Bard.. squishy

[Quizlop]

One thing that might make a difference is AC from gear vs displayed AC.

I might be wrong, but I believe AC from gear (and defense skill) is what actually affects how hard you are getting hit. The displayed AC factors in your Agility (which doesn't really do anything), so it's not the best indicator of how tanky you are.

So if the cleric has better AC armor equipped, they would probably take less damage most of the time, even if the displayed AC is similar.

If the cleric has a shield equipped it will allow them to go over worn AC soft cap, which might be a factor here as well