On the last server I came from, AC Bonues on weapons were changed in the haks to be shield bonuses.
This kind of stands to reason, IMO for more than one reason: Weapons used to to defend in a mundane way, would be akin to using a shield, rather than magical deflection. Further, in PnP D&D, the Defender property on a weapon (which magical AC on a weapon should be) is untyped, so it would stack with a deflection bonus from another item. NWN can't untype AC bonuses, but making it shield AC would be the most likely one to stack with other items, since one would most commonly eschew a shield when wielding a weapon.
Dodge is the next best thing to untyped, since it's a stacking bonus.
I've actually been considering this change, which may find its way into the hak update.
I personally don't care for the idea, as there's already Shield scrolls and rings readily available that give you a +4 and Divine Shield was changed to CHA to Shield AC.
Not that there are many weapons that have AC on them as far as I've seen- nothing I've wanted to keep except maybe that green greatsword.
~BR
Speaking as the person who made many of those weapons... mostly because builders tend to avoid putting it on because of how useless it tends to be. Changing the type would make it worth creating defending weapons and other such ideas that previously had been difficult or illogical to implement.
I'm of the opinion it would be better implemented as Dodge AC, myself. Almost everyone uses the Shield spell.
I'm likewise, primarily as the Defending property itself is an untyped bonus and thus should stack with other things, as Allatum said.
I think a Shield bonus would be fine. Sure a lot of people use the Shield spell, but there's an advantage to having a Shield AC bonus that can't be dispelled and Shield spells from items, scrolls, or potions get dispelled real easy.
I too am in favor of them being a shield bonus. Seems to better fit the theme and provide moderate advantage. Also provides a means to get a shield bonus for two-handed weapon and two-weapon folks without uber buffing (which for some characters is a personal preference for me).
Eh, luck favors the prepared. If you opt not to prepare (i.e., buff), that's really on you.
I think Dodge makes more sense, given how many things Shield overlaps with.
Why I would make it Shield over Dodge:
a.) Dodge AC stacks. This ultimately results in higher AC, which I do not want. AC gets high enough as it is.
b.) It's a possible source of shield AC for DW or 2H builds that cannot be dispelled.
Obviously overall amount would be limited and "defending" weapons would have to be balanced to not overload on damage.
Makes sense that Defender weapons would have to be lessened on their damage bonus (attack bonus vs. enhancement). Giving an epic two-handed or dual fighter even better tanking ability with +4 AC, vs. equally lessened damage ability makes it a fair tradeoff, I think. The impact would be less for dual fighters, as they could still wield an enhancement bonus weapon on-hand, but again, I think a fair tradeoff since dual fighters also tend to have less STR based bonus.
A little bump. Since there's a hak update in the near future.
Vince, I fully support the idea of weapon AC being dodge ac. Please make this change Asap.
I'm more in agreement with it being Shield AC for the reasons he listed, myself.
I had forgotten about this. Still more inclined to do Shield, for aforementioned reasons. As well, there are already a -lot- of stackable sources of Dodge.
Dodge builds duel world.. if we make it dodge, good luck hitting one.
But meh ac's I need moar!