D&D 5E Attacking the unaware

[brehobit]

Hi all,
So a target's AC doesn't drop due to things like being unaware of a threat--the attacker just gets advantage, right? A character with a 20 dex and +2 armor bonus has an AC of 17 even when surprised? I'm good with that, but it's so different than previous editions I wanted to check.

 

[Paraxis]

You have it right. There is no flat footed AC in 5e.

If the target is completely unaware that combat is going to start you would also gain a surprise round, and if the target is sleeping or otherwise unconscious any attack that hits is a critical hit.

But yeah a monk that gets all his armor class from high dexterity and wisdom is still very hard to hit even if is caught completely unaware.

 

[The_Gneech]

That's correct. In 5E, with the exception of cover, AC is AC is AC.

-TG

 

[fjw70]

if the target is sleeping or otherwise unconscious any attack that hits is a critical hit.

Only if the attacker is within 5 feet of the target.

 

[DogBackward]

If the target is completely unaware that combat is going to start you would also gain a surprise round, and if the target is sleeping or otherwise unconscious any attack that hits is a critical hit.

I just want to point out that there is no such thing as "a surprise round" anymore. If you're completely unaware, then you are surprised, which just prevents you from moving or taking an action on your first turn of combat (you can still take a reaction that round, but not until after the end of your turn). There is no separate, distinct "surprise round" at all anymore. I realize that this is functionally the same as a surprise round, but you never know when a seemingly small rules change between editions could cause bigger ripples down the line, so I still think it's important to keep things like this in mind.

But yeah a monk that gets all his armor class from high dexterity and wisdom is still very hard to hit even if is caught completely unaware.

This works just as well for a Fighter in full plate with a shield: in fact, it's easier for the Fighter to pull off, since they only have to buy some gear, rather than raising two ability scores to 20, in order to get a 20 AC. Hell, a Fighter with the Defense style could even have a higher AC than the Monk at 21. (Though it still doesn't beat the 20th level Barbarian with 20 Dexterity and 24 Constitution, who sports a possible AC of 24. That's level 20, though, so it won't ever matter for most people.)

 

[Scorpio616]

And if combat is already going on, unless the foe is rubbing up against whatever is letting you hide, they will normally see you as you come out to get at them.