armor check penalty pf2e. You will get the Armor Check Penalty unless you have the listed Strength. armor check penalty pf2e

 
 You will get the Armor Check Penalty unless you have the listed Strengtharmor check penalty pf2e Pathfinder 2 Weapon and Armor Traits Quick Reference

Prone: You can tumble while prone, but this is a full-round action to move 5 feet, and the DC increases by 5. Make a melee Strike against the triggering creature. A suit of chain mail consists of several pieces of armor composed of small metal rings linked together in a protective mesh. 275 4. You take a status penalty equal to the condition value to Dexterity-based checks and DCs, including AC, Reflex saves, ranged attack rolls, and skill checks using Acrobatics, Stealth, and Thievery. If you have already made a post, edit it, and mention the system at the. Cleric spells granted by a deity. Heavy Armor. At the GM's discretion, wearing experimental clothing may impart a +1 item bonus or –1 item penalty on checks to Make An Impression, depending on the target's fashion sense. This +3 chainmail is so fine and light that it can be worn under normal clothing without betraying its presence. 3. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty on skills. Strength 12; Bulk 1; Category Light; Group Leather. You can even climb on a ceiling, provided it has handholds, but you cannot. * If the item is a suit of armor or a shield, the bonus it grants to AC is halved, rounding down. Ruffians also add medium armor proficiency, and the proficiency will keep pace with the Rogue’s proficiency with Light Armor. The appearance of this armor varies by the country of origin and. Armor Bonus +3; Max Dex Bonus +5; Armor Check Penalty-1 Arcane Spell Failure Chance 15%; Speed 30 ft. While not nearly as protective as heavier armors, the armored coat allows the wearer to blend in more aesthetically during civilian functions. Climb As part of a move action, you can use Athletics to climb up, down, or across a slope, a wall, or another steep incline. Too much time in a session is wasted to remember or address each and every single one of these. In fact, Dex-based fighters are still better off with light armor because they will only be a couple points behind in AC in exchange for vastly improved mobility. Broken armor still grants its item bonus to AC, but it also imparts a status penalty to AC depending on its category: –1 for broken light armor, –2 for broken medium armor, or –3 for broken heavy armor. Roll a d20 and identify the modifiers, bonuses, and. Source Core Rulebook pg. Price 30 gp; AC Bonus +6; Dex Cap +0; Check Penalty -3; Speed Penalty -10 ft. If I roll a stealth check from the proficiencies tab of the character sheet, the -1 armor check penalty is correctly ignored since the character has a 10. Padded armor is easier to damage and destroy than other types of armor. So, I enjoy PF2e more than any other system I've played. Broken armor doubles its armor check penalty on skills. Armor includes AC bonus, bulk, dex cap, check and speed penalties, and strength. 275 4. At lvl 13 and above, due to becoming Expert in Unarmored but staying Trained in Light Armor, wearing a chain shirt will give you the same AC as just running around unarmored. If you're going all the way to heavy armor, and you don't have much dex, and you don't use skills that invoke armor check penalties, then mithral doesn't do much for you. 275 4. Strength 14; Bulk 2; Category Medium; Group Composite. The biggest gripe I have is the simplified AC. You can play a heavily armored battle wizard who gets up into the frey and plans to take the fighter archetype to. Treat the defender’s Dexterity as 0 (-5 modifier). 5 Ranks: If you take a –10 penalty, the time required to use this skill is halved; escaping a grapple or pin is a move action, and escaping a net, animate rope, command plants, or control plants spell is a standard action. Buckle Armor, Ceramic Plate, Chain Mail, Chain Shirt. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. The skill modifier incorporates the character’s ranks in that skill and the ability modifier for that skill’s key ability, plus any other miscellaneous modifiers that may apply, including racial bonuses and armor check penalties. An object is broken when damage has reduced its Hit Points to equal or less than its Broken Threshold. Fortress Plate. Calculating Bulk and Encumbrance Qualifying for the Intimidating Prowess skill feat Reducing the movement penalty and removing the armor check penalty of medium and heavy armor. Source Core Rulebook pg. Some of the players believes that if you meet the armor’s Strength threshold you take no penalty from Dex or Str based checks. Dwarves of Dongun Hold developed fortress plate, which is still popular in Alkenstar and Dongun Hold. 2. Armor protects your character only while they’re wearing it. A shoddy item’s Hit Points and Broken Threshold are each half that of a normal item of its type. Advertisement. The defender loses any Dexterity bonus to AC. In Pathfinder, they simplified it a bit by just making it count in all ways as light armor and letting the general rules about armor categories do the heavy lifting: Speed. Advanced Armor Training: Beginning at 7th level, instead of increasing the benefits provided by armor training (reducing his armor’s check penalty by 1 and increasing its maximum Dexterity bonus by 1), a fighter can choose an advanced armor training option (see Advanced Armor Training below) . 274 4. Price 5 gp; AC Bonus +2; Dex Cap +3; Check Penalty-1;. Correct, but if you can reduce the ACP to 0, you effectively take no penalties for not being proficient. The “Maximum Dexterity Bonus” has been renamed to “Dexterity Cap”, and the “Armor Check Penalty” is simply “Check Penalty”, but they mostly work the same way that they did in 1st edition. Does anyone else think that the speed penalty and skill check penalty for armor are arbitrary and unfair? Let us have a look at the speed penalty, first. Any item with a number after it in parentheses indicates that the item’s Price is for the indicated quantity, though the Bulk entry for such an item is the value for only one such item. If, for example, you have +4 dex, then you get one more AC wearing leather armor compared to explorer's clothing. If I roll a stealth check from the proficiencies tab of the character sheet, the -1 armor check penalty is correctly ignored since the character has a 10. Mithral -6 (plate is now at -2, shield is now at -4), 15th level you're at -1, which isn't a problem. 275 4. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line. An armor check penalty applies to all Dex- and Strength-based skill checks. An object is broken when damage has reduced its Hit Points to equal or less than its Broken Threshold. The status penalty to AC if this armor is broken is –1 for broken medium armor, –2 for broken heavy armor, or no penalty for broken light armor. 10 Ranks: You can attempt to escape from any entangling. Armored Stealth Feat 2. Such a well-made item functions like the normal version, except that its armor check penalty is lessened by 1. Check: You can use Acrobatics to move on narrow surfaces and uneven ground. Though not as effective as metal armor, it offers better protection than leather alone. I say grab that DR/-. * This archetype offers Attack of Opportunity at a different level than displayed here. 0. A great many characters walk around in medium armor with low STR. Lokotor • 7 yr. Attacks are considered a check, so Demoralize is also a great way to reduce risk to the party. Using UMD, you can get access to one of the Armor Revelations that other Misteries get. This sturdy leather coat is reinforced with metal plates sewn into the lining. There are three types of saving throws: Fortitude saves, Reflex saves, and Will saves. Most wealthy countries with standing armies have a different uniform for use in showy noncombat situations such as parades, coronation ceremonies, and so on. Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dexterity- and Strength-based skills. Though it’s not armor and uses your unarmored defense proficiency, it still has a Dex Cap and can grant an item bonus to AC if etched with potency runes. Am I right in reading that even if your buckler has no armor check penalty that it will still require a -1 to attack rolls when fighting with two weapons? I see nothing in the pathfinder rules that say buckler check penalties are tied to the 2 weapon fighting penalty. Critical Success Your attempt is successful. Source Core Rulebook pg. This means you can still wear heavy armor without the strength you just take its speed penalty and check penalties. Pathfinder has many types of checks, from skill checks to attack rolls to saving throws, but they all follow these basic steps. An armored coat is more cumbersome than light armor but less effective than most medium armors. Bracers of Armor. 0 Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. Dexterity:The “Maximum Dexterity Bonus” has been renamed to “Dexterity Cap”, and the “Armor Check Penalty” is simply “Check Penalty”, but they mostly work the same way that they did in 1st edition. See bucklers. Same with Drakeheart Mutagen . Medium armor typically applies a speed penalty. And there's no way to do so. Note that if you DO go heavier armor, you do start having to worry about armor penalties if you do not have a high STR. If you have a high enough STR you can negate those penalties. Castilliano : Sep 25, 2020,. I'm attempting to adjust the speed of a character to account for a penalty from wearing armor. Armor Bonus +9; Max Dex Bonus +1; Armor Check Penalty-6 Arcane Spell Failure Chance 35%; Speed 20 ft. Without making a check, a flying creature can remain flying at the end of its turn so long as it moves a distance greater than half its speed. 275 4. 0. Check: A DC 10 Sleight of Hand check lets you palm a coin-sized, unattended object. • The Registrar, Security Services, to conduct a criminal record check through any city, municipal or provincial police department or public body including the police information. Most races have speed 25, or speed 20 for a gnome or a halfling. There seems to be some confusion with our group regarding Armor Check Penalty when wearing armor. Armored Stealth Feat 2. The feast Armor Assist with a skill check allows you to half the amount of time it takes you or an ally to don armor. Description Hide armor is made from the tanned skin of particularly thickhided beasts, stitched with either multiple overlapping layers of. You have learned techniques to adjust and modify your armor and movements to reduce the noise you make. There are several types of bonuses and penalties. Normal: A character using a shield with which he is not proficient takes the shield’s armor check penalty on attack rolls and on all skill checks that involve moving, including Ride. This armor is loud and likely to alert others to your presence. -5 if you're literally in freefall. Armor Bonus +8; Max Dex Bonus +0; Armor Check Penalty -7. This means you can still wear heavy armor without the strength you just take its speed penalty and check penalties. For that reason, I think PF2e's dynamic of "character choices mostly don't grant numeric bonuses, and instead numeric bonuses are level-gated" makes sense. Similar to both splint mail and banded mail, scalemail has a flexible arrangement of scales in an attempt to avoid hindering the. complexity. Hindering trait vs Unburdened Iron. 0. Prerequisite(s): Proficiency with selected armor, Armor Focus with selected armor, 4th-level fighter. -2 if you're in a moving vehicle or Grabbed by an enemy. While wearing your armor, you take this penalty to Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, except for those that have the attack trait. Might I suggest using the Free Archetype variant rule. The AC bonus armor or a shield grants is halved, rounded down, and its armor check penalty to skill checks is doubled. A character’s encumbrance. Some of the players believes that if you meet the. 0 If a suit of armor has any runes, it has the invested trait, requiring you to invest it to get its magical benefits. This suit of leather armor has plates of fire-treated wood sewn over vital areas. Step 1: Roll d20 and Identify The Modifiers, Bonuses, and Penalties That Apply. This updates the total modifiers and thus the derived stats (like AC, Skill check penalty or Spell Failure chances). 275 4. This is called an armor specialization effect. A character's encumbrance may also incur an armor check penalty. Proficient with whatever type of armor (light, medium, or heavy) it is described as wearing, as well as all lighter types. Only medium and heavy armors have armor specialization effects. Speed penalty of armor or shield. " Why would you expect it to be different? edited: (yeah, non-heavy armor with a speed penalty isn't usually a thing. Trait (Regional): Sargavan Guard -1 Trait (Combat): Armor Expert -1 Comfort Enchantment: -1 Masterwork: -1 Armor Ointment: -1 to a minimum of -1 (30g lasts 8 hours. If you have 10 or more ranks in Swim, the bonus increases. A shoddy suit of armor also worsens the armor’s check penalty by 2. The mithral and elven chain shirts have additional special requirements that a portion of the raw materials must be mithral (p534 Crafting Requirements are special requirements). Zone of Truth gives a status penalty to lying, while Athletic Rush gives a status bonus to athletics. Assistive Items (9) View all blighted boons. Double the normal armor check penalty is applied to Swim checks. Armor Bonus +3; Max Dex Bonus +3; Armor Check Penalty-1 Arcane Spell Failure Chance 15%; Speed 30 ft. This thread is archived. You'll only be using it for five levels, at which point you can grab the Leather with 10 str requirement for negating the penalties. * If the item is a tool needed for a skill, any skill check made with the item takes a –2 penalty. • 8 mo. Unarmored AC scales right alongside armored AC so proficiency isn't really the issue. At Expert, the Dex cap is raised by +1 and any armor check penalty is reduced by 1. Changelog v. Viking Shieldbearer (LOCG) - you gain the shield block reaction and are trained in your choice of the battleaxe or longsword. This fashion birthed a trend that led to “buckle armor,” a colloquial name for chic armor with spacious tool storage. Nimbleness reduces armor check penalties by 2 or 4. Source Core Rulebook pg. Speed Penalty. Equipment If you are riding bareback, you take a –5 penalty on Ride checks. You'll always add a proficiency bonus to each save. Their base land speed is 25 and I want to reduce it to 20 to account for them wearing Scale Mail. If you meet the armor’s Strength threshold (see Strength below), you don’t take this penalty. Inherent quality of the gear you're using. The rules below apply regardless of which mode you’re. Rune Formulas Source Core Rulebook pg. Armor also still reduces your speed. An attack roll is one of the core types of checks in the game (along with saving throws, skill checks, and Perception checks). RedP27 • 5 yr. Penalties to AC come from situations and effects in much the same way bonuses do. Price 2 gp; AC Bonus +1; Dex Cap +4; Check Penalty-1;. The choice of armor, IMO, is very boring to the point of not mattering at all. If you are using Weapon. ago. "With a quick sprint, you dash up to your foe and swing. Nope, armor penalty has been more streamlined, it is the same for every dex/str based skill: Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dex- and Str-based skills. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming. A character's encumbrance may also incur an armor check. The armor's check penalty applies to Stealth checks even if you meet the required Strength score. A broken item still imposes penalties and limitations normally incurred by carrying, holding, or wearing it. Double : You can use a double weapon to fight as if fighting with two weapons, but if you do, you incur all the normal attack penalties associated with fighting with two weapons, just as if you were using a one-handed weapon and a light weapon. A character's encumbrance may also incur an armor check penalty. Wood and bark grow over your body like armor. The default requirements for crafting are 1/2 the cost of the item in raw material (you can then reduce the other half of the costs with crafting). A character's encumbrance may also incur an armor check penalty. So I'm looking at the Sudden Charge feat. Rogue. Or who do, in fact, care about armor check penalty and speed reduction (not to mention additional bulk) that would come with medium armor. Compare the result to the difficulty class (DC). Armor Specialization Effects Source Core Rulebook pg. An eager student of occult lore, you enjoy reading rare or forgotten tomes with ancient rituals and hidden secrets. They are used for Strikes and spell attacks, and traditionally target Armor Class. If you carry a shield, its armor check penalty applies to your attack rolls. An attack is any check that has the attack trait. celestial armor (22,400 gp) - +6 armor (plus an extra +3 enhancement for +9), +8 max. The former begin as young animals but acquire impressive physical abilities as you level up, while the latter share a magical bond with you. 16: 2: Chain — Hellknight breastplate (Level 1) TV: 10 gp +4 +1 –2 –5 ft. Armor Bonus +8; Max Dex Bonus +0; Armor Check Penalty-7 Arcane Spell Failure Chance 40%; Speed 20 ft. Plus they have a dex cap of at most +2, making the boost to 16 dex effectively useless (it isn't worth it for just reflex and dex skills). You gain resistance to bludgeoning damage. You generally need only make a Fly check when you are attempting a complex maneuver. You have learned techniques to adjust and modify your armor and movements to reduce the noise you make. 448 4. Strength 14; Bulk 2;. Artifacts View all types of assistive items. 275 4. 275 4. Buckle Armor, Ceramic Plate, Chain Mail, Chain Shirt. Mithral: Mithral armor decreases the speed penalty class by one, giving medium armors no speed penalty, but not helping heavy armor all that much. Hi there people. He takes a –2 penalty on Str and Dex and can't charge or run. The only reason a caster wouldn’t/shouldn’t put on heavy armor is because they’re not proficient (and I think if they do put on armor that they’re not proficient with, they simply use their unarmored proficiency). 241 4. But no speed penalty. Assistive Items (9) View all blighted boons. Mithral full plate of speed has an armor check penalty of –3. You sleep in medium or heavy armour and you are fatigued all day. Price 35 gp; AC Bonus +6; Dex Cap +0; Check Penalty-3; Speed Penalty-10 ft. With the changes to skills and the introduction to the new degrees of success, the Armor Check Penalty transform from a nuisance to a downright dealbreaker for heavy armor. Medium Armor Cost 50 gp; Weight 30 lbs. A suit of armor cannot have an effective bonus (enhancement plus special. It typically includes a chain shirt, leggings, a pair of arms, and a coif, collectively. Some skills become difficult when wearing bulky armor or shields, so such armor and shields give characters an armor check penalty. I’m trying to remember all the ways to reduce armor check penalty. Noisy. Full Plate Item 2. Regular scroll of Mage Armour can last all day with the right CL and extend rod, with NO dex limits, NO armour check penalty, NO spell failure and as an added benefit you aren't so screwed against incorporeal creatures. 0. Meeting the strength of your armor reduces the penalty by 5 meaning you still move slower if you have a plate armor on. In fact, I. If you have already made a post, edit it, and mention the system at the. Armor has zero penalties except movement speed if you fill the strength requirement. Armor Check Penalty While wielding the shield, you take a penalty to most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks equal to this number. #1. 0. A counterbalancing modifier named "WSForm Balancer" or "Spellform Balancer" is added to the appropriate skills to counterbalance any outstanding item bonuses/penalties or the ACP. The rules for Hardness appear in Item Damage. You can add the weapon’s item bonus to attack rolls as a bonus to the check. This is actually a really weird, surprising bug from how it was coded a long time ago. Unfortunately, a 10% chance of failure in an emergency is a very bad idea, and I can’t find any great way of reducing it further. An attack is any check that has the attack trait. Most characters have speed 20 in medium armor, and gnomes and halflings have speed 15 in medium armor. It also has the 0 ACP thing. If you have more than one bonus of the same type, you use only the highest bonus. 275 4. When you use the Escape basic action, you can use your Athletics modifier instead of your unarmed attack modifier. Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dexterity- and Strength-based skills. A character's encumbrance may also incur an armor check penalty. Weird that no one has ever caught this before… thanks :)Armor check penalties apply to "Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, except for those that have the attack trait. You might as well make armor choice entirely cosmetic and give everyone a base AC of 15 and give +1 to +3 to martials (+1 for medium proficient martials, +2 for. The armor's check penalty applies to Stealth checks even if you meet the required Strength score. The third time you attack, and on any subsequent attacks, you take a –10 penalty to your attack roll. Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dex- and Str-based skills. ago. RingsArmor Proficiency- feat 1. You can purchase special armor for animals, called barding (shown on Table 6–18). It also has 0 Armor Check Penalty, so you take no penalties for using it if you’re non-proficient. They probably won't have have to worry about spell failure like the mage would. 0 Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. A broken object can't be used for its normal function, nor does it grant bonuses— with the exception of armor. While wearing your armor, you take this penalty to Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, except for those that have the attack trait. 234) Sometimes you won’t know whether you succeed at a skill check. It does not. Sure, you get -1 to physical skills, which isn't great. 5 Ranks: If you take a –10 penalty, the time required to use this skill is halved; escaping a grapple or pin is a move action, and escaping a net, animate rope, command plants, or control plants spell is a standard action. If you have the Athletic feat, you get a +2 bonus on Swim checks. Celestial Armor. If you don't have a high enough STR, you take an armor check penalty to STR/Dex based checks equal to the penalty score, as well as a -X to your SPD. This dwarf-forged armor features layers of overlapping plates molded to deflect projectiles—especially those from firearms. 108. All animals have a trained proficiency rank in light barding, and combat-trained animals are trained in heavy barding. The armor check penalty and armor bonus for hastily donned armor are each 1 point worse than normal. 0Armor Specialization Effects Source Core Rulebook pg. You generally need only make a Fly check when you are attempting a complex maneuver. Fighter 7 - Armor never slows you down. An armor check penalty applies to most dexterity-based skills when a character wears armor heavier than leather, and it applies to hide, move silently, parry, pick pocket, set trap, and tumble. Your trait can reduce this to 3, and Mithral lowers ACP by 3 to drop it to Zero. This is one the the things we really wished to go away from Patfhinder first edition. Those are definitely downsides. 0 Certain class features can grant you additional benefits with certain armors. This number is the maximum amount of your Dexterity modifier that can apply to your AC while you are wearing a given suit of armor. Another option is levels in fighter- the Armor Training class feature lowers ACP by one at level three and one more every 4 levels (min 0). 0. See bucklers. pg 383. Instead, it's covered by the proficiency bonus. This hardwood armor is medium armor but uses your highest armor proficiency. Comfort: Source Core Rulebook pg. Armor Specialization Effects Source Core Rulebook pg. $endgroup$ –Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dexterity- and Strength-based skills. The skill check takes a –2 circumstance penalty. The armor has an arcane spell failure chance of 20%, a maximum Dexterity bonus of +4, and an armor check penalty of -2. You keep up your defenses in preparation for combat, and keep an eye out for hidden threats. Armor Specialization Effects Source Core Rulebook pg. View all types of armor. Medium Armor Cost 50 gp; Weight 20 lbs. 463 4. Prerequisite: Shield Proficiency. Calculate the result. Such a creature can use the run action while swimming, provided that it swims in a straight line. Unlike for a suit of armor,. Hell, you. 447 4. An armor check penalty applies to all Dexterity- and Strength-based skill checks. 0. Armor protects your character only while they’re wearing it. A custom, lightweight mail is fitted within the lining of a coat or similar apparel, physically hiding the armor while maintaining the wearer's fashion. The DC and the distance you can cover vary according to the type of jump you are attempting (see below). The wooden armor's statistics are: AC Bonus +3; Dex Cap +2; Check Penalty –2; Speed Penalty –5 feet; Strength 14; Bulk 1; Group wood. Special. Price 32 gp; AC Bonus +6; Dex Cap +0; Check Penalty -3; Speed Penalty -10 ft. You must choose to use this ability before the trip attempt or Reflex save is rolled. 10. Nonproficient with Armor Worn: A character who wears armor and/or uses a shield with which he is not proficient takes the armor's (and/or shield's) armor check penalty on attack rolls as well as on all Dexterity- and Strength-based ability and skill checks. 274 4. An attack roll is one of the core types of checks in the game (along with saving throws, skill checks, and Perception checks). This suit of leather armor has plates of fire-treated wood sewn over vital areas. The downside is the speed penalty, taking up valuable bulk, and capping dex. Check Penalty. But with PF2e, it seems more like you can make whatever character concept you want, and it will basically be 'balanced' against. Your Armor Class (AC) represents how hard it is for opponents to land a solid, damaging blow on you. Spell failure chances for armors and shields made from mithral are decreased by 10%, maximum Dexterity bonuses are increased by 2, and armor check penalties. It has a maximum Dexterity bonus of +8, an armor check penalty of –2, and an arcane spell failure chance of 15%. Please bear with me, I'm new to Pathfinder 2e and I'm also making an automated character sheet, so I need to be pedantic. Broken is a condition that affects objects. Fighter 7 - Armor never slows you down. $endgroup$ –Armor Check Penalty: Any armor heavier than leather, as well as any shield, hurts a character's ability to use Dexterity- and Strength-based skills. The appearance of this armor varies by the country of origin and. This is called an armor specialization effect. Basically I’m trying to get Heavy armor on a Druid without taking the feat. However as it takes 1 minute to don light armor and 5 minutes to don heavy or medium armor, so armor assist can reduce that to 30 seconds (5 rounds) and 2. If you're maxxing out at medium armor (e. Gunslinger Ways. Sleeping in light armor does not cause fatigue. Broken armor still grants its item bonus to AC, but it also imparts a status penalty to AC depending on its. Just like for any other check and DC, the result of an. An attack is any check that has the attack trait. Note that the speed penalty is not reduced by having a high STR, as is the case with armor. )Check out the Ring of Revelations. Craft Requirements The initial raw materials must include 320 gp of rhinoceros hide (a common material). It applies and increases the multiple attack penalty. 10 Ranks: You can attempt to escape from any entangling. The exact effect depends on which armor group your armor belongs to, as listed below. An armor check penalty applies to all Dex– and Strength-based skill checks. There's the comfort enchantment but I'm guessing you're an Aegis, which means you can't make it mithral or enchant it. Shields also impose an Armor Check Penalty of their own (up to a whopping -10 for tower shields), and this stacks with that of armor. Chapter 9: Playing the Game / General Rules / Specific Checks Attack Rolls Source Core Rulebook pg. AC. Under Armor and check penalties in the CRB it states: ("Sleeping in Armor: A character who sleeps in medium or heavy armor is automatically fatigued the next day. If you meet the armor’s Strength. As with all penalties to your Speed, this can’t reduce your Speed below 5 feet. So Strength is required to overcome the armors penalities. If you have 10 or more ranks in Swim, the bonus increases. Step 1: Roll d20 and Identify the Modifiers, Bonuses, and Penalties that Apply. 0. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered when swimming.