of protection, cloaks of protection, and bracers of defense don't work in conjunction with (most) armor. So, barring the effects of artifacts/relics or reality-warping magic like wishes, I think -12 is about the lowest AC possible, though there may be a couple obscure and/or situational items that can lower it further.

I was thinking along these lines as well.

[Wheggi]

I think I had -10 AC stuck in my head because of ol' what's her name.

- Wheggi

[James Maliszewski]

I think I had -10 AC stuck in my head because of ol' what's her name.

Lolth? Yeah, I don't recall any creature in AD&D having an armor class lower than -10 and, of course, the DMG combat matrices go from 10 to -10, so it only makes sense that that number would stick in the mind. Mind you, how often has anyone ever seen an 18 Dexterity character wearing plate mail +5 and carrying a shield +5 to boot?

[T. Foster]

AFAIK there's theoretically no limit to how low AC can go (the tables only go to -10 but AFAIK there's nothing in the books establishing that as a hard limit). I remember reading once somewhere some ridiculous combination of items, spells, and stats that could get a character down to AC -20-something (+5 full plate, +5 shield, +6 defender sword, Dex 25, cloak of displacement, etc.).

[James Maliszewski]

(+5 full plate, +5 shield, +6 defender sword, Dex 25, cloak of displacement, etc.).

Yes, that reminds me: a cloak of displacement provides a +2 AC bonus and a +4 defender could lower AC by more, so that suggests AC -18 is possible, though unlikely, using only the DMG's selection of magic items.

[Matthew]

DMG, p. 73 mentions the possibility of extending the charts to cope with armour classes out of the typical range. I quite like the convenience of "full plate +5" and a "shield +5" topping out at AC −10.

[Benoist]

Does anybody here basically cap ACs at -10?

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Play with high enough level characters and you've basically got to allow monsters to have ACs lower than -10.

Dex 18 with plate mail +5, shield +5, boots of speed, cloak of displacement, and +4 defender gets you to -20 with DMG items.

[Goggles606]

wasnt there a rule somewhere where after -10 it took basically x amount more of ac to go to -11. i dont know what rulebook but i swear there was a rule.